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  1. #1

    jabari parker- great spin move and dunk on winning basket

    Last edited by Newton_14; 10-19-2014 at 02:12 PM.

  2. #2
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    Great clip, that's Anthony Bennett he posterized!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    Great clip, that's Anthony Bennett he posterized!
    Jabari's weight loss has really provided him with extra agility. He looks good.

    Also, Jabari joins 47 other NBAers who have posterized Anthony Bennett. Congrats Jabari!
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    Jabari's weight loss has really provided him with extra agility. He looks good.

    Also, Jabari joins 47 other NBAers who have posterized Anthony Bennett. Congrats Jabari!
    I don't know that Bennett played enough minutes last year to get posterized more than a dozen times. I am interested to,see how he and Otto Porter do this year.

  5. #5
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    Dukies in the NBA 2014-15 Edition

    Hey now! Watching Jabari have his way with my Knicks tonight, and the amount of Dukies in the NBA talk starting to sprinkle around the board, I thought it would be fun to get this thread started.

    Jason Evans posted a good recent update about Andre Dawkins' attempts to make the Miami Heat, so I think its good to focus on guys currently fighting for roster spots. There is a chance that we'll have 20 alums playing in the NBA this year, incredible.

    Seth Curry - he seems destined to start the year in the D-League with Orlando's Erie Bayhawks. He played with Orlando this summer and is with the team during camp but has not been getting PT in these preseason games. Still, he's in the mix for a call up at anytime. This is a big year for him, still clinging to the NBA dream before maybe seeking his playing career overseas if it doesn't happen here in 2014/15.

    Shavlik Randolph - it looks like he's battling wiley veteran Earl Barron for the last spot on the Suns despite having a guaranteed contract for this year. Sounds like Barron has a leg up on him as of today per this article.

    Lance Thomas - KD's injury in OKC has given Lance a glimmer of hope as he is getting preseason minutes with OKC.

    Dahntay Jones - after not making a team last year, Dahntay may be the veteran in the locker room that Quin Snyder needs.

    Andre Dawkins - as pointed out earlier, Dre is turning heads in Miami.

    Did I miss anyone fighting for a spot?

    Of course, we can always talk about the guys we know will be on teams this year:
    Jabari Parker, Rodney Hood, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, Miles Plumlee, Austin Rivers, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson, JJ Redick, Josh McRoberts, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, Elton Brand
    Last edited by JBDuke; 10-20-2014 at 10:39 PM. Reason: fixed typo

  6. #6
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    Nice quote from Kyrie on a Washington Post article on the the Cavs:

    “For us, it’s always keeping our egos and who we are and what makes us us, what makes us special,” Irving said. “I got that approach from [Duke and Team USA Coach Mike Kzryzewski]. He never wanted us to check our ego at the door. He never wanted us to forget who we were. We’re playing with one of the greatest players to play this game, but there is going to be some sacrifices that we all have to make. And I’m completely fine with that. As long as we have one common goal and that’s to win a championship. I know that’s what I’m in for and I know that’s what he’s in for and all the guys here are in for.”
    Sage Grouse

    ---------------------------------------
    'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    Hey now! Watching Jabari have his way with my Knicks tonight, and the amount of Dukies in the NBA talk starting to sprinkle around the board, I thought it would be fun to get this thread started.
    Bill Simmons is back from him suspension with an NBA preview: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/th...nkings-part-1/

    It's worth reading - not because it's Simmons - but because of of Lowe and this money quote (Simmons):

    I am picking November 26, 2014, as the day when everyone collectively says, “Wait, how the hell did Wiggins go ahead of Jabari in the draft?????” The following is true: Cleveland had the first overall pick in the 2013 and 2014 drafts, but if you redid those drafts, the two Milwaukee guys (Giannis and Jabari) would go first. Bucks fans should be thrilled. They might not be as thrilled three years from now when those guys are playing for the Seattle Bucks … but right now, they should be thrilled.
    An NBA game hasn't even been played, but clearly the perception of Wiggins has changed. Jabari, on the other hand, lost some weight, became quicker, and has added a few moves to his arsenal. He still can't guard his own shadow, but one step at a time!
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSDukeFan View Post
    I don't know that Bennett played enough minutes last year to get posterized more than a dozen times. I am interested to,see how he and Otto Porter do this year.
    Why do you have to always be so rational?
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    An NBA game hasn't even been played, but clearly the perception of Wiggins has changed. Jabari, on the other hand, lost some weight, became quicker, and has added a few moves to his arsenal. He still can't guard his own shadow, but one step at a time!
    The difference between the Jabari I saw last week and last night was perceptible. He had the mentality that he was going to abuse whomever was defending him and, when that man was former Baylor Bear and Duke-gets-all-the-calls-victim Quincy "charge" Acy, he did abuse them. He is thinner and its making him very hard to deal with. I assume guys will start to sag off to make him hit jumpers as he is getting to the rim very easily. Very exciting.

    It's so easy to fall in love during preseason, but the Bucks are fun to watch. The Greek Freak is legit, OJ Mayo looks like he's in shape and has the 3 game working to keep the floor spaced. Kendall Marshall and John Henson are there to remind everyone of what could of been for the Heels in 2011-2012, maybe wild man Larry Sanders will be back at some point to help Henson in the paint, and Iron Curtain villian-look-alike Ersan Ilyasova is always lurching, I mean lurking. FYI, I know people either hate or like both Simmons and Jalen Rose, but the video previews they are doing for each team (on YouTube or Grantland.com) are a lot of fun. They are about 20 minutes each, so they go into great depth, and have tons of cool animations, recurring segments, etc. I watched the one on the Bucks last night and, per the quote flyingdutch provided above, there is speculation that the Bucks will move to Seattle based on some language in the deal the owners have with the NBA. Apparently, the owners need to build a new arena in Milwaukee within a year or else the NBA has the right to buy the team back for under $600MM at which point they could turn around and sell it to a Seattle group for more like $1.5B with the other NBA owners splitting the overage equally, meaning each would be in for a $30MM windfall. Hmmmm.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    The Greek Freak is legit
    Hate to distract from the Dukies in the NBA, but I just could not resist mentioning Giannis Antetokounmpo. He grew another 2 inches over the summer and now stands 6-11. The Bucks, led by the perhaps insane and certainly power-mad head coach Jason Kidd, are considering using Giannis as their PG. His length and size would give other teams fits! Milwaukee indeed seems to have a bright future ahead of them.

    -Jason "I've got 4 tickets (5th row, center court!) to see the Bucks when they come to Atlanta over the Christmas break" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Hate to distract from the Dukies in the NBA, but I just could not resist mentioning Giannis Antetokounmpo. He grew another 2 inches over the summer and now stands 6-11. The Bucks, led by the perhaps insane and certainly power-mad head coach Jason Kidd, are considering using Giannis as their PG. His length and size would give other teams fits! Milwaukee indeed seems to have a bright future ahead of them.

    -Jason "I've got 4 tickets (5th row, center court!) to see the Bucks when they come to Atlanta over the Christmas break" Evans
    I'm not sure Jabari could have ended up on a team that fit his skillset better. The Greek Freak, Sanders, Henson, and Brandon Knight are all above-average defenders (or in the Greek's case, can easily be). Kendall Marshall is top 5 in the NBA at passing (Kendall was #2 after Chris Paul in assists per 48 min) but can't score. OJ Mayo is a streaky shooter who is an ideal 6th man. Basically, this team has a lot of intangibles without scoring. Enter Jabari Parker, an exceptional scorer, really good rebounder, and abysmal defense. The best part is Jabari's weakness will be masked by the great defenders the Bucks already have!

    I'd be shocked if Jabari didn't win ROY. ROY prioritizes scoring, and we know Jabari can do that.
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  12. #12
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    Defense

    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    I'm not sure Jabari could have ended up on a team that fit his skillset better. The Greek Freak, Sanders, Henson, and Brandon Knight are all above-average defenders (or in the Greek's case, can easily be). Kendall Marshall is top 5 in the NBA at passing (Kendall was #2 after Chris Paul in assists per 48 min) but can't score. OJ Mayo is a streaky shooter who is an ideal 6th man. Basically, this team has a lot of intangibles without scoring. Enter Jabari Parker, an exceptional scorer, really good rebounder, and abysmal defense. The best part is Jabari's weakness will be masked by the great defenders the Bucks already have!

    I'd be shocked if Jabari didn't win ROY. ROY prioritizes scoring, and we know Jabari can do that.
    Of course, you didn't say that Marshall is an above-average defender. Having him and Jabari on the court at the same time could be a problem on defense.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by sagegrouse View Post
    Nice quote from Kyrie on a Washington Post article on the the Cavs:
    Hopefully he and his Cavs teammates work a bit on defense (especially the pick and roll). They had a lot of trouble with Derrick Rose last night. Rose dropped 30 points (on 12-18 shooting) in just 24 minutes, which included this debacle of a defensive effort by Irving and the Cavs:



    The Cavs did get the win thanks largely to the Bulls treating it as a preseason game (no Butler, Rose played just 24 minutes), and Irving did have a very strong game offensively. But it certainly is a glimpse into the challenges that Coach Blatt faces with Irving and Love (and Waiters) on the defensive end of the floor. If they are going to beat the Bulls and the Spurs in the playoffs, they are going to have to learn to handle the pick and roll MUCH better than that.
    Last edited by JasonEvans; 10-22-2014 at 01:31 PM.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    Hopefully he and his Cavs teammates work a bit on defense (especially the pick and roll). They had a lot of trouble with Derrick Rose last night. Rose dropped 30 points (on 12-18 shooting) in just 24 minutes, which included this debacle of a defensive effort by Irving and the Cavs:

    http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chor...oserev.0.0.gif

    The Cavs did get the win thanks largely to the Bulls treating it as a preseason game (no Butler, Rose played just 24 minutes), and Irving did have a very strong game offensively. But it certainly is a glimpse into the challenges that Coach Blatt faces with Irving and Love (and Waiters) on the defensive end of the floor. If they are going to beat the Bulls and the Spurs in the playoffs, they are going to have to learn to handle the pick and roll MUCH better than that.
    And I have a feeling that's all the Cavs will work on. Kyrie is still a sub-par defender. The way Rose man-handled Waiters and Irving was impressive (equally as impressive as Irving man-handling the Bulls), but it was terrible D.

    Offensively, the Cavs are arguably the best team right now, and this is despite a lack of chemistry. Irving, Love, and Lebron are all top 15 players offensively (you can argue top 10), and Waiters is easily the best fourth option on offense in the league. Throw in Mike Miller and (probably) Ray Allen, and that's pretty nasty.

    Defensively, the team has Lebron, Varejao, and Shawn Marion. When Mike Miller is your fourth best defender, that is not a good defense. Irving, Love, and Waiters are all mediocre-at-best defenders, and at times horrific (Waiters all the time, Kyrie a lot of of time, Love a good chunk of the time).

    IMO, I'm convinced Waiters or Thompson will be traded in January for 1-2 defensive players, probably a 3-and-D and/or a rim-protector.
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    And I have a feeling that's all the Cavs will work on. Kyrie is still a sub-par defender. The way Rose man-handled Waiters and Irving was impressive (equally as impressive as Irving man-handling the Bulls), but it was terrible D.

    Offensively, the Cavs are arguably the best team right now, and this is despite a lack of chemistry. Irving, Love, and Lebron are all top 15 players offensively (you can argue top 10), and Waiters is easily the best fourth option on offense in the league. Throw in Mike Miller and (probably) Ray Allen, and that's pretty nasty.

    Defensively, the team has Lebron, Varejao, and Shawn Marion. When Mike Miller is your fourth best defender, that is not a good defense. Irving, Love, and Waiters are all mediocre-at-best defenders, and at times horrific (Waiters all the time, Kyrie a lot of of time, Love a good chunk of the time).

    IMO, I'm convinced Waiters or Thompson will be traded in January for 1-2 defensive players, probably a 3-and-D and/or a rim-protector.
    Yeah, certainly offensively the Heat will be as good as anyone in the league. They should get to 100 points in their sleep against most teams, with only a handful of teams capable of holding them below 100 on any given night. The test of Blatt's coaching will be on the other end of the floor for sure. You've noted the Cavs' best defensive players, but Varejao and Marion are not nearly as good defensively as they used to be, and both are more or less non-entities on offense now. And even James has seemed to get less interested in defense the last year or two. And after those three, as you hinted, the Cavs are BAAAAAD defensively.

    It will be interesting to see how the season progresses. Can Blatt work magic (smoke and mirrors?) on defense? Or can they make a trade for the right pieces? Waiters and Thompson certainly seem like the most viable candidates. The Cavs' role players are currently all-offense/no-defense guys. To win the title, I agree that they'll probably need to add a couple of stalwart defenders (one inside, one outside).

    But one way or the other they will have to play the pick and roll better. They allowed 11 shots at the rim for Rose last night (again, in just 24 minutes). Granted, most teams won't have anyone as good as Rose. But the Bulls obviously do, and the Spurs have multiple strong pick and roll players. The Thunder also have a pretty deadly player in the pick and roll. The concern is that the Cavs are going to have Love and Irving on the floor together a lot, and that's currently a bad combination for handling the pick and roll. So either those two are going to have to improve a lot relative to their career norms, or Blatt is going to have to work some magic with the team defense. That, or they'll need to hope to just outscore everyone.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    Yeah, certainly offensively the Heat will be as good as anyone in the league. They should get to 100 points in their sleep against most teams, with only a handful of teams capable of holding them below 100 on any given night. The test of Blatt's coaching will be on the other end of the floor for sure. You've noted the Cavs' best defensive players, but Varejao and Marion are not nearly as good defensively as they used to be, and both are more or less non-entities on offense now. And even James has seemed to get less interested in defense the last year or two. And after those three, as you hinted, the Cavs are BAAAAAD defensively.

    It will be interesting to see how the season progresses. Can Blatt work magic (smoke and mirrors?) on defense? Or can they make a trade for the right pieces? Waiters and Thompson certainly seem like the most viable candidates. The Cavs' role players are currently all-offense/no-defense guys. To win the title, I agree that they'll probably need to add a couple of stalwart defenders (one inside, one outside).

    But one way or the other they will have to play the pick and roll better. They allowed 11 shots at the rim for Rose last night (again, in just 24 minutes). Granted, most teams won't have anyone as good as Rose. But the Bulls obviously do, and the Spurs have multiple strong pick and roll players. The Thunder also have a pretty deadly player in the pick and roll. The concern is that the Cavs are going to have Love and Irving on the floor together a lot, and that's currently a bad combination for handling the pick and roll. So either those two are going to have to improve a lot relative to their career norms, or Blatt is going to have to work some magic with the team defense. That, or they'll need to hope to just outscore everyone.
    My guess is they'll do this for the first half of the season. Blatt and Lebron, the two most important pieces, know the value of defense and will push that as much as possible. Just by scoring points, the Cavs will have a top 3 record by Christmas.

    The problem, as you've suggested, is the playoffs, where pick-and-rolls / defense are significantly more prevalent. The good news is that there are so many defensive big men who can be acquired for the right price (Tyson Chandler, Larry Sanders, Asik, Greg Smith, Hibert, Horford is apparently on the trading block). Given, most are expensive, but they will be instant upgrades.

    Waiters - if he can score ~12 ppg and provide a good locker room presence (first is easily achievable, second is much more difficult) - can easily provide a nice trading chip. He's loaded with potential, but also loaded with instability. Thompson is an athletic dude. He isn't that big. He's bouncy. He can't shoot. He can play mediocre D (probably middle of the pack on this Cavs team. Again, not good). I don't see the Cavs trying to trade him because the value just isn't there.
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    And I have a feeling that's all the Cavs will work on. Kyrie is still a sub-par defender. The way Rose man-handled Waiters and Irving was impressive (equally as impressive as Irving man-handling the Bulls), but it was terrible D.

    Offensively, the Cavs are arguably the best team right now, and this is despite a lack of chemistry. Irving, Love, and Lebron are all top 15 players offensively (you can argue top 10), and Waiters is easily the best fourth option on offense in the league. Throw in Mike Miller and (probably) Ray Allen, and that's pretty nasty.

    Defensively, the team has Lebron, Varejao, and Shawn Marion. When Mike Miller is your fourth best defender, that is not a good defense. Irving, Love, and Waiters are all mediocre-at-best defenders, and at times horrific (Waiters all the time, Kyrie a lot of of time, Love a good chunk of the time).

    IMO, I'm convinced Waiters or Thompson will be traded in January for 1-2 defensive players, probably a 3-and-D and/or a rim-protector.
    Even if we are judging only by offense, whomever you consider Portland's fourth option, Batum or Matthews, is better than Waiters. Diaw in San Antonio brings more to the table as well. After that, Waiters is probably the best of the rest, though. That's not bad.

  18. #18
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    Ryan Kelly

    Has missed all of training camp with a pretty badly strained hamstring. (Didn't we used to call that a 'pulled hamstring?'). Just as that healed and he was ready to go, he strained the other hamstring (though not nearly as badly) and he's out again. Fortunately for Ryan, the Lakers like what he did for them last year and their roster, thanks to Kobe's ridiculous contract extension, is terrible. Unfortunately, several of the decent players they have, including this year's #1 draft choice, play the 4 position primarily.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Des Esseintes View Post
    Even if we are judging only by offense, whomever you consider Portland's fourth option, Batum or Matthews, is better than Waiters. Diaw in San Antonio brings more to the table as well. After that, Waiters is probably the best of the rest, though. That's not bad.
    Yeah, I think the team context has to factor in as well. Waiters is more of a lead guard than an off-ball player. But with three ball-dominant players in front of him in the rotation, I'd argue that he might not even be the best choice as 4th option on the Cavs.

    Conversely, he might be the third option (battling with Butler and Noah) if he played for the Bulls. Just depends on the system you're in.

    As far as 4th options go, I would say the following players top Waiters:
    - Parsons/Nelson (Dallas)
    - Diaw/Leonard (San Antonio)
    - Redick/Jordan (LA Clippers)
    - Green/Morris/Thomas (Phoenix)
    - Batum/Matthews (Portland)
    - Gortat/Nene/Miller/Pierce (Washington)

    And the following are comparable:
    - Henderson/Neal (Charlotte)
    - Drummond (Detroit)
    - Williams/Johnson/Valenciunas (Toronto)

    Of course, that's kind of splitting hairs, because Cleveland clearly has the best 1st option in James and best 3rd option in Irving, and possibly the best (at least top-3) 2nd option in Love. So it's okay that Waiters isn't really the best 4th option - they'll still be REALLY good offensively.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    Yeah, I think the team context has to factor in as well. Waiters is more of a lead guard than an off-ball player. But with three ball-dominant players in front of him in the rotation, I'd argue that he might not even be the best choice as 4th option on the Cavs.

    Conversely, he might be the third option (battling with Butler and Noah) if he played for the Bulls. Just depends on the system you're in.

    As far as 4th options go, I would say the following players top Waiters:
    - Parsons/Nelson (Dallas)
    - Diaw/Leonard (San Antonio)
    - Redick/Jordan (LA Clippers)
    - Green/Morris/Thomas (Phoenix)
    - Batum/Matthews (Portland)
    - Gortat/Nene/Miller/Pierce (Washington)

    And the following are comparable:
    - Henderson/Neal (Charlotte)
    - Drummond (Detroit)
    - Williams/Johnson/Valenciunas (Toronto)

    Of course, that's kind of splitting hairs, because Cleveland clearly has the best 1st option in James and best 3rd option in Irving, and possibly the best (at least top-3) 2nd option in Love. So it's okay that Waiters isn't really the best 4th option - they'll still be REALLY good offensively.
    I agree with almost all your amendments. Phoenix is probably my only quibble. I am skeptical Green can shoot as well again as he did in last year's career season, and minus that shooting he is much less valuable.

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