NBA

LondonMackem said:
I agree that you have to give the defence a headache where they don't know whether to get tight or sag off. But there's times where Lebron gets the mismatch off the pick and roll then shoots a three.. just bully them in the post or drive, as Lebron is almost unstoppable when driving to the rim. Maybe it's an age thing, and he doesn't want to get banged up.


Westbrook gets a triple double every game because his team are basically D league. Russell shoots nearly everything. The only other guys who can shoot with any decency are Oladipo and McDermott. Oh, and Adams just seems let him grab boards. Didn't Adams have like 2 rebounds against the Rockets in game 4? He's 7ft..


Agreed. His basketball IQ isn't good at all, and that's why he bricks poor percentage shots late in games when they're trailing.
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He's shooting those poor percentage shots because they're not going to have anyone except the star trying to shoot them back into games. It's just the nature of the NBA, for better or - as here - for worse. And yes, the rebounds are way padded, as are the assists - virtually anything is an assist these days if the team's PR needs them to be.

The Spezial One said:
Because the game is played at more than one end of the floor. He's proved it when it's time to show up in big big games the others haven't. And that's in a team with LBJ in it.

Padding stats doesn't mean a thing when it comes to playing to actually win. That's why LBJ only has 55 triple doubles in 14 years.

And for what it's worth I'm a huge huge fan of Russ. He's a freak but I'd say he relies heavily on his athleticism rather than game IQ.
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And defense is also played as a team game. Defense doesn't make someone a mismatch - an excellent player, yes, but not a mismatch in the sense that term is normally used. Look, I think we may need to agree to disagree here - Irving is an excellent player, but I just can't put him in the same class as the top 5 or 10 players in the league, clutch as he is. Look even just at the series they just had: yes, he scored a lot of points. He also was cranking up something close to 25 shots per game to get there. Without James, there's a good chance they lose at least 3 of those 4 games. And that's against the Pacers, which isn't exactly the world's most challenging test. That said, he was a monster in the Finals last year.
 


Houston baptised the Spurs :eek::lol:
Calling it, Rockets in 6

Cavs in 5 against the sorry Raptors :cool:

Also @SYB_DC 22 3-pointers made by Houston (2nd most in playoff history behind my Cavs last season against the Hawks). Average shooting team ;)
 
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LondonMackem said:
Houston baptised the Spurs :eek::lol:
Calling it, Rockets in 6

Cavs in 5 against the sorry Raptors :cool:

Also @SYB_DC 22 3-pointers made by Houston (2nd most in playoff history behind my Cavs last season against the Hawks). Average shooting team ;)
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Man, if they're gonna shoot 45% on threes or whatever that was, they should shoot 70 of them per game. That was a heck of a performance.
 
Oli Wagkz said:
Harden’s gotta win the MVP
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houston fans would be apoplectic if he came second again. he'll definitely win though. who are the other options though? lebron is the best alternative i can think of and there's still a big gap between his season and harden's imo.

anyone fancy donovan mitchell to pip simmons for rookie of the year?
 
spoon said:
houston fans would be apoplectic if he came second again. he'll definitely win though. who are the other options though? lebron is the best alternative i can think of and there's still a big gap between his season and harden's imo.

anyone fancy donovan mitchell to pip simmons for rookie of the year?
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Simmons will likely win for a couple reasons that have little to do with their actual production. Mitchell plays in Salt Lake City, which might as well be the moon for most of the people in the media who vote. He also wasn't a huge name coming into the season or a top-3 draft pick, whereas Simmons has been hugely hyped for both years he's been in the NBA, even when injured, plus his college season. It's just familiarity bias, and it won't hurt Simmons that his team will likely make the playoffs and Mitchell's likely won't. Simmons shouldn't even be eligible, but that's another story. They're both good players and nobody should be embarrassed to vote for either.
 
SYB_DC said:
Simmons will likely win for a couple reasons that have little to do with their actual production. Mitchell plays in Salt Lake City, which might as well be the moon for most of the people in the media who vote. He also wasn't a huge name coming into the season or a top-3 draft pick, whereas Simmons has been hugely hyped for both years he's been in the NBA, even when injured, plus his college season. It's just familiarity bias, and it won't hurt Simmons that his team will likely make the playoffs and Mitchell's likely won't. Simmons shouldn't even be eligible, but that's another story. They're both good players and nobody should be embarrassed to vote for either.
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I understand the point you're trying to make about Utah not getting the recognition it deserves but you're wrong, Simmons will win it because he's having the best season. Mitchell has however been brilliant and looks like he's been in the league for years.
 
LondonMackem said:
I understand the point you're trying to make about Utah not getting the recognition it deserves but you're wrong, Simmons will win it because he's having the best season. Mitchell has however been brilliant and looks like he's been in the league for years.
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Sorry, I was a bit unclear there. I didn't mean to suggest that Mitchell necessarily should win absent the media stuff, just that the media stuff makes what I think should be a close call probably not be very close in the end.

I think it's reasonably close on actual production. Simmons has the clear edge on stats, but a lot of Simmons' peripheral stats are greatly helped by the much better team, especially shooters, he has around him. It really can't be underestimated how much value the floor spacing from Embiid, Redick, Saric, and Covington adds to the game of a ball-handler who can't shoot. Part of my logic in saying it's close here is that Mitchell would look very good on Simmons' team - the reverse isn't as true. He'd see less of the ball and he'd have Ricky Rubio clogging up the offense. (Full disclosure, I really dislike Ricky Rubio. He's a brilliant passer, but two amazing passes a night and steals from gambling just doesn't make up for the other glaring holes. I give Mitchell a huge boost solely because he manages to drag a team away from the vortex of Rubio.) That's partly system fit, but it's more that Simmons and Mitchell just different players. Simmons also shouldn't be eligible for this award, although that doesn't change the merits of his play. It's good to see some nice, full-season production from rookies the year after we had Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon (!).
 
Irishblackcat said:
Really hope lakers keep this young core together .Randle is turning into a beast and needs to be retained imo .
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I can’t believe (the rumours that) trading Randle was an alternative to losing Clarkson and LNJ to make way for Thomas. It would have been a massive blow IMO.
 
Mick Dundee said:
I can’t believe (the rumours that) trading Randle was an alternative to losing Clarkson and LNJ to make way for Thomas. It would have been a massive blow IMO.
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Randle is a restricted free agent in the summer and if they want to sign two max players they might have to leave him go .
I'd rather one max and let this team grow I think the current team will make play offs next season and will be very exciting if they could add a good shooter and a better centre than Lopez .
 
Irishblackcat said:
Randle is a restricted free agent in the summer and if they want to sign two max players they might have to leave him go .
I'd rather one max and let this team grow I think the current team will make play offs next season and will be very exciting if they could add a good shooter and a better centre than Lopez .
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Lopez would look much better if they added a decent shooter, and especially if Ball's shot gets fixed. The problem isn't really him as much it is lack of shooting from the guards, especially the ones who will be around next year. Randle's departure would also help Lopez: it's pretty hard in today's NBA to play two interior post scorers at once, which has forced Lopez into more of a stretch role that he's just not very good at. It's a shame for them though, because Randle would be able to get them that shooter in a trade if only he had another year left on his deal. Kinda academic as it's pretty clear that both will be gone.
 
Lebron being Lebron late in the 4th quarter hitting some crazy fall aways.. Don't take this man for granted as there won't be another like him for a very long time, if ever. Averaging a triple double for the last month, hasn't missed a game this season in his 15th year, still the best player on the planet.


Oh, and Tristan Thompson/Kardashian can drop to the G league for all I care. Lue needs to keep Nance in the starting lineup and Zizic coming off the bench. Cavs are 19-3 this year without Thompson playing. He's terrible.
 

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