NBA Playoffs 2020: Mamba Out

[Rhom]

Velveeta cheese twitter has really smart nuanced NBA analytics takes

 

This is the kind of content we need right now.

[Proudfeet]

It'd be the kind of content you get if people don't go crazy over useless stats with no context or perspective. The market for this kind of content is lacking and it's also more effort than shovelling drivel like first player to achieve unique stat line.

[Rhom]

72 games is far more than I ever realistically expected to get this coming season.  Christmas Day games too?!!?

Adam Silver is a god-damned miracle worker.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

9 hours ago, Rhom said:

72 games is far more than I ever realistically expected to get this coming season.  Christmas Day games too?!!?

Adam Silver is a god-damned miracle worker.

I'm skeptical that they can pull this off. 72 games is what's required by contract with the networks, and it's clear they're playing hardball and probably hoping the NBA can't achieve said minimum benchmark.  And the Olympics will make this an even greater mess. 

 

[Rhom]

Just now, Tywin et al. said:

I'm skeptical that they can pull this off. 72 games is what's required by contract with the networks, and it's clear they're playing hardball and probably hoping the NBA can't achieve said minimum benchmark.  And the Olympics will make this an even greater mess. 

 

Logistically, sure its going to be hard to pull off.  My understanding is that basically an entire basketball team is to be considered a close contact, so unless there is a rapid change in treatment/prevention there will definitely be lost games.

But I'm talking more from the aspect of coming to terms so quickly with the players and with a lack of public outcry from them.  Silver has a lot of personal cache with the players that Stern never had.

[Slurktan]

I don't see why it couldn't work given the correct planning. But if it doesn't likely means a work stoppage the year after so the NBA can change the cba.

Its already a throwaway season to me as a fan because my team rightfully won't be allowed to travel in and out of the country without severe restrictions. So they can go be the long Island raptors or whatever for 6 months. Its all just a waiting game till Masai gets Antentekumpo anyways.

[WarGalley]

I'm glad the playoffs go from mid-May through July. I quite liked having basketball over the summer when baseball was the only other sport. Wish they shifted it so it went up until August right before football starts.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

On 11/7/2020 at 8:05 AM, Rhom said:

Logistically, sure its going to be hard to pull off.  My understanding is that basically an entire basketball team is to be considered a close contact, so unless there is a rapid change in treatment/prevention there will definitely be lost games.

But I'm talking more from the aspect of coming to terms so quickly with the players and with a lack of public outcry from them.  Silver has a lot of personal cache with the players that Stern never had.

If you recall (assuming you were reading the COVID threads when they started), I said watch the NBA to anyone that would listen. Basketball is ten dudes sweating on one another fighting for one thing they all touch. It was pretty obvious they would be the first major entity in the US to have to react to the virus. 

The likely reason you're not seeing much outcry though is because the rank and file players stand to lose the most here, so they probably just want to suck it up and get things moving. And I expect the stars have been privately told they can rest more. This isn't like regular years. As a Wolves fan I was happy in years past to pay a lot to go to games to watch them get their heads' caved in by the elite teams. It sucked when the stars just sat the whole time. The fans in the stands aren't an issue right now. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Whoops.

[Rhom]

OKC hires 35 year old assistant to replace Donovan

1)  If that guy is shaving yet, I'll be stunned.
2)  This has to either be about saving money or OKC thought they were a bigger draw than they really are.
3)  Will there be an outcry from ESPN demanding explanations why Mark Jackson wasn't hired?  Or do they just reserve that outrage for Brooklyn and other large markets?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

8 hours ago, Rhom said:

OKC hires 35 year old assistant to replace Donovan

1)  If that guy is shaving yet, I'll be stunned.
2)  This has to either be about saving money or OKC thought they were a bigger draw than they really are.
3)  Will there be an outcry from ESPN demanding explanations why Mark Jackson wasn't hired?  Or do they just reserve that outrage for Brooklyn and other large markets?

People wanted Jackson to the Knicks or Nets for cultural reasons as much as basketball ones. I think Nash will be a smashing success though, assuming KD is close to what he used to be.

OKC should have been an attractive draw to an established coach. Best guess is they can fire the kid in a year or two while tanking and then all the picks should start really having value. If they get the right people in place organizationally and with some luck in the draft, they should become really talented in three to four years (assuming CP3 is traded, which he should be).

[Calibandar]

So a mad offseason and draft is upon us, and today's latest is that the rumors about Harden to the Nets are heating up in various sources.

ESPN says that Harden is considering the Nets but no negotiations yet whilst elsewhere there is a source saying Nets and Rockets are actually talking already.  Could Houston really blow it all up?

They are having a hard time finding suitors for Westbrook apparently. Teams being mentioned as possible destinations are the Clippers ( and that is very tough to do ), Orlando Magic, Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Bulls or maybe Detroit.

Lots of other interesting storylines, like is Paul going to the Suns and what else do the Suns get because they will have money left over, or does he go elsewhere. What about the white guy sharpshooters, Joe Harris, Gallinari, Bertans and Bogdanovic? Van Vleet? Ibaka, Gasol?

Who ends up with Jrue Holiday? Boston is apparently busy. So many teams in need, really interesting. 

And then what about some other guys still in their prime who are wasting away at terrible teams, like Blake Griffin who is now back healthy, or Kevin Love?

[Calibandar]

Lakers trade Danny Green and their 2020 pick for Schroeder, thats a good move, strong player.

Rockets are apparently forced into a firesale now that Harden is also trying to get traded to the Nets, that is the only destination named so far.

CP3 just traded to the Suns for Rubio and Oubre and a bag of peanuts.

[Vaughn]

I'd like Harden to get on the Heat, mostly for reverse chemistry / team implosion reasons.

[Rhom]

46 minutes ago, Calibandar said:

Lakers trade Danny Green and their 2020 pick for Schroeder, thats a good move, strong player.

Rockets are apparently forced into a firesale now that Harden is also trying to get traded to the Nets, that is the only destination named so far.

CP3 just traded to the Suns for Rubio and Oubre and a bag of peanuts.

So Kyrie.... Durant... and Harden...

What could possibly go wrong?   

[Maithanet]

36 minutes ago, Calibandar said:

Lakers trade Danny Green and their 2020 pick for Schroeder, thats a good move, strong player.

Rockets are apparently forced into a firesale now that Harden is also trying to get traded to the Nets, that is the only destination named so far.

So the Nets are gonna have Irving, Harden and Durant, plus a bunch of replacement level guys to make those salaries work?  I mean, those guys can play, but there's only one ball, and an Irving/Harden backcourt is pretty awkward.  Not to mention that defensively there are a lot of question marks.  Irving and Harden are both guys who CAN play defense, but often don't.  Durant might not ever be as explosive as he was, and if his athleticism is waning, it will show up most on the defensive end.

I guess it depends on what the Nets have to give up, but IMO the concern in Brooklyn is not lack of ball handling or elite shooting, which is what Harden brings.  I'm also kinda confused about why Harden wants the Nets, unless he's just dying to reuinite with Durant.  There are several teams I can think of that feel like a much better fit for Harden than Brooklyn.  LAC, Denver, Toronto, and Milwaukee just for starters. 

19 hours ago, Calibandar said:

And then what about some other guys still in their prime who are wasting away at terrible teams, like Blake Griffin who is now back healthy, or Kevin Love?

Blake Griffin is as irrelevant as Roy Hibbert these days.  His skill set simply doesn't work with today's NBA.  Unless he is willing to take a huge step down and come off the bench like Dwight Howard, there is no way any contender is gonna want him. 

[Rhom]

1 minute ago, Maithanet said:

Blake Griffin is as irrelevant as Roy Hibbert these days.  His skill set simply doesn't work with today's NBA.  Unless he is willing to take a huge step down and come off the bench like Dwight Howard, there is no way any contender is gonna want him. 

Its like that old commercial of his "All you can do on this game is dunk..."  "Exactly."

[Red Tiger]

6 minutes ago, Rhom said:

So Kyrie.... Durant... and Harden...

What could possibly go wrong?   

Live footage of them in their new uniforms.

[Rhom]

Slight correction on the Blake Griffin commercial...  He says "Bingo" not "Exactly."  

You know though, watching that... I had forgotten how charismatic he was.  He was a great commercial spokesperson.  That Clippers team with him and Paul and Jordan was really fun but just never really had a chance before injuries and such tore it apart and then the game changed entirely on them.

[Maithanet]

31 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Slight correction on the Blake Griffin commercial...  He says "Bingo" not "Exactly."  

You know though, watching that... I had forgotten how charismatic he was.  He was a great commercial spokesperson.  That Clippers team with him and Paul and Jordan was really fun but just never really had a chance before injuries and such tore it apart and then the game changed entirely on them.

They were very good, but I do think that the game passed them by without it being super obvious.  The reason the Clippers won so many games and always underachieved in the postseason was that two of their big 3 were throwbacks to the 00s.  When GSW came along and clearly outclassed them, they responded by trying to physically dominate the Warriors.  And to some extent, they could.  Certainly Paul/Griffin/Jordan could be far more physical than Curry/Thompson/Green (or if you prefer, Curry/Green/Bogut).  But that didn't matter.  The Warriors were getting physically manhandled and still winning, because they were playing modern basketball.