Other than Utah, Portland is probably the best surprise so far this year. And they have a much better chance of sustaining this level of success.Is PDX the surprise team of the season so far?
They really hit on Sharpe
They have 3 legit scorers (Dame, Simons, Grant) + Nurkic in the post + Sharpe bombing from deep + a couple of good defenders (Winslow, GP2)... They could do damage in a weak Western Conf.Other than Utah, Portland is probably the best surprise so far this year. And they have a much better chance of sustaining this level of success.
To turn this into a Celtics topic: Grant and Brogdon both being available for deals based around one late 1st shows (imo) how sustainable the approach of filling in very good but not great vets around Tatum/Brown can be, long-term. If you don't need to find a 3rd star, the price to get very solid players in trades is consistently affordable.They have 3 legit scorers (Dame, Simons, Grant) + Nurkic in the post + Sharpe bombing from deep + a couple of good defenders (Winslow, GP2)... They could do damage in a weak Western Conf.
Their GM has done some nice work:
Re-signed Nurkic, avoiding Ayton hot air, and kept their lottery pick (Sharpe).
Used 2nds + a MIL'25 first to land Jerami Grant
Got out of CJ's expensive contract, while keeping Hart (hitting on Simons waxed that move)
MIA only had 7 players available. No Bam, Butler, Vincent, Robinson, among others.Corey Kispert: 5 for 8 from long range (6 for 9 overall) in the Wizards' win over Miami. He's shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers and showing signs of life in his second year.
The Grizz went from maybe the best backcourt in the league with Ja and Bane to having a rotation of Tyus Jones, John Konchar and David Roddy for the next couple of weeks.That Ja injury looks nasty. Hopefully he isn't out long - for his sake and ours.
Bucks look pretty damn good, if they can get healthy. No Holiday and still no Middleton today.Feels like every team in the league except the Celtics kinda sucks right now, lolz
Holiday played against Philly, but just 23 mins. I didn't watch, so I assume foul trouble. Middleton is a big loss, but contrast that with how the Celtics look while missing Brogdon, Smart, and TL at various times recently. The lack of hits on draft picks has really caught up with Milwaukee's depth. The Bucks are good, and Giannis is terrifying, but there are real issues there.Bucks look pretty damn good, if they can get healthy. No Holiday and still no Middleton today.
*edit - the top of the west looks truly bizarre. Jazz and Blazers are 1 and 2, they were projected to win 23.5 and 39.5 games respectively. After that it's a Grizzlies team that just lost their best player (who knows how long) and then a bunch of teams barely over .500. The 9th place Clippers are 1.5 games out of 1st, the whole thing could flip in less than a week.
And 4-11 from the line on 11/16 vs Cleveland. He is currently at a career low .587 from the charity stripe. For his career he is at .714. It’s early and he is so good he will get it turned around but until he does hack-a-Giannis may not be a terrible strategy in some situations.Giannis: 4 for 15 from the line tonite as the Bucks lose by eight at Philly.
Giannis is BIG mad after last night's gameAnd 4-11 from the line on 11/16 vs Cleveland. He is currently at a career low .587 from the charity stripe. For his career he is at .714. It’s early and he is so good he will get it turned around but until he does hack-a-Giannis may not be a terrible strategy in some situations.
Despite its impressive 12’ height, that ladder stood no chance against Giannis’ ire.Giannis is BIG mad after last night's game
I liked this take from a Sixers fan. Giannis just cost Chik-fil-A $70,000! ... he's a complete Philly cretin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1n65X8yoVc
This also demonstrates Giannis has more of a bullyball game than Yi Jianlian ever didGiannis is BIG mad after last night's game
I liked this take from a Sixers fan. Giannis just cost Chik-fil-A $70,000! ... he's a complete Philly cretin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1n65X8yoVc
He's airballed three free throws in his past two games.And 4-11 from the line on 11/16 vs Cleveland. He is currently at a career low .587 from the charity stripe. For his career he is at .714. It’s early and he is so good he will get it turned around but until he does hack-a-Giannis may not be a terrible strategy in some situations.
Quality right here.This also demonstrates Giannis has more of a bullyball game than Yi Jianlian ever did
That’s easy to say when you’re not a worker in the arena trying to finish your job so you can go home to your family. If it was in Milwaukee and you ask the workers if they can stay, while throwing him a Franklin, that’s one thing……to tell workers who you don’t know in another arena to stop doing their job is another. Bad on Giannis.This Giannis thing is so dumb. Let the man shoot some free throws if he wants to.
You think he was going to be shooting free throws for 2 hours?That’s easy to say when you’re not a worker in the arena trying to finish your job so you can go home to your family. If it was in Milwaukee and you ask the workers if they can stay, while throwing him a Franklin, that’s one thing……to tell workers who you don’t know in another arena to stop doing their job is another. Bad on Giannis.
Why should they have to? They have a job to do once the game ends and whatever it was it had something to do with the rim/backboard area.You think he was going to be shooting free throws for 2 hours?
"Worker in the arena" Like they couldn't work around a guy shooting free throws for 10 minutes while cleaning the aisles, which aren't on the court?
He was only out there that late because Harrell and an actual 76ers coach chose to act tough and not allow Giannis to get shots up.That’s easy to say when you’re not a worker in the arena trying to finish your job so you can go home to your family. If it was in Milwaukee and you ask the workers if they can stay, while throwing him a Franklin, that’s one thing……to tell workers who you don’t know in another arena to stop doing their job is another. Bad on Giannis.
It’s Harrell’s court. The visiting team doesn’t get precedent at least back when I played 73 years ago. That’s one thing I can’t imagine ever changed.He was only out there that late because Harrell and an actual 76ers coach chose to act tough and not allow Giannis to get shots up.
Im no Giannis fan but I don’t know how you can say he’s the one at fault in this instance. Seems like it’s clearly on Harrell and the jackass “skills coach”
There are two sides to the court…I’ve literally never heard of anyone having a problem with players getting shots up after a game (no matter which side). Someone posted a video of Embiid getting up free throws after playing the Pelicans in New Orleans. Did he break an unwritten rule there?It’s Harrell’s court. The visiting team doesn’t get precedent at least back when I played 73 years ago. That’s one thing I can’t imagine ever changed.
I have no idea about that night only that when you’re a guest in an arena, workers are trying to do their job and/or players for the home team what to get work in……you don’t have a right to that space before them. It’s not your home arena. How can you defend this? I mean even Giannis apologized.There are two sides to the court…I’ve literally never heard of anyone having a problem with players getting shots up after a game (no matter which side). Someone posted a video of Embiid getting up free throws after playing the Pelicans in New Orleans. Did he break an unwritten rule there?
that’s not what happened. He said “I’m not sure if I even need to apologize.”I have no idea about that night only that when you’re a guest in an arena, workers are trying to do their job and/or players for the home team what to get work in……you don’t have a right to that space before them. It’s not your home arena. How can you defend this? I mean even Giannis apologized.
Well he’s wrong then. He literally said, “I feel like it’s my right for me to work on my skills after a horrible night at the free throw line.”that’s not what happened. He said “I’m not sure if I even need to apologize.”
And what TheRooster said is what most people are thinking. Do you really think some maintenance worker is going to fuck with Giannis like that? I find it hard to believe that he would move the ladder back in front of the basket twice unless he was specifically told to do that.
Ha I switched to another game after Collins fouled out...That dude is sulking and not having fun.What a great ending in Atlanta - game winning lob from Trae to Griffin from half court in transition after a made free throw.