NBA 2014-2015 Game Thread

[HomeRunBaker]

Now Rondo passes up a jump shot to pass the ball out to Monta at halfcourt with 4 seconds on the shot clock as he was already retreating on defense forcing Ellis to take a lunging 35-footer followed by a glare over at Rondo. The Lakers broadcast team were really enjoying that moment.

Rajon is making tons of friends in Dallas.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Serious question: does Rondo even get Avery Bradley money this offseason? He has looked like absolute dogshit for a long time now.

I was saying to my brother tonight that if Jordan Clarkson was the Mavericks PG who forced them to play 4-on-5 offensively while showing little interest in defending while being among the worst pick-n-roll PG defenders in the league he would be out of the league or in a Phil Pressey-type role.

Instead the name on the back of the jersey reads Rondo so who knows.

 

[Kliq]

Can we like, try and go a week without talking about Rondo? Is that even remotely possible? There are 359 other active players in the league right now.

 

[Royal Reader]

No, but you can, like, feel free to skip over a thread if it doesn't interest you. Or, like, try to start a conversation about one of those 359.

 
It's one thing to avoid Rondo-specific threads.  It's quite another to avoid the general NBA game thread entirely if you're interested in talking about the NBA at all.  

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Didn't mean to cause a stir as I've been careful not to being up the enigma that is Rajon. However when you have a nationally televised game weeks after the Carlisle/Rondo blowup where the player again nearly causes the coach to go Sprewell on the player I felt it was NBA Game Thread worthy.

On our private board we have a separate Rondo Game Thread which works out well so maybe a mod can break one out here or we can just begin a new one.

Edit: Or we could keep all Rondo talk in the Rondo trade thread moving forward. Mods?

 

[Kliq]

Last time I checked, Rondo is part of the NBA so I don't see why anyone has an issue with people commenting on him during one of his games. It's not like Rondo is a topic of conversation in this thread every day. This thread has a handful of posts in it per day. If people really cared about general NBA stuff, it'd have far more activity.

 
I post in this thread all the time, about other players and all different happenings in the NBA. However, there are a handful of people on here who make every thread about Rondo.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

 
I post in this thread all the time, about other players and all different happenings in the NBA. However, there are a handful of people on here who make every thread about Rondo.

Or maybe you're imagining things. My last 50 posts in this thread dating back to November had zero mentions of Rondo until he was involved in a potentially significant event last night.

 

[nighthob]

Remember when people  thought that we could get Curry in a deal, for Rondo, that was awesome.

Remember when people laughed in scorn at the thought that Curry would ever be as good as Rondo?

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Remember when people laughed in scorn at the thought that Curry would ever be as good as Rondo?

Too soon! Too soon!!

These are sensitive times in this thread. This players name has come up like once in the past 5 months of this threads. When is enough enough?

 

[JCizzle]

To be fair, wasn't there talk at some point that it would be hard for Curry to be on the floor consistently with his ankle? Since then he's been relatively healthy and Rondo had the ACL.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

To be fair, wasn't there talk at some point that it would be hard for Curry to be on the floor consistently with his ankle? Since then he's been relatively healthy and Rondo had the ACL.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't think Curry would make it in the league when he was at Davidson as a skinny frail shooter without elite quickness, a PG's handle or frame to defend. He was a major leagur crapshoot coming out then he had all the ankle problem. Under Armour's development team deserves a ton of credit for designing a sneaker that conformed to his feet that have helped immensely.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I'll be the first to admit I didn't think Curry would make it in the league when he was at Davidson as a skinny frail shooter without elite quickness, a PG's handle or frame to defend. He was a major leagur crapshoot coming out then he had all the ankle problem. Under Armour's development team deserves a ton of credit for designing a sneaker that conformed to his feet that have helped immensely.

 
Curry also deserves credit for working to put himself in the MVP conversation this season despite being a frail shooter without elite quickness, a PGs handle, a frame to defend and suspect ankles.  He also lacks the raw athleticism of a Westbrook or the brute strength of a Harden, yet here he is.  He is a classic example of a guy who has maximized every ounce of his potential by simply working as hard as possible.  One thing about him is that his basketball IQ is well above average - he is the closest athlete I've seen to Pedro in terms of how he sees the game.  He delights in exploiting his opponent's weaknesses and does it with no malice whatsoever if that makes any sense at all.   

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

 
Curry also deserves credit for working to put himself in the MVP conversation this season despite being a frail shooter without elite quickness, a PGs handle a frame to defend and suspect ankles.  He also lacks the raw athleticism of a Westbrook or the brute strength of a Harden, yet here he is.  He is a classic example of a guy who has maximized every ounce of his potential by simply working as hard as possible.  One thing about him is that his basketball IQ is well above average - he is the closest athlete I've seen to Pedro in terms of how he sees the game.  He literally delights in exploiting his opponent's weaknesses and does it with no malice whatsoever if that makes any sense at all.   

I love this comp. And get it, too.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

I don't watch a lot of Minnesota basketball so I can't say for sure how good of a passer Ricky Rubio is, but he sure seems to think he is incredible based on the way he slings it around, usually without looking.

 

[oumbi]

I don't watch a lot of Minnesota basketball so I can't say for sure how good of a passer Ricky Rubio is, but he sure seems to think he is incredible based on the way he slings it around, usually without looking.

I am in St. Paul and I see the Wolves on occasion. Rubio is incredible as a passer. Here is a video of highlights:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km6Kpp4igs4 

 

[Kliq]

Rubio is an interesting player. He can't shoot at all and he has trouble staying healthy, but he does do some pretty good things. He is a terrific play-maker, a really good rebounding PG and a solid defender. He has actually been very good this season in limited action, averaging 11-5.8-9.2 with 1.8 steals.

 

[Kliq]

It's okay, walked right into it.

 

[moly99]

For under $5 million on his current contract Rubio is a good deal. I don't know if I would want him at $14 million per year when his new contract kicks in though.

 

[swingin val]

I am in St. Paul and I see the Wolves on occasion. Rubio is incredible as a passer. Here is a video of highlights:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km6Kpp4igs4 

I am also in Saint Paul. Hey!

And yes, he is probably the most dynamic passer in the league. He tries to force passes at times, but I think he makes up for those mistakes with outrageous assists on nearly a nightly basis.

 

[jmm57]

Isiah Thomas calling Rondo one of the best defensive PGs in the league. How does he keep finding work?

 

[ifmanis5]

Cavs having their way with the Mavs. I guess National TV Rondo didn't get the email this is a National TV game? 4 pts, 3 ast, -15 and semi-benched.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Grantland's Andrew Sharp loves Draymond Green like I do apparently...

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Isiah Thomas calling Rondo one of the best defensive PGs in the league. How does he keep finding work?

Are you referring to Thomas or Rondo?

I kid I kid.

 

[Auger34]

I'll be the first to admit I didn't think Curry would make it in the league when he was at Davidson as a skinny frail shooter without elite quickness, a PG's handle or frame to defend. He was a major leagur crapshoot coming out then he had all the ankle problem. Under Armour's development team deserves a ton of credit for designing a sneaker that conformed to his feet that have helped immensely.

I haven't heard or read anything about this Under Armour effect and a quick google search didn't turn up anything. Can you explain this more? I know he is signed to Under Armour and was their first star basketball player in the company but I don't know much more about it than that. Ever since reading The Book of Basketball (Bill has a chapter where he says its possible Grant Hill wouldn't have suffered from all the ankle problems if he signed with a more proven show company like Nike instead of Fila) I am sort of fascinated by this stuff. Thanks

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I haven't heard or read anything about this Under Armour effect and a quick google search didn't turn up anything. Can you explain this more? I know he is signed to Under Armour and was their first star basketball player in the company but I don't know much more about it than that. Ever since reading The Book of Basketball (Bill has a chapter where he says its possible Grant Hill wouldn't have suffered from all the ankle problems if he signed with a more proven show company like Nike instead of Fila) I am sort of fascinated by this stuff. Thanks

Curry switched from Nike to UA as they were smaller and able to customize to his needs (re:ankles) better than Nike. This was two years ago when he was an oft-injured guard and not the MVP candidate he is today. They dedicated a team of 8-10 individuals to customize Curry's shoes.

But when I went to the meeting and saw what Under Armour was bringing to the table, and how customizable they could make my shoes for me, that definitely made me a lot more comfortable with switching sides and making Under Armour the new family.

http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/10/stephen-curry-under-armour-interview


Way to compete, Nike

 

[ilol@u]

This Spurs/Cavs game is nuts. Kyrie has 46 points and hit a 3 at the buzzer to send it to OT.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

KYYYYRIIEEEEEE

 

[ilol@u]

Spurs were up by 6 with about 30 seconds left in the game too. 

 

[jon abbey]

First time a player has ever dropped 50 on a Popovich team, according to TNT. He was not hitting easy shots either, amazing game by Kyrie. 

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

One of the most efficient 50+ pt games I've ever seen. Wow

 

[Devizier]

Cavaliers are looking mighty dangerous. Hard to believe they were 19-20 at one point.

 

[Montana Fan]

I'd be pretty shocked if a healthy Cavs team is bounced before the NBA Finals.

Nice 8/5 for Love last night.

 
Like Chuck pointed out, when you're playing him 25 feet from the basket, both points and rebounds are going to be hard to come by.

 

[Montana Fan]

Good point.

 

[ifmanis5]

Impressive thing about Kyrie last night was that the majority of his shots were contested. The Spurs threw the kitchen sink at him defensively and yet he kept on making shots with hands in his face.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

How does that impact defensive rebounds, which has always been his bread and butter?

What rebounds? The Spurs starters shot 41-67 from the field. He has to feel he's in a living hell the way he's being used coupled with the slower pace of a halfcourt focused offense despite the winning.

Love is pretty much at his career averages across the board with exception to offensive rebounds which is a product of his usage.

 

[ifmanis5]

I bet Love leaves at the end of the year. No matter how successful a team the Cavs might be, I don't think he wants to go through the rest of his prime as a decoy.

 

[The Social Chair]

The Mike Brown-esque ISO ball offense would worry me come playoff time if I was a Cavs fan. 

 

[jon abbey]

I bet Love leaves at the end of the year. No matter how successful a team the Cavs might be, I don't think he wants to go through the rest of his prime as a decoy.

 
Not just a decoy, he sat down the stretch again last night. 

 

[dhellers]

I bet Love leaves at the end of the year. No matter how successful a team the Cavs might be, I don't think he wants to go through the rest of his prime as a decoy.

Ahem, Mr Love, there is a team in New England that has done well by big guys who spent time in Minny !
 
And ... Is this round 4 in the ever growing saga of  Pop's gang versus Lebron's crew? With Pop losing two epic games on last second 3 pointers (sure, Ray Allen helped win a championship rather than a Mid-march game, but the in-game emotions weren't any different)

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I don't know if I want Love on the Cs anymore. He is incapable of defending effectively. Acquiring Love means you have to get a rim protector too and those guys aren't cheap or easy to find. Unless Boston can coax Sanders back to Basketball and reinvigorate his game.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

I don't know if I want Love on the Cs anymore. He is incapable of defending effectively. Acquiring Love means you have to get a rim protector too and those guys aren't cheap or easy to find. Unless Boston can coax Sanders back to Basketball and reinvigorate his game.

 
It didn't make sense to give up a boatload of assets for Love and pray that other stars would somehow choose to follow him to Boston. It makes more sense if money is the only cost but yeah, the D is always going to be a concern, although the PFs they have are certainly nothing special in that department. A rim protector is needed either way.

 

[ifmanis5]

I don't know if I want Love on the Cs anymore. He is incapable of defending effectively. Acquiring Love means you have to get a rim protector too and those guys aren't cheap or easy to find. Unless Boston can coax Sanders back to Basketball and reinvigorate his game.

I agree with all of that, I don't want Love as a Max guy for Boston. Spend the money elsewhere.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I agree with all of that, I don't want Love as a Max guy for Boston. Spend the money elsewhere.

We get to pick and choose who comes here now? Most everyone disagreed with my idea of overpaying Demarre Carroll too. The thing with Love this summer as opposed to last is that we get to keep all those assets it would have taken to acquire him. The Celtics with Love are a better team than the Celtics without Love. Regardless of whether he's your 4 we still need a rim protector and one wasn't coming here with this summers cap space anyway.

You don't simply say "Nah no thanks" if you have the opportunity to add a quality big to your lineup.

 

[Devizier]

What HRB said. This is akin to the complaining about the Ray Allen acquisition, and in that case he actually cost the Celtics a pick.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Well the counterpoint is that while Love does, indeed, make the C's better, does it make them a contender (assuming they get him a rim-protector)?   And if not, what else do you need to do to make a Love-led team a contender?  I mean, having LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as two of your big three means you have a lot of latitude with the third slot of a "big three" and the reality is, the Celtics aren't getting two players of that caliber anytime soon.  It is true that Love doesn't cost anything but money but I am not sure I want to tie up all that cash in a "star" player who cannot play defense and hasn't shown the ability to lead a team to contention.
 
I am not ready to die on this hill so I could be convinced otherwise...

 

[radsoxfan]

As HRB points out, the key to Love this offseason is the fact that he should only cost money and no assets.  If you can upgrade your 4 spot, especially as a non-traditional free agent destination, you need a REALLY good reason not to do that.  It also makes a Olynyk/Sully + picks trade for another proven player even easier since we'd already have a good PF on the team. 
 
Will Love fit in well?  Will the team be significantly better?  I'm honestly not so sure.  But barring injury or a huge collapse, he should still have positive value around the league.  Worst case scenario you can probably trade him and get something decent in return. I think its definitely worth the risk, though I admit I'm not particularly high on Love.
 
As a tangent…. it does worry me a bit that he constantly is having back issues, and often looks like he's in pain running up and down the court.  If Love does become an option in the offseason, I'd hope the medical staff looks into that.  The only way a max offer to Love really backfires is if he's damaged goods. 

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Fair enough.  I am really interested in roster construction these days and I think that teams like San Antonio, Golden State, Atlanta and Chicago, to name a few, have done well at not only drafting but identifying the type of player who will do well with either their main stars or their system in general.   So while Love is, indeed, an upgrade on what the C's have at PF, its still unclear how he fits on a true contending team.  And while I know the C's are nowhere near that now, it should be the objective of all of the wheeling and pick dealing Danny has done to date.  
 
Again, I am not entirely convinced that Kevin Love is bad "fit" on a contender.  However the questions raised here about him over the past few seasons and by NBA-watchers at large are still unanswered, despite him landing on a contending team.  Perhaps its a bad fit for him but what if his critics are right and he is simply a guy who fills up the stat sheet when conditions are right but isn't even a good second or third option for winning ballgames?  

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

As HRB points out, the key to Love this offseason is the fact that he should only cost money and no assets.

Well, it will also cost cap space plus once the Cs sign him, both Sullinger and Olynyk become devalued because you can't play them with Love.

Also, as noted, signing Love appears to restrict teams w.r.t roster construction - i.e., need an elite rim protector at the 5; then a high volume scorer at 3; something other than a Kyrie Irving type at 1; good defenders at the rest of he positions.... I'd pass.

"....where every thread turns into a Kevin Love discussion".

 

[luckiestman]

I think Love was highly over rated metrics guys like him but I don't see it however 44 is way better than me at knowing ballplayers so if he gets him, I'm on board with it

 

[radsoxfan]

Well, it will also cost cap space plus once the Cs sign him, both Sullinger and Olynyk become devalued because you can't play them with Love.
 

 
Obviously if it costs money, it will also cost cap space.  But I'm not sure we are going to find a better way to use that money/space. 
 
I understand the objections to it…. but given the talent level on the current team, I'd have a hard time not giving Love the max if he would come here.  Having said that, I doubt he is coming here.