A little unfair to Harden since the other team's defense is entirely focused on stopping him, but I'd say at least tonight he was easily the best non-Durant/Harden player on the floor.
The 2nd Season - 2019 Playoff Thread
- Thread starter ElUno20
- Start date
What was up with the missed dunk? I know Curry can slam dunk a basketball, but he isn't exactly Dr. J. It's very odd that he didn't just take the wide-open layup. It's the equivalent of Durant missing a 360 dunk in crunch.
The not fouling is bizarre, they just kind of gave up. That opens the door for a million "The Warriors just don't have it this year and they all hate each other" takes which may be deserved, even if they are not accurate.
This is just absurd. I didn't even notice the double-step back on live TV, and I still thought it was an obvious travel.
That is so gross to watch. The stars in the NBA just get a preferential whistle.
The absurdity is if that was called a travel he, Dray and Kerr would have melted down. The league is devolving into stars selling calls, screaming at officials and working the league postgame.
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In 53 minutes, the Rockets took only two non-threes or non-paint shots -- 93 shots, 1-2 from non-lane 2, 18-42 from three, 42.9%, and 26-49 in the lane, 53%. They generated 1.35 points per shot. The Warriors shot 9-20 from non-lane twos, and generated 1.27 pps on 95 shots.
The Rockets took only four non-lane twos in each of the first two games. It's remarkable how disciplined they are in spotting up on the three without toeing the line, and of course not settling for long twos.
The Rockets took only four non-lane twos in each of the first two games. It's remarkable how disciplined they are in spotting up on the three without toeing the line, and of course not settling for long twos.
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I know people have harped on this forever, but it does feel like it’s all coming to a head this year. The league needs to take the obvious steps to fix it. People love stars, but no one tunes in to watch Steph do whatever the hell that was.
Some combo of brainfart together with (per his postgame comments) frustration over a total sh*tshow of a game. He's been known to attempt totally pointless French pastry (s/o Cousy) at inopportune times, viz. the behind-the-back pass turnover in the '16 Finals.
As far as why they didn't foul afterwards: some combo of being shellshocked by the doink and the fact that down 5 without the ball with 17 seconds left, you're 99.9% gonna lose either way.
Crummy series so far for Steph. The two injuries (sprained ankle and dislocated finger) may be partly to blame, plus near-constant foul trouble that has messed with his normal rotations. But he needs to cut the stupid fouls and step it up. His overall playoff numbers this year are actually quite good even after last night's debacle (35.1 mpg, 22.6 pts on .630 true shooting, 5.9 reb, 4.9 ast), but other than a couple great games v. the Clips the eye test hasn't been great, especially by comparison to the Slim Reaper.
Meanwhile, I gotta dodge the Skip Baylesses and Steven A's for a couple days...
I'm loving the drama.
Gonna be salty and bitch about everything when they beat us in 5 (or 6). But for now I'm loving it.
Preemptive bitch about our cheap-ass owner who is shit scared about the repeater tax that Morey had to fill our bench with minimums even though we won 67 games last year and have an MVP in his prime playing for us.
Gonna be salty and bitch about everything when they beat us in 5 (or 6). But for now I'm loving it.
Preemptive bitch about our cheap-ass owner who is shit scared about the repeater tax that Morey had to fill our bench with minimums even though we won 67 games last year and have an MVP in his prime playing for us.
It’s painful having to listen to announcers throw shit out there for the casual fan to eat up such as, “That’s a Harden step back. When Harden steps back it’s a travel every single time.”/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62794240/usa_today_11949582.0.jpg)
No sir. The rules have changed over time and you haven’t. Harden may get away with a travel here and there but hearing a professional announcer be so convincing yet inaccurate shouldn’t be tolerated by the networks.......the problem is that the suits probably believe him or enjoy the WWE effect. Ugh
So this is you and I complaining about how the game has changed since when we were growing up and learning the rules. Just imagine how bad it’s going to be when the up and coming generation of young players - who are used to seeing THIS being legal - start to stretch the boundary even more, It can’t get worse, can it?
The game today doesn't resemble basketball in the 60's and 70's. Fast forward to 2050 we'll be seeing Zion Williamson III jumping off trampolines strategically placed around the halfcourt jumpball circle.
I get what you're saying, but to be clear...the rules themselves have not changed, have they?
And he didn't even hold onto his pivot foot.
The enforcement of the rules have changed as a policy. I looked into this a few years back because I was confused. I was confused about the carrying rules and traveling. The league does not want them to be called. Which makes the emphasis on calling traveling on the first step ridiculous.
Edit: this article gets at it but I have seen others
http://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4563546
Maybe 15(?) years ago the language changed from taking one step following a dribble to being allowed two steps. What this did was change the interpretation where many allowed 2 steps prior to the change to now allowing 3.
I know the term “gather” was recently included to the rule or in the original change but now that plays a factor as well as the rule on carrying where you are allowed to have your hand beneath the ball so long as the ball rotation has not come to a complete stop. I forget when this was changed but I will always refer to this as the Jamal Crawford Rule. It literally made his career.
This thread suddenly feels like a Geico commercial where the subjects are turning into their parents. "Back in my day, moving your pivot foot..."
Its completely understandable if the current state of NBA officiating and the shift in rules enforcement makes the game tough for some people to watch. However even with the playoff ratings down, excepting this round, which is largely thought to be a function of LeBron missing the post-season, the NBA isn't likely to change the rules drastically. The '17-18 season hit a four year high in TV ratings which is pretty good considering the amount/different sources of content that competes for eyeballs 24/7. I suspect this is a function of the rule changes that favored offensive players as well as the league's full embrace of social media that allows for almost instant engagement/feedback on spectacular plays. The league effectively went even further with the rule changes this past offseason (e.g. the shorter clock on offensive rebounds) that skewed toward increased pace.
In short, neither Charles Oakley nor the Bad Boys Pistons are walking through that door and the league is just fine with it.
Its completely understandable if the current state of NBA officiating and the shift in rules enforcement makes the game tough for some people to watch. However even with the playoff ratings down, excepting this round, which is largely thought to be a function of LeBron missing the post-season, the NBA isn't likely to change the rules drastically. The '17-18 season hit a four year high in TV ratings which is pretty good considering the amount/different sources of content that competes for eyeballs 24/7. I suspect this is a function of the rule changes that favored offensive players as well as the league's full embrace of social media that allows for almost instant engagement/feedback on spectacular plays. The league effectively went even further with the rule changes this past offseason (e.g. the shorter clock on offensive rebounds) that skewed toward increased pace.
In short, neither Charles Oakley nor the Bad Boys Pistons are walking through that door and the league is just fine with it.
Okay. This makes sense. I was pretty sure the rules hadn’t changed. But as a matter of enforcement policy they have. So it’s true that they’re just calling it differently but they are doing it per edict, not willy nilly.
That link is 10 years old. The rules have changed maybe it was 8-9 years ago rather than the 15 I had though. If I have time I’ll try and find specifics.Okay. This makes sense. I was pretty sure the rules hadn’t changed. But as a matter of enforcement policy they have. So it’s true that they’re just calling it differently but they are doing it per edict, not willy nilly.
I was talking anout the context of the Harden call not the game’s evolution from peach baskets
Edit: Wait what am I missing. It says this right in that link from 2009......
“The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step.”
The new rule reads, in part: "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball."
This piece at The Undefeated adds a wrinkle to the rule in that today’s athletes recognize how to stretch the rules as much as possible while having the physical ability to do so effectively.
https://theundefeated.com/features/step-into-the-future-nba-talent-redefines-the-meaning-of-traveling/
https://theundefeated.com/features/step-into-the-future-nba-talent-redefines-the-meaning-of-traveling/
I'm hoping the advancements in camera/video will render Ref Arbitrage useless in sports I love, much like tennis did with the serve.
Haha. Everyone upthread is bitching about how offensive players get away with a lot these days. Yet this is what a defensive battle looks like.
Kawhi is a beast. Tobias Harris not so much.
Thanks for quoting that incredibly relevant stat. He took 7 shots. Raptors would sign up for that every game.
Brett Brown says Embiid texted him at 6:30 am, said he hadn’t slept all night, felt terrible, would try to play. Brown then said he tried to figure out rotations without his big man.
Different story every day with Embiid, from awesome, to hurt, to ill, maybe back to awesome again on Tuesday.
Different story every day with Embiid, from awesome, to hurt, to ill, maybe back to awesome again on Tuesday.
Yeah, he clearly wasn’t “right” today. Simmons, Butler, and Harris needed to step up. Butler did. The other 2...notsomuch
I admit to being a Blazer homer, and I’m not trying to take anything away from Jokic cause he’s a terrific player and has played fantastic in this series, but he has been getting the full on LeBron/MJ treatment from the refs throughout this series. He has been banging hard on defense and they are loathe to blow a whistle on him, yet Blazer defenders are getting whistled regularly for very light contact on him.
What about Dell? Papa isn't gonna be laying down in those HORSE games.
This one’s getting away from Portland fast. Lillard can’t hit anything, and they’ve had a couple borderline calls go against them.
Seven points is manageable but you are right- if Dame Time is late, they are in trouble.
Nuggets fans with big scare as Jokic limps off floor with a minute left. Quick rewind looks like he only banged knees though.
Edit: And he's back in at the next whistle and timeout.
Edit: And he's back in at the next whistle and timeout.
Lilliard missing a FT down three with 20 seconds left resulted in the Blazers never having a chance to tie the game, as Murray went a perfect 6-6 from the line the rest of the way, The Blazers scored on nine straight possessions at the end of this one, but Denver answered every time. Dame also missed a FT with 4:35 left, and Zach Collins inexcusably picked up a tech with 5:16 left for complaining to the refs.
It was 94-88 with 6:16 left; thereafter the two teams combined for 46 points, despite pretty solid D from both teams. Amazing shotmaking on both sides.