RE: NBA Talk 2020 (Full Version)

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Mr. Ed -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/9/2021 6:28:30 AM)

LeMelo

7 3's
10 assists in Hornets win.




JT2 -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 12:25:29 AM)

Last seven games he played 30+minutes. He rebounds, he dishes, he makes his team go, understands defensive assignments.
Graham's injury makes it necessary to start him. I say, play him anyway.. Play your rookies. What are you afraid of?




JT2 -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 1:44:33 AM)

Kind of sad watching Cousins. His comeback from three brutal injuries is remarkable.

Watching him play now mostly makes me sad. I'm happy that he can play, but he's such a defensive liability that Silas chooses to close games with an equally washed up Tucker.

Watch Cousins (not) defend the pick and roll.

Losing Wood really hurts that team.

Wall, Tate, Nwaba (as long as he doesn't shoot) Brown, House all impress me. They have been forced into small ball defense, and they work and grind. Not a lot of talent, but no question on effort.

Which one of those players wouldn't be an upgrade to our roster?

Russell over Wall? Culver over Tate? Okogie over Nwaba?




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 1:22:31 PM)

Cuban followed up that interview days later with a since-deleted tweet: "The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control. If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don't play the National Anthem every day before you start work."

Nice.




Mark Anderson -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 2:22:14 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Cuban followed up that interview days later with a since-deleted tweet: "The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control. If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don't play the National Anthem every day before you start work."

Nice.

That's fine.

Would the NBA be fine with players kneeling or not paying attention to Chinese National Anthem while playing preseason exhibitions over there? I think they wouldn't.




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 3:29:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Cuban followed up that interview days later with a since-deleted tweet: "The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control. If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don't play the National Anthem every day before you start work."

Nice.

That's fine.

Would the NBA be fine with players kneeling or not paying attention to Chinese National Anthem while playing preseason exhibitions over there? I think they wouldn't.


That's quite the shift considering the quote was about why even play it. Love Cuban's remark about go complain about it not playing at work every day.

Moving on, why is it often accompanied by a military color guard as if they are some sort of keepers of the flag? I can see using the color guard for some formal government and of course military events, but a freakin' basketball/insert sport game? Of course the owners will keep doing it if they think the sheep are eating it up, but IMO it cheapens the military for one and the flag two.




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 3:44:21 PM)

A while back it was made known the military was paying for those NFL pre-game/halftime recognition pieces, when the general thought was the owners were doing it free.

And the military pays for it out of their recruiting budget. The rah rah is simply a recruiting tool.




Karl Juhnke -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 6:28:30 PM)

I do respect Cuban. I may not always agree with him but he marches to his own drummer and does not give a f___. Thats what I'd love to be as a multi-millionaire NBA owner. A non-pretentious T-shirt wearing loudmouth.

As far as the anthem, it's fine to skip it. Of course it's nonsensical to play it at sporting events, but it still takes some some courage to say "Ah, let's just skip it".

And of course I see a lot of predictable social media who are framing it as "Why does he hate America?" Which is ridiculous. These haughty watchdogs who think patriotism is a song or a flag pin or a slogan. I bet Mark Cuban knows more about the real meaning of America than they ever will.




Mark Anderson -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/10/2021 8:04:43 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

I do respect Cuban. I may not always agree with him but he marches to his own drummer and does not give a f___. Thats what I'd love to be as a multi-millionaire NBA owner. A non-pretentious T-shirt wearing loudmouth.

As far as the anthem, it's fine to skip it. Of course it's nonsensical to play it at sporting events, but it still takes some some courage to say "Ah, let's just skip it".

And of course I see a lot of predictable social media who are framing it as "Why does he hate America?" Which is ridiculous. These haughty watchdogs who think patriotism is a song or a flag pin or a slogan. I bet Mark Cuban knows more about the real meaning of America than they ever will.

Darryl Morey marched to his own drummer. Cuban just tows the company line.




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 2:29:35 PM)

LaMelo Ball is keeping historic company with LeBron, Kyrie, Kobe and KG
By John Hollinger

On Feb. 1, Charlotte guard Terry Rozier had to sit out with a sprained ankle, so the Hornets promoted LaMelo Ball to the starting lineup for the night.

Good luck putting that genie back in the bottle. As a starter in the six games since, the 19-year-old rookie has averaged 21.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds while helping the Hornets make a surprising charge into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Following Wednesday night’s loss in Memphis, Charlotte is 12-14 and in seventh place in the East.

News flash: Ball is never coming off the bench again. He might already be the best player on the team. Ball has improved by leaps and bounds even from the start of the season — he was scoreless in his first pro game — and at such a young age and with such obvious gifts, he appears destined to keep his upward trajectory for some time. In fact, we’ve been slow to catch up to just how good his rookie season has been.

-------

Let’s just say out loud what everyone is thinking in 20/20 hindsight: Ball should have been the top overall pick, and not only because the rest of this draft didn’t have a clear-cut No. 1. Relative to other recent top overall picks, Ball still would grade out pretty well.

In fact, relatively to every teenager who ever played basketball, he grades out well. Remember above when I said being a halfway-decent player as a teenager is a tremendous accomplishment? Well, being genuinely good at 19 is even rarer.

Look at where LaMelo’s season ranks among teenage prodigies (using Feb. 1 birthdates as the cutoff for their age-19 season):

[image]https://i.ibb.co/Qvh5WfD/Screen-Shot-2021-02-11-at-12-28-31-PM.png[/image]

Much more at the story...

https://theathletic.com/2378012/2021/02/11/nba-lamelo-ball-keeping-historic-company-with-lebron-kyrie-kobe-kg/




Mr. Ed -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 2:33:16 PM)

Would Ball have improved this much as a member of the Timberwolves?

Cynic in me says Nope.




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 2:35:37 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed

Would Ball have improved this much as a member of the Timberwolves?

Cynic in me says Nope.


Maybe?

He just has such great instincts and such a high BBIQ that it would be hard to hold him back.

Great players usually start their careers playing for bad coaches. It doesn't seem to handicap them.




Mr. Ed -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 2:57:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed

Would Ball have improved this much as a member of the Timberwolves?

Cynic in me says Nope.


Maybe?

He just has such great instincts and such a high BBIQ that it would be hard to hold him back.

Great players usually start their careers playing for bad coaches. It doesn't seem to handicap them.


Is Saunders even a bad coach? That seems too much of a compliment. [:D]

Figures. Some here thought the football thing was a better reason to draft Ball. Turns out, he's just a better player. Whoda thunk it?




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 5:19:49 PM)

Has anyone wondered if Minneapolis just isn't in the running as an NBA destination for a player?

Is there a problematic combination of really bad weather and high white percentage that makes it unappealing to a player, that numbers show is highly likely to be black? I suppose Utah is 'whiter' and Toronto may be as cold or get more snow, but I'm talking about the combination of the two.

With baseball at least one can enjoy the summer, and with football you can get out of there in January.

Naturally a few million extra in a contract can sway someone and I believe the incumbent team has an advantage contractually when it's time for a contract, both of which can help.




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 5:29:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Has anyone wondered if Minneapolis just isn't in the running as an NBA destination for a player?

Is there a problematic combination of really bad weather and high white percentage that makes it unappealing to a player, that numbers show is highly likely to be black? I suppose Utah is 'whiter' and Toronto may be as cold or get more snow, but I'm talking about the combination of the two.

With baseball at least one can enjoy the summer, and with football you can get out of there in January.

Naturally a few million extra in a contract can sway someone and I believe the incumbent team has an advantage contractually when it's time for a contract, both of which can help.


I think its more having a horrible to mediocre team 31 out of 32 years of existence.

And we also are usually capped out, so its not like we're getting turned down by big time FAs.

Take your Wizards, for example. Is Gilbert Arenas the best FA they've signed since Bernard King?




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 6:59:00 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Has anyone wondered if Minneapolis just isn't in the running as an NBA destination for a player?

Is there a problematic combination of really bad weather and high white percentage that makes it unappealing to a player, that numbers show is highly likely to be black? I suppose Utah is 'whiter' and Toronto may be as cold or get more snow, but I'm talking about the combination of the two.

With baseball at least one can enjoy the summer, and with football you can get out of there in January.

Naturally a few million extra in a contract can sway someone and I believe the incumbent team has an advantage contractually when it's time for a contract, both of which can help.


I think its more having a horrible to mediocre team 31 out of 32 years of existence.

And we also are usually capped out, so its not like we're getting turned down by big time FAs.

Take your Wizards, for example. Is Gilbert Arenas the best FA they've signed since Bernard King?


Yeah, I can see that. And perhaps having the right/astute owner is key so you don't cycle from one crap GM to the next. Seems bad GMs have haunted Washington forever. Had high hopes when they had Webber, Howard, Rasheed Wallace together for a short stint.... all the way back in 95. Yes there was the boatload of idiots with Agent Zero, Blatche, McGee, and Nick Young. A waste for Jamison.

Or the sorrowful Lakers when the Buss boys had ownership.

But why capped out? Poor GMs? Having to pay more to get/keep players?




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 7:05:53 PM)

Oh yeah (Wizards), bad drafting, obscene contracts, a penchant for bringing in past-their-prime vets, and giving up too early on good young players. Crap coaching perhaps.




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 7:29:28 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Has anyone wondered if Minneapolis just isn't in the running as an NBA destination for a player?

Is there a problematic combination of really bad weather and high white percentage that makes it unappealing to a player, that numbers show is highly likely to be black? I suppose Utah is 'whiter' and Toronto may be as cold or get more snow, but I'm talking about the combination of the two.

With baseball at least one can enjoy the summer, and with football you can get out of there in January.

Naturally a few million extra in a contract can sway someone and I believe the incumbent team has an advantage contractually when it's time for a contract, both of which can help.


I think its more having a horrible to mediocre team 31 out of 32 years of existence.

And we also are usually capped out, so its not like we're getting turned down by big time FAs.

Take your Wizards, for example. Is Gilbert Arenas the best FA they've signed since Bernard King?


Yeah, I can see that. And perhaps having the right/astute owner is key so you don't cycle from one crap GM to the next. Seems bad GMs have haunted Washington forever. Had high hopes when they had Webber, Howard, Rasheed Wallace together for a short stint.... all the way back in 95. Yes there was the boatload of idiots with Agent Zero, Blatche, McGee, and Nick Young. A waste for Jamison.

Or the sorrowful Lakers when the Buss boys had ownership.

But why capped out? Poor GMs? Having to pay more to get/keep players?


Giving Max contracts to guys like Wiggins and Russell.

We paid the luxury tax last year for a last place team, and are one minor move away from doing it again this year...




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/11/2021 7:30:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

Oh yeah (Wizards), bad drafting, obscene contracts, a penchant for bringing in past-their-prime vets, and giving up too early on good young players. Crap coaching perhaps.


We do the opposite. We hang onto bad young players for so long they lose any trade value they made have had.

(Or we give them MAX contracts...)




David Levine -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/12/2021 1:18:46 PM)

LaMelo Ball's superstar potential might not have any limits
Kevin Pelton and Mike Schmitz

Snippets:

Since head coach James Borrego benched Ball in the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 23, the rookie has been outstanding, averaging 19.0 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 turnovers and 1.4 steals in 30.2 minutes on 54% shooting from 2 and 39% from 3. From talking to people around the organization, Ball's buy-in, adaptability, coachability and infectious personality have all stood out. He has made the Hornets an NBA League Pass favorite and quickly earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. Given all of his pre-draft questions, that matters just as much as his stunning passing or surprising shooting.

----------

Where has Ball has been better than expected?

Pelton:
I think you have to start with the shooting given that was the biggest skill-based concern about Ball's potential. After infamously making just 25% of his 3-point attempts in 12 NBL regular-season games, Ball is shooting an impressive 36% from the longer NBA line thus far.

Ball believers pointed to the difficulty of the shots he was taking as evidence his NBL percentage didn't reflect his shooting ability. Per Synergy Sports tracking, Ball attempted just 15 unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers among his 80 3-point attempts. Still, I figured at best Ball would end up more of a volume 3-point shooter than an accurate one, along the lines of Luka Doncic. That might yet prove the case, but so far Ball is shooting 36% on pull-up 3s, per Second Spectrum tracking on NBA Advanced Stats, and 39% on catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Beyond that, I've been impressed with his decision-making with the ball in his hands. I've written before about the poor track record of one-and-done point guards as rookies, and turnovers are often a big part of that. Turnovers have been a huge issue for the two other international point guards in this year's draft, Killian Hayes (26% of his plays before he was sidelined by a hip injury) and Theo Maledon (20% of his plays). Yet for all his flashy passing, Ball is committing turnovers on just 16% of his plays -- still above average for a point guard, but similar to other high-volume creators such as Trae Young.

Schmitz: Yeah, I was fairly confident in Ball's shotmaking ability. He is maybe the most confident young player I've ever been around, seemingly never feeling even an ounce of pressure. Plus, his free throw numbers and touch on floaters suggested he has great natural touch.

Ball was never the most engaged off-ball player before entering the NBA, with a lot of room to improve his activity and shot preparation. Through 26 games with Charlotte, he has become a legitimate threat in catch-and-shoot situations, boasting an eFG of 60.0% on 1.5 attempts per game, according to Second Spectrum tracking. He's more disciplined with his mechanics, and some teams have even started running him off the 3-point line or biting for his shot fake. From there, Ball is tremendous at reading a scrambling defense. He's also a willing ball-mover, an adept cutter and an outstanding offensive rebounder, even if his tendency to go rogue hurts Charlotte's transition defense at times.

I often tabbed Ball as a 6-foot-7 version of Young in the pre-draft process. Now that Charlotte has been dealing with the injury bug, we're seeing that version of Ball more -- unleashed, firing one-handed darts all over the floor, splashing deep pull-up 3s. That was a little more expected. But the fact that he can mesh well with other ball handlers bodes well for his potential to play deep into the playoffs someday.

What do we know about Ball's ceiling now?

Pelton:
I mean, is there a ceiling? Looking at the production of 19-year-old rookies and Ball's similarity scores in my SCHOENE projection system (he scores as most similar within six months of the same age to Luka Doncic's rookie season), I'm not sure you can give him one. Which is not to say that Ball will get to that level or that it's a reasonable expectation for someone with such a short track record of NBA success, just that very little can be ruled out based on his performance to date.

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30878258/lamelo-ball-superstar-potential-not-limits




JT2 -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (2/25/2021 12:45:50 AM)

Lakers experiencing a bit of a slump without Davis, and to a lesser extent Schroder.

The health of Davis will determine their future this season. Gasol is almost useless. Harrell will not be very useful in the postseason.

Lakers depth tested right now, and so far they have failed.


I was never a big Snyder fan, but he has that team playing so good on both ends. No superstars really, just fantastic team play. Gobert is clearly the best defensive player in the league, but the rest of the roster individually, including Mitchell, is not great. I'm impressed with what they have done this season. However, I wonder if they are just one of those teams built exclusively for the regular season. Gobert masks some weaknesses.

Phoenix is also really interesting. Swept the bubble and carried it on to this season. Ayton has improved defensively. Not much relying on hero Booker ball, and he seems to be good with that. Paul is good for that team.
Williams isn't running his guys heavy minutes. Belief in his bench and his system. However, same as Utah, I'm not convinced they are built for the postseason. One player away from being a contender, IMO.

I have to add, Bridges is quietly becoming one of the very best perimeter defenders in the league. He's so fun to watch.




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (3/4/2021 1:44:30 PM)

Lakers won't play until March 12. The rest should help a lot. Hoping AD comes back strong but I wouldn't bet on him finishing the season.




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (3/29/2021 8:19:43 AM)

Like the Drummond signing a lot, especially with James and Davis out. Put Gasol in with the second team.

At this rate the Lakers will be battling for a Play-In spot. With teams jacking up and making 3s at incredible rates, a one game play-in is a dangerous proposition for any team.




Bill Johanesen -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (3/29/2021 8:20:26 AM)

Nets look to be the runaway favorite if all their guys are playing.




Steve Lentz -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (4/11/2021 5:51:05 PM)

After beating the Wolves in overtime the Celtics think they can beat anyone.
Put a beating on Denver today.




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