Luke Walton nice job on the 2 for 1 before halftime. Not sure how the Lakers are in this game, Philly's Big 3 (Embid, Simmons, Covington) are worlds better than anything the Lakers have to offer. This should be a blowout.
2017-18 NBA Regular Season Game/Observation Thread
- Thread starter DeJesus Built My Hotrod
- Start date
14 offensive rebounds have given the Lakers 14 more FGA than the Sixers. Combine the extra possessions with shooting 5-19 from 3 while turning the ball over 5 more times than the Lakers and there you have it.
Kuzma>Ball?
Right now not even close. Can Ball improve dramatically?
To my eyes, he’s awful in every phase except passing ability
If Simmons can learn to shoot just a bit, he’s a HOFer
Right now not even close. Can Ball improve dramatically?
To my eyes, he’s awful in every phase except passing ability
If Simmons can learn to shoot just a bit, he’s a HOFer
Brandon Ingram might well have the most ugly style of play while still being effective of anyone in the NBA.
Simmons and Embiid on the same side isn't fair. If they stay healthy, the Hinkies are the next Warriors.
Sixers will be dangerous when they care enough to box out on defence and take care of the ball. got ya
Kuzma was a find no doubt but PG's usually do take time to find consistency in this league especially the one-and-done guys. In Ball's first 13 career games since he just turned 20, he's already put up a 29/11/9 and a 19/13/12/3/3. His future is looking pretty good.
Simmons is a rookie averaging 18/9/7/2 while able to create and make his own shot whenever he wants while shooting 49.7% from the field.......his touch and finishing ability in the paint is already elite. The lack of a perimeter shot is being severely overstated. Only an injury should prevent Simmons from being a HOFer.
+1. He's been terrific and he knows it (he said recently he should've gone top 5 in the draft).
Don't know anything about a website called "NBA Math," but it has a statistic called "defensive points saved" and has Ball as second among rookies behind Simmons. See: https://nbamath.com/2017-18-nba-tpa/.
LA's defense has been way better this year. Not sure why since I don't see much of their games but it can't just be because of Lopez.
Yea, it can't be because of Lopez, cause he is not anything more than a big body down there who offers a little bit of rim protection. I think their good defense is still SSS stuff and when opponents shots start falling, they will be a slighlty below average defense
Chamberlain likely had lots of these since they didn't count blocks back then--you gotta figure the years he averaged 50/25, 45/24 and 36/22/5 that he had a bunch. He had about 100 games were blocks were recorded and averaged 8.8/game (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tTIVEWsAP14/VkFK-IE7GHI/AAAAAAAAHSo/n_u04_ScpoQ/s0-Ic42/Wilt%2520blocked%2520shots.jpg)
Of course that IN NO WAY takes away from Embiid since we're now comparing him to Wilt.
The backcourt is completely overhauled with Ball and Caldwell-Pope replacing Russell and Nick Young while sliding Clarkson to the second unit so the cultural change begins right here in replacing a couple turnstiles with good positional perimeter defenders. The other thing is that these players are competing to win games as the front office is not tanking as they did last year by trading and shutting down healthy veterans.
Heh, I dunno about that. He is a decent player but he's close to a finished product. My steal of the draft so far is John Collins and it's not particularly close.
Great points — the age aspect and Bulls/Ws analogies are a stretch. The questions about fit, chemistry and depth (relative to the stand pat option) remain.
I mean, I understand the impetus for Morey to do something significant to shake things up given the Warriors elephant in the room, but that's not the same as assuming the move was a guaranteed net positive. I think there's at least a chance the stand pat (Beverley) option would have resulted in a stronger team. At minimum I think it's unlikely the team instantly becomes more "fun" the moment Chris Paul steps off the DL. Even D'Antoni has predicted growing pains and preached patience.
Anyway: CP3 back tonight. Let the fun begin!
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In what world is a 3-year college player who didn't even play that first year, is a 22 year old rookie with 15 NBA games under his belt a finished product? Kuzma hasn't even met the rookie wall or his first NBA offseason yet while making major leaps in each of the past 3 summers.
The kid hasn't even physically filled out yet so their is growth just in his body catching up to the men of the league. He has a 7-foot wingspan and tested out in the top-5 in several agility drills at the combine. I'd say his ceiling is much higher than where his game is at today. Let's check back in down the road 4 years when he adds 20 lbs to his frame, continues improving his ball skills as he's been doing each summer and gains more experience.
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Here's an article that discusses some of DET's changes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2017/11/13/how-the-pistons-put-last-seasons-issues-behind-them-to-once-again-become-an-east-threat/?utm_term=.010bc4a384b2.
Basically: Drummond has changed his game and become really good - 8th more valuable player if you're using BRef's WAR statistic; Jackson has gone from an offensive liability to an offensive asset, particularly when running the PnR; and they've cut down on some of the inefficient mid-range jumpers to post the highest eFG% in the Van Gundy era.
Maybe people are forgetting just how stacked the 2017 draft was but Kuzma might move up to the back end of the lottery if there was a redraft today.
http://www.nba.com/draft/board#/
What do people think Kuzma's upside potential is exactly?
http://www.nba.com/draft/board#/
What do people think Kuzma's upside potential is exactly?
1 and done has nothing to do with it. He's a clear late bloomer after not being highly regarded out of HS, sitting his entire freshman year on the Utah bench as a stringbean and then making massive gains each of the past 3 years while his body still isn't fully developed. He has the physicals to support a very high upside and has taken another leap since the draft. Your response implies that simply because he didn't come out at 19 he won't improve much more despite everything pointing to him doing so.
Of course he wasn't a Top-5 pick last summer.......but he's right there today. Draymond was a 4-year college player who took to the NBA well from Day One just as Kuzma has. How he was projected 4 months ago is meaningless.
Otto Porter? I can see Kuzma as a backend All-Star like Porter. They have similar growth trends in that each was very skinny and took time to fill out while making leaps each offseason.....should this continue, and I don't see why it couldn't as he has the physicals to support this growth, I expect him to be close to that league. For those who place high value in FT shooting to determine future 3-point potential Kuzma has gone from 56% to 62% to 67% at Utah.....to 82% as a rookie this year.
Talk to me when Kyle Kuzma can hit even 33% of his 3 point shots before comparing him to Otto Porter.
I’m with you on Collins. I’ve been to two Hawks games so far (including last night against the Kings) and in both cases he’s had some crazy dunks. Two last night. He’s shown good rebounding ability and a nice touch around the rim. Excellent athlete for a big.
Otto Porter is a terrible example for other reasons other than 3's. Steal rate and all. I'm guessing that's why Kuzma was drafted so low in the first place. His steal rate in college was ass.
Said differently, the Rockets scored more points than the Warriors scored all night... in the first half!
Only 1 game, but I thought Paul and Harden worked well together. Paul mostly worked off the ball when they were both in the game. Paul was on a minute restriction but they rested them at different times. I also really like Clint Capela.
Monroe looked pretty good too in the loss. There was also no defense played in this game so everyone looked like an offensive juggernaut.
Monroe looked pretty good too in the loss. There was also no defense played in this game so everyone looked like an offensive juggernaut.
The Wiz are getting embarrassed at home, down 50-29 at half time.
Brooklyn up 39-24 vs the Jazz. Might be time to start worrying about the Jazz being really bad, or at least Laker bad.
Brooklyn up 39-24 vs the Jazz. Might be time to start worrying about the Jazz being really bad, or at least Laker bad.
Wiz erase a 25 point lead down to 6. Pacers come back from 22 down and are now trailing by 5 to the Pistons.