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PFT CommenterPFT 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.

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.

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Void
Apr 12, 2023
#9133
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

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.

Subjective claim about officiating and 'fixing' for big markets. Stern being dead makes it literally impossible for him to assist.
Win
Apr 12, 2023
#9135
Big CatBig 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.

No play-in team has won the NBA title to date. The 2023 Heat made the Finals but lost.
Void
Apr 12, 2023
#9137
Big CatBig 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.

Subjective. The Timberwolves have since had success with Gobert in 2024, but in the specific context of the 2023 season, many agreed with this.

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Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Celtics are statistically a better team without Jaylen Brown

Jalen Brown has the second worst plus minus of any five time All Star over the past 10 years... Also the Celtics win more games without Jalen Brown than when he is playing... Last year with, with Jalen Brown, they won 66% of their games without, they won 80%... Their entire career with Jalen Brown. They are 263 and 1 31. That's 67% without Brown. There're 60 and 26, 70%.

The stats provided are fictional/hypothetical within the 2026 setting, but presented as fact to support a 'Ewing Theory' style take.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Celtics are no longer eligible to be the NBA's team of the 2020s without Jaylen Brown

If the Celtics rebuild and they get back to like the NBA finals, let's say in like 2029, let's say they win another chip in 2029, that's a different team. Like the core is completely different without Jalen Brown. I don't know that you could consider the Celtics to ever even be eligible for team of the 2020s. Because it's gonna be two different iterations of the team.

Inherently subjective criteria for what constitutes a 'team of the decade'.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

FIFA must change the rule so a red card does not result in a next-game suspension

I think it's just a, a terrible rule that if you get a red card from a game that you're also suspended for the next game. Yeah. You're already serving your punishment by, by sitting out the rest of that game and your team has to go down one player. Why do you have to sit out the next game?

This is a subjective opinion on sporting rules.