Dukies in the NBA -- 2015-16

[westwall]

(Thought we needed a parallel thread to 'Dukies in the NFL')

Jahlil started for the 76ers against the Wizards, scored the 76ers' first 8 points and an early 6 out of 7 -- mostly on 15 foot shots that AFAIR were not usual for him at Duke. He totaled 12 points and 2 rebounds in 17 minutes (its preseason, remember), and it was an impressive performance, over shadowing his highly-hyped teammate Nerlens Noel.

[Billy Dat]

My favorite (maybe second favorite) topic! I am going to restart the "Dukies in the NBA Power Rankings" and try to stick to a more regular publication schedule. I look forward to discussing the NBA with all you fans of the L.

Glad to see Jah getting out of the gate strong, and I there is already a distinct thread on Quinn Cook's strong opening effort.

Lots more to come.

[84crazy]

Between McBob setting everybody up like no other big and Winslow and Dang all over opponents on defense and the boards I'm psyched. Is this the best Dukies in the NBA team? gotta be. Plus healthy Bosh and Whiteside and Dragic watch out. If Wade just picks his spots they could make a deep run with the Dukies playing a key role.

[awhom111]

My favorite (maybe second favorite) topic! I am going to restart the "Dukies in the NBA Power Rankings" and try to stick to a more regular publication schedule. I look forward to discussing the NBA with all you fans of the L.

Glad to see Jah getting out of the gate strong, and I there is already a distinct thread on Quinn Cook's strong opening effort.

Lots more to come.

There are a few interesting storylines to watch this season from a Duke perspective. A few guys are in critical contract years.

Miles Plumlee will want to impress as much as possible in what figures to be not a lot of available minutes with the Bucks. They already have plenty of money tied up in the future with Monroe and Henson (presumably both playing the 5 mainly) that Miles may be auditioning for his next team.

Ryan Kelly may also be progressively getting squeezed out of playing time with the Lakers, especially if they commit to rebuilding as they have drafted a number of guys who play the same position even if none of them possess his particular skillset. I suggest not mentioning Byron Scott's Ryan at the 3 experiment to any Lakers fans.

Gerald Henderson is in a different boat as he will still definitely have an NBA spot. His contract expires at just the right time that if he has a good year, it can land him an enormous contract next summer.

[huey]

(Thought we needed a parallel thread to 'Dukies in the NFL')

Jahlil started for the 76ers against the Wizards, scored the 76ers' first 8 points and an early 6 out of 7 -- mostly on 15 foot shots that AFAIR were not usual for him at Duke. He totaled 12 points and 2 rebounds in 17 minutes (its preseason, remember), and it was an impressive performance, over shadowing his highly-hyped teammate Nerlens Noel.

Got to see Jah in person on Tuesday. If regular season prices scare you away, and if you live near a stadium, I highly suggest keeping the night of a pre-season game free and checking out stubhub an hour before. We got Lower Level center tickets for $25 including fees....and a $20 food and drink voucher. $50 isn't too bad for a night out seeing a game + dinner. Granted, it was against the Sixers who only have 2 NBA players on their team in the form of Jah and Noel.

Thoughts on the game: Welcome to the big leagues, big man! I think this may have been the first time in his career (life?) that Jahlil wasn't able to catch the ball in good position in the post, size up one-on-one defense, and not easily bully or twirl his way to a bucket. Marcin Gortat is a big dude. But no matter, Jah showed off a slightly increased range and spun to spun into a bunch of smooth push shots. It's no surprise he scored the first 6 or 8 points for the Sixers since they ran a bunch of early post isolation plays for him. But hey, let's be honest, I came to watch Jah- and Jah only- as it's not much fun watching the rest of the Sixers miss shot after shot. So I appreciated the extra reps for him. He'll eventually learn how to dislodge large backcourts, and the tag team of Gortat and Nene might be the largest he has to worry about. Jah's defense was also pretty on point. I think he had a block or two and never seemed out of position or let the Sixers big guys get easy buckets.

The one big negative is his conditioning. He was gasping for air each time after only a few trips up and down the court. His minutes were pretty limited which looked to be a result of him needing a rest. But the Sixers really have no offensive punch when he's out so he'll need to get in tip top shape asap. But I think he'll be able to get in much better shape as the year goes on.
It'll be a good learning year for him. The Sixers aren't going anywhere and he'll have a good shot at ROY since he's the only real scoring threat on his team. I think he'll fit real well next to Noel, who's pretty wiry in person but has amazingly quick hands. He must have altered a dozen shots, and more impressively, passes. But he still looks like he has rock hands on offense.
It was also great seeing his Dad Chuck across the way wildly cheering on Jah after every great play. He was with a few other people, proudly sporting some Duke gear.

[duke blue brewcrew]

Between McBob setting everybody up like no other big and Winslow and Dang all over opponents on defense and the boards I'm psyched. Is this the best Dukies in the NBA team? gotta be. Plus healthy Bosh and Whiteside and Dragic watch out. If Wade just picks his spots they could make a deep run with the Dukies playing a key role.

I believe it to be the NBA team with the most Dukies on it if that's what you're asking. Is it the best team in the NBA with Dukies on it? I don't think so. I would lean more towards the Cavs and then probably the Clippers as the top two...IMO.

[huey]

Some highlights from Okafor's debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFoxiIwdWZg

[Billy Dat]

Some highlights from Okafor's debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFoxiIwdWZg

Wow, if he's hitting that face-up stuff consistently, he's going to be really tough to handle.

[CDu]

I believe it to be the NBA team with the most Dukies on it if that's what you're asking. Is it the best team in the NBA with Dukies on it? I don't think so. I would lean more towards the Cavs and then probably the Clippers as the top two...IMO.

Agreed. Heck, the Bulls might still be ahead of the Heat as an NBA team. And the pre-Rose injury Bulls were better if we're talking about historically speaking. But in terms of the team with the most Duke players on it, that's clearly the Heat.

[84crazy]

I believe it to be the NBA team with the most Dukies on it if that's what you're asking. Is it the best team in the NBA with Dukies on it? I don't think so. I would lean more towards the Cavs and then probably the Clippers as the top two...IMO.

Not what i was referring too. Don't expect Heat to contend for title just saying for watching NBA and seeing Dukies the Heat will be fun to watch. I do think they will be a handful for other teams but they lack backcourt depth in a traditional pg sense. Looking forward to watching them progress.

[huey]

Not to distract from our football team, but Tyus is having quite a stellar game against the bulls. There's still some time left in the 4th but how's this for a professional stat line: 18 pts on 3/3 from 3 and 9 assists?
Anybody get to see the game? How's he holding up on D? Seems like it'd be a great team for him to run and pass with.

[huey]

Not to distract from our football team, but Tyus is having quite a stellar game against the bulls. There's still some time left in the 4th but how's this for a professional stat line: 18 pts on 3/3 from 3 and 9 assists?
Anybody get to see the game? How's he holding up on D? Seems like it'd be a great team for him to run and pass with.

And made the highlight real:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/timberwolves/2015/10/10/0011500037-chi-min-play3.nba/

[gep]

And made the highlight real:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/timberwolves/2015/10/10/0011500037-chi-min-play3.nba/

Shades of the NC game... :cool:

[dukelifer]

Wow, if he's hitting that face-up stuff consistently, he's going to be really tough to handle.

He will need to hit that shot at this level. He has good form- just needs to practice it over and over. Clearly he has put some time in. Needs to work on conditioning. The NBA season is a grind.

[dukelifer]

Not to distract from our football team, but Tyus is having quite a stellar game against the bulls. There's still some time left in the 4th but how's this for a professional stat line: 18 pts on 3/3 from 3 and 9 assists?
Anybody get to see the game? How's he holding up on D? Seems like it'd be a great team for him to run and pass with.

Tyus had a shaky debut and followed up with a strong game. He is a fighter.

[huey]

Tyus had a shaky debut and followed up with a strong game. He is a fighter.

Full highlights. What an all around game.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mTMKjEW6OeA

[luburch]

You may have seen that ESPN is currently in the middle of it's annual NBARank of the NBA's best 400 players. I went through and grabbed all of the Duke players and where they rank in case anyone was interested.

73. JJ Redick
90. Jahlil Okafor
92. Luol Deng
128. Mason Plumlee
161. Justise Winslow
166. Mike Dunleavy
174. Josh McRoberts
176. Gerald Henderson
181. Miles Plumlee
185. Rodney Hood
193. Kyle Singler
270. Tyus Jones
285. Austin Rivers
325. Seth Curry
334. Ryan Kelly
381. Carols Boozer
398. Lance Thomas


Yet to be ranked:
Kyrie Irving
Jabari Parker

I don't think I missed anyone *fingers crossed*. Personally, I think Hendo should be higher, but outside of him I don't think any of the rankings are too far off. Maybe Boozer?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13723434/team-team

[phaedrus]

You may have seen that ESPN is currently in the middle of it's annual NBARank of the NBA's best 400 players. I went through and grabbed all of the Duke players and where they rank in case anyone was interested.

73. JJ Redick
90. Jahlil Okafor
92. Luol Deng
128. Mason Plumlee
161. Justise Winslow
166. Mike Dunleavy
174. Josh McRoberts
176. Gerald Henderson
181. Miles Plumlee
185. Rodney Hood
193. Kyle Singler
270. Tyus Jones
285. Austin Rivers
325. Seth Curry
334. Ryan Kelly
381. Carols Boozer
398. Lance Thomas


Yet to be ranked:
Kyrie Irving
Jabari Parker

I don't think I missed anyone *fingers crossed*. Personally, I think Hendo should be higher, but outside of him I don't think any of the rankings are too far off. Maybe Boozer?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13723434/team-team

You forgot Quinn Cook, clearly a surprise top-60 pick.

[brevity]

You forgot Quinn Cook, clearly a surprise top-60 pick.

After the Quinn>LeBron thread (http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?36523), maybe it's not so surprising.

[luburch]

I'm a little surprised Jabari still hasn't been ranked yet. Maybe he'll fall in the 50's somewhere.

Here's a Q&A with Okafor where he talks about expectations, how he's going to handle losing a lot of games, and more: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13869643/qa-philadelphia-76ers-jahlil-okafor

[phaedrus]

I'm a little surprised Jabari still hasn't been ranked yet. Maybe he'll fall in the 50's somewhere.

Here's a Q&A with Okafor where he talks about expectations, how he's going to handle losing a lot of games, and more: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13869643/qa-philadelphia-76ers-jahlil-okafor

Jabari's in the top 50, meaning that Milwaukee joins Chicago as the only teams with four players in the top 50. Hiawatha Line rivalry is on this year, CDu!

[luburch]

Jabari's in the top 50, meaning that Milwaukee joins Chicago as the only teams with four players in the top 50. Hiawatha Line rivalry is on this year, CDu!

Jabari comes in at No. 49 up from No. 95 last season. Kyrie is the only former Duke player yet to be ranked.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Jabari comes in at No. 49 up from No. 95 last season. Kyrie is the only former Duke player yet to be ranked.

There is no doubt that Jabari is a top 50 talent, but I'm kinda shocked he's ranked that high given he only played 18 games last year. He showed potential (and he was the ROY front-runner at that point), but there are still a lot of question marks. Top 50 isn't All-Star, but it is "second banana" territory (ie second best player on the team). If that's what the experts think of Jabari, then that's awesome for Jabari. Hopefully he lives up to it this year (and with a clean bill of health).

[JetpackJesus]

Grantland ran a good piece on Austin Rivers today.

http://grantland.com/features/ball-in-the-family-austin-rivers-nba-doc-rivers-los-angeles-clippers/

[juise]

Grantland ran a good piece on Austin Rivers today.

http://grantland.com/features/ball-in-the-family-austin-rivers-nba-doc-rivers-los-angeles-clippers/

I also thought that was a good read. I appreciated the candor with which the Rivers family spoke.

I also thought it was worth adding a congratulations to Tricia Liston, WNBA champion, here (didn't think it necessarily merited a new thread).

[awhom111]

Seth Curry getting a SportsCenter commercial in his new Kings colors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1Bc_fxtNY

[huey]

He's still got it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKxAhXLViuk

A game-winning goal is nice we secure your place on the roster

[flyingdutchdevil]

He's still got it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKxAhXLViuk

A game-winning goal is nice we secure your place on the roster

When did he have that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

A few things:

a) that may be the most athletic move I've seen Ryan Kelly do

b) I like the beard and hair. He's clearly trying to look like an Eastern European mobster and it's working

c) this may be the only cause for celebration the Lakers have all year

[Billy Dat]

When did he have that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

a) that may be the most athletic move I've seen Ryan Kelly do

Co-Sign!!!! Maybe he really was hurt for most of his Duke career. My goodness, dude has VERTS!

The White Raven flies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[COYS]

When did he have that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

A few things:

a) that may be the most athletic move I've seen Ryan Kelly do

b) I like the beard and hair. He's clearly trying to look like an Eastern European mobster and it's working

c) this may be the only cause for celebration the Lakers have all year

I know that basically every school can play the "what if" game . . . but is there any doubt that 2013, a good year by any measure, might have been much, much better if Seth and Ryan were both fully healthy? Seth was excellent that season operating on one leg, and Ryan was great when he was healthy (most notably his return game against Miami in Cameron). But a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy Ryan for the whole season would have changed the outlook of that team. It might've meant one or two more regular season wins which could have given us a better ACCT seed or simply allowed us to beat Maryland and secure a number 1. Then we would've avoided Louisville until the Final Four. Also, we would have had a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy and recovered Ryan to play better defense and possibly secure a second win against those guys that season. Anyway . . . I hope things work out for Ryan. He was an excellent player for Duke, but injuries definitely held him back a little. Hopefully he'll get a real chance to make a mark in the league this season.

[Furniture]

He's still got it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKxAhXLViuk

A game-winning goal is nice we secure your place on the roster

I watched him play in a pre season game over the weekend and I thought he looked very composed and confident.

[-jk]

Kevin B. says Hi!

-jk

[Edouble]

And made the highlight real:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/timberwolves/2015/10/10/0011500037-chi-min-play3.nba/

He must have been excited to be running into Cameron, just like old times. Ha!

[blynch923]

I know that basically every school can play the "what if" game . . . but is there any doubt that 2013, a good year by any measure, might have been much, much better if Seth and Ryan were both fully healthy? Seth was excellent that season operating on one leg, and Ryan was great when he was healthy (most notably his return game against Miami in Cameron). But a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy Ryan for the whole season would have changed the outlook of that team. It might've meant one or two more regular season wins which could have given us a better ACCT seed or simply allowed us to beat Maryland and secure a number 1. Then we would've avoided Louisville until the Final Four. Also, we would have had a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy and recovered Ryan to play better defense and possibly secure a second win against those guys that season. Anyway . . . I hope things work out for Ryan. He was an excellent player for Duke, but injuries definitely held him back a little. Hopefully he'll get a real chance to make a mark in the league this season.

Same could be said if Kyrie didn't get injured in the 10-11 season. If he doesn't go down injured I think they would have had a legitimate shot to repeat

[Furniture]

Back to the real world. Miami on ESPN tonight. Looking forward to see some Duke guys in action...

[CDu]

Jabari's in the top 50, meaning that Milwaukee joins Chicago as the only teams with four players in the top 50. Hiawatha Line rivalry is on this year, CDu!

Looking forward to it. The Bucks are up and coming for sure. The addition of Monroe helps, as does getting Parker back. I think my Bulls will still be better, but it will be interesting for sure!

[JNort]

I know that basically every school can play the "what if" game . . . but is there any doubt that 2013, a good year by any measure, might have been much, much better if Seth and Ryan were both fully healthy? Seth was excellent that season operating on one leg, and Ryan was great when he was healthy (most notably his return game against Miami in Cameron). But a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy Ryan for the whole season would have changed the outlook of that team. It might've meant one or two more regular season wins which could have given us a better ACCT seed or simply allowed us to beat Maryland and secure a number 1. Then we would've avoided Louisville until the Final Four. Also, we would have had a fully healthy Seth and a fully healthy and recovered Ryan to play better defense and possibly secure a second win against those guys that season. Anyway . . . I hope things work out for Ryan. He was an excellent player for Duke, but injuries definitely held him back a little. Hopefully he'll get a real chance to make a mark in the league this season.

I don't remember if it was before Ryan's senior season or after but he was statistically the most efficient scorer in ACC history over guys like Reddick, Hansbrough and Jordan.


Only source I have/had was a college basketball magazine which I can't find any longer

[jimsumner]

Same could be said if Kyrie didn't get injured in the 10-11 season. If he doesn't go down injured I think they would have had a legitimate shot to repeat

If we want to play what-if, we can go all the way back to Bob Verga's strep throat in 1966, with stops along the way in 1979 (Bender, Dennard), 1985 (Henderson), 1989 (Brickey), 1993 (Hill, Parks), 1998 (Brand) and 2000 (Dunleavy) among others.

Of course, so can lots of other teams. Imagine being a St. Bonaventure fan and the only time your school ever makes the Final Four, it does so in a game in which the best player in school history--Bob Lanier--tears up a knee late in the game and misses the Final Four.

[luburch]

Well Kyrie comes in at No. 18 on ESPN's NBA Rank, he was 23rd last year. Thought he might be a little higher (Jimmy Butler is No.17 for example and I would put Kyrie ahead of him), but you can make an argument for pretty much anyone to be higher/lower.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13934291/nbarank-16-20

18. Kyrie Irving
49. Jabari Parker
73. JJ Redick
90. Jahlil Okafor
92. Luol Deng
128. Mason Plumlee
161. Justise Winslow
166. Mike Dunleavy
174. Josh McRoberts
176. Gerald Henderson
181. Miles Plumlee
185. Rodney Hood
193. Kyle Singler
270. Tyus Jones
285. Austin Rivers
325. Seth Curry
334. Ryan Kelly
381. Carols Boozer
398. Lance Thomas

Side note - I do think Draymond Green at No. 19 is a bit ridiculous.

[jimsumner]

Well Kyrie comes in at No. 18 on ESPN's NBA Rank, he was 23rd last year. Thought he might be a little higher (Jimmy Butler is No.17 for example and I would put Kyrie ahead of him), but you can make an argument for pretty much anyone to be higher/lower.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13934291/nbarank-16-20

18. Kyrie Irving
49. Jabari Parker
73. JJ Redick
90. Jahlil Okafor
92. Luol Deng
128. Mason Plumlee
161. Justise Winslow
166. Mike Dunleavy
174. Josh McRoberts
176. Gerald Henderson
181. Miles Plumlee
185. Rodney Hood
193. Kyle Singler
270. Tyus Jones
285. Austin Rivers
325. Seth Curry
334. Ryan Kelly
381. Carols Boozer
398. Lance Thomas

Side note - I do think Draymond Green at No. 19 is a bit ridiculous.

Nineteen guys!! That's astonishing. There are a fair number of ACC schools that haven't had 19 NBA players in their entire history.

And that could be a conservative figure. Dahntay Jones signed with the Nets in the offseason. Andre Dawkins and likely Quinn Cook will start in the NBDL and Nolan Smith has ambitions of coming back from a knee injury at mid-season.

[DukieInBrasil]

Is Dawkins not playing overseas already? This does not preclude him from dropping out of Europe and going to the D-League, unlikely as that may be. Dawkins is such a great shooter that it seems that NBA teams would be willing to take a chance on him, especially since his contract would likely to be so cheap.

[huey]

https://streamable.com/omy6

Not a game winner. Just over the fMVP this time. I guess we can say he's healthy.

[phaedrus]

Nineteen guys!! That's astonishing. There are a fair number of ACC schools that haven't had 19 NBA players in their entire history.

And that could be a conservative figure. Dahntay Jones signed with the Nets in the offseason. Andre Dawkins and likely Quinn Cook will start in the NBDL and Nolan Smith has ambitions of coming back from a knee injury at mid-season.

Elliott Williams may also play a few games in the league this year (he still counts to me).

[awhom111]

Is Dawkins not playing overseas already? This does not preclude him from dropping out of Europe and going to the D-League, unlikely as that may be. Dawkins is such a great shooter that it seems that NBA teams would be willing to take a chance on him, especially since his contract would likely to be so cheap.

Dawkins is playing overseas so the NBA is probably out of the picture. Jim's gotta take a trip over to the other thread!

It is good to get a couple additions to make up for some losses. Shavlik Randolph is probably out of the picture this season. Carlos Boozer may or may not be able to catch on anywhere depending on if a team needs him to shoot the ball a lot. Dahntay is a longshot, but he might get a helpful assist from Billy King having survived the cut down to 17.

Elliot got cut, so he can't count under any system unless he is picked up off waivers.

[mo.st.dukie]

Elliott Williams may also play a few games in the league this year (he still counts to me).

If he counts for Duke then we can't claim Seth as he would count for Liberty. Rodney would be MSU's. Elliot is a Memphis Tiger, he didn't want to be a Blue Devil.

[Nosbleuatu]

If he counts for Duke then we can't claim Seth as he would count for Liberty. Rodney would be MSU's. Elliot is a Memphis Tiger, he didn't want to be a Blue Devil.

Nonsense. It's not like anyone owns them. They played for Duke, that makes them family. I support all of them. And Sheed.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

If he counts for Duke then we can't claim Seth as he would count for Liberty. Rodney would be MSU's. Elliot is a Memphis Tiger, he didn't want to be a Blue Devil.

Not true - He transferred to be near his mother who was sick.

[jimsumner]

I did not know that Dawkins was playing overseas. Should make more money than he would in the D-League but the D-League is designed to cut folks to the NBA more easily than the Euros.

And I wasn't even thinking about Shav. But he always seems to show up for a few games here and there.

[Furniture]

Nonsense. It's not like anyone owns them. They played for Duke, that makes them family. I support all of them. And Sheed.

With you 100%.

[mo.st.dukie]

Nonsense. It's not like anyone owns them. They played for Duke, that makes them family. I support all of them. And Sheed.

Fair enough, I disagree but that's alright. I don't consider the guys who transferred out as part of the Duke family, just guys passing through who made a decision they'd be better off elsewhere for whatever reasons they had. Now that doesn't mean I think they are bad people or that I hold it against them for leaving, everybody has to do what they think is best for them, I just don't consider them to be Duke basketball players.

[NSDukeFan]

If he counts for Duke then we can't claim Seth as he would count for Liberty. Rodney would be MSU's. Elliot is a Memphis Tiger, he didn't want to be a Blue Devil.

I don't remember Rodney playing for Michigan State. 😉

[Indoor66]

I don't remember Rodney playing for Michigan State. 😉

Then maybe your remember him at Mississippi State University?

[cspan37421]

Fair enough, I disagree but that's alright. I don't consider the guys who transferred out as part of the Duke family, just guys passing through who made a decision they'd be better off elsewhere for whatever reasons they had. Now that doesn't mean I think they are bad people or that I hold it against them for leaving, everybody has to do what they think is best for them, I just don't consider them to be Duke basketball players.

Don't consider them Duke basketball players? Then who scored their points while they were here? Seems like there's a less uncharitable way to put it.
Otherwise, according to you, the 2nd leading scorer in the Final for our first national championship team, outscoring Hurley and GHill, was allegedly not a Duke basketball player.

I'm sure I'm not alone in being grateful Billy McCaffrey "passed through" our doors that year. [well, 2 years]

Seems like you could make a case OAD players just "pass through" as well. So I'm also grateful Kyrie Irving passed through (he played fewer games for Duke than Billy, I'm willing to bet).

So I strongly disagree, but you're right that ... "that's alright."

[Eternal Outlaw]

He's still got it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKxAhXLViuk

A game-winning goal is nice we secure your place on the roster

#1 on NBA.com's Preseason Best: Top 10 plays

[subzero02]

#1 on NBA.com's Preseason Best: Top 10 plays

Ok. That dunk officially marks the beginning of the basketball season for me... throw it down big man, throw it down... ( oh bill Walton )

[DukieInBrasil]

Fantastic 1st NBA game from Jahlil, 26pts on 10-16 FG and 6-6 FT.
Solid 1st game from Justise, hitting all of his shots and throwing down a nasty dunk over 3 people. Deng had a solid, unspectacular game, while McRoberts didn't do a whole lot.
Didn't see Jabari or Tyus in any stat sheets, they both play for Milwaukee, right?
MP1 had a nothingburger of a game, in only 3 minutes, while l'il bro' MP2 had a solid game in his new home in Portland.
Lance scored 13 on perfect shooting for NY. Where did THAT come from? He shot 33% from 3 last season in NY (tho' none last night) after shooting 0 3s at Duke. And now he's a solid FT shooter too?!?!
Ryan had an unspectacular game in a 1pt loss by LA.
JJ had a solid game for the other LA, while Austin Rivers had a meh, game.
Rodney had a pretty good game overall in Utah, tho' 0fer7 from 3.
Injuries kept a few guys out though.

[JasonEvans]

Solid 1st game from Justise, hitting all of his shots and throwing down a nasty dunk over 3 people. Deng had a solid, unspectacular game, while McRoberts didn't do a whole lot.

Justise had a +- of +26. No one else on Miami had a +- of better than +10. He currently leads the NBA in +- per game ;)

-Jason "in a couple years when some writer goes back and re-drafts the 2015 draft, I predict Justise goes no later than 4th" Evans

[Ichabod Drain]

Fantastic 1st NBA game from Jahlil, 26pts on 10-16 FG and 6-6 FT.
Solid 1st game from Justise, hitting all of his shots and throwing down a nasty dunk over 3 people. Deng had a solid, unspectacular game, while McRoberts didn't do a whole lot.
Didn't see Jabari or Tyus in any stat sheets, they both play for Milwaukee, right?
MP1 had a nothingburger of a game, in only 3 minutes, while l'il bro' MP2 had a solid game in his new home in Portland.
Lance scored 13 on perfect shooting for NY. Where did THAT come from? He shot 33% from 3 last season in NY (tho' none last night) after shooting 0 3s at Duke. And now he's a solid FT shooter too?!?!
Ryan had an unspectacular game in a 1pt loss by LA.
JJ had a solid game for the other LA, while Austin Rivers had a meh, game.
Rodney had a pretty good game overall in Utah, tho' 0fer7 from 3.
Injuries kept a few guys out though.

Tyus plays for Minnesota not Milwaukee, and he didn't travel with the team. Jabari is still recovering but is expected to return in early November.

[Indoor66]

Fantastic 1st NBA game from Jahlil, 26pts on 10-16 FG and 6-6 FT.
Solid 1st game from Justise, hitting all of his shots and throwing down a nasty dunk over 3 people. Deng had a solid, unspectacular game, while McRoberts didn't do a whole lot.
Didn't see Jabari or Tyus in any stat sheets, they both play for Milwaukee, right?
MP1 had a nothingburger of a game, in only 3 minutes, while l'il bro' MP2 had a solid game in his new home in Portland.
Lance scored 13 on perfect shooting for NY. Where did THAT come from? He shot 33% from 3 last season in NY (tho' none last night) after shooting 0 3s at Duke. And now he's a solid FT shooter too?!?!
Ryan had an unspectacular game in a 1pt loss by LA.
JJ had a solid game for the other LA, while Austin Rivers had a meh, game.
Rodney had a pretty good game overall in Utah, tho' 0fer7 from 3.
Injuries kept a few guys out though.

Did you watch the game? McRoberts was the most effective passer on the team. The Offense flowed with him in.

[DukieInBrasil]

Did you watch the game? McRoberts was the most effective passer on the team. The Offense flowed with him in.

no, i didn't watch the game. I guess what he did do didn't show up in the stat sheet. Which of course is not the best way to evaluate whether someone did a whole lot.

[grad_devil]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that collects data on former Devils and their NBA prowess.

Bookmark this site (http://huckleberry.mhu.edu/devilStats.html) and enjoy your coffee while reading about how our Dukies fared in the previous evening's games.

/shameless plug

[tbyers11]

Tyus plays for Minnesota not Milwaukee, and he didn't travel with the team. Jabari is still recovering but is expected to return in early November.

Tyus did not dress out for the game, but he did travel with the team as I saw him sitting behind the bench while watching the game on ESPN

[arnie]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that collects data on former Devils and their NBA prowess.

Bookmark this site (http://huckleberry.mhu.edu/devilStats.html) and enjoy your coffee while reading about how our Dukies fared in the previous evening's games.

/shameless plug

Thanks for doing this! I try to check it every morning during season.

[miramar]

Between McBob setting everybody up like no other big and Winslow and Dang all over opponents on defense and the boards I'm psyched. Is this the best Dukies in the NBA team? gotta be. Plus healthy Bosh and Whiteside and Dragic watch out. If Wade just picks his spots they could make a deep run with the Dukies playing a key role.

While it's interesting to see McRoberts turn into a passer and team player, it was even better to see Justise playing so well in his first NBA game.

While going 2-2 from the field and the seven rebounds were good, the plus minus was incredible: 26 minutes, +26 points. Nice debut.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400827895

[jimsumner]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that collects data on former Devils and their NBA prowess.

Bookmark this site (http://huckleberry.mhu.edu/devilStats.html) and enjoy your coffee while reading about how our Dukies fared in the previous evening's games.

/shameless plug

Bookmarked. Thanks for doing this. Even more valuable since the N&O has decided not to bother much with any sporting event that ends after it gets dark or thereabouts.

[Neals384]

And a DNP-CD for Kyle in OKC...

[NashvilleDevil]

Justise had a +- of +26. No one else on Miami had a +- of better than +10. He currently leads the NBA in +- per game ;)

-Jason "in a couple years when some writer goes back and re-drafts the 2015 draft, I predict Justise goes no later than 4th" Evans

Kaminsky played 6 minutes against the Heat last night. Top 5 from this draft will be Towns, Jah, Mudiay, Justise and Herzonia

[Edouble]

Justise had a +- of +26. No one else on Miami had a +- of better than +10. He currently leads the NBA in +- per game ;)

-Jason "in a couple years when some writer goes back and re-drafts the 2015 draft, I predict Justise goes no later than 4th" Evans

I predict Duke players go #1 and #2.


Kaminsky played 6 minutes against the Heat last night. Top 5 from this draft will be Towns, Jah, Mudiay, Justise and Herzonia

No love for Kristaps?

[Pghdukie]

I don't know why, but why did Austin Rivers get fined $25,000 by NBA ? Had to be something very flagrant or stupid.

[FerryFor50]

I don't know why, but why did Austin Rivers get fined $25,000 by NBA ? Had to be something very flagrant or stupid.

This should help... (http://bfy.tw/2XeS) ;)

[Merlindevildog91]

I don't know why, but why did Austin Rivers get fined $25,000 by NBA ? Had to be something very flagrant or stupid.

Threw a chair cushion and hit a fan.

[FerryFor50]

While it's interesting to see McRoberts turn into a passer and team player, it was even better to see Justise playing so well in his first NBA game.

While going 2-2 from the field and the seven rebounds were good, the plus minus was incredible: 26 minutes, +26 points. Nice debut.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400827895

McRoberts was always a solid passer as far as I recall. I remember because he'd make an awesome pass to someone wide open and they'd miss. Then his body language would be awful. Could be remember it wrong though. :)

[Furniture]

Cavs against Miami tomorrow. Can't wait to see Winslow against Lebron.
Set yer DVR's.

[Edouble]

Threw a chair cushion and hit a fan.

Kids, don't bring your pillow fights to the office. Leave it at home.

[Bomar]

Silly article, but fun.

http://www.gq.com/story/it-took-justise-winslow-just-one-nba-game-to-show-why-he-was-the-steal-of-the-draft (http://www.gq.com/story/it-took-justise-winslow-just-one-nba-game-to-show-why-he-was-the-steal-of-the-draft)

[luvdahops]

Kaminsky played 6 minutes against the Heat last night. Top 5 from this draft will be Towns, Jah, Mudiay, Justise and Herzonia

Don't sleep on Bobby Portis. He may not get much PT this year with the Bulls frontcourt depth, but he looked very good in the preseason and will be an impact player longer term.

[NSDukeFan]

Kaminsky played 6 minutes against the Heat last night. Top 5 from this draft will be Towns, Jah, Mudiay, Justise and Herzonia

Pretty sure it's spelled Herzegovina.

[Billy Dat]

Raphielle Johnson ‏@raphiellej 24m24 minutes ago
Winslow’s conceding nothing on D defending Harden down the stretch. And then he nails a three. Miami got themselves a player.

Ethan J. Skolnick ‏@EthanJSkolnick 26m26 minutes ago
Justise Winslow is outplaying James Harden on both ends. By a lot.

Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 16m16 minutes ago
I love Justise Winslow's game. Had I done the 2015 draft, I would've been carried off the TV set unconscious after he fell to Miami at 10.

[Duke95]

I watched the Heat game. Really solid game from Justise. Played very well defensively. Hit a dagger of a 3 that basically ended Houston.

[phaedrus]

For those who simply like to watch Jahlil Okafor play basketball, ignore his middling stat line from the Jazz game and admire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFkazAcUTVA

[Ichabod Drain]

Jabari has been medically cleared to play Wednesday vs the Sixers. It'll be his first game back this season and he'll get to face off against his good friend Jah.

[huey]

Okafor leads all scorers at the half with 14 (2-2 FT!) and the Sixers are up on some good shooting. He's unleashed a variety of post-up moves- bullying both Mozgov and Love- and had one of his nice push shots.

Also playing tonight, the new and improved Knicks. Lance was featured on the pre-game show. They talked about his hustle and how it's getting him rotation minutes in the 4th quarters of games. According to the League Pass wait screen, he's top five in field goal percentage in the league! (a little early, I know).

[luburch]

Okafor ended up with 24 points on 11/21 shooting and 2/3 from the line. As expected his offensive game has translated well to the NBA. I haven't heard or ready anything complaining about his defense yet, just his lack of rebounding.

[jimrowe0]

Okafor ended up with 24 points on 11/21 shooting and 2/3 from the line. As expected his offensive game has translated well to the NBA. I haven't heard or ready anything complaining about his defense yet, just his lack of rebounding.

Yes, rebounding is a concern. Full highlights from last night.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6IiAf-LprE

[phaedrus]

Meanwhile, KAT came back down to earth a little bit with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 turnovers (and 4 blocks) in 27 minutes in a Minnesota loss. So far, after 3 games, their stat lines look like this:

Okafor:

33.7 minutes/51% fg/20ppg/5.3 rpg/0.7 bpg

Towns:

30.7 minutes/57.9% fg/17.9 ppg/10.3 rpg/2.7 bpg

Pretty good start for both.

[huey]

Yes, rebounding is a concern. Full highlights from last night.


In Jah's defense, he actually did a great job of boxing his man out each time, which allowed the 76er guards to swoop in for easy boards. So although he didn't tally many boards himself in the box score, his boxing out (and defense!) really helped his team.

[Billy Dat]

Synergy Sports Tech ‏@SynergySST 13h13 hours ago
Though Jahlil Okafor's post game was his calling card at Duke, he ranks 2nd in NBA in ISO scoring. Very effective getting by Cs early on.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Yes, rebounding is a concern. Full highlights from last night.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6IiAf-LprE

His post game is really unbelievable. We'll get double teamed sooner rather than later.

Okafor will never be a defensive presence like KAT can be, but he definitely needs to average more than 5 rebounds a game.

[Furniture]

Gosh. What a beast Jah was there against Kevin Love! Brilliant!

[Billy Dat]

Gosh. What a beast Jah was there against Kevin Love! Brilliant!

I was thinking the same thing. Love is a bad defender, but Jah already recognizes that when he is singled covered by a guy like Love, he needs to punish him!!!! Considering he also punished much bigger Timofey, I think he's already brimming with offensive confidence very early in his career. The Okafor/Noel offense/defense frontline is an interesting experiment, one wonders if it will enhance or stifle the improvement in each players weak areas...we shall see.

[SilkyJ]

Synergy Sports Tech ‏@SynergySST 13h13 hours ago
Though Jahlil Okafor's post game was his calling card at Duke, he ranks 2nd in NBA in ISO scoring. Very effective getting by Cs early on.

I'm not sure I understand the "though" to lead off that tweet, as it implies a difference b/w what he did at Duke vs NBA. He had plenty of ISO situations (I think of that as unassisted scoring 1on1) in college where we just dumped it in to him and let him go to work.

Maybe they are referring to his face-up game, which has looked solid and more plentiful than we saw at Duke, but it would seem to me you can ISO score with both your face and back to the baskets.

[Ichabod Drain]

I'm not sure I understand the "though" to lead off that tweet, as it implies a difference b/w what he did at Duke vs NBA. He had plenty of ISO situations (I think of that as unassisted scoring 1on1) in college where we just dumped it in to him and let him go to work.

Maybe they are referring to his face-up game, which has looked solid and more plentiful than we saw at Duke, but it would seem to me you can ISO score with both your face and back to the baskets.

Yea they are referring to his face up and drive/shoot game. I guess technically a 1v1 post up is still an isolation but you never really hear it referred to that way.

[COYS]

I was thinking the same thing. Love is a bad defender, but Jah already recognizes that when he is singled covered by a guy like Love, he needs to punish him!!!! Considering he also punished much bigger Timofey, I think he's already brimming with offensive confidence very early in his career. The Okafor/Noel offense/defense frontline is an interesting experiment, one wonders if it will enhance or stifle the improvement in each players weak areas...we shall see.

Quick note, Love has the reputation of being a bad defender, but that doesn't seem to be true when you look at the stats. FiveThirtyEight rates him just shy of being in the top quartile of defensive players in the NBA. http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/kevin-love/

That only makes what Jah has done even more impressive.

He will have to improve his rebounding, though. I think he will, but given that his defense will probably never be elite, he needs to become a really strong rebounder to maximize his value.

[luvdahops]

Meanwhile, KAT came back down to earth a little bit with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 turnovers (and 4 blocks) in 27 minutes in a Minnesota loss. So far, after 3 games, their stat lines look like this:

Okafor:

33.7 minutes/51% fg/20ppg/5.3 rpg/0.7 bpg

Towns:

30.7 minutes/57.9% fg/17.9 ppg/10.3 rpg/2.7 bpg

Pretty good start for both.

Worth noting that Jah's production has been against better frontcourt competition, especially Utah (Gobert/Favors) and Cleveland (Mozgov/Love). KAT has this far played the Lakers, Nuggets and Blazers, none of whom boast much in the way of post defense (apologies to Mason, and Hibbert is well past his peak).

[pfrduke]

Jabari officially in the starting lineup tonight against the 76ers. Will be nice to see Jabari and Jahlil on the same court.

[luburch]

Jabari officially in the starting lineup tonight against the 76ers. Will be nice to see Jabari and Jahlil on the same court.

Seems Jabari struggled a bit (to be expected) in his first game back. 1/6 from the floor for 2pts with 4rbs in 16 minutes of action.

Jahlil continues to impress. 21pts and 6rbs in 35 minutes.

[gumbomoop]

Hmmmm .... Seth hits 8 straight points (2 threes and a stutter-drive) v. Rockets, so they start double-teaming him.

Still needs to work on handle to make it excellent, not just adequate.

Three good hustle D plays, 2 while guarding Harden.

Nice assist. Smart player.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I'm unable to link the video from Instagram, but did anyone see Jabari dunk on Lance Thomas last night...commentator called it "Duke on Duke crime."😀

[dukelifer]

Hmmmm ... Seth hits 8 straight points (2 threes and a stutter-drive) v. Rockets, so they start double-teaming him.

Still needs to work on handle to make it excellent, not just adequate.

Three good hustle D plays, 2 while guarding Harden.

Nice assist. Smart player.

Seth like his brother can get hot very fast. Good to see him impressing early in the season. May start getting a bit more time.

[huey]

I'm unable to link the video from Instagram, but did anyone see Jabari dunk on Lance Thomas last night...commentator called it "Duke on Duke crime."😀

O this little 270 degree dunk? https://streamable.com/1w1g

Mods, can we please merge the two NBA/Dukies in NBA threads? This had been posted in the other thread, it's a little confusing.

[DukieInBrasil]

Hmmmm ... Seth hits 8 straight points (2 threes and a stutter-drive) v. Rockets, so they start double-teaming him.
Still needs to work on handle to make it excellent, not just adequate.
Three good hustle D plays, 2 while guarding Harden.
Nice assist. Smart player.

Curry is playing his way into more and more PT. Got a DNP-CD in one game and maxed out at 5 mins in the rest of the first few games, but by showing good shooting and decent ball skills in those games, blew it up to 15 mins last night. Doesn't mean he's "here to stay", in terms of minutes and opportunity, but he's mos def showing that he should be given more chances to shine going forward. As a nice bonus, he has a 6/0 a/to so far. Not superstar PG stats, but he's showing that he is capable of being entrusted withe rock.

[huey]

Curry is playing his way into more and more PT. Got a DNP-CD in one game and maxed out at 5 mins in the rest of the first few games, but by showing good shooting and decent ball skills in those games, blew it up to 15 mins last night. Doesn't mean he's "here to stay", in terms of minutes and opportunity, but he's mos def showing that he should be given more chances to shine going forward. As a nice bonus, he has a 6/0 a/to so far. Not superstar PG stats, but he's showing that he is capable of being entrusted withe rock.

Unfortunately Curry didn't get to play against his brother last night. He had been placed on the injured list but I'm not sure if that's the reason he didn't get in.

In other news, the Clippers lost an exciting game on a no-call goaltend at the end of regulation. The NBA acknowledged the miss but said the play was non-reviewable...which is funny b/c the refs reviewed it enough to give the ball to the Rockets. Austin started in place of an injured Chris Paul and added 10 points while JJ poured in 19, and played some tight D on Harden leading to this odd visual https://streamable.com/ibce.

And what's a NBA Dukie post without a Jahlil highlight? https://streamable.com/1loo I think he's gotten his explosion back. Jah scored 19 points, and currently leads the NBA in points in the paint.

[jimsumner]

Unfortunately Curry didn't get to play against his brother last night. He had been placed on the injured list but I'm not sure if that's the reason he didn't get in.

In other news, the Clippers lost an exciting game on a no-call goaltend at the end of regulation. The NBA acknowledged the miss but said the play was non-reviewable...which is funny b/c the refs reviewed it enough to give the ball to the Rockets. Austin started in place of an injured Chris Paul and added 10 points while JJ poured in 19, and played some tight D on Harden leading to this odd visual https://streamable.com/ibce.

And what's a NBA Dukie post without a Jahlil highlight? https://streamable.com/1loo I think he's gotten his explosion back. Jah scored 19 points, and currently leads the NBA in points in the paint.

It wouldn't bother me any to see Okafor be a tad more active on the glass.

[Furniture]

By the stats it looks like Winslow had another great game. Most minutes on the team, the best +\- and a nice quite 9 points to go with it. That boy is a winner!!!

[huey]

By the stats it looks like Winslow had another great game. Most minutes on the team, the best +\- and a nice quite 9 points to go with it. That boy is a winner!!!

Some great Dukie to Dukie connections in the game today. Winslow steal to a McBob dunk: https://streamable.com/h1f2 and then McBob returning the favor with a steal and pretty pass: https://streamable.com/59lo.

It's a great time to be a Duke and NBA fan. Get to go to r/nba and see highlights of our boys everyday.

[BigZ]

Some great Dukie to Dukie connections in the game today. Winslow steal to a McBob dunk: https://streamable.com/h1f2 and then McBob returning the favor with a steal and pretty pass: https://streamable.com/59lo.

It's a great time to be a Duke and NBA fan. Get to go to r/nba and see highlights of our boys everyday.

those maybe the worst uniforms in NBA history.

[Edouble]

O this little 270 degree dunk? https://streamable.com/1w1g

Mods, can we please merge the two NBA/Dukies in NBA threads? This had been posted in the other thread, it's a little confusing.

Kevin Seraphin = latest help D ever

[Highlander]

Some great Dukie to Dukie connections in the game today. Winslow steal to a McBob dunk: https://streamable.com/h1f2 and then McBob returning the favor with a steal and pretty pass: https://streamable.com/59lo.

It's a great time to be a Duke and NBA fan. Get to go to r/nba and see highlights of our boys everyday.

Still can't believe the Hornets not only passed on the Celtics offer to trade up for Winslow, they passed on Winslow entirely in favor of Kaminsky. Yes, draft another dynamic 6'10" PF to go with the other two dynamic 6'10" power forwards you drafted two of the past three years. This is a franchise that has more than their share of bad luck (missing out on Anthony Davis, Bob Johnson, Lance Stephenson, injuries galore, etc.). So much so that even when they have good luck (i.e. Winslow falling to them), they find a way to screw that up too.

Still early I know, but initial returns on their draft selection are not promising.

[oakvillebluedevil]

The box score isn't going to show it (4 pts on 2-12 shooting), but I think Jah just finished the best half of his professional career against the Bulls.

Was very active on defense (7 def rebounds, some of which were not in his area) and altered several shots.

On offense was constantly moving, setting good screens and eating a lot of space when rolling to the basket. He was fighting hard and establishing deep post position - just had a few bunnies rim out. He also was hunting offensive glass much more than he had been.

Some of this is due to Nerlens Noel being out, but even in a vacuum this has been a really, really impressive performance.

I'm interested to see how his conditioning holds up in the second half

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Winslow has been pretty impressive in the early going. His ability to have a positive impact on the game seems somehow effortless. He's a plus-72 on the season, which is by far the best number on the team, and according to a tweet I read last night, only players on the Warriors and Cavs are in that neighborhood. He's also played the most 4th quarter minutes of anyone on the Heat. Chris Bosh was asked about Winslow's defense and poise last night, and he said he's never seen anything like it from a rookie.

In other Heat news, the Gerald Green story is completely mystifying. No one is saying anything that might shed light on just what the hell is going on. If it was just an illness, it's hard to imagine why they wouldn't say anything. Their silence is basically forcing people to speculate that it may be drug-related, and the fact that they're not denying this has anything to do with drugs is all the more suspicious. It's very hard to guess what the rest of the season will hold for him.

The general consensus on the Heat in the preseason was that their ceiling would largely depend on what they got from Hassan Whiteside, so I think the best news for the Heat so far this season is that Whiteside appears to have become the Heat's best player and most valuable asset.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Winslow has been pretty impressive in the early going. His ability to have a positive impact on the game seems somehow effortless. He's a plus-72 on the season, which is by far the best number on the team, and according to a tweet I read last night, only players on the Warriors and Cavs are in that neighborhood. He's also played the most 4th quarter minutes of anyone on the Heat. Chris Bosh was asked about Winslow's defense and poise last night, and he said he's never seen anything like it from a rookie.

In other Heat news, the Gerald Green story is completely mystifying. No one is saying anything that might shed light on just what the hell is going on. If it was just an illness, it's hard to imagine why they wouldn't say anything. Their silence is basically forcing people to speculate that it may be drug-related, and the fact that they're not denying this has anything to do with drugs is all the more suspicious. It's very hard to guess what the rest of the season will hold for him.

The general consensus on the Heat in the preseason was that their ceiling would largely depend on what they got from Hassan Whiteside, so I think the best news for the Heat so far this season is that Whiteside appears to have become the Heat's best player and most valuable asset.

Somehow I put this in the wrong thread. I guess the Winslow stuff is relevant at least. Apologies.

[Furniture]

Curry is playing his way into more and more PT. Got a DNP-CD in one game and maxed out at 5 mins in the rest of the first few games, but by showing good shooting and decent ball skills in those games, blew it up to 15 mins last night. Doesn't mean he's "here to stay", in terms of minutes and opportunity, but he's mos def showing that he should be given more chances to shine going forward. As a nice bonus, he has a 6/0 a/to so far. Not superstar PG stats, but he's showing that he is capable of being entrusted withe rock.

http://thebiglead.com/2015/11/07/seth-curry-briefly-played-like-his-brother-against-the-rockets/

Nice article.....

[huey]

The box score isn't going to show it (4 pts on 2-12 shooting), but I think Jah just finished the best half of his professional career against the Bulls.

Was very active on defense (7 def rebounds, some of which were not in his area) and altered several shots.

On offense was constantly moving, setting good screens and eating a lot of space when rolling to the basket. He was fighting hard and establishing deep post position - just had a few bunnies rim out. He also was hunting offensive glass much more than he had been.

Some of this is due to Nerlens Noel being out, but even in a vacuum this has been a really, really impressive performance.

I'm interested to see how his conditioning holds up in the second half

And 15 boards!

[gep]

Is this correct? So far, stats show that Tyus Jones has not played in any regular season games yet. Any info.. :confused:

[martydoesntfoul]

Is this correct? So far, stats show that Tyus Jones has not played in any regular season games yet. Any info.. :confused:

It appears he will be active effective Saturday.

http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/timberwolves-tyus-jones-will-be-active-saturday/

[luburch]

Is this correct? So far, stats show that Tyus Jones has not played in any regular season games yet. Any info.. :confused:

I would be surprised if Tyus sees much court time this season. Unfortunately I think the T-Wolves may send him to the D-League for much of the season.

[Billy Dat]

JJ hit a big 3 and got fouled attempting a 3 (nailed all 3 freebies, natch) in the final minute as the Clippers, despite about a dozen brain freezes, held on to beat the Clippers.

[freshmanjs]

JJ hit a big 3 and got fouled attempting a 3 (nailed all 3 freebies, natch) in the final minute as the Clippers, despite about a dozen brain freezes, held on to beat the Clippers.

Clippers = Ademola Okulaja?

[MChambers]

So the Clippers beat themselves? Thought only UNC did that.

Edit: freshmanjs beat me to it!

[Billy Dat]

Clippers = Ademola Okulaja?


So the Clippers beat themselves? Thought only UNC did that.

Edit: freshmanjs beat me to it!

The Clippers and Morton Downey Jr.

Fairly warned be the sloppy and hasty poster who wanders into the DBR octagon. Well played, sirs.

[phaedrus]

Seth Curry apparently missed the last two games (including the Warriors game) with an ankle injury.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/148518/20151109/sacramento-kings-rumors-darren-collion-out-indefinitely-seth-curry-now-should-be-backup-point-guard.htm

If he is able to get healthy soon, though, Darren Collison's injury should open up some playing time for him.

[NM Duke Fan]

“Yeah, he's confusing me," Bosh admitted following the win over the Raptors. "I mean you always want to just kind of be easy on the rooks but he's raising the bar every game. With his maturity. His ability. His knack to play defense. I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been in this league -- from a rookie.

"He's just not making many mistakes. He's playing solid defense. He's already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is able to help us out a lot.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25368604/heats-justise-winslow-can-defend-because-hes-the-oldest-19-year-old

[mattman91]

“Yeah, he's confusing me," Bosh admitted following the win over the Raptors. "I mean you always want to just kind of be easy on the rooks but he's raising the bar every game. With his maturity. His ability. His knack to play defense. I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been in this league -- from a rookie.

"He's just not making many mistakes. He's playing solid defense. He's already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is able to help us out a lot.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25368604/heats-justise-winslow-can-defend-because-hes-the-oldest-19-year-old

Thanks for sharing, but the name spelling police are about to give you a citation.

[pfrduke]

“Yeah, he's confusing me," Bosh admitted following the win over the Raptors. "I mean you always want to just kind of be easy on the rooks but he's raising the bar every game. With his maturity. His ability. His knack to play defense. I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been in this league -- from a rookie.

"He's just not making many mistakes. He's playing solid defense. He's already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is able to help us out a lot.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25368604/heats-justise-winslow-can-defend-because-hes-the-oldest-19-year-old

Winslow falling to 10 is going to be looked at a lot like Paul Pierce falling to 10 in 1998. Redraft now and Pierce goes no lower than 3 (Nowitzki is one and I think reasonable minds could differ on Carter vs. Pierce) - I think the same will end up being true for Winslow.

And may KAT end up being the next Olowokandi....

[cato]

“Yeah, he's confusing me," Bosh admitted following the win over the Raptors. "I mean you always want to just kind of be easy on the rooks but he's raising the bar every game. With his maturity. His ability. His knack to play defense. I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been in this league -- from a rookie.

"He's just not making many mistakes. He's playing solid defense. He's already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is able to help us out a lot.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25368604/heats-justise-winslow-can-defend-because-hes-the-oldest-19-year-old

It's very early, but maybe time will excuse Grant a bit for his hyperbole re Winslow's defense during the National Championship game.

[Indoor66]

“Yeah, he's confusing me," Bosh admitted following the win over the Raptors. "I mean you always want to just kind of be easy on the rooks but he's raising the bar every game. With his maturity. His ability. His knack to play defense. I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been in this league -- from a rookie.

"He's just not making many mistakes. He's playing solid defense. He's already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is able to help us out a lot.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25368604/heats-justise-winslow-can-defend-because-hes-the-oldest-19-year-old

Terrific article. Thanks for sharing. It is delight to watch him play. He is very smooth and on offense he is always in position - though not looked to for a lot of offense yet.

[g-money]

It's very early, but maybe time will excuse Grant a bit for his hyperbole re Winslow's defense during the National Championship game.

After reading that article, it sure makes you think so! I suspect Mr. Battier might have a quibble, though.

If Justise can extend his shooting range out to the NBA three point line, he could be an all-star. I love his dedication to defense as a rookie.

The Heat are looking like my de-facto eastern conference team this year - lots of Dukies.

[Edouble]

Winslow falling to 10 is going to be looked at a lot like Paul Pierce falling to 10 in 1998. Redraft now and Pierce goes no lower than 3 (Nowitzki is one and I think reasonable minds could differ on Carter vs. Pierce) - I think the same will end up being true for Winslow.

And may KAT end up being the next Olowokandi...

I don't know. He had one bad game (excusable, he's a rookie) followed up with back to back double-doubles of 17 and 12 with 3 blocks, and 17 and 13 with 4 blocks. He looks like he will make the All-Rookie first team at this point (Candy made the second team).

[Billy Dat]

Lance Thomas has been an important bench player for the Knicks, often playing crunch time minutes as his defense and smarts have earned him Derek Fisher's trust.

Tonight, he made HUGE plays down the stretch as the Knicks got a big road win against Toronto. He had a very impressive ball fake lay-up in the final 2 minutes, made 2 free throws, and secured a big rebound. He also had a few big defensive covers, keeping his man in front (the Raps were driving all night).

I must also mention that Lance now takes 3s. He went 3/3 from deep tonight.

The dude is a real NBA player, he made himself into one. If someone had told you that the 2010 Champs starting 5 would have 2 future NBA players, you'd have said Kyle and probably Nolan. I am pretty sure Lance may have been the last guy one named. Pretty great...it's gotta be the bling!

[huey]

Wow, Lance Thomas helping the Knicks get a quality win at Toronto (been a while since quality wins and Knicks have been in the same sentence). Put in 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench and made all the right plays subbing in for Porzingis. And 3-3 from three! He never took a three in his four years at Duke! Wow a great story.

Jabari is playing his way back into shape. Put up 8/8 in an efficient 24 minutes. Also, put Olynyk on the floor with this nice move https://streamable.com/qr2d.

The Heat handled the Lakers as expected. Luol Deng broke out of his recent slump with 5/9 (3/6 from deep) for 14. Mcroberts and Winslow didn't break double digits scoring but staffed the boxscore with assists, boards, and steals. Even got a Ryan Kelly sighting. He's been riding the pine the past few games so glad to see him get some burn.

And Rodney, you have to wrap and drive! https://twitter.com/cavs/status/664266270200561664. Someone should keep a stat for how often Lebron does this a year.
I'll always be amazed that Hood fell to 23 in the 2014 Draft. Memphis must kick themselves every time they play the Jazz. They had the 22nd pick and really could use a scoring SF who puts up 16 against the Cavs. I think Hood goes top-10 if you redo that 2014 draft today.

[huey]

Lance Thomas has been an important bench player for the Knicks, often playing crunch time minutes as his defense and smarts have earned him Derek Fisher's trust.

Tonight, he made HUGE plays down the stretch as the Knicks got a big road win against Toronto. He had a very impressive ball fake lay-up in the final 2 minutes, made 2 free throws, and secured a big rebound. He also had a few big defensive covers, keeping his man in front (the Raps were driving all night).

I must also mention that Lance now takes 3s. He went 3/3 from deep tonight.

The dude is a real NBA player, he made himself into one. If someone had told you that the 2010 Champs starting 5 would have 2 future NBA players, you'd have said Kyle and probably Nolan. I am pretty sure Lance may have been the last guy one named. Pretty great...it's gotta be the bling!

Ha! Knew my fellow Duke fans would love this performance. Can you imagine the board's reaction if Lance ever put up a corner three early in the shot clock while at Duke?

[Billy Dat]

Ha! Knew my fellow Duke fans would love this performance. Can you imagine the board's reaction if Lance ever put up a corner three early in the shot clock while at Duke?

He is a Twitter trending topic in my zip code right now...amazing.

[Furniture]

Add Kyle to the list tonight. A good 19 minutes burn and 100% in shooting for 8 points including two threes.
Well done Lance too. I must say those two look every inch NBA players now. They are huge!!

[pfrduke]

I don't know. He had one bad game (excusable, he's a rookie) followed up with back to back double-doubles of 17 and 12 with 3 blocks, and 17 and 13 with 4 blocks. He looks like he will make the All-Rookie first team at this point (Candy made the second team).

That was not a commentary on his actual performance, but instead the stuff of hopes and dreams.

[Skitzle]

Tyus Jones got his first NBA action of the season last night going 0/4 scoring 1 pt and 1 asst in single digit minutes. He was filling a hole in Minnesotas injury depleted roster.

He'll have a very tough time cracking the rotation this year. Could see extended time in the D-League, but his NBA carer officially got its first stats yesterday. congrats!

[Billy Dat]

Some of the Lance Twitter love

Steve Mills ‏@scmills 9h9 hours ago
I refer to Lance Thomas as @Princeton of the South,his work ethic is invaluable to this team & he made it clear he wanted to be a @nyknicks
(Steve Mills is one of Phil Jackson's primary lieutenants in the Knicks front office, he was the boss before Phil was hired and played at Princeton for Pete Carrill)

Doug Gottlieb ‏@GottliebShow 12h12 hours ago
If you thought Lance Thomas would score 13 in a competitive NBA game when he played at Duke, I commend ur foresight

Bobby Marks ‏@BobbyMarks42 11h11 hours ago
Cut from summer league, waived 4 times, signed 13 different contracts, Lance Thomas should be the poster boy for perseverance and hard work.

Alan HahnVerified account ‏@alanhahn 12h12 hours ago
So many have asked "Why is Lance Thomas on the floor?" You're seeing why tonight. #KNICKSonMSG

[DallasDevil]

Ha! Knew my fellow Duke fans would love this performance. Can you imagine the board's reaction if Lance ever put up a corner three early in the shot clock while at Duke?

I remember one game Lance's freshman year when Coach K gave him a good tongue lashing and sat him on the bench just for taking (and bricking) a 15 foot jumper. Props to Lance for getting to where he is now. It's great to see so many former Duke players meeting and exceeding expectations.

[91_92_01_10_15]

http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork/knicks/post/_/id/63451/63451

[sagegrouse]

http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork/knicks/post/_/id/63451/63451

Money quote:


Regardless of where you stand on the starting backcourt debate, it's worth noting that Fisher made the right call with Lance Thomas on Tuesday. Fisher played Thomas for 22 minutes against Toronto, and Thomas responded with 17 points, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts. And Fisher played Thomas for most of the fourth quarter over Porzingis. Thomas had a key layup with 1:33 to play -- on a drive on Jonas Valanciunas that you should check out in the highlight above -- that put the Knicks up 106-101.

[JBDuke]

Injury updates:

JJ Redick left the game vs. the Mavericks tonight with back spasms and did not re-enter the game. No further info yet.

Jabari Parker did not travel with the Bucks for their game in Denver tonight. No further info yet here, either.

Gerald Henderson is supposed to make his season debut tonight for the Hornets.

Seth Curry, as noted elsewhere, is day-to-day for the Kings.

[Furniture]

Injury updates:

JJ Redick left the game vs. the Mavericks tonight with back spasms and did not re-enter the game. No further info yet.

Jabari Parker did not travel with the Bucks for their game in Denver tonight. No further info yet here, either.

Gerald Henderson is supposed to make his season debut tonight for the 'Trailblazers'.

Seth Curry, as noted elsewhere, is day-to-day for the Kings.

Fixed it....

[tbyers11]

Injury updates:

Jabari Parker did not travel with the Bucks for their game in Denver tonight. No further info yet here, either


ESPN article (http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400828008) states that it was planned rest on the 2nd night of a back-to-back

[jimrowe0]

Jahlil had 26pt 7rebs 4 block last night in another losing effort. Highlights:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhCHn8BFrzE

Austin Rivers played well last night with 16pts and 6 rebs

Hendo had 12 points in 18 minutes in his first game back

[flyingdutchdevil]

Jahlil had 26pt 7rebs 4 block last night in another losing effort. Highlights:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhCHn8BFrzE

Austin Rivers played well last night with 16pts and 6 rebs

Hendo had 12 points in 18 minutes in his first game back

It's safe to say that Jah is already a really good post scorer in the NBA, and at this rate he will be an "elite" post scorer by his sophomore year, which is amazing.

The scouts were 98% right about Jahlil - excellent post scorer, mediocre rebounder, and subpar help defender. I don't think anyone expected Jah to be hitting short jumpers at a great rate like this though.

Moving forward, the twin towers in Philly make a lot of sense. They just need an additional 5 years to stop tanking :p (3 years to draft at the 1-3 and 2 years to mature the team).

[elvis14]

Injury updates:

JJ Redick left the game vs. the Mavericks tonight with back spasms and did not re-enter the game. No further info yet.



I was so bummed. I actually had time to sit down and relax and watch this game. To watch JJ and he didn't disappoint. JJ had 10 points in the first quarter before he got hurt. I didn't see what happened to him but he was unhappy with someone and had a few things to say on his way off the court. Hope the back spasms go away and he doesn't miss any time.

On another note, thanks Jim Rowe for posting the Jahlil highlights. He's so much fun to watch and makes it look easy. But hey, the Lakers got....ah....that guy, I think he's a PG....or something....ah, yeah, I'm sure he'll be good one day too (idiots).

[NSDukeFan]

It's safe to say that Jah is already a really good post scorer in the NBA, and at this rate he will be an "elite" post scorer by his sophomore year, which is amazing.

The scouts were 98% right about Jahlil - excellent post scorer, mediocre rebounder, and subpar help defender. I don't think anyone expected Jah to be hitting short jumpers at a great rate like this though.

Moving forward, the twin towers in Philly make a lot of sense. They just need an additional 5 years to stop tanking :p (3 years to draft at the 1-3 and 2 years to mature the team).

Unfortunately, Jah has already lost more with the Lakers , without a win, than he did in his college career.

[Indoor66]

Unfortunately, Jah has already lost more with the Lakers , without a win, than he did in his college career.

How many times have they played LA? Jah is in Philly - a continent away! :cool:

[sagegrouse]

It's safe to say that Jah is already a really good post scorer in the NBA, and at this rate he will be an "elite" post scorer by his sophomore year, which is amazing.

The scouts were 98% right about Jahlil - excellent post scorer, mediocre rebounder, and subpar help defender. I don't think anyone expected Jah to be hitting short jumpers at a great rate like this though.

Moving forward, the twin towers in Philly make a lot of sense. They just need an additional 5 years to stop tanking :p (3 years to draft at the 1-3 and 2 years to mature the team).

[Please ignore smoke coming out of my ears.] Don't rookies get a chance to improve over their first two or three seasons? Or, heck, during their first season? Okafor's scoring ability in the NBA has been amazing and far better than anything I (or anyone else?) expected at the beginning of his first season, and he looks so comfortable on the court. I would give his defense and rebounding a chance to improve as well -- you may be surprised.

[flyingdutchdevil]

[Please ignore smoke coming out of my ears.] Don't rookies get a chance to improve over their first two or three seasons? Or, heck, during their first season? Okafor's scoring ability in the NBA has been amazing and far better than anything I (or anyone else?) expected at the beginning of his first season, and he looks so comfortable on the court. I would give his defense and rebounding a chance to improve as well -- you may be surprised.

Sage - of course they do! And I'm not criticizing Jah's inability to improve (which isn't true. He will improve) but rather his ability right now and how the scouts reviewed him. IMO, Jah can become a very good rebounder. I don't think elite, given that his rebounding numbers are subpar right now and he isn't going to jump that many steps on the ladder to do so. However, I don't think Jah will ever become a good help defender. He has never shown much potential on this end, either on the college or early-NBA front, and I don't see that happening in the future. He is a good individual defender, due to his strong immovable body and tall standing reach. But help defense isn't in his arsenal, which is why the 76ers have Nerlens Noel.

Jah will improve, and I expect he and Cousins to always be in the conversation for "best post player". But I think his rebounding skills and defensive skills will be limited.

[phaedrus]

[Please ignore smoke coming out of my ears.] Don't rookies get a chance to improve over their first two or three seasons? Or, heck, during their first season? Okafor's scoring ability in the NBA has been amazing and far better than anything I (or anyone else?) expected at the beginning of his first season, and he looks so comfortable on the court. I would give his defense and rebounding a chance to improve as well -- you may be surprised.

I think he meant right now, not that he has no chance to improve.

That said, I think he's a better post defender right now than I expected he would be. He's doing a great job blocking shots by simply holding his ground, going up straight, and using his length. Right now, his stats look like this:

20.6 ppg/6.9 rpg/1.6 bpg/50.7 fg%. His free throw percentage has come back to earth - 59%.

For comparison, KAT is at:

16.0 ppg/10.4 rpg/3.0 bpg/48.9 fg%.

Safe to say both players are living up to very high expectations, so far.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I think he meant right now, not that he has no chance to improve.

That said, I think he's a better post defender right now than I expected he would be. He's doing a great job blocking shots by simply holding his ground, going up straight, and using his length. Right now, his stats look like this:

20.6 ppg/6.9 rpg/1.6 bpg/50.7 fg%. His free throw percentage has come back to earth - 59%.

For comparison, KAT is at:

16.0 ppg/10.4 rpg/3.0 bpg/48.9 fg%.

Safe to say both players are living up to very high expectations, so far.

Oh, I agree with you. Jah has been a good individual defender, and that hasn't changed in the NBA. It's his help D that isn't strong at all. He's not going to be a rim protector like DeAndre or Dwight or (probably) KAT. We should be realistic about that.

[Billy Dat]

Oh, I agree with you. Jah has been a good individual defender, and that hasn't changed in the NBA. It's his help D that isn't strong at all. He's not going to be a rim protector like DeAndre or Dwight or (probably) KAT. We should be realistic about that.

Jah and KAT are both doing well from a Hollinger PER standpoint
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/rookies

KAT leads all rookies, is over 20 PER, and is nearly top 30 in the league for that stat.

It is too bad many feel the need to hype Jah at the expense of these other guys. KAT is $. Russell is in a really bad situation in LA and it's actually really good that Jah didn't wind up out there. On the flip side, Ryan Kelly has been involved in a bunch of recent Laker trade speculation which may be part of the reason he never plays - but maybe that's just wishful speculation on my part.

[MChambers]

Russell is in a really bad situation in LA and it's actually really good that Jah didn't wind up out there.
On the other hand, Jah ended up with the Sixers. Other than Noel, who are those guys? What happened to all those high draft picks?

[flyingdutchdevil]

Jah and KAT are both doing well from a Hollinger PER standpoint
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/rookies

KAT leads all rookies, is over 20 PER, and is nearly top 30 in the league for that stat.

It is too bad many feel the need to hype Jah at the expense of these other guys. KAT is $. Russell is in a really bad situation in LA and it's actually really good that Jah didn't wind up out there. On the flip side, Ryan Kelly has been involved in a bunch of recent Laker trade speculation which may be part of the reason he never plays - but maybe that's just wishful speculation on my part.

This class is loaded. And performing really really well for rookies. KAT, Jah, the Latvian-stiff-who-turned-out-to-not-be-a-stiff, Winslow, and Willie Cauley Stein have all outperformed, even as top 10 picks. There are going to be many All Star selections from this class. I do feel that KAT will be the best player, because of his diverse game and potential to play both ends at an elite level.

I assume you're not referring to me as one of the posters hyping Jah. If anything, I'm probably one of the least optimistic about his game, although I do feel that he has All Star potential.

[Billy Dat]

I assume you're not referring to me as one of the posters hyping Jah. If anything, I'm probably one of the least optimistic about his game, although I do feel that he has All Star potential.

No, not at all. I meant the "us vs them" type of stuff where we have to try and find faults with anyone drafted higher than or perceived to be better than the non-Duke kids. I hype Jah all the time but I try not to at the expense of other players. I do think it makes a difference if you are a passionate fan of an NBA team. My attitude about opposing players I rooted hard against when they played against Duke, especially Heels, tends to change dramatically when they pull on the Knicks blue, orange and white. The ultimate test might be the Pigeon. If he ever flies out of Oakland and lands at Madison Square Garden I am going to have some real soul searching to do. Fact is, had the Knicks won the lottery, I wanted KAT more then Jah. I am thrilled that I get to watch Lance. I loved the Duhon years. Shelden had a cup of coffee with the Knicks in 2012. That's been it.

[flyingdutchdevil]

No, not at all. I meant the "us vs them" type of stuff where we have to try and find faults with anyone drafted higher than or perceived to be better than the non-Duke kids. I hype Jah all the time but I try not to at the expense of other players. I do think it makes a difference if you are a passionate fan of an NBA team. My attitude about opposing players I rooted hard against when they played against Duke, especially Heels, tends to change dramatically when they pull on the Knicks blue, orange and white. The ultimate test might be the Pigeon. If he ever flies out of Oakland and lands at Madison Square Garden I am going to have some real soul searching to do. Fact is, had the Knicks won the lottery, I wanted KAT more then Jah. I am thrilled that I get to watch Lance. I loved the Duhon years. Shelden had a cup of coffee with the Knicks in 2012. That's been it.

I feel the same way, which is why I took KAT over Jah in our mock draft (I had Minny). I really like KAT's game and he's gonna be a beast. I don't think he'll hit Davis-good, but I'm willing to bet we'll be top 10 in 5 years.

Your boy Kristaps Porzingis is shocking the basketball universe. No one thought he'd be anywhere near this ready or this athletic. What a beast! Once he adds some muscle, learns to play D, and becomes a more willing passer, he'll be unbelievable. The Knicks actually made a great pick! Jackson may know what he's doing, after all!

Billy - I'll be in MSG next weekend for the 2K Classic. Any tips on post-game drinks?

[Billy Dat]

Your boy Kristaps Porzingis is shocking the basketball universe. No one thought he'd be anywhere near this ready or this athletic. What a beast! Once he adds some muscle, learns to play D, and becomes a more willing passer, he'll be unbelievable. The Knicks actually made a great pick! Jackson may know what he's doing, after all!

Billy - I'll be in MSG next weekend for the 2K Classic. Any tips on post-game drinks?

The Zinger love is off the charts. Had his buzzer beater last night counted, they may have held a ticker tape parade today. Naturally, I am hoping for continued health. The Knicks are fun to watch and very deep. Jerian Grant has also been great. Phil has been on a better run lately, but he really did make some dodgy moves in the first year+ of his tenure. My primary worry right now is Derek Fisher, this team could use a surer hand at the coaching wheel.

As for MSG, I guess it all depends on how far you are willing to travel after the game. The vicinity of the Garden is littered with boring but serviceable watering holes - Irish pub type places. If you are going further - the world is your oyster. I cashed in my city credentials - both living and working - for the burbs a looong time ago so you are better off with a google of "Top Bars in NYC for X" search then anything I can recommend.

[elvis14]

No, not at all. I meant the "us vs them" type of stuff where we have to try and find faults with anyone drafted higher than or perceived to be better than the non-Duke kids. I hype Jah all the time but I try not to at the expense of other players. I do think it makes a difference if you are a passionate fan of an NBA team. My attitude about opposing players I rooted hard against when they played against Duke, especially Heels, tends to change dramatically when they pull on the Knicks blue, orange and white. The ultimate test might be the Pigeon. If he ever flies out of Oakland and lands at Madison Square Garden I am going to have some real soul searching to do. Fact is, had the Knicks won the lottery, I wanted KAT more then Jah. I am thrilled that I get to watch Lance. I loved the Duhon years. Shelden had a cup of coffee with the Knicks in 2012. That's been it.

When Tar Heel players are playing in the NBA, for ANY team at ANY time I hope they never score a point, get a rebound, an assist, you name it and I hope they fail at it. Heck I hope they miss the team bus from the airport. When I watch Golden State play my hope is that they win despite Harry Skype going 0 fer how every many shots he takes every single game. 9F translates into the NBA for me. I freely admit that it won't bother me to see the Laker's Russell and the Hornets Kamisky struggle because I think their teams both made HUGE mistakes passing on Jahlil and Justise. I'm not rooting for them to fail and I don't have to find faults with anyone drafted higher but I fully support the Duke players. I'd rather win a fewer games with Jhalil than win more games with KAT and don't understand how you could have wanted KAT (not Duke) over Jah (Duke!).

I grew up a fan of the Lakers (because of Magic and the Showtime style of play). I was never a big Shaq fan. I stopped following the Lakers when Shaq signed and I never went back. Now I'm more of a players fan (especially Duke players) than a fan of any one team. But I know from first hand experience that I won't root for a player I don't like (9F) no matter what color he's wearing in the NBA and I hate it when good Duke players get stuck playing with UNC players (good, bad or other).

[Billy Dat]

When Tar Heel players are playing in the NBA, for ANY team at ANY time I hope they never score a point, get a rebound, an assist, you name it and I hope they fail at it. Heck I hope they miss the team bus from the airport. When I watch Golden State play my hope is that they win despite Harry Skype going 0 fer how every many shots he takes every single game. 9F translates into the NBA for me. I freely admit that it won't bother me to see the Laker's Russell and the Hornets Kamisky struggle because I think their teams both made HUGE mistakes passing on Jahlil and Justise. I'm not rooting for them to fail and I don't have to find faults with anyone drafted higher but I fully support the Duke players. I'd rather win a fewer games with Jhalil than win more games with KAT and don't understand how you could have wanted KAT (not Duke) over Jah (Duke!).

I grew up a fan of the Lakers (because of Magic and the Showtime style of play). I was never a big Shaq fan. I stopped following the Lakers when Shaq signed and I never went back. Now I'm more of a players fan (especially Duke players) than a fan of any one team. But I know from first hand experience that I won't root for a player I don't like (9F) no matter what color he's wearing in the NBA and I hate it when good Duke players get stuck playing with UNC players (good, bad or other).

I hear you. My Knicks fandom is a product of where I am from and began 10 years before I arrived in Durham. I am 35 years an obsessed Knicks fan and 25 years an obsessed Duke fan. It sounds like your NBA rooting interest isn't as dogmatic as mine, and for that you are lucky. The Knicks last title came when I was a 1 year old. I don't remember it and have only experienced it via ESPN Classic which, I have to say, was thrilling. If the Knicks can win a title in my lifetime (we're about halfway there basketball gods), it will be as sweet as any of the 5 first Monday in April triumphs I have experienced rooting for the Devils. If the starting 5 for that potential Knicks title team was Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Marvin Williams, Psycho T and John Henson, it wouldn't be ideal, but it wouldn't suck.

[luburch]

Redick will miss today's game with back spasms as well. Hope this doesn't turn out to be another extended injury.

[elvis14]

I hear you. My Knicks fandom is a product of where I am from and began 10 years before I arrived in Durham. I am 35 years an obsessed Knicks fan and 25 years an obsessed Duke fan. It sounds like your NBA rooting interest isn't as dogmatic as mine, and for that you are lucky. The Knicks last title came when I was a 1 year old. I don't remember it and have only experienced it via ESPN Classic which, I have to say, was thrilling. If the Knicks can win a title in my lifetime (we're about halfway there basketball gods), it will be as sweet as any of the 5 first Monday in April triumphs I have experienced rooting for the Devils. If the starting 5 for that potential Knicks title team was Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Marvin Williams, Psycho T and John Henson, it wouldn't be ideal, but it wouldn't suck.

Yeah, I mentioned that I'm more a players fan than an NBA team fan for context. You're right that my NBA rooting interest is clearly less dogmatic than yours. And that's probably has a lot to do with our differing opinions about UNC and other non-Duke NBA players. When I see that starting 5 above I get a bit nauseated. I guess I should be glad that Duke's not going to be taking in any UNC transfers anytime soon :)

[Billy Dat]

When I see that starting 5 above I get a bit nauseated. I guess I should be glad that Duke's not going to be taking in any UNC transfers anytime soon :)

I did use Ellington instead of Danny Green because a man can only be so reasonable. Amen on the transfers.

[sagegrouse]

Yeah, I mentioned that I'm more a players fan than an NBA team fan for context. You're right that my NBA rooting interest is clearly less dogmatic than yours. And that's probably has a lot to do with our differing opinions about UNC and other non-Duke NBA players. When I see that starting 5 above I get a bit nauseated. I guess I should be glad that Duke's not going to be taking in any UNC transfers anytime soon :)

Hating UNC players in the NBA? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? You are free to adopt that position, but it shouldn't be dogma on DBR. After all, a lot of the UNC players are good guys and friends with the Duke players.

Kindly,
Sage
'Of course, the UNC Hall of Shame is not empty -- PJ, Makhtiar Ndiaye, Jeff McInnis, McCants, Danny Green (college version), Vince Carter, Larry Brown, and others'

[NSDukeFan]

How many times have they played LA? Jah is in Philly - a continent away! :cool:

Woops, I got my losing teams mixed up.

[Billy Dat]

Chris Haynes ‏@ChrisBHaynes 40m40 minutes ago
Sources: #Cavs G Kyrie Irving has been cleared for unrestricted weight-bearing activities in next phase of recovery

[Billy Dat]

(via retweet from @ICMeltdown)
Shea Serrano ‏@SheaSerrano 28m28 minutes ago
kevin love isn't allowed to look jabari parker directly in the eyes for six months now that's the rule

https://vine.co/v/iBXAphEW3PW

(Looks like the big guy has gotten his spring back)

[phaedrus]

Without exception, speculation that a certain college team could beat a certain NBA team is nonsense. This post is not an exception, either. Yet consider how many games we won last year when someone other than Okafor was our best player. How many games thus far has he not been the 76ers' best player? 21 and 12 tonight against the Spurs.

[BD80]

Interesting mention of Jahlil meeting Tim Duncan.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25375240/gregg-popovich-says-hed-last-about-a-month-coaching-the-sixers

If he wants to meet Tim's predecessor all he has to do is catch a game with his alma mater

An amusing quote in the article is Pop admitting that he would last about a month as coach of the 76rs with the current level of performance.

[DukieInBrasil]

Seth got some PT in his return from an ankle injury, and nailed the only shot he took, a 3. Natch.
MP2 had a big night rebounding, but so-so on offense, although he did hit 4-4 FTs. So far as a starter for Portland, he's been solid if not spectacular with 9.4ppg/8.3rpg on ~56%FG and an abysmal ~46% FT.
Lance had a rather meh game, though he did hit another 3 (1-3).
Tyus Jones got a DNP-CD and has yet to make a FG, although he has hit a FT.
Rodney blew it up with 20 pts on 8-17 FG and 4-9 3FG.
After an atrocious start, Kyle Singler is starting to find his rhythm, scoring 8 last night on 3-5 FG and 2-4 3FG. Still, he's shooting 26% FG and 28% 3FGs on the year.
Finally, Ryan Kelly has been racking up DNPs lately. Not sure if there's a minor injury or if the coach is just not finding spots to use Kelly.
Austin Rivers has stepped into the starting rotation at SG for the Clippers, while JJ recovers from back issues. AR has been playing well in that role.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Seth got some PT in his return from an ankle injury, and nailed the only shot he took, a 3. Natch.
MP2 had a big night rebounding, but so-so on offense, although he did hit 4-4 FTs. So far as a starter for Portland, he's been solid if not spectacular with 9.4ppg/8.3rpg on ~56%FG and an abysmal ~46% FT.
Lance had a rather meh game, though he did hit another 3 (1-3).
Tyus Jones got a DNP-CD and has yet to make a FG, although he has hit a FT.
Rodney blew it up with 20 pts on 8-17 FG and 4-9 3FG.
After an atrocious start, Kyle Singler is starting to find his rhythm, scoring 8 last night on 3-5 FG and 2-4 3FG. Still, he's shooting 26% FG and 28% 3FGs on the year.
Finally, Ryan Kelly has been racking up DNPs lately. Not sure if there's a minor injury or if the coach is just not finding spots to use Kelly.
Austin Rivers has stepped into the starting rotation at SG for the Clippers, while JJ recovers from back issues. AR has been playing well in that role.

Does Duke have an issue with talented big men who can't hit FTs to save their lives? I know we had plenty in the 90s and 00s, but lately?

I know there is no correlation between the university of choice and FT%, but I find it funny that MP1, MP2, and Okafor are atrocious FT shooters.

[huey]

Finally, Ryan Kelly has been racking up DNPs lately. Not sure if there's a minor injury or if the coach is just not finding spots to use Kelly.

Unfortunately I think Kelly might have just played himself to the bench in his coach's eyes. Lakers may not be good, but they do a a large group in the front court and Larry Nance Jr. seems to be taking up time too...and might be exciting fans a little more. Unfortunate since Ryan had some great plays this preseason.


Does Duke have an issue with talented big men who can't hit FTs to save their lives? I know we had plenty in the 90s and 00s, but lately?

I know there is no correlation between the university of choice and FT%, but I find it funny that MP1, MP2, and Okafor are atrocious FT shooters.

I'm not sure, but there might at least be some correlation between MP1 and MP2. At least MP3 seems to have grown out of it.

Okafor's foul shots have actually been looking nice and smooth since the preseason. It's still a worry but he's at least out of Hack-a-Deandre territory in the low 60's%. His form is looking good and he's been taking (and making) a lot of midrange shots so I wouldn't be surprised if he settles into the 70's% at some point (well, last year me would have been surprised but that's a different story).

[SilkyJ]

I must also mention that Lance now takes 3s. He went 3/3 from deep tonight.


He's 6-14, good for 42% on the year. Crazy. We'll see what happens when the sample size increases...


When Tar Heel players are playing in the NBA, for ANY team at ANY time I hope they never score a point, get a rebound, an assist, you name it and I hope they fail at it. Heck I hope they miss the team bus from the airport. When I watch Golden State play my hope is that they win despite Harry Skype going 0 fer how every many shots he takes every single game. 9F translates into the NBA for me. I freely admit that it won't bother me to see the Laker's Russell and the Hornets Kamisky struggle because I think their teams both made HUGE mistakes passing on Jahlil and Justise. I'm not rooting for them to fail and I don't have to find faults with anyone drafted higher but I fully support the Duke players. I'd rather win a fewer games with Jhalil than win more games with KAT and don't understand how you could have wanted KAT (not Duke) over Jah (Duke!).


I largely agree, so its been tough jumping on the Warriors bandwagon now that I'm back in SF with the falcon. I do love wearing my Dunleavy Warriors throwback jersey with the Golden Gate bridge on it, though...


Hating UNC players in the NBA? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? You are free to adopt that position, but it shouldn't be dogma on DBR. After all, a lot of the UNC players are good guys and friends with the Duke players

Why is it any more or less ridiculous than hating them when they're playing at UNC? Hating an 18 year old kid b/c he picked a certain school at which to play hoops seems pretty ridiculous as well, but we're fans, short for fanatics, so we're all a bit nuts.

[Edouble]

Jah broke the double digit rebound threshold in back to back games for the first time this season, pulling down 11 boards against the Mavericks this evening to go along with 19 points... this following up on a 21 point/12 rebound effort against San Antonio on Saturday.

Worth mentioning also, is that he went 3 for 3 from the line and had 2 blocks in both of said back to back games.

[brlftz]

Jah broke the double digit rebound threshold in back to back games for the first time this season, pulling down 11 boards against the Mavericks this evening to go along with 19 points... this following up on a 21 point/12 rebound effort against San Antonio on Saturday.

Worth mentioning also, is that he went 3 for 3 from the line and had 2 blocks in both of said back to back games.

the 76ers actually have a pretty productive front line...why are they so terrible? nothing is jumping out at me just by looking at box scores, except for depth, and stauskas of course. it's like they're talented individually but collectively they're just not good enough to deny another team the victory. I suppose it should be telling that Jah immediately became their best player by far.

[huey]

the 76ers actually have a pretty productive front line...why are they so terrible? nothing is jumping out at me just by looking at box scores, except for depth, and stauskas of course. it's like they're talented individually but collectively they're just not good enough to deny another team the victory. I suppose it should be telling that Jah immediately became their best player by far.

I've watched a few Sixers games this year since Jah is such a pleasure to watch. However, the rest of the team not so much. Nerlens is their next best scorer, and that says a lot. They've actually had quite a few close games (which probably makes their winless streak sting a little more) but they can't close out games. I would be being nice if I said it was just their lack of experience. But it's not. They're just not that good and turn the ball over a lot. They have a lot of hustle guys, but none of them can shoot.

They rank bottom three in team FG percentage and bottom third in three point percentage. They score with hustle when Jah is out, but they have no one who can actually create when he's on the bench. And even when he's in, they seem to try to vary it up instead of dumping the ball down to him every time and just end up missing. Who's he supposed to throw the ball out of a double team to if no one can make a shot? I think a lone bright spot (besides Jah) might be TJ McConnell. He plays hard nosed defense and at least tries, and looks competent, on offense.

And I think Jah heard all you guys clammoring on EK for more boards. He's now averaging 10.2 over the last 5 games. He's still in the top-10 for deferred rebound chances (a cool stat I hadn't heard of before) meaning he's let his guards grab a lot of boards he's boxed out for. But he's grabbed 15, 12 , and 11 recently so I think he'll start turning into a double-double 20/10 machine.

Stats.nba.com is great for checking out new analyses. No idea how they figure out their in-depth data, might be something with SportsVue. The major knock on Okafor is his defense. While he's not Nerlens, I don't think the stats are showing a James Harden like performance, he might just be middle of the road.

[huey]

Bonus Jah GIF from the Spurs game: http://i.imgur.com/t7dBiuK.gifv
Gets by two vets in Diaw and West.

Forgot to mention, but there's a lot of those best [INSERT RANDOM STAT COMBO] achievements by Jah recently. One of the Philly announcers said it was the first 76ers time there was some points/rebounds/blocks combo since Charles Barkley. Whatever it was, not too shabby of company. Another (completely unverified) stat, Jah leads the league in points out of passing from post. Imagine how much better it would be if they could shoot!

[brlftz]

Bonus Jah GIF from the Spurs game: http://i.imgur.com/t7dBiuK.gifv
Gets by two vets in Diaw and West.

Forgot to mention, but there's a lot of those best [INSERT RANDOM STAT COMBO] achievements by Jah recently. One of the Philly announcers said it was the first 76ers time there was some points/rebounds/blocks combo since Charles Barkley. Whatever it was, not too shabby of company. Another (completely unverified) stat, Jah leads the league in points out of passing from post. Imagine how much better it would be if they could shoot!

that gif is amazing. defenders are going to have to learn to never assume that they're out of the play after his first move gets him by them. odds are going he's going to spin back your way if help comes.

[sagegrouse]

Hating UNC players in the NBA? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? You are free to adopt that position, but it shouldn't be dogma on DBR. After all, a lot of the UNC players are good guys and friends with the Duke players.




Why is it any more or less ridiculous than hating them when they're playing at UNC? Hating an 18 year old kid b/c he picked a certain school at which to play hoops seems pretty ridiculous as well, but we're fans, short for fanatics, so we're all a bit nuts.
You are probably right, but it is hard to hate the Heels w/o negative feelings toward the players. But, for me, it stops at college; I don't have the same feelings toward most UNC players in the NBA, and hatred of UNC players in the NBA shouldn't be the price of admission to DBR.

[phaedrus]

Hating UNC players in the NBA? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? You are free to adopt that position, but it shouldn't be dogma on DBR. After all, a lot of the UNC players are good guys and friends with the Duke players.



You are probably right, but it is hard to hate the Heels w/o negative feelings toward the players. But, for me, it stops at college; I don't have the same feelings toward most UNC players in the NBA, and hatred of UNC players in the NBA shouldn't be the price of admission to DBR.

Hate's such a strong word anyway. I don't want to see former Tar Heels utterly fail in the NBA, like Sean May, or get arrested on felony gun charges, like Ray Felton or James McAdoo, or slowly fade into oblivion amidst whispers of attitude problems, like Rashad McCants, or be beleaguered by personal problems, like Ty Lawson. All I want is to see them quietly fail to meet the expectations of Tar Heel fans, like Harrison Barnes and Tyler Hansbrough. I don't think that's mean-spirited.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Hating UNC players in the NBA? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? You are free to adopt that position, but it shouldn't be dogma on DBR. After all, a lot of the UNC players are good guys and friends with the Duke players.

Hate's such a strong word anyway. I don't want to see former Tar Heels utterly fail in the NBA, like Sean May, or get arrested on felony gun charges, like Ray Felton or James McAdoo, or slowly fade into oblivion amidst whispers of attitude problems, like Rashad McCants, or be beleaguered by personal problems, like Ty Lawson. All I want is to see them quietly fail to meet the expectations of Tar Heel fans, like Harrison Barnes and Tyler Hansbrough. I don't think that's mean-spirited.

I agree with all of your examples except Harrison Barnes. There is tons of animosity towards Barnes on this board, and rightly so. He was overhyped in high school and college, spurned Duke, had a 134-minute Skype announcement, etc etc etc. But, as an NBA role player, he is really good. And the Warriors love him (as do the fans). He is never going to be a superstar in the NBA, but he is the kind of player that every team wants: really good D, nice shooting, great size, a few intangibles here and there. We all praise Battier for his role on the Heat. Well, the equivalent of that on the Warriors is Harrison Barnes. I get the hatred for Barnes, I don't get why people on this board don't see his value as an NBA player.

[Billy Dat]

Zach's Back! (Lowe) Looks like ESPN will be featuring him on the mothership.com now that Grantland has been torpedoed

His weekly Tuesday column, which always has a lead story and then "10 Things I Like and Don't Like" has posted and Rodney Hood gets some love (see thing #4 - "Rodney Hood, waiting and baiting")
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14149298/the-long-hard-road-redemption-plan-minnesota-starting-make-sense

[phaedrus]

I agree with all of your examples except Harrison Barnes. There is tons of animosity towards Barnes on this board, and rightly so. He was overhyped in high school and college, spurned Duke, had a 134-minute Skype announcement, etc etc etc. But, as an NBA role player, he is really good. And the Warriors love him (as do the fans). He is never going to be a superstar in the NBA, but he is the kind of player that every team wants: really good D, nice shooting, great size, a few intangibles here and there. We all praise Battier for his role on the Heat. Well, the equivalent of that on the Warriors is Harrison Barnes. I get the hatred for Barnes, I don't get why people on this board don't see his value as an NBA player.

I don't disagree with your assessment of Barnes. He's probably living up to the expectations that a realistic person would have set for him. For that matter, so is Hansbrough. But what I'm taking comfort in is not the performance of the players, but the disappointment of UNC fans, whose expectations for these two were anything but realistic.

[luburch]

Zach's Back! (Lowe) Looks like ESPN will be featuring him on the mothership.com now that Grantland has been torpedoed

His weekly Tuesday column, which always has a lead story and then "10 Things I Like and Don't Like" has posted and Rodney Hood gets some love (see thing #4 - "Rodney Hood, waiting and baiting")
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14149298/the-long-hard-road-redemption-plan-minnesota-starting-make-sense


I was about to come post this exact article!

Feels weird to read Zach on the main ESPN site.

[huey]

Zach's Back! (Lowe) Looks like ESPN will be featuring him on the mothership.com now that Grantland has been torpedoed

His weekly Tuesday column, which always has a lead story and then "10 Things I Like and Don't Like" has posted and Rodney Hood gets some love (see thing #4 - "Rodney Hood, waiting and baiting")
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14149298/the-long-hard-road-redemption-plan-minnesota-starting-make-sense

Thanks for posting, would never have found it on my own. Can't find anything on ESPNs site anymore. Missing the days of Grantland (heck, I'd take Page 2 back!). Hopefully Lowe and Simmons can unite at some point in the future and produce a great basketball site.

Obligatory Jah GIF: http://gfycat.com/RepentantWideeyedKob

[flyingdutchdevil]

Zach's Back! (Lowe) Looks like ESPN will be featuring him on the mothership.com now that Grantland has been torpedoed

His weekly Tuesday column, which always has a lead story and then "10 Things I Like and Don't Like" has posted and Rodney Hood gets some love (see thing #4 - "Rodney Hood, waiting and baiting")
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14149298/the-long-hard-road-redemption-plan-minnesota-starting-make-sense

I think this is the 3rd or 4th time that Lowe has praised Hood's game. Hood is a key cog in Utah's long term strategy, and Lowe has been preaching that for 12 months. It's funny to think that Duke alums could be the steals of the draft for two years in a row (Hood, Winslow). Early to come to that conclusion, but interesting nonetheless.

[CDu]

I think this is the 3rd or 4th time that Lowe has praised Hood's game. Hood is a key cog in Utah's long term strategy, and Lowe has been preaching that for 12 months. It's funny to think that Duke alums could be the steals of the draft for two years in a row (Hood, Winslow). Early to come to that conclusion, but interesting nonetheless.

Still irritated that the Bulls traded multiple draft picks to trade up for McDermott when they could have had Hood. McDermott is the better shooter, but Hood is almost certainly going to be the better NBA player because McBuckets can't play defense at all.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Still irritated that the Bulls traded multiple draft picks to trade up for McDermott when they could have had Hood. McDermott is the better shooter, but Hood is almost certainly going to be the better NBA player because McBuckets can't play defense at all.

That's the shocker of the century ;).

Weren't you excited about McBuckets pre- and post-draft?

[phaedrus]

This article suggests that Winslow is having the second-best - nay, the first-best - defensive season of any wing player in the league:

http://www.todaysfastbreak.com/nba-east/southeast/miami-heat/hail-justise-winslow/

Plus, lots of stats and gifs.

[luburch]

It appears JJ has used his time recovering from back spasms to get a rather large arm tattoo. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/j-j-redick-just-got-a-gigantic-new-tattoo

[BD80]

It appears JJ has used his time recovering from back spasms to get a rather large arm tattoo. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/j-j-redick-just-got-a-gigantic-new-tattoo

Arm?

5716

[nmduke2001]

Now that the head coaching job in Houston is open, any chance Shane Battier gets his name thrown in the discussion? GM Daryl Morey loved him and loves analytics.

[luburch]

They already appointed the assistant (his name starts with a B I believe but I can't remember it) the new HC didn't they?

[Edouble]

It appears JJ has used his time recovering from back spasms to get a rather large arm tattoo. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/j-j-redick-just-got-a-gigantic-new-tattoo

That's uh, intense?

Couldn't he just keep a Bible in his gym bag?

[huey]

We need an automatic gif post system. Jah will have at least one every game. Here he's fooling Jordan Hill with a nice ball pump pass fake:https://streamable.com/jrgf
Currently at 14/6 for the night and that might be it as the Sixers are throwing in the towel early in the fourth. Man, they are bad. Dumping it down to Jah after he's established position is their only offensive play. Unless you call their patented dribble around for 20 seconds and jack a three pattern a play. Could feel for the Philly fan screaming "O MY GOD" after yet another horrible turnover. Maybe getting their point guards back from injury will help...can't hurt at least. Might get me to cheer for a UNC alum in Kendall Marshall if that's what it takes to get Jah in some real sets.

And just an fyi, the Lowe Post and Bill Simmons Podcast and Channel 33 all have new podcast episodes out. Wish I would have known for my car ride home.

[Billy Dat]

Now that the head coaching job in Houston is open, any chance Shane Battier gets his name thrown in the discussion? GM Daryl Morey loved him and loves analytics.

I read quite a few interviews with him over the past 5 years or so (and before) and NBA coaching is something he never expressed an interest in. I recall him attributing it to not really enjoying spending time with the average NBA player.

[COYS]

I read quite a few interviews with him over the past 5 years or so (and before) and NBA coaching is something he never expressed an interest in. I recall him attributing it to not really enjoying spending time with the average NBA player.

I get the same basic vibe from him. I remember his comment a few years back where he jokingly (except not really jokingly) referred to the entire league as a "sideshow." Actually, here's the whole quote. He gave his response (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9134616/shane-battier-miami-heat-says-nba-female-player-our-lifetime) when he was asked whether or not having Brittney Griner try out for an NBA team would be legitimate or just a sideshow. He said:

"Listen, this whole thing is a sideshow," Battier said of the NBA. "What's one more trailer?"

I regard this as perhaps my favorite sports quote of all time.

[luburch]

37 minute USA Today podcast with JJ. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2015/11/18/jj-redick-just-wants-clutter-free-clippers-basketball/75976626/

Sound quality isn't the best, but they touch on a few interesting topics.

The Warriors
His back
His new tattoo
Life after basketball
Being a parent

[Billy Dat]

Lance continues to log 4th quarter minutes, to nail 3s, and to generally play the same kind of roll he played at Duke for the surging Knicks who have won 4 in a row after completing an improbable back-to-back road win series over OKC and Houston. At one point last night he was guarding Kyle which was strange. Also, check out the Knicks as P.Ziddy now runs the city.

[huey]

JJ dumping in 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the Raptors-Clippers game (4/6FG, 2/2 3Pt, 2/2 FT). Some good defense on the taller Derozan too. Playing his way back into form from injury.
Has there ever been a player who scores so many of his team (and his own) points in the first 6 minutes of the game? Feel like I can check back in around the 4th quarter and will only miss maybe 1 or 2 FGA from him.

[Nrrrrvous]

Winslow +26 in the first half vs. the Knicks. McRoberts +23. Wish I were watching...

[phaedrus]

If you're going to watch two basement dwellers, you could do worse than watch Okafor-Towns (Round 1).

Jahlil appears to be taking this one seriously. 16 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks so far in the first half as the winless Sixers jump out to a 13-point lead. KAT with 2 points and 2 boards. I expect the Sixers will blow it, but I'm happy if Jahlil gets his.

[oakvillebluedevil]

3 mins left in the first half:

Okafor: 6/9 from the floor, 4/5 from the line, 16 pts 7 reb 2 blk (both in 1-on-1 defense vs. Towns)
Towns:1/4 fg, 0/0 from the line, 2 pts 2 reb 1 blk 3 fouls in 8 mins (all three guarding Jah)

Jah guarding Towns the entire half so far.

Long way to go but MAN this has been fun to watch

ETA: 1 minute slow :)

[BigZ]

3 mins left in the first half:

Okafor: 6/9 from the floor, 4/5 from the line, 16 pts 7 reb 2 blk (both in 1-on-1 defense vs. Towns)
Towns:1/4 fg, 0/0 from the line, 2 pts 2 reb 1 blk 3 fouls in 8 mins (all three guarding Jah)

Jah guarding Towns the entire half so far.

Long way to go but MAN this has been fun to watch

ETA: 1 minute slow :)

yep domination so far.

[Edouble]

3 mins left in the first half:

Okafor: 6/9 from the floor, 4/5 from the line, 16 pts 7 reb 2 blk (both in 1-on-1 defense vs. Towns)
Towns:1/4 fg, 0/0 from the line, 2 pts 2 reb 1 blk 3 fouls in 8 mins (all three guarding Jah)

Jah guarding Towns the entire half so far.

Long way to go but MAN this has been fun to watch

ETA: 1 minute slow :)

Can we now put to bed any delusions that Kentucky would have beaten us had they gotten past Wisconsin last April?

[G man]

We finally get the big man match-up. Okafor is owning towns so far. Makes me happy!!!!!

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400828093

[JasonEvans]

We finally get the big man match-up. Okafor is owning towns so far. Makes me happy!!!!!

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400828093

Midway through the 3rd quarter, Okafor has 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots on 7-1 FG shooting.
Towns has 4 points and 2 rebounds on 2-5 shooting.

Jah!!!!

-Jason "someone will get a big win tonight, the Sixers are 0-14 but the TWolves are somehow 0-6 at home on the season... they are 5-2 on the road. Make sense out of that" Evans

[luvdahops]

Midway through the 3rd quarter, Okafor has 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots on 7-1 FG shooting.
Towns has 4 points and 2 rebounds on 2-5 shooting.

Jah!!!!

-Jason "someone will get a big win tonight, the Sixers are 0-14 but the TWolves are somehow 0-6 at home on the season... they are 5-2 on the road. Make sense out of that" Evans

I don't have stats handy, but seem to recall Okafor regularly getting the best of - and frequently dominating - KAT in club/AAU, camp and HS all-star play. The book was always that everyone loved KAT's longer term upside, but Jah was clearly the better player at that point in time. Maybe not much has changed?

[BigZ]

Great to see Oak dominating, too bad he is on a horrible team.

[COYS]

Also, Justise had quite the highlight reel chase down block. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=14209342&ex_cid=espnapi_internal

His offense is still a work in progress, but his defensive acumen is so high he never needs to add much to his offensive arsenal to be super valuable. Still, I think he will end up being above average at worst on offense, too.

[G man]

I don't have stats handy, but seem to recall Okafor regularly getting the best of - and frequently dominating - KAT in club/AAU, camp and HS all-star play. The book was always that everyone loved KAT's longer term upside, but Jah was clearly the better player at that point in time. Maybe not much has changed?

Media has been talking about how great Towns has been blah blah blah. I hope ten years from now everyone is saying what were the wolves thinking!!!

[JasonEvans]

Media has been talking about how great Towns has been blah blah blah. I hope ten years from now everyone is saying what were the wolves thinking!!!

This shot is not going in the basket.

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2Faa751e8ac9c19a34880f6a7067 003923.jpg&w=392&h=589

[fraggler]

Oak was great, but man the 76ers really stink. Should have kept feeding him, but they went away from him when the Wolves got back into it. I think KAT will be a good to very good player, but Okafor is just special on the offensive end. He would be so good with better teammates.

[JNort]

Also, Justise had quite the highlight reel chase down block. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=14209342&ex_cid=espnapi_internal

His offense is still a work in progress, but his defensive acumen is so high he never needs to add much to his offensive arsenal to be super valuable. Still, I think he will end up being above average at worst on offense, too.
Already has a good 3 point shot and is strong in the paint. Just needs to get some experience and opportunities

[G man]

Sixers have nobody. Outside of Okafor not much NBA talent on that squad. Rough to be a sixers fan. Noel is a rotation player at best.

[PSurprise]

This shot is not going in the basket.

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2Faa751e8ac9c19a34880f6a7067 003923.jpg&w=392&h=589

For a moment that looked like Jah in a Duke uniform :)

[sagegrouse]

I don't have stats handy, but seem to recall Okafor regularly getting the best of - and frequently dominating - KAT in club/AAU, camp and HS all-star play. The book was always that everyone loved KAT's longer term upside, but Jah was clearly the better player at that point in time. Maybe not much has changed?


Media has been talking about how great Towns has been blah blah blah. I hope ten years from now everyone is saying what were the wolves thinking!!!

As the very wise J.M. Keynes observed, "In the long run we are all dead." Okafor seems like a surefire all-star, maybe even this year, and a possible all-time great. Picked #3? He's a 6-11, 270-pound genius with the ball.

[martydoesntfoul]

Remind me again how the Sixers can be this impossibly terrible with all of the draft picks they've had...

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Remind me again how the Sixers can be this impossibly terrible with all of the draft picks they've had...

Bad karma?

[bedeviled]

Remind me again how the Sixers can be this impossibly terrible with all of the draft picks they've had...Seems like they just don't have the answer.

[gocanes0506]

Seems like they just don't have the answer.

Nice one!


Even when they had the answer they were missing the truth.

[gocanes0506]

Remind me again how the Sixers can be this impossibly terrible with all of the draft picks they've had...

On a serious note:

Embiid was a bad pick
They need some veterans to help the new guys understand the league.
They need lethal guards

I think it'll start to change next season. They will pick Simmons #1 and have a chance for Murray with their 2nd 1st rounder. They will have 2 more 1st rounders as well.

[theschwartz]

On a serious note:

Embiid was a bad pick
They need some veterans to help the new guys understand the league.
They need lethal guards

I think it'll start to change next season. They will pick Simmons #1 and have a chance for Murray with their 2nd 1st rounder. They will have 2 more 1st rounders as well.

Hey, I'm holding out hope the Lakers stink enough this year to keep their top-3 protected pick! No better way to send Kobe off into the sunset. A kid can dream, right?

And yes, I'm still bitter that the Lakers passed on Okafor to select Russell. Russell's had a few nice moments but overall he's been mediocre (PER of 12.8 in 26 MPG vs Okafor's PER of 15.7 in 33 MPG). Plus he's really not a good fit on the court with Kobe and Clarkson. I hated the pick on Draft Night and 5 months later, it still stinks. I know you have to be patient with young guards, but I can't help but see what Okafor is doing on the 76ers and think that he could have been helping the Lakers get a few more wins.

[bob blue devil]

On a serious note:

Embiid was a bad pick
They need some veterans to help the new guys understand the league.
They need lethal guards

I think it'll start to change next season. They will pick Simmons #1 and have a chance for Murray with their 2nd 1st rounder. They will have 2 more 1st rounders as well.

they have at best a 25% shot at simmons (thank goodness the nba doesn't do a great job rewarding teams for tanking)... they're probably going to end up with labissiere :rolleyes:

[WillJ]

Winslow +26 in the first half vs. the Knicks. McRoberts +23. Wish I were watching...

Justise finished with a +28, his fourth game of plus/minus over 20. It's pretty incredible.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

they have at best a 25% shot at simmons (thank goodness the nba doesn't do a great job rewarding teams for tanking)... they're probably going to end up with labissiere :rolleyes:

Or Grayson Allen - imagine how unstoppable a team with an inside/out game of Jah and Grayson would be?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

His offense is still a work in progress, but his defensive acumen is so high he never needs to add much to his offensive arsenal to be super valuable.

Isn't that the complete opposite of pre-draft conventional wisdom?

[NashvilleDevil]

Not mentioned in the stats was how many fouls Jah got KAT to commit

[oakvillebluedevil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1AvNpo411Q

Jah's highlights - shows the fouls KAT committed on him.

Doesn't show how KAT's only option on the other plays was to grab him and hope for a no call or wait for a double team. This was as thoroughly as I've seen a 1-on-1 matchup dominated in a long time, both offensively and defensively.

[NashvilleDevil]

I remember one of the knocks on Jah, particularly from Darko fan Chad Ford, was his lack of a midrange game. Watching his highlight last night it looks like Jah has a nice midrange game and will continue to improve. That was another narrative being put out there by Ford, that Jah was not willing to improve. Never been a Chad Ford fan but I am glad that Jah is showing he will be a player of note in the league after all the pre draft BS that was said about him. And I still think KAT will not become the player you want from the top overall pick. Now Andrew Wiggins? Kid is a force and only 20.

[Channing]

As I watched the first minute of that highlight reel I thought that JO would be unstoppable with a midrange game ... then he nails an elbow jumper and makes it look easy. I think we were all convinced that JO should have been the number 1 pick, hands down. I think at the end of this year, in 5 years, and in 10 years people are going to look back on this draft and use it as an example of over thinking by the Laker and T-Wolves brain trust. Trying to draft a transcendent player that wasn't for the taking (there are only so many Kobes, MJs, Shaqs, Steph, Lebron etc.) and missing out on a perennial all star and top 10-15 player in the league.

[Ichabod Drain]

they have at best a 25% shot at simmons (thank goodness the nba doesn't do a great job rewarding teams for tanking)... they're probably going to end up with labissiere :rolleyes:

If they can get Simmons, Murray, or Dunn in the draft next year they need to start moving the pieces to actually put together a good NBA lineup. A frontcourt of Jah and Noel could be really good soon just need some players on the perimeter around them.

[DukeFanSince1990]

Imagine how scary the wolves would look if they had went with Jah......

Cant you see the front office looking around at each other saying: "We did the right thing Right? Right? Right?"

[oakvillebluedevil]

As I watched the first minute of that highlight reel I thought that JO would be unstoppable with a midrange game ... then he nails an elbow jumper and makes it look easy. I think we were all convinced that JO should have been the number 1 pick, hands down. I think at the end of this year, in 5 years, and in 10 years people are going to look back on this draft and use it as an example of over thinking by the Laker and T-Wolves brain trust. Trying to draft a transcendent player that wasn't for the taking (there are only so many Kobes, MJs, Shaqs, Steph, Lebron etc.) and missing out on a perennial all star and top 10-15 player in the league.

I'm interested to see how this evolves.

I think that barring injury, history will look kindly on the Towns pick. He has an incredibly high floor as an athletic big who has been a serious plus defender (except against Jah last night :)). Advanced metrics love him so far (~22 PER vs. ~16 for Jah, and 2.3 EWA vs. 1.3 EWA for Jah through last night).

Russell, on the other hand, is really struggling. Way too early to make any calls but I could see a scenario where his lack of athleticism costs him at this level, and the Lakers take heat for missing on both Okafor and Porzingis.

[Billy Dat]

Justise finished with a +28, his fourth game of plus/minus over 20. It's pretty incredible.

I got my first extended look at him yesterday vs the Knicks and he was extremely impressive guarding Melo. Overall, the Heat defensive schemes are awesome. I was watching with my tween son and pointing out that you know a team plays good defense when the worst offensive players on the team they are guarding are the ones that take all the shots. Credit to Melo's unstoppable offensive chops that he was still able to be effective against double teams. He is getting a lot of help from Porzingis who now draws a ton of attention and can basically get his shot off whenever he wants - save for once when Whiteside threw his drive. Another tangent - hilarious moment as the Knicks attempted "Hack a Whiteside" and Hassan was literally sprinting away from Porzingis away from the action, it was like some kind of giraffe race. Back to the topic at hand - the other guy drawing the Melo assignment was sweet Lu Deng and he was as professional as one would expect.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I'm interested to see how this evolves.

I think that barring injury, history will look kindly on the Towns pick. He has an incredibly high floor as an athletic big who has been a serious plus defender (except against Jah last night :)). Advanced metrics love him so far (~22 PER vs. ~16 for Jah, and 2.3 EWA vs. 1.3 EWA for Jah through last night).

Russell, on the other hand, is really struggling. Way too early to make any calls but I could see a scenario where his lack of athleticism costs him at this level, and the Lakers take heat for missing on both Okafor and Porzingis.

Yes. The KAT hate on this board is shocking and borderline sad. Today, I'd still draft KAT over Jah as he is more of a complete player and a potential game changer on D. Jah can be epic on O, but unlikely - if not impossible - to be a game changer on D.

Agree with you on the Lakerd, though. They will probably look back and say, 'we really screwed that up.' But in fairness to Russell, Kobe is just awful and probably impeding Russell's development.

[Ichabod Drain]

I'm interested to see how this evolves.

I think that barring injury, history will look kindly on the Towns pick. He has an incredibly high floor as an athletic big who has been a serious plus defender (except against Jah last night :)). Advanced metrics love him so far (~22 PER vs. ~16 for Jah, and 2.3 EWA vs. 1.3 EWA for Jah through last night).

Russell, on the other hand, is really struggling. Way too early to make any calls but I could see a scenario where his lack of athleticism costs him at this level, and the Lakers take heat for missing on both Okafor and Porzingis.

Agree, Towns and Okafor are both going to be two of the best bigs in the NBA in five years. Russell will be good but I can't see him becoming a franchise player like those two.

Side note, I was looking at NBA rookie stats and saw Winslow is seventh in PPG. I knew he was having a very good defensive start but was surprised to see him that high up in scoring among rookies. The future is very bright for that kid.

[luvdahops]

I'm interested to see how this evolves.

I think that barring injury, history will look kindly on the Towns pick. He has an incredibly high floor as an athletic big who has been a serious plus defender (except against Jah last night :)). Advanced metrics love him so far (~22 PER vs. ~16 for Jah, and 2.3 EWA vs. 1.3 EWA for Jah through last night).

Russell, on the other hand, is really struggling. Way too early to make any calls but I could see a scenario where his lack of athleticism costs him at this level, and the Lakers take heat for missing on both Okafor and Porzingis.

I am general agreement on your points, though I have to believe that Jah's advanced metrics are weighed down somewhat by the awful team surrounding him. Towns benefits immensely from a competent PG in Rubio and wing scorers like Wiggins and Kevin Martin to keep the floor spaced. Jah will never be in the same league defensively as KAT, but he has played credibly at that end of the floor so far as a Sixer. I do find it interesting that he continues to dominate head to head match-ups with Towns. But at the end of the day, it is hard to fault the T-Wolves for passing on Okafor. The Lakers on the other hand.....

[brlftz]

...Agree with you on the Lakerd, though. They will probably look back and say, 'we really screwed that up.' But in fairness to Russell, Kobe is just awful and probably impeding Russell's development.

Not to mention having Byron Scott as his coach. He's not really interested in nurturing a young, high-potential player in the glare of the LA spotlight. In fact, he's been kind of a jerk.

[sagegrouse]

Yes. The KAT hate on this board is shocking and borderline sad. Today, I'd still draft KAT over Jah as he is more of a complete player and a potential game changer on D. Jah can be epic on O, but unlikely - if not impossible - to be a game changer on D.

Agree with you on the Lakerd, though. They will probably look back and say, 'we really screwed that up.' But in fairness to Russell, Kobe is just awful and probably impeding Russell's development.

You describe "hate" differently than I do. Jahlil is an offensive genius on the order of Moses Malone -- better moves at this stage, not as good at rebounding. If his defense improves -- and it should -- he could possibly become the best player in the league. I haven't seen that potential on offense from Towns.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

You describe "hate" differently than I do.

I don't have any particular animosity towards Towns, but it doesn't take a degree in rocket surgery to figure out why some folks here aren't fans.

I still can't figure out why folks here don't like Dancin' Danny Green.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I don't have any particular animosity towards Towns, but it doesn't take a degree in rocket surgery to figure out why some folks here aren't fans.

I still can't figure out why folks here don't like Dancin' Danny Green.

Because he played for UK, a team that a) isn't our rival and b) recruits similar players to Duke? Really? Are we that petty? Awesome...

KAT seems like a stand-up guy who is talented and emotionally sound (unlike the Harrison twins. I get that). I just don't get it.

[WillJ]

Because he played for UK, a team that a) isn't our rival and b) recruits similar players to Duke? Really? Are we that petty? Awesome...

KAT seems like a stand-up guy who is talented and emotionally sound (unlike the Harrison twins. I get that). I just don't get it.

I don't get it, either. KAT seems like a good dude, as are many of the other Cal-era Kentucky players, too. I'll save my pettiness for UNC players in the NBA:).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Because he played for UK, a team that a) isn't our rival and b) recruits similar players to Duke? Really? Are we that petty? Awesome...

KAT seems like a stand-up guy who is talented and emotionally sound (unlike the Harrison twins. I get that). I just don't get it.

I agree, he seems like a good fellow and will do well in the Association. Seems like a kid I would like as a neighbor. I am just not shocked that people on this message board dislike him.

[Billy Dat]

Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA 1h1 hour ago
Watching Knicks-Heat. We all know by now, but it's crazy how NBA-ready Justise Winslow is on D.

[tux]

I agree, he seems like a good fellow and will do well in the Association. Seems like a kid I would like as a neighbor. I am just not shocked that people on this message board dislike him.

While I agree that Towns seems like a great kid, and I wish him the best, I do find myself pulling for Okafor to demonstrate that he's the better player. For me, it has more to do with the way Cal spoke about Towns and Okafor leading up to and after the draft... he often implied that Okafor was the consensus #1 prior to the season and that somehow he developed Towns into the #1 pick --- and then, prior to the draft, he said there should be "no debate" about Towns going first. I don't know... I just don't care that much for Cal and his rhetoric. I say that fully realizing that every coach lobbies for their players, but I find Cal's schtick to be a little too self-aggrandizing.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

While I agree that Towns seems like a great kid, and I wish him the best, I do find myself pulling for Okafor to demonstrate that he's the better player. For me, it has more to do with the way Cal spoke about Towns and Okafor leading up to and after the draft... he often implied that Okafor was the consensus #1 prior to the season and that somehow he developed Towns into the #1 pick --- and then, prior to the draft, he said there should be "no debate" about Towns going first. I don't know... I just don't care that much for Cal and his rhetoric. I say that fully realizing that every coach lobbies for their players, but I find Cal's schtick to be a little too self-aggrandizing.

More than fair. And honestly, how far down is Kentucky on the list of teams most Duke fans hate?

(in no order)
UNC
Maryland
Kentucky
UConn
?

Can you name five programs most Duke fans like less than Kentucky?

Do we get to have completely irrational hatred for poor 18 year old kids who attend schools we dislike? - that's a more complicated question, but not one really geared towards an internet sports message board.

[COYS]

I was happy to see Jah best KAT in their head to head (even though the Sixers predictably lost the game). However, I too don't see why anyone should hate on KAT's game. Outside of last night, KAT has had a better season. He's more efficient on offense (though admittedly he has to do less than Jah because unlike Jah, there are actually a few other players capable of scoring on the T'Wolves), a better rebounder, and a much better defender. His free throw percentage is fantastic (90%), which suggest he may eventually increase his shooting range to the three point line, which would really expand his offensive game. And, of course, the advanced metrics really like KAT. His PER is 21 and, as was mentioned above, he has higher marks for EWA. Even when you consider counting stats, 15.8ppg and 9.8rpg ain't too shabby for a guy that is supposed to take a while to develop on offense.

That being said, I feel like Jah has really grown into the NBA game. He's clearly made an obvious effort to improve his rebounding. And his defending, while not great, is still better than I expected. Even his relatively low fg% can probably be chalked up to having absolutely zero help on offense from any of his teammates. His midrange shooting has been solid. Even his ft% is better than his year at Duke. As long as he continues to improve, we will probably be having interesting debates about which player should have been drafted higher well into the future.

It's obviously too early to completely write off Russell, but so far, he's not even in the conversation. It's actually Porzingas who might crash that party. Actually, from the looks of it, Russell might well look like the Darko of the 2015 draft. Darko, as everyone probably remembers, went 2nd when Bosh, Wade, and Anthony were all still on the board. Russell went second ahead of Jah and Porzingas, who both look to be potential All Stars. Plus, I'm confident that when Winslow realizes his offensive potential to go with his already-elite defensive abilities, people will wonder how he fell so far, too. At least the Pistons won the 2004 title to ease Detroit fans pain. The Lakers, on the other hand, will just have to try again next year.

[NashvilleDevil]

While I agree that Towns seems like a great kid, and I wish him the best, I do find myself pulling for Okafor to demonstrate that he's the better player. For me, it has more to do with the way Cal spoke about Towns and Okafor leading up to and after the draft... he often implied that Okafor was the consensus #1 prior to the season and that somehow he developed Towns into the #1 pick --- and then, prior to the draft, he said there should be "no debate" about Towns going first. I don't know... I just don't care that much for Cal and his rhetoric. I say that fully realizing that every coach lobbies for their players, but I find Cal's schtick to be a little too self-aggrandizing.

I also don't dislike KAT it's more that I dislike how people spoke of Jah's game prior to the draft, especially Chad Ford.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I was happy to see Jah best KAT in their head to head (even though the Sixers predictably lost the game). However, I too don't see why anyone should hate on KAT's game. Outside of last night, KAT has had a better season. He's more efficient on offense (though admittedly he has to do less than Jah because unlike Jah, there are actually a few other players capable of scoring on the T'Wolves), a better rebounder, and a much better defender. His free throw percentage is fantastic (90%), which suggest he may eventually increase his shooting range to the three point line, which would really expand his offensive game. And, of course, the advanced metrics really like KAT. His PER is 21 and, as was mentioned above, he has higher marks for EWA. Even when you consider counting stats, 15.8ppg and 9.8rpg ain't too shabby for a guy that is supposed to take a while to develop on offense.

That being said, I feel like Jah has really grown into the NBA game. He's clearly made an obvious effort to improve his rebounding. And his defending, while not great, is still better than I expected. Even his relatively low fg% can probably be chalked up to having absolutely zero help on offense from any of his teammates. His midrange shooting has been solid. Even his ft% is better than his year at Duke. As long as he continues to improve, we will probably be having interesting debates about which player should have been drafted higher well into the future.

It's obviously too early to completely write off Russell, but so far, he's not even in the conversation. It's actually Porzingas who might crash that party. Actually, from the looks of it, Russell might well look like the Darko of the 2015 draft. Darko, as everyone probably remembers, went 2nd when Bosh, Wade, and Anthony were all still on the board. Russell went second ahead of Jah and Porzingas, who both look to be potential All Stars. Plus, I'm confident that when Winslow realizes his offensive potential to go with his already-elite defensive abilities, people will wonder how he fell so far, too. At least the Pistons won the 2004 title to ease Detroit fans pain. The Lakers, on the other hand, will just have to try again next year.

I agree with everything in this post, including the part about how Okafor's game has grown. I like his new mid-range game, something we didn't see much at Duke. I also like how his man-to-man D is pretty good (although he really struggles with help D).

And the 2003 draft comparisons couldn't be more spot on, although it's funny that Darko was the biggest guy in the top 5 drafted, whereas Russell is the smallest guy amongst those you mentioned. Morale of the story - if there is a big heavy draft, you get a big guy. If there is a forward/guard heavy draft, you get a forward/guard. Is this true? Nope, but it makes sense to me!

[COYS]

I also don't dislike KAT it's more that I dislike how people spoke of Jah's game prior to the draft, especially Chad Ford.

That is a fair point. Criticizing Chad Ford is completely fair game. I haven't had ESPN Insider access for a few years now, but Ford was always my least favorite NBA writer. I actually really liked ESPN's NBA analysis (Hollinger was still there when I had my subscription, and Thorpe is awesome), but Ford seemed more like a conduit through which GM's played mind games with each other. I felt as if he never actually had his own opinions about players but rather just regurgitated what GM's or scouts told him without any additional analysis.