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NBA
May 9, 2019 22:30:12 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 9, 2019 22:30:12 GMT
If I were Boston, I'd make it known that we prefer him to opt out. Call me old-fashioned, but I like point guards who don't think of passing as that thing you do when the shot clock has wound down below 5 and you haven't got a clear look. He's a brilliant shot-creator, no question. He finishes in traffic like nobody. He has a great handle. But he's the most clueless defender I can recall among so-called superstar point guards, and his passing is, as I said, not exactly a priority. If there were a one-on-one league, he'd be great. I hope someone forms one and he joins it. Then I'll never watch his chemistry-destroying, flat-earther ass again.
Horford is another big question there. He can opt out, but do you want to sign him to another long-term, big-money deal as he works well into his 30s? He's already looking like he's lost a little. I really like him--he's the anti-Kyrie, chemistry-wise--but he's not going to be good forever.
Overall, my thinking would be let Morris walk, let Kyrie walk, and try to convince Horford to sign something like a 3-year, $50 million deal. Probably let Rozier go, but it depends on what anyone else offers. Look for a mid-priced PG who fits their style and chemistry, and build around their talent: versatile wings Hayward, Brown, and Tatum, plus junkyard dog Smart. They do have three 1st rounders this year, too, so they could add some good talent either with multiple picks or combining those into some bigger asset.
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NBA
May 9, 2019 23:30:29 GMT
Post by B.E. on May 9, 2019 23:30:29 GMT
New York has been awful to mediocre for … well, 20 years, more or less. Yet there is young talent in Dennis Smith, Alonzo Trier, Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, and Mitchell Robinson. Not a bad start. And that’s before you take into account the likelihood that they bring in some free agents, as a KD-Kyrie or KD-Kemba pairing has been more than rumored. Will we see another disastrous summer of overpayments, as we so often have with New York? (Amar’e Stoudamire, Joakim Noah, etc.) Or do things finally come together? There is now even some talk that they’ll sign Kyrie and KD outright and deal for Anthony Davis. That would make an instantly interesting team, though you’d have to presumably give up the likes of Zion (assuming it’s #1), Knox, Smith, and Robinson. Philadelphia, like Boston, seemed near the end of “the process” and ready to reap rewards, but this season’s trades really jumbled the picture there as well. So now we’ve got their two best players not really great playing together because one can’t shoot and frankly one is always sick or hurt. Then their next best two players are both unrestricted free agents who will want max deals. The fifth best player is a mid-thirtysomething guard, which begs the question of how much longer he’s going to be a quality player, especially on defense. Many of their other high picks and prospects are either gone or long gone. (Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor, and even back to Nerlens Noel) It’s entirely possible that three or even four of those Big Five from this roster are gone next season. I don't want the Knicks trading for Anthony Davis. Whether we sign top-tier free agents or not, I don't want to give up young talent and picks. I think Philadelphia's summer is the most interesting. Butler and Harris are huge question marks. Brent Brown is a smaller one. But, what I find most interesting is the prospect of Philadelphia choosing between Simmons and Embiid. Do they trade Simmons? Is Embiid even going to be in the league 5-6 years from now? Whatever the case, I'll be tuning in tonight. Btw, I don't want Butler or Cousins in NY either. KD out the rest of the series. It’s going to be really interesting to see whether the Warriors can close out without him, especially since he has been their only (mostly) consist scorer in the playoffs. It is. I haven't been watching much of the Warriors this postseason, but Game 6 and (potentially) Game 7 are must-see TV. Fortunately, KD's injury doesn't seem severe enough to greatly influence future rounds, but GS still needs to defeat HOU without him. I wouldn't be surprised if Steph, Klay, and Draymond conjure up some of that pre-KD Warrior magic. If only they still had a strong bench... Overall, my thinking would be let Morris walk, let Kyrie walk, and try to convince Horford to sign something like a 3-year, $50 million deal. Probably let Rozier go, but it depends on what anyone else offers. Look for a mid-priced PG who fits their style and chemistry, and build around their talent: versatile wings Hayward, Brown, and Tatum, plus junkyard dog Smart. They do have three 1st rounders this year, too, so they could add some good talent either with multiple picks or combining those into some bigger asset.
Rubio?
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NBA
May 10, 2019 12:25:26 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2019 12:25:26 GMT
I personally would rather see New York play it more conservatively this offseason. Yes, aim for a max guy, be it KD, Kawhi, Butler, or even Kemba or Harris. (My personal preferences would actually exclude Butler or definitely Kyrie for chemistry reasons, but hey, I don't own the Knicks.) But that's probably it for the big spending if I were GM. I'd want to get a little better idea of what I had in the young guys before going all-in on a few in-their-prime (or past-their-prime) veteran stars. New York has done it so many times: get some young talent, begin seeing financial light of day, and BOOM, overspend on aging former stars and mediocrity.
As for a Celtics PG option, I haven't really gone through the free agent list, but Rubio is actually a really solid pick for them. When they are playing at their best under Stevens, it is as a scrappy defensive team that really moves the ball on offense. Rubio is a good defender and the ultimate team player. We all know he can't shoot well, but if you put him out there and ask him to help create for Brown, Tatum, Hayward, and Horford? I think he'd find ways to get the team points. And just as a chemistry guy, he is the anti-Kyrie. Everyone loves him everywhere he goes, players and fans alike. I'll never forget him gently lecturing Alexey Shved during a rough stretch: "change your face! smile!" And he would be well under a max deal, probably more like $15m/year. He has said fit is the most important thing for him this summer, and I expect he'd be willing to sign on the low end of what's reasonable for that. After all, he was probably overpaid toward the end of his time in Minnesota, all while he'd win 30 games...I think he wants to win.
While I feel good for SJS, I was a little sad that Philly evened it out last night. Mostly because I disliked watching Butler star.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 13:37:32 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 10, 2019 13:37:32 GMT
While I feel good for SJS, I was a little sad that Philly evened it out last night. Mostly because I disliked watching Butler star.
I think I predicted every game WRONG in this series including last night's game. The Sixers are inconsistent and it's hard to win a championship when you're an inconsistent team.
In addressing the Sixers' future (in the coming months), I would like to see the Big 4 - Embiid, Simmons, Butler, Harris - together for a full season and see what they can do. I would also give Brett Brown the opportunity to coach them. But Elton Brand has been very active during his short stint as GM so anything is possible.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 13:53:34 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2019 13:53:34 GMT
I'm not a big fan of making predictions (since it's too easy to look like an idiot), but I think Brett Brown is gone if they don't make the EC Finals, and he might be gone regardless. And I'm not sure that's fair. He's been balancing drastically new rosters seemingly every few months since he got the job.
And if you fire him, who's the better coach you're going to hire? Pop isn't leaving San Antonio to coach for you. D'Antoni, Budenholzer, Snyder, Stevens, they've all got jobs. Who are the best out-of-work coaches? Jeff Van Gundy, who hasn't coached in a decade? Stan Van Gundy? God forbid, Tom Thibodeau? Mark Jackson? None of those guys is obviously a better coach than Brett Brown.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 14:11:27 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 10, 2019 14:11:27 GMT
I'm not a big fan of making predictions (since it's too easy to look like an idiot), but I think Brett Brown is gone if they don't make the EC Finals, and he might be gone regardless. And I'm not sure that's fair. He's been balancing drastically new rosters seemingly every few months since he got the job.
And if you fire him, who's the better coach you're going to hire? Pop isn't leaving San Antonio to coach for you. D'Antoni, Budenholzer, Snyder, Stevens, they've all got jobs. Who are the best out-of-work coaches? Jeff Van Gundy, who hasn't coached in a decade? Stan Van Gundy? God forbid, Tom Thibodeau? Mark Jackson? None of those guys is obviously a better coach than Brett Brown.
You are pretty much on top of things with the 76ers. I'm impressed. Yes, Brett Brown is rumored to be on the hot seat, but it's mostly game by game. One game the Sixers won't show up and Brett's gone. The next game they will blow somebody out and Brett's the right man to coach this team. I still think Brett is somewhat "surviving" off the goodwill (pity?) he built up by coaching what he termed "gypsies" for three or four years and being the good soldier. But those days are fleeting, a lot of moves have been made, a lot of money has been spent. Does Brett Brown deserve a full year to coach this team, a team that has been together for just a few months? Absolutely. But we know this is a business, a heartless business. I do think Brett Brown and Elton Brand have a good relationship and I think they are on the same page. That might work in his favor.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 14:15:36 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2019 14:15:36 GMT
You are pretty much on top of things with the 76ers. Welcome to my Geekdom. (It's not just the Sixers...) Trust me, the ladies were all extremely impressed throughout my high school years at my ability to rattle off 12th-man stats for every team.
But yes, I think it would be ridiculous to have let Brown maintain more order and success than that franchise had any business expecting over the past five years only to jettison him now. He deserves one season with one (talented) core roster.
Now watch, they'll keep him, but swap Simmons-and-stuff for Anthony Davis or something.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 17:18:01 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 10, 2019 17:18:01 GMT
One other thing how it pertains to Brett Brown, and how it also pertains to the state of the game of basketball.
For the first five games of the Toronto series at least, Kawhi Leonard was killing the Sixers. And, there was a lot of talk about how Bret Brown failed to contain him, after actually coaching him for a few years and then playing against him for a few years. Certainly if anybody knew how to coach against Kawhi leonard, it would be Brett Brown. So, in the first game, Brett goes with Jimmy Butler against Kawhi, and Leonard blows right by Butler at will. So, Brett then decides to go with the more athletic Ben Simmons against Kawhi, and this time Leonard out-muscles and out-physicals Simmons. OK, then Brett decides to double team Kawhi, and Leonard basically runs the double team off of Gasol screens and nails the jumpers. It's not like Brett Brown wasn't studying the film, discussing things with the players and coaches, and making adjustments. Kawhi was just going off.
And that leads me to J.J. Redick. Much of the talk surrounding the Sixers has to do with their Big Four, who will make or break the games/season. But I will tell you that the fifth starter, J.J. Redick has won - and lost - just as many games as those four other starters (well, except for Embiid). There are games when Redick will be on fire and be making three's from all over the court and the Sixers will win going away. But, the next game, J.J. will go something like 2 for 13 from the field with 1 for 10 from the three point arc. Most of those 10 or 11 misses will result in the opposing going the other way for a quick two. Those Redick misses come at the start of games and puts the team in the hole. They come when the Sixers have a big lead which results in them blowing the lead. Or the misses will come in a critical part of the game and decides the game. I mean, J.J.'s inconsistent shooting will literally cost the Sixers games - against anybody. I would love to see a statistic which shows J.J. Redick's shooting percentage per game against how the team did that particular game.
Where am I going with this rant? That the game of basketball, especially at the NBA level, is turning into a shooting contest. With the above Brett Brown examples, no matter what he did, no matter what defense he chose, Kawhi was making his shots and Toronto won. It really didn't matter who or what was thrown at Leonard, he is that good that he will just score - or basically shoot - over it. And most of the time he makes his shots and Toronto wins.
And the point with Redick, again is - if he makes his shots the Sixers win, if he misses his shots the Sixers lose. Look at last night's game. After Game 5, everybody was burying the Sixers and Brett Brown. They couldn't play and Brown couldn't coach. Then they come out in Game 6 and win somewhat easily. Why? For a few reasons but the main reason or reasons are 1) they made their jump shots, 2) they made their 3 point shots, and 3) they made their free throws. Did the Sixers win because of a better effort and because Brett Brown got smart? Not exactly. Shooting, shooting, and more shooting. Who shot better? Usually the team with the better shooting percentage wins. That's the name of the game!
End of rant.
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NBA
May 10, 2019 17:59:18 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2019 17:59:18 GMT
Yes, it's all very funny in a way how tremendously complex the game can be, but how simple it is in the end. There are countless offensive options, defensive counters, offensive counter-counters, and so on ad infinitum. But in the end, you're just trying to make the most baskets (and so, also stop the other team from making the most baskets). It's really just that.
A guy like Redick is HUGELY important. Floor spacing and respect, leading to one on one defensive matchups as often as possible. It ain't rocket science! But it is also why a guy like Ben Simmons, great as he can be especially in the open court, is going to have to learn to make some respectable portion of his jumpers. Which means he has to at least TAKE jumpers. I love him, I love Ricky Rubio, etc., but even Jason Kidd had to become respectable shooting the ball.
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NBA
May 11, 2019 23:31:15 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 11, 2019 23:31:15 GMT
So the mighty Lakers are hiring Frank Vogel--obviously successful in Indiana but certainly not in Orlando--to be the head coach, and simultaneously ordering from on high that Jason Kidd be an assistant on his staff.
I'll remind everyone that Jason Kidd has been known to make power grabs in the past, dating back to reportedly being behind the firing of his coach at Cal, Lou Campanelli. As a coach in Brooklyn, he reportedly tried to get the GM fired to get full control. Let's count the days...
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NBA
May 12, 2019 0:47:51 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 12, 2019 0:47:51 GMT
I don't know what to think about Frank Vogel, but Jason Kidd has a lot of baggage. Like you said, let's count the days before there's some controversy. It shouldn't be too many, especially with LeBron completing the trifecta
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NBA
May 12, 2019 13:18:42 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 12, 2019 13:18:42 GMT
I think Frank Vogel is a perfectly respectable coach. The job he did in Indiana was especially admirable, pulling 56 wins out of a team that was talented but not obviously that good. Paul George led the way, but this was before he was a superstar. In fact, at that time he was only 23 and still only the go-to player because Danny Granger, whose stardom was cut short by injuries, hadn't been able to regain his form. Roy Hibbert was still in (though nearing the end of) his years as a very good defensive force. They had George Hill, Lance Stephenson, David West, Luis Scola. Good teams.
But he's the kind of coach who anyone might hire. The kind of coach who cycles through the league for 10-20 years, less superstar coach hire than replacement coach hire. The coaching equivalent of the Midlevel Exception player your team signs. Not your Kevin Durant, but your Shaun Livingston.
I say all that because these are the Lakers. They're the ones who are supposed to sign the best free agents and the best coaches. Money is no obstacle, right?
It reminds me of the UCLA situation, actually, which had its own embarrassingly long and eventually unimpressive selection (in former Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin). John Calipari! Rick Pitino! Then Fred Hoiberg. Rick Barnes. And then eventually Mick Cronin. They don't charter flights, they won't pay top dollar for head or assistant coaches, etc. They were a powerhouse, sure, but despite some great success even in recent decades, they aren't a blueblood anymore.
The Lakers might not be considered a blueblood anymore either.
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NBA
May 12, 2019 16:00:45 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 12, 2019 16:00:45 GMT
Oh yeah, in the last five or six years, look at who the Lakers have lost - Phil Jackson, Dr. Jerry Buss, Kobe Bryant, Mitch Kupchak, and even Magic Johnson. Then look at who replaced them - Jim and Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, Frank Vogel, and a LeBron James who is probably on his last legs. Yes, the Lakers are a franchise that needs some resurrecting. But I still think there is some talent there and with one top-flight free agent next year...
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NBA
May 12, 2019 16:59:48 GMT
Post by Kapitan on May 12, 2019 16:59:48 GMT
No question. They're not hopeless, they're just (recently mostly) hapless. And not the bulletproof franchise of the old days. I think they and the Knicks have failed to learn the lessons of financial flexibility and relative stability in system that San Antonio and recently fellow stalwart franchises like Boston and Philadelphia have taught the league. Or Houston, or OKC, and up-and-coming Brooklyn, in fact.
Instead, the Lakers have switched courses constantly. And I don't mean switched players, which Boston and Philly, for example, have done a lot of. I mean switched courses. Who's in charge? What's the goal? How do you get there? The Lakers can't make up their minds whether to build by draft or build by free agency. Or how to play on the court. The fact that they were on track with all the lottery picks (and good non-lottery picks like Clarkson, Nance, and Kuzma) only to swap half of them for nothing.
A move or two might get them in the thick of things. But will they be built for sustained success? And mightn't a move or two also put them in the toilet for another half-decade?
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NBA
May 13, 2019 2:49:59 GMT
Post by B.E. on May 13, 2019 2:49:59 GMT
I was unable to watch the POR-DEN game, but I did catch the TOR-PHI game from about the halfway mark of the 2nd quarter onwards. I was cringing watching Kawhi play hero ball. I honestly believe that he felt he was being held back in SA and that motivated him to want to leave. Begrudgingly, I think Shaq's right. Hero ball isn't a winning strategy over the course of a series, but it can win you a game. Throughout my years of watching basketball, it always annoys me to see a game grind to a halt down the stretch. Often, a team's been running their offense to perfection all game only to switch to iso-ball at the most crucial moments. And not only for the last few possessions, but it often creeps in with as much as 6-8 minutes to go. It's frustrating, but it serves a purpose. You're far less likely to turn the ball over and chances are you'll at least get a decent shot if you put the ball in the hands of your best player and space the floor. Why am I ranting about this? On one end of the court I'm wondering "why won't TOR run a play?!?!" and on the other end I see PHI trying to run plays that get blown up by TOR's defense for shot clock violations. Perhaps, if PHI had been playing through Embiid in the post, consistently, they could have just thrown the ball into the post instead of trying to execute dribble hand-offs on the perimeter. As much as the game changes, it stays the same. Perimeter shooting has a tendency to vanish in big games. There are many, many examples. Ask the Nuggets.
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