2017-18 NBA Regular Season Game/Observation Thread
- Thread starter DeJesus Built My Hotrod
- Start date
He’s always the MVP, it’s just a question of whether or not they bother to give him the award.
I brought it up on Monday not as a criticism of Brown (he is a very good coach) but more as one of the few jobs Jay Wright would leave Villanova for in the NBA. Brown isn't nor should he leave.
I thought LeBron got fouled on the floor he was fouled with his shoulders away from the basket, he's just soooooo strong.
I hope that ends the ROY argument.
Simmons was fantastic
27/15/13 4 steals and a block 70% from the floor
I hope that ends the ROY argument.
Simmons was fantastic
27/15/13 4 steals and a block 70% from the floor
Sixers really missed embiid defensively and as it got tight too and saric after three games off hurt was not in rhythm at all.
Was not the sixers you'll see next week
Was not the sixers you'll see next week
I think that argument's been over for awhile, but he's clearly at a different level even from Mitchell.
CLE-PHI was great to watch, although I saw more uncontested dunks (non-fast break category) in one game than I can remember. CLE's comeback was fueled in large part by switching LBJ on to Marco and LBJ just having his way. When it got tight, Brown has PHI double LBJ and Osman missed two wide-open 3P shots down the stretch that really would have changed the momentum of the game. Also, PHI had at least 3 offensive boards that were huge.
Simmons is amazing. Of all the plays he made there was one in the 4Q where he drove the left-side of the lane and then twisted his body and threw in traffic a right-handed, cross-court strike to Bellinelli on the opposite wing for 3 that I don't think LBJ can make that pass but I'm not sure who else can. He's something else.
LBJ, Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz has to be the best passing starting 5 ever, right?
Simmons is amazing. Of all the plays he made there was one in the 4Q where he drove the left-side of the lane and then twisted his body and threw in traffic a right-handed, cross-court strike to Bellinelli on the opposite wing for 3 that I don't think LBJ can make that pass but I'm not sure who else can. He's something else.
LBJ, Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz has to be the best passing starting 5 ever, right?
Lbj Fultz Simmons saric embiid would be hard to beat passing wise as a whole 5 and actually a lineup that could exist - it is also ... Not small
Cavs went to their small lineup in second half. Lue later admitted no Embiid allowed him to get away with that.
Watching LBJ torch Belinelli in numerous postups was hilarious.
Watching LBJ torch Belinelli in numerous postups was hilarious.
The LOL really deserves to go to Holtcamp for allowing the continuation. Terrible call. Covington executed that play properly imo. She really needs to up her game or she is going to quickly follow Palmer and Kantner out of the league.
So, after everyone gave this year's title to Warriors, we haven't learned and are giving next season's to the Sixers after Lebron signs with them? Okay.
This season isn't over. You'd honestly take the field over the warriors right now?
Gun to my head, yes I would. The Warriors are one injury away from having a couple of really difficult battles in the west. And then, if they survive, they would have to play another high intensity series against the East, probably against Lebron.
Can I wait till Curry's three-week MCL re-evaluation (next week) before placing my bet?
If he can get back in the late first or early second round at something close to 100% shape (as KD did last year, with the same injury), I'd rate 'em somewhere around even money v. the field.
No Curry and I'm not sure they're even a 20% shot, much as I love Quinn Cook. Diminished Curry ... somewhere in between.
If he can get back in the late first or early second round at something close to 100% shape (as KD did last year, with the same injury), I'd rate 'em somewhere around even money v. the field.
No Curry and I'm not sure they're even a 20% shot, much as I love Quinn Cook. Diminished Curry ... somewhere in between.
Since the AS break, LeBron is averaging 29.8 ppg, 10.1 boards and 9.7 assists (vs 26.5, 8.1 and 8.9 pre-ASB) on slightly less efficient shooting, albeit an uptick from threes. And he is doing this with a bunch of new guys and playing slightly more minutes per game. He will be 34 in less than nine months.
I think the Cavs are vulnerable in the East but nobody will count them out with James as their centerpiece. However if you subtracted him from his squad, they wouldn't even sniff the playoffs. As was posted upthread, he should be the MVP. I know he won't but he should be the MVP.
I think the Cavs are vulnerable in the East but nobody will count them out with James as their centerpiece. However if you subtracted him from his squad, they wouldn't even sniff the playoffs. As was posted upthread, he should be the MVP. I know he won't but he should be the MVP.
Yes.
But do you think the Warriors are as much of a sure thing as folks were saying before the season?
Yeah man, Mitchell’s been incredible, I loved him at Louisville, he’s expanded his game more than anyone could’ve anticipated and he seems like a great kid. But it has to be Simmons. Even if you call their offensive impact a wash, Simmons is already playing All-NBA level defense.
And then he does shit like this on a fairly regular basis:
Doesn’t get the assist, but that might be one of my favorite plays this year on a purely aesthetic basis.
No but they've been to 3 straight finals. That sht isn't an accident. until they're actually eliminated, not "tested" or "one injury away", like actually put out of the playoffs then they're the favorites to me.
For as much love as Doc has gotten this year for somewhat saving the season, he has been pretty terrible down the stretch. Continually rolling out his son as the lead guard to watch him kill all offense and over dribble. Defensively they're terrible but he's let the offense devolve into one on one iso garbage that a team without even a B- player shouldn't be playing.
The West is just insane. New Orleans has a 8 point lead over Golden State with just under four to go. Meanwhile OKC is down to Houston to enter the fourth and San Antonio is holding on for dear life against the Blazers. Denver has already won.
Feature indeed...
Feature indeed...
New Orleans will win in Oakland. Can OKC hang on in Houston? What about the Spurs at home against the Blazers?
41 points on 16-26 shooting, 10 boards and five assists is coming up short? Really?
They wouldn't have to merge if the Nuggets didn't make two trades with Utah. They drafted Gobert and traded him for scraps, then took Mitchell and traded him for Lyles. Your lineup could literally be the Nuggets team right now other than Ingles. Damn that sucks to consider.
I'll even buy that but say that "favorites" isn't what they were before the season. They were "Why is anyone else bothering?"
And "one injury away"? Curry is hurt now.
Anyway, I was responding to the "Sixers will be unbeatable with Lebron next season".
I hate this defense. You know the bulls were one Michael Jordan injury away every year from not winning six titles? Everyone is just one injury away. People make predictions or proclamations assuming health. It's pretty standard.
Also, I don't see the big difference between why is anyone else trying and favorites. The end result is still a title.
There is a big difference between one injury away and your best player currntly being injured (twice).
And a big difference between a 90% favorite and a 55% favorite. The end result is not necessarily a title in both scenarios.
No one’s saying the Warriors are a bad team right now. But it’s disingenuous to say that theIt outlook is the same as it was before the season started.
True, although 538’s system currently gives them a 4% shot.
53% HOU
15% TOR
6% PHI
5% CLE
4% UTA, GSW
3% OKC, SAS, BOS
Since as far as their system knows, Curry is off the DL right now and 100% healthy (as El Uno notes, assuming health is standard), Nate Silver should be pretty embarrassed, imo.
The Warriors last year had a far better net rating than the Rockets this year (+11.35 SRS to +8.58) and went 16-1 in the playoffs, with the same or arguably slightly weaker roster than they have this year (Cook, Looney, Young, Bell >>> Clark, McAdoo, MBarnes). The key difference has of course been health: this year’s team has played with all four healthy all-stars this season for a grand total of 41 games, with over 1000 minutes less from Curry, the straw who has always stirred the drink.
As far as the Curry injury: knocking wood furiously, but Pelton recently looked at recent grade 2 MCL injuries and found that a return to right around 100% effectiveness within 4-6 weeks is more common than not (2017 KD being the most notable example in Warrior-land). That would mean late first or early second round of the playoffs for Curry. But again, there’s no way 538’s system can know all this, so they just have to assume a healthy Curry starting in round 1, game 1.
So ... 4%?
TLDR: I’m with El Uno.
The Clippers literally do not have a point guard on their roster. What would you have preferred, Tobias Harris as point forward? That's not even a joke.
Yeah, too funny. Reminds me of a buddy of mine who is hyper critical of Simmons saying that Mitchell should win ROY because Ben is too flawed to be Jordan or LeBron. Agendas will have agendas (not saying I'm not guilty of this at times as well).
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