Do you think the Clippers are that much of a lock for a playoff spot you'd rather they lose, especially given how close the west is?Need Miami to step up for the sweep.
Agreed. Far too early to be rooting for Clippers losses.Do you think the Clippers are that much of a lock for a playoff spot you'd rather they lose, especially given how close the west is?
I'd much rather the Clippers win.
Disappointing, especially since the Kings get the beat-a-Bulls next.0-2
Meh
I'm particularly worried that the Jazz just aren't good.Sac on their way to their 5th win in 6 games. Schedule gets tougher but they’re hanging around. These other WC teams needs to get their act together.
The Jazz are REALLY good. As I mentioned a couple weeks ago their schedule has been nothing like any of teams in the league up to this point. Up until now they have had only 3 sequences of more than one home game followed by another trip on the road......and 2 of those were 2 games and back on the road. It’s now finally beginning to normalize a little bit for them as they have won their last 3 home games by 34, 27, and 27 but now it’s back on the road for 3 of their next 4 with the one home game being Golden State. Absolutely brutal what the league has done to them.I'm particularly worried that the Jazz just aren't good.
Before Wednesday’s game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra noted in rather strong terms a big reason he feels the Jazz have been inconsistent thus far, and also made a prediction about the rest of their season. “With Utah, I just think everybody’s overlooking something that nobody wants to hear about: Their schedule has been outrageous,” he said.“They’ve basically lived in a hotel for the first six weeks of the season. Come talk to me in two months and we’ll see what their record is. I think they’ll be climbing up that Western Conference pretty quickly.”
Thanks for the breakdown; that explains a lot of why their D has been so bad relative to their standards.The Jazz are REALLY good. As I mentioned a couple weeks ago their schedule has been nothing like any of teams in the league up to this point. Up until now they have had only 3 sequences of more than one home game followed by another trip on the road......and 2 of those were 2 games and back on the road. It’s now finally beginning to normalize a little bit for them as they have won their last 3 home games by 34, 27, and 27 but now it’s back on the road for 3 of their next 4 with the one home game being Golden State. Absolutely brutal what the league has done to them.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/UTA/2019_games.html
Spoelstra echoed yesterday what I have been preaching about the Jazz.......
I'm thinking of it more in terms of "cmon guys, go catch the Kings already."The Jazz could be a good team and still miss the playoffs at this point. At some point, the West has to break right? The 2nd worst team in the division could finish with a .500 record.
Remember when some people were worried the Kings pick would end #1 and we'd end up with the Sixers pick? I'd love to go back to that scenario.I'm thinking of it more in terms of "cmon guys, go catch the Kings already."
Their offense is really dependent on effort, precision, and acting decisively with the defense in rotation. It actually has held up decently the last few playoffs, so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt wrt schedule-induced fatigue.Jazz have had a brutal schedule, but....
They also have problems. Last year they had a great defense and a not that good offense.
This year they have a good defense and a bad offense, and some of the offense change is structural to me. Last year they got an outlier 3pt% year from Rubio, they had Jerebko playing significant minutes shooting the 3 well, Hood and Thabo each shot just under 40% from 3 in 2000 combined minutes. Now Hood and Jerebko are gone, Rubio is back to Rubio and Mitchell has slid from mediocre to bad, they can't stretch the floor other than Ingles and the offense is trash.
I think they are too good to miss the playoffs, but they aren't a particularly good team.
Everything you mentioned is a product of their travel schedule and fatigue that comes along with it. You also failed to mention Korver along with Ingles offensively which has completely changed the dynamic of their offense the past two weeks.Jazz have had a brutal schedule, but....
They also have problems. Last year they had a great defense and a not that good offense.
This year they have a good defense and a bad offense, and some of the offense change is structural to me. Last year they got an outlier 3pt% year from Rubio, they had Jerebko playing significant minutes shooting the 3 well, Hood and Thabo each shot just under 40% from 3 in 2000 combined minutes. Now Hood and Jerebko are gone, Rubio is back to Rubio and Mitchell has slid from mediocre to bad, they can't stretch the floor other than Ingles and the offense is trash.
I think they are too good to miss the playoffs, but they aren't a particularly good team.
YupRemember when some people were worried the Kings pick would end #1 and we'd end up with the Sixers pick? I'd love to go back to that scenario.
Sounds like the IT4 Celtics. Max effort team without a ton of wiggle room on offense. Even if they make they playoffs, that max effort stuff isn't an advantage anymore--everybody is trying hard on both ends.Their offense is really dependent on effort, precision, and acting decisively with the defense in rotation. It actually has held up decently the last few playoffs, so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt wrt schedule-induced fatigue.
Last night's Celtics' game was a good contrast. The Celtics were on the road, flat, and not executing crisply on offense or defense (John Wall layup line). But because they have Kyrie Irving, they can just let him go supernova, put up some points and win an OT shootout. The Jazz simply don't have that margin for error, and the drain of a brutal schedule would affect them more than most imo.
I'm not as low on them as that. Max effort, locked in Utah is really good defensively, just because of the talent level they have on that end.Sounds like the IT4 Celtics. Max effort team without a ton of wiggle room on offense. Even if they make they playoffs, that max effort stuff isn't an advantage anymore--everybody is trying hard on both ends.
Maybe Korver changes things, but the guys they lost has nothing to do with schedule nor is it reasonable to blame Rubio returning to long time career norms as a shooter on the schedule. Maybe Mitchell's struggles can be blamed on the schedule but we don't have much data to go on and even if he slides back toward 34% it doesn't change the backcourt shooting issues.Everything you mentioned is a product of their travel schedule and fatigue that comes along with it. You also failed to mention Korver along with Ingles offensively which has completely changed the dynamic of their offense the past two weeks.
2-6 is a real possibility. The Grizz only saving grace is that with the exception of tomorrow night they don't play a single back-to-back during this entire stretch. Who gets away with playing a 4-game road trip out west with no B2B? These are usually a 3 game in 4 night swing.Memphis loses at home to Miami. Schedule rest of the month:
Rockets
@ Warriors
@ Blazers
@ Kings
@ Lakers
Cavs
Celtics
@ Rockets
Should be 3-4 losses in that stretch, maybe more.
I won't complain if we can end up with two picks in the 10-14 range.With MEM and SAC losing last night, the picks as of this morning (assuming no lottery movement) are 12, 13, 20 and 23.
Yup. I’d sign up for that right now.I won't complain if we can end up with two picks in the 10-14 range.
That’s shooting way to low imo. This sounds like a worse case scenario with the upside of both Memphis and Sacramento being in the top 8-9. We “should” have one of these two within the top 9 with Houston waking up, Utah’s schedule normalizing and teams not being caught off guard by the Jazz and Kings as much.I won't complain if we can end up with two picks in the 10-14 range.
Memphis is Top 8 protected so that pick landing 9 or 10 would be pretty ideal unless the preference is to roll the pick into 2020.That’s shooting way to low imo. This sounds like a worse case scenario with the upside of both Memphis and Sacramento being in the top 8-9. We “should” have one of these two within the top 9 with Houston waking up, Utah’s schedule normalizing and teams not being caught off guard by the Jazz and Kings as much.
Yeah, I wouldn't mind the French kid, Doumbouya as a draft & stash prospect. Kel Johnson as a Jaylen replacement wouldn't go badly either (in the case of Jaylen being the centerpiece of a Davis deal). De'Andre Hunter is another guy I'd like in the mid to late lottery range. Not as much upside as some of the others, but he's going to have a long NBA career as a solid contributor.That’s shooting way to low imo. This sounds like a worse case scenario with the upside of both Memphis and Sacramento being in the top 8-9. We “should” have one of these two within the top 9 with Houston waking up, Utah’s schedule normalizing and teams not being caught off guard by the Jazz and Kings as much.
Of course it really doesn't matter what "we" shoot for, does it?That’s shooting way to low imo. This sounds like a worse case scenario with the upside of both Memphis and Sacramento being in the top 8-9. We “should” have one of these two within the top 9 with Houston waking up, Utah’s schedule normalizing and teams not being caught off guard by the Jazz and Kings as much.
Personally I'd rather it roll into the future. We don't need bodies, and the longer it stays outstanding the more valuable it becomes - just top-6 protected in 2020, which then gives it a chance to roll into a 2021 unprotected pick. Our window of contention will be better served by having a better rookie player joining the team later on.Memphis is Top 8 protected so that pick landing 9 or 10 would be pretty ideal unless the preference is to roll the pick into 2020.
Unless Memphis gets better.Personally I'd rather it roll into the future. We don't need bodies, and the longer it stays outstanding the more valuable it becomes - just top-6 protected in 2020, which then gives it a chance to roll into a 2021 unprotected pick. Our window of contention will be better served by having a better rookie player joining the team later on.
I'd think Gasol (33) & Conley (31) getting older will lead to a team in declineUnless Memphis gets better.
If we get pick #12 this year from Memphis, our team's fortunes don't meaningfully change.Unless Memphis gets better.
Of course not. I was only questioning why any fan should be happy with such low picks compared to what their upside is if a few things happen.Of course it really doesn't matter what "we" shoot for, does it?
What is the downside chance of this occurring though? They aren’t adding anything of significance to their roster and have journeymen overachieving, The upside to the pick is any injury to Conley and/or Gasol both this year and next.Unless Memphis gets better.
Memphis is Top 8 protected so that pick landing 9 or 10 would be pretty ideal unless the preference is to roll the pick into 2020.
Assuming the Celts cash the Sac/Mem/LAC picks in '19, it seems there is no good way for them to spend the 4 1s. I expect Trader Danny to package/trade/or trade up the picks. In that regard is there an NBA value matrix which assigns relative value. to 1st round picks (like the NFL has).
Personally I'd rather it roll into the future. We don't need bodies, and the longer it stays outstanding the more valuable it becomes - just top-6 protected in 2020, which then gives it a chance to roll into a 2021 unprotected pick. Our window of contention will be better served by having a better rookie player joining the team later on.
Roll on!We are still a Conley and/or Gasol injury away from rolling that pick over another year closer to Gasol’s cliff which has been on my radar for like 5 years now lol.
Morris should be playing tomorrow night and I’m assuming you mean Baynes and not Rozier unless I’ve missed something.The team will need bodies to replace Morris and Rozier.
He’s referring to next season after the expected departures of guys like Morris, Rozier, Theis, etc.Morris should be playing tomorrow night and I’m assuming you mean Baynes and not Rozier unless I’ve missed something.
Yup I was in the wrong thread mindset. Sorry.He’s referring to next season after the expected departures of guys like Morris, Rozier, Theis, etc.
Is that standard? Or is there some reason so mant FA this year?Yup I was in the wrong thread mindset. Sorry.
Something like 50% of the leagues players will be free agents this summer so it won’t be like we’ll have a shortage of options.
I'm a bird in the hand kind of guy, so Memphis at 9 would be fine with me. But other than that, yeah.Just doing a roll call here, the Celtics want:
1. Clippers to be the WC 8 seed. So we want them to win most nights, the WC will be a dogfight until the end.
2. Griz and Kings to lose as much as possible going forward.
3. Griz to beat Kings when they go head to head
4. Clippers to beat Kings and Griz when they go head to head.
The best outcome would be 2019 #2 (Kings), #15(Clips) & #30 (Celtics) with Memphis conveying a couple years down the road.
Correct me if I have this wrong.