In Toronto too - no Kawhi (load management!) - but still impressive for the Magic.Orlando just beat Toronto. It’s upside down week in the NBA.
In Toronto too - no Kawhi (load management!) - but still impressive for the Magic.Orlando just beat Toronto. It’s upside down week in the NBA.
I was curious so I researched quick and was surprised to find that there are only 7 teams in the NBA this year with fewer turnovers than the Knicks.The Knicks somehow only have two turnovers halfway through the third, that doesn't seem possible with their roster.
Also as a long-suffering Knicks fan, Mitchell Robinson is exciting. Smith and Knox also show signs and are super young, but Robinson is already leading the league in BLK/48 by a lot (5.79, Myles Turner is next at 4.66). Hopefully NY can keep DeAndre around for another year to keep teaching him because wow is he gifted. Robinson dunks again as I click 'post'...
Actually, there's some other guy who is leading the league in blocks/48 at 7.7. Wonder who that can be . . . ?The Knicks somehow only have two turnovers halfway through the third, that doesn't seem possible with their roster.
Also as a long-suffering Knicks fan, Mitchell Robinson is exciting. Smith and Knox also show signs and are super young, but Robinson is already leading the league in BLK/48 by a lot (5.79, Myles Turner is next at 4.66). Hopefully NY can keep DeAndre around for another year to keep teaching him because wow is he gifted. Robinson dunks again as I click 'post'...
Except he doesn't qualify and Robinson does.Actually, there's some other guy who is leading the league in blocks/48 at 7.7. Wonder who that can be . . . ?![]()
MemphisClose game in Memphis vs the Lakers...who are we rooting for here?
Thanks - made the last few minutes that much more enjoyable.Memphis
1) doesn’t change their spot much
2) helps Clippers playoff chances
3) Fuck LA
4) Fuck Lebron
5) 3 & 4
Yes.Joakim Noah is...unwashed?
Over Fultz? Not sure if serious...Lauri quickly ascending a potential redraft of last year’s picks. He could be #1 soon.
Played tonight and dropped 34 (13-18 fg), 21, and 5. Born again hard? Wolves are now in a dead heat with the Lakers at 29-31, with a much better net rating. If KAT is playing like the beast he can be, they may have as good a shot at the #7 or 8 seed as anyone.Kat is coming out of concussion protocol and will play in their next game.
Harrell is having a very good below the radar season and is having a great game tonight. His defense has seen the biggest bump this year. Him, Lou Will and Gallinari make the Clippers a stealth star destination this offseason. Kawhi would fit nicely here but Durant works too.Montrezl Harrell, 12 minutes, seven dunks, four assists, two blocks. Incredibly springiness taking the ball to the rim.
EDIT: The undermanned Clippers are fun to watch. They play hard and play to whatever strengths remain on this stripped down roster - pick/rolls with Harrell and either LouWill or Gallo.
Trae Young...woah. 8-12 from deep with 36 points and seven assists. The last two months, not including tonight's light show, he has been shooting ~ 36.5% from deep. Maybe Travis Schlenk isn't feeling as bad as I thought.
Here are all of the players in NBA history aged 20 or younger who have scored 36 points, hit 8 threes and had 8 assists in a game:Trae Young was en fuego tonight; he basically went 8-12 shooting entirely from >3 feet beyond the line
Obligatory: "greatest shooter ever" is not a realistic ceiling for someone shooting a modest 32.9% from 3 and 80.9% from the line (36.0% and 86.1% in college, respectively).his ceiling is a better-passing Steph Curry
When Curry was Young's age he was playing in relative obscurity at Davidson while not convincing everyone that he would translate into a starting PG at the next level. Young's ballhandling and quickness at the same age far exceeds Curry's when he was a senior in college. Of course their growth from 20 to prime of 27-28 will likely be different there is a pretty high ceiling for Young especially with the leap he's taken during his first season alone.I don't think anyone expects Young to be as good as Curry, but it's impossible to watch those highlights from last night and not see the obvious comparisons. Young's finishing around the basket has been really impressive as well; like Curry the threat of the three point shot allows him to get around defenders and his floater game is really top-notch.
Steph was never a senior in college (came out after his junior year, right after his 21st bday); and even if we subtract his junior (age 20) season, I don't think his college career was any more obscure than Young's, except to the extent that social media had advanced a bit in the nine years between them. They were pretty similarly heralded heading into the draft, with Young's biggest advantage as a prospect being that Steph had set a template for what Young could be, whereas in '09 there was no real precedent for Steph.Young's ballhandling and quickness at the same age far exceeds Curry's when he was a senior in college.
The Nash comparison is interesting because I think if he hit his prime today he would be encouraged to shoot a lot more then he did since we are in the era of primary ballhandlers also being the guys who take the most shots during a game. What set Nash apart was his vision and unselfish playmaking; but I feel like in 2019 that asset would be stunted in favor of encouraging a great shooter to be more aggressive scoring the ball.Steph was never a senior in college (came out after his junior year, right after his 21st bday); and even if we subtract his junior (age 20) season, I don't think his college career was any more obscure than Young's, except to the extent that social media had advanced a bit in the nine years between them. They were pretty similarly heralded heading into the draft, with Young's biggest advantage as a prospect being that Steph had set a template for what Young could be, whereas in '09 there was no real precedent for Steph.
Generally agreed that Young's ballhandling and passing are more advanced than Steph's at a similar age, whereas Steph's shooting was superior. I've heard some people say Nash is actually a better comp for Young than Curry. But as you suggest, it's impossible to predict how Young will develop from age 20-27; and heck, if we're using Nash as a comp, there's even potential for a "second growth" from age 27-34. Rookie seasons only tell us so much; I remember being crushed in '09 when rookie Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points on the Warriors on my birthday, and it seemed painfully obvious to me that the Ws had blown yet another draft pick.
If he could stay on the court. He's averaging 1.9 fouls a game in 10 minutes.On Chriss: oh hey, he kinda sorta looks like a basketball player when he's allowed to move around, attack off the bounce, and play something resembling team basketball as opposed to just running a 24-7 screen-and-roll drill for the MVP.
I was referring to Curry’s final year when he only hit the national spotlight until the post-season as Davidson was never featured in prime time ESPN games. Compare that to Young who played what seemed like every game on ESPN while leading off SC many times that winter and it cannot be possible to say each player was equally obscure in college with a straight face.Steph was never a senior in college (came out after his junior year, right after his 21st bday); and even if we subtract his junior (age 20) season, I don't think his college career was any more obscure than Young's, except to the extent that social media had advanced a bit in the nine years between them. They were pretty similarly heralded heading into the draft, with Young's biggest advantage as a prospect being that Steph had set a template for what Young could be, whereas in '09 there was no real precedent for Steph.
One thing for certain is that people tend to label lead guards way way way too early as most don’t hit their prime until the age 27-30 range whether it be due to physical maturity, mental maturity, simply finding the right situation/coach.....or some combination of all three.Generally agreed that Young's ballhandling and passing are more advanced than Steph's at a similar age, whereas Steph's shooting was superior. I've heard some people say Nash is actually a better comp for Young than Curry. But as you suggest, it's impossible to predict how Young will develop from age 20-27; and heck, if we're using Nash as a comp, there's even potential for a "second growth" from age 27-34. Rookie seasons only tell us so much; I remember being crushed in '09 when rookie Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points on the Warriors on my birthday, and it seemed painfully obvious to me that the Ws had blown yet another draft pick.
I'm with you on the The Finnish Product; his rebounding has been a real sign of improvement; it's not easy for a big man who spends most of his time on the perimeter to average 9 rpg.Since the beginning of February
Markkanen 9 games .491/.375/.929, 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per game. Bulls are 4-5 over that stretch.
His numbers for his age 21 season so far
.443/.383/.877, 19.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 32.7 mpg Rebound rate 15.1%, Assist rate 7.0%, Steal rate 1.2%, Block rate 1.8%, TO rate 8.2%, Usage 24.9%
Dirks' age 21 season
.461/.379/.830, 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 35.8mpg Rebound rate 9.7%, Assist rate 10.9%, Steal rate 1.1%, Block rate 1.6%, TO rate 10.0%, Usage 21.2%.
The following year, Dirk's rebound rate climbed to 13.5% and he's at 12.7% for his career. Kinda interesting.
Trae Young's First 26 games: 29.3mpg, .373/.243/.781, 154 points, 7.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 4.0 Turnovers.
Trae Young's last 35 games: 31.2 mpg, .437/.388/.826, 19.1 points, 8.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 3.8 Turnovers.
He had a terrible November but has been really good otherwise. People would be paying much more attention to him if it wasn't for such a brutal month that he's still digging his way out of. Kinda like Westbrook. I was pretty harsh on Young earlier in the year but he's grown on me and I consider him a serious piece to put next to John Collins, the real steal of the 2017 draft. He's a very unique player and you can't help but love his shot chart. 54.2% from within 3, 73.3% from within 10. 18.9% from 3+. Only 7.8% of his shots are between 10-3pt. On offense, he's like Clint Capela with a 3 point shot. Usually the guy who is getting offensive rebounds, put backs, tip ins etc doesn't have a 3 point shot to go with it. How often does a player shoot over 60% from 2 while shooting 37%+ from 3? Guessing not very. That's a nice duo, and they are in line to land the 5th and 8th pick in the upcoming draft. Huerter looks pretty good himself and Prince could probably be traded for an asset.
And for all the talk that Brandon Ingram can't shoot the 3, the last 2 years:
Jaylen Brown .395 and .327 on 4.4 and 3.7 attempts per game. 121/306 last year, 67/205 this year. That's a combined .368.
Brandon Ingram .390 and .322 on 1.8 and 1.8 attempts per game. 41/105 last year, 28/87 this year. That's a combined .360.
Brown is a .663 FT shooter after 502 attempts, Ingram is a .661 FT shooter after 766 attempts. Brown has a career FG% of .458, Ingram .455.
511 attempts compared to 192 attempts in ~2 years is obviously a huge difference but the success rate has been basically the same.
Overall this year
Ingram .490/.322/.670, 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks in 33.5 minutes per. TS% of 54.9% ORtg 106.6, DRtg 107.3
Brown .453/.327/.676, 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks in 25.9 minutes per. TS% of 53.4%. ORtg 106.6 Drtg 103.8.
Seems like the real difference between the 2 is defense.
Your post is very well done, thanks. The numbers comparison on Brown and Ingram in particular.Seems like the real difference between the 2 is defense.
I mean, he does suck. But he's also 21 and has a ton of potential to get better and I think he will. If he's essentially the same player next year, I'll be worried. At that point, he starts looking like Andrew Wiggins. I think the age 22 and 23 off seasons are huge and judging players before that time is often like throwing darts blindfolded.Much of the "Ingram sucks" is wishcasting certainly.
Agreed that the projections get easier at that point.I mean, he does suck. But he's also 21 and has a ton of potential to get better and I think he will. If he's essentially the same player next year, I'll be worried. At that point, he starts looking like Andrew Wiggins. I think the age 22 and 23 off seasons are huge and judging players before that time is often like throwing darts blindfolded.
Hell, Trae's disastrous start to Summer League got the ball rolling in this regard: his first impressions were horrific. And then that rolled into November, and *everyone* was dunking on Young (and dunking even more on Schlenk). But here he is now, getting stronger and not weaker as the season rolls along - which seems the opposite of what everyone was expecting from a kid so young and so small after playing 50-60 games for the first time against elite competition. Maybe he won't mature into a stud, but for me it's enough at this point that he and the rest of the young core around him have people outside of Atlanta talking fondly about the Hawks' potential. And if they get lucky in the lottery this year...He had a terrible November but has been really good otherwise. People would be paying much more attention to him if it wasn't for such a brutal month that he's still digging his way out of.
I like Brown more because of his build and his effort on the defensive ends. Even with effort on the defensive end, Ingram really needs to bulk up. The one thing I like about Ingram more is his passing ability. Unless Brown improves in that area, I think it severely limits his ceiling. Sadly, I think Jeff Green works as a comp for both players. Ingram is a Jeff Green with play making abilities and Jaylen Brown is Jeff Green who plays defense. Jeff Green is also probably a better player than we give him credit for, but no one really wants Jeff Green. He's been in the NBA for 12 (or 13, 1 missed season) years and has been a starter for most of them. I doubt anyone considers him a bust with the 5th pick.Agreed that the projections get easier at that point.
The reason why I like Brown better than Ingram is that the former puts on effort on defense and has results to show for it. Ingram clearly has a higher offensive ceiling. So the evaluation on guys their age involves a ton of guesswork on likelihood of reaching their respective ceilings. But it also hinges on how much you value defense.
I really like the raw skills that this kid has. He has a ton to learn but if his head is focused on being the best player he can be the sky is the limit for Mitchell Robinson. It's easy to forget that he was one of the top players of his HS class and not some athletic freak flyer.....this kid could always play.Mitchell Robinson just blocked four shots in 40 seconds of game action, including one possession where he blocked an Aaron Gordon 3, the ball came back to Gordon, so he drove hard to the hoop, and Robinson blocked that too.
Maturity and decision making questions for one. He choose Western Kentucky as a 5-star recruit which is bizarre decision #1, he is on campus attending classes in the summer then leaves school in the fall to transfer prior to practice beginning which is bizarre decision #2. Then he hired representation who shut down his workouts out of the gate leading speculation that he had a 1st round promise.....until the 1st round came and went without his name being called. Someday I hope we find out exactly what happened or why his people didn't allow him to workout for anyone pre-draft.MitchRob: 32 minutes, 17 pts (6-9 fg, 5-6 ft), 14 reb, 3 stl, 6 blk, 0 tov, +5 in 5-point Knicks win.
How did he slip to #36 again?