2013-2014 Official NBA Thread

[Al Bundy]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...4-nba-schedule

With the Schedule released today, I figured it would be a good time to start the thread.

The NBA released its 2013-2014 schedule on Tuesday in a televised special on NBATV alongside a release on NBA.com and its team websites.

The season kicks off Tuesday, October 29th as Miami hosts the Chicago Bulls in Derrick Rose's expected return to the court. Then it's the Battle of LA as the Lakers host the Clippers. It could be the return of Kobe Bryant from his Achilles injury he suffered last spring, and will be the regular season debut of Doc Rivers as the Clippers' newest head coach.

It's a massive gamble by the NBA, considering Rose's struggles returning from his ACL injury suffered in the 2012 playoffs and Bryant's more recent Achilles surgery. If those players were to miss the opening night, it's going to make for a very underwhelming opening night of basketball, regardless of the markets involved for ratings.

Opening week continues on Thursday with the Bulls hosting the Knicks in what is likely to be Rose's return to the United Center in the regular season. The Knicks will be on a back to back, opening the season on Wednesday vs. the Bucks. Thursday night the revamped Warriors visit the Clippers, who are clearly the hot team, with two national appearances in the first three days.

Opening week concludes Friday with the Nets' home opener vs. the Heat, followed by another Lakers home game, this time vs. the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs.

On the NBA's biggest regular season day, Christmas Day, starts with the Nets hosting Chicago, followed by the scoring-champ rematch of Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant as the Thunder visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. Then in the main event, the Heat play the Lakers at Staples Center. Dwight Howard joins the Christmas fun as the Rockets travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. And in the night cap, the Clippers visit Oracle Arena to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Monday, January 20th continues the NBA's tradition of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a huge basketball event, with four games on the schedule. Brooklyn travels across the bridge to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, followed by the Grizzlies hosting the Pelicans, the Lakers taking on the Bulls at the United Center, and the Pacers facing the Warriors in the bay to cap off the night.

The Lakers first meet Dwight Howard on November 13th in Houston, and again on January 14th. They first host Howard at Staples Center on February 19th, and again on April 8th.

The NBA Finals rematches occur on January 26th in Miami and March 6th in San Antonio. Will Gregg Popovich rest his starters? It's not a back to back, as the Spurs face Atlanta on the 24th, but it is in the middle of a three-game road trip.

Despite the departure of Dwight Howard, the Lakers keep the max number of nationally televised (non-NBA TV) games in the league at 25, tied with the Knicks and Heat. The Clippers have 21 nationally televised games, while the defending Western Champs, the Spurs, only have 15. The Bulls jump to 24 national games, with the league banking on Rose's return to carry audiences. The Thunder also feature on national TV 24 times.

Houston, with newly-signed Dwight Howard and James Harden, feature 20 games on national television, a pretty low number given the star power. The Mavericks won the NBA title in 2011, and now have just eight national TV appearances. The Warriors meanwhile jump to 17 games, while Eastern Conference finalist Indiana only appears 10 time next season. To put that in perspective, the Denver Nuggets appear 13 times.

The rest of the schedule is at the link.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Also, Klay Thompson is useless. I would welcome sending him and David Lee out for some picks.

The Wolves called and they'd be more than happy to take Thompson off of the Warriors' hands. You're welcome to a pick, Barrea, and/or Martin.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

The Wolves called and they'd be more than happy to take Thompson off of the Warriors' hands. You're welcome to a pick, Barrea, and/or Martin.

Wolves with Thompson would make me moist.

[BWillie]

Jesus.christ you guys are overreacting about the Warriors. They arent gonna win the West but this is the best Warrior team in yrs.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by SNR

That's the shit I hate. "The way the sport is meant to be played." What the **** does that even mean?

Thanks, but I'll take watching phenomenal players like Lebron over the San Antonio Coaching Cliches six different ways to Sunday.

You're absolutely clueless here.

It means spacing, ball movement, pace, and facilitation, all part of working an actual offense designed to create shots with the highest efficiency possible. Not to mention giving a consistent effort defensively. So many teams in this league don't do any of those things (sometimes because they're completely incapable, but more often because they don't care and aren't disciplined enough to do so). They just came into one of the toughest buildings in the league to win in with a bunch of journeymen and succeeded over more talented players because of their style of play and their system (and it isn't the first time either).

So yes, the Spurs do play the game the way it is meant to be played (and yes, LeBron has his Heat playing more or less the same way over the last 2 seasons, which is why I enjoy watching him just as much and probably more so). To me, those who ridiculously (and jealously?) shit on the Spurs shit on basketball at the same time.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Jesus.christ you guys are overreacting about the Warriors. They arent gonna win the West but this is the best Warrior team in yrs.

This is the year they're supposed to compete for the crown. It is obvious this group of players can't get it done. Have to take action this year and start over.

[Al Bundy]

By the way, this is no melt down. Just a realization. Guys like Klaynus Thompson and David Lee aren't winners.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Warriors deserves to lose.. but that ball was clearly in the cylinder on the game winning shot. Refs worked hard to make sure the Spurs were in the bonus early in the 4th.

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Especially with the refs helping them out in the end.

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

According the rules you cannot review it unless a goaltending/basket interference call was made. Call wasn't made, so it couldn't be reviewed. Although it was clearly interference and the refs didn't want to call it.

IT'S THE REFS FAULT

[GoChargers]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

This is the year they're supposed to compete for the crown. It is obvious this group of players can't get it done. Have to take action this year and start over.

Honestly, I think Mark Jackass is more to blame for the disappointing start than the players. He's not a coach, he's a gimmick. All he can do is preach at his players. Now that Malone left for the Kings, Jackass has really been exposed.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

You're absolutely clueless here.

It means spacing, ball movement, pace, and facilitation, all part of working an actual offense designed to create shots with the highest efficiency possible. Not to mention giving a consistent effort defensively. So many teams in this league don't do any of those things (sometimes because they're completely incapable, but more often because they don't care and aren't disciplined enough to do so). They just came into one of the toughest buildings in the league to win in with a bunch of journeymen and succeeded over more talented players because of their style of play and their system (and it isn't the first time either).

So yes, the Spurs do play the game the way it is meant to be played (and yes, LeBron has his Heat playing more or less the same way over the last 2 seasons, which is why I enjoy watching him just as much and probably more so). To me, those who ridiculously (and jealously?) shit on the Spurs shit on basketball at the same time.

Oh, geez. Give me a break. You knew exactly what I meant. By saying shit like "They play the game the way it was meant to be played" you're just parroting a dumbass cliche like playing "real" basketball is a fashion.

What you meant to say is, "The Spurs are a well-coached team." Sure, but that doesn't make them great to watch, necessarily. Sorry, but I really don't ****ing care if Kawhi Leonard is the best player on your team on a given night and grits out a win. I don't want to ****ing watch that.

This isn't a jealousy thing. I didn't hate the Lakers when they won all those championships, and I didn't mind that they and Boston were in the championship game every year. Same goes for the Bulls of the 90s. I want to see superior basketball players. That's what I want to watch.

Sorry if that makes me some sort of simpleton, but it's a matter of taste. Go watch Matt Bonner gangle himself around the court and shoot a high percentage of 3-point shots. I'd rather do something more productive with my time like masturbate or even watch hockey.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by SNR

Oh, geez. Give me a break. You knew exactly what I meant. By saying shit like "They play the game the way it was meant to be played" you're just parroting a dumbass cliche like playing "real" basketball is a fashion.

What you meant to say is, "The Spurs are a well-coached team." Sure, but that doesn't make them great to watch, necessarily. Sorry, but I really don't ****ing care if Kawhi Leonard is the best player on your team on a given night and grits out a win. I don't want to ****ing watch that.

This isn't a jealousy thing. I didn't hate the Lakers when they won all those championships, and I didn't mind that they and Boston were in the championship game every year. Same goes for the Bulls of the 90s. I want to see superior basketball players. That's what I want to watch.

Sorry if that makes me some sort of simpleton, but it's a matter of taste. Go watch Matt Bonner gangle himself around the court and shoot a high percentage of 3-point shots. I'd rather do something more productive with my time like masturbate or even watch hockey.

As a Spurs fan, I'm anxiously counting down the days until he is not on our roster any more. He is a great spot 3 pt shooter, but his defense and just about everything else make me want to strangle him.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by KC native

As a Spurs fan, I'm anxiously counting down the days until he is not on our roster any more. He is a great spot 3 pt shooter, but his defense and just about everything else make me want to strangle him.

And I'm not shitting on Parker, Leonard, or Duncan. I'm shitting on Popovich resting all his good players and then people like KC Connection telling me I should be so fascinated and interested in watching the Spurs play without them.

You can't tell me that Popovich is sitting his guys is a 100% strategic move. He's doing it to troll. Pure and simple. Why doesn't he do it when the Spurs play shitasses like the Raptors or Magic? Why does he always do it during prime time matchups?

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by KC native

IT'S THE REFS FAULT

You do realize that was basket interference that was not called correct? Never should've come to that but a bad call gave the Spurs the lead.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

Honestly, I think Mark Jackass is more to blame for the disappointing start than the players. He's not a coach, he's a gimmick. All he can do is preach at his players. Now that Malone left for the Kings, Jackass has really been exposed.

There is enough blame to go around but Klay Thompson is a pile of shit.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by SNR

And I'm not shitting on Parker, Leonard, or Duncan. I'm shitting on Popovich resting all his good players and then people like KC Connection telling me I should be so fascinated and interested in watching the Spurs play without them.

You can't tell me that Popovich is sitting his guys is a 100% strategic move. He's doing it to troll. Pure and simple. Why doesn't he do it when the Spurs play shitasses like the Raptors or Magic? Why does he always do it during prime time matchups?

Actually it is. He does it on a minutes over a certain time period basis. You see him do it more on road trips especially on trips where he has a couple of back to backs. This road trip has 7 games in 10 days. He really doesn't care who they are playing when he sits them. He isn't playing for the #1 seed in the Western Conference.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

You do realize that was basket interference that was not called correct? Never should've come to that but a bad call gave the Spurs the lead.

Didn't watch it. I was treated to a free Dallas Stars game by one of our vendors.

I'm more laughing at you and the consistent blame of the refs. You are the pete of the NBA thread.