Yeah, I think all that protection means is that Phoenix is getting a late first-rounder in 2020 rather than 2018, which to me actually seems worse, not better, than if they just got the Bucks' pick unprotected this year. I guess there is marginal upside in a scenario where Giannis gets hurt for a year or something else weird happens, but don't see that as worth the more likely scenario where they don't get any real return on this deal until 2020.
It seems quite clear at this point that Kyrie knew exactly what he was doing when he demanded a trade to a competent organization.
14/16 from the free throw line and no three point attempts. Will need to see the video but by those stats it looks like he was working out of the post a lot more; as opposed to standing in the corner.
B3 end up 15-54 but are 8-26 from three (7-28 on 2P shots). OKC as a team shot 29-86.
Chris Weber and Kevin Mchale were both blunt saying Melo will not help Westbrook since he can't run with him. They wondered how much longer Russ would slow the pace waiting for Melo.
Dirty little secret: he was never really *that* good. I think most people who look beyond PPG knew the Knicks were basically doomed to mediocrity (or slightly better than that) when they traded for him, and doomed to worse than that when they extended him. Yes, they had the one good 2012-13 season when they were able to surround him with the optimal number of gritty defenders and off-ball specialists to be effective — similar to what the the Sixers did with the similarly overrated Iverson — but no team was ever going anywhere interesting with Melo as their best player.
Never say never again. Never is a long time. 'Melo has had some good seasons, good enough to be considered a top 10 player in the NBA. He was 7th in PER in 2013-14 and 4th in 2012-13.
Fully agree. Can I suggest something tentatively -- that maybe for all the abuse he took Jackson was dealt a bad hand and didn't do so badly with it? His drafts seem to have not just good but possibly great if the flashes Nkitilana are showing are real. It's hard to know the inner machinations given a Dolan ownership (god only knows), but at least by the end clearly Jackson also quite wisely wanted Melo out despite the NY media being in Anthony's pocket, even if he didn't deal with that well and even if he seemed to want to Melo to stay when he first signed on.
I'm sympathetic to the drafting point, but there's also just some confusion by Jackson with moves like bringing in guys like Rose, Noah, Calderon and Afflalo. Plus, for as much credit as Jackson deserves for drafting Porzingis in the first place, he has to give some of it back due to 1) all the reports that he badly wanted Okafor; 2) his later flirtations with trading Porzingis. Jackson looks very much like a guy who accidentally struck gold there, rather than prescient vision.
Is it possible the East' lack of stars and super teams relative to the West makes for better depth on some of the teams?
Yeah, there are a lot of teams with really deep rotations and I think the 3 pointer is a great equalizer.
In Charlotte I just noticed that they have 1 very good player and then 8 completely interchangeable but good players that can sometimes have big nights. So through the course of a season they will win some weird games. I assumed that teams like the Pistons are somewhat similar.
Don’t think anyone will be giving the Dubs much resistance. Maybe Houston if Paul comes back healthy. Kawhi seems to be having real issues with his quad that you have to wonder if it’ll linger all year.
I'll stand by "never" on the premise of a team ever winning it all with Melo as their best player. If I squint I can see championship upside in an OKC team with improved offensive cohesion and consistent lockdown D from PG13, Adams, Roberson, 2Pat and Jerami Grant (and possibly even Russ?). But on that team Melo is probably the 4th or 5th best player.
You can't simply look at one nights results without recognizing the factor of scheduling in these games. The Pacers played in New York on Sunday night, arrived back home early Mon morning, played a home game Tuesday night, arrived at hotel in Detroit early Wed morning and played their 3rd game in 4 nights in 3 different cities vs the Pistons. This could help explain the Pistons 71-47 run during the middle portion of the game.
