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 native]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Mark Jackson has been fired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors

— CSN Warriors News (@CSNWarriors) May 6, 2014

That is dumb.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

at golden st

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by KC native

That is dumb.

Nope.. the word is he wouldn't fire his dog shit assistants. The routine.. "You fire X!" Response "No, he's my guy." "Ok, I am going to fire him and then fire you for not firing him." Plus he didn't live in the Bay area, he kept his family in Los Angeles and spent his off days in LA.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

This makes the Rockets look bad for keeping McHale.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by KC native

That is dumb.

Not so sure. I've read some pretty bad stories coming out of there. It sounds like Mark Jackson was pissing off a lot of people (and in particular, his employers). You can't do that and expect to keep your job.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Not so sure. I've read some pretty bad stories coming out of there. It sounds like Mark Jackson was pissing off a lot of people (and in particular, his employers). You can't do that and expect to keep your job.

Jackson increased his win numbers for the last 3 years in an incredibly difficult western conference and took his team to the playoffs. What else could you ask for?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by KC native

Jackson increased his win numbers for the last 3 years in an incredibly difficult western conference and took his team to the playoffs. What else could you ask for?

A coach that actually listens to his employers when they ask him to do something? A coach that isn't causing ridiculous internal squabbles and a ridiculous situation where his assistant is covertly recording conversations?

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

A coach that actually listens to his employers when they ask him to do something? A coach that isn't causing ridiculous internal squabbles and a ridiculous situation where his assistant is covertly recording conversations?

If your a head coach, why listen to someone else on how to do your job? if they know how to do it, why dont they ****ing coach? thats the thing that pisses me off. If you hire someone to be the coach of a team, then let him do his ****ing job the way he wants. Dont hold him back.


I wonder if Steph is going to bolt now. I know Steph was really tight with Jackson.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

If your a head coach, why listen to someone else on how to do your job? if they know how to do it, why dont they ****ing coach? thats the thing that pisses me off. If you hire someone to be the coach of a team, then let him do his ****ing job the way he wants. Dont hold him back.


I wonder if Steph is going to bolt now. I know Steph was really tight with Jackson.

A coach's main job in professional sports is to follow the instructions of and work well with the GM. If you can't do that much, you're not going to hold onto a job for very long.

Same thing happened to Butch Carter early in the Raptors years. He was tight with both Vince and McGrady, but he pissed off the GM and too many higher-ups and has never gotten another NBA head coaching job since.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Jackson should not get praise for the success of the FO. He was a clown with an outdated approach to the game, and by most accounts, an asshole.

[dirk digler]

2014 NBA MVP Voting

Player	1sts	Points
Kevin Durant, OKC	119	1,232
LeBron James, MIA	6	891
Blake Griffin, LAC	0	434
Joakim Noah, CHI	0	322
Others receiving votes: James Harden, HOU, 85; Stephen Curry, GSW, 66; Chris Paul, LAC, 45; Al Jefferson, CHA, 34; Paul George, IND, 33; LaMarcus Aldridge, POR, 26; Kevin Love, MIN, 25; Tim Duncan, SAS, 21; Tony Parker, SAS, 21; Dirk Nowitzki, DAL, 7; Carmelo Anthony, NYK, 4; Goran Dragic, PHO, 3; Mike Conley, MEM, 1

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Joakim Noah 4th? What a joke

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

If your a head coach, why listen to someone else on how to do your job? if they know how to do it, why dont they ****ing coach? thats the thing that pisses me off. If you hire someone to be the coach of a team, then let him do his ****ing job the way he wants. Dont hold him back.


I wonder if Steph is going to bolt now. I know Steph was really tight with Jackson.

No.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

2014 NBA MVP Voting

How did Al Jefferson get so many votes?

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Jackson should not get praise for the success of the FO. He was a clown with an outdated approach to the game, and by most accounts, an asshole.

This