2020-2021 NBA Game Thread

Kliq

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Year in and year out, Lillard continues to be under appreciated and overly under rated. Usually a player like this becomes such a novelty that everyone then OVER rates him......not Dame Dolla though. He’s legit legit.
I don't know if I agree with this. He plays in a smaller market which hurts, but he has made All-NBA first or second team in four of the five past seasons and has finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting four times. I think he is a consensus Top 10 NBA player by pretty much everyone who matters.
 

terrynever

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Riding the Embiid train tonight. 29 seconds left, Joel has career-high 50 points. Bulls led early in fourth quarter but Philly pulls away, 112-105.

Simmons out sick second game in row.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Wow. Jamal Murray had 50 points on 21/25 shooting, 8/10 from 3. No FTs.

What?

edit: Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball was 6/13, 6/12, 3/4 for 21 points, 12 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 1 rebound.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Something to watch is the first year of the picks Houston owes OKC in the Westbrook/CP3 deal. OKC gets the better two out of Houston’s, OKC’s, and Miami’s pick, with the conveyance of Houston’s pick being top four protected. Right now OKC’s pick is sitting at number 5 in the lottery, Houston at number 6. There’s a lot of season left and then who can say how the lottery balls land, but there’s a decent chance that OKC gets a major talent infusion this year, especially if this is as strong a draft as expected.
 

Kliq

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Wow. Jamal Murray had 50 points on 21/25 shooting, 8/10 from 3. No FTs.

What?

edit: Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball was 6/13, 6/12, 3/4 for 21 points, 12 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 1 rebound.
Part of me kind of wants to dismiss some of the Pelicans stats; they just fly up the court and play no defense. It's easy to put up empty counting stats that way.
 

lovegtm

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Something to watch is the first year of the picks Houston owes OKC in the Westbrook/CP3 deal. OKC gets the better two out of Houston’s, OKC’s, and Miami’s pick, with the conveyance of Houston’s pick being top four protected. Right now OKC’s pick is sitting at number 5 in the lottery, Houston at number 6. There’s a lot of season left and then who can say how the lottery balls land, but there’s a decent chance that OKC gets a major talent infusion this year, especially if this is as strong a draft as expected.
Houston really really needs to tank this year to maximize odds of not conveying. Would significantly change franchise trajectory.
 

Apisith

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Yeah, we're a few more losses away from needing to focus on tanking and making sure we end up with a top three pick.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Part of me kind of wants to dismiss some of the Pelicans stats; they just fly up the court and play no defense. It's easy to put up empty counting stats that way.
The are actually one of the leagues slowest paced teams under the new system. Their defense does still suck though which is an indictment on their personnel. When you look at that roster they should not be a bad defensive team yet they continue to be one.
 
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wade boggs chicken dinner

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The are actually one of the leagues slowest paced teams under the new system. Their defense does still suck though which is an indictment on their personnel. When you look at that roster they should not be a bad defensive team yet they continue to be one.
Could be an indictment of their system. They are giving up a ton of 3P shots in a league where almost every team is shooting lights out from 3P.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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BTW, not sure if it goes here but I just realized that FIBA US qualifying team has IT4, Joe Johnson, and Brandon Bass on the roster. Too bad they couldn't get Jared Sullinger and James Young or RJ Hunter to round out the team.
 

cheech13

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Nate Duncan trying to suck all the fun out of the Anthony Edwards dunk and getting eviscerated on Twitter for it may be the highlight of the young NBA season thus far.
 
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Kliq

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Yeah, that Edwards dunk is legitimately one of the biggest posters I've ever seen. Incredible athleticism, just violence on the follow through. Poor Yuta Wantanabe, he is unfortunately the perfect kind of overwhelmed JAG to end up on a poster.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Anyone watch any of Naz Reid this year? The Wolves suck but for a non drafted player last year, Reid is looking like a find.

Averaging 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks on .516/.382/.730 shooting. 2.8 3PA a game. He was a McDonalds All American in HS so there's that.
 

BigSoxFan

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Anyone watch any of Naz Reid this year? The Wolves suck but for a non drafted player last year, Reid is looking like a find.

Averaging 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks on .516/.382/.730 shooting. 2.8 3PA a game. He was a McDonalds All American in HS so there's that.
Yup. Watched him for fantasy hoops reasons and he has looked really good. Not even drafted and originally signed to 2-way contract. A hell of a find for the Wolves. Surprised he wasn’t drafted. He’s exactly the type of guy you throw a 2nd round pick at.
 

Tony C

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In seeing bits and pieces of his play, he looks perky enough to be a useful bench piece to a # of teams, but on that contract Houston could have traded him -- or is this a courtesy to Boogie to let him choose his own situation?
 

GreenMonsterVsGodzilla

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Yeah, that Edwards dunk is legitimately one of the biggest posters I've ever seen. Incredible athleticism, just violence on the follow through. Poor Yuta Wantanabe, he is unfortunately the perfect kind of overwhelmed JAG to end up on a poster.
Getting posterized: is there any other situation in sports where doing, basically, the right thing, gets you shitted on? I mean, Watanabe just happens to be the guy on help defense. like Kliq says, JAG. He didn’t do anything particularly wrong... in fact, it would’ve taken a truly spectacular effort to make the block.
The closest thing I can think of is a goalie in soccer or hockey getting badly deked. But in that case, there’s at least a small aspect of f’ing up, because goalies do make that save with some frequency. Also don’t think a goalie gets the same opprobrium .

edit: apparently my memory of “reprobrium” being a word is way off
 

BigSoxFan

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Getting posterized: is there any other situation in sports where doing, basically, the right thing, gets you shitted on? I mean, Watanabe just happens to be the guy on help defense. like Kliq says, JAG. He didn’t do anything particularly wrong... in fact, it would’ve taken a truly spectacular effort to make the block.
The closest thing I can think of is a goalie in soccer or hockey getting badly deked. But in that case, there’s at least a small aspect of f’ing up, because goalies do make that save with some frequency. Also don’t think a goalie gets the same opprobrium .

edit: apparently my memory of “reprobrium” being a word is way off
Reminds me of a story from college at BC where I was playing pickup with a bunch of football players. One of my teammates turned the ball over and I raced back to contest a dunk from a lanky 6’5 football player only to have him completely destroy me (I’m 5’11) on a dunk in front of like 20-30 people watching who all burst out laughing.

The player ended up being future first round pick Mathias Kiwanuka and I don’t go a year without my buddies busting me on it like 18-19 years later.
 

TripleOT

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Reminds me of a story from college at BC where I was playing pickup with a bunch of football players. One of my teammates turned the ball over and I raced back to contest a dunk from a lanky 6’5 football player only to have him completely destroy me (I’m 5’11) on a dunk in front of like 20-30 people watching who all burst out laughing.

The player ended up being future first round pick Mathias Kiwanuka and I don’t go a year without my buddies busting me on it like 18-19 years later.

Summer run at URI, early 1980s. I’m 6’4” and am guarding a guy who is new to our runs. He catches the ball in the lane and yokes it on my head (I fancied myself as a shot blocker in the Bill Russell mold, if he hacked every single time he challenged a shot, and I wasn’t ever dunked on).


The dunker was Al Skinner, who just ended his NBA. I was pissed at my teammates, telling them if I knew he was a NBA player, I would have been face guarding and fouling him all run.
 

BigSoxFan

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Summer run at URI, early 1980s. I’m 6’4” and am guarding a guy who is new to our runs. He catches the ball in the lane and yokes it on my head (I fancied myself as a shot blocker in the Bill Russell mold, if he hacked every single time he challenged a shot, and I wasn’t ever dunked on).


The dunker was Al Skinner, who just ended his NBA. I was pissed at my teammates, telling them if I knew he was a NBA player, I would have been face guarding and fouling him all run.
Ha, great story. Skinner always joined the pickup games at BC and dude was ultra competitive and physical, which was funny given his laid back approach as a coach.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Where would SGA rank among players under 25 anyway? He's having a pretty great season and isn't even 23 yet. He has to be comparable to Ingram at the very least. There are just so many good players under the age of 25.

Has to be one of the more underrated young players, anyway.
 

Cellar-Door

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In seeing bits and pieces of his play, he looks perky enough to be a useful bench piece to a # of teams, but on that contract Houston could have traded him -- or is this a courtesy to Boogie to let him choose his own situation?
He's been quite bad, he'll get a look as a FA, but I can't imagine anyone bothering to trade for him, and for HOU, the best case scenario is maybe a protected 2nd?


It was a meltdown. He was upset that they gave Charlotte a timeout and was pointing and swearing at the refs.
Second straight game they've lost late.
This one he lost it on a close TO call, picked up a T, then wouldn't let it go.
Last game was hilarious, they doubled Steph, he passed to Draymond who nobody covered, who didn't even look to do anything except shovel it right back to Steph for a heavily contested 3 running away from the basket. Teams know he won't shoot and won't drive so they just are not even trying to cover him late in the clock.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Summer run at URI, early 1980s. I’m 6’4” and am guarding a guy who is new to our runs. He catches the ball in the lane and yokes it on my head (I fancied myself as a shot blocker in the Bill Russell mold, if he hacked every single time he challenged a shot, and I wasn’t ever dunked on).


The dunker was Al Skinner, who just ended his NBA. I was pissed at my teammates, telling them if I knew he was a NBA player, I would have been face guarding and fouling him all run.
I’m glad social media wasn’t around in the early 90’s when Kyle Ivey-Jones made me look like a miniature Frederick Weis after I thought it would be a good idea to try and slide into a charge in a summer league game.
 

Swedgin

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I’m glad social media wasn’t around in the early 90’s when Kyle Ivey-Jones made me look like a miniature Frederick Weis after I thought it would be a good idea to try and slide into a charge in a summer league game.
My favorite Ram when I was in high school.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Getting posterized: is there any other situation in sports where doing, basically, the right thing, gets you shitted on? I mean, Watanabe just happens to be the guy on help defense. like Kliq says, JAG. He didn’t do anything particularly wrong... in fact, it would’ve taken a truly spectacular effort to make the block.
The closest thing I can think of is a goalie in soccer or hockey getting badly deked. But in that case, there’s at least a small aspect of f’ing up, because goalies do make that save with some frequency. Also don’t think a goalie gets the same opprobrium .

edit: apparently my memory of “reprobrium” being a word is way off
Facts, olaying the dunk is looked at as the more respectable play for some reason. Watanabe is a former A10 defensive player of the year, so he had just enough self esteem to try and challenge.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Facts, olaying the dunk is looked at as the more respectable play for some reason. Watanabe is a former A10 defensive player of the year, so he had just enough self esteem to try and challenge.
Unlike Aron Baynes, who probably should have been the help defender on the play, but had surveyed the terrain and determined, à la Brave Sir Robin, that discretion was the better part of valor.
 

Jimbodandy

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Unlike Aron Baynes, who probably should have been the help defender on the play, but had surveyed the terrain and determined, à la Brave Sir Robin, that discretion was the better part of valor.
Son and I were laughing about that yesterday. Baynes has been around long enough to identify quickly that it was poster time, and he opted out. You can see the moment that the light goes on for him.
 

Tony C

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Facts, olaying the dunk is looked at as the more respectable play for some reason. Watanabe is a former A10 defensive player of the year, so he had just enough self esteem to try and challenge.
Yeah, I never quite get why these sorts of posterizings are seen as a humiliation. Very cool that Watanabe made a great effort to contest as opposed to others who might have just done an olé! To me the olés should be seen as the wimpy play, but ymmv.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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HomeRunBaker

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Gene Banks! I remember as a kid looking forward to the day when SI arrived in the mailbox and I can vividly recall Banks on the cover. I still swear he was 28 when he walked onto the Duke campus back when being a tweener held a player back.
 

Kliq

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I think it's time to talk about Terry Rozier taking 8 threes a game and making 46%(!) of them. Like, holy shit. The first year Steph Curry won the MVP award he took 8 threes a game and made 44% of them.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I think it's time to talk about Terry Rozier taking 8 threes a game and making 46%(!) of them. Like, holy shit. The first year Steph Curry won the MVP award he took 8 threes a game and made 44% of them.
Rozier dropped 21 yesterday.......in the 4Q!! 8-11 on threes, 5-5 on 4Q three with three of them rainbow 3’s in the final minute including the game winner at the buzzer. It was Curry-esque. Kids looking incredible this year.
 

Kliq

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Rozier dropped 21 yesterday.......in the 4Q!! 8-11 on threes, 5-5 on 4Q three with three of them rainbow 3’s in the final minute including the game winner at the buzzer. It was Curry-esque. Kids looking incredible this year.
Yeah he is earning his money for sure. He shot 40 percent last season so it isn't a fluke at this point.
 

TripleOT

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Rozier dropped 21 yesterday.......in the 4Q!! 8-11 on threes, 5-5 on 4Q three with three of them rainbow 3’s in the final minute including the game winner at the buzzer. It was Curry-esque. Kids looking incredible this year.
In hindsight, Ainge would have been better off extending draftees Rozier and Olynyk, and keeping Crowder, instead of the three stars that walked away as free agents.

Rozier, JB, JT, Smart, Theis, with KO, Crowder, TL, PP off the bench would be a potent team.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Not sure Rozier would be the best fit with the Jays. He’s not a passer and needs the ball in his hand to be effective. I’d kill to have a guy like prime Rondo running the point on this team who looks to facilitate more than score. Too bad those guys are hard to come by.

I’ll always be a Rozier fan after the whole Drew Bledsoe thing and what he did a couple years ago in the playoffs. Love seeing him play great in Charlotte.
 

TripleOT

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Not sure Rozier would be the best fit with the Jays. He’s not a passer and needs the ball in his hand to be effective. I’d kill to have a guy like prime Rondo running the point on this team who looks to facilitate more than score. Too bad those guys are hard to come by.

I’ll always be a Rozier fan after the whole Drew Bledsoe thing and what he did a couple years ago in the playoffs. Love seeing him play great in Charlotte.
Kemba: only 32% of his buckets are assisted, and only 45% of his threes. Rozier is 60 and 80%. He would be much less an iso scorer than Kemba.

I thing the Jays are best served by playing with three point shooters. While it would be a luxury to have a 10 apg PG, it’s not necessary, since they both can self generate points.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Kemba: only 32% of his buckets are assisted, and only 45% of his threes. Rozier is 60 and 80%. He would be much less an iso scorer than Kemba.

I thing the Jays are best served by playing with three point shooters. While it would be a luxury to have a 10 apg PG, it’s not necessary, since they both can self generate points.
I think Kemba has been a pretty horrible fit this year for sure. I’m surprised by those Rozier numbers but have to admit I haven’t watched much of any Charlotte this season. It’s hard to believe given how he played in Boston. 10 APG guys don’t grow on trees but in general I think I’d prefer a pass first PG who can knock down some shots and play reasonable defense over a “scoring” PG like Kemba. Then another wing who isn’t a disaster with the ball in his hands. And maybe a big who sets good screens, can pass the ball, and is a credible three point threat (cough, Al Horford, cough). And then in about 8 hours I’ll wake up.