OT: 2019-20 NBA Discussions

[FlashUNC]

The Sixers are in trouble. Feels like they should have made a move at the deadline.

And I think you're right about Houston, D'Antoni is finally taking Seven Seconds or Less to its natural conclusion. Want to even try to get offensive rebounds? Great, we're going to rain threes on you to punish even the most modest effort at that.

My worry is if they wear PJ Tucker down at the 5. He's easily their best defender.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

The Sixers are in trouble. Feels like they should have made a move at the deadline.

And I think you're right about Houston, D'Antoni is finally taking Seven Seconds or Less to its natural conclusion. Want to even try to get offensive rebounds? Great, we're going to rain threes on you to punish even the most modest effort at that.

My worry is if they wear PJ Tucker down at the 5. He's easily their best defender.

His knees are going to be dust by the playoffs. He also spent a good deal of last night in foul trouble, which is something to watch for. I'm kinda surprised they moved Jordan Bell along, since he is an ideal backup C - can bang with the Davis/Jokic types, also switchable enough they don't have to change schemes.

This is such a crazy variance play. They could lose in the first round after a prolonged cold streak or they could get hot for a a couple weeks and end up in the Finals. They could get pulverized by Jokic, or they could bait Jokic into 30 shots and keep him from tossing dimes all over the court.

I agree with jr59 that it's probably not going to work over 7 games, but I think Morey and d'Antoni decided that what they had before the trade deadline wasn't going to beat either of the LA teams. They don't run spread PNR that much anymore, just iso, so you can't have 2 non-shooters in Capela and Westbrook. It just clogs things up too much. At least now they have a non-zero chance.

Do you not think that Burks/Robinson3 does anything for the Sixers? I think it may not be enough, but I like that they have an option to put 4 good shooters around one of Simmons or Embiid. That helps float a lot of the minutes where they were just trash on offense before. Of course, crunch time is still going to be the starters and that lineup has issues.

Per 538 RAPTOR, here are the 5 teams with more than a 2% chance at hoisting the Larry O'Brien

Clips 22%
Lakers 20%
Bucks 18%
Sixers 15%
Rockets 14%

[FlashUNC]

I don't think it's enough. When you've got Embiid saying they don't know whether they're supposed to play fast or play slow, that's not something two stretchy bench guys will fix. And isn't this what Tobias Harris was supposed to fix when they gave him all the money?

He's a good coach but I wonder how much longer Brett Brown will be in Philly. Sixers just seem like a team that needs a more dramatic shakeup than what they got. Miami, as an example, decided they're going for the damn thing and pushed a lot of chips in.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

I don't think it's enough. When you've got Embiid saying they don't know whether they're supposed to play fast or play slow, that's not something two stretchy bench guys will fix. And isn't this what Tobias Harris was supposed to fix when they gave him all the money?

He's a good coach but I wonder how much longer Brett Brown will be in Philly. Sixers just seem like a team that needs a more dramatic shakeup than what they got. Miami, as an example, decided they're going for the damn thing and pushed a lot of chips in.

I hear you on this. I don't like the vibe of their team right now, roster construction aside. Doesn't seem like a group of guys that are all-in for each other.

Miami is a huge winner. Not only did they get a piece or two that might help during this year's push, they also cleared out their books for 2020-21, meaning they'll have a full max to offer Giannis.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

This tells you everything you need to know, Dubs fans.

Nah. I think you're wrong on this. Relieved of all the hype that burdened him in the Minny years, and surrounded by perennial all-stars, I think, miraculously, that Wiggins turns into a "glue" type of guy, good for 20-5-5. And the Dubs, with a healthy Curry, Thompson, and Looney, boast the best 1-5 in the league.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Nah. I think you're wrong on this. Relieved of all the hype that burdened him in the Minny years, and surrounded by perennial all-stars, I think, miraculously, that Wiggins turns into a "glue" type of guy, good for 20-5-5. And the Dubs, with a healthy Curry, Thompson, and Looney, boast the best 1-5 in the league.

He played next to one of the 10 best players in the league, and did nothing but feast on empty numbers.

He's Marvin Williams with a better marketing department.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

He played next to one of the 10 best players in the league, and did nothing but feast on empty numbers.

He's Marvin Williams with a better marketing department.

Time will tell. Check back with me in December 2020. We'll make a little bet. The loser buys IPAS while forced to listen to a random chapter of "Infinite Jest" read in a Southern accent. *including footnotes....

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Nah. I think you're wrong on this. Relieved of all the hype that burdened him in the Minny years, and surrounded by perennial all-stars, I think, miraculously, that Wiggins turns into a "glue" type of guy, good for 20-5-5. And the Dubs, with a healthy Curry, Thompson, and Looney, boast the best 1-5 in the league.

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

He played next to one of the 10 best players in the league, and did nothing but feast on empty numbers.

He's Marvin Williams with a better marketing department.

What's with the Marvin Williams slander? Marvin Williams comes to work and does his job.

Really, Wiggins issue is that he was picked 15 spots too high. That lead to #1 pick expectations, and then (and this is Minny's fault) a max extension.
e's got crazy talent, but he sulks and has no motor. Jimmy Butler is a Type A cheesebutt, but the reason he wanted out so bad is because Wiggins is just too chill. I think you see Minn. w a mini-resurgence here, free of the mental weight of Wiggins plus some good new players.

There are ok reasons to like this trade - DLo is redundant on next years team, 3 is a position of need, and he's better than what they have or had there. But I still think the best case for the Dubs is that they get $13M worth of production from a guy they are paying 3yr/$95M for, and that they get to make some hard decisions about which one of the 4 max guys they don't want to pay in 21-22, when Curry is a FA. They did get under the tax line, so they won't be repeaters at least.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

What's with the Marvin Williams slander? Marvin Williams comes to work and does his job.

Really, Wiggins issue is that he was picked 15 spots too high. That lead to #1 pick expectations, and then (and this is Minny's fault) a max extension.
e's got crazy talent, but he sulks and has no motor. Jimmy Butler is a Type A cheesebutt, but the reason he wanted out so bad is because Wiggins is just too chill. I think you see Minn. w a mini-resurgence here, free of the mental weight of Wiggins plus some good new players.

There are ok reasons to like this trade - DLo is redundant on next years team, 3 is a position of need, and he's better than what they have or had there. But I still think the best case for the Dubs is that they get $13M worth of production from a guy they are paying 3yr/$95M for, and that they get to make some hard decisions about which one of the 4 max guys they don't want to pay in 21-22, when Curry is a FA. They did get under the tax line, so they won't be repeaters at least.

Lots of Marvin love. But he's another guy picked about 15 spots too high. And still bitter the Hawks picked him over Paul.

The whiplash of going from Barnes to Durant to Wiggins is a helluva thing for the Warriors.

[XXtwindad]

Checking in post All-Star game...

Really like the Kobe trophy. Classy move.

1) MVP. My heart says LeBron. My mind says Giannis. I gotta go with Giannis.
2) COY. Nick Nurse has done a great job in Toronto. They were supposed to be DOA minus Kawhi, and they're sitting on top of the division. Great job by Spoelstra and Donovan as well.
3) ROY. Ja Morant over Zion. But it's getting closer.
4) NBA first team :
G Lebron
G Harden
F Doncic
F Giannis
C Davis

NBA Finals: Lakers over Bucks. Should be thrilling. The King triumphs in a Hollywood worthy script.
PS anyone actually seen James Wiseman play? Suppedly really gifted. The Dubs have an excellent shot at him. Seems like a no-brainer. Plus he self-taught in Mandarin, which would be a natural fit in the Bay Area.

And finally, just because... Mokeski. We may never see his likes again.

[FlashUNC]

Stupid move mired in the shock of the tragedy. It will not age well.

Any coach of the year discussion starts and stops with Coach Bud. Same with Giannis and MVP. He's doing things no one's done since the crazy pace era of the 60s, despite LeBron's renaissance year.

The Warriors will do whatever they can to package that pick and ship it off for someone on their timeline now.

And the Sixers look like a team that really, really cannot stand each other right now.

At least Trae is showing out, but he's going to need some veteran help and soon.

[Jaybee]

Im starting to wonder if the Hawks will ever be able to build a competent, middle of the road defense with Trae prominently involved. He is one of the 3 worst defenders in the league. PG isn’t the most important position for building a D, but they are going to require everyone else on the floor to be above average or better as long as he is a part of it.

COY seems to be about exceeding expectations, so I think Donovan and Nurse are still prominently in the running.

Philly could get swept out of the first round or win the Conf Finals and neither would be crazy. Same for Houston.

Some things I’ve been enjoying over the last 6 weeks or so- Westbrook remembering that he can’t and shouldn’t be shooting threes, the CP3-Schroeder-SGA lineup, Tatum making a real leap, Zion, the Clippers pretending like they have an on-off switch, the Cavs players successfully pulling off a mutiny.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Im starting to wonder if the Hawks will ever be able to build a competent, middle of the road defense with Trae prominently involved. He is one of the 3 worst defenders in the league. PG isn’t the most important position for building a D, but they are going to require everyone else on the floor to be above average or better as long as he is a part of it.

COY seems to be about exceeding expectations, so I think Donovan and Nurse are still prominently in the running.

Philly could get swept out of the first round or win the Conf Finals and neither would be crazy. Same for Houston.

Some things I’ve been enjoying over the last 6 weeks or so- Westbrook remembering that he can’t and shouldn’t be shooting threes, the CP3-Schroeder-SGA lineup, Tatum making a real leap, Zion, the Clippers pretending like they have an on-off switch, the Cavs players successfully pulling off a mutiny.

In the Cavs defense, it sounds like Belein was doing his best Captain Bligh impression possible.

I think the competent D will come when they lessen the offensive burden on Trae and he can devote some energy and time on that end of the floor. If the comparo is Curry, even Curry isn't an elite defender. He's a pest and opportunistic in passing lanes and will occasionally pick someone's pocket, but he's not what makes the defense truly sing. Trae needs to start holding a defensive stance for longer than 2 seconds.

But he needs help and a coaching staff with a deeper sense of offensive execution beyond handing it to Trae. We'll see how this Capela thing works out.

[Jaybee]

Since you brought up Curry...

...the reason the W's were able to build a good (sometimes even top 5) defense around him was that everyone else was a value-added defensive player and they had a cohesive scheme quarterbacked by one of the best defensive players of our era. All the pieces fit together.

It will be tremendously helpful for the Hawks to have someone like Capela anchoring the middle. As the Jazz have shown, when you put a mistake eraser on the backline, it can make up for a lot of sins on the perimeter. I just don't know if you ever get to the middling kind of D if Huerter and Collins are part of your most used lineups.

Trae already forces other teams to adjust their defensive schemes a la the Mavs deciding to trap hard the other night. That's incredibly valuable - maybe 15 guys in the league force other teams out of their base defenses in the regular season. So I think the Hawks have a bright future. I just think there is a cap on it if they don't get the defense thing figured out.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Since you brought up Curry...

...the reason the W's were able to build a good (sometimes even top 5) defense around him was that everyone else was a value-added defensive player and they had a cohesive scheme quarterbacked by one of the best defensive players of our era. All the pieces fit together.

It will be tremendously helpful for the Hawks to have someone like Capela anchoring the middle. As the Jazz have shown, when you put a mistake eraser on the backline, it can make up for a lot of sins on the perimeter. I just don't know if you ever get to the middling kind of D if Huerter and Collins are part of your most used lineups.

Trae already forces other teams to adjust their defensive schemes a la the Mavs deciding to trap hard the other night. That's incredibly valuable - maybe 15 guys in the league force other teams out of their base defenses in the regular season. So I think the Hawks have a bright future. I just think there is a cap on it if they don't get the defense thing figured out.

Or they just go Seven Seconds or Less Suns and try to drop 140 a game. Who knows D'Antoni might be free for a gig this offseason.