"David Stern and the NBA were always going to find a way to get LeBron James into the playoffs" — PFT Commenter

Take Slip·Apr 12, 2023

#9133#PMT-2023-0412-9133

David Stern and the NBA were always going to find a way to get LeBron James into the playoffs

I think everybody out there with a pulse that's ever seen basketball or heard of the state of Minnesota before, knew that the Timberwolves were gonna give this up. The Lakers were gonna come back. The NBA. David Stern was gonna figure out a way for LeBron James to advance the playoffs.

Opinion Basketball Medium SubjectiveSarcastic

Subjective claim about officiating and 'fixing' for big markets. Stern being dead makes it literally impossible for him to assist.

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Win

Take Slip·Apr 12, 2023

#9135#PMT-2023-0412-9135

Big Cat

I won't respect the NBA Play-In tournament until a play-in team wins a title

I like it [the play-in] in theory because more basketball, more fun. These teams suck. These teams aren't gonna like... I need a play-in tournament team to win a title for me to start respecting the play-in tournament. Because the NBA playoffs like historically are the, you know, the top seeds are usually the teams that you see at the end.

Opinion Basketball Medium

No play-in team has won the NBA title to date. The 2023 Heat made the Finals but lost.

Push

Take Slip·Apr 12, 2023

#21012#PMT-2023-0412-21012

PFT Commenter

The NBA only created the play-in tournament to get Zion Williamson and more sponsor money into the postseason

The reason the playing tournament was basically started, much like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire got admitted to the Tri Wizard tournament as a fourth wizard. They wanted to get Zion Williamson into the playoffs his rookie year... Also, the NBA just wants another event to slap a sponsor on.

Opinion Basketball Medium

The play-in was indeed expanded significantly during the 2020 bubble and kept for financial/rating reasons, though getting Zion in specifically is more of a funny conspiracy theory.

Void

Take Slip·Apr 12, 2023

#9137#PMT-2023-0412-9137

Big Cat

The Minnesota Timberwolves are legitimately better without Rudy Gobert

Lakers in advanced the T-Wolves, let's say, let's do, let's do some positive spin zones for the T-Wolves. Okay. One, I think they're better without Rudy Gobert. Yeah. Like legitimately, you can make the case on defense that they need somebody like that to protect the rim. But on offense, they are like, I don't think it's even a debate right now. They work better... without 'em.