We're not just beating bad teams

[Barolt]

Lowry has the ball more the DD.

This is correct, but the margin isn't that large. Lowry's true usage is 42.7%, DeMar's is 40.3%.

[Superjudge]

This is correct, but the margin isn't that large. Lowry's true usage is 42.7%, DeMar's is 40.3%.

All good brother.

I'm just now in my old years learning not to take all this stuff so serious.

Online forums can get carried away, make things more complicated than they are.

Derozan is fantastic, not just on the floor either.

I'd sign him for the max.... only way ya don't, is if you can sign someone better.

If that sounds too simplistic, good, because it really is that simple.

[JimiCliff]

Occam's Razor suggests that instead of insider funny business, it's far more likely that referees simply make unintentional mistakes (they're human after all), and that lottery balls don't always play out according to odds. Combined with confirmation bias, and boom, instant conspiracy theory.

That is, a conspiracy theory that has no explanation for why San Antonio was awarded the 1st pick, or why LeBron fouls out of ECF games, or why Toronto was awarded an expansion team at all.

As for the Grizzlies, there's only 1 person to blame, and that's Stu Jackson.

Occam's Razor! All-consuming greed and malevolent abuse of power amongst the elite have been fundamental elements of the human experience since the beginning of the species, so Occam's Razor would suggest these would absolutely be manifesting themselves in nefarious ways at the highest levels of NBA management and ownership. Do I think the NBA, as an institution, is rotten to the core? No. I actually think they do a lot of very good things, and I think that there are a lot of very smart, good, hard-working people that are part of it's fraternity. But it has it's creepy crawlies, it has it's dark underbelly. Literally everything human does.

I don't believe that every lottery is scripted, or that every bad call is a conspiracy. But I think, every once in awhile, strings are pulled.

[Superjudge]

Occam's Razor! All-consuming greed and malevolent abuse of power amongst the elite have been fundamental elements of the human experience since the beginning of the species, so Occam's Razor would suggest these would absolutely be manifesting themselves in nefarious ways at the highest levels of NBA management and ownership. Do I think the NBA, as an institution, is rotten to the core? No. I actually think they do a lot of very good things, and I think that there are a lot of very smart, good, hard-working people that are part of it's fraternity. But it has it's creepy crawlies, it has it's dark underbelly. Literally everything human does.

I don't believe that every lottery is scripted, or that every bad call is a conspiracy. But I think, every once in awhile, strings are pulled.

Holy sweet fuck.

Nominated for best post of the year.

Coming from me, because, well I'm me, this is a huge endorsement.

Well done my friend.

[Wild-ling#1]

Repeated Pinnochio referencing, elephants-but-really-odd-fish-tackle, nba conspiracies...I'm gonna call a spade a spade: this thread is quality.

I'm actually gonna take that at face value ... dumb?


[edit - ok, go aheah - I asked for it. ]

[Nilanka]

I don't believe that every lottery is scripted, or that every bad call is a conspiracy. But I think, every once in awhile, strings are pulled.

A claim that can never be verified.

[Chr1s1anL]

Its because DD and Ross weren't good enough to guard Johnson, and Casey was too stupid to play JJ. If we had Carroll back then, that series would have been totally different.

JJ wasn't on the team.

[Barolt]

A claim that can never be verified.

That's what makes a great conspiracy, is when it can't ever be proven right or wrong.

[Nilanka]

Holy sweet fuck.

Nominated for best post of the year.

Coming from me, because, well I'm me, this is a huge endorsement.

Well done my friend.

Just think for a moment, what it would take for the NBA to "pull strings" behind the scenes. Think about the layers involved, the numerous individuals participating, the enforcers who would be required to maintain the secret, and all this done without anyone noticing in this day and age of internet, cell phone cameras, and cyber hackers. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of opportunities for something to slip, and never once has. And you're telling me this is a plausible scenario.

We're talking about a nation who couldn't hide its President from getting an impromptu blow job, but puppeteering a pro sports league without anyone noticing for decades, is a walk in the park.

[Barolt]

I gotta say, when we don't lose for a while, this place gets really fucking weird.

[planetmars]

I believe under David Stern there were times where the league did things helped the rich get richer (the 'star call' for example is a minor example of one).

I don't believe Silver would partake in that level of scheming. Seems like it could backfire a lot easier with technology and communication improving in the last few years. A simple WojBomb for example could unravel any conspiracy that the NBA tries to cover up.

[Nilanka]

That's what makes a great conspiracy, is when it can't ever be proven right or wrong.

There are no great conspiracies. Just stories that can't be separated from fiction

[Superjudge]

Just think for a moment, what it would take for the NBA to "pull strings" behind the scenes. Think about the layers involved, the numerous individuals participating, the enforcers who would be required to maintain the secret, and all this done without anyone noticing in this day and age of internet, cell phone cameras, and cyber hackers. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of opportunities for something to slip, and never once has. And you're telling me this is a plausible scenario.

We're talking about a nation who couldn't hide its President from getting an impromptu blow job, but puppeteering a pro sports league without anyone noticing for decades, is a walk in the park.

hahaha.

That ref who was busted betting laid it out pretty clearly.
stern built an amazing sorts entertainment enterprise by pushing "stars" above teams, this didn't happen without a little maneuvering.

To think otherwise is a bit naive. Non?

[JimiCliff]

We're talking about a nation who couldn't hide its President from getting an impromptu blow job, but puppeteering a pro sports league without anyone noticing for decades, is a walk in the park.

A nation wasn't trying to hide it. Half the nation was - and the other half was doing everything in their power to expose it. Things are a little different when everyone's on the same team.

[Nilanka]

hahaha.

That ref who was busted betting laid it out pretty clearly.
stern built an amazing sorts entertainment enterprise by pushing "stars" above teams, this didn't happen without a little maneuvering.

To think otherwise is a bit naive. Non?

He was busted, and possibly made up a story to avoid blame in an effort to reduce his punishment. Not unheard of, right? There's precedent for this type of behaviour in the judicial system.

But this becomes a conversation stopper when we dismiss the theory's contradictions, and only focus on it's confirmations.