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2018-19 NBA Season Thread


BigOrange1

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Just now, hobbes2702 said:

Except they didn’t though. This isn’t horseshoes.

Yeah, GS struggled to beat Houston while Harden sucked and Paul was injured.  Spare me the greatest of all time argument.  Both teams basically just came down the court and took contested 3's.

People under the age of 25 don't realize how dominant a good big man can be because they don't exist anymore.  Go watch the 2012 Olympic gold medal game.  Spain had the Gasol brothers in their prime, Serge Ibaka, and a gaggle of spares and damn near beat the US team, which was the greatest collection of wing players ever.  The Gasols worked the high/low game to perfection and dominated the glass.  (What do you think the Robinson/Duncan Spurs would do to Golden State?)

Still not sure who is guarding Shaq in this equation, especially when Green is in foul trouble.  Not sure who guards Robinson and Duncan in the Spurs match up, either.  They'd work a high/low game and totally dominate them on the block.

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Iggy, their best perimeter defender was out so spare me.

Still not sure who’s guarding KD in any of these situations. I watched Shaq. He and Mutumbo were my favorite players. I wore a Mutumbo nuggets jersey an excessive amount in my elementary school years. Big men are a huge asset. Shaq would dominate that game. So would KD. The warriors team is better than that Lakers team. Who sticks Steph, Klay, Iggy, Livingston?

So you cite another game that a team/player that almost won as evidence of why GSW wouldn’t win. Horseshoes and hand grenades my friend. 

 

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Klay Thompson. Or Iggy. Probably Dray some. KD would get him some too.

Yea. Not everything is a blowout. This isn’t a video game. And the fact that you don’t understand how important Iggy is to what GSW does on both sides of the ball is pretty telling about your understanding of the game.

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1 minute ago, Aqua Buddha said:

That would work as well as Rick Fox guarding KD.  Who guards Kobe once Klay is in foul trouble?  

Why would Klay be in foul trouble? He’s a high level perimeter defender he knows how to defend without fouling out. But any of the other guys would spend time on him.

Kobe is gonna get his. He’s Kobe. The problem is Kobe abd Shaq are not enough to beat this GSW team. They didn’t have enough other guys.

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Meanwhile, on the Markelle Fultz front:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/12/14/no-draft-pick-basketballs-biggest-enigma-no-one-knows-whats-up-with-markelle-fultz/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3833c4a008a5

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But some close to Fultz believe the problem is more than physical. In interviews, those who know Fultz — current and former teammates, NBA people and Washington-area supporters — describe a life burdened by a number of factors, from a restrictive inner circle to lost allies to outside criticism. Those who have peeked inside this world tell stories of those closest to Fultz going to extreme efforts to keep personal details confidential.

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Williams has been more than a coach, knowing Fultz since he was 7 years old via a relationship with the family and treating him like a son or nephew. In the lead-up to the draft, Williams served as Fultz’s representation, connecting him with sponsorships from such brands as Nike, Tissot and JBL. But as things started to derail, Fultz’s mother, Ebony, and Brothers took control of the player’s off-court life. Williams said he backed off to avoid conflict, but he believes the forced separation might have affected Fultz.

 

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Fultz is now a professional on a four-year contract worth $33 million, but close associates said Ebony still goes to great lengths to shield him. During Fultz’s first season in Philadelphia, Ebony had cameras installed inside his New Jersey home, according to several people familiar with the setup who described the indoor surveillance as unusual. The cameras have since been removed. Multiple people said Ebony has asked some who have dealt with Fultz to sign nondisclosure agreements for reasons that are unclear to them.

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“There’s definitely crazy [expletive] going on with the mom and how involved she is and how overprotective she is,” said a person with a close connection to Fultz. “The best possible situation is if the mom just backs off for a period of time and gives him a chance to breathe.”

Sixers front office officials declined to comment publicly for this story, as did Brothers. Ebony Fultz did not wish to address other people’s claims about her alleged over-involvement in her son’s life.

 

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20 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Who is guarding Kobe?

2017 Golden State is the greatest team of all time but had trouble with that Houston team because Iggy wasn't there? 

first off, draymond, iggy, klay, and kd are all guarding kobe. second, all you guys keep saying is "but shaq! but kobe! who's gonna guard shaq?! kobe would score a lot!" yeah. of course. dominant players get theirs. the lakers were a very good team. the warriors were better. the further you go down the lineups the sillier it gets. here is the player for player comparison by minutes played:

1) kobe, 22

2) shaq, 28

3) derek fisher, 26

4) horace grant, 35

5) rick fox, 31

6) ron harper, 37

7) brian shaw, 34

 

vs

1) klay, 26

2) steph 28

3) kd, 28

4) draymond, 26

5) Iggy, 33

6) Barnes, 36

7) Livingston, 31

 

that's not even close. the warriors top 4 are first ballot HOFers and their 5th guy has a Finals MVP on his resume. "but shaq was dominant!!!" doesn't nullify the fact that the warriors have the younger, better, more talented, more athletic, more balanced, better shooting team. 

 

lol, me and @hobbes2702 nearly said the same thing word for word. he asks these questions with such incredulity when the answers are obvious. 

Edited by Goo Punch
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14 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

That would work as well as Rick Fox guarding KD.  Who guards Kobe once Klay is in foul trouble?  

Btw, what happens when Shaq gets in foul trouble from getting pulled to the perimeter? He has to step out to help the three? You think he’s gonna handle KD, Steph or Klay on the perimeter without fouling? How do they Lakers defend the Steph, KD two man game?

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this debate is comical: the 2017 warriors are *clearly* the superior team, and yet the opposing side not only has 2001 la winning this hypothetical series, it's a blowout! shaq can't be stopped! yeah, except how?

 

the warriors were the better team offensively (1st in the nba in fg, fg%, 2p%, ast, and scoring), and they were the better team defensively (1st in the nba in blk, stl, fg%, 3p%, and to). the 2002 lakers weren't even close in 80% of those categories, and again, that was in a weaker nba. the warriors have better shooters, better athletes, younger players, more defenders, more all stars, more HOFers, more balance, more chemistry, and more wins. the lakers are not beating them in a series, and it baffles me that anyone would predict a lakers romp.

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31 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

why do @aggie08 and @Patrick Bateman always get ghost whenever the debate gets spicy? weigh in, fools! 

While I realize that approximately 97% of all discussion on sports' message revolves around debating hypothetical outcomes that are impossible to prove, I just can't do it this year. Must be getting old. I stayed away from the football board and the constant who would beat whom in what conference debates. And I just can't bring myself to partake in another NBA "back in my day, the men were men and would destroy these soft pussies" vs. "today's athletes are bigger, faster, more skilled, and better conditioned" exercise in futility.

Edited by aggie08
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18 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

this debate is comical: the 2017 warriors are *clearly* the superior team, and yet the opposing side not only has 2001 la winning this hypothetical series, it's a blowout! shaq can't be stopped! yeah, except how?

 

the warriors were the better team offensively (1st in the nba in fg, fg%, 2p%, ast, and scoring), and they were the better team defensively (1st in the nba in blk, stl, fg%, 3p%, and to). the 2002 lakers weren't even close in 80% of those categories, and again, that was in a weaker nba. the warriors have better shooters, better athletes, younger players, more defenders, more all stars, more HOFers, more balance, more chemistry, and more wins. the lakers are not beating them in a series, and it baffles me that anyone would predict a lakers romp.

Steph and KD would be hand checked into oblivion. Youth is not a plus when it comes to the playoffs so I don't know why you keep bringing that up. Shaq would score 70 pts on 100% shooting against them

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9 hours ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Shaq and Kobe would each score 45 points and Shaq would also grab 20+ boards as he threw Draymond around like a rag doll.

And they'd still probably lose by 15.  Quick, who was the Lakers third best scorer in 2000-2001, minimum of 30 games?

9 hours ago, Drew said:

Which rules are they playing by?  2001 or 2017?  Different rules.  The Warriors wouldn't survive a 7 game series in 2001.  The Lakers would beat them up.

Probably the most diplomatic answer and it does matter.  Late 90's and early aughts were a dark, dark time for the league.  Awful fucking basketball because of the rules and allowing of jail ball.  More fun exercise:  when comparing two different teams from different eras, choose a 3rd for play.  2001 Lakers vs 2017 Warriors in 1987..... Go.

9 hours ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Whoever is being guarded by Curry (Ron Harper or Kobe) would back Curry down in the post.  Kobe would abuse him and get him in quick fouls trouble.

Warriors had trouble with the Rockets last year and should have lost in all honesty.  I don't ever want to hear any greatest of all time nonsense.

WTF?  37 year old Ron Harper?  My lord, he fell out of the rotation in 2001.  Derek Fisher ended up playing PG down the stretch and in the playoffs.  Steph pushes Derek Fisher's shit in.  Beyond that, it's Brian Shaw.  34 year old Brian Shaw and Ty Lue!!!!  Fuckin' Ty Lue was getting more minutes in the playoffs than Harper.  Kobe would get his but it'd be Klay, Iggy, and some KD on him and remember Phil didn't play much PNR and therefore not a ton of switching necessary.  Not too often Kobe steps on the floor and is the 4th best player, but that's what it'd be vs 2017 Warriors.  

6 hours ago, Underdog said:

The early 70s Knicks teams would whip both teams asses. 

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4 hours ago, kopp0e said:

She ain't havin' it..!

 

#myhero

Edited by Patrick Bateman
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OKC now 6-9 vs. teams above .500. 11-1 vs. the dregs of the association. Nothing inherently wrong with that--going .500 against better competition and demolishing bad teams is usually the sign of a pretty good team--but it's something to watch as their, thus far, easiest schedule in the league gets tougher.

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Washington really didn't....accomplish much other than they don't have to pay Oubre next summer.

That's about it.

I mean, they are fucked from a cap perspective after this season:

https://theathletic.com/698291/2018/12/10/salary-cap-analysis-how-the-wizards-got-into-this-cap-cataclysm-‒-and-how-they-can-get-out-of-it/

 

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Next season, the trio of Wall, Beal and Porter will make a combined $93.5 million with a $109 million salary cap and $132 million luxury tax line, meaning it would be incredibly difficult for the Wizards to avoid the tax without moving one of them. That gets even more complicated with 2016 free-agent signing Ian Mahinmi, who has them on the hook for over $15 million for this season and next. Even Dwight Howard’s comparatively small $5.6 million player option for 2019-20 looms larger with the potential tax bill ramifications.

 

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16 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

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I watched about 20 minutes of this game and saw the Lonzo dunk.  I really wonder why (well I guess I don't wonder that much, he really stinks at free throws) he isn't strong more often to the hoop because he seems to have the speed, length, and ability to do more in the paint than he does right now.

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On 12/15/2018 at 7:28 AM, aggie08 said:

OKC now 6-9 vs. teams above .500. 11-1 vs. the dregs of the association. Nothing inherently wrong with that--going .500 against better competition and demolishing bad teams is usually the sign of a pretty good team--but it's something to watch as their, thus far, easiest schedule in the league gets tougher.

George is playing really well, Westbrook is not right now.  That is ok so far but they need a little more from Russ long-term to really become a viable playoff team that can do some damage.

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On 12/15/2018 at 1:00 AM, Patrick Bateman said:

And they'd still probably lose by 15.  Quick, who was the Lakers third best scorer in 2000-2001, minimum of 30 games?

Probably the most diplomatic answer and it does matter.  Late 90's and early aughts were a dark, dark time for the league.  Awful fucking basketball because of the rules and allowing of jail ball.  More fun exercise:  when comparing two different teams from different eras, choose a 3rd for play.  2001 Lakers vs 2017 Warriors in 1987..... Go.

WTF?  37 year old Ron Harper?  My lord, he fell out of the rotation in 2001.  Derek Fisher ended up playing PG down the stretch and in the playoffs.  Steph pushes Derek Fisher's shit in.  Beyond that, it's Brian Shaw.  34 year old Brian Shaw and Ty Lue!!!!  Fuckin' Ty Lue was getting more minutes in the playoffs than Harper.  Kobe would get his but it'd be Klay, Iggy, and some KD on him and remember Phil didn't play much PNR and therefore not a ton of switching necessary.  Not too often Kobe steps on the floor and is the 4th best player, but that's what it'd be vs 2017 Warriors.  

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#myhero

I think the Warriors are more talented overall and would favor them in more scenarios (era, rules, etc), but it's really hard to compare eras because a lot of variables are involved.  For one, I believe if Shaq and Kobe were born when KD/Curry were and vice versa, they would be somewhat different players almost by necessity given the emphasis/rules of that particular era.  Even as much as I advocate and believe in very advanced analytics and this extreme emphasis on it for me has even allowed me to make a living at it instead of being a corporate lawyer anymore, I largely don't think stats from different eras are as easy to compare as one might think.  It's often much more valuable to compare dominance among one's own peers in the same era versus comparing different eras.  A classic example being maybe ERA in baseball, which varies widely by years and even league but one pitcher being a significant deviation below everyone else is very impressive no matter whether the league average is say 3.25 or 4, etc.  

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12 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

I didn't realize how bad Westbrook has been shooting this year.  He's never been a great shooter but his three point % is the worst of his career at only 25%.  He's also only 60% from the line and he's historically been a really good FT shooter.  Not sure what's going on.  

He and the entire Thunder have been horrendous at FTs for last 3 years.  That becomes a serious issue come playoff time when games are tight.

For overall shooting he's been slumping since coming back from injury.  His Oct and Nov splits are better than career average.

For 3s it's not as big concern, because PGs there to take that role.  He's just got to continue to be confident taking them to keep defenses honest. 

The percentage is acceptable so long as he doesn't need to jack 10+ 3s at the end of games to boost the team...now that PG and Schroeder are capable of taking he scoring load.  (And so much for 'WB makes his teammates worse narrative...')

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1 hour ago, Message Board User said:

Home loss by the Pellies to the mediocre Heat.

Clock continues to tick down on imminent AD departure.

Was listening to a podcast about this from some guys on Basketball Insiders, it's pretty interesting.  Davis is scheduled to be offered the supermax next summer, a contract north of 230 million dollars.  No player has ever turned down a supermax offer.  Guys have forced out of their situations before getting the offer made, but nobody has been offered the money and walked away from it.  Will Davis because the thought is no matter what, the Cans will offer it to him next summer.

The front office has made some decent moves in acquiring Mirotic and signing Randle after letting Cousins go after injury.  Right now Mirotic and Elfrid Payton are hurt so they're not a full strength.  However, Mirotic and Rnadle will be UFA's next summer as well.  Davis is under contract next season, so New Orleans doesn't have to do something by this season's deadline but they do need to get the ship pointed in the right direction.  The next move is probably another coach swap because despite tonight's score, the Cans don't play any defense despite having some solid defensive players.  The thought is they'll probably dangle next year's first for another piece and then get a new coach if Gentry can't get the team together when they get fully healthy. 

Other side notes:  The Celtics can't make an offer for him until 2019 summer b/c of Kyrie's contract.  Second, there was some doubt the Can would work with the Lakers on any future moves for Davis if Magic had those hopes and Davis demanded a trade.  Next summer could be very, very interesting if they miss the playoffs on the Davis front.

 

Edited by Patrick Bateman
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