2016-2017 NBA Game Thread

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

People are missing the point. What makes GSW special isn't just that they have guys who can take their man one on one but that their offense is designed that when someone gets doubled, someone else is open for an extremely high percentage shot.

The interesting thing to me is that maybe KD still doesn't get it: while he admits that he should have run the P'n'R, he says he should have used Steph's pick - however it seems to me that from Steph's dismissively handing the ball to KD and Green's reaction as soon as KD called for the ball, according to theoffense, Steph was supposed to be the ball-handler and someone else (KD?) was supposed to set the screen.

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

The new NBA.com/stats is basically unusable, so I need to be on a laptop to look up this year's numbers, but I distinctly remember reading that Durant isos last season were more efficient from a point-per-possession stand point than any PNR combo in the league.

Not exactly a "bunt."

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Finding the proper matchup is perfectly fine but taking a 3 in that situation was stupid. He didn't need a 3 and it was the lowest percentage shot he could have taken in that situation.

Draymond's antics were over-the-top but it's not being "result oriented" to criticize Durant's shot selection there. It was putrid and would have any coach at any level cringing.

Also, I don't see how anyone can watch the video and call that an "open look". Randolph was right there.

It is result oriented because he's been closing out games with these exact same shots as a Warrior with mixed results and nobody has said a word until Draymond made it a headline. I've been saying how Durant iso's minimizes Klay, Step and Draymond down the stretch that could really become an issue in the playoffs when the pace typically slows against certain matchups. Right now it doesn't matter a whole lot whether the Warriors win 65 or 67 games but it's always been something to watch in the spring. This is Durant's game....it's ALWAYS been Durant's game. People are actually surprised at what the Warriors signed up for??

Durant is 2-for-9 in clutch time (inside the final five minutes, within a five-point game) ISO shots, and is 7-of-25 overall in clutch time shooting. He's 3-of-12 in the final two minutes of a close game. The only reason it's mentioned now, instead of over the past month when it was also occurring, is that Draymond made it the news. Nobody is posting about Steph's contested iso jumper with 40 seconds left in the same game up 2......it's because Draymond didn't make that possession the story.

Iso's are super effective to close out games and have been for decades. For all the flack Pierce got for his elbow jumpers it assures of a FGA attempt versus a defense who is locked in. We saw how much the Pierce iso was missed prior to us acquiring Isaiah when we literally couldn't get shots off on final possessions a couple years ago and when we did they were highly contested, off balance desperation attempts by marginal players. I thought this time with the Celtics would finally allow people to recognize the value of end of game iso's.......still some work to do i see. When you have an elite iso player is assures of a high percentage shot vs others in final possession situations.

 

[BigSoxFan]

It is result oriented because he's been closing out games with these exact same shots as a Warrior with mixed results and nobody has said a word until Draymond made it a headline. I've been saying how Durant iso's minimizes Klay, Step and Draymond down the stretch that could really become an issue in the playoffs when the pace typically slows against certain matchups. Right now it doesn't matter a whole lot whether the Warriors win 65 or 67 games but it's always been something to watch in the spring. This is Durant's game....it's ALWAYS been Durant's game. People are actually surprised at what the Warriors signed up for??

Durant is 2-for-9 in clutch time (inside the final five minutes, within a five-point game) ISO shots, and is 7-of-25 overall in clutch time shooting. He's 3-of-12 in the final two minutes of a close game. The only reason it's mentioned now, instead of over the past month when it was also occurring, is that Draymond made it the news. Nobody is posting about Steph's contested iso jumper with 40 seconds left in the same game up 2......it's because Draymond didn't make that possession the story.

Iso's are super effective to close out games and have been for decades. For all the flack Pierce got for his elbow jumpers it assures of a FGA attempt versus a defense who is locked in. We saw how much the Pierce iso was missed prior to us acquiring Isaiah when we literally couldn't get shots off on final possessions a couple years ago and when we did they were highly contested, off balance desperation attempts by marginal players. I thought this time with the Celtics would finally allow people to recognize the value of end of game iso's.......still some work to do i see. When you have an elite iso player is assures of a high percentage shot vs others in final possession situations.

Sorry but no. An ISO contested 3 was not the best shot he could have gotten there. Doesn't mean that ISO ball has no value, which is not my point. I just hated the 3 when you're already up 2 with 23 seconds left.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Sorry but no. An ISO contested 3 was not the best shot he could have gotten there. Doesn't mean that ISO ball has no value, which is not my point. I just hated the 3 when you're already up 2 with 23 seconds left.

Durant has made a career of end of game iso 3's.....he has a 7-5 wingspan, he doesn't face contested 3's ever. He's taken this exact same shots at the end of games, and missed, without the hoopla created by Draymond. That was mostly my point. The other point was that this is what Durant is.......because this has always been what he has done in end of game spots. You rarely get calls on final shots which is why you see so many pullup jumpers as the clock is expiring. It is the correct play the large majority of the time.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Durant has made a career of end of game iso 3's.....he has a 7-5 wingspan, he doesn't face contested 3's ever. He's taken this exact same shots at the end of games, and missed, without the hoopla created by Draymond. That was mostly my point. The other point was that this is what Durant is.......because this has always been what he has done in end of game spots. You rarely get calls on final shots which is why you see so many pullup jumpers as the clock is expiring. It is the correct play the large majority of the time.

I absolutely agree with your point about Draymond shining the spotlight. I didn't
watch the game so this thread is how I learned about it. But my point is that he could have driven on Randolph and either taken it to the hoop or gotten a better 2 point shot, which would have been a higher percentage attempt. It is nearly impossible to prevent Durant from getting a decent jump shot off.

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

The new NBA.com/stats is basically unusable, so I need to be on a laptop to look up this year's numbers, but I distinctly remember reading that Durant isos last season were more efficient from a point-per-possession stand point than any PNR combo in the league.

Not exactly a "bunt."

Just to follow up on this, a couple of interesting things digging into the numbers.

1. Kevin Durant is scoring at an elite level in ISO situations this year. He's currently 6th in the league, at 1.07 points per possession in isos. For reference, Curry led the league in ppp in isos last year at this exact same rate. Interestingly, despite the perception that his isos are too frequent and hurting GSW's offense, Durant uses the exact number of possessions in ISOS this year that Curry used last year. And scores at an identical rate.

2. Durant's 1.07 ppp in isos is far more efficient than using Curry as the ball handler in a PNR. Curry's only averaging 0.69 ppp as the PNR ball handler, and using 2x more possessions than Durant does in an iso. Curry's been substantially worse as the PNR ball handler than Durant has (1.02 ppp).

3. Thompson, Green, and Livingston all outperform Curry as the ball handler in PNR thus far this year.

4. Curry's been far, far more efficient this season as the "roll man" in the PNR. When Curry sets the pick, GSW averages 1.67 ppp.

 

[DJnVa]

And the whole point of the spread everyone out offense is to let the guy with the mismatch drive the ball to the hoop.

Perhaps he saw the Draymond and Curry pouting and said "fuck it". When he got the ball at the top, did it look like Green or Curry were doing their best to be ready for a kick out?

Did they know he was going to shoot? Or were they pissed he got the ball?

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Iso's are super effective to close out games and have been for decades.

Are we really defending ISOs here? I will grant that Durant is an "efficient" ISO player but that lacks context. Take a look at this article and tell me that the ISO was the Warriors best option. I will help out and grab some quotes for you.

Start with the basics. The goal of basketball, in its simplest form, is to turn possessions into points. And on that basis, when Synergy began breaking down NBA plays by type in 2004, what it found would have made Wooden smile: Plays involving off-the-ball cuts (1.18 points per possession) and transition plays (1.12 ppp) are by far the most efficient, followed by putbacks (1.04 ppp) and pick-and-rolls in which the ball reaches the hands of the rolling man (0.97 ppp). And the least efficient? Isolation plays, good for only 0.78 points per possession.

Perhaps as a result of that dismal track record, of the 10 play types Synergy identified, isos are only the fourth most frequently run, accounting for just 12% of all plays in an average game. But in crunch time (defined by Synergy as the last five minutes of regulation and close overtime situations), their usage rose to 19 percent, second highest behind spot-up plays.

There was more. The stats revealed that when a player passes out of an iso, his team's points per possession rise from that woeful 0.78 to a more tolerable 0.93. Despite that, players pass out of isos only 20 percent of the time -- and only 16 percent during crunch time. If that player is the team's top iso threat, the number drops to 12 percent.

You like ISOs? Fine. The statistics tell me otherwise.

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

I agree with this 100%.

ISOs are stupid in this day in age, especially at crunch time and especially with two other elite shooters on the floor. The Grizzlies were able to set up their defense perfectly simply because of that ISO. There is no excuse for that shot and Draymond has every right to be upset with that, even though I agree that his open emoting is shitty.

This isn't hard - that was terrible basketball execution and it cost the Warriors a winnable game on their home floor.

Are we really defending ISOs here? I will grant that Durant is an "efficient" ISO player but that lacks context. Take a look at this article and tell me that the ISO was the Warriors best option. I will help out and grab some quotes for you.

You like ISOs? Fine. The statistics tell me otherwise.

Yeah, I love ISOs. That's why I cited the Durant/Curry PNR as Golden State's most efficient play.

But so I'm clear, the stats I cited about the specific players and play types involved in this instance lack context, but your 4 year old article that cites league-wide stats based on play type provides it?

More than anything, I just find the narrative around Green's behavior to be ridiculous, and all of the people I see bending over backwards to cast Durant's shot as a completely indefensible decision, while hailing Draymond Green's overreaction as leadership, seem disingenuous to me.

Durant had the best matchup on that play. He called for the ball, and got it. Do I think it NBA teams would be better served calling for more complex actions in crunch time? Of course, I do. But I also know that the Warriors would have just ISOd Curry there instead, or had him run the PNR that he's currently averaging .69 ppp on (in fact, Golden State's post game statement was that they should have run the 1-3 PNR).

The response here, and elsewhere, seems to assume that had Durant not ISOd there, the alternative would have been some complex action, and that's horse shit. As HRB points out, this is exactly what Golden State's been doing all year. Everybody is acting like ISOs are some disease Durant infected the beautiful, basketball purists in Oakland with. Golden State ran plenty of ISOs last year, especially in the final minute. Remember Love switching onto Curry in the final minute of game 7?

What I was trying to suggest is that had Curry actually set that pick, that was the most efficient play GS could have run in that scenario. Curry as the roll/pop man, and Durant as the ballhandler, is the Warrior best PNR combo. But somehow, when Durant calls for the ball there and that action gets set up, it warrants Draymond Green lashing out like that and completely excuses he and Curry giving up on the play because leadership.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Yeah, I love ISOs. That's why I cited the Durant/Curry PNR as Golden State's most efficient play.

But so I'm clear, the stats I cited about the specific players and play types involved in this instance lack context, but your 4 year old article that cites league-wide stats based on play type provides it?

More than anything, I just find the narrative around Green's behavior to be ridiculous, and all of the people I see bending over backwards to cast Durant's shot as a completely indefensible decision, while hailing Draymond Green's overreaction as leadership, seem disingenuous to me.

Durant had the best matchup on that play. He called for the ball, and got it. Do I think it NBA teams would be better served calling for more complex actions in crunch time? Of course, I do. But I also know that the Warriors would have just ISOd Curry there instead, or had him run the PNR that he's currently averaging .69 ppp on (in fact, Golden State's post game statement was that they should have run the 1-3 PNR).

The response here, and elsewhere, seems to assume that had Durant not ISOd there, the alternative would have been some complex action, and that's horse shit. As HRB points out, this is exactly what Golden State's been doing all year. Everybody is acting like ISOs are some disease Durant infected the beautiful, basketball purists in Oakland with. Golden State ran plenty of ISOs last year, especially in the final minute. Remember Love switching onto Curry in the final minute of game 7?

What I was trying to suggest is that had Curry actually set that pick, that was the most efficient play GS could have run in that scenario. Curry as the roll/pop man, and Durant as the ballhandler, is the Warrior best PNR combo. But somehow, when Durant calls for the ball there and that action gets set up, it warrants Draymond Green lashing out like that and completely excuses he and Curry giving up on the play because leadership.

No because that wasn't the play that they were supposed to run. And nobody is saying that they don't run ISOs in Golden State or that Durant hasn't been doing them - just that that play at that time sucked.

HRB is right that they have been doing that since Durant got there but this was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. As others have pointed out, Durant could have, at least, tried to drive on Randolph.

Finally, my four year old article (are you seriously trying to refute it based on the fact that it came out in 2012? What does four years have to do with anything? Are you saying that Synergy data since then would show that the ISO has become more effective?) also quotes Steve Kerr as disliking ISOs so that will give you some idea of why both Green and Curry reacted the way they did. You are right that Green's reaction was not ideal but I tend to look at the cause, rather than the effect. And that cause was KD playing hero ball.

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

Also, do you have a cite for this:

HRB is right that they have been doing that since Durant got there but this was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.

The notion that they've been doing this since Durant came to town is one of the points I'm refuting. To wit:

Percentage of ISOs run Golden State last season: 6.3%
Percentage of ISOs run by Golden State this season: 6.4%

They're doing it at basically the same rate. And on an individual basis, as I pointed out earlier, Curry used ISOs at an almost identical rate last season to what Durant's using this season.

So again, there's this narrative being pushed that Golden State's ISOing more because of Durant, which makes Green/Curry's frustration warranted. And the numbers don't seem to support that.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Also, do you have a cite for this:



The notion that they've been doing this since Durant came to town is one of the points I'm refuting. To wit:

Percentage of ISOs run Golden State last season: 6.3%
Percentage of ISOs run by Golden State this season: 6.4%

They're doing it at basically the same rate. And on an individual basis, as I pointed out earlier, Curry used ISOs at an almost identical rate last season to what Durant's using this season.

So again, there's this narrative being pushed that Golden State's ISOing more because of Durant, which makes Green/Curry's frustration warranted. And the numbers don't seem to support that.

I don't have a cite for that because you cannot drill down by quarter so I cannot confirm it but from what I have seen, the Warriors tend to get into trouble and their offense bogs down at the start of the fourth when Curry is sitting. This is typically the line-up that features Durant and Thompson and its where teams make runs against them - I have tried to dig into the data - the Warriors three point shooting declines during the fourth quarter and their two point increases but the problem with that data is that they have had so many blow outs that the regulars often sit for most of the fourth.

That said, I will grant you that Durant has reigned in his ISOs because he is now at a rate that is half of what he did last season (14.9%). That said, the Warriors have been near the bottom in running ISOs over the past two seasons (I bet anyone who is a devoted member of this forum can guess which team led the league in ISOs last year hint *cough* rhymes with ISObe *cough*. Also, I love Brad Stevens - the Celtics averaged 5.2% last year and are at a 5.5% clip this season, near the very bottom).

Interesting side stat - Harrison Barnes, whom Mark Jackson liked to run ISOs for when he coached the Warriors, leads the league by running ISOs at a 27.8%, followed by Jamaal Crawford and Carmelo. Unfortunately, he is really the only viable offensive player the Mavs have this season with Dirk's decline/injuries.

 

[Devizier]

all I have to say is that if the Warriors don't win the title this year, there is going to be a huge bitchstorm about Durant whipping up in the Bay Area.

 

[ifmanis5]

LeBron 40 minutes at the Suns tonight. I thought this was the year they were going to back off with the floor time? His minutes are actually up from the past two seasons.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Isaiah Austin (who, if you recall, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome 4 days before the NBA draft) has decided to play professional basketball again, signing a contract Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20170109_Smallwood__Isaiah_Austin_braving_Marfan_risk_to_play_pro.html

I hope he has the correct information on which he is basing his decision; although it seems to me that most athletes of his caliber would make the same choice unless a doctor (or multiple doctors) would say that he had a good chance of dying on the court.

Good luck to him.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Mavs vs Wolves tonight. Who should we be rooting for? I'd guess both teams will be safe in the long run so it doesn't matter much probably the Mavs?

 

[jon abbey]

40 and 18 for Anthony Davis in 29 minutes against the Nix tonight. If he could stay healthy (huge if), he might be the best player in the league not named LeBron.

Edit: I didn't realize Davis even left this game hurt, I had stopped watching by then and figured he only played 29 minutes because it was a blowout. Man, he gets hurt a lot.

 

[Ed Hillel]

So, Derrick Rose is missing. Not at the game and nobody knows where he is.

 

[soxhop411]

So, Derrick Rose is missing. Not at the game and nobody knows where he is.

Not even WOJ knows what is going on.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Not even WOJ knows what is going on.

Weird. Someone check all the yachts in Miami.

 

[soxhop411]

Weird. Someone check all the yachts in Miami.

“@WheresKernan: Knicks teammates say they are concerned about Rose last contact was at shoot around”
“@Krisplashed: Courtney Lee said he last spoke to Derrick Rose at shootaround.”


And then this
“@HowardBeck: Joakim Noah says he spoke to Rose after the game. ”He’s OK.“ Does not elaborate.”

 

[BigSoxFan]

So, now I'm more confused.

 

[soxhop411]

So, now I'm more confused.

Chicago?
“@FisolaNYDN: There are strong indications that Derrick Rose returned to his hometown of Chicago.”

 

[Cellar-Door]

Rose is unhappy (some people think he was going to be made the backup), so likely he and his manager (his brother.... of course) are likely trying to force a trade, or force them to start him.


Edit- Hmm, now there are reports Rose told the team he had a "family situation", so could be something else, though why he couldn't call the team during the hours before the game..........unclear.

 

[jon abbey]

Rose is unhappy (some people think he was going to be made the backup), so likely he and his manager (his brother.... of course) are likely trying to force a trade, or force them to start him.


Edit- Hmm, now there are reports Rose told the team he had a "family situation", so could be something else, though why he couldn't call the team during the hours before the game..........unclear.

Rose was benched for the whole 4th quarter in the last two games, although Hornacek said after the game that that had nothing to do with this, FWIW.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Rose was benched for the whole 4th quarter in the last two games, although Hornacek said after the game that that had nothing to do with this, FWIW.

Tommy Dee of SNY and KnicksBlog.com reporting that a Rose source told him that Hornacek and Rose had a major dust-up on Saturday night after he didn't play in the 4Q. No idea if Tommy Dee has decent sources. Here's article with Tommy Dee tweet: http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/derrick-rose-jeff-hornacek-major-blowout/343665

 

[Big John]

Does anyone think Rose may be attempting to force a buyout so that he can chase a ring as the Cavs new backup point guard?

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

Does anyone think Rose may be attempting to force a buyout so that he can chase a ring as the Cavs new backup point guard?

If Rose didn't mind being a backup, this wouldn't be happening.

 

[jon abbey]

You have to be a pretty giant asshole to complain about not playing in a 4th quarter when you are in the second consecutive game against the same team and they have outscored you 128-100 over the previous 4 quarters (32-17 in the 4th in NYC to steal the first game, 96-83 after 3 quarters in this one), and your replacement (the third string Ron Baker since Jennings was also terrible in this game) plays all 12 minutes after sitting for the previous seven quarters and leads the team to a 33-15 4th quarter on the road and a big win, snapping a six game losing streak. Probably Hornacek's best move of the year to date, just for a little context.

 

[BigSoxFan]

You have to be a pretty giant asshole to complain about not playing in a 4th quarter when you are in the second consecutive game against the same team and they have outscored you 128-100 over the previous 4 quarters (32-17 in the 4th in NYC to steal the first game, 96-83 after 3 quarters in this one), and your replacement (the third string Ron Baker since Jennings was also terrible in this game) plays all 12 minutes after sitting for the previous seven quarters and leads the team to a 33-15 4th quarter on the road and a big win, snapping a six game losing streak. Probably Hornacek's best move of the year to date, just for a little context.

Well, Rose is, in fact, a giant asshole.

 

[Devizier]

All considered the only team that could (and would) give Rose a starting spot is Brooklyn.

Even then, I wonder.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Rose is well into the "your ego is writing checks your body can't cash" phase of his career.

 

[DJnVa]

You would have thought that once you got to the NBA and not rec league basketball there wouldn't be any more of the "Hey man, is Derrick here? His mom didn't call me and tell me he wouldn't be here. Jesus. Now I have to redo the damn lineups."

 

[cheech13]

Does anyone think Rose may be attempting to force a buyout so that he can chase a ring as the Cavs new backup point guard?

To the contrary. He wants a max deal this summer and he feels that has been jeopardized playing in Jeff Hornacek's system.

 

[DJnVa]

To the contrary. He wants a max deal this summer and he feels that has been jeopardized playing in Jeff Hornacek's system.

Well, this is definitely one way to go about combatting that.

 

[Thetoddwalker]

Ol' QWERTY Bastard @TheDiLLon1
Derrick Rose went to the schedule to see if the Knicks had a game, saw "NO" and didn't realize it was the abbreviation for New Orleans.

Too funny!

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Rose went to be with his mother; will be fined but not suspended; everything else copacetic. . . . .




Until the next time Ron Baker plays crunch time minutes.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/derrick-rose-spotted-knicks-facility-gm-steve-mills-article-1.2942510

 

[Kliq]

I'm bored at work so you are getting subjected to the following:

Young Players Playing Well:

-Cristiano Felicio has kind of emerged out of nowhere to be a prominent player for Chicago. His stats are not that overwhelming but he is the kind of guy you end up noticing five or six times when they come in for a five minute shift. He's a really intriguing prospect because he is really big, 6-10, 275 lbs with long arms and is a good athlete. He reminds me of Clint Capela in that he is at his best setting a screen and rolling to the hoop, with the hands to ram home an alley-oop. The issue right now is he isn't much a rim protector and he fouls way too much (about one foul per seven minutes played). He is also 24 so it is hard to figure out what his ceiling really is. Still, he has usurped Bobby Portis in a lot of Chicago's rotations and recently has become kind of a 20 mpg guy in the last dozen games or so.

- Domantas Sabonis is a guy that hasn't put up great numbers, but when I watch him he always stands out as a guy that is going to be a player. What is strange to me is that in college he stood out as a back-to-the-basket type player who was an excellent rebounder. His game in the NBA however has translated differently, which is a consequence of playing with OKC. He isn't rebounding well at all, averaging only 3.6 rpg while playing 21 mpg, but in a system that features guys like Adams, Kanter and Westbrook there are only so many rebounds that can be allocated. On the flip side he has blown people away with his three point shooting, he only attempted 14 his last year at Gonzaga but has already canned 33 of them and is shooting at a 37 percent clip. Obviously playing on OKC contributes to that, as a player can sit in the corner on Westbrook and Adams/Kanter pick and rolls and find a lot of open looks. Defensivley he isn't great but moves his feet well and for a big guy can get out on pick and rolls and contain quicker players. The fact that they got him and Oladipo for Ibaka is a Grade A fleecing.

- Tony Snell has filled in admirably in Milwaukee and combined with Malcom Brogdon have worked hard to replace Khris Middleton. He is playing almost 30 minutes a game and has really worked himself into the typical Bucks player. He's been a 2-3 tweener for them and at 6'7" with a 7" wingspan he has terrific length to bother opposing wings. The big issue with him is that he isn't a very good shooter and he is attempting almost 5 threes a game and only making only 34 percent of his shots. If he can up his percentage above the league average mark he is going to be a really good rotation player.

- In that same vein, Jabari Parker has been terrific for Milwaukee and deserves some All-Star buzz. I don't know of anyone outside of Giannis that has had a more interesting path to NBA success. Coming out of Duke it was agreed that he was A) a smooth offensive player with a lot of polish scoring the basketball, comparable to Carmelo and Paul Pierce and B) he wasn't a very good athlete that would struggle to finish at the next level. Then he blew out his knee so that seemed likely to zap his athleticism even further. But he came back last season and after a slow start began to turn it around and was peaking towards the end, I think he averaged something like 18 ppg on 50 percent shooting after the All-Star Break. Now this year he has been outstanding, averaging 20.6 ppg and proving to be a suitable wingman for Giannis. He is shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown, after starting his career shooting 25 percent from beyond the arc. What is most surprising to me is how he doesn't just look like an NBA athlete, but an elite one. He is on pace for about 140 jams this season and makes a few "whoa" plays every week. For a guy that was supposedly not a great athlete and then had major knee surgery, it is pretty cool and a testament to modern medicine. He still is below-average as a defender but can get away with that because of the strong defenders and length around him so he is usually guarding a limited offensive player.

-Jerami Grant is the latest player to be salvaged from the Philly tire fire and turned into a suitable pro. He's playing 21 mpg for OKC and averaging 6/2.5/0.5 on 46/37/58 so he is a flawed player but he is giving OKC something fun off of the bench. An ELITE athlete, Grant is a joy to watch in transition especially when Russ has the ball and has some explosive dunks already on his season highlight reel. He is also a good shot blocker, just the kind of guy that pops up on game recaps because he makes some devastating plays in transition. He is just fun to watch. He has improved his outside shooting to the point of respectability which has allowed him to get some more minutes.

 

[CreedBratton]

I'm bored at work so you are getting subjected to the following:

Young Players Playing Well:

-Cristiano Felicio has kind of emerged out of nowhere to be a prominent player for Chicago. His stats are not that overwhelming but he is the kind of guy you end up noticing five or six times when they come in for a five minute shift. He's a really intriguing prospect because he is really big, 6-10, 275 lbs with long arms and is a good athlete. He reminds me of Clint Capela in that he is at his best setting a screen and rolling to the hoop, with the hands to ram home an alley-oop. The issue right now is he isn't much a rim protector and he fouls way too much (about one foul per seven minutes played). He is also 24 so it is hard to figure out what his ceiling really is. Still, he has usurped Bobby Portis in a lot of Chicago's rotations and recently has become kind of a 20 mpg guy in the last dozen games or so.

- Domantas Sabonis is a guy that hasn't put up great numbers, but when I watch him he always stands out as a guy that is going to be a player. What is strange to me is that in college he stood out as a back-to-the-basket type player who was an excellent rebounder. His game in the NBA however has translated differently, which is a consequence of playing with OKC. He isn't rebounding well at all, averaging only 3.6 rpg while playing 21 mpg, but in a system that features guys like Adams, Kanter and Westbrook there are only so many rebounds that can be allocated. On the flip side he has blown people away with his three point shooting, he only attempted 14 his last year at Gonzaga but has already canned 33 of them and is shooting at a 37 percent clip. Obviously playing on OKC contributes to that, as a player can sit in the corner on Westbrook and Adams/Kanter pick and rolls and find a lot of open looks. Defensivley he isn't great but moves his feet well and for a big guy can get out on pick and rolls and contain quicker players. The fact that they got him and Oladipo for Ibaka is a Grade A fleecing.

- Tony Snell has filled in admirably in Milwaukee and combined with Malcom Brogdon have worked hard to replace Khris Middleton. He is playing almost 30 minutes a game and has really worked himself into the typical Bucks player. He's been a 2-3 tweener for them and at 6'7" with a 7" wingspan he has terrific length to bother opposing wings. The big issue with him is that he isn't a very good shooter and he is attempting almost 5 threes a game and only making only 34 percent of his shots. If he can up his percentage above the league average mark he is going to be a really good rotation player.

- In that same vein, Jabari Parker has been terrific for Milwaukee and deserves some All-Star buzz. I don't know of anyone outside of Giannis that has had a more interesting path to NBA success. Coming out of Duke it was agreed that he was A) a smooth offensive player with a lot of polish scoring the basketball, comparable to Carmelo and Paul Pierce and B) he wasn't a very good athlete that would struggle to finish at the next level. Then he blew out his knee so that seemed likely to zap his athleticism even further. But he came back last season and after a slow start began to turn it around and was peaking towards the end, I think he averaged something like 18 ppg on 50 percent shooting after the All-Star Break. Now this year he has been outstanding, averaging 20.6 ppg and proving to be a suitable wingman for Giannis. He is shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown, after starting his career shooting 25 percent from beyond the arc. What is most surprising to me is how he doesn't just look like an NBA athlete, but an elite one. He is on pace for about 140 jams this season and makes a few "whoa" plays every week. For a guy that was supposedly not a great athlete and then had major knee surgery, it is pretty cool and a testament to modern medicine. He still is below-average as a defender but can get away with that because of the strong defenders and length around him so he is usually guarding a limited offensive player.

-Jerami Grant is the latest player to be salvaged from the Philly tire fire and turned into a suitable pro. He's playing 21 mpg for OKC and averaging 6/2.5/0.5 on 46/37/58 so he is a flawed player but he is giving OKC something fun off of the bench. An ELITE athlete, Grant is a joy to watch in transition especially when Russ has the ball and has some explosive dunks already on his season highlight reel. He is also a good shot blocker, just the kind of guy that pops up on game recaps because he makes some devastating plays in transition. He is just fun to watch. He has improved his outside shooting to the point of respectability which has allowed him to get some more minutes.

Jabari is looking terrific and love what the bucks have cooking.

What a trade for the thunder getting oladipo and sabonis for Ibaka.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Bucks beat the Spurs with Freak only playing 9 minutes. Beasley went nuts. Harden with 40/15r/10a.

 

[Sprowl]

Iggy drops the left-handed reverse layup after hauling in the halfcourt pass in midflight. That was highlight material.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

UT starts Hill, Hood, Hayward, Derrick Favors and Gobert for just the sixth time this season and beat the Cavs. The Jazz are now 5-1 when that unit starts.

 

[Thetoddwalker]

http://www.csnbayarea.com/kings/source-cousins-intends-sign-massive-extension-kings

Looks like we'll have to wait a few more years on Cousins.

 

[CreedBratton]

http://www.csnbayarea.com/kings/source-cousins-intends-sign-massive-extension-kings

Looks like we'll have to wait a few more years on Cousins.

Yup CBA has killed the Celtics superstar trade targets. Butler and George Be next. Going to have to do it all through the draft.

 

[cheech13]

I think we will look back at the 2010 to 2016 period as a historical aberration in terms of superstar player movement.

 

[Devizier]

lolknicks @ an airball going the other way for a game winner in less than 6 seconds.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Jabari is looking terrific and love what the bucks have cooking.

What a trade for the thunder getting oladipo and sabonis for Ibaka.

I've been pimping Jabari since the all star break of last year. It's when he started experimenting with the 3 pointer. I got grief for rating him clearly above Marcus Smart and for assuming Jabari would improve his accuracy while Smart wouldn't. To be fair, I had Wiggins, Parker and Gordon clearly ahead of Smart (Embiid hadn't played yet) and Marcus Smart being easily replaceable. I'm going to be wrong on Gordon>Smart. Smart has me believing his accuracy will improve now, too. If he can hit 35% of his 3's, the guy is a legit starter on a contender.

Back to Parker, if we were to redo that draft, isn't he number 1 if we factor in Embiid's injury concerns? Wiggins is basically the same player he was when he entered the league. Jabari is the more efficient offensive player, the better FT shooter, the better 3 point shooter, a better rebounder, better passer and has put to bed any athleticism concerns. He has been straight up beasting for awhile now and is only getting better as the year goes on. Wiggins has more potential on the defensive end but Jabari has like 50 pounds on him. LaVine would jump to 4th and Smart would slot 5-9?

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

Timberwolves are 7-8 over their last 15 games which is not great, but much more in line with what folks expected them to be this season. That winning percentage would have the in the 8 seed if they'd been able to manage it all season. That stretch includes some good wins (Milwaukee, Houston) and some bad losses (Phlly).

The biggest difference has been in how they use Rubio. They're running much more of their offense through him, and during that stretch he's averaging 9.2 assists which would be a career high for him. He's still not shooting well, despite the fact that he's shooting 97% from the line on 40+ attempts over the last 15 games, but I think Thibs is finally figuring out how to use this group and a big part of it involves not hiding Rubio in the corner.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I've been traveling and haven't caught many Wolves games lately so good to hear how Thibs is giving his PG's more freedom rather than being utilized like Rondo in 07-08. Hopefully we'll see more of this from Rubio and Dunn.