2017-18 Daily Discussion

[Andrew]

Credit to him for going for the block, but he wasn't getting George on that one.

[Phil89]

Credit to him for going for the block, but he wasn't getting George on that one.

Yeah, gotta respect him for trying at least.

Especially after seeing Brook Lopez dive out of the way against LeBron the other day, which was pretty embarrassing.

[Sauru]

i have always thought people made too big of a deal about being dunked on. this has caused many players to never even try to contest a dunk out of fear

[Andrew]

If you play defense at every opportunity instead of slacking off, sometimes you're going to be on the wrong end of a spectacular play. Happens to all the great defenders at some point, same as all the great scorers have moments where they're shut down.

[I Hate Mondays]

So if my guessing is right, because the Christmas Jerseys were a Nike thing, this year we will have regular jerseys for the games played on the 25th? Kinda enjoyed having those festive jerseys just for the Christmas day, even though some of them were plain ugly or lame. It was a great marketing move too.

[Andrew]

They were an adidas thing. Nike has the contract now.

[I Hate Mondays]

They were an adidas thing. Nike has the contract now.

My mistake, I meant an adidas* thing. Thanks for the confirmation

[Phil89]

Looks like OKC are finally starting to figure things out.

[benji]

FUTURE HALL OF FAME KNICKS CENTER

Enes Kanter joins Wilt Chamberlain (3 times), Bill Russell and Bob Lanier as the only players to go for 30 points and 20 rebounds on Christmas, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He's the first player to reach 20 points and 20 rebounds on Christmas since Moses Malone in 1986.

[SoF'nAwesome]

lebron james really playing like the woat

[air gordon]

Watching the Pistons and Magic is brutal. There is 0 defense. Basically just dribbling drills to allow a basket.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that I really don't like Eastern conferences basketball.

I'd rather watch Spurs/Warriors but even Pelicans/Kings over teams in the East besides Boston or Cleveland I guess.

Ha just caught this. You do realize the magic are playing without 3 of their opening day starters lol

Cavs and Boston are opposite styes of play. Interesting

The Kings? Really? Why!?

[Jackal]

To watch the next Steph Curry in Buddy Hield, duh?

[air gordon]

steph or seth? really dont know what they are doing there. why bother even playing hill and randolph

[SoF'nAwesome]

playoffs harden came early

[Lamrock]

Golden State's gonna win the championship, but you know who I like right now is the Toronto Raptors. They've always been one of my favorite teams, but this squad I actually think has a chance to make it to the Finals.

DeMar DeRozan is a guy who sucked as a rookie but has improved his game every single season as if he's leveling up in myCareer and has finally become a legit star and the best player on the team. People act like Duane Casey is the NBA's Marvin Lewis, but in my opinion he's one of the league's best coaches because he actually learns and tries to improve from his failures. While it would basically take two of Golden State's all-stars being hurt and a lot of other things going right, the Raptors could pull off a run like the 2011 Mavs (that Casey was a part of).

So yeah the Warriors are gonna take it, but let's look at the other contenders because why not?

Houston? Even if healthy, the Warriors would cream them in an actual playoff setting. And we know they won't be fully healthy.

Spurs? Too old, too slow, too fragile. Yeah, Zaza injured Kawhi and it was bullshit, but any honest NBA fan would have to admit that they didn't actually think the Spurs would win the series, even after their hot start in game 1.

OKC and Minnesota will probably be the 4-5 match-up - Thunder probably win it because of their talent and experience. But against GS or Houston? Give me a break. Melo's a joke, Raymond Felton is their sixth man, PG13 has one foot out the door, coach Romney is clearly on his way out, and Westbrook's mamba mentality tends to look more like this than this in the playoffs..

Boston? They remind me of the 2011 Bulls. They could be a phenomenal team for years to come, or they could fail spectacularly. It seems like Stevens & Ainge can truly do no wrong, but it only stays that way until they do. But that's neither here nor there. I mean, they're good, I'm rooting for them to do well.. but they can't beat the Cavs in the playoffs. I mean their third best player is a rookie, and as fantastic of a prospect as he is, is likely shooting what will be his career highs from beyond the arc.. And it'll really piss me off if Kyrie wins MVP...

I'd put Clint Capela and Lou Williams on my all-star ballot. Doubt either of them will make it. Korver making it in 2015 is probably the most absurd selection I've ever seen and the novelty of that didn't faze me, so if one of both of those guys get in, cool, but whatever.

So those are my thoughts on the season at this point. The Ringer... you hiring?

[Andrew]

Interesting. You feel that the Raptors could beat the Cavs in the Playoffs, but the Celtics can't?

[shadowgrin]

Stop posting while on your meds Lamrock.

[volsey]

If you told me Gerald Green was still in the NBA and attempted 15 3's in a game before tonight I would've said you're full of shiii.

But seriouslly 50 3's is too much, what is this sport becoming. I miss the mid range and post pllay.

[[Q]]

But at the same time, it's ridiculous how crazy some of these 3s guys are hitting nowadays.
Can't do nothing but shake your head in amazement

[Stress Fracture]

Spurs? Too old, too slow, too fragile. Yeah, Zaza injured Kawhi and it was bullshit, but any honest NBA fan would have to admit that they didn't actually think the Spurs would win the series, even after their hot start in game 1

We've been saying this year after year, and yet they haven't had a first round exit in a long time. Wouldn't count them out.

[Lamrock]

Andrew, I don't think either is particularly likely, but I'd lean towards Toronto because they are more experienced and I think they have more reliable second & third options on offense. Boston's been overachieving in my opinion, and I think they'll have a harder time getting to the ECF than some expect.

shadowgrin, You've got that backwards pal.

Stress Fracture, 2015 isn't that long ago. I thought they were going to win it all in 2016, but they got exposed by OKC. I don't think their roster is as good as it was then.

[Andrew]

If you told me Gerald Green was still in the NBA and attempted 15 3's in a game before tonight I would've said you're full of shiii.

But seriouslly 50 3's is too much, what is this sport becoming. I miss the mid range and post pllay.

I agree, it's one of the reasons I've found my interest in the league waning in recent years. It's completely ruined the All-Star game, but even in regular season and Playoff games, it can be a bit trying to watch, at least in my opinion.

A good example came during the Celtics/Cavs game the other day. There was a stretch of about six or seven possessions in the second half where the Celtics put up threes on every trip down the court, and missed them all. I know analytics say that threes are better because they're worth more than twos, but when none of them are going in because they're a combination of bad shots or attempts by players who aren't hitting from range at the time, they're worthless. It didn't end up costing the Celtics the lead or the game, but they missed opportunities to extend the lead, until they went inside a couple of times and broke their scoring drought.

And that's the thing. Back in the day, if the three wasn't falling, teams would go inside or to the midrange to get something going and stay afloat, while keeping the three in their back pocket for when the opportunity arose with a good look. Now, they just keep trying to force the three, even when the defense is all over them and they're ice cold from the outside.

There's been a lot of talk about how the three-pointer means no lead is safe these days and it's true, but it's not just because teams are making a lot of them. When a team stops going inside and just attempts a lot of ill-advised threes that miss, they waste possessions and facilitate scoring opportunities for their opponents in transition, leaving the door open for leads to crumble. Going back to the Celtics/Cavs game, when Boston didn't adjust and kept forcing threes that were bad looks - just because they would've scored an extra point on each possession had the shot gone in, which of course it didn't - they were really only saved by the fact that the Cavs weren't hitting anything either.

Certainly, when players are knocking down a lot of threes, it's an impressive display of shooting. But when they're not, and still forcing them up on every possession, it looks like a couple of people playing a basketball video game for the first time.

Andrew, I don't think either is particularly likely, but I'd lean towards Toronto because they are more experienced and I think they have more reliable second & third options on offense. Boston's been overachieving in my opinion, and I think they'll have a harder time getting to the ECF than some expect.

Fair enough. I wouldn't count them out just yet, but inexperience certainly could be a factor. Things might be different if Hayward hadn't been injured.

[Lamrock]

It does appear that the three point shot is OP at this point. So what is the league to do? Make the three point line further out? Good idea, but then you must choose between eliminating the corner 3, or widening the court to accommodate the change. Add a four pointer? Seems counter-productive.

Andrew makes some good points about how the three isn't always the best shot. Analytics (and common sense if we're being honest) tells us that shooting a lot of threes is a good strategy. But it gives players an excuse to be lazy. Rasheed Wallace is considered by some to have been "ahead of his time", being a stretch big in the 90's and 00's. But he didn't start letting it fly from 3 because he wanted to stretch the floor, or because it's an efficient shot. He became a 3pt shooter because it takes less effort to camp at the 3pt line than it does to post up and try to score like a traditional big.

So taking a lot of threes is a good strategy, but it does give players the ability to phone it in on offense, and justify it with the efficiency argument.

[Andrew]

There is a laziness to it, not to mention an ugliness when teams go cold from the outside. That's the flip side of common sense when it comes to threes: they're a more difficult/lower percentage shot, and like I said, misses can facilitate fast breaks the other way, so there's a higher risk on top of the higher reward. Bricking six or seven heavily contested threes in a row is not efficient or smart basketball, just because there's a chance for an addition point per shot.

I think it's a situation where further evolution and the development of counter-strategies will change the game. When it clicks for teams that bombing away from three and badly missing possession after possession is a bad strategy, we'll see the old fashioned adjustment of going inside for a couple of possessions to settle things down and stop the bleeding. We might see another physically imposing big come into the league, leading to greater emphasis on inside play once more. I don't think rule changes are the way to go. Teams will figure it out and adjustments will be made accordingly.

Meanwhile, a shame to see that Damien Wilkins has been waived. His comeback was something of a feel-good story. It'd be good if he can get another opportunity, and finish out his NBA career on his own terms.

[shadowgrin]

It does appear that the three point shot is OP at this point. So what is the league to do?

Bring back handchecking but only allow it if the ballhandler is between the halfcourt and three-point line on their side of the court.