Matt Moore, NBA Writer for
@ActionNetworkHQ
. Podcast host: Action Network, Locked on NBA, Locked on Nuggets.Episodic writer. Part-time Maniac. I hate your team.
Man, probably. You get up, you try, you hope you do well, you live with the fact that you're going to fail in a lot of ways and then you do it all over again. Being a parent has taught me that pretty clearly. You just try and do the best you can.
Kyrie asks out. Can't find anyone to take him. Has to stay. KD asks out, no one will give up enough. Demands Nash and Marks fired. Nets say no. KD agrees to stay. Kyrie platforms antisemitism. Nets fires Nash after 6 games after telling KD they wouldn't fire him. Nets hire Udoka
ESPN Sources: Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns will undergo surgery to repair a torn left meniscus and will be reevaluated in a month. It’s expected Towns will return by early in the Western Conference playoffs.
Yeah, he really showed that team that… wanted to keep him and make him their franchise guy forever and paid him the most money the could… at every turn… you really…. showed… them...
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix talks the Denver Nuggets media gripe.
"they're just not a compelling team to talk about - to write about"
Worth noting that
@SIChrisMannix
and his cohort are compelled by attention. And financial return. They peddle NBA sugar, not basketball.
The Thunder traded Melo and a first for Dennis Schroder and then traded Schroder for Danny Green and a first and then traded Danny Green for Horford and a first and then traded Horford for Kemba and a first
“DID WE JUST SEE WHAT WE THINK WE JUST SAW?!”
Kevin Harlan nearly FELL OUT OF HIS CHAIR. Dan Bonner and
@realStanVG
were STUNNED.
The crew’s reaction to Furman’s dramatic win over Virginia was incredible.
How I Met Your Mother was so bad I’ve never been able to go back and rewatch it after loving the early seasons because it left THAT much of a bad taste with the finale.
On this day 13 years ago, ‘Dexter’ premiered on TV. After early seasons received massive acclaim, its series finale was universally panned, receiving an F grade by the AV Club.
So… what TV show beats ‘Dexter’ for the worst ending ever?
Trading for Sabonis: GOOD
Trading for Sabonis in exchange for Haliburton and your movable pieces of a shooter and backup big man when you are 20-35: NOT GOOD
LeBron: “After this high ankle sprain, I’ll never be 100% again”
Also LeBron: “YOU VOTED FOR THE GUY WHO DROPPED 50 IN THE CLOSEOUT GAME OF THE FINALS OVER ME?!”
I asked Nikola Jokic a question about how to manage energy and effort on offense vs. defense and that balance.
He said good question.
Then he turned to PR, checked his watch and said "Only took nine years" (how long I've been covering him)
“I won’t pay the tax for Malcolm Brogdon.”
“What about Jrue Holiday?”
“TAKE MY KIDNEYS. TAKE MY CAR. TAKE THE BEATING HEART FROM MY CHEST. TAKE FIVE YEARS OFF MY LIFE.”
Ja is 21.
Jaren is 21.
Tillman is 22.
Melton is 22.
Bane is 22.
Tyus is 24.
Allen is 25.
Dillon is 25.
Spurs, win or go home: W
Warriors, in Chase, win or go home vs. Steph: W
Jazz on the road 1st playoff game: W.
There’s this idea that the reporter got owned here.
Except, this is the EXACT kind of answer you’re looking for. That’s EXACTLY what you want.
Players often seem annoyed at the idea we want them to actually talk about the game but we WANT these answers.
Teams that have hit the 40-20 rule:
Celtics
Thunder
Wolves
Teams that can hit the 40-20 rule
Nuggets
Cavaliers
Clippers
History says the title winner likely comes from one of those teams.
There’s something genuinely interesting to the generational divide between class of 03-06 and 09-12.
Because LeBron, CP3: “Nope, the max, and nothing but the max.”
Warriors: “We’ll all take less so we can annihilate your hopes and dreams and then burn the ashes and snort them"
BTW, Cousins is a GD genius. Sees there’s no market for him with his injury, signs a one year deal, wins a ring to get that burden off, then can recoup value.
G-E-N-I-U-S.
Joel Embiid has three games on the road vs. teams over .500 this season: Bucks in the opener, Thunder and Chet Holmgren's 208 lb. center, and Indiana this week. He has played 33 games.
Imagine getting "Chosen 1" tattooed across your back shoulders and breaking the all-time NBA scoring record.
Like the expectations were always beyond reason and he *embraced* that.
Harden: “Chris (Paul) is always watching games and texting me ‘Did you see this, did you see what that guy did?” And I’m like ‘Chris, you know I’m out right now.’”
Jokic has 449 points, 154 assists, and 199 rebounds
He'll get another board, so here are the only players with 440 points, 150 assists and 200 rebounds in a single playoff run in NBA history.
"Ime, before we get to Kyrie's platforming of antisemitism, we'd like to ask about your year long suspension of team policy including reports of unwanted advances"
This is an actual situation
Older mercurial point guard who won a title seven years ago is dealt to the Mavericks who hope he can be the difference for their title hopes around their European superstar.
Don’t fine the players for profanity, please. We don’t need another reason for them to hate doing media. It’s how they talk, it’s how people talk. Let them be real.
Likely will, not on injury report, no back to back, national TV. It's a drop in the bucket. Team will pay the fine to protect him so he can drop 66 on the Blazers Monday.
This is a really classy answer for a guy who's a Hall of Famer. Wouldn't have blamed him for resenting the question and he answered it with a lot of grace.
Final tally:
The Mavericks outscored the Clippers by 7 points with Luka Doncic on the floor in this series.
They were outscored by 43 points in just 55 minutes without him.
Toronto, you have home court, this Cavs team mostly sucks, you got extra rest, you have the better team, LeBron is dog tired and you are, knock on wood, healthy.
You have not had, nor will you ever have, a better chance to beat him than this.
They dumped him. They straight up dumped Andre Drummond. They put Drummond out there like you did with your futon when you were moving out of your college apartment after graduation.
Let me be EXTREMELY clear on this.
If they played in Boston or LA they would be instantly incredibly interesting. Just trust me. Been doing this a while. This is not about them. This is ENTIRELY about how the media operates in relation to teams.
@HPbasketball
I don’t get how Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic aren’t interesting to write about. Both have obstacles they’ve overcome, they’re both charismatic as hell, etc.
I feel like Kerr wants to say LeBron is the GOAT but he knows if he does he’ll wake up in the middle of the night with Jordan at the foot of his bed holding a knife
You don’t lose Towns. You just don’t. You fire Thibs, you fire GM. You fire trainers and security staff and chefs and trade Wiggins and Butler and whoever else. You don’t lose Towns. You have him on his rookie deal. Everything else comes after “Keep towns.”
I have a question.
We all acknowledge Anthony Davis is better than Dame, right? More valuable, etc.
Go look at Dame’s roster since LMA left. REALLY go look at it.
How has he made the playoffs every year and Davis has… done what he has?
Herb Jones did not look right after the charge call. Watch as he grabs his head, walks out of bounds to the bench (I thought he subbed out), but walks back in and doesn’t defend anyone. Hope he’s okay.
Warriors so lightyears.
They suspend Draymond to show KD they’re on his side.
Then he sits out an extra game when Curry’s out so KD can see what it would be like going to the Knicks with only one other star.
So lightyears.
Do you all realize how hard fans in Sacramento had to fight to keep that team? How they had to hold onto that team so tight and organize so much momentum just to keep this team that had been dogshit for so long?
There just isn't a better NBA story this year.
The Bucks drafted a generational talent.
They added key value role players.
They traded for a major upgrade.
They replaced their coach with a clear upgrade.
If Milwaukee can’t keep Giannis in a few years I don’t want to hear anything more on how it’s on small markets.
Rudy Gobert is the first player to contract symptoms, be tested and test positive. We have no way of knowing if he was the first player to have it. Let’s not make this into the Rudy Gobert disease, OK? The CDC was estimating at one point most of us would catch it.
They gave 15 to a second-round international center whose primary asset was passing who was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial. There was nothing intentional about it.
Also, if individuals wish to make sure their jersey is honored, they should not force their way out of that…
1) Should never have given out
#15
to anyone else.
2) But the cat’s out of the bag, it’s Jokic’s number now. He’s just a whole other level of player.
Is what it is.
the Lakers agreeing to terms on a sign and trade for Boganovic at like 6:10 while the Bucks are fined and have picks taken away would be THE MOST NBA THING imaginable.
Tim Duncan and Steph Curry won nine titles by being singular transcendent talents that also didn't completely fuck with the entire ecosystem of their teams and instead supported everyone in their role towards collective success.
It's not a binary choice here.
Just imagining this conversation.
“Jae, you’re being traded…”
“Oh, come on man! I love this team! Blue collar! These kids are good! We’re in the playoff hunt! Come on!”
“… to Miami.”
“… Well, it’s a business, and I’m a pro so let me go book my flight."
Denver went 7-7 in March.
The Heat went 7-8.
I will *NEVER* let March basketball influence my opinion again. It is meaningless. NEVER EVER pay attention to anything in March NBA.
Remember when Embiid once again threw teammates under the bus saying he didn’t get the ball late? Go back and watch Jokic rebound and then run point full court and think about it. REALLY think about it.
Players to play over 500 minutes for the Nets last season with a positive on-court net rating:
Ed Davis
Treveon Graham
DeMarre Caroll
Shabazz Napier
Jared Dudley
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Allen Crabbe
D’Angelo Russell
That’s the list.
What do all those players have in common?
It’s a shame, NBA fans used to have all these different favorite players and now Donovan Mitchell is everyone’s favorite player and there are no other options, it’s science. Too bad, really
The data says Boston.
The market says Warriors.
The x’s and o’s say coin flip.
The narrative says Celtics are the best team since Jan 29. The narrative also says Warriors are 3X champs and were best team fully healthy.
We really could have a special Finals, knock on wood.
Houston had the 12th best offensive efficiency in NBA history last year.
I talked to D'Antoni before the season and he said he thought they'd be better this year. I thought he was nuts.
The Rockets currently have the No.1 offensive efficiency.
In NBA history.
Draymond allowed the Warriors to play smallball.
Draymond is the reason the Death Lineup existed.
Draymond killed the “Tweener” label.
Draymond has been the best passer on the best passing team in the league.
Draymond is DPOY for a top-five defense 4 yrs in a row.