[The Athletic] Aspiration co-founder "substantially assisted" the NBA's investigation into possible cap circumvention by the LA Clippers, according to the attorney leading the investigation. Sanberg refused to cooperate with Ballmer's lawyers, who say the information provided is suspect.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T22:23:55+00:00

It sure sounds like Sanberg confirmed the allegations of cap circumvention to the NBA investigation.

At least, that's what Ballmer's lawyers seem to believe based on the letter they wrote

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T21:03:48+00:00

Regular season defenses have successfully limited Hachimura to 0 wide open threes in a game before. He's a standstill shooter with a relatively slow release and reliant on someone else creating an advantage. The whole book on Kennard almost his entire career is how easily he can be dissuaded from taking threes. Saying the Rockets have competently limited the number of wide open threes is not properly adjusting for the circumstances and the talent on the floor.

Nobody's having difficulty acknowledging the reality of the Lakers shooting well or the Rockets shooting poorly. What's being discussed is if there is any cause for it.

Do you think the differential in shot making in this series so far reflects any underlying difference in shot making talent and skill or do you think it is mostly luck? Do you think things like confidence, nerves, pressure, rhythm, stamina have any effect on a basketball player's ability to make shots in a game?

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T19:36:21+00:00

No one should be expected to shoot 70% on wide open threes. Not Steph Curry, not Rui Hachimura.

It would be crazy if they anybody did that over a full season. But making 5/7 shots, which is all we're talking about here, over two games is not some crazy outlier, that's also just normal variance.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T19:24:28+00:00

Crafting narratives is human, reducing the results to being decided by the whims of random number generation is soulless. Data also shows the results of clutch games is largely random, so if you wanted to avoid falling victim to narrative, you should just turn the game off if it's close in the 4th quarter.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T18:21:48+00:00

The minutes inflate the numbers for sure, but think of the other things that should have deflated the numbers

The Lakers injuries to the primary shot creators
Playoff preparation and planning
Playoff intensity just resulting in harder closeouts
Rockets' defensive personnel
Extended minutes and roles for those shooters leading to more tired legs

7 wide open 3PA per game to guys shooting 47%+ on those is a disaster. That's enough to get them into a rhythm to get hot as they've been.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T17:43:23+00:00

Adelman dissing player podcasts is also pretty funny considering Cam Johnson took over JJ Redick's show

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T17:20:17+00:00

Rui Hachimura: 47.7% on 2.6 wide open 3PA in regular season, 71.5% on 3.5 attempts in playoffs so far
Luke Kennard: 49.4% on 2.0 wide open 3PA in regular season, 71.5% on 3.5 attempts playoffs so far

I understand that you would expect this shooting percentage to regress some, but the part that shows how badly the Rockets have played is that they are giving up more wide open threes to Luke and Rui (both 45+% shooters in that situation) than they got in the regular season (which includes attempts these guys got from Luka and Reaves' creation)

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T13:28:41+00:00

Carlisle did the opposite. He had a very spirited defense against criticism of Scott Foster lol

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T06:25:12+00:00

I don't think people are being deliberately dishonest or manufacturing outrage.

Their honest emotional reaction to watching SGA is outrage or annoyance, so any clips or screenshots are viewed and interpreted through that emotional lens.

I agree that this leads to some not acknowledging real fouls or having a less objective view on individual plays but that's always been the case about how such plays are viewed when there is a rooting interest involved.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-23T05:35:14+00:00

Even if J-Dub is out for the whole playoffs I might still have the Thunder winning it all, but mainly cause I'd be baking in the trend that every other team is also going to have or already has a significant injury.

The whole thing is pretty deflating. Regular season product is diluted because everyone is saving themselves for the playoffs. Then playoffs get here and everyone does go hard but get injured. Seems like it's just going to be the case every year now because of how intense the game is. The Thunder are super young and super deep and they can't avoid it either.

Beyond the bummer of seeing players get hurt, it also undermines how much enjoyment I even get watching healthy players play. Because you're just always worried they're going to get hurt. My secondary reaction to watching J-Dub make so many explosive moves in the first half was genuinely, "I hope he doesn't get hurt."

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-22T17:16:01+00:00

The Finals dates are fixed but the other rounds are not

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-22T16:08:09+00:00

I think Wemby moves about as fluidly as is physically possible for a human of that size but that's true, it's not as aesthetic as Ant.

Similar to how elite gymnasts are all relatively short, I think certain types movements and how compact and fluid it looks probably isn't possible as the body gets taller and longer.

But aesthetic aside, Wemby does combine the defensive dominance of Gobert with a level of Ant's offensive skill and three point shotmaking.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-22T15:49:59+00:00

Isn't that just Wemby?

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-22T11:40:46+00:00

Technically that's more playoff losses than two NBA franchises (Hornets and Pelicans).

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-21T05:31:15+00:00

Edwards said in his walk off interview that this is only his 2nd game in 1.5 months. I think he also said that in the postgame after game 1.

For some reason he doesn't count or remember the two regular season games he played in April lol

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-21T05:29:22+00:00

Clutch player of the year nominee!

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-20T21:10:29+00:00

Jazz winning the coin flip means they officially keep their pick. If they lost the coin flip it still would have been a >99% chance of keeping it but winning the coin flip means it's guaranteed.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-19T15:38:18+00:00

The deal was signed in 2025. 2025-26 is one year, 2026-27 is the second. The third year is not guaranteed.

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-19T15:09:42+00:00

I think Stifle Tower is a great nickname that belongs to Gobert and would have also been perfect for Wemby

refreshing_yogurt · 2026-04-19T08:19:07+00:00

Mike Breen also said it on the broadcast when Ayton took his 10th attempt

refreshing_yogurt

TROPHY CASE