2020-2021 NBA Game Thread

Imbricus

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For anyone who got excited about that one good game Strus had shooting 3's for the Heat, he was 0-4 last night and is 27.3% for the season. So, meh.
 

128

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For anyone who got excited about that one good game Strus had shooting 3's for the Heat, he was 0-4 last night and is 27.3% for the season. So, meh.
Yeah, keeping Javonte Green was the right move, but it would be nice if he could occasionally hit an open 3-pointer.
 

cheech13

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Are the Cavs sneaky good? I kind of liked them as a sleeper preseason and they’ve surprisingly decent so far.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Are the Cavs sneaky good? I kind of liked them as a sleeper preseason and they’ve surprisingly decent so far.
I think they'll be battling for a playoff spot, especially if they get anything out of Kevin Love this year.

I also think the roster is build really well. Drummond helps hide the flaws of Garland and Sexton and Garland and Sexton help hide the flaws of Drummond. Larry Nance is an ultimate glue guy and Osman is offense off the bench. Jarrett Allen is also really good, though I'm not sure how well him and Drummond will work together on the court. Prince is also a capable basketball player.

I'm not even sure they are sneaky good. They have a pretty talented roster, mixed with vets and young players.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Also, how good would Collin Sexton look on the Celtics right now? I judge players a little differently so I thought Sexton had a very good rookie year (his D sucked, but he's a rookie). Dude can flat out shoot the basketball but he needs to stop taking so many 3-10 foot jump shots.

I know people on the board love Marcus Smart but I always wondered how the C's would look with an elite shooting SG to pair up with Tatum and Brown. I don't think Sexton is a perfect fit because he's 6'1 and isn't a true PG, but the dude can shoot and score. I also think short SG who can shoot and score aren't all that hard to find though so it's not a huge loss. It would be Sexton instead of Kemba, really.
 

Imbricus

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Also, how good would Collin Sexton look on the Celtics right now?
Yup, and he could've been ours, if not for the Kyrie misadventure. But it was hard to know at the time what a head case Kyrie was. The Nets, on the other hand, have no such excuse.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Yup, and he could've been ours, if not for the Kyrie misadventure. But it was hard to know at the time what a head case Kyrie was. The Nets, on the other hand, have no such excuse.
The Nets didn't give up anything for him and probably got KD because of him.

The C's could have ended up picking someone else too, but there were quite a few good players on the board. https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2018.html

I'd still do the Kyrie trade if I knew the pick was going to be the 8th pick in the draft. At the time of the trade, to me it was really just KI for the Nets pick.
 

Imbricus

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In the "this can't be a good sign" category: Nets shoot 51% from three (last night) and still manage to beat the Heat by only 4 points.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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The Nets didn't give up anything for him and probably got KD because of him.

The C's could have ended up picking someone else too, but there were quite a few good players on the board. https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2018.html

I'd still do the Kyrie trade if I knew the pick was going to be the 8th pick in the draft. At the time of the trade, to me it was really just KI for the Nets pick.
I had this thought as well but remember the other bonus the Cs got from the trade was not having to deal with what would have been a very contentios - and very public I'm sure - contract negotiation with IT4.
 

lovegtm

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I had this thought as well but remember the other bonus the Cs got from the trade was not having to deal with what would have been a very contentios - and very public I'm sure - contract negotiation with IT4.
Yeah, I was all-in on the Kyrie deal at the time, partly for this reason. The team dodged a huge locker-room bullet and the Brooklyn pick didn't end up awesome, so that part was all good. They got really unlucky in that Kyrie kind of went insane and Hayward got hurt.
 

Euclis20

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In the "this can't be a good sign" category: Nets shoot 51% from three (last night) and still manage to beat the Heat by only 4 points.
They are going to have a lot of games like that. A team with no depth and below average defenders at 3/5 starting positions is going to have a hard time keeping the other team from scoring.
 

128

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Hayward goes for 39 and 9 as Charlotte rallies to beat Orlando.
 

TripleOT

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Yeah, I was all-in on the Kyrie deal at the time, partly for this reason. The team dodged a huge locker-room bullet and the Brooklyn pick didn't end up awesome, so that part was all good. They got really unlucky in that Kyrie kind of went insane and Hayward got hurt.
It looks like the player taken with the BK pick at 8, Collin Sexton, might be the third best player in that draft, after Luka and Trey Young.

I also was high on Kyrie. The big problem with acquiring high end NBA talent is keeping them.
 

benhogan

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It looks like the player taken with the BK pick at 8, Collin Sexton, might be the third best player in that draft, after Luka and Trey Young.

I also was high on Kyrie. The big problem with acquiring high end NBA talent is keeping them.
Sexton came into the draft with a great defensive reputation, which hasn't translated.

10 games in, SSS alert, I can't imagine he keeps this up. I still like SGA more
 

The Social Chair

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Harden not shooting to prove he's a team player doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the Nets. He's clearly their 2nd best player.
 

Cellar-Door

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Watching some of the Nuggets highlights. They have no idea how to fit MPJ into the offense, but when Jokic is out they just let him cook.

30 on 18 shots and +10 (second only to fellow bench guy Campazzo) and closed it out for them in the win.

He's insanely good on offense (and the defense is improved).
 

Sam Ray Not

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Watching Wiggins light up Minnesota is pretty comical
23 points on 10-19 fg, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks, +22. That’ll do, Two-Way Wiggs.

Washed Steph (36 pts on 21 fga) pretty good, too.

Wiseman v. Edwards about a push. Kerr benched big James this game for Looney, which he probably should have done all along. Wiseman has solid numbers, and is good for at least one “wow” moment a game, but still has tons to learn about NBA offense and defense (predictably, given he’s 19 and coming off a year’s layoff after three college games, with one week’s worth of training camp). Same goes for Edwards, though it’s the nature of his position/role that he’s gonna shoot his team out of more games while he’s figuring stuff out.

Double win for the Dubs, whose Wolves first-round pick keeps maturing. Apparently I’m supposed to root for the Wolves to finish 6th worst rather than worst cos it best balances the value of the pick and the chances it conveys (it’s protected #1-3, or unprotected in 2022) but that’s too complicated for me, so I’m just rooting for them to rack up losses. If KAT’s return helps them rack up a few wins, I’m fine with that too, since he deserves some joy after a nightmare 2020. I’ll start rooting for him and Edwards in earnest after their pick conveys.
 
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Imbricus

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Judging by the box scores lately, Anthony Edwards looking like a "volume shooter," a la Westbrook, but not in a particularly good way. He appears to be heaving up a lot of shots, not many of which are going in.
 

lovegtm

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Judging by the box scores lately, Anthony Edwards looking like a "volume shooter," a la Westbrook, but not in a particularly good way. He appears to be heaving up a lot of shots, not many of which are going in.
I guess...I'm pretty reluctant to judge a rookie based on efficiency, since even guys who end up good tend to be really inefficient when they start off careers with high volume.

If a guy is going to be a primary scorer, there's almost always a learning phase of taking and missing tough shots until you get comfortable and find your spots on the floor where you can be efficient in the flow of a game.
 

JCizzle

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Anyone have a read on what's going on with the Heat? 6-10 is definitely not what I expected, but it's obviously still early. I'm guessing a combination of guys missing time and a relatively tough schedule?
 

Cesar Crespo

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Anyone have a read on what's going on with the Heat? 6-10 is definitely not what I expected, but it's obviously still early. I'm guessing a combination of guys missing time and a relatively tough schedule?
Butler has played 6 of 16 games.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Anyone have a read on what's going on with the Heat? 6-10 is definitely not what I expected, but it's obviously still early. I'm guessing a combination of guys missing time and a relatively tough schedule?
I think Herro's been out too. Also, last two games against Nets Avery Bradley and Myers Leonard weren't available. Harkless was injured. Earlier this month, Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn were out for two games with contact tracing.
 

JCizzle

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Wizards vs Rockets...TPE TV

Zarren just flopped down on Danny's basement couch
I'm sure the Wiz will get a nice return for Beal with picks, but the next couple of years with Westbrook and the kids will be a sight to behold. Yuck. I wonder if Westbrook will try to escape or be happy putting up meaningless stats realizing nobody wants to touch that contract.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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This game is pitiful. Wall, Olidapo, RW, and even Beal are laying bricks all over the court. Lopez and Cousins are statues.

Jesus, this is bad.
RW has been laying bricks all season. He's shooting .391 on 2P shots and .301 on 4.5 3P shots a game - .370 overall - and he's still jacking up 18 shots a game. I bet 'Arsen could shoot better than that with 18 shots per game. :rolleyes:
 

HomeRunBaker

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And he's not elite at even getting to the rim anymore, so, uh, what's he have going for him?
I’ve been saying forever that RWB fall from grace is going to come crashing as hard as Iverson and Francis. Even though he isn’t a small guard the reliance on his first step is going to haunt him after he hits those dreaded early 30’s.
 

HomeRunBaker

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“The Jazz are making Rivers a facilitator now. Forcing the ball out of his hands.”

Could you ever have imagined hearing an announcer say this with a straight face?
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Miami scored 12 points in the first quarter, 7 from Bam 5 from Nunn, no one else on the board. Collectively 1 for 16 from 3.