NBA 2020-21 reg season 1st half thread

maybe kyrie just needs to take a gap year or a sabbatical or something. i'm sure it can be arranged.

is kyrie doing that thing where a dude goes off to college and starts going by a different version of his name, but instead of college he's chillin

ben simmons somehow managed to put up 5 points on 2-2 shooting in 32 mins vs the heat’s 8 man roster tonight lmao

and he fouled out!

Simmons is a strange player. I don’t really like watching him play.

James Harden: "I love this city. I've literally done everything I can. This situation is crazy. I don't think it can be fixed. Thanks."

He left the podium.

— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 13, 2021

Simmons is not an every day kind of player, we knew that in college

Joel Embiid tonight:

45 points
16 rebounds
4 assists
5 steals
1 block
16-23 FG
11-11 FT

He hit clutch shot after clutch shot all night long. I’ve watched every game he’s ever played. I unequivocally believe that was the single best performance of his career.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) January 13, 2021

that's a stat line, wowser

the heat’s only big men tonight were precious achiuwa, kelly olynyk and chris silva so if it was unequivocally the best game embiid’s ever played that might not be as flattering as that guy thinks.....

How did Ben Simmons only shoot twice lol

it’s fuckin insane

Draymond shut down the 3-on-1 🔒 pic.twitter.com/v6WiKJF1gp

— ESPN (@espn) January 13, 2021

wake up every day and play the knicks again

my proposed NBA regional hub idea
5 hubs x 6 teams

Los Angeles hub (LAL, LAC, PHX, GSW, SAC, PDX)
Dallas hub (DAL, HOU, SAS, OKC, UTA, DEN, NOP)
Orlando hub (ORL, MIA, ATL, CHA, NOP, MEM)
Indiana hub (IND, MIL, CHI, MIN, CLE, DET)
New York hub (NYK, BRK, BOS, PHI, WAS, TOR) pic.twitter.com/35ZMFKJwF0

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) January 13, 2021

seems like the nets are willing to trade kyrie now weird

According to @getnickwright, this is what the Nets are willing to offer for James Harden:

• Anyone Houston wants not named Kevin Durant
• Three first round picks and pick swaps pic.twitter.com/aaKErYKjh2

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 13, 2021

hmm i wonder why

lol at the nets redoing the pierce-garnett trade tho

I’m not sure I like the nets doing this but maybe they think the Kyrie thing is unsalvageable

Nets role players are just so good

why would the rockets want kyrie

they prob dont lol

source is nick wright? lol

Stephen A (I know) says Harden now wants to come to Philly.

As much as I like Simmons (more than most), I think I'm ready to give him up for Harden, at least straight up, and perhaps with a couple of other reasonable picks/pieces (not Milton).

It would be pure Philly though for Simmons to go to Houston, develop a jump shot, and become a top 5 player in the league.

its makes sense for both teams imho

does embiid want to play with harden tho is the thing

he should

I don't know that Embiid wants to play with Simmons!

I think Embiid would love the amount of space he got down low because Harden is doing epic shit on the perimeter. The team might be unwatchable with the two of them, though, just an endless parade to the foul line.

It would be pure Philly though for Simmons to go to Houston, develop a jump shot, and become a top 5 player in the league.

simmons can become a top 5 (ish) player in the league just by...... playing center

philly wld be very compelling w harden-embiid the all flawed talent team tune in to see if they can finally get their shit together

the only thing stopping them from running pick n roll every play is they wld both be gassed by the 3rd quarter

but seriously folks im not sure how you would even start to defend that

does fertita still have a ban on harden going to philly or has that gone out of the window

my understanding is theyve been talking trade for a while

lol lebron just doing playground shit

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-reveals-his-ridiculous-no-look-3-pointer-came-from-an-in-game-100-bet-from-a-lakers-teammate/

I would trade harden for Dinwiddie, Harris, levert and 3 firsts

+ 3 swaps

it seems like if the rockets wanted the levert package the deal would already be done

The Rockets are sifting through finalists — Nets and 76ers — for a James Harden deal that could culminate quickly, with Brooklyn preparing an offer of all its future first-round picks and pick swaps, per sources.

Story on @TheAthletic with @sam_amick: https://t.co/tTYIRVG8Xg

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 13, 2021

If this ends in James dyeing his beard Gritty orange then all is forgiven.

KD and kyrie can become free agents after next season

ok he’s definitely getting traded

Rockets coach Stephen Silas said James Harden was not at practice today. "We felt that it was best for the group and best for James not to come to practice."

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 13, 2021

trades trades trades

The Rockets are planning to keep Harden away until a trade is done --- with front office weighing best final offers from Brooklyn and Philadelphia, sources tell @ramonashelburne and me. Process is moving quickly now. https://t.co/YDZkAKcG5d

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2021

wonder if they're leaking this to get other team's best offers in...

The Rockets are pursuing a trade package from the 76ers that would be headlined by Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey, league sources say

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 13, 2021

ben should've shot more than 2 times last night

that would be a home run trade for the rockets

hadnt considering tucker going over too but makes sense

Houston is increasingly determined to complete a James Harden trade as soon as today, league sources say, and has chased the promising Maxey in addition to Simmons

Philly is known to covet Houston's PJ Tucker in addition to Harden while the Nets have also remained in pursuit

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 13, 2021

I don't really know Tucker that well. Form looking at his stats (advanced and otherwise), he seems like a non-entity the last two years. Why would the Sixers want him?