Thanks for this explanation. The prior two posts had me wondering if it came from “ball cap” which is close to “bull crap”. Alas, we aren’t Australian, so of course it’s nothing like that.
Tristan Thompson to Boston: 2 years, $19M, player option to re-up with Khloé Kardashian
- Thread starter mcpickl
- Start date
So what’s the deal with TT at this point? It’s getting a little weird that we haven’t heard anything about him for a while now. After watching Mo Wagner last night it’s clear we need TT’s minutes.
Yeah, there's obviously HIPAA stuff at play here - but you'd think somebody would have said something about what is going on with him.
View: https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/1377377214144995328
The talk about cardiac testing for TT and Langford is as close as the team can get to saying that they had COVID.
I assume symptomatic COVID, too, as they didn’t really talk about that stuff with Tatum at least as far as I recall.
They didn't say that much about Tatum, but they did mention extensive cardiac tasting as a prerequisite for return. They won't clear anyone at risk of dropping dead.
Thanks for that. Once in a blue moon those typos add value in the right hands.
Tristan scoffs at KOC's rumors of "not being liked in locker room". Pretty well restrained/reasoned. Very well-spoken.
go to 6:55
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCHQV7yJyg
go to 6:55
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCHQV7yJyg
TT looked great last night. I think they picked the right guy for the remainder of the season, and obviously the salary filler situation makes it a no brainer.
Danny rightfully took a lot of shit this year, and he should get credit for the signing imo.
TL + TT have the 5 covered the rest of this season. Was shocked TT came back looking so active, figured COVID would have sapped his energy. Fingers crossed for health from both the rest of this season.
Won't be upset if they need TT's salary to add a veteran wing/ballhandler this summer. Plenty of bigs will be available.
Any concerns about him being a locker room cancer should be put to rest. He didn't sound defensive at all, very secure, and aware of being a good teammate (unless he is taking acting lessons from his inlaws)
Thank you for sharing that. The entire interview is great but his response to the question about how he can help the team with their struggles was fascinating.
Since the All-Star Break, TT has played 6 games... his net rating is a truly insane +21.4 and the team is 5-1 in those games.
I did have some skepticism about a two-center rotation that didn't provide any perimeter spacing, given how they have run the offense in the past. But I am liking what the pick and roll focus is bringing to the table as opposed to the pick and pop. While Theis is a credible shooter, he's not great, and he's not a threat to drive or make plays, which allowed defenses to sag/overhelp/deny elsewhere knowing that he's either going to shoot or wait around at the top of the key for a swing pass to present itself.
While the outcomes/goals are very different between TL and TT, their movement to the rim gives defenders something different to think about, gets the D moving in general, and opens up more passing options for the ball-handler because the big is a threat at the rim (Thompson struggles to finish occasionally but his positioning is solid and he has good hands), and the kick-out options are generally good shooters getting better looks than they maybe had been before. In the Theis pick and pop scenario, if he doesn't shoot off the catch, it often creates a real slowdown and forces someone into a late ISO situation. With the bigs mostly rolling now, we're seeing more easy looks for the ball handler, and more "hockey assist" situations where the right kick out is leading to the quick no-dribble perimeter passing that beats the rotating D every time.
While the outcomes/goals are very different between TL and TT, their movement to the rim gives defenders something different to think about, gets the D moving in general, and opens up more passing options for the ball-handler because the big is a threat at the rim (Thompson struggles to finish occasionally but his positioning is solid and he has good hands), and the kick-out options are generally good shooters getting better looks than they maybe had been before. In the Theis pick and pop scenario, if he doesn't shoot off the catch, it often creates a real slowdown and forces someone into a late ISO situation. With the bigs mostly rolling now, we're seeing more easy looks for the ball handler, and more "hockey assist" situations where the right kick out is leading to the quick no-dribble perimeter passing that beats the rotating D every time.
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TT has played a lot better since the first month. Wasn't fully ready and the double BIG lineup didn't help the cause.
The next thing I'd like to see out of TT is to mix it up after an offensive rebound. Every once in a while, kick the ball out for a step in 3. He still has a tendency to put the blinders on, take a challenged shot in paint while surrounded by defenders & the entire league recognizes this
When TL is positioned on the baseline below the block he still provides spacing albeit similar to how Snyder uses Gobert at times. The threat of the lob on dribble penetration occupies the big so he isn’t able to close the lane.....it can be as effective as forcing a big to defend the 3-point line as it serves the same purpose of spacing for dribble penetration. It also gives the defense different looks as they have to recognize whether TL is being used in a PNR or to simply occupy the big.
Exactly--I'd rather have that type of spacing at center than shooting spacing (except for the KAT) types, since the defense has fewer options for taking it away (no late switches etc).
You also keep the big in offensive rebounding position, which gives a lot of extra equity to other players' drives.
I feel like he really has a tendency to volleyball attack the rebound. Smack the ball out of bounds or I guess you'd call it attempting to tip it back in, but it's so clearly just a swat that the likelihood of entering the basket is somewhere between slim and none.
He has played well since returning from Covid, though, much better than I was expecting. I thought we'd see a regression to beginning of the season TT, but that hasn't happened.
His biggest problem is he loves the 3-10 ft shot. 48% of his shots come from that range. Luckily for us, he's hitting them at over 50%. The last 3 years he's hit those shots at an above average clip tho.
Why is that a problem if he's making over 50%? His little jump hook is money.
It's not if you think he'll keep making them at that rate. The first 7 years he hit the 3-10' at a .384 clip. Then .506, .434 and currently .504. He'll never be as efficient as his counterparts because he's taking way more 3-10's.
He'll never be as efficient because he struggles to finish at the rim, not because he takes the shots he's actually good at.
Which are less effective.
It might be more effective for him specifically though, I dunno.
Does anyone want to discuss why Tristan was not guarding Poeltl several times in the halfcourt in the 2nd half?
Anything to be concerned about?
WBCD usually likes to take a stab at our PnR defense
Anything to be concerned about?
WBCD usually likes to take a stab at our PnR defense
They were running a lot of pick/roll, and both TT and TL were getting burned trying to cover the wing. The Celtics (rightly) figured the Spurs wouldn’t post Jaylen with Poeltl, and hot away with covering him with, JB, who can contain the wing after he and the big switch.
Important adjustment that helped the comeback.
Thanks. Clever adjustment.
BUT a big part of the reason Tristen is here was his +PnR defense. Maybe I'll re-watch the 1st half
Didn't really watch the first half that closely because, well, it seemed like SAS was getting whatever they wanted but the problem was that when the bigs came out to hit the shot, they'd get Poeltl on the roll and if they stayed back, SAS would hit a mid-range. Cs were also getting killed on the boards. Having JB play Poetl helped them by having a big closer to the basket to help I think so they could be more aggressive on getting on the jump shooters. I think it also helped keeping the ball in front of the defense.
All that is in addition to what 3xOT said.
I just re-watched the 3Q. (BTW, two things jumped out at me - SAS was still up 28 with about 6:40 to go, and the Cs by no means played a perfect 3Q - both JT and JB missed layups off TOs, there were a couple of Cs sloppy TOs; SAS had at least two 3Ps off offensive rebounds.)
At any rate, the Cs went to JB guarding Poeltl when Rudy Gay came in - TT guarded Gay and JB guarded Poeltl. Probably better as Gay isn't as dangerous as a roll man. SAS's last possession of the 3Q the Cs changed it up and Gay hit a jumper over JB. Still, Cs made up 15 points in 6 1/2 minutes. And I think if you watch the 3Q again, you'll see that TT's defense was really good when he was on an island versus just about everyone.
For example, watch the first possession of 4Q. JB has Poeltl. SAS run PnR with Poeltl and Mills. JB picks up Mills; PP tries to go with Poeltl but TT slides over and tells PP to get out. All that is left is Mills 1 on 1 vs JB. He got a foul there but SAS weren't getting open spaces to whip around the ball. Great adjustment by Cs.
Yea. I also recall (because Jimbo is right, I refuse to watch H1 of that game) the Spurs never missing a mid-range jumper (esp Murray). It was a really clever defensive move by CBS. Nice to see him adjusting even when down a pile of points
The adjustments were good, the energy infusion also. I don't want to downplay them at all--story of the game.
That said, there was some ball luck regression also. If one of the Spurs had lost a mouthpiece in the first half, it would have gone through the rim for 2pts.
Re-watched 4Q. JB was on Poeltl and I noticed is that Pop tried a lot of different PnR combinations after JB took Poeltl and nothing really worked. Then, when JB went out, TT went back to Poeltl. There were two possessions after JB re-entered the game where JT took Poeltl - I wonder if that was planned.
Finally, down the stretch they had JB on Murray and TT on Poeltl but I guess the Cs had gotten SAS out of their rhythm so SAS did a lot of ISO.
Interesting to study, well interesting since Cs won. If Cs had lost, it would have been more infuriating.
Yes and no - I mean it's hard for anyone to shoot 70% not being guarded but by my recollection, SAS was getting super wide open shot after super wide open shot in the first half. No one was getting over picks and the Cs bigs were in no man's land.
The quality of shots went way down for SAS in the 2H.
JB as a small-ball 5 something we see more of now or years to come? I'm ready for it
That could really help hide some of JB's defensive inefficiencies while turning the team into a 5 wing monster (Brad-thra)
He’s done a credible job in the past guarding bigs like Kevin Love.
I saw a shot of Tatum standing next to TL in the Spurs game and they looked to be the same height. I can see Tatum playing a smallball 5 in spots also
