While Rozier is off to a hot start to the season, 24 ppg on 50/40 shooting.
2020-2021 NBA Game Thread
- Thread starter Kliq
- Start date
The Rozier contract...is not that bad. He's given Charlotte 40% three point shooting and some creativity that they desperately have needed and is a serviceable defender. He had a bad playoff run to end his time in Boston (playing on the Kyrie Train to Hell) but he has only two years left on it at $18 million per year; it isn't the worst contract in the NBA.
I didn't watch the game so don't know whether that reaction is fair or not. But I will say that Miami was unique in the playoffs for the combination of chippy fouls and cheap shots and diving/complaining on the other end. They aren't as visible about it as Toronto, but they had exponentially more cheap shots and I think in fact as many dives. This has been in the Riley playbook back to the late Laker days and I think the league would be wise to do what Milwaukee did (and Celtics did not) and shine a light on it.
The reaction by Lopez was fair, and hilarious. Bam should really be suspended a game for his flop. As should the red who called it.
All I can say about that is that someone should send Payton Pritchard that video because if he starts getting these calls, he's going to be an All-Star because he gets people on his back all the time (but no one ever calls that contact). He'll go to the line 10x a game.
The players are way ahead the refs right now. I guess that's not unusual - e.g., the players were way ahead of the refs in the 1990s but on the defensive end - but generally the end result of players hunting FTs rather than baskets is that the game gets really unattractive to watch.
How do you even stop flopping? Watch all the games on video after they are over and assign players flops? Every 5 is a 1 game suspension?
The Young stuff is another matter.
Also, why can't you go backwards? Into contact, maybe.
The Young stuff is another matter.
Also, why can't you go backwards? Into contact, maybe.
You can go backwards, you just shouldn’t get foul calls for it—the other guy is already in that space essentially. If anything, it’s an offensive foul.
Don’t worry though, the league has bigger fish to fry, like calling Theis/TT seals offensive fouls. If there’s anything the fans want, it’s more game stoppages and FTs.
Get it done, Adam.
Don’t worry though, the league has bigger fish to fry, like calling Theis/TT seals offensive fouls. If there’s anything the fans want, it’s more game stoppages and FTs.
Get it done, Adam.
I think two key steps:
1) Review and issue fines and suspensions after the fact so that players understand getting away with it in the moment isn't enough
2) Enable some form of review and/or challenge during the game with real penalties---a technical in addition to reversing possession, or something like that. Perhaps a double technical for player and coach, which would mean if you get caught more than once a game diving coach is gone
would adding an extra referee help things or make things worse? I know the common belief is NBA referees suck but I'm not sure that's true. It's just a hard job.
I don't think adding another ref would help. It's so hard to figure out how much force a player is using at the time. Players are so good at taking contact and then exaggerating its effect I'm not sure what any ref could do. Look at the Bam video - Lopez definitely touches him but I'm pretty sure it was just a touch and not a shove. But Bam felt the touch and exaggerated its effect.
As for the post-mortem fines, the NBA already has that in place (remember Smart got fined for his game 2 flop against TOR) but the fines are in increments of $5,000 so I don't think most players would care. I would be in favor of upping the fines since it's the pretty egregious ones that actually be fined but the players union would fight against it.
I love Steve Nash, but what is he talking about? Stopping in front of a defender so he runs into you is one of the oldest moves in the book -- I mean, hell, at my tiny high school way back when, I remember doing it. The defender is an idiot there for chasing a guy who has gone past him.
Now that is a fair reaction to a flop -- hilarious. I wish there was more of that shaming for that sort of BS.
Things are not going well for Markelle Fultz and the Magic so far. Trailing Philly 34-17. Fultz scoreless from field.
Yes!
Doc Rivers is the best thing that could have happened to this team. He defused the whole shooting thing for Ben, just told him to do what he does best.
70-34 now. Some strange scores early this season, all over the league. Orlando was 4-0 coming in.
Saw a prop bet before the season started on DK that was Ben Simmons to make something ridiculous like >2.5 threes during the season. Some folks are definitely happy to see that tonight.
On Draft Kings, there was a season long prop of >3.5 3’s paying out like +125 or something like that.
Interesting early trends that I guess are statistically significant at this point (just eyeballing here), but these two stand out:
1) pace is way up (102.1, last year was 100.3, as late as 2012-2013 it was 92.0)
2) turnovers are up quite a bit as well on a per possession basis
Everything else looks within normal bounds of year to year variation. The turnovers I guess are from the lack of practice. Is that also whats pushing the pace? Or does pace have a natural seasonal component to it and everyone will slow down as the season goes on?
1) pace is way up (102.1, last year was 100.3, as late as 2012-2013 it was 92.0)
2) turnovers are up quite a bit as well on a per possession basis
Everything else looks within normal bounds of year to year variation. The turnovers I guess are from the lack of practice. Is that also whats pushing the pace? Or does pace have a natural seasonal component to it and everyone will slow down as the season goes on?
The Knicks were somehow leading the league in 3 point percentage coming into tonight, then went 3-36 against TOR to even things out.
Edit: View: https://twitter.com/jeffreybellone/status/1344840325861281793?s=21
Edit: View: https://twitter.com/jeffreybellone/status/1344840325861281793?s=21
I wonder what those Pace numbers looked like the past few years after two weeks of games. I remember a couple years ago (year before last maybe?) it was a track meet out of the gate before slowing down to being somewhat normal.
For a couple of years, Wood was there for the taking, for Boston and every other team in the NBA.
Hell of a game for Otto Porter against his former team:
https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401267223
Zach Harper with nice things to say about Wiggins, Garland/Sexton (aka Sexland), and Marcus Smart's 3 point shooting.
https://theathletic.com/2295369/2021/01/01/collin-sexton-darius-garland-cavs-andrew-wiggins-warriors/?source=dailyemail
https://theathletic.com/2295369/2021/01/01/collin-sexton-darius-garland-cavs-andrew-wiggins-warriors/?source=dailyemail
Another decent half for LaMelo but the Hornets are losing at the half, 53-47 at home vs the shorthanded Grizzlies.
Ball is 4-7, including 1/2 from 3 with 9 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal.
Ball is 4-7, including 1/2 from 3 with 9 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal.
Thomas Bryant was 10/11 from the field his last game, including 3/3 from 3.
Today, he is currently 7/7, and 1/1 from 3. He has 4 drunks, a 4 ft hook shot, and a 14 ft jumpshot.
Today, he is currently 7/7, and 1/1 from 3. He has 4 drunks, a 4 ft hook shot, and a 14 ft jumpshot.
I am giddy. Hawks are the only team in the league yet to trail by double figures in any game so far this season.
The young Hawks rested and raring to go. They look good.
On the other hand, Jaylen Brown is the only Celtic that has shown up ready from the jump. Most of the C's are either out of shape or in a haze.
BTW, the Nash shenanigans the other night cost us a possession tonight.
It seems like a fever dream that Golden State was good for a couple of years. Feels like normal life again.
The Warriors copied the Celtics putting the banners at floor level behind the basket.
Oubre is 1 for 25 from 3 this season.
Oubre is 1 for 25 from 3 this season.
Last edited:
Is anyone paying attention to what is happening in Phoenix right now? Leading the WC at 5-1 after winning a B2B set in Utah and Denver on the 4th game in 6 nights and the 5th in 7. Chris Paul is the straw over there with his defense and leadership. He’s officially replaced Andre Miller at the 1 in the starting lineup of my All-IQ team.
While this is as incredible feat as you’ll generally see in the NBA regular season if they can pull off Game 6 in 9 after returning home against the Clippers I may just fall off a mikal bridge!
While this is as incredible feat as you’ll generally see in the NBA regular season if they can pull off Game 6 in 9 after returning home against the Clippers I may just fall off a mikal bridge!
They’ve started to get my attention. The Paul move was great for them and they certainly look the part of a playoff team, especially given their bubble performance. Meanwhile, Denver is 1-4. Obviously way too early for them to panic but if there’s a team that caves and makes the Harden trade, you have to wonder if it’s them.
Denver is such a bizarrely constructed team. While Phoenix plays an extremely slow pace for the purpose of locking you down defensively in the halfcourt, the Nuggets play an extremely slow pace......to be the second worst team in the league defensively in the half court? Makes no sense. They are in need of a major identify shakeup.
De’Andre Hunter has looked really good this year. Him hitting his upside would be huge for the Hawks.
Yup. He would be a real nice fit next to the Jay’s. Too bad we have no means for acquiring him.