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.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

On an unrelated note, why was jimmer fredette drafted so highly?

Bad GMs in the NBA.

[mcaj22]

Jimmer's actually not that bad, I was hoping the Wizards would have traded for him. The Sac Queens stink and have no idea what they are doing. The analytics side of things favors Jimmer, he'd help a good team out. (I am not a Jimmer fan boy, but he's not as bad as his limited minutes/terrible cast in Sacramento suggests)

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Jimmer's actually not that bad, I was hoping the Wizards would have traded for him. The Sac Queens stink and have no idea what they are doing. The analytics side of things favors Jimmer, he'd help a good team out. (I am not a Jimmer fan boy, but he's not as bad as his limited minutes/terrible cast in Sacramento suggests)

Can't play any D at all. He could definitely forge a career as a Kapono-like spot shooter, though. Maybe something like Steve Blake at best?

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Can't play any D at all. He could definitely forge a career as a Kapono-like spot shooter, though. Maybe something like Steve Blake at best?

Steve Blake can play ****ing D. He's a feisty mother****er. He's not super quick or anything, but that guy gives it his all. He's not the greatest, but he can play some.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Well nobody is going to want to sign there until Kobe retires. Luckily for y'all his broke dick only has maybe one more year.

I bet you by the time Kobe Retires which we dont know exactly when the Lakers will get a high priced player that will play with him. Its a STRONG STRONG possibly that its Kevin Love. Them 2 would be able to play together quite well imo.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

They'll get some players, I'm sure. Aldridge a possibility too

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Can't play any D at all. He could definitely forge a career as a Kapono-like spot shooter, though. Maybe something like Steve Blake at best?

that's fine, and if he was paired with a good defensive guard and small forward it wouldn't be as bad. It's pretty cool how efficient Jimmer has been on a team where he gets limited minutes and has to deal with Thomas and Gay going 8 for 20 in shots every night.

He leads the NBA in three-point percentage, with an astonishing 49.3 percent, which is no small feat. His percentage is higher than well-known sharpshooters such as Stephen Curry, Kyle Korver, Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and 3-Point Contest winner Marco Belinelli.

Not only has Fredette remained accurate from beyond the arc, but in every aspect of shooting the ball. He is shooting a career-high field-goal percentage at 47.7 percent, as well as a career-high in free-throw percentage with a remarkable 94 percent. If he had the needed amount of free-throw attempts to qualify for the leaderboards, Fredette would be ranked first in the NBA.

Those numbers are without a doubt remarkable and that poses the question: Why hasn't he gotten more publicity? The answer is simple.

Despite these career-high percentages, Fredette is actually averaging a career-low number of minutes with a mere 11.5 per game. While Fredette has been amazingly efficient, he has done so with very little time on the court.

So why hasn't he gotten more minutes? That's the million-dollar question.

Many critics point to his sub-par defensive ability, but that hasn't stopped certain players in the past. Sharpshooters like Korver, JJ Reddick, and Jodie Meeks get sufficient playing time based on their ability to shoot the ball, and certainly not for their talent on the defensive side of the ball.

Is it because he is nothing more than a great shooter? No, the story doesn't just end with Fredette's shooting ability. His Player Efficiency Rating, which measures how productive a player is in every facet of the game with the minutes he is given is at 16.91, and it is higher than Gordon Hayward, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Garnett, and 2014 All-Star Joe Johnson. Of every player rated higher than him, there is only one in the league that plays fewer minutes per game than Fredette.

He'd be pretty good in a good coaches system. Needs the right team to really stand out. Sacramento doesn't have that, they have an athletic freak big man and a bunch of guards and wings that chuck shots.

I mean when I think of a failed draft pick, as a Wizards fan, I think of Jan Vesely. He was taken 6th overall, Jimmer was taken 10th. I would have rathered Jimmer as a nice 6th man/punch off the bench at 6th overall than Jan Vesely failured pick and having to trade him for old man Andre Miller just to remain at a .500 record.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

i've read they are probably going to buyout granger so he can go wherever (aka Spurs)

He's done.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

that's fine, and if he was paired with a good defensive guard and small forward it wouldn't be as bad. It's pretty cool how efficient Jimmer has been on a team where he gets limited minutes and has to deal with Thomas and Gay going 8 for 20 in shots every night.




He'd be pretty good in a good coaches system. Needs the right team to really stand out. Sacramento doesn't have that, they have an athletic freak big man and a bunch of guards and wings that chuck shots.

I mean when I think of a failed draft pick, as a Wizards fan, I think of Jan Vesely. He was taken 6th overall, Jimmer was taken 10th. I would have rathered Jimmer as a nice 6th man/punch off the bench at 6th overall than Jan Vesely failured pick and having to trade him for old man Andre Miller just to remain at a .500 record.

the kings were trying to get a second for him and couldn't even get that. Literally nobody wants the guy, including the wizards.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

I bet you by the time Kobe Retires which we dont know exactly when the Lakers will get a high priced player that will play with him. Its a STRONG STRONG possibly that its Kevin Love. Them 2 would be able to play together quite well imo.

No. Kevin Love is going to be the Tim Duncan replacement in San Antonio. STAY THE **** AWAY.

[RustShack]

Cavs traded for Spencer Hawes

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

the kings were trying to get a second for him and couldn't even get that. Literally nobody wants the guy, including the wizards.

they wanted a 2nd in the upcoming draft, the Wizards already blew all their picks this year on other crap, because well, they have one of the worst GMs in all of pro sports.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

This game is fun already!

[Hammock Parties]

11 pts in 3 mins

JFC

[-King-]

No chemistry.