As long as it's above hack a shaq levels. Given his issues it wouldn't shock me if his FT% crashes and teams send him to the line over and over down the stretch of close games.
2022-23 NBA Game Thread
- Thread starter Deathofthebambino
- Start date
View: https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1582908462979510272
Ben Simmons Nets debut: 4 points 6 fouls -26
Ben Simmons Nets debut: 4 points 6 fouls -26
Except, that he's not when games matter. There has been a clear regression.
His FT in the playoffs:
2018: .707
2019:.575
2021: .342
FGA in the playoffs.
2018: 12.5
2019: 9.7
2021: 7.8
No argument that the Nets are not an ideal fit for Simmons skill set, but few teams are. Simmons best case scenario is a roster without an established lead ball handler or a ball dominant wing, and plenty of shooters. So the...... Spurs?
If Brooklyn has a middling season that does not invite a lot of attention or scrutiny, I could see Simmons improving as eyeballs drift elsewhere. However, with the Kyrie/Durant/Nash dynamic in the nation's largest city, fading into obscurity seems somewhat unlikely.
For a guy who had him as a bust 12 months ago I am fully entrenched on the Franz Wagner bandwagon. I see his curve similar to Gordon Haywards where it ends with him lacing up sneakers on All-Star weekends.
Probably, but when a young guy improves this rapidly, things can move very quickly.
After watching the Nets, Nuggets, Heat and even the Sixers lose their openers, I'm feeling even better about how the C's looked.
I mean, the Nuggets were giving 7 on the road at Utah, who for all intents and purposes is trying to win 10 games at most, and lost by 20. The Nets got blown out, the Heat were tied at halftime, down by 10 after 3 and lost by 8 to the Bulls.
Early season and all, but yeah, the C's came out and took care of business, and that's more than can be said for these teams. I'm not even blasting the Cavs, Knicks and Mavs, as they played good teams, and lost.
If the Bucks get slapped around by the Sixers tonight, I'll be even happier. Then I'll tune in and watch the Clippers hopefully shit some more on the rotting corpse of the Lakers.
I mean, the Nuggets were giving 7 on the road at Utah, who for all intents and purposes is trying to win 10 games at most, and lost by 20. The Nets got blown out, the Heat were tied at halftime, down by 10 after 3 and lost by 8 to the Bulls.
Early season and all, but yeah, the C's came out and took care of business, and that's more than can be said for these teams. I'm not even blasting the Cavs, Knicks and Mavs, as they played good teams, and lost.
If the Bucks get slapped around by the Sixers tonight, I'll be even happier. Then I'll tune in and watch the Clippers hopefully shit some more on the rotting corpse of the Lakers.
Yeah I didn't see the game but according to to this article, BRK has bigger problems than BS's FT shooting. Article points out NO outrebounded BRk 61-39 and had a 32 point disparity in second-chance points (36-4). Article also points out that BRK plays multiple teams who are as big as NO.
It will be interesting to see how BRK fares against TOR on Firday night.
Mavs did play a good team, but honestly I'm not sure how good they are. Looking at that roster...once you get past Luka, that's a pretty bad team. I feel better about the Celtics looking at the top-9, top-10 of most of those teams.
Yeah, New Orleans might be a really good team if they stay healthy, but Brooklyn's defense is very exploitable and they are relying on a lot on Ben Simmons to be an all-world defender and plug up a lot of holes and who knows how reliable that is going to be. Durant could average 30 ppg and it might not matter.
Brooklyn will be a complete shitshow of drama, problems, injuries and infighting by January 31st, 2023, if not sooner.
Book it, write it down, bet on it. Just know it's happening.
I don't think Simmons and Claxton can play in the same starting units. They were awful to start both the first (-14) and third (-9) quarters.
Yesterday was my first event opening night with league pass, amazing. I think I overdosed on basketball.
Yesterday was my first event opening night with league pass, amazing. I think I overdosed on basketball.
As good as he is defensively, having him start alongside Claxton is a major spacing issue. Simmons is yet to take a shot outside of the paint so far this year (including preseason), and Claxton has typically taken about 95% of his shots within 10 feet of the basket. As good as Durant and Kyrie are offensively, I don't know how good an offense can be in 2022 when 2 of your 5 starters can't score at all outside of the paint.
If you’re going to have those two clogging up spacing on offense you need to win rebounding battle with all that size (including Durant). If not, you just can’t justify that unit out there
Are you sure? Because Nick Wright not only predicted the Mavs will win the title, he also said they will have the best offense in NBA history.
View: https://twitter.com/getnickwright/status/1582935963252105218?s=20&t=lSEGLsUCpsFm7rqNyvU8fA
Called my shot on @FTFonFS1 yesterday: I think the Mavs are going to have the best offense in NBA history this year and Luka is going to cruise to league MVP.
Through one half of the first game, we are right on pace!
If you can think of a team in the West that might have a better offense than Dallas I'd love to hear it.
Beat me to it. That is not a hard question. The Clips, the Suns and Memphis can get there as well.
I mean, Utah, Memphis, Phoenix, Denver, and Minnesota all had better offenses than them last year (and the Warriors had the better offense in the playoffs). Utah almost certainly drops back this year, but LAC, NO, Portland, and Sacramento all likely move up. Wood is a very nice offensive addition for Dallas, but Brunson is a pretty big loss.
But I wasn’t questioning Dallas’ offensive chops. Heck, I’m not even giving them zero chance of making the Finals. I’m saying I think they’re a terrible pick as Western Conference standard bearer given the other options (GS, LAC, Denver, Memphis primarily; and I’d also strongly consider Phoenix and NO over them).
Same deal with Philly, who play in the same conference as the Celtics and Bucks.
I thought Philly/Mil was going the same as the C's game with Philly, close at the half, then Philly folding in the 2nd half, but they've come back playing small ball and Harden balling. Some sloppy play from the Bucks aiding their cause.
I know Middleton/Connaughton are out, but I'm seeing quite a bit of Jevon Carter, Jordon Nwora, Grayson Allen
with an older, slower 34yr old Brook Lopez
and 36yr old guards: Wes Matthews + George Hill
Giannis is going to play a whole load of regular-season minutes
with an older, slower 34yr old Brook Lopez
and 36yr old guards: Wes Matthews + George Hill
Giannis is going to play a whole load of regular-season minutes
Not exactly a hot take, but Matt Ryan playing meaningful minutes for the Lakers seems bad for them.
It's amazing how bad that roster is outside of Lebron and AD.
Beverly can hustle and defend. There are only 4 to 5 players on the team that would touch an NBA rotation on a half decent team. The rest are AWFUL.
I almost feel bad for Lebron. Almost
Walker has looked good tonight, if he can shoot 3's reasonably I think he'd be a good fit for them.
Guard play is atrocious. Bev, Russ and Nunn shooting a combined 1-23……..and it’s still a 4-pt game. I will say this, the Lakers are defending their asses off tonight. Clips are having to work for everything and having to force many bad shots against the clock.
Walker has looked OK tonight but in general is pretty awful. If he can shoot 3s, then I guess he's passable as a bench piece. Better than Westbrook at least.
It's funny Reggie Miller and the other announcer (didn't catch her name) think Austin Reaves is a shooter. They can't imagine why else he would be out there lol.
He shot 31% last season and his last 2 seasons of college was 26% and 30% from 3.
Couldn't be more obvious this game. You just can't play Beverly and Westbrook together.
The only shooter they found was Matt Ryan who is not even an NBA player, but they are forced to put him in the rotation to offset the complete lack of shooting by their NBA players.
Maybe I should try out for them.
The sequence where Russ induced Kawhi into a travel by pulling the chair, followed by Leonard showing frustration makes this train wreck worth it
