That was an electric double overtime game between the Celtics and Wizards. Brad Stevens decided to roll with his bench for almost 30 straight minutes and nearly pulled out the W. Then John Wall decides to be superhuman with his speed. It seemed like he didn't lose a step even though he should have been exhausted. I wish the Celtics would have won instead but that game was extremely memorable
NBA Season 2014-2015
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Much MUCH respect for John Wall. RIP Miyah.
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Durant iced the shit out of that game after the timeout
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That was the best Rose has looked, not just this season, but the past couple years.
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Saw this linked on Bleacher Report, best refs in sports. I'm in tears
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Weird night last night. Pelicans beat the Cavs after losing AD, Hornets take the Grizzlies to double overtime on the road, Pistons beat the Suns on the road, and the Lakers beat the Spurs in overtime on the road.
I'm enthralled by the Pelicans situation. They have freaking Anthony Davis, yet they blew up yesterday after he got hurt. And that was all about Ryan Anderson, the forgotten man since Omer Asik came to town. I like Omer. He's a tough bodyguard type who lets AD play the 4, which he's proving he can absolutely terrorize like a mutant Serge Ibaka. The problem is that the Thunder have KD and the Pelicans have Tyreke Evans. Evans is a slasher who has a very inconsistent jumpshot. As anyone with an elementary basketball knowledge would expect, he's struggled in clogged lineups featuring both AD and Omer. But once Ryan Anderson gets in there, the lane opens up and his game tends to blossom. Davis may be better at the 4, but the rest of his team plays better if he goes back to the 5 I think. At least until Evans improves his outside shooting. I also have no faith in Monty Williams as a long term solution at head coach.
The Cavs still need more time. But the struggles are what make it entertaining. The obvious commitment to defense despite the lack of results at times is a good sign.
Good to see Derrick Rose looking more like himself again! I'm crossing my fingers for his body to hold together this time around. The league is better with him playing at a high level.
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The Thunder have plenty of time to make up ground and get a mid seed, but that would require a couple of the top 7 West teams to slip as well. Plus, it would be way more fun to see them as an 8th seed and knock off the hypothetical 1st seed Golden State in the first round. It'd be interesting if the top of the West try to lose games at the end of the season to avoid the Thunder
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Another night in the books, another NBA blooper:
And I wonder why Detroit is losing so much?
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Rondo is about to head to Dallas according to sources.
FML. The Celtics are going to be as pitiful as the Knicks now. We're getting such a shit package in return.
Another late first rounder, I can't contain my
excitementdisappointment -
Rondo is about to head to Dallas according to sources.
FML. The Celtics are going to be as pitiful as the Knicks now. We're getting such a shit package in return.
Another late first rounder, I can't contain my
excitementdisappointmentAt the least the Celtics will make a comeback somewhere down the line whereas the Knicks will suck…......still.
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Nooooo Jabari. I'm a bit late on that, but that's a huge bummer. I'm not sure I've ever seen a 19 year old score as smoothly and easily as he was this season.
Rondo is about to head to Dallas according to sources.
FML. The Celtics are going to be as pitiful as the Knicks now. We're getting such a shit package in return.
Another late first rounder, I can't contain my
excitementdisappointmentThe Celtics probably screwed up by not trading Rondo two years ago for something much better. But the market for a PG who's been hurt and can't shoot free throws and wants to test free agency for a max contract at the end of the season is predictably slim. Not saying that Rondo's not a great player, but the Lakers trade for Dwight Howard is still fresh in a lot of minds. At least they got some assets for him.
And that's the one positive thing you can definitively say about Boston. They're completely loaded with assets. They have the tools to return their franchise to greatness far easier than franchises like the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets might, who blew all their assets thinking that their big markets would allow them to dominate the league through free agency. The Lakers and Nets probably don't even realize a 4th player is needed after they find their 3 stars. There was an interview with the Buss family recently and their entire long term plan is basically just "three max deals." Having a workable supporting cast isn't even acknowledged.
But that Mavs team sure got interesting in a hurry. Rondo/Ellis/Parsons/Nowitzki/Chandler. Not bad.
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The Celtics probably screwed up by not trading Rondo two years ago for something much better. But the market for a PG who's been hurt and can't shoot free throws and wants to test free agency for a max contract at the end of the season is predictably slim. Not saying that Rondo's not a great player, but the Lakers trade for Dwight Howard is still fresh in a lot of minds. At least they got some assets for him.
Two years ago, he tore his ACL. If you're talking about the 2012 offseason, that was after the Celtics were a few minutes away from the NBA Finals where they had a great chance of winning, despite the corpse of Allen and hobbled Pierce. Rondo was playing out of his mind and Garnett had his last elite year which got him a solid 3 year contract. Boston reloaded the roster with Terry and Lee(both stunk everything up) to replace Judas and were getting back Bradley and Green. There was no intention then to blow anything up.
But 3 years ago, Ainge did actively try to get Chris Paul. Since then this has been the first time he's really tried to move Rondo. All the rumors in between have been through the oft-reliable "anonymous" sources.
And that's the one positive thing you can definitively say about Boston. They're completely loaded with assets. They have the tools to return their franchise to greatness far easier than franchises like the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets might, who blew all their assets thinking that their big markets would allow them to dominate the league through free agency. The Lakers and Nets probably don't even realize a 4th player is needed after they find their 3 stars. There was an interview with the Buss family recently and their entire long term plan is basically just "three max deals." Having a workable supporting cast isn't even acknowledged.
The Celtics have been loaded since the Brooklyn trade. All this move did was prolong the rebuilding process. The already small chance of the Celtics getting an elite free agent is gone. Best case scenario in the next couple years is what the Suns are now, which could be solid in the weak East but still underwhelming. To top it all off, Smart has been injured almost all season so we've barely been able to see if he can function as a combo guard, let alone point.
But that Mavs team sure got interesting in a hurry. Rondo/Ellis/Parsons/Nowitzki/Chandler. Not bad.
They won't be able to defend in the playoffs, but I'm looking forward to how they mesh by then anyhow.
All the top West teams have a great point guard now except for the Rockets. It'd be hilarious if they made it to the Finals
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Two years ago, he tore his ACL. If you're talking about the 2012 offseason, that was after the Celtics were a few minutes away from the NBA Finals where they had a great chance of winning, despite the corpse of Allen and hobbled Pierce. Rondo was playing out of his mind and Garnett had his last elite year which got him a solid 3 year contract. Boston reloaded the roster with Terry and Lee(both stunk everything up) to replace Judas and were getting back Bradley and Green. There was no intention then to blow anything up.
But 3 years ago, Ainge did actively try to get Chris Paul. Since then this has been the first time he's really tried to move Rondo. All the rumors in between have been through the oft-reliable "anonymous" sources.
Yeah, maybe I'm not remembering the timing of his ACL tear right. But even disregarding being overly optimistic in the post Allen year, once Garnett and Pierce were out the door the situation was done. Rondo was on the clock and was going to want a max deal that they obviously didn't want to pay him. I don't really know when he was on record for wanting to test free agency, but the closer it came, the more his value continued to drop while the Celtics continued to not compete.
The Celtics have been loaded since the Brooklyn trade. All this move did was prolong the rebuilding process. The already small chance of the Celtics getting an elite free agent is gone. Best case scenario in the next couple years is what the Suns are now, which could be solid in the weak East but still underwhelming. To top it all off, Smart has been injured almost all season so we've barely been able to see if he can function as a combo guard, let alone point.
The Celtics weren't going to bring in an elite free agent because they didn't have enough there to tempt them. Rondo alone isn't going to do it in the world of Big 3's. The only way they were going to pull it off would be to trade for a guy like Love first, and then get the elite free agent with the recruitment package of Rondo + Love. They actually went for that and I can't really blame them. Sometimes you swing for the fences and strike out when you could have hit a single.
If the Celtics are smart, they should find their first star in the draft before they start branching out. Even the short lived, successful free agency Big 3's started with guys like that in Pierce and Wade. But they have like 6 first round picks in the next 3 years. They're in great position to do that. Unlike say, the Nets, who will be stuck with a bad team, giving their good draft picks to the Celtics.
They won't be able to defend in the playoffs, but I'm looking forward to how they mesh by then anyhow.
All the top West teams have a great point guard now except for the Rockets. It'd be hilarious if they made it to the Finals
Well, that was always a problem. Rondo's a better perimeter defender than anyone else that team had.
What's funny is to go down the list of championship starting point guards. For every elite guy like Rondo or Parker, there's a name like Derek Fisher, Steve Kerr, Jason Williams, or Mario Chalmers. Winning a title after throwing huge money at a point guard is a huge rarity. Magic's the one true, ideal example, and he was more of a point forward ahead of his time.
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Yeah, maybe I'm not remembering the timing of his ACL tear right. But even disregarding being overly optimistic in the post Allen year, once Garnett and Pierce were out the door the situation was done. Rondo was on the clock and was going to want a max deal that they obviously didn't want to pay him. I don't really know when he was on record for wanting to test free agency, but the closer it came, the more his value continued to drop while the Celtics continued to not compete.
The Celtics weren't going to bring in an elite free agent because they didn't have enough there to tempt them. Rondo alone isn't going to do it in the world of Big 3's. The only way they were going to pull it off would be to trade for a guy like Love first, and then get the elite free agent with the recruitment package of Rondo + Love. They actually went for that and I can't really blame them. Sometimes you swing for the fences and strike out when you could have hit a single.
If the Celtics are smart, they should find their first star in the draft before they start branching out. Even the short lived, successful free agency Big 3's started with guys like that in Pierce and Wade. But they have like 6 first round picks in the next 3 years. They're in great position to do that. Unlike say, the Nets, who will be stuck with a bad team, giving their good draft picks to the Celtics.
That's exactly right about the Nets picks looking better now that they're heading south as a franchise yet again. But the Mavs return could easily end up being shitty. Wright can walk after the season, Crowder is going to drown among the wing players the Celtics already have, and the picks aren't attractive trade assets moving forward since they'll be so low.
Hoping for a future Hall-of-Famer showing up in the draft is more optimistic than the Celtics 2012 offseason.
Well, that was always a problem. Rondo's a better perimeter defender than anyone else that team had.
What's funny is to go down the list of championship starting point guards. For every elite guy like Rondo or Parker, there's a name like Derek Fisher, Steve Kerr, Jason Williams, or Mario Chalmers. Winning a title after throwing huge money at a point guard is a huge rarity. Magic's the one true, ideal example, and he was more of a point forward ahead of his time.
The Rockets do have a great defender in Beverley and Harden looks more like a point than Lillard, Irving, Westbrook, Curry, etc. The league has so many combo guards, it won't be really noticeable.
Still….
Curry
Conley
Lillard
Beverley
Paul
Rondo
Parker
WestbrookOne of these things is not like the other
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That's exactly right about the Nets picks looking better now that they're heading south as a franchise yet again. But the Mavs return could easily end up being shitty. Wright can walk after the season, Crowder is going to drown among the wing players the Celtics already have, and the picks aren't attractive trade assets moving forward since they'll be so low.
Hoping for a future Hall-of-Famer showing up in the draft is more optimistic than the Celtics 2012 offseason.
Look, I admit that the Celtics got raped in the Rondo trade, but I wouldn't dismiss a late first round pick. Rondo himself was a late first round pick. But all you have to do is look back through the past few drafts to realize that good players are absolutely still available at the end of the first round in many years for the teams that can identify them. Guys like Faried (22), Ibaka (24), Reggie Jackson (24), Batum (25), Gobert (27), Jimmy Butler (30), Deandre Jordan (r2, 5), Draymond Green (r2, 5), Goran Dragic (r2, 15), Ennis (r2, 20), and Isaiah Thomas (r2, 30).
Is it a sure thing? Hell no. The number 1 overall pick isn't a sure thing. But if you're rebuilding you want as many lottery tickets as you can get your hands on. The 76ers managed to hit on KJ McDaniels in the 2nd round over everyone else mostly because they collect as many second round picks as they can possibly find, taking advantage of the fact that many other teams place such a low value on them. They realize that the finds like Dragic exist, but the only way to find them is to actually go digging. And there are a ton of solid role players that come out of the 2nd round as well.
The Rockets do have a great defender in Beverley and Harden looks more like a point than Lillard, Irving, Westbrook, Curry, etc. The league has so many combo guards, it won't be really noticeable.
Still….
Curry
Conley
Lillard
Beverley
Paul
Rondo
Parker
WestbrookOne of these things is not like the other
True, but when you start considering salary structure that list looks a lot more interesting.
Paul $18.1 mil
Westbrook $15.7 mil
Rondo $12.9 mil
Parker $12.5 mil
Curry $9.9 mil
Conley $7.3 mil
Lillard $3.2 mil
Beverley $789KChris Paul especially has history not looking kindly on him with that 18 mil he's due. And Westbrook isn't far behind at all.
Lillard is easily the steal of the West this season until they have to re-sign him. Curry and Conley are the long term steals. The Warriors got Curry cheap because of his ankles, and Conley has always been underrated. Those three give their teams tremendous talent at the PG position, while still allowing them a ton of flexibility financially. Actually I should put Beverley on that list too, since Harden is the leader of that team. He doesn't have tremendous talent, but he can do what's asked of him, and to say he's a steal at his salary is a huge understatement.
Kinda funny that the higher paid 4 are the lowest ranking 4 teams atm, which is sort of what history would suggest would happen (though Rondo certainly can't get any credit or blame for where the Mavs stand).
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Look, I admit that the Celtics got raped in the Rondo trade, but I wouldn't dismiss a late first round pick. Rondo himself was a late first round pick. But all you have to do is look back through the past few drafts to realize that good players are absolutely still available at the end of the first round in many years for the teams that can identify them. Guys like Faried (22), Ibaka (24), Reggie Jackson (24), Batum (25), Gobert (27), Jimmy Butler (30), Deandre Jordan (r2, 5), Draymond Green (r2, 5), Goran Dragic (r2, 15), Ennis (r2, 20), and Isaiah Thomas (r2, 30).
Is it a sure thing? Hell no. The number 1 overall pick isn't a sure thing. But if you're rebuilding you want as many lottery tickets as you can get your hands on. The 76ers managed to hit on KJ McDaniels in the 2nd round over everyone else mostly because they collect as many second round picks as they can possibly find, taking advantage of the fact that many other teams place such a low value on them. They realize that the finds like Dragic exist, but the only way to find them is to actually go digging. And there are a ton of solid role players that come out of the 2nd round as well.
The silver lining is fairly obvious with all the picks lined up but it's easier as a fan to look at what's going on with the team now and who fits where. Smart actually came back tonight and definitely approached the game differently with Rondo out. He passed up some shots that he took earlier in the season and looked to pass instead. Olynyk is looking like a poor man's Dirk the past 5 games so maybe mediocrity is closer than I think. It's great that the Celtics got the win tonight, albeit against the depleted Wolves. I sort of don't want to add in any of the Mav players into this rotation but I admit Wright is an upgrade over Zeller. More easy dunks couldn't hurt.
True, but when you start considering salary structure that list looks a lot more interesting.
Paul $18.1 mil
Westbrook $15.7 mil
Rondo $12.9 mil
Parker $12.5 mil
Curry $9.9 mil
Conley $7.3 mil
Lillard $3.2 mil
Beverley $789KKinda funny that the higher paid 4 are the lowest ranking 4 teams atm
That's extremely interesting. For some reason I thought Paul was making over 20 million. Among those bottom 4, it shows how good Curry/Thompson have been. They don't have anything close to an All-Star big on their team. (Green is more of a bulky wing)
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The silver lining is fairly obvious with all the picks lined up but it's easier as a fan to look at what's going on with the team now and who fits where. Smart actually came back tonight and definitely approached the game differently with Rondo out. He passed up some shots that he took earlier in the season and looked to pass instead. Olynyk is looking like a poor man's Dirk the past 5 games so maybe mediocrity is closer than I think. It's great that the Celtics got the win tonight, albeit against the depleted Wolves. I sort of don't want to add in any of the Mav players into this rotation but I admit Wright is an upgrade over Zeller. More easy dunks couldn't hurt.
Sullinger was being projected as a possible #1 overall pick during his freshman year of college, drawing comparisons to Barkley. If he'd have entered the draft then, he'd have been a lock to be a top 3 pick. But he spent another year in college, had a down year, and started slipping down the draft boards until the Celts snagged him at 7. But he still has those elite physical attributes that made him so highly coveted back then, and he's only 22. Throw in guys like Smart, Olynyk, and Bradley, and the team has a bunch of young talent to develop.
That's extremely interesting. For some reason I thought Paul was making over 20 million. Among those bottom 4, it shows how good Curry/Thompson have been. They don't have anything close to an All-Star big on their team. (Green is more of a bulky wing)
Actually I think Bogut has played more games this year than Dwight Howard.
And just for kicks, here's the east PG's:
Derrick Rose $18.9 mil
John Wall $14.7 mil
Kyle Lowry $12 mil
Jeff Teague $8 mil
Kyrie Irving $7.1 mil
Mario Chalmers $4 mil
Brandon Knight $3.6 mil
Marcus Smart $3.3 milSure sucks to be the Bulls. It's a bit hard to believe that Kyrie's max extension only put him at where he is, but his salary will jump by like 2 mil or more per year. And if he gets voted onto the all star team this year as a starter, he'll apply for the Derrick Rose rule which would add like 20% to his base salary or something. That rule was made for really young players who either win the MVP or get voted on as an all star starter in consecutive seasons.
And you were right about CP3. I had reported his last year's salary somehow. This year's is $20.1 mil, just like Rose next year.
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Sullinger was being projected as a possible #1 overall pick during his freshman year of college, drawing comparisons to Barkley. If he'd have entered the draft then, he'd have been a lock to be a top 3 pick. But he spent another year in college, had a down year, and started slipping down the draft boards until the Celts snagged him at 7. But he still has those elite physical attributes that made him so highly coveted back then, and he's only 22. Throw in guys like Smart, Olynyk, and Bradley, and the team has a bunch of young talent to develop.
Sullinger went #21 in the draft that year by the way. He needs a different coach to put it bluntly. I'd say he could become a Randolph with better range but he gets a massive green light to shoot from 3 with the Celtics. Without checking stats, I know for a fact that he shoots more 3s/per 36 than Olynyk, who's actually a good shooter. He could average a hefty double-double if he's used the same way as Randolph but Stevens likes to play him to space the floor. I wouldn't say he's a Kevin Love who has led the league in rebounding despite spending a lot of time on the arc, but his rebounding ability isn't miles away. I look forward to what Smart and Olynyk can become but I don't Bradley's overall game isn't going to evolve very much. In the past 4 years, his shooting has improved and that's it. He's still a bad ballhandler and his short-lived elite defense took a step back.
Actually I think Bogut has played more games this year than Dwight Howard.
Sure sucks to be the Bulls. It's a bit hard to believe that Kyrie's max extension only put him at where he is, but his salary will jump by like 2 mil or more per year. And if he gets voted onto the all star team this year as a starter, he'll apply for the Derrick Rose rule which would add like 20% to his base salary or something. That rule was made for really young players who either win the MVP or get voted on as an all star starter in consecutive seasons.
And you were right about CP3. I had reported his last year's salary somehow. This year's is $20.1 mil, just like Rose next year.
Bogut is nowhere near All-Star level lol. But your point was Harden is playing really well too. Yeah yeah
The Bulls with Rose is just a cherry on top at this point. Gasol and Butler are whooping ass right now, but let's see if Coach Thib runs them ragged like he's known for.
And why does it feel like Brandon Knight has been in the league too long to still be on a rookie contract?
.In other news, Troy Daniels gets clowned hard. So disrespectful
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Sullinger went #21 in the draft that year by the way. He needs a different coach to put it bluntly. I'd say he could become a Randolph with better range but he gets a massive green light to shoot from 3 with the Celtics. Without checking stats, I know for a fact that he shoots more 3s/per 36 than Olynyk, who's actually a good shooter. He could average a hefty double-double if he's used the same way as Randolph but Stevens likes to play him to space the floor. I wouldn't say he's a Kevin Love who has led the league in rebounding despite spending a lot of time on the arc, but his rebounding ability isn't miles away. I look forward to what Smart and Olynyk can become but I don't Bradley's overall game isn't going to evolve very much. In the past 4 years, his shooting has improved and that's it. He's still a bad ballhandler and his short-lived elite defense took a step back.
Yeah, you're right. Somehow wires got crossed and I wound up with his jersey number of all things instead of his draft position. Anyway, Sullinger has always been billed as a hustle big who'd outrun other bigs down the floor and gobble up rebounds. The question has always been how well he could develop his offensive and defensive skillsets. It might surprise you to know that he's shooting 36.7% from deep this season, at 22 years of age, up from 26.9% last season. When Kevin Love was 22, he improved his 3 point percentage from 33.0% to 41.7%, but let it slip back to the 37% range for most of his career since then.
In other words, Sullinger's 22 years old and his 3 point percentage is within a single point of what Love had in his last two all star seasons in Minnesota. Olynyk is also 22 years old and is, in fact, shooting it more accurately (over 40%), but actually takes slightly more 3's per 36 than Sullinger does. Olynyk has also been the better defender, though he turns the ball over more. Both have the potential to be stars if their games develop the right way, though neither will ever be an elite rim protector. But Olynyk is probably up there with Channing Frye as the most effective stretch 5's in the entire game right now.
I always viewed Bradley as a 3 and D guy. I saw a suggestion that the Celtics and Cavs should talk about Bradley for Waiters and that makes sense to me. The Cavs need the defense and the Celtics need the swag.
Bogut is nowhere near All-Star level lol. But your point was Harden is playing really well too. Yeah yeah
The Bulls with Rose is just a cherry on top at this point. Gasol and Butler are whooping ass right now, but let's see if Coach Thib runs them ragged like he's known for.
And why does it feel like Brandon Knight has been in the league too long to still be on a rookie contract?
.Right, of course Bogut is no all star, but he has been pretty awesome this season when healthy. And I'd say he's done a lot more for the Warriors this season than Howard has done for the Rockets, who are thin in the front court after him. So yeah my point was simply that the Rockets have gone all small ball this season too.
I guess, but if Rose makes a more reasonable salary, Melo's on the Bulls this year. Butler turned down a contract extension so that he can play the free agency game this upcoming offseason, and he's going to get paid well for his gamble. And even though Gasol looks like he turned the clock back now, Thibs has a way of turning the clock way forward by the time May rolls around. It just feels to me like Rose's contract makes it difficult for Chicago to bring in that final piece, and he hasn't played twice as good as almost every other point guard in order to justify it. But Kyrie and Wall will also have ridiculous money to live up to as the years tick by.
I hated Brandon Knight when he came out of Kentucky but he's grown on me with his endless hustle and fearlessness. And the random Shaqtin moments are good entertainment. It's amazing that the Bucks were able to get him by trading Brandon Jennings, who hasn't shot over 40% in a season for his entire career. But he'll be a RFA this offseason so this is likely the end of his team friendly contract. Though there are a lot of murmurs from Milwaukee that they want to move him to the 2 and bring in an elite point guard to run the offense. The NBA has a PG surplus right now, so may as well be like the Suns and run with multiple PG's on the floor.
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but [Olynyk] actually takes slightly more 3's per 36 than Sullinger does.
Lol, I was so sure too. It's been Sullinger's recent hot streak that has clouded my mind. He's made a lot of 3s but also has taken more than usual. That along with him playing more minutes than Olynyk. If Sully keeps the efficiency, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I'd just rather see him play to his strengths more than he is. It's more of a coaching issue than anything.
The "undersized" label on certain bigs holds less and less meaning as the league is reverting to small ball and suddenly Sullinger has the height advantage over opposing power forwards instead of just the weight advantage(by far at times haha). It'd be nice if weren't camped at the 3-point line during
a lot ofcertain plays, but I can't complain too much now since the 3 is going in for him and the Celtics are winning.I always viewed Bradley as a 3 and D guy. I saw a suggestion that the Celtics and Cavs should talk about Bradley for Waiters and that makes sense to me. The Cavs need the defense and the Celtics need the swag.
Ugh, I'd hate to see another former Celtics SG play with Lebron, but Kyrie/Bradley would be pretty damn interesting. And I wouldn't mind having Waiters. Whenever he drives the ball, it's pretty effective but he doesn't quite have the size/explosion combination of a Westbrook. I just wonder how he'd fit in. Stevens seems to love Evan Turner, so Waiters would have to usurp him or maybe Smart for decent minutes.
Bradley is a bit more than 3&D, I'd bump him up to S&D since he can shoot pretty well from anywhere now(his weakness is finishing in the paint) but always looks to run the floor. His 1-on-1 defense has taken a step back but he's great and disrupting pick and rolls and generally anticipating passes. I'm guessing it's a byproduct of dealing with Rondo in practice.
!
! Presenting: The new best #9 quarterback to put on blue and white in Dallas!Man, this is going to take a whole season to get used to. At least Pierce with the Wizards is easy to stomach after being weened after a year in Brooklyn. So, the Mavs got the win against the Spurs reserves. I was waiting for an oop to Chandler but to no avail. Rondo was doing Rondo things and just might be back to trolling on defense after drawing 4 charges last game. I think he had his feet set for a solid 3 count on one of the charges lol.
He also knew when to be the bystander because last night was just Monta and friends. I think I've only watched a couple Mavs games this season before the last one, but Ellis really does look like a good go-to-guy late in games. You really have to respect his ability to pass and score.
I guess, but if Rose makes a more reasonable salary, Melo's on the Bulls this year. Butler turned down a contract extension so that he can play the free agency game this upcoming offseason, and he's going to get paid well for his gamble. And even though Gasol looks like he turned the clock back now, Thibs has a way of turning the clock way forward by the time May rolls around. It just feels to me like Rose's contract makes it difficult for Chicago to bring in that final piece, and he hasn't played twice as good as almost every other point guard in order to justify it. But Kyrie and Wall will also have ridiculous money to live up to as the years tick by.
He did have the coughundeservedcough MVP award going for him so you can't blame the Bulls for maxing him out. Can't blame the Melo either for wanting a max. Now they're both hurt on and off. Too bad.
I hated Brandon Knight when he came out of Kentucky but he's grown on me with his endless hustle and fearlessness. And the random Shaqtin moments are good entertainment. It's amazing that the Bucks were able to get him by trading Brandon Jennings, who hasn't shot over 40% in a season for his entire career. But he'll be a RFA this offseason so this is likely the end of his team friendly contract. Though there are a lot of murmurs from Milwaukee that they want to move him to the 2 and bring in an elite point guard to run the offense. The NBA has a PG surplus right now, so may as well be like the Suns and run with multiple PG's on the floor.
I haven't watched the Bucks but I'm guessing Knight is the main reason why the Bucks are getting all these surprise wins what seems like every week now. The Suns experiment isn't working too well; they'll probably ship out one of their PGs before the deadline.
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Lol, I was so sure too. It's been Sullinger's recent hot streak that has clouded my mind. He's made a lot of 3s but also has taken more than usual. That along with him playing more minutes than Olynyk. If Sully keeps the efficiency, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I'd just rather see him play to his strengths more than he is. It's more of a coaching issue than anything.
The "undersized" label on certain bigs holds less and less meaning as the league is reverting to small ball and suddenly Sullinger has the height advantage over opposing power forwards instead of just the weight advantage(by far at times haha). It'd be nice if weren't camped at the 3-point line during
a lot ofcertain plays, but I can't complain too much now since the 3 is going in for him and the Celtics are winning.It's the Chris Bosh in Miami problem from the past 4 seasons. He's more effective in the post, but the team was more efficient with him spacing out. They should look at the way the Cavs are using Love. He's used primarily as a stretch 4, but he still manages to get a lot of deep post position for rebounds and easy baskets.
Ugh, I'd hate to see another former Celtics SG play with Lebron, but Kyrie/Bradley would be pretty damn interesting. And I wouldn't mind having Waiters. Whenever he drives the ball, it's pretty effective but he doesn't quite have the size/explosion combination of a Westbrook. I just wonder how he'd fit in. Stevens seems to love Evan Turner, so Waiters would have to usurp him or maybe Smart for decent minutes.
Bradley is a bit more than 3&D, I'd bump him up to S&D since he can shoot pretty well from anywhere now(his weakness is finishing in the paint) but always looks to run the floor. His 1-on-1 defense has taken a step back but he's great and disrupting pick and rolls and generally anticipating passes. I'm guessing it's a byproduct of dealing with Rondo in practice.
It's a cool thought but I doubt it'll happen. I don't think the Cavs let Dion go unless they get a serious rim protector in return, and they'll hope that they can develop him as their primary bench scorer if not. His raw talent is probably superior to even Beal's, but he doesn't seem to have the brain to take full advantage of it.
Man, this is going to take a whole season to get used to. At least Pierce with the Wizards is easy to stomach after being weened after a year in Brooklyn. So, the Mavs got the win against the Spurs reserves. I was waiting for an oop to Chandler but to no avail. Rondo was doing Rondo things and just might be back to trolling on defense after drawing 4 charges last game. I think he had his feet set for a solid 3 count on one of the charges lol.
He also knew when to be the bystander because last night was just Monta and friends. I think I've only watched a couple Mavs games this season before the last one, but Ellis really does look like a good go-to-guy late in games. You really have to respect his ability to pass and score.
The Rondo on the Mavs experiment will be one of the great ones. It's no mystery why they rolled the dice on it though, considering they won their last title with Kidd playing the point, who Rondo compares with pretty well. But Monta has been awesome all year so far.
He did have the coughundeservedcough MVP award going for him so you can't blame the Bulls for maxing him out. Can't blame the Melo either for wanting a max. Now they're both hurt on and off. Too bad.
It wasn't that undeserved. He probably should have placed 2nd. But ironically, it was that MVP which wrecked his contract, and introduced the "Derrick Rose Rule" to the NBA, which pushed his contract well up past anyone else his age. And of course you can't blame Melo. But the only reason he didn't sign in Chicago this offseason is because they couldn't offer him enough money to make a competitive offer. They only reason they couldn't offer him enough money is because Rose has a stranglehold on so much of it.
I haven't watched the Bucks but I'm guessing Knight is the main reason why the Bucks are getting all these surprise wins what seems like every week now. The Suns experiment isn't working too well; they'll probably ship out one of their PGs before the deadline.
I wouldn't really say that. Kidd has them playing like a team. Giannis, Bayless, Middleton, and Marshall have all looked good, and Sanders is back to borderline DPOY material. What really makes them tough is that they hover between a top 5 and top 10 defense behind the freaky length of Sanders and Giannis, and Henson when he plays. And Giannis can do things that just shouldn't even be possible:
should be worth 3 points.The thing about the Suns is that last year they played a stretch 5 offense at a breakneck pace, and used Channing Frye pick and pops before the defense was set to completely eviscerate opponents. Well, the best 3 point shooting center of all time is no longer on the team. Now they either play the Morris twins at the 5 to run the same offense less effectively, with less size available for defense and rebounding. Or they play Len for his size and revert to a not as good stretch 4 offense.
And in other news, the Pistons finally decided to waive Josh Smith after deciding that they couldn't get anything positive back for him in a trade. That's kind of too bad. I'll miss his insane nonsensical chucking.
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It's the Chris Bosh in Miami problem from the past 4 seasons. He's more effective in the post, but the team was more efficient with him spacing out. They should look at the way the Cavs are using Love. He's used primarily as a stretch 4, but he still manages to get a lot of deep post position for rebounds and easy baskets.
Sullinger does those things well, but I still think he's sits on the arc too often. It's not like Jeff Green is as good on the drive as Lebron is. And, the thing is Olynyk is better suited as a stretch 4 than Sullinger. Stevens tried to play them together but eventually found out that they are redundant. Neither one should be playing center given their defense so that's why Olynyk is currently the sixth man.
I'm not a fan of the over-reliance on 3s as the years go by, especially when actual big men are joining the cult too. But as I said, if it works there's no reason to complain. In a perfect world, only the great shooters would be the chuckers. But not everyone can be Curry or Korver
The Rondo on the Mavs experiment will be one of the great ones. It's no mystery why they rolled the dice on it though, considering they won their last title with Kidd playing the point, who Rondo compares with pretty well. But Monta has been awesome all year so far.
Rondo does lack the 3 point range that Kidd had, but I think the decade less mileage he has will more than make up the difference.
It wasn't that undeserved. He probably should have placed 2nd. But ironically, it was that MVP which wrecked his contract, and introduced the "Derrick Rose Rule" to the NBA, which pushed his contract well up past anyone else his age. And of course you can't blame Melo. But the only reason he didn't sign in Chicago this offseason is because they couldn't offer him enough money to make a competitive offer. They only reason they couldn't offer him enough money is because Rose has a stranglehold on so much of it.
Let's say Rose did have smaller contract and Carmelo got a max or near-max in Chicago. Gasol and his all-star production wouldn't be a part of the team and Butler would likely not have free reign as he's had so far this season. Would Melo's presence override that? Doubtful.
And in other news, the Pistons finally decided to waive Josh Smith after deciding that they couldn't get anything positive back for him in a trade. That's kind of too bad. I'll miss his insane nonsensical chucking.
Smith has to be the best player I remember getting waived. That's quite the dubious honor…
The team with the most to gain from all this is the Rockets. Best case scenario, Smith makes the Rockets defense the best in the league. At worst, he would be a super sixth man for them. Scratch that, at worst he could get released again XD
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Sullinger does those things well, but I still think he's sits on the arc too often. It's not like Jeff Green is as good on the drive as Lebron is. And, the thing is Olynyk is better suited as a stretch 4 than Sullinger. Stevens tried to play them together but eventually found out that they are redundant. Neither one should be playing center given their defense so that's why Olynyk is currently the sixth man.
I'm not a fan of the over-reliance on 3s as the years go by, especially when actual big men are joining the cult too. But as I said, if it works there's no reason to complain. In a perfect world, only the great shooters would be the chuckers. But not everyone can be Curry or Korver
Perhaps, but there's a lot of value in bigs with range. A big who can shoot the 3 provides better spacing than a guard that can shoot the 3, because it draws a big out of the paint to defend them. I don't think it's ever good for a team to only rely on a single concept, so stretch 4's and stretch 5's who spend all their time out at the arc probably aren't pressuring the defense as much as they could. But the way they can bend a defense is invaluable.
I think Olynyk is a great stretch 5 but they need a defensive minded 4 like Ibaka next to him to make it work. But he's a legit 7 footer.
Rondo does lack the 3 point range that Kidd had, but I think the decade less mileage he has will more than make up the difference.
Definitely. Kidd was never really that great of a 3 point shooter, anyway. Like Rondo he'd only ever shoot if he was wide open and you kinda expected him to miss anyway. Kidd was also probably more likeable, if that matters. And they might be the two best rebounding guards I've ever seen.
Let's say Rose did have smaller contract and Carmelo got a max or near-max in Chicago. Gasol and his all-star production wouldn't be a part of the team and Butler would likely not have free reign as he's had so far this season. Would Melo's presence override that? Doubtful.
Pau Gasol's the most overrated player this season due to stats being so heavily weighted towards offense. The Bulls are out of the top 10 defensively for the first time in recent memory (actually they just cracked 10th in defensive efficiency this week). They can't hold teams to under 100 ppg and they can't control their defensive glass. It's not just scheduling, either. The 76ers even dropped 100 on the Bulls. They got rid of Boozer, who sucks but can rebound, and added Rose back into the lineup, as well as Gasol and Mirotic, and by all accounts other than offense they're actually worse than they were last season.
I can't say for sure that Melo would be different. The point is that the Bulls were forced to go with what THEY considered to be their second option.
Smith has to be the best player I remember getting waived. That's quite the dubious honor…
The team with the most to gain from all this is the Rockets. Best case scenario, Smith makes the Rockets defense the best in the league. At worst, he would be a super sixth man for them. Scratch that, at worst he could get released again XD
The free throw missing exhibitions that Dwight Howard and Josh Smith could put on would really be something. The Kings, Heat and Mavs are also expected to take serious looks at the guy. He can be signed for the veteran's minimum once he clears waivers.
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The free throw missing exhibitions that Dwight Howard and Josh Smith could put on would really be something. The Kings, Heat and Mavs are also expected to take serious looks at the guy. He can be signed for the veteran's minimum once he clears waivers.
He managed to get the biannual exception, so a little bit higher than what the minimum is now. Just like that, the Rockets have 4 defense-first players in the lineup to complement arguably the best offensive player in the league. Their bench is pretty solid to boot. This could be said before the Rondo & Smith acquisitions, but the Southwest has to be the best division of all time. Perhaps even outside of basketball too, but I wouldn't be the one to ask
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Forgot to post this yesterday, be sure to watch until the end
claps for refs That makes TOTAL sense lmao. Maybe these were the same referees that let Brewer shimmy all the way from the 3 point line
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Rondo came back to TD Garden and caught fire as the Mavs destroyed the Celtics. He made as many 3-pointers(5) as assists.
Y U NO DO DIS AS A CELTIC? Nah, I like the monster assists more
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The Pistons are off to a 6-0 record without Josh Smith!! I think I'll watch them play Dallas tomorrow or maybe Atlanta on Friday.
Jennings got robbed of a buzzer beater. They left 0.1 on the clock :getlost:
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Jeff Green to the Grizzlies! Damn, let's just send all our players to the Southwest Division and stack it further.
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The Bulls struggling at home against teams that are under .500 has me scratching my head. The only explanation I think of is the lack of intensity the Bulls have shown in the beginning of some games this season. And node dominating performance by Pau against the Bucks. Career high 48 points!
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The Thunder need to stop wearing those awful alternate jerseys. The only things that could make them worse are sleeves
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The Wizards freed up 5 lanes of traffic for Westbrook's game winner there. I wanted that game to go a second overtime…
The play of the game had to be Durant's poster on Gortat. It looked effortless too
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That was a great game, but I'm really starting to worry about Dion Waiters. That guy just doesn't seem to get it. OKC for the 8th seed, though, and then… NBA champions! Unless Dion has anything to say about it, anyway. But I trust they'll drop him to D league before they let him destroy the team with his inefficient chucking.
And then the game after that was ugh. Major props to Harden and the entire Warriors team, but Dwight Howard and Josh Smith were acting like spoiled children. It seems like the Rockets just expect Harden to win them a title.
The Pistons lol wtf. The secret to winning basketball is paying Josh Smith to leave.
The Cavs acquisition of Mosgov is scary. He's a mountain of a man. The rest of the league should be concerned that they allowed that to happen. He's exactly what they needed to plug the one major leak that they had. Ever since that move they've gone from one of the worst rim defenses in the league to one of the best. And then they managed to replace Dion with JR Smith who probably fits the team better anyway. And since Dion was the main voice of dissension against the coaching staff (those bastards make me pass), it was addition by subtraction. I figure the Cavs, Wizards, and Raptors will all make serious noise out East after the all star break.
I'm super worried about the Bulls right now. I never thought Gasol and his 20 ppg were a particularly good fit for that defensive minded unit. From the very beginning of the season their defense didn't seem like the usual dominant top 5 unit that we're used to with him getting torched on pick and rolls left and right. And now it seems like his laziness and desire for rest is beginning to infect the rest of the team as well, and they're no longer even covering for him. Now everyone on defense just stands around. Who would have ever imagined that pairing a guy who values his rest with a coach who calls practices on rest days would be a bad idea? I hope they can get it turned around, because the NBA is better when the Bulls are great, but I think they should trade Gasol.
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Wasn't Waiters doing pretty well before last game? If the situation gets bad all you have to do is issue a couple of DNPs to him.
The Rockets just looked very inferior to the Warriors. Houston got swept easily 4-0 this season and have no answer for them on either side of the ball. it doesn't bode well for them that Smith/Howard got crushed; there are much better frontcourts in the West to deal with. On the bright side, they're 29-10 against teams that aren't the Warriors.
Smith's departure helped out the Hawks too, just a couple years late
Mosgov is definitely underrated after becoming notorious via Blake Griffin, but I'd wait a little longer to assess him on the Cavs. Luckily for them, a season tinkering with the rotation would land them a 5th seed at worst in the weak East, whereas the Thunder are looking at an 8th seed ceiling with slight room for error.
Gasol is on one of the best contracts in the league now, the idea of trading him is asinine. This recent stretch of porous defense has coincided with Noah's injury so it'll be back to above-average form later in the season. As for the laziness, can't comment on that since I haven't watched any Bulls games recently.
Butttt I could fix that by watching either BullsvSpurs tonight or BullsvMavs tomorrow
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He had a couple good games, sure, to go with a couple bad ones. He had plenty with the Cavs too. But he's dangerously close to being a less talented Marbury. He has talent, size, and athletic ability, but he's a total headcase. His pure upside is probably higher than Beal's, but the only thing he seems to care about is how many points he gets. He's a ball stopper on offense with terrible shot selection who will not hesitate to jack up a contested midrange jumper if that's what he has in front of him. And his number of passes per 38 minutes is literally one of the very worst in the entire league behind big men who average like 2 points per 38 and just never touch the ball to begin with. What makes it even worse is that his scoring dictates the rest of his game. If his shot is falling, then he's capable of doing all kinds of good stuff like shutting down Wade on defense. But when his shot isn't falling, which is more often than not, then he quits playing defense, or rebounding, or moving on offense, or doing anything productive at all really.
After Waiters got to OKC, he publicly aired some grievances about the Cavs coaching staff. Said the situation in OKC is a lot better and they actually let him touch the ball in his words. If you look at the stats, his usage rate was actually higher in Cleveland (24 to 22), the field goal percentage is about the same (40%), 3 point percentage the same (25%), and points per 38 also the same (15). The one notable change is that his assists have dropped from 3.4 to 1.6. So essentially, he's happier because they've stopped making him pass the ball so much. It also tells us where those reports about distrust between the Cavs coaching staff and players were probably coming from.
I watched a Cavs game a couple weeks ago and it was hard to watch. They looked bad and it looked downright hopeless for the roster they had. They couldn't even defend against a layup like the Bulls the past couple weeks. Their interior defense was getting abused so badly that they were sitting Love in the 4th quarter of a bunch of games so that they could play small ball without having to rely on his defense. The only legit center who was even on the roster anymore was Brendan Haywood, who wont ever get minutes over TT. And then the roster changed.
First they shipped Dion out and brought in JR Smith (and Shumpert when he gets healthy), and a first round pick. That move alone seemed to perk them up even though they still couldn't defend a layup, and JR Smith's 10 extra percentage points on 3's and more consistent effort on defense (it's bad when JR Smith shames you on defense) were immediately noticeable. Then they packaged that pick with another one to bring in Mosgov, and that flipped the entire equation. They just LOOK like a different team now. They can have Love on the floor, but for the first time still present the fear that attacking the rim will end badly. He's everything they need from the position. Size, defense, awareness, great screens, and finishing ability. I suppose that's why he draws comparisons to Tyson Chandler. It took a couple games for the new pieces to click, but don't be surprised if the Cavs go on a run now.
Here's the problem with the Bulls. Their defense looked bad by Bulls standards to me even when Noah was healthy. This is not the first time Noah has missed games, not by a long shot. But this IS the first time the Bulls completely fell apart on defense when he did. Gasol does a lot of things well. He's a good player. But his ideal home probably isn't in Chicago, where the identity is hard work and defense. For the guy on your team scoring 20 points per game and being selected as an all star starter, you'd best make sure he's on the same page as the head coach. Now as for Jimmy Butler? He's perfect for the Bulls. But the two fan favorites, Gasol and Rose, are guys who publicly lobby for more rest while their coach wants everyone on the team to run until they puke and then do it again, and play even if they have to be held together by duct tape. Could they work it all out? Yeah, they're a great team. But I'm concerned, especially when it's two of the leaders who seem to be causing these problems. The Cavs righted the ship with a couple smart trades, and the Bulls should at least explore similar options. It's a shame that they ever gave up Omer Asik.
Gasol's trade value right now is higher than it's been in years. What sort of juicy assets might a desperate team on the cusp be willing to give up for him?
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Yes!!! Finally the Celtics have ended their road loss streak against West teams, which dated back to 2013…
I'm not understanding your comparison between Cleveland and Chicago's struggles. The Cavs have been hovering around .500 like the Bucks whereas the Bulls are an arm's length away from the 2nd seed. The Bulls have been through this story before with Thib's...methods. Whenever the next win streak hits, that noise will be old news again and everyone will be peachy.
They've played above average on both sides of the ball and that's a much better place to be than the lopsided squad last year. (I think bottom 3 in offense, top 3 in defense). The Bulls aren't elite on offense or defense even with Noah playing but they really don't need to be in the East. There aren't any major holes in the team or "toxic" players in the locker room like the Cavs so the last thing the Bulls need is to be trigger happy with trades.
@Urouge:Gasol's trade value right now is higher than it's been in years. What sort of juicy assets might a desperate team on the cusp be willing to give up for him?
Assets meaning raw players and/or draft picks? Why would a contender do that in the middle of a season? There's a 0% chance he's traded, even if they lost every game until the trade deadline. And no team would be dumb enough to mortgage their future on nabbing a 34 year old Gasol. Well besides the Nets, but they're still recovering from their
20112013 debacle -
http://www.nba.com/2015/news/as.game/01/22/release-all-star-starters/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpts
Not sure what surprised me more, Lowry getting the start or Gortat being 4th! in the frontcourt voting. Poland…just stop.
Good job Canada for voting Lowry ahead of Wade for the starting lineup, although Wade deserved it more this year than the past couple at least.
Also, it's conceivable for most of Durant, Westbrook, Paul, Love, Howard and Wade to miss the All-Star game this year
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My comparison doesn't have to do with records or anything, just with my take on their current outlook. The Bulls have had rough patches before with injuries and losing streaks and all of that. But giving up 100 points per game on average basically the entire season? Not with Thibs there. Thibs has been at this for a while now, so such a drop off is alarming to me. This poor defense game in and game out is a new thing. And they don't seem to be doing anything to rectify the situation at the front office level, possibly because the offense is doing better than ever and they have more pieces in place to bolster that side of the ball. It's easy to say "let's just wait until everyone gets healthy" but even when healthy the defense has had issues.
It's not that they're a bad overall team. But I worry about a team when it seems like they're losing their identity. It's kind of the same reason Waiters absolutely had to go from Cleveland, regardless of his upside. He has all star potential if he can ever get his head on straight. But trying to set an identity with a motion offense that uses ball movement and passing? Not with Dion. Though I'm becoming less convinced that'll ever be the case with as many iso sets as Lebron runs.
The Cavs, on the other hand, were always going to be a work in progress. When you put basically 15 new people together with a new coach, it's not uncommon to see visible improvement every month all the way into the 2nd year. It didn't help matters that they decided that they didn't get it quite right and reshuffled their roster again this month. But the new roster looks like it just fits together better than the old one did by the eye test, so they're absolutely better off for it in the long run.
The Cavs came into the season as an unknown commodity that was guaranteed to change a lot as the season progressed. The Bulls came into the season as a known commodity that has played like a mirror image of itself, with good offense and bad defense. Would you have ever guessed that Thibs would have a team that was ranked higher in the league in offense rating than it was in defensive rating? Because that's the 2014-2015 Chicago Bulls. It's a shock to the system, and it feels like it's either a really good sign for them or a really bad sign for them. None of us will know which until it all plays out, but guessing is half the fun.
As for assets, it's hard to know and it can depend on which team wants to make a run at him. And it's not like they'd get a lottery pick or anything, since contenders usually don't have those, or at least they don't think they do when they trade away an unprotected pick for 2019. And the ones desperate enough are those on the precipice that have never actually gotten there, like OKC and LAC. LAC? Doc has made a lot of piss poor moves as a GM so far, and hasn't shown the ability to use a calculator. Either way, an all star starting center with two rings will cause a lot of phones to be answered. But in the Bulls defensive scheme, he can't move laterally to stay in front of anyone, he's either too slow or too lazy to hedge on the pick and roll, he's not consistent with his boxouts so it's feast or famine with his size and positioning savvy, and he seems to be the only player on the team who can't get back on defense when he wants to argue about a call. None of those things show up on a box score, and every one of them was done better by Carlos Boozer of all people. Gasol is a better rim protector, though, and it's not even close.
The truth is that a lot of offensive forces in the NBA will give you such garbage on defense, but the Bulls in particular might have a harder time weathering it from one of their stars due to it conflicting with their identity. But hey, maybe they'll prove me wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Looking at it the other way, if Thibs CAN figure out how to patch together a top 5 defense with offensively focused players, then they're actually more dangerous than ever. I'm just predicting that to be a bit too tall of an order for even a great coach, I suppose.
I am shocked. SHOCKED that Durant wasn't voted in as a starter. The NBA fans have forever voted in all star starters as life time achievement awards, and it persisted with Kobe, so… huh? Though maybe the age of internet voting has something to do with that now, with even Wade and Kyrie rightfully getting beaten out by Lowry. But still, Durant's been playing at a higher level in the games he's played than Lebron has this season. You still have to acknowledge him as one of the 3 best in the world, minimum. He wont be left off the final roster for sure, especially with Aldridge hurt and the fact that there are more forward spots, but Westbrook might.
And as a result of this development, Blake Griffin has to play small forward for the all star game. It's Josh Smith in Detroit all over again.
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I am shocked. SHOCKED that Durant wasn't voted in as a starter. The NBA fans have forever voted in all star starters as life time achievement awards, and it persisted with Kobe, so… huh?
As much as I love me some Kobe I couldn't help but laugh at the truth of this. Made all the more painful by Kobe now having a torn rotator cuff and likely being out for the rest of the season.
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I'm glad Rose said what he said after the bad loss to the Cavs. It has lit a fire up under the Bulls, and it showed in the Spurs game last night.
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I think Mark Jackson said it best while watching Westbrook when he said that it makes a world of difference to have guys who always bring 100% energy and effort without needing to have it coaxed out of them. The Bulls in the Thibs era have always been loaded with guys like that, and these days I can only count 3. Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler, and Nikola Mirotic. I give Noah a pass because the guy is all heart, but his body is breaking down on him. In this case the coaxing carried them through a back to back and then they let Whiteside get a triple double on them (points, rebounds, blocks) on national TV after only like 24 minutes.
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agreed at all this Urouge said about the Bulls. It's kind of worrying but I'll worry about them if they still play like this after the All star break. Looks like Jimmy and Noah could use more rest. Hopefully, when Dunleavy comes back, it will be better. Dunleavy's such a big part of the offense (opens up the floor for Jimmy/play Jimmy on 2 and will have an advantage on other smaller 2 guards/ and takes away some minutes from Hinrich, I hope) and his size is a big factor on D also. Taj is playing bad this season, I think it's part of the thinking that he still comes off from the bench. Gasol is playing like an All Star on offense, but he's so slow on D. Hinrich is soooooooooooo bad this season.
Really hope that they can turn this up, gone were the days that they're almost unbeatable at home. I miss those times. Luckily, Raps were also losing somehow, same with the Wizards.
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Well the Bulls won their back-to-back against the Spurs and Mavs then lost to Chalmers and friends on Sunday lol. Who could've predicted that one?
H.O.R.S.E. is coming to All-Star Weekend, between Wall and Curry. Before you scoff at that matchup,
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Damn.
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Lillard got snubbed hard. At least Irving gets a chance to defend his All Star MVP from off the bench
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It sucks for Lillard but I get it. Someone deserving was going to get left out. The competition in the west is pretty fierce. Same deal with Cousins. Ouch.
The one beef I have is with the Hawks situation. There was talk that they could get up to four guys into the ASG with how much they've dominated the East. Fine, whatever, but at the end of the day they cut the one and only guy they couldn't cut. The Hawks have proven all year that just about any one of their parts can be replaced and the engine keeps humming right along like new… except Korver. The difference between him being out and in is mindblowing. He can cause defenses to freak out so much just by running around without the ball that the entire offense comes off of that, because he's shooting nearly 50% on CONTESTED 3's this season. I don't have the offensive efficiency numbers in front of me, but they drop way off the table when he sits. He's one of the few guys in the league right now who could put up all 0's on the stat sheet and still be player of the game. Not that he will, since he's on pace to be the first ever member of the 50-50-90 club.
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You know, it's games like Bulls-Warriors a couple nights ago, that takes years off of your life. Despite the 11 turnovers, Rose came through in the clutch again.
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Is Korver an All-Star player? No.
Does anyone deserve the spot over him if Wade is too hurt to suit up? Probably not. That's more a sign of how weak the East is than anything. Because Horford doesn't deserve an invite either to be honest; his name got him the spot sort of the same way Duncan did. The Cousins snub is horrible too, but a losing record is a strike against him and frankly an easy excuse. Lillard, on the other hand? After Harden and MAYBE Thompson, not sure how anyone else in the West could have stood out more to the coaches who voted.
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That depends on how you define "All-Star Player." Did Korver get an invite to the game? No. Are his numbers worthy of it? Nope. Commercials, endorsement deals, flashy game, and overall fan interest? Another resounding no. But would any GM or coach in the NBA consider him to be one of the 12 best/most dangerous players in the Eastern conference this season? Without a doubt, yes. Teams draw up entire defensive gameplans to deal with Kyle Korver. Paul Millsap can't make such grandiose statements.
When it comes to numbers Horford puts up 15 and 7, Millsap puts up 17 and 8, and Teague puts up 17 and 7. That's not good enough for first timers to make it on any other team (even Love who everyone makes fun of this season puts up 17 and 10 and the points will go up when he finds his shot), and a lot of those points are made possible by Korver's activity. Korver puts up even less numbers, but he's like a point guard who's not getting credit for assists, and nearly everyone credits him with the success of the Atlanta offense.
As for Lillard, I saw a lot of disagreeing about whether Paul or Lillard should make it before the rosters were announced. But I think Westbrook may have stolen his spot, given the circumstances of his own injury situation and his team's record this season. Especially if Cousins was snubbed for the same reasons. I think most people expected Westbrook and Conley to be the snubs. Lillard definitely has a beef, but the West was always going to leave a few dudes home with a beef. I'd have included him, but it's so close that I understand how it happened.
You know, it's games like Bulls-Warriors a couple nights ago, that takes years off of your life. Despite the 11 turnovers, Rose came through in the clutch again.
Too bad he followed it up with a game against the Lakers in which he may have crapped it away all by himself. He can shut down Curry one night (I don't care about his offense, his defense was great), and the next night get completely torched by Jeremy Lin. On offense he needs to start playing more like a point guard and less like a former MVP. If Jimmy Butler gets 3-4 more shots last night, they win that game in spite of the horrible defense. That's on Rose for not recognizing how thoroughly Butler was dominating his matchup.
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The coaches obviously don't consider him to be one of the best players so far, as they voted for 7 reserves and the starters besides Anthony would make 11. Korver definitely plays bigger than his numbers but I don't agree with him being more important to the Hawks then Teague or Millsap though. Korver should be in when you consider some other okay guys on overachieving teams who have made it in the East(Holiday, Nelson, Harris, M. Williams) Either way I'm glad he didn't make it because the 2011 Celtics are the only team to get 4 reserves
And Cousins makes it in for Bryant. This feels the same as when Davis made it instead of Dragic last year. Both times Kobe was not replaced by a guard which is really surprising. I'm glad Cousins got the spot but he probably should've been in initially.
As far as guard rankings in the West this season, it should be something like Curry=Harden > Lillard > Thompson > Paul > Conley > Westbrook and somehow Lillard is on the outside looking in. The team record argument that people use for Westbrook/Durant doesn't mean much either. They are around 14-7(66.6%) when they play together I think while Lillard/Aldridge are hovering at about 70% for the season when they play together. Buttttttt Lillard has plenty of time to rack more appearances and he did enough things last season (Rookie-Sophomore Game, 3-point, Slam Dunk, All-Star Game) to last him an off year lol
On the bright side, we got a whole bunch of first timers this year: Teague, Butler, Thompson, Cousins, Lowry. I thought Marc Gasol was a newbie too but he made it in 2012 :wassat:
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FWIW, I think Miami having 2 all stars is bullshit, just look at their record. Hawks having 4 All Stars is better than Miami having 2. And Wade's injured right? Hope that Korver makes it if he won't play.
When it comes to numbers Horford puts up 15 and 7, Millsap puts up 17 and 8, and Teague puts up 17 and 7. That's not good enough for first timers to make it on any other team (even Love who everyone makes fun of this season puts up 17 and 10 and the points will go up when he finds his shot), and a lot of those points are made possible by Korver's activity. Korver puts up even less numbers, but he's like a point guard who's not getting credit for assists, and nearly everyone credits him with the success of the Atlanta offense.
Agreed. Not only the spacing he creates bec. of his shooting, but he also gives good screens. Teams always get caught off guard when he gives a screen to Millsap (for three).