Yikes, I picked Chriss!
I’d take flier on Bender. I don’t think Phoenix is the best place for a young player to develop and he’s still young enough that his skills can still be refined in a better environment.
I’d take flier on Bender. I don’t think Phoenix is the best place for a young player to develop and he’s still young enough that his skills can still be refined in a better environment.
Derek Rose!!! Career high 50 points in the TWolves victory including a game ending block with the Jazz trying a three for the tie. He is in tears while being interviewed.
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Didn't know you're an nyc local, we should have a meetup for Jan 26th GSW @ BOS. Or before then if we can find a good doubleheader night for our teams. No shortage of SoSHers in the vicinity.
I just caught up with this and I have to say, as much as I like Beverly, him going low on Russ was dirty AF. You simply cannot go at a guy's knees, period.
Meh, last night at the end of the Celtics game there were two worse diving at the knees plays. The ball is on the court, guys are gonna dive at it
Hmm, that could be fun. Finnerty's for one half and Professor Thom's for the other?
I can't stand Professor Thom's, if I wanted to smell Murph and Sully's armpits I'd have gone home to the parade today. Let's get a half keg of something good at Finnerty's and make a night of it.
Agreed. When there is a loose ball go on the ground and get it like we were all taught as 10-year olds! Hey Russ guess what.....when you're standing up while there is a loose ball at your feet you're gonna have other players diving for the ball where your legs are!!
Chriss is a luxury tax casualty for HOU I should note, most expect him to get a second contract from somebody. Bender... Who knows, he shot 3s well last year(36.6% on over 300 attempts) , and his defense wasn't that bad, but he was awful at everything else especially turnovers. Now a new coach who wants him to be a rim diver and rim protector, so he basically isn't going to get minutes.
On the other hand he's 20, 7ft and can shoot, so might be worth a minimum flyer for a team.
On the other hand he's 20, 7ft and can shoot, so might be worth a minimum flyer for a team.
It wasn't only the turnovers but the "type" of turnovers which showed that Bender wasn't engaged in the game or arrived not prepared to compete. There is more to the story than simply his numbers......maybe he's simply not a guy who is comfortable in this country or isn't yet mature enough to play at this level especially in a foreign country. As I pointed out in that link above from 2 years ago I never viewed him as an "upside" guy but thought he's have a chance to play a Bjelica-type role in this league. He can always return home and come back in 5 years once he's more prepared to play a role like that here. It isn't like we are banishing him forever but right now he's still not close to a competent NBA player.
Chriss otoh, will probably bounce around the dregs who try to catch lightning in a bottle unless his reputation behind the scenes is something that would raise a red flag.
The interesting thing to me is that neither was much of a reach. Makes me wonder if it's just that big take time and need good coaching and PHX was/is a trash fire.
Looking back at that draft, it kinda sucks. Granted that can still change but meh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_NBA_draft
Your 2nd best player is going to be either Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray or Brandon Ingram.
Simmons is probably the only guaranteed All-Star out of the bunch, right? Brown, both Murrays and Ingram all have a shot, but it's certainly not a lock. It's possible that 1/3 or so of those first rounders don't even get a second contract.
Miles better than where the 2015 draft was this time last year or 2014 was 2 years back, or 2013. Honestly best early return for a draft since 2012.
Simmons looks like a star, Ingram, Brown are on track to be possible max 2nd contract guys.
Looking at 2015 not sure KAT was as high as Simmons is, and Porzingis was probably better than Brown, but close and the rest of the top 8 is rough.
2014- best player's was Wiggins 2 years in and he wasn't better than Brown, rest was garbage, we were legit asking if Smart was the 2nd best player.
2013 was all trash
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It wasn't necessarily a comment about early returns, but also on talent and potential. We are also 3 years in at this point, but it's still really early. Those drafts may or may not have worse earlier returns, but they had guys you could dream on. 2013 wasn't all trash at that point either, Giannis was having his breakout season. The lottery was all trash. Now, it actually looks like a pretty decent draft talent wise. Giannis, Oladipo, Gobert, McCollum, Porter.
2014- Even if you are talking 2 years in rather than 3, Wiggins was not the best player. Jokic put up 16.7, 9.8, 4.9. Now that draft has Embiid, Jokic and a bunch of starting quality players in Harris, Smart, Capella, Gordon, Randle etc.
2015-It also had Booker. I know opinions vary on him greatly but I'd take him over anyone in the 2016 draft not named Ben Simmons. He's a few days younger than Jaylen Brown. Myles Turner too, maybe. He's about 200 days older. After those 4 there's a pretty big drop off to guys like Rozier and WCS.
2016-There's Ben Simmons. Then starting quality players in Brown, Murray, Ingram, Sabonis, Murray etc. but it's just lacking at the top. I guess Ingram has the potential to be considerably more. It's also early and a lot of these guys are young. Maybe someone goes the Jimmy Butler route.
Taking Simmons out of the equation, does anyone take a player from the 2016 draft over Giannis, Oladipo, Gobert, McCollum, Embiid, Jokic, Booker, KAT, Porzingis, or Turner?
Brown likely goes over Turner, but that's about it. If he made another leap this year (looking tough with the Celtics depth), he would make it closer with Booker and McCollum, just because of defensive potential.
But outside of the aforementioned players, virtually all of the guys showing promise as anything other than bench-filler are already 24. Levert, Prince, Siakam, Dunn, Hield, Valentine. Though that may well be consistent with an average draft class.
Isn't it already either Sabonis or LeVert in the mix with Murray and Ingram? I'd slot Jaylen behind them at this stage.
Dejounte Murray was ready to make a leap this year, Hield certainly is, and Dunn has made leaps but can't stay on the floor. Then you have Siakam, Prince, and Brice Johnson in LA. While this wasn't a knock out class it has produced a dozen solid looking NBA players which is fairly normal in any draft. I'll agree of course that what it lacks is top end elite talent but we already knew that was the case.
This is common with just about any draft. I haven't looked at these numbers specifically but I'd guess it's higher than 33% in nearly every draft in the modern era (10-15 years).
I suggested Sabonis was the 2nd best player from the 2016 draft last year but got some push back. It's really a pick your flavor. The lack of top talent is what makes the class pretty meh. It doesn't make up for it's lack of top talent with great depth, either. It has to be the worst draft since 2004 or 2006?
I also apparently would have picked Bender. I'm surprised I voted. I don't watch basketball outside of the NBA so in Ainge I trust.
Yeah, I get trying to avoid being homers, but Jaylen's stock leaguewide was quite high going into the summer. (We'll see what happens after a year of healthy MaMo closing for him in crunch-time...)
I was talking top 8s, to compare to the 2016 top 8, and looking short term to point out that at this stage after 2 seasons, those drafts looked worse, a lot of late bloomers in those.
If we're looking at full drafts, 2016 has a lot of potential still out there, I think you need another year maybe 2 before you start writing off the raw high upside guys.
Generally the whole point was that after 2 seasons a lot of drafts look bad, and 2016 actually looked better than many with 6 players who are pretty good in the top 8.
Kangz move to 6-3 as De'Aaron Fox destroys Trae Young.
If you had the Kings entering November with more wins than the Rockets, Lakers, and Wizards combined … come up and collect your prize.
If you had the Kings entering November with more wins than the Rockets, Lakers, and Wizards combined … come up and collect your prize.
Good game from Alex Abrines for the Thunder (111-106) over Charlotte. 25 points on 9-15 shooting, hitting 5-10 three pointers. His defense has come a long way, and his confidence on the offensive end is way up.
* Sacramento up 125-96 on the road in Atlanta with over 6 minutes still go to.
* Couldn't turn away from the Sixers/Clips game. Boban is so much fun to watch......15/11/3 in 23 minutes but Embiid was a beast with 41.
* Charlotte blows big lead and OKC gets their 3rd straight win since Russ returned despite George's 4-20 shooting. Abrines and Schroder off the bench combine for 46.
* Couldn't turn away from the Sixers/Clips game. Boban is so much fun to watch......15/11/3 in 23 minutes but Embiid was a beast with 41.
* Charlotte blows big lead and OKC gets their 3rd straight win since Russ returned despite George's 4-20 shooting. Abrines and Schroder off the bench combine for 46.
Portland has never seen a pick and roll before if I had to guess. The roll man and ballhandler both just waltz to the basket every time.
From my vague recollection......this Pelicans/Blazers game is what the ABA looked like sans the red, white and blue ball.
Strange to see a game like this where they could be 260 points scored......and CJ McCollum has 3 points on 1-4 shooting at the half in regular rotation minutes.
Bagley, Hield (+40!!!), WCS and Bjelica played great as well. If these kids start to grow up together, the Kings may not stay Kings this season. Joerger is a damn good coach and with their raw talent, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Rockets playing 2 ex-Cuse players: Carmelo and MCW. Now I know why they suck. Has any program produced more draft busts over the last decade than Syracuse?
Johnny Flynn, Tyler Lydon, Fab Melo, Wes Johnson, Dontae Greene, Malachi Richardson, Tyler Ennis, Chris McCullough
Dion Waiters should have been so much better. Ugh, dark days for Jimmy B and this Cuse grad
Johnny Flynn, Tyler Lydon, Fab Melo, Wes Johnson, Dontae Greene, Malachi Richardson, Tyler Ennis, Chris McCullough
Dion Waiters should have been so much better. Ugh, dark days for Jimmy B and this Cuse grad
MarshMelo is a legit hall of famer on the downside of his career. Many colleges don’t have one of those. I don’t see anything to be ashamed of.
Coming into tonight:
By bbref:
When Carmelo is on the bench Rockets' opponents have a 107.1 Ortg. So basically their opponent plays like the Knicks (22nd best offense in the league)
When Melo is on the floor, Rockers' opponents have a 125.1, by comparison the best offense in the league, Warriors have an Ortg of 122.1
By bbref:
When Carmelo is on the bench Rockets' opponents have a 107.1 Ortg. So basically their opponent plays like the Knicks (22nd best offense in the league)
When Melo is on the floor, Rockers' opponents have a 125.1, by comparison the best offense in the league, Warriors have an Ortg of 122.1
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Watching Rockets-Nets: the new thing where guys foul the screener when they're beat on a screen and a shooter is open is ridiculous. The league needs to institute an advantage call there. It's not hard to get this stuff right, but this is the NBA, where Euro-fouls are still a thing, even after Europe itself has successfully eliminated them.
No worries, Dwight Howard returns for the Zards tonight.
Superman is here to save the day!
I’m not saying it was fixed but the Suns just scored 7 straight foul and turnover-aided points in less than a minute to cover against Toronto, the last of which featured Van Vleet all but freely handing it to Bridges as the clock winded down. Epic stuff.
Ayton was 7 for 10 with 18 rebounds, 2 blocks and only 1 foul for 17 points in 35 minutes. That's a pretty good line; he looks like a ROY frontrunner.
Separately, I watched Doncic for a while last night. Dallas made a smart move picking him up. He looks much more poised than what you'd expect from a 19-year-old. He's not having trouble making the NBA transition. At times, he reminded me a little of Tatum because he likes doing the quick-foot shuffle sometimes on offense to shake a defender. Of slight concern: His turnovers seem a bit high. His assist-to-turnover ratio doesn't look great, but he is a very young rookie.
Separately, I watched Doncic for a while last night. Dallas made a smart move picking him up. He looks much more poised than what you'd expect from a 19-year-old. He's not having trouble making the NBA transition. At times, he reminded me a little of Tatum because he likes doing the quick-foot shuffle sometimes on offense to shake a defender. Of slight concern: His turnovers seem a bit high. His assist-to-turnover ratio doesn't look great, but he is a very young rookie.
The Knicks, I'll grant you. The Celtics? They had a nice first year under Pitino (going from tankathon team to 36-46) and then showed literally no progress from there throughout the rest of Pitino's tenure, despite adding Paul Pierce.
I'll grant you that the guy was once elite from a technical perspective and perhaps still is. I don't think that's enough.
It doesn't look like anyone on that team is interested in playing defense except Oubre.
Of course winning 20 games will be a lot better for the franchise than winning 40, though I wouldn't put it past them to screw up the draft.
From the limited amount we've seen of him, they could really use RWill.