NO up 3 with 8 seconds to go, Lonzo leaves the shooter at the 3 point line to help on the penetration. Tie game. WTF Lonzo?
Now Knicks up by 7. NO needs to do something quick, less than 2 minutes left.NO up 3 with 8 seconds to go, Lonzo leaves the shooter at the 3 point line to help on the penetration. Tie game. WTF Lonzo?
Twice is an understatement. The old Celts had left Syracuse with a W and were on the train almost in Utica by now.Besides seven-inning doubleheaders can I vote for three-minute NBA overtimes?
I would bet a five-minute overtime today takes well over twice the time that it did back whenever it was invented.
They really benefited from Houston's insane decision to play anti-basketball last season.Capela had 25 points, 24 rebounds and 3 blocks today for the Hawks. What a great acquistion he has been!
How are people feeling about the play-in games? I was initially skeptical, but now I like it because of how interesting it's making the playoff run. It seems like teams in both conferences are desperate to stay out of the 7th seed and it's led to some really compelling basketball of late. Teams usually start taking their feet off the gas at this point in the season, but 4-8 in the east is going to be really fun the rest of the way.
#10 is a dogfight:LessFewer teams will tank too. Washington is the 10th seed atm I think. Washington!
Just looked up his trade on bbref. Ummm... what? That's not confusing at all.Luke Kennard is flying under the radar for these Clippers. He was a good fit as it was with Kawhi and George but now he has Rondo getting him clean looks too while providing great spacing for others with his 46% on threes this year.
It took him a while to find his role in LA but I always thought he was an underrated player. Great shooter but he can also playmake a bit and run the PnR.Luke Kennard is flying under the radar for these Clippers. He was a good fit as it was with Kawhi and George but now he has Rondo getting him clean looks too while providing great spacing for others with his 46% on threes this year.
I swear that these GM’s complicate these deals so much to impress their boss (the owner) into thinking that nobody else who could possibly replace them is qualified for the job.Just looked up his trade on bbref. Ummm... what? That's not confusing at all.
November 19, 2020: As part of a 3-team trade, traded by the Detroit Pistons with Justin Patton, a 2023 2nd round draft pick, a 2024 2nd round draft pick, a 2025 2nd round draft pick and a 2026 2nd round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers; the Brooklyn Nets traded Saddiq Bey, Jaylen Hands, Dzanan Musa and a 2021 2nd round draft pick to the Detroit Pistons; the Brooklyn Nets traded Jay Scrubb to the Los Angeles Clippers; the Detroit Pistons traded Bruce Brown to the Brooklyn Nets; the Los Angeles Clippers traded Reggie Perry and Landry Shamet to the Brooklyn Nets; and the Los Angeles Clippers traded Rodney McGruder and cash to the Detroit Pistons. 2023 2nd-rd pick is POR own 2024 2nd-rd pick is DET's own 2025 2nd-rd pick is DET's own 2026 2nd-rd pick is DET's own 2021 2nd-rd pick is TOR own
True. But somehow we turned him into Wood, so things have worked out for us as well.They really benefited from Houston's insane decision to play anti-basketball last season.
TOR beat OKC so they are 24-34. TOR is only one of those 3 teams that has beaten PHI so maybe we should root for them to be the 8 seed.#10 is a dogfight:
Chicago 23-33
Washington 23-33
Raptors 23-34
Guess we'll turn the NBA play-in games into a participation award. Yeah, everyone's a winner.
So, Kennard and six scrubs?The Clippers traded Perry, Shamet, Magruder and $ for Kennard, Patten, Scrubbs and four second round picks. I think.
Turner just turned 25 and has 866 and is averaging 3.4 bpg this season. Mitchell Robinson is one to watch if he can stay healthy.Random thought: Hakeem's all-time record of 3,830 career blocks is going to be one of the most unbreakable records in sports. The total in its day was already staggering, Dikembe Mutombo is second all time and has 3,289 blocks, or several years of elite shot blocking away from Hakeem. Tim Duncan, who is an all-time great rim protector who played for a million years, has only 3,020 career blocks.
With the modern NBA having far fewer shots at the rim, one player getting a lot of blocks is an outdated concept. In the 90s, you would lead the league blocking about 4.0 to 4.5 shots per game, but today you can lead the league blocking 2.5 shots per game. The current active leader, Dwight Howard, is barely half-way to Hakeem's total (2,180). Rudy Gobert, the preeminent shot blocker in today's game, has 1,190 career blocks and is 28. Discounting his rookie season, he has averaged 170 blocks per season. To catch Hakeem, he would need to keep performing at his current rate for another 15 seasons, while also avoiding significant injury.
Harris is a weapon this year who hunts for mismatches, and is very accurate in the lane once he jumps over his smaller opponent. When Embiid rests, offense runs through Tobias. He was hurt the most by Horford’s presence last year. Harris had a year like this for Doc in LA. Under the radar? Nah. He’s the glue for one of the league’s best teams. Most improved, possibly. But his improvement is all about getting rid of Horford and Brett Brown.Tobias Harris' age 28 season (per 36, in 33.1 mpg):
22.1 pts on .609 ts (.521 fg, .407 3fg, .886 ft)
7.8 reb
3.9 ast, 2.0 tov
+7.3 on-court, +4.6 net on-off for the #1 seed in the East
I don't play as close attention to the East as I should (until I see them on the GSW schedule, lol). Is he the most under-the-radar star in the league this year?
I was telling someone last week that Tobias’ rise to me seems similar to Pierce’s when he was in his 20’s. Entered the league able to score and each year continued making incremental improvements in his overall game and in understanding how to generate mismatches.Tobias Harris' age 28 season (per 36, in 33.1 mpg):
22.1 pts on .609 ts (.521 fg, .407 3fg, .886 ft)
7.8 reb
3.9 ast, 2.0 tov
+7.3 on-court, +4.6 net on-off for the #1 seed in the East
I don't play as close attention to the East as I should (until I see them on the GSW schedule, lol). Is he the most under-the-radar star in the league this year?
@terrynever, who watches every Sixer game closely, is saying it has a lot to do with Doc and getting rid of Brett Brown. I never thought BB was all that bad until I listened to the Jimmy Butler conversation on the Old Man & the 3 podcast with JJ Redick.Is there a coincidence to the fact that Harris has had his best performances for Doc?
Very funny, @benhogan! I pick my spots. NBA ebbs and flows are too hard on older fans. The playoffs will kill me if Philly gets too deep.@terrynever, who watches every Sixer game closely, is saying it has a lot to do with Doc and getting rid of Brett Brown. I never thought BB was all that bad until I listened to the Jimmy Butler conversation on the Old Man & the 3 podcast with JJ Redick.
ALSO, Harris is proving a lot of us wrong, myself included, that mocked that MAX deal. Tobias was decent last year and has been really good this season. He's a nice compliment to Simmons/Embiid. Hoping the Celtics can draw them in the playoffs, a lot of storylines with Doc, recent and distant history.
Ha. My son showed me some of his videos a few months back. Yeah fascinating guy to watch. Looks like he needs to carry around rolls of quarters in his pockets on windy days though.The people who are fascinated by Poku are going to lose their minds when they see Chet Holmgren.
I was shocked when I saw that the #1 recruit in the country was a white guy named Chet. Is the 2022 draft expected to be a solid recruiting class? How big of a prospect is Chet compared to like, Anthony Edwards, or James Wiseman? @nighthobHa. My son showed me some of his videos a few months back. Yeah fascinating guy to watch. Looks like he needs to carry around rolls of quarters in his pockets on windy days though.
He seems a hell of a lot more athletic and skilled than Poku to my uneducated eyes, but it was a highlights video.I was shocked when I saw that the #1 recruit in the country was a white guy named Chet. Is the 2022 draft expected to be a solid recruiting class? How big of a prospect is Chet compared to like, Anthony Edwards, or James Wiseman? @nighthob
I agree, I wonder if Holmgren would be better in the NBA right this second than Poku is right now?He seems a hell of a lot more athletic and skilled than Poku to my uneducated eyes, but it was a highlights video.
It's a great question. I have no idea of the quality of his current opposition. Poku is junk right now, but he's going against NBA athletes.I agree, I wonder if Holmgren would be better in the NBA right this second than Poku is right now?
Why would Philly players or fans lose respect for Brown? He wasn’t the one tanking.....that was the front office. I can see the players being tired of hearing Brown after several years of all the losing but not sure how that affect the fans view of him.Very funny, @benhogan! I pick my spots. NBA ebbs and flows are too hard on older fans. The playoffs will kill me if Philly gets too deep.
People can debate all they want about Harris’s numbers but what Doc has done is made these guys work as a team. They play to their strengths. Philly has weaknesses, too, that opposing teams can exploit. Like Curry on defense and even Danny Green when he’s not picking pockets. I have enjoyed the recent defensive uptick by Philly more than about anything else this season. Simmons, Embiid, even Tobias. Thybulle off the bench, pairing with Simmons. Doc has some tricks he can employ in the playoffs, too.
Brett Brown was a Pop disciple, worked many years in SA before coming to Philly. But having to tank for several seasons cost him his credibility with his players, and with Philly hoop fans. You can complain all you want about Philly fans but they know hoops. High school, college and pros.
What Kliq said. But Philly fans got tired of paying top dollar for tickets as the tanking years continued. Ticket prices did not get reduced, not by the team. Secondary market, for sure.Why would Philly players or fans lose respect for Brown? He wasn’t the one tanking.....that was the front office. I can see the players being tired of hearing Brown after several years of all the losing but not sure how that affect the fans view of him.
If you have more insight into this I’d be interested to hear it.
The '22 Draft was supposed to be the double draft before the NBA slammed the breaks on it. But by the time they put the kibosh on the double draft a few of the class of '21s better players had reclassified to the class of '20 so that they could hit the '21 draft instead. So it took some of the starch out of the '21 recruiting class. Holmgren is really athletic for a seven footer. But there's obviously the question of how much of the athleticism carries after he adds 50-60 pounds.I was shocked when I saw that the #1 recruit in the country was a white guy named Chet. Is the 2022 draft expected to be a solid recruiting class? How big of a prospect is Chet compared to like, Anthony Edwards, or James Wiseman? @nighthob
Chet is one of the more fascinating prospects in a long while. He is very skilled and athletic but he might literally be the skinniest basketball player I've ever seen. His game appears tailor made for the new NBA so perhaps the weight issue won't impact him as much but I just don't know what to make of him yet. Really looking forward to seeing him next year. I think he has the talent to have an AD-style frosh year. But I also expect him to snap a leg every time he moves so who knows.The '22 Draft was supposed to be the double draft before the NBA slammed the breaks on it. But by the time they put the kibosh on the double draft a few of the class of '21s better players had reclassified to the class of '20 so that they could hit the '21 draft instead. So it took some of the starch out of the '21 recruiting class. Holmgren is really athletic for a seven footer. But there's obviously the question of how much of the athleticism carries after he adds 50-60 pounds.
He's a safer bet than most of the skinny white centers you see at draft time because he is so athletic, Dragan Bender he ain't. My favorite '22 Draft guy is Adrian Griffin Jr.. I wish Boston had a way to land him. Always loved his old man, and AJ is as heady as his dad, but a lot more athletic to boot. I'd say his floor was elite 3&D player with a non-zero chance of becoming a full three level scorer and three position defender.
His brother Alan Griffin declared and will be available as a UFA this summer. G-League awaits him.The '22 Draft was supposed to be the double draft before the NBA slammed the breaks on it. But by the time they put the kibosh on the double draft a few of the class of '21s better players had reclassified to the class of '20 so that they could hit the '21 draft instead. So it took some of the starch out of the '21 recruiting class. Holmgren is really athletic for a seven footer. But there's obviously the question of how much of the athleticism carries after he adds 50-60 pounds.
He's a safer bet than most of the skinny white centers you see at draft time because he is so athletic, Dragan Bender he ain't. My favorite '22 Draft guy is Adrian Griffin Jr.. I wish Boston had a way to land him. Always loved his old man, and AJ is as heady as his dad, but a lot more athletic to boot. I'd say his floor was elite 3&D player with a non-zero chance of becoming a full three level scorer and three position defender.
Have you watched Poku on OKC this season?Chet is one of the more fascinating prospects in a long while. He is very skilled and athletic but he might literally be the skinniest basketball player I've ever seen. His game appears tailor made for the new NBA so perhaps the weight issue won't impact him as much but I just don't know what to make of him yet. Really looking forward to seeing him next year. I think he has the talent to have an AD-style frosh year. But I also expect him to snap a leg every time he moves so who knows.
Yeah, I was similarly skeptical of Poky so I think Holmgren has a shot since he’s basically a better, more athletic version. He does seem to have a mean streak to him, which I like.Have you watched Poku on OKC this season?
I’ve watched Holgrem in a few games and he’s pretty tough for a twig.
He’s a dog, which is very rare in a young beanpole big. His HS teammate Jalen Suggs was a good mentor on how to compete.Yeah, I was similarly skeptical of Poky so I think Holmgren has a shot since he’s basically a better, more athletic version. He does seem to have a mean streak to him, which I like.
Yes I understand all of this including him being the sacrifical lamb I just didn’t know if there was something else to where he would lose credibility with the players and fans as terry said. If anyone would lose credibility it would be the front office for putting that product on the floor year after year.In the NBA in particular I think there are coaches that serve different roles as teams progress over the years. There are certain coaches, Nate McMillan comes to mind, who do well at developing younger players but can only take a team so far and are not necessarily cut-out for the day-to-day adjustments necessary to win in the playoffs. Dwane Casey would be another. Brown strikes me as one of those coaches, someone who was solid at developing their young players but strategically wasn't cut out to get the most out of the team in the playoffs. Doc Rivers on the other hand, is more of a "championship or bust" kind of coach, the kind of guy you bring in with an experienced roster that is ready to win immediately.
Coaches are asked to serve different roles depending on the prospects of the franchise. A rebuilding team that might be tanking or integrating young players is probably more focused on a coach who will develop younger players and set up a culture that provokes personal growth and skill development. An established team might not need that; instead they might need a coach who can make adjustments during the playoffs, or also manage the egos and roles of established star players. It's two different jobs, and someone like Brett Brown was being asked to do both and I don't think he was cut out to do the second half of it.
He is incredible. Really.Steph Curry going nuts against the Sixers in Philly.
Curry goes for another 49 tonight against Philly, shooting 10-17 from 3, including several down the stretch in the fourth quarter to break Philly's back.Steph Curry missed 5 games in March with a bruised tailbone. In the 10 games he's played since he returned, he's on an all-time hot streak, averaging 39.1 ppg on .739 TS%, including shooting 48.6% on 14 3PA/G.
There have only been 25 times a player has made 11+ threes in a game. Curry has 11 of those games, including two his last three.