Milwaukee Bucks 2019 - 20 Season Thread

[tmwiese55]

All you're saying is "yes the the things I'm pointing out are more important". I'm saying, no I don't think those are as important. There is no way to "prove" anything. I know all the stats are on Giannis side, I fully acknowledge Giannis is the clear favorite. I also am of the belief that being on the best team and especially if you're team is drastically the best team is a huge huge indicator of who wins the MVP. Of course it's not an end all be all(westbrook, etc), but in general. It is my opinion the thing that made this overwhelmingly in Giannis' favor (as opposed to a normal 'lead') as of 1-2 weeks back was his team was going to finish way ahead of everyone else, that ended all discussion. I think missing way more games than the other guy matters. You believe voters look at advanced stats as more important. I believe they look more at the traditional big 3, which are kind of a wash.

 

If that big record advantage goes away, it becomes much closer. I have no idea how that's arguable. I'm saying that I don't get how you're acting like the last 25% of the season doesn't matter. And specific to the last week, that Giannis losing and missing two games(which provides 0 value) while the other guy beat him and the other top rival while playing amazing doesn't narrow the gap. I don't think it's media hogwash bs for them to point out that due to the Bucks losing a bunch and evening their record up with LAL, Giannis missing two games and possibly more (we still don't know) all of a sudden made this race not over. Anyone saying that if it ended today that they'd pick LBJ I'd disagree with, but saying that with 20-25% of games left that what just happened made it much closer (or at least not over) is not a crazy media bs thing at all. The way for LBJ to steal this would be that if the Lakers finish with the same-ish record and Giannis misses a bunch of games. The last week just made those things way more likely than previously thought, it's not media bs to point that out. I frankly have no idea how this arguable.

 

But, Lakers just lost one to a blah team last night. LBJ put up a crazy statline but they lost. If Giannis comes back and Bucks rattle off another 9/10 streak this is over. First, it rebuilds that team record thing, second Giannis isn't racking up DNPs (before the last week or so when it's over) and third it would allow LBJ to rest a bunch of games since there's nothing for him to play for late in the year. Narrowing the games played thing I'm pointing out as well. If Giannis misses say 4 more games right now and they lose a couple of them well then all of a sudden there is discussion.

 

My pointing out the most years he'd win MVP is not proving anything in a heads up vs Giannis thing. Its addressing your implication that they're talking like this out of charity to LBJ. That's not the case at all, he is having a clear MVP level season. And yes, I do believe LBJ showing everyone he's clearly the best player still does matter. It's another thing to help narrow the gap on the stats stuff you point out. Don't forget how many MVPs LBJ didn't get while being the best PER in the league, best stats while being the clear best player due to things like certain narratives/storylines and team record. If anything LBJs career exactly proves that the stats alone is not all that matters.

[stoutdude04]

NBA suspends season. Comes on the heels of the thunder and jazz being pulled off the court before the game.

[HiAndTight]

I never suggested the last Quarter of the season didn't matter. I said that LeBron shouldn't have been able to catch Giannis after 3-4 games given the lead he'd created. You claimed I've said this before and I had to tell you that was not the case.

 

My argument has been about as simple and straight forward as possible. Giannis is easily the Move Valuable Player and that shouldn't have changed over a few games. That's it. You are adding these additional hypotheticals and then assiging that argument to me. If Giannis misses 10 more games and IF LeBron does X THEN it wouldn't be crazy for the vote to be close. None of which I argued and I said as much after you said that the first time.

[nodakfan17]

Wouldn’t it be the Bucks’ luck to have this year’s NBA Finals cancelled due to a Coronavirus outbreak?

I called this two weeks ago.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Wouldn’t it be the Bucks’ luck to have this year’s NBA Finals cancelled due to a Coronavirus outbreak?

I called this two weeks ago.

 

I thought of this post as soon as I heard the news.

[adambr2]

My guess is the playoffs will still happen eventually, even if they have to cut the regular season short, but this is getting ridiculous. Just cancel life at this point, I guess.

[Samurai Bucky]

This is a good course of action. Let the people in the health care industry try to catch up with what is going on. Don't give reasons for people to meet with tens of thousands of other people.

 

Now... how do people get their money back?

[HarveysWBs]

Let me preface this by saying I 100% agree with the NBA’s decision. If anything, it probably should have been the call even before a player tested positive, but I think everyone in America (and, it seems, in the western world as a whole) is operating from a playbook we are largely writing as we go, so I’m not going to fault them. With global, national, and regional trends what they are, and our nation’s intensive care unit capacity what it is, these calls have to be made now, and there’s no more time to delay. Every day lost drastically increases transmissions, especially in hot spots like the Bay Area, New York, LA, and DC. I won’t go into further detail, and I’m not an expert, and I’m not looking for a debate, I only mention these things to reiterate that I think to continue the season would be unconscionable.

 

That being said, this is a sports site, and we’re fans, and so I’ll share here what my “fan side” thinks about how this affects the teams and fans I care about: this sucks. It’s another example, in a lifetime that feels pretty full of them, of how Milwaukee doesn’t get to have nice things. Best Bucks team possibly ever? A season with an in his prime, newly-minted Brewer for life, maybe future HOF Christian Yelich? Heck, even a Packers team coming off a huge reloading season that offered promise of better things to come, starting with the draft this Spring? Nah, fam, we’re going to get the worst disease pandemic in a century.

 

I had to get that off my chest. Now I can carry on with the proper perspective, as there are so many things in this life that matter so much more than sports. I’m hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and praying for all you and yours. Stay safe out there in this crazy world. And in the words of Davante Adams: wash your hands, wash your butts.

[PinaMadness]

This is the most Milwaukee sports thing ever.

[MrTPlush]

NBA had no choice. Once a player got it they had to quarantine two teams minimum...and probably some of the past teams they faced too. You can’t have a handful of teams flat out not play for weeks while others do. There was no other option than to stop playing games.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There's no way that only that one player had or has it. No choice at all.

 

Here's my question though - they've said nothing but season suspended, why is everyone jumping immediately to the season is over? There's a lot we don't know. They could carry it on without fans in Alaska or something, resume in 2 months, push back the start of next year, or resume the next season where things left off. I know there's loads of red tape there and contracts etc., but do we actually know the season is "cancelled"? I ask that with full understanding of all the issues here, the toothpaste is out of the tube and all, and the virus shows no signs of stopping soon.

[adambr2]

The season isn't cancelled and I still very much doubt it would come to that. Of course I didn't think it would get this far so I've been wrong before.

 

At some point, somewhere, even if if be in empty areas several weeks or a month or two down the road, I think it's highly likely that the NBA playoffs will happen.

 

My best guess which will probably not be correct is that the regular season is over and the NBA playoffs will take place on time in empty arenas based on today's standings in a format designed to limit the amount of travel needed. (3-4 or something). But I'm sure there are all kinds of options being considered.

[tmwiese55]

I never suggested the last Quarter of the season didn't matter. I said that LeBron shouldn't have been able to catch Giannis after 3-4 games given the lead he'd created. You claimed I've said this before and I had to tell you that was not the case.

 

My argument has been about as simple and straight forward as possible. Giannis is easily the Move Valuable Player and that shouldn't have changed over a few games. That's it. You are adding these additional hypotheticals and then assiging that argument to me. If Giannis misses 10 more games and IF LeBron does X THEN it wouldn't be crazy for the vote to be close. None of which I argued and I said as much after you said that the first time.

 

Then what are you arguing about? Nowhere did I say LBJ passed him or should win MVP, in fact I've clearly stated the opposite. All I've said is that what happened in the last week narrowed the gap, unarguably it did. nowhere did I say he passed him. I said that what happened made that scenario of catching in Ws and Giannis missing games much more likely. I have no idea what you are arguing is wrong about those statements. My statement about the last 25% not mattering is your notion is the implication that he's so far ahead and LBJ can't catch, I'm pointing 25% of the season is left, that is alot. You want to attack the media, I'm saying I don't think the media pointing out those two things is some crazy bias.

 

Now of course it's all moot. Who knows what happens from here. At the very least, Giannis is going to get healthy now so that issue goes away. If they end the regular season and go right to the playoffs, Giannis walks with this easily.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Sounds like the Jazz roster has it.

[PeaveyFury]

Interesting that one of the most visibly flippant NBA players ends up being the 'typhoid Mary' of the league. Criticism of his behavior is ramping up, understandably:

 

"Jazz players are privately saying that Gobert showed a cavalier attitude toward the virus with his teammates in the locker room, touching them and their belongings."

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28891354/donovan-mitchell-tests-positive-coronavirus

[adambr2]

Rudy Gobert is a moron, by the way.

 

He has made a mockery of COVID-19 lately by making sure he touches every mike that a reporter places in front of him, and jokingly touching all of his teammates belongings in the locker room. Now this happens to him.

 

There are idiots on both ends of the spectrum on this. The ones freaking out and buying 400 rolls of toilet paper and locking themselves in their house on one end, and people like Godert on the other end.

 

Respect the virus, listen to the CDC, wash your hands very frequently and do as health experts recommend. That's it.

 

What Godert doesn't understand is that it wasn't about him. If he's not worried about COVID-19 then that's fine. He may never even get ill. But it was never about him, it was about his grandmother that he may have seen last week, or about the family of the teammate that he infected through pure carelessness.

 

People need to stop being selfish idiots. At least respect the people around you enough to protect yourself. And stop selling toilet paper rolls to the gullible for 10 bucks a pop.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I mean, the stuff he did was more damaging to public perception of the virus than anything. If he spread it to others, probably had more to do rubbing sweaty flesh with them every day in practice than anything he did in front of the camera.

[tmwiese55]

Yup, it's the ultimate foot in the mouth moment for the "this is nothing" crowd.

[nodakfan17]

[sarcasm]The NBA is cancelling games in response to a virus to ensure the health and safety of its players? That’s literally the premise of Space Jam.[/sarcasm]

[tmwiese55]

One thing that could get weird for the Bucks is if they delay the season but still play everything. So, it could cause the playoffs or finals to overlap with the Democratic Convention. What do they do? Play the game in Madison?

[Samurai Bucky]

One thing that could get weird for the Bucks is if they delay the season but still play everything. So, it could cause the playoffs or finals to overlap with the Democratic Convention. What do they do? Play the game in Madison?

DNC is July 13 - 16. That is all-star week for baseball. They could put in a floor at Miller Park for basketball or move the DNC to Miller Park.

[bucks2281]

I think if the Finals are played in July and the Bucks are involved, they’ll move the games to the Kohl Center. Just spitballing, but that makes the most sense.

 

Think the NBA does anything it can to crown a champion on the court by the end of August - even if they just jump to a Bucks-Lakers Finals and then start the 20-21 season in December.

[HiAndTight]

I think if the Finals are played in July and the Bucks are involved, they’ll move the games to the Kohl Center. Just spitballing, but that makes the most sense.

 

Think the NBA does anything it can to crown a champion on the court by the end of August - even if they just jump to a Bucks-Lakers Finals and then start the 20-21 season in December.

 

 

Oh...that's interesting. Just jump to the two conference leaders and have them play. I think I'd prefer that over the potential of the Clippers.

 

I do think this could potentially lead to the NBA starting the season later and taking advantage of the Summer a bit more. Start the season around December 25th or shortly before that. I've heard Barkley argue for this in the past and others advocating this more recently and it's made quite a bit of sense.

[patrickgpe]

Since we don't know when things will get back to normal, its hard to say much at this point.

 

Assuming things get back to normal in May, and sports turns back on in June. I think the NBA could stop regular season games and go ahead with the playoffs as seeded after a truncated training camp. Since Silver was already considering it, all teams could complete in a single elimination tournament for the last few playoff seeds.

 

I don't know, if there is a season, anything that they come up with will not be normal.

[adambr2]

I don't think they are going to jump right to the Finals, no way. They'll have a full playoff field, and from the sounds of it all series will be at a neutral site, best 2 out of 3.

 

Which really sucks, it nullifies a lot of the advantages for a dominant team and makes it more of a crapshoot. Much better than a single elimination tourney, but much worse than a best of 7 for us.