February 2020 NBA Game Thread

Kliq

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Philadelphia really needed this win, things seemed to be falling apart in their locker room but this win should ease some of that tension.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Watched the second half of Sixers\LAC. Now I don't watch a ton of Sixers games but when I do, it seems like JRich is always hitting a big shot or making a big defensive play. I think they really missed him when he was out.

Wonder how Al is going to take not starting. Korkmaz started thr game; Robinson started second half.
 

HomeRunBaker

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He's a disaster. Same thing we saw here last year.
What makes you say Morris was a disaster last night? He matched up fine defensively and knocked down a bunch of 3's which is what the Clippers traded him to do. I was lukewarm on the deal being a Harkless guy but if your takeaway from last night was that Morris was a disaster it smells more like a preconceived bias.
 

Imbricus

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It's early, but Nets beating the Raptors on not particularly good shooting. For a leaderless team *cough, cough*, they're holding up remarkably well. If I'm the Nets GM, I'm breaking into a cold sweat about now.

Separately, we need Lillard to really go off and sink the Grizzlies at home, to give Portland a chance to catch them for that final playoff berth.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Didn’t realize the Raptors were actually allowed to lose a game.
Or the Bucks...of course Giannis is out.

Also, I don't know that I am ready to buy the "Oladipo doesn't fit with what the Pacers are doing" narrative that has sprung up. And that was around three or four games after his return. Now we have a massive sample of seven games and I would say that while Oladipo isn't 100% nor is he fully integrated into the Pacers actions etc, its probably too soon still to say anything definitive.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Wolves are going to be a much better team with D'lo and Beasley and no Wiggins. I've liked Beasley for awhile and thought he was in a bad situation in Denver.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Ja Morant is such a good passer and is so skilled at many aspects of the game. However the most impressive thing about him is that he comports himself like a 10 year veteran. Most rookies and young players look the part but Morant comes off like he has been in the league forever.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Lillard looks like he has a groin injury here at the end of the Portland @ Memphis game. My guess is that we won't see him playing in the game this weekend which sucks given that he has been the most non-Zion/non-Giannis electric player in the NBA since the start of the year.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Wolves are going to be a much better team with D'lo and Beasley and no Wiggins. I've liked Beasley for awhile and thought he was in a bad situation in Denver.
You mean the Wiggins whose teams have been significantly better with him on the floor nearly every season (-1.8, +6.7, +3.1, +4.1, +1.6, +3.3)? Or the DLo whose teams have been significantly worse with him on the floor nearly every season? (-5.2, -4.7, -4.9, +0.7, -6.6)?

Seriously, it seems like a great move for both players. Both are flawed, but Wiggins' strengths should be emphasized alongside Steph/Klay/Dray in the old Harrison Barnes role of 4th banana/slasher/cutter, while DLo should thrive (offensively, anyway) running P&R all day with KAT.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Lillard looks like he has a groin injury here at the end of the Portland @ Memphis game. My guess is that we won't see him playing in the game this weekend which sucks given that he has been the most non-Zion/non-Giannis electric player in the NBA since the start of the year.
Ugh, sucks for Dame. Meanwhile, Suns announcers right now are already counting their all-star chickens with Devin Booker.
 

Cesar Crespo

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You mean the Wiggins whose teams have been significantly better with him on the floor nearly every season (-1.8, +6.7, +3.1, +4.1, +1.6, +3.3)? Or the DLo whose teams have been significantly worse with him on the floor nearly every season? (-5.2, -4.7, -4.9, +0.7, -6.6)?

Seriously, it seems like a great move for both players. Both are flawed, but Wiggins' strengths should be emphasized alongside Steph/Klay/Dray in the old Harrison Barnes role of 4th banana/slasher/cutter, while DLo should thrive (offensively, anyway) running P&R all day with KAT.
I think Beasley is better than D'Lo and Wiggins but we'll find out soon enough if I'm drinking the kool aid.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Boston Jazz fans will be happy this evening as the Heat fall in Utah 116-101. The Jordan Clarkson resurgence continues as he had 21 points on 8-12 shooting from the field and 4-6 from deep. Spida had 26 points on 9-16 shooting, Utah Bogdanovich had 22 points and In-His-Feels Gobert added 20 boards and 16 points.

The West is pretty insane still.

Edit: Adding a Bam moment. He may be the fiercest dunker in the NBA not named Zion Williamson.

View: https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1227798009863430145?s=20
 
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Sam Ray Not

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Wiggins tonight: 27 pts (9-14 fg), 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk, +9 in a six-point loss (net +24).

Through three games with GS: 25.1 pts per 36 on .701 true shooting with a (total) net +49 on/off.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Wiggins tonight: 27 pts (9-14 fg), 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk, +9 in a six-point loss (net +24).

Through three games with GS: 25.1 pts per 36 on .701 true shooting with a (total) net +49 on/off.
I am going to get grief for this for being a Warriors fan (sort of but based on geography) or a SRN fan (totally and not based on geography) but I don't care. With Wiggins contract, he could never be referred to as a "buy low" candidate. However I think Myers, Kerr and the Warriors will get something good out of Wiggins. That franchise now has a track record of getting flawed players or misfits like McGee and Cousins to buy in. On paper, you see the appeal of having him surrounded by Curry, Thompson etc.
 
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Sam Ray Not

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I think Beasley is better than D'Lo and Wiggins but we'll find out soon enough if I'm drinking the kool aid.
Hmm, I'd say it's apples and oranges. I like Beasley and think it's fair to say he's the best of the three in his role, and certainly the best for the $$$. But 6'-4" shooting guards who can fill it up and do little else are in pretty high supply in the league. Beasley can't handle, pass, and run an offense like DLo; and he's not a lanky 6'-8" guy you can throw on LeBron or Kawhi like Wiggins.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Players in the three-point era who have averaged better than 15 pts 10 reb 3 ast 2 blk per 36 in > 800 minutes:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Walton
Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan
Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Kevin Garnett
Vlade Divac
Chris Webber
Pau Gasol
Joel Embiid
Anthony Davis
Marquese Chriss

That's the complete list. And if you filter for .595 true shooting, it's just AD and Chriss.

NB: Chriss is 22.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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The Lakers supporting cast is just so bad. Davis and Lebron need to play 40+ minutes and score 30+ each just to eek out a win against a good Denver team in OT. Really, Dwight freaking Howard is probably their third best player. No way this is sustainable in a four round playoff format.
 

lovegtm

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You mean the Wiggins whose teams have been significantly better with him on the floor nearly every season (-1.8, +6.7, +3.1, +4.1, +1.6, +3.3)? Or the DLo whose teams have been significantly worse with him on the floor nearly every season? (-5.2, -4.7, -4.9, +0.7, -6.6)?

Seriously, it seems like a great move for both players. Both are flawed, but Wiggins' strengths should be emphasized alongside Steph/Klay/Dray in the old Harrison Barnes role of 4th banana/slasher/cutter, while DLo should thrive (offensively, anyway) running P&R all day with KAT.
Wait, weren't you the one giving us the hard sell for months about how good DLo was, and how you were surprised the Celtics hadn't gone after him?

I'm fine with opinion-changing, but this seems to be extremely laundry-motivated reasoning.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Wait, weren't you the one giving us the hard sell for months about how good DLo was, and how you were surprised the Celtics hadn't gone after him?

I'm fine with opinion-changing, but this seems to be extremely laundry-motivated reasoning.
I supported the Cs going after him before he joined the Ws (and before the Cs nabbed Kemba) since I thought his youth and length made him a great fit with the Cs’ young core. I still kinda think that, even though Kemba’s the better player now. DLo’s a lot better player than Kemba was at his age. (Though you could argue the Cs championship window is open now, and Kemba’s not old, so I can understand preferring Kemba).

I thought/hoped DLo was young enough to iron out his flaws, and he has actually ironed out a couple of them (.561 true shooting, .379 from three on ultra-high volume, e.g.) At the same time, the more I watched him in GS, the more I saw his ball dominant dribble-dribble-dribbling, low motor, softness, and poor/un-versatile defense would never be a great fit in Kerrball.

By the trade deadline, I was basically done with him, which I’d why I floated him in so many fantasy trades here. I’m sure I was unrealistic about his trade value in a few of them (laundry alert!) but by the end I was pretty much resigned to him going to Minnesota for crummy Wiggins and picks (which I hoped we could then foist on the Wizards for a disgruntled Beal, although now that crummy Wiggins is wearing the laundry, I’m kind of enjoying the slashing 6’-8” athletic freak...)
 
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HomeRunBaker

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I don't know how I feel about that ejection.
Geez, if Portis had tossed that ball at Napier with any more arc he could have called for a fair catch. I mean, I get the game becoming softer for the benefit of player safety. I'm not one of those guys who replay clips of McHale's takedown of Rambis as how great the game used to be......if anything I'm further on the other side......but this play resulting in an ejection coming on top of a similar play a couple days ago (I can't recall specifically but I lol'd just as much) is about as ridiculous as they come. For decades the officials have allowed borderline infractions/fouls to be let go as they "didn't create an advantage".......and this ejection is the polar opposite of how officials have called and still call games today. Awful.


Edit: Recall. The play last week was somebody tossing the ball to the opponent standing at the FT line or gently pushing him. Something like that....and I believe it also led to an ejection.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Wiggins tonight: 27 pts (9-14 fg), 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk, +9 in a six-point loss (net +24).

Through three games with GS: 25.1 pts per 36 on .701 true shooting with a (total) net +49 on/off.
Sometimes young players only need a change of scenery or to be a better fit for them to reach their potential and Wiggins doesn't turn 25 until later this month. Players individual games don't always mature at the same pace.....for some it is physical maturity that needs to grow, for others it's mental, and for some it is simply being in the right role on the right team. I'm expecting to see the same from Russell in reverting back to last year and his leap with the Nets. He had a 26/11/6 in a 7-point loss to Charlotte with the most meaningless evaluation stat ever created (but some love it so.....) team-leading +12. When a player has a plus skillset to his game you don't want to give up on that player after 2-3 years.....it is the guys like Bender or Yabusele who don't possess plus skillsets that have a harder time making a leap into a productive player. Nothing is 100% but the likelihood of a player finding a perfect "fit'' is enhanced when he has plus skillsets such as shot creating, shot making and length/athleticism. Christian Wood is one an example of the latter.
 
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benhogan

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By the trade deadline, I was basically done with him, which I’d why I floated him in so many fantasy trades here. I’m sure I was unrealistic about his trade value in a few of them (laundry alert!) but by the end I was pretty much resigned to him going to Minnesota for crummy Wiggins and picks (which I hoped we could then foist on the Wizards for a disgruntled Beal, although now that crummy Wiggins is wearing the laundry, I’m kind of enjoying the slashing 6’-8” athletic freak...)
If the Warriors get the 2020 #1 pick, I could see that going w/Wiggins + Minn '21 + Paschall for Bradley Beal. Beal's defensive effort has diminished every season.
 

HomeRunBaker

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If the Warriors get the 2020 #1 pick, I could see that going w/Wiggins + Minn '21 + Paschall for Bradley Beal. Beal's defensive effort has diminished every season.
Beal's defensive "Effort" is a direct correlation to his team being competitive and to having better teammates. As I stated above....he has the ability to defend at a good level but when a player is asked to carry so much of the offensive load he has to conserve energy on the other end to compensate
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Geez, if Portis had tossed that ball at Napier with any more arc he could have called for a fair catch. I mean, I get the game becoming softer for the benefit of player safety. I'm not one of those guys who replay clips of McHale's takedown of Rambis as how great the game used to be......if anything I'm further on the other side......but this play resulting in an ejection coming on top of a similar play a couple days ago (I can't recall specifically but I lol'd just as much) is about as ridiculous as they come. For decades the officials have allowed borderline infractions/fouls to be let go as they "didn't create an advantage".......and this ejection is the polar opposite of how officials have called and still call games today. Awful.


Edit: Recall. The play last week was somebody tossing the ball to the opponent standing at the FT line or gently pushing him. Something like that....and I believe it also led to an ejection.
Not to mention, Napier points to the bench it looks like. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Portis thought he was calling for the ball.
 

benhogan

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Beal's defensive "Effort" is a direct correlation to his team being competitive and to having better teammates. As I stated above....he has the ability to defend at a good level but when a player is asked to carry so much of the offensive load he has to conserve energy on the other end to compensate
At his best, 5 seasons ago, he was an OK defender. His rep has always been greater than his output. It would be nice if he could post 1 season of positive DBPM or DRtg below 105. Since I don't see the Wiz being competitive anytime soon, I'd expect more bad D from BB in the future, along with a big scoring average and 35 win seasons.

My greater point was the Wizards need a reset and the 2020 #1 pick, Minn '21 pick plus their own high draft picks over the next two seasons would be a good start. They have a couple of nice young players (Bryant, Wagner, Rui) to begin the process. Then again if I was them I would have cashed in on Bertans, so I doubt they see themselves as distressed as I do (Sitting in 9th, they probably are dreaming about a playoff spot)
 
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HomeRunBaker

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At his best, 5 seasons ago, he was an OK defender. His rep has always been greater than his output. It would be nice if he could post 1 season of positive DBPM or DRtg below 105. Since I don't see the Wiz being competitive anytime soon, I'd expect more bad D from BB in the future, along with a big scoring average and 35 win seasons.
Assuming the team remains the shit show that it is I wouldn't expect Beal's defensive output to increase either based on his offensive necessity to the team either. He's stuck in an awful situation not conducive to winning or advancing his legacy......but someone really needs to back out of the ASG for Beal to be there where he belongs.
 

Lazy vs Crazy

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What makes you say Morris was a disaster last night? He matched up fine defensively and knocked down a bunch of 3's which is what the Clippers traded him to do. I was lukewarm on the deal being a Harkless guy but if your takeaway from last night was that Morris was a disaster it smells more like a preconceived bias.
Might be you're right and I saw what I expected. It felt to me like he was a total ball stopper. Driving into three guys and not passing out, that kind of thing.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Might be you're right and I saw what I expected. It felt to me like he was a total ball stopper. Driving into three guys and not passing out, that kind of thing.
I’m not crazy with how he fits with the Clippers as he seems redundant to George and Kawhi. His perfect spot would have been taking over Kuzma’s role with the Lakers but that’s would have also cost them Danny Green along with Kuzma.
 

Sam Ray Not

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He had a 26/11/6 in a 7-point loss to Charlotte with the most meaningless evaluation stat ever created (but some love it so.....) team-leading +12.
It's close to meaningless in a one-game sample, but more meaningful as the sample size grows and diversifies. In a (hypothetical) infinitely large and diverse sample, it'd literally be the one evaluation stat we'd have to care about.

If we're looking at traditional, non-plus-minus stats, DLo was actually a bit better with the Warriors than he was last season with the Nets. Where he's fallen short of last season is in his impact on the scoreboard. On the season, he's a net -5.6, a very disappointing number given the scrubs the Warriors trotted out when DLo was off the floor. (Wiggins by contrast is a +3.8).

Totally agree with your overall premise, though: fit matters, a lot. A ball-dominant player like DLo was never going to be a good fit in Kerr's motion offense; whereas he should be a great fit in a more traditional P&R offense with Towns. Still: if I'm Minny's next coach, I'm mixing in a lot off-ball actions with DLo, since I think his ability to shoot off the catch is one of his best and most underutilized skills; as is KAT's ability to play inside-out as his team's de facto point-forward.
 
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Sam Ray Not

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If the Warriors get the 2020 #1 pick, I could see that going w/Wiggins + Minn '21 + Paschall for Bradley Beal. Beal's defensive effort has diminished every season.
Geeeeeez: a top 5 pick this year, another (likely) top 5-10 pick next year AND Paschall for the pleasure of lopping four inches off of our second starting wing position? Beal is great and Wiggins is not, so maybe that's a fair asking price, but that's a little too rich for my blood. I'd try to hold back this year's #1 and Paschall and hope that Beal and his agent squawk enough to make it happen.

Or I'd give up all those assets and more (possibly even Marquese "Bam Adebayo" Chriss) for Ben Simmons. :)
 

benhogan

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Geeeeeez: a top 5 pick this year, another (likely) top 5-10 pick next year AND Paschall for the pleasure of lopping four inches off of our second starting wing position? Beal is great and Wiggins is not, so maybe that's a fair asking price, but that's a little too rich for my blood. I'd try to hold back this year's #1 and Paschall and hope that Beal and his agent squawk enough to make it happen.

Or I'd give up all those assets and more (possibly even Marquese "Bam Adebayo" Chriss) for Ben Simmons. :)
Ha, I must have got the Simmon's dream all intertwined with Bradley Beal.

I lost track but you did have D.Lo going to the Wolves and Wiggins/Pick on the move, guess you didn't figure Wiggy would end up on Bob's balance sheet.

Just need to figure out how a summertime Hayward S&T plays out since the C's have the late picks to make Andrew palatable for a tanker. ;)
 

Cesar Crespo

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I supported the Cs going after him before he joined the Ws (and before the Cs nabbed Kemba) since I thought his youth and length made him a great fit with the Cs’ young core. I still kinda think that, even though Kemba’s the better player now. DLo’s a lot better player than Kemba was at his age. (Though you could argue the Cs championship window is open now, and Kemba’s not old, so I can understand preferring Kemba).

I thought/hoped DLo was young enough to iron out his flaws, and he has actually ironed out a couple of them (.561 true shooting, .379 from three on ultra-high volume, e.g.) At the same time, the more I watched him in GS, the more I saw his ball dominant dribble-dribble-dribbling, low motor, softness, and poor/un-versatile defense would never be a great fit in Kerrball.

By the trade deadline, I was basically done with him, which I’d why I floated him in so many fantasy trades here. I’m sure I was unrealistic about his trade value in a few of them (laundry alert!) but by the end I was pretty much resigned to him going to Minnesota for crummy Wiggins and picks (which I hoped we could then foist on the Wizards for a disgruntled Beal, although now that crummy Wiggins is wearing the laundry, I’m kind of enjoying the slashing 6’-8” athletic freak...)

Wiggins has actually improved this year after pretty much not improving at all since entering his rookie year so there's that. It's mostly in assist % but it's a pretty huge jump. My comments about the Wolves improving is mostly about getting a bunch of depth back and losing a player that has overstayed his welcome. I really like HG too, though I like Beasley more. They got 2, arguably 3 starters in the deal.
 

ElUno20

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Nice job blowing a go ahead 4 point play tonight. Why in the fuck does the nba have replay if they cant use it to save their incompetent refs?