2021-2022 NBA Game Thread!
- Thread starter ElUno20
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It’s a good question. I think the key differences are some combo of:
1. Wiseman was thrown into the fray with only three games of college experience plus zero training camp due to covid, whereas JK had a full season with G-League ignite and a proper training camp; and was brought along slowly and carefully, with a couple of Santa Cruz stints to get him plenty of burn while he was still figuring things out. The Ws also added a couple of key members to their development staff this past off-season in anticipation of the need to develop Kuminga, Wiseman and Moody.
2. This edition of the Warriors has more players who get Kerrball principles, with high IQ vets like Andre, Otto, JTA, Bjelica, and GP2 replacing questionable fits like Oubre, Paschall, Mulder and Mannion — which makes it easier to mix in minutes for the young guys while keeping the system chugging along.
3. Kuminga actually does a lot more than just “drive to the rim and clean up” — he’s also a switchable 6-8 wing-forward who can guard 1-5, which makes him more immediately playable on D than a somewhat awkward (even if freakishly athletic) 7-1 center who still has not figured out when to switch and when to drop, how much to gap quick guys, how to avoid dumb fouls, etc.
Anyway, I still think Wiseman has a chance to be really good; it’s just gonna take time. Losing two training camps and most of his sophomore season to covid/meniscus surgery is rough for a guy that young. And yeah, @BSF, it’s tantalizing to ponder an alt universe Warriors with LaMelo (who apparently had a lot of supporters among the Warriors brass at the time of the draft) in place of Wiseman. LeMelo + Poole + Moody + Kuminga could have been a ridiculously good young core going forward. But I want to see Wiseman actually play for a stretch before kicking myself too hard…
I was legitimately surprised that he made the 75th Anniversary team. His resume isn’t bad, but I don’t really think of him as one of the elite players of this era, which should absolutely be a prerequisite to getting in that kind of company.
The advanced stats do bear it out (depending on your expectations of course).
But a few years into his career, I think a lot of people expected AD to be perennial MVP candidate. What is he currently in his age 28 season? Is he a top 10 player in the league?
He seemed to be on a trajectory to superstardom but fell off big-time. Maybe injury relayed, maybe he still has another leap left in his career. But it's possible he's just not that good.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they need him to be MVP-level good for this team to have a chance.
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He's discussed enough around here. Great interview.... Desmond Bane
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GEwh-3UWn0
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GEwh-3UWn0
Raptors getting boatraced by the Pelicans, they look exhausted already, they need the ASB bad, playing everyone 38-40 minutes every single game since New Year's is wearing them out.
They just won 8 straight including an OT and a 3OT, while winning two others in final seconds. We’re they exhausted and worn out then? C’mon now.
I'm sure they are, but no more so than any other team in the league. I'm guessing the vast majority of players are looking forward to the ASB/rest.
I mean... maybe that's why they're exhausted? That team looked gassed like 25 minutes in. That's how it works with overplay, you actually win short term because you get more minutes of your best guys against bench units... then you run out of steam or get injured.
There is a reason teams that play their starters way too much always seem to falter and collapse.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_per_game.html#per_game_stats::mp_per_g
Doesn't really need any commentary. Just posting to back up the claim that the Toronto starters are playing big minutes.
edit: Top 3 in mpg, 4 of the top 8, 5 of the top 15.
It’s not overplaying when you are forced to play multiple OT games and other games that go to the wire……that’s when the usage plays itself. I’m sure the cost of one scheduling loss was worth the price of all those clutch wins with no evidence that 3 fewer min per game affects tonight at all while very possibly/likely it costs than a couple of those wins. Be careful…..Herman Edwards is lurking!
Nobody is arguing otherwise. They are also winning a shit ton of close games in doing so which is the purpose. There is a time and place to lessen workloads, although limiting practice time with true days off is the most effective way, but when you’re hovering around ,500 that is more of a desperation time when you really need wins.
for reference, the C's have one in the top 5 and 2 in the top 30 (5th and 27th). 3 in the top 50 (45th), and 5 in the top 10 (82nd and 91st)
I know, I just didn't realize they had the top 3 in mpg and 4 in the top 8. No other team comes close. They've also been playing big minutes all year. Their top 5 was already at the top of the league in minutes played well before the streak. Though they did get a big bump in minutes in January. The streak didn't start until January 29th and 6 of the 8 wins came in February, where their minutes loads are in line with November, October and December.
Yes they’ve been playing big minutes…..when they play. Like I said earlier, these guys aren’t worn down bc they have all had breaks throughout the season. Heading into tonight’s game everyone in their starting lineup has missed anywhere from 6 to 15 games. VanVleet is their minutes leader….over the last two months he’s had a 2 week break and another 12 days where he only played 1 game. He’s fresh despite avg 38 mpg when he does play. Siakam is coming off a 5-game stretch where he’s shot 63-90 (70%!!) 30ppg & 10rpg…….and I keep reading how he’s worn down. These aren’t fragile 38-yr old bigs……we saw the same with the Knicks last year when they were “worn down” yet finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the game. Most guys can handle and even thrive with big minutes.
LOL Cam Thomas shattering garden dreams after being down by 28.
View: https://twitter.com/NetsNationCP/status/1494146968771338240
View: https://twitter.com/NetsNationCP/status/1494146968771338240
One of the best to ever sell a call. He makes Reggie Miller, Divac and Manu look like rookies out of Santa Clara.
Rudy…..Frickin Rudy!!! (Shhhh, Ainge drafted Olynyk)
View: https://twitter.com/worldwidewob/status/1497424458964897792?s=21
View: https://twitter.com/worldwidewob/status/1497424458964897792?s=21
Lakers/Clippers going on 7 minutes of an officials review with :24 to go. Wtf NBA???
Edit: 7 min, 34 sec later a decision is made……at which point Tyronn Lue calls a timeout and we are off to another commercial. We are going to end up with nearly 10 full minutes of no action in a game that has :24 remaining. Good lord.
Edit: Inbounds play the Lakers get whistled for a foul just before the 8-count for backcourt violation…….and we go to another review. Can’t make this up.
Edit: 7 min, 34 sec later a decision is made……at which point Tyronn Lue calls a timeout and we are off to another commercial. We are going to end up with nearly 10 full minutes of no action in a game that has :24 remaining. Good lord.
Edit: Inbounds play the Lakers get whistled for a foul just before the 8-count for backcourt violation…….and we go to another review. Can’t make this up.
That was about right for two teams that are a combined 5 games under .500 and missing 3/4 best players. Multiple bonehead mistakes in the final minute on both sides (remarkable that the entire world had to know LeBron was going to try a fadeaway from the corner on that final play, and they give him a relatively clean look), but a fitting end.
What a comedy of errors. Jackson getting bailed out on the 8 second call followed by LA inexplicably throwing it backwards and Jackson trying to *dribble* to half court in a second. Then Carmelo’s pathetic attempt at a game winner - great movement Lakers. Then the Clips losing LeBron and giving him a clean look at a tie…
I don’t think there was anything inexplicable about Batum inbounding in the backcourt against a 5-count. Everyone in the frontcourt was fronted and if Jackson doesn’t have to juke to get past Reeves(?) he makes it over in time. Obv not the best option but it was comical how the announcers were downplaying that unless the Lakers had a complete breakdown it would be next to impossible to inbound into the frontcourt.
Agree that Jefferson was egregiously off on how difficult it would be to inbound the ball to the front court. Inbounding in the back court was understandable, but throwing it backwards from the foul line extended made it pretty much impossible.
The NFL for a period of time set a hard limit of 2 minutes for replay reviews. May still be in place.
If you cannot determine the outcome after watching replay for 2 minutes, then the call on the court should stand. Perfection is so often the enemy of the good.
The count was right around 4 and Jackson had to break free to accept any pass. The defense simply was not allowing any other option and Batum could only inbound to him where he made himself available. “Maybe” Jackson could have cut to the half court line but again the defense wasn’t allowing it.
The other question that LeBron was adamant about on the floor following the review is that the Clippers were specifically challenging who the ball went out of bounds off and not whether LeBron’s foot landed on the line while he still had the ball. Just a weird sequence that the officials have to expedite.
Once Jackson caught the ball in the backcourt, his teammate at the opposite foul line could/should have flashed toward midcourt to receive a pass. That was open and wouldn't have resulted in the violation.
Toronto getting absolutely waxed again.
Elsewhere some potential for a really good night for the Celtics...WAS leads CLE, MIA and SA are tied, MEM up big on CHI
Elsewhere some potential for a really good night for the Celtics...WAS leads CLE, MIA and SA are tied, MEM up big on CHI
Yeah, and the opposite was true when the Nets were ascending late in Kenny Atkinson's tenure. They played so freaking hard every time out.
Milwaukee losing is good for the C's, but rooting for the Nets just seems so wrong. Good game though, Bucks up 5 with 3 to go.
Just with KD and Kyrie full time. Simmons is besides the point. Curry and Drummond round out their rotation.