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pfrduke
10-17-2017, 08:18 PM
What a gruesome way for the Celtics to start the season. Poor Hayward.

Furniture
10-17-2017, 08:19 PM
Sickening

duke4ever19
10-17-2017, 08:21 PM
Sickening

Worst injury I've seen live since the Louisville game in the tournament.

Man, how quickly a season can potentially change.

LasVegas
10-17-2017, 08:21 PM
The kyrie curse.....too soon?

Wander
10-17-2017, 08:25 PM
Is 6 minutes into a season the shortest a sports championship contention has ever lasted?

Furniture
10-17-2017, 08:27 PM
The kyrie curse...too soon?

What????

LasVegas
10-17-2017, 08:34 PM
What????

Injury prone kyrie leaves the best team in the east to go to the #2 team. 6 minutes in to the season a key player on his new team has his leg explode which basically cements his old team as conference champs.

JasonEvans
10-17-2017, 08:34 PM
It will accelerate Tatum and Brown's development. Plus, if it is just a break and not ligament damage, he could be back in 4 months or so (I could be wildly wrong about this), just in time for him to play the final 6 weeks or so of the regular season and still make a playoff run.

I'm being as optimistic as possible. Really feel for the Celtics on this one. Dude played all of 6 minutes for you... horrible.

-Jason "I am betting Kyrie's scoring average just went up a couple PPG and Tatum's MPG just grew by at least 10" Evans

Dr. Rosenrosen
10-17-2017, 08:42 PM
It will accelerate Tatum and Brown's development. Plus, if it is just a break and not ligament damage, he could be back in 4 months or so (I could be wildly wrong about this), just in time for him to play the final 6 weeks or so of the regular season and still make a playoff run.

I'm being as optimistic as possible. Really feel for the Celtics on this one. Dude played all of 6 minutes for you... horrible.

-Jason "I am betting Kyrie's scoring average just went up a couple PPG and Tatum's MPG just grew by at least 10" Evans
Did you see it? Gruesome. Gruesome. Gruesome. I hope his career isn’t over. I can’t imagine what it will take just to put his ankle back together but I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t involve lots of plates and screws.

Mabdul Doobakus
10-17-2017, 08:44 PM
Bummer on so many levels. Would have been interesting to see that team develop over the season.

I don't care at all for the Celtics and fake hate their fans and Boston fans in general, but I feel for them on this one too. I would imagine they were pretty hyped about this season, and then six minutes in that's taken away from them. Now you have to wait a year (probably) to see Hayward play and you probably have no realistic shot at contending. A whole year of watching games with an eye towards contending...gone. Just like that.

I feel bad for the NBA too. Who can realistically challenge the Cavs in the East?

DangerDevil
10-17-2017, 08:46 PM
Did you see it? Gruesome. Gruesome. Gruesome. I hope his career isn’t over. I can’t imagine what it will take just to put his ankle back together but I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t involve lots of plates and screws.

It was nasty looking but probably less gruesome than Paul George’s injury, hopefully Hayward can also make a complete come back however long the recovery takes!

Mabdul Doobakus
10-17-2017, 08:55 PM
I just rewatched the Kevin Ware injury since he's now trending on Twitter because of course he is. Jesus. Time made me forget how nasty that was.

Troublemaker
10-17-2017, 09:26 PM
Injury prone kyrie leaves the best team in the east to go to the #2 team. 6 minutes in to the season a key player on his new team has his leg explode which basically cements his old team as conference champs.

It's the Denver Omelet curse. That's what I had for breakfast this morning, and that's what caused Hayward's injury. Me eating a Denver omelet. The Denver Omelet curse.

elvis14
10-17-2017, 09:44 PM
I really hate that Gordon got hurt. I haven't seen the injury, hope I never do. I can still see the Ware and George injuries. Some things you can't un-see.

flyingdutchdevil
10-17-2017, 10:35 PM
I really hate that Gordon got hurt. I haven't seen the injury, hope I never do. I can still see the Ware and George injuries. Some things you can't un-see.

Horrible. Absolutely horrible. As a diehard Celts fan, I’m gutted.

Get well soon Hayward!!!!!!!!!!!

dukelifer
10-17-2017, 10:39 PM
It will accelerate Tatum and Brown's development. Plus, if it is just a break and not ligament damage, he could be back in 4 months or so (I could be wildly wrong about this), just in time for him to play the final 6 weeks or so of the regular season and still make a playoff run.

I'm being as optimistic as possible. Really feel for the Celtics on this one. Dude played all of 6 minutes for you... horrible.

-Jason "I am betting Kyrie's scoring average just went up a couple PPG and Tatum's MPG just grew by at least 10" Evans
Brown and Tatum both looked solid. Brown was impressive and may be a better defender than Hayward. He has a good looking 3-point shot. The key is consistency but Brown is going to be called on now.

flyingdutchdevil
10-17-2017, 10:42 PM
Brown and Tatum both looked solid. Brown was impressive and may be a better defender than Hayward. He has a good looking 3-point shot. The key is consistency but Brown is going to be called on now.

Brown looked spectacular! He’s certainly a better defender than Hayward. However, he’s very much a 3nD player right now. Hope he develops more of a driving game.

Tatum looked good but clearly a rookie. He got lost on D a bunch of times and both Lebron and Crowder went after him hard. Tatum is weirdly long. Don’t remember him being that lanky in college

westwall
10-17-2017, 10:47 PM
Did you see it? Gruesome. Gruesome. Gruesome. I hope his career isn’t over. I can’t imagine what it will take just to put his ankle back together but I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t involve lots of plates and screws.

I hope Dr. Mark Myerson is still practicing and available. He was The best at feet and ankles.

LasVegas
10-17-2017, 10:50 PM
Brown looked spectacular! He’s certainly a better defender than Hayward. However, he’s very much a 3nD player right now. Hope he develops more of a driving game.

Tatum looked good but clearly a rookie. He got lost on D a bunch of times and both Lebron and Crowder went after him hard. Tatum is weirdly long. Don’t remember him being that lanky in college

I only caught some of the game but wasn't Brown the primary defender of Lebron?

Bluedog
10-17-2017, 10:52 PM
Dislocated ankle and fractured tibia, says Brad Stevens. Yuck. No fun...

But also reports of no ligament damage. Hard to know if they know (and release) everything this quickly...

CDu
10-17-2017, 11:07 PM
Dislocated ankle and fractured tibia, says Brad Stevens. Yuck. No fun...

But also reports of no ligament damage. Hard to know if they know (and release) everything this quickly...

Almost certainly don't know about ligament damage yet. Will need an MRI for that, probably tomorrow.

flyingdutchdevil
10-17-2017, 11:10 PM
I only caught some of the game but wasn't Brown the primary defender of Lebron?

4 players tried to guard Lebron. It’s never really a one-man assignment.

Mabdul Doobakus
10-17-2017, 11:32 PM
I don't think you can dislocate an ankle without ligament damage, unfortunately.

darthur
10-18-2017, 12:22 AM
I don't think you can dislocate an ankle without ligament damage, unfortunately.

Some surprisingly good news here if it can be believed, but like CDu says it seems a bit too early:

Per @celticsvoice on @NBCSBoston, "early word on the fracture is that it's clean...doesn't appear to be ligament or blood vessel damage."

https://twitter.com/adammkaufman/status/920478248773017600

I'm glad I didn't get home in time to actually see the injury in-game...

Mabdul Doobakus
10-18-2017, 12:38 AM
Some surprisingly good news here if it can be believed, but like CDu says it seems a bit too early:

Per @celticsvoice on @NBCSBoston, "early word on the fracture is that it's clean...doesn't appear to be ligament or blood vessel damage."

https://twitter.com/adammkaufman/status/920478248773017600

I'm glad I didn't get home in time to actually see the injury in-game...

Well, then maybe the ankle "dislocation" is really just a fracture with displacement of bony fragments because I don't see how you could have true dislocation at the ankle joint without damaging any ligaments. That seems physically impossible since the ligaments are what hold the ankle joint together in the first place. But Brad Stevens may not be hip to the latest medical lingo.

DukeFanSince1990
10-18-2017, 08:24 AM
Was hoping Dontea Grand would get some playing time for the Cavs last night. Oh well.

Dr. Rosenrosen
10-18-2017, 08:49 AM
I really hate that Gordon got hurt. I haven't seen the injury, hope I never do. I can still see the Ware and George injuries. Some things you can't un-see.
Truly awful. Feel so bad for him. It’s the kind of injury that only Daniel Tosh would show again.

CDu
10-18-2017, 10:21 AM
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls - an organization that prides itself on "interdepartmental communication" and "culture" - are putting themselves in the running for most dysfunctional franchise in the league.

After trading Jimmy Butler for pennies on the dollar (a trade they turned down a year ago after which the key returns got worse and Butler got better), they drafted another perimeter-oriented PF. Then they re-signed their mediocre and inconsistent PF (Mirotic), to go along with signing a backup C (Felicio), to go along with a frontcourt that also has a first-round PF from 2 years ago (Portis), their starting C (Lopez), and their new lottery-pick PF. Makes sense.

Now, apparently in a scuffle during practice, Portis knocked Mirotic out with a punch and broke his face. I guess that's one way to solve a log-jam in the frontcourt.

English
10-18-2017, 10:44 AM
Per his running analysis last night on the Twitter machine, Dr. David Chao (@ProFootballDoc, former ortho in the NFL) prognosticates that Heyward would have the ankle reduced (popped back into place) immediately, and then have surgery at some later point--this is key, because as we saw after the Shaun Livingston injury (also an ankle dislocation), there was a need for immediate surgery with risk to blood vessels and loss of limb. The claim of no ligament damage is likely inaccurate with an injury like this.

He later goes on to suggest that Heyward could potentially be back, at sub-100%, for this season's playoffs, but would have an opportunity to be stronger for the 2018-19 season. So, take that FWIW from a professional in the field based on video analysis of the injury.

flyingdutchdevil
10-18-2017, 11:57 AM
Per his running analysis last night on the Twitter machine, Dr. David Chao (@ProFootballDoc, former ortho in the NFL) prognosticates that Heyward would have the ankle reduced (popped back into place) immediately, and then have surgery at some later point--this is key, because as we saw after the Shaun Livingston injury (also an ankle dislocation), there was a need for immediate surgery with risk to blood vessels and loss of limb. The claim of no ligament damage is likely inaccurate with an injury like this.

He later goes on to suggest that Heyward could potentially be back, at sub-100%, for this season's playoffs, but would have an opportunity to be stronger for the 2018-19 season. So, take that FWIW from a professional in the field based on video analysis of the injury.

If this Dr's job is watching these videos and providing diagnosis, I do not envy his job. I saw that injury live and absolutely refuse to watch it again.

flyingdutchdevil
10-18-2017, 12:01 PM
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls - an organization that prides itself on "interdepartmental communication" and "culture" - are putting themselves in the running for most dysfunctional franchise in the league.

After trading Jimmy Butler for pennies on the dollar (a trade they turned down a year ago after which the key returns got worse and Butler got better), they drafted another perimeter-oriented PF. Then they re-signed their mediocre and inconsistent PF (Mirotic), to go along with signing a backup C (Felicio), to go along with a frontcourt that also has a first-round PF from 2 years ago (Portis), their starting C (Lopez), and their new lottery-pick PF. Makes sense.

Now, apparently in a scuffle during practice, Portis knocked Mirotic out with a punch and broke his face. I guess that's one way to solve a log-jam in the frontcourt.

Hey - at least the Bulls hold on to their #1 pick this year. Which means they will draft either an SF, PF, or C. Chances they go with another PF?

moonpie23
10-18-2017, 12:03 PM
horrible about gordon......:(

but kyrie and the youngsters almost pulled it off.....


oh, and HAHAHAHAHAHAHA at the warriors....

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
10-18-2017, 12:12 PM
Per his running analysis last night on the Twitter machine, Dr. David Chao (@ProFootballDoc, former ortho in the NFL) prognosticates that Heyward would have the ankle reduced (popped back into place) immediately, and then have surgery at some later point--this is key, because as we saw after the Shaun Livingston injury (also an ankle dislocation), there was a need for immediate surgery with risk to blood vessels and loss of limb. The claim of no ligament damage is likely inaccurate with an injury like this.

He later goes on to suggest that Heyward could potentially be back, at sub-100%, for this season's playoffs, but would have an opportunity to be stronger for the 2018-19 season. So, take that FWIW from a professional in the field based on video analysis of the injury.

One of the morning shows confirmed the ankle was reset in the Cavs locker room. Best of luck to Gordon. By all accounts a good guy.

ChillinDuke
10-18-2017, 01:10 PM
<snip>

...then six minutes in that's taken away from them. Now you have to wait a year (probably) to see Hayward play and you probably have no realistic shot at contending. A whole year of watching games with an eye towards contending...gone. Just like that.

<snip>

Yeah, well, that's 6 minutes more than us Knicks fans have gotten in the past, oh I dunno, 17 years or so.

Give or take one 50-win season.

- Chillin

CDu
10-18-2017, 01:15 PM
Hey - at least the Bulls hold on to their #1 pick this year. Which means they will draft either an SF, PF, or C. Chances they go with another PF?

Probably not a PF. The cynical view is that they identify whomever is a soon-to-be free agent, and draft that spot.

Back when Deng was entering his contract year, they drafted Butler. When Butler's contract year came, they reached for Snell. This was a Mirotic contract year, so they drafted Markkanen.

So who is on the clock now? Zach Lavine. So I am thinking they will reach for a SG.

Mabdul Doobakus
10-18-2017, 01:46 PM
Well. Maybe you can have an ankle dislocation without ligament injury? If they popped it back in, it must have been dislocated. Not sure how they could have determined that without an MRI, but I'm no orthopedic surgeon.

English
10-18-2017, 01:48 PM
If this Dr's job is watching these videos and providing diagnosis, I do not envy his job. I saw that injury live and absolutely refuse to watch it again.

It's more like a hobby and secondary means of income (appearing on various sports talk shows to discuss injuries and likely recovery avenues), but yes, that's something he does with great frequency. He primarily specializes in football injuries, but dabbles across the sports gamut. His "day job" is as a practicing orthopedic surgeon.

Coincidentally, if you thought the Heyward injury was brutal to watch in slow-mo detail (which it certainly was), the injury he'd previously analyzed was the Colts' Robert Turbin dislocating his left elbow on a play Monday night, wherein it literally bent at a 90-degree angle in the wrong direction. That was, ummm, also not for the fainthearted. Turbin will likely miss a month or so.

cato
10-18-2017, 02:01 PM
It's more like a hobby and secondary means of income (appearing on various sports talk shows to discuss injuries and likely recovery avenues), but yes, that's something he does with great frequency. He primarily specializes in football injuries, but dabbles across the sports gamut. His "day job" is as a practicing orthopedic surgeon.

Some controversy has followed him since his days as a doctor for the Chargers: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/columnists/kevin-acee/sd-sp-chao-0106-story.html

Of note, many players have stood by him, including Nick Hardwick — someone I am inclined to trust.

darthur
10-18-2017, 08:01 PM
oh, and HAHAHAHAHAHAHA at the warriors...

Based on the last 2 seasons, I declare there is a 100% correlation between losing game 1 and winning the title, so all good... as long as the Draymond injury is nothing serious of course. I continue to believe Draymond and Steph are the heart-and-soul of the team far more so than KD is, and indeed Houston made its big run right after Draymond left the game.

A couple interesting lineup notes:

- The Warriors played almost everyone. The Rockets played only 8 guys, and really went after the Warriors b-teamers (Bell, Looney) on defense. Seems a bit harsh for opening night. :rolleyes:
- I think most of Houston's run also came with Paul on the bench. Hopefully his "knee soreness" thing is also nothing serious.

duke4ever19
10-18-2017, 08:13 PM
horrible about gordon...:(

but kyrie and the youngsters almost pulled it off....


oh, and HAHAHAHAHAHAHA at the warriors...

Be careful about making fun of the Warriors too much. Kevin Durant might get upset and get on one of his alt-twitter accounts to tell you that he doesn't care one bit about what you have to say.

Billy Dat
10-19-2017, 10:54 AM
I think it's wild that on opening night the Celtics lose Gordon Hayward to a gruesome ankle injury and, the next night, Jeremy Lin of the Nets is done for the season with a gruesome knee injury...and Lin is one of the key players for a Nets team that the Celtics are counting on being better than expected so they were willing to trade that Nets 2019 Lottery Pick to Cleveland. Danny Ainge better stay home for a few days lest a safe fall on him.

flyingdutchdevil
10-19-2017, 11:02 AM
I think it's wild that on opening night the Celtics lose Gordon Hayward to a gruesome ankle injury and, the next night, Jeremy Lin of the Nets is done for the season with a gruesome knee injury...and Lin is one of the key players for a Nets team that the Celtics are counting on being better than expected so they were willing to trade that Nets 2019 Lottery Pick to Cleveland. Danny Ainge better stay home for a few days lest a safe fall on him.

:(

Yeah- Cleveland is getting the best of the Celtics this season. Gotta pray that Brown and Tatum develop quickly...

pfrduke
10-19-2017, 11:18 AM
Meanwhile, the Giannis 2018 MVP campaign started last night. My goodness he was impressive. That guy has almost no ceiling as a player.

Kedsy
10-19-2017, 11:27 AM
Meanwhile, the Giannis 2018 MVP campaign started last night. My goodness he was impressive. That guy has almost no ceiling as a player.

Does he have a roof?

BD80
10-19-2017, 11:35 AM
Does he have a roof?

He would if he had gone to unc.

But at least he would know how to speak Swahili. supposing of course that he knew how to speak Swahili before heading to chapel hell.

JasonEvans
10-19-2017, 12:18 PM
Meanwhile, the Giannis 2018 MVP campaign started last night. My goodness he was impressive. That guy has almost no ceiling as a player.

Kevin Durant says the Freak will someday be the greatest player ever. Does that mean he has no ceiling?

Oh, he is only 22... how scary will he be when he reaches his athletic peak in a few years. Yikes!!

-Jason "he needs to lead his team to at least a conference finals though as being great means making your team into a big time winner" Evans

luburch
10-19-2017, 02:10 PM
Stumbled upon this article (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-to-stop-nba-tanking-tie-your-fate-to-another-teams-record/) from 538 when reading about the new tanking rules that just passed. The article contains some really unique ideas on how to prevent teams from tanking. Worth a read!

moonpie23
10-22-2017, 08:33 AM
hahahaha....throwing the mouthpiece and giving the "ring finger" got steph and kd thrown out of the game......


ever notice how chippy they get when they're losing?

LasVegas
10-22-2017, 07:19 PM
hahahaha...throwing the mouthpiece and giving the "ring finger" got steph and kd thrown out of the game...


ever notice how chippy they get when they're losing?

Yeah, super immature and a bad look for Curry. My daughter throws less tantrums and she is 18 months. At least he owned up to it.

Bluedog
10-22-2017, 09:38 PM
hahahaha...throwing the mouthpiece and giving the "ring finger" got steph and kd thrown out of the game...


ever notice how chippy they get when they're losing?


Yeah, super immature and a bad look for Curry. My daughter throws less tantrums and she is 18 months. At least he owned up to it.

Our own Kyrie also just got fined $25k for yelling "Suck my d__" to a 76ers fan. Not a great look for him either unfortunately.

pfrduke
10-22-2017, 10:02 PM
Meanwhile, Giannis continues to be ridiculous. His first three games:

37 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals
34, 8, 8, 3, and a block
44, 8, 4, 2, and 2 (including a steal leading to a go ahead dunk followed by a game sealing block in the last minute)

He’s 45-67 from the floor so far this season. I’m 100% in on the Giannis for MVP campaign. He’s also 23. Milwaukee needs to throw all the money at him to make sure he stays - he hasn’t even hit his peak and he’s already putting together a credible case for being the best player in the league.

darthur
10-23-2017, 02:00 AM
Our own Kyrie also just got fined $25k for yelling "Suck my d__" to a 76ers fan. Not a great look for him either unfortunately.

No, although I personally have a lot of sympathy for the players in these situations. Imagine you're out on the court putting everything you have on the line, and you have someone constantly sitting there courtside harassing you. Sooner or later they're going to strike a nerve or you're just going to get fed up, and you'll take the bait. Doesn't make it right, but an incident here or there doesn't really change my opinion about these guys.

Of course we as Duke fans know a little something about harassing players, but (a) certain NBA fans go well beyond any Cameron Crazies chant in what they say, and (b) I do specifically remember K saying in my years that the fans should focus on cheering the Duke players rather than harassing the opponents.

Btw, I never did figure out why KD got ejected from watching that game. I think the ring finger thing was after. He must have said something I guess. It's funny -- even though I thought the Warriors had been hit some with questionable calls/no-calls over the game and 4th quarter, I couldn't see what Curry was complaining about on that final play. Seems more like general frustration directed or misdirected at the ref. Hopefully it'll wake them up for future games. :p

Bluedog
10-23-2017, 09:38 AM
No, although I personally have a lot of sympathy for the players in these situations. Imagine you're out on the court putting everything you have on the line, and you have someone constantly sitting there courtside harassing you. Sooner or later they're going to strike a nerve or you're just going to get fed up, and you'll take the bait. Doesn't make it right, but an incident here or there doesn't really change my opinion about these guys.

Of course we as Duke fans know a little something about harassing players, but (a) certain NBA fans go well beyond any Cameron Crazies chant in what they say, and (b) I do specifically remember K saying in my years that the fans should focus on cheering the Duke players rather than harassing the opponents.

I agree with your premise, but let's just say I am certain the harassment Grayson Allen has taken is among the worst of anybody in the professional ranks, and he's an unpaid amateur and hasn't responded (and if he did, he'd been eviscerated for it). These guys are professionals, so should know how to deal with it, but I realize everybody is human and reacts at a certain point. I don't know if I'd agree NBA fans are more crass/vocal than college students/fans, drunk college students can basically talk with no filter. I would absolutely argue that the Cameron Crazies are VERY mild in trying to strike nerves of opposing players by saying personal things compared to the fanbases of other schools. What I heard from Louisville fans was otherworldy...Never heard anything like it in Cameron.

JasonEvans
10-23-2017, 12:12 PM
I’m 100% in on the Giannis for MVP campaign. He’s also 23. Milwaukee needs to throw all the money at him to make sure he stays - he hasn’t even hit his peak and he’s already putting together a credible case for being the best player in the league.

They already signed him for a near-max deal a year ago and the deal just kicked in this season. He's signed for 4 years at $100 mil ($22.4 mil this season going up to $27.5 mil in 2020-21). The interesting thing is that they signed him for less than the max for a player of his experience and they signed him for 4 years not 5. Teams are allowed to sign one player to what is called a designated max contract, which goes 5 years at the max salary. Because teams can only do that with 1 player, it can create a problem if there are multiple players who want or deserve that. When Milwaukee convinced Freak not to take the designated max a year ago, it was assumed they would be able to instead use it on Jabari Parker. But then Jabari got hurt and Giannis blew up in a big big way and suddenly it looks like Freak is the one you want for 5 years, not Jabari.

Anyway, the bottom line is that Freak is signed until 2021 and Milwaukee has a lot of time to make him happy. Even at an average of $25 mil per season, he is terribly underpaid right now, but he took that contract deal because he wanted the team to have more flexibility to be able to make moves to surround him with the best players. He seems really committed to Milwaukee (even though they have a dysfunctional 3-owner structure where the owners are constantly fighting with each other). I think the Bucks are alongside the Celtics as the likely teams to rule the East in a couple years once Lebron is no longer able to bend the conference to his will all by himself.

-Jason "Freak is tons of fun to watch, that's for sure!" Evans

JasonEvans
10-23-2017, 12:28 PM
Even at an average of $25 mil per season, he is terribly underpaid right now

Giannis is the 32nd highest paid player in the NBA this season (tied with Stephen Adams, who has an identical 4 year, $100 mil contract with the same annual salaries and escalations). The list of the highest paid players in the league (https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/players.html) contains some truly mind-boggling contract mistakes.

Did you know that Jrue Holiday is the 14th highest paid player in the NBA this season? Wow, what was New Orleans thinking with that one? They are on the hook with him for 5 seasons (last year of the deal is a player option at $27 mil, I'm betting the 31 year old Holiday will take that $27 mil option). He's a mediocre shooter and a poor defender... how is this guy making $25+ mil a year?!?!

Paul Millsap is a really nice power forward and a good NBA player... but he's the 3rd highest paid player in the league this season. He's never even made a 3rd team All-NBA team but only Lebron and Steph make more than him. That's messed up.

Andre Drummond is owed close to $110 mil over the next 4 seasons... for a guy who can't even hit 40% of his free throws (which makes him unplayable in the 4th quarter of close games).

-Jason "There are other contracts that are head scratchers (Miles Plumlee!!!). Looking at NBA mistakes is always amusing" Evans

Truth&Justise
10-23-2017, 02:52 PM
Did you know that Jrue Holiday is the 14th highest paid player in the NBA this season? Wow, what was New Orleans thinking with that one? They are on the hook with him for 5 seasons (last year of the deal is a player option at $27 mil, I'm betting the 31 year old Holiday will take that $27 mil option). He's a mediocre shooter and a poor defender... how is this guy making $25+ mil a year?!?!

The Pelicans overpaid Holiday as a way of going all-in on the Cousins-Davis frontcourt. After trading all their wing-depth for Cousins, and having to pay Cousins and Davis max-contracts, the Pelicans didn't have much cap space. Their only choices were: (1) sign second and third-tier perimeter players for the league-minimum, or (2) go over the cap to re-sign Holiday. If they lost Holiday their already perilously-thin perimeter would crater. Holiday knew this and had all the leverage in the negotiation.

So the answer is: Jrue Holiday was the best bad option New Orleans had and he took advantage of it to sign a massive deal.

JasonEvans
10-23-2017, 04:05 PM
So the answer is: Jrue Holiday was the best bad option New Orleans had and he took advantage of it to sign a massive deal.

I'm not enough of a cap expert to know if this would work, but what they should have done is found a way to sign-and-trade Holiday to Phoenix for Eric Bledsoe. Now Holiday makes too much to make that deal work.

-Jason "Bledsoe is going to be moved, that much is clear (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj5gKvExIfXAhUB7oMKHbZyAA4QqUMIOjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadspin.com%2Fwell-thats-probably-it-for-eric-bledsoe-in-phoenix-1819774495&usg=AOvVaw3e4MqsP9gHU7X6YUlK9-LY)" Evans

Furniture
10-23-2017, 08:59 PM
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7740&stc=1Seth is in good company.

pfrduke
10-23-2017, 10:39 PM
Meanwhile, Giannis continues to be ridiculous. His first three games:

37 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals
34, 8, 8, 3, and a block
44, 8, 4, 2, and 2 (including a steal leading to a go ahead dunk followed by a game sealing block in the last minute)

He’s 45-67 from the floor so far this season. I’m 100% in on the Giannis for MVP campaign. He’s also 23. Milwaukee needs to throw all the money at him to make sure he stays - he hasn’t even hit his peak and he’s already putting together a credible case for being the best player in the league.

Game 4 Giannis had “only” 32 (plus 14 boards and 6 assists) on 13-21 from the field. He has 147 points on 88 shots from the field.

darthur
10-24-2017, 12:25 AM
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls - an organization that prides itself on "interdepartmental communication" and "culture" - are putting themselves in the running for most dysfunctional franchise in the league.

On the plus side, they managed to unload this scrub rookie in exchange for a little cash:

https://streamable.com/rvev1

It's still very early but he does seem like a pretty decent energy guy and is fun to watch... at least as long as he's not playing against Duke. His PER is higher than Kevin Durant's! :)
It's pretty crazy that the Warriors somehow have managed 2 years in a row to get serviceable players in the draft just for cash.

BD80
10-24-2017, 08:19 AM
...

Andre Drummond is owed close to $110 mil over the next 4 seasons... for a guy who can't even hit 40% of his free throws (which makes him unplayable in the 4th quarter of close games).

-Jason "... Looking at NBA mistakes is always amusing" Evans

Not so fast Big Ballin Shoe breath,

Dre is shooting 83.3% from the line this year!

(10/12 over 4 games) - he could easily miss his next 13 and be at 40%

gam7
10-24-2017, 02:50 PM
Meanwhile, Giannis continues to be ridiculous. His first three games:

37 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals
34, 8, 8, 3, and a block
44, 8, 4, 2, and 2 (including a steal leading to a go ahead dunk followed by a game sealing block in the last minute)

He’s 45-67 from the floor so far this season. I’m 100% in on the Giannis for MVP campaign. He’s also 23. Milwaukee needs to throw all the money at him to make sure he stays - he hasn’t even hit his peak and he’s already putting together a credible case for being the best player in the league.

MVP campaign? We are less than 5% of the way through the season.

Billy Dat
10-24-2017, 03:04 PM
Game 4 Giannis had “only” 32 (plus 14 boards and 6 assists) on 13-21 from the field. He has 147 points on 88 shots from the field.

I didn't realize how much Kidd was playing him at point guard. I was watching him last night bring the ball up the court...dude is remarkable!!! It's also been very fun watching 6'10" Ben Simmons run the point. The future is a Golden State Warriors style where everyone is 6'10" and above!

pfrduke
10-24-2017, 09:58 PM
MVP campaign? We are less than 5% of the way through the season.

And he's had the most valuable 5%. Of course it's early, but what is the early season for but a time to make snap judgments. Giannis is averaging 36.8/10.8/5.3 through four games on a completely ridiculous 65.9% from the floor. Of course he's not going to do this over the course of a full season but he's been the best player on the court for just about every minute that he's played so far this year. As far as MVP campaigns go, you can't point to anyone else who's had a better start.

gam7
10-24-2017, 11:18 PM
And he's had the most valuable 5%. Of course it's early, but what is the early season for but a time to make snap judgments. Giannis is averaging 36.8/10.8/5.3 through four games on a completely ridiculous 65.9% from the floor. Of course he's not going to do this over the course of a full season but he's been the best player on the court for just about every minute that he's played so far this year. As far as MVP campaigns go, you can't point to anyone else who's had a better start.

You won't get any argument from me on any of those points. He has been otherworldly. But, as President of the Sam Bradford for MVP Campaign, I humbly submit that a more appropriate recognition to consider for Giannis at this point would be Eastern Conference Player of the Week (which he deservedly received yesterday).

Also, I totally agree that early season is prime time for snap judgments. It's just that I don't usually see you making the snap judgments - more often you are the source of the sensible, rational, persuasive analysis!

By the way, you are not alone - I've seen several headlines talking about Giannis as an MVP candidate already. I just feel like we don't usually hear speculation specifically about the MVP award until the All-Star break.

pfrduke
10-24-2017, 11:30 PM
I’ll admit to having a soft spot for Giannis having taken him with the 32nd pick of the 2013 DBR mock draft. (which (not so humbly) may be the best value pick in DBR mock draft history (we can just ignore the fact that I took Sergey Karasev three picks before Giannis))

DevilFalcon
10-24-2017, 11:58 PM
https://www.instagram.com/p/BapncdXl1zL/

Jason Tatum in front of Porzingis. Wow.

Billy Dat
10-27-2017, 12:01 PM
"Cleaning the Glass", a new-ish, quant-ish NBA blog by a former NBA front office exec is free for the first two weeks of the season.

https://cleaningtheglass.com/

Proprietor Ben Falk was on "The Lowe Post" this week.

cato
10-27-2017, 12:05 PM
https://www.instagram.com/p/BapncdXl1zL/

Jason Tatum in front of Porzingis. Wow.

Future reference for NBA players, boxing out Tatum’s elbow with your neck is not an effective way to prevent the putback slam.

Reilly
10-27-2017, 12:39 PM
I’ll admit to having a soft spot for Giannis having taken him with the 32nd pick of the 2013 DBR mock draft ...

Do you set up mock charity and public events for him to "appear" at (like the rabbit Harvey) to create goodwill for your franchise?

elvis14
10-27-2017, 01:33 PM
https://www.instagram.com/p/BapncdXl1zL/

Jason Tatum in front of Porzingis. Wow.

That was incredible. That Tatum guy might turn out OK :-)

ElSid
10-27-2017, 01:52 PM
That was incredible. That Tatum guy might turn out OK :-)

Reminiscent of this in the ND game in ACC tournament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afqTn8XjI9k

He's chill most of the game but has some explosive moments!

Billy Dat
10-27-2017, 05:01 PM
Good Kevin Arnovitz article on Giannis and the future of the Bucks, including the dysfunction among the ownership group which i wasn't aware of.

Good quote on that aspect:

"Yet as a basketball lifer who majored in scouting, Hammond didn't project the image of the new-economy GM, "the guy who works 18 hours a day, speaks the hedge fund language and will cut your nuts off," in the language of one league exec."

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseBucks/how-giannis-antetokounmpo-bucks-plan-take-warriors

slower
10-28-2017, 03:45 PM
MVP campaign? We are less than 5% of the way through the season.

Hype season never stops.

El_Diablo
10-29-2017, 10:52 AM
That was incredible. That Tatum guy might turn out OK :-)

Shooting 43% from 3-point range as well!

El_Diablo
10-29-2017, 11:28 AM
Shooting 43% from 3-point range as well!

It’s actually 50% now after last night’s game.

LasVegas
10-29-2017, 11:43 AM
Has any defending national champ team ever had 3 players ejected in the first few games of the season? 4 ejections this year and 3 are warriors.

JasonEvans
10-31-2017, 03:26 PM
So, in the Dukies in the NBA thread we have talked a bit about how well Kyrie (and Jayson) is playing and how the Celtics look really good right now, even without Heyward. Well, the corollary to this is how truly awful the Cavs look. Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

Deadspin (I know some folks hate that site, don't shoot the messenger) has a pretty good analysis (https://deadspin.com/the-cavaliers-stink-1819977200) (with some colorful language) of what ails the team. In short, they are not good on offense and they are really, really bad on defense. Remember all the talk that Kyrie leaving town would bring Kevin Love out of his long slumber... not so much.


Love’s defensive rating, which was (a not particularly good) 106.0 last season, has ballooned to 115.8 this season; his net rating has plunged from 7.2 (second-highest on the Cavs in 2016-17) to -11.8 this season. Among five-man lineups that have logged five or more minutes for the Cavs so far this season, four of the worst five, in terms of net rating, feature Love as their center; Cleveland’s second-most often used five-man lineup features Love at center and has a hideous net rating of -21.7 in 27 minutes of action.

Somehow, Cleveland thought bringing in Dwayne Wade and Jalen Rose would be a good idea, but they both seem to be shadows of the shadows of their old selves. Deadspin has an amusing gif of Rose playing some of the worst pick and roll D you will ever see.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WZqtfifk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/ohi2qjm1pscewdnv3vmm.gif

Kyle Korver is hitting 53% of his 3s and they still are a team that shoots poorly. Korver, by the way, is well on his way to being the worst defender in the entire league... but it is hard to blame him for sucking on D as he is just a few weeks away from being eligible for social security.

-Jason "I know the Cavs are waiting for IT to get healthy, but one of the weakest PG defenders in the league isn't going to solve many problems for them" Evans

fraggler
10-31-2017, 03:34 PM
So, in the Dukies in the NBA thread we have talked a bit about how well Kyrie (and Jayson) is playing and how the Celtics look really good right now, even without Heyward. Well, the corollary to this is how truly awful the Cavs look. Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

Deadspin (I know some folks hate that site, don't shoot the messenger) has a pretty good analysis (https://deadspin.com/the-cavaliers-stink-1819977200) (with some colorful language) of what ails the team. In short, they are not good on offense and they are really, really bad on defense. Remember all the talk that Kyrie leaving town would bring Kevin Love out of his long slumber... not so much.



Somehow, Cleveland thought bringing in Dwayne Wade and Jalen Rose would be a good idea, but they both seem to be shadows of the shadows of their old selves. Deadspin has an amusing gif of Rose playing some of the worst pick and roll D you will ever see.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WZqtfifk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/ohi2qjm1pscewdnv3vmm.gif

Kyle Korver is hitting 53% of his 3s and they still are a team that shoots poorly. Korver, by the way, is well on his way to being the worst defender in the entire league... but it is hard to blame him for sucking on D as he is just a few weeks away from being eligible for social security.

-Jason "I know the Cavs are waiting for IT to get healthy, but one of the weakest PG defenders in the league isn't going to solve many problems for them" Evans

I think you meant Derrick Rose. It is an interesting question, though, whether or not a 44 year old Jalen would be more useful than Derrick.

dukelifer
10-31-2017, 03:35 PM
So, in the Dukies in the NBA thread we have talked a bit about how well Kyrie (and Jayson) is playing and how the Celtics look really good right now, even without Heyward. Well, the corollary to this is how truly awful the Cavs look. Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

Deadspin (I know some folks hate that site, don't shoot the messenger) has a pretty good analysis (https://deadspin.com/the-cavaliers-stink-1819977200) (with some colorful language) of what ails the team. In short, they are not good on offense and they are really, really bad on defense. Remember all the talk that Kyrie leaving town would bring Kevin Love out of his long slumber... not so much.



Somehow, Cleveland thought bringing in Dwayne Wade and Jalen Rose would be a good idea, but they both seem to be shadows of the shadows of their old selves. Deadspin has an amusing gif of Rose playing some of the worst pick and roll D you will ever see.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WZqtfifk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/ohi2qjm1pscewdnv3vmm.gif

Kyle Korver is hitting 53% of his 3s and they still are a team that shoots poorly. Korver, by the way, is well on his way to being the worst defender in the entire league... but it is hard to blame him for sucking on D as he is just a few weeks away from being eligible for social security.

-Jason "I know the Cavs are waiting for IT to get healthy, but one of the weakest PG defenders in the league isn't going to solve many problems for them" Evans

Too early to know for sure but there is real reason for concern. Also a bit of mental fatigue at play- particularly motivating themselves for the crazy long regular season. Not counting them out but the road may be tougher.

Mabdul Doobakus
10-31-2017, 03:36 PM
So, in the Dukies in the NBA thread we have talked a bit about how well Kyrie (and Jayson) is playing and how the Celtics look really good right now, even without Heyward. Well, the corollary to this is how truly awful the Cavs look. Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

Deadspin (I know some folks hate that site, don't shoot the messenger) has a pretty good analysis (https://deadspin.com/the-cavaliers-stink-1819977200) (with some colorful language) of what ails the team. In short, they are not good on offense and they are really, really bad on defense. Remember all the talk that Kyrie leaving town would bring Kevin Love out of his long slumber... not so much.



Somehow, Cleveland thought bringing in Dwayne Wade and Jalen Rose would be a good idea, but they both seem to be shadows of the shadows of their old selves. Deadspin has an amusing gif of Rose playing some of the worst pick and roll D you will ever see.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WZqtfifk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/ohi2qjm1pscewdnv3vmm.gif

Kyle Korver is hitting 53% of his 3s and they still are a team that shoots poorly. Korver, by the way, is well on his way to being the worst defender in the entire league... but it is hard to blame him for sucking on D as he is just a few weeks away from being eligible for social security.

-Jason "I know the Cavs are waiting for IT to get healthy, but one of the weakest PG defenders in the league isn't going to solve many problems for them" Evans

Jalen Rose is 44. Definitely an odd choice. :p

I feel like we do this every year with Cleveland, but this is also almost certainly the worst of The Return Era Cleveland teams. They'll probably still win the East, but get swept in the Finals, so we have that to look forward to.

curtis325
10-31-2017, 04:02 PM
So, in the Dukies in the NBA thread we have talked a bit about how well Kyrie (and Jayson) is playing and how the Celtics look really good right now, even without Heyward. Well, the corollary to this is how truly awful the Cavs look. Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

Deadspin (I know some folks hate that site, don't shoot the messenger) has a pretty good analysis (https://deadspin.com/the-cavaliers-stink-1819977200) (with some colorful language) of what ails the team. In short, they are not good on offense and they are really, really bad on defense. Remember all the talk that Kyrie leaving town would bring Kevin Love out of his long slumber... not so much.



Somehow, Cleveland thought bringing in Dwayne Wade and Jalen Rose would be a good idea, but they both seem to be shadows of the shadows of their old selves. Deadspin has an amusing gif of Rose playing some of the worst pick and roll D you will ever see.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WZqtfifk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/ohi2qjm1pscewdnv3vmm.gif

Kyle Korver is hitting 53% of his 3s and they still are a team that shoots poorly. Korver, by the way, is well on his way to being the worst defender in the entire league... but it is hard to blame him for sucking on D as he is just a few weeks away from being eligible for social security.

-Jason "I know the Cavs are waiting for IT to get healthy, but one of the weakest PG defenders in the league isn't going to solve many problems for them" Evans

It's an interesting GIF. Do they even have referees in the NBA? Looked like a moving screen followed by travelling.

ChillinDuke
10-31-2017, 04:21 PM
Too early to know for sure but there is real reason for concern. Also a bit of mental fatigue at play- particularly motivating themselves for the crazy long regular season. Not counting them out but the road may be tougher.

Yes to the bolded, there are serious issues with the length of the NBA season as well as the playoffs. Teams simply don't have to win games all the time, they just have to win enough to not totally screw themselves. Think about that for a second. Contrast that with the NCAAT, for example. Or the NFL regular season/playoffs. Or even baseball where so few teams make the playoffs, and the ones that don't win their division play a one-game playoff! Talk about incentives to perform.

I'm not in the least bit worried about Cleveland, even if their defense stinks all year long. They'll make the playoffs - so why would I care about their games right now? To watch Lebron's athleticism? I want to see teams incented to compete today...

- Chillin

Billy Dat
10-31-2017, 04:31 PM
Cleveland is 3-4 and has lost consecutive games to... wait for it... the Nets, Pelicans, and Knicks. I should revise that, they didn't just lose to the Pelicans and Knicks, they got blown out.

In the currently topsy turvy NBA, my Knicks aren't that bad, 3-3 vs the currently 11th toughest schedule!

It is interesting how some odd Eastern conference teams have looked good early...Detroit, Orlando, Charlotte...

flyingdutchdevil
10-31-2017, 04:33 PM
In the currently topsy turvy NBA, my Knicks aren't that bad, 3-3 vs the currently 11th toughest schedule!

It is interesting how some odd Eastern conference teams have looked good early...Detroit, Orlando, Charlotte...

Detroit has great coaching. The Knicks have a top 15 player. Charlotte has good players at every position. Orlando...ummm....I can't explain that. Every starter is playing out of their minds. It's nuts!

JasonEvans
10-31-2017, 04:54 PM
The Knicks have a top 15 player.

Is Porzy (I just made up that nickname, it won't stick) top 15? I dunno. I haven't really thought about it that much but it seems like that might be a bit high for him.

Freak, Lebron, Harden, Westbrook, Steph, Paul, Kwahi, The Brow, and Durant are no brainers ahead of him. That's 9 guys. So, is he better than 3 of Draymond, Butler, George, Boogie, Towns, Kyrie, Jokic, Wall, or Gobert? Porzy is off to a great start to the season, so I guess you can say he is better than a few of those guys for now. Will be interesting to see if Porzy can keep it up.

-Jason "if he averages 29ppg for the season, he'll make one of the 3 All NBA teams" Evans

flyingdutchdevil
10-31-2017, 06:05 PM
Is Porzy (I just made up that nickname, it won't stick) top 15? I dunno. I haven't really thought about it that much but it seems like that might be a bit high for him.

Freak, Lebron, Harden, Westbrook, Steph, Paul, Kwahi, The Brow, and Durant are no brainers ahead of him. That's 9 guys. So, is he better than 3 of Draymond, Butler, George, Boogie, Towns, Kyrie, Jokic, Wall, or Gobert? Porzy is off to a great start to the season, so I guess you can say he is better than a few of those guys for now. Will be interesting to see if Porzy can keep it up.

-Jason "if he averages 29ppg for the season, he'll make one of the 3 All NBA teams" Evans

The way he's playing now is top 15. Whether that is sustainable is the question. And I think KP is playing better than Butler, George, Wall, and Kyrie (he's got a significantly higher PER than Butler, George, and Wall right now. It's 3 points higher than Kyrie).

Also, I wouldn't put Chris Paul in the top 15 as a guarantee. He's off to a terrible start. Is this the beginning of the end for Paul? Maybe...

dukelifer
10-31-2017, 06:38 PM
Is Porzy (I just made up that nickname, it won't stick) top 15? I dunno. I haven't really thought about it that much but it seems like that might be a bit high for him.

Freak, Lebron, Harden, Westbrook, Steph, Paul, Kwahi, The Brow, and Durant are no brainers ahead of him. That's 9 guys. So, is he better than 3 of Draymond, Butler, George, Boogie, Towns, Kyrie, Jokic, Wall, or Gobert? Porzy is off to a great start to the season, so I guess you can say he is better than a few of those guys for now. Will be interesting to see if Porzy can keep it up.

-Jason "if he averages 29ppg for the season, he'll make one of the 3 All NBA teams" Evans
He is also a bit of a freak- 7' 3" and can do what he can do on the floor is amazing. He is certainly in that next group conversation - but he needs to sustain it. Still not any like him.

BD80
10-31-2017, 09:02 PM
I think you meant Derrick Rose. It is an interesting question, though, whether or not a 44 year old Jalen would be more useful than Derrick.

Jalen never did play much D. He'd fit in with Cleveland's "Golden Guys"

Turk
11-01-2017, 11:29 AM
Is Porzy (I just made up that nickname, it won't stick) top 15? I dunno.

I like "Zinger" - clear and simple.

flyingdutchdevil
11-01-2017, 11:48 AM
I like "Zinger" - clear and simple.

MSG Network calls him "KP". Super unoriginal...

Billy Dat
11-01-2017, 12:10 PM
I like "Zinger" - clear and simple.


MSG Network calls him "KP". Super unoriginal...

"KP" is what his teammates call him which is why I think the MSG guys call him that. Early on, I liked P.Ziddy. Michael Rappaport calls him the Latvian Gangbanger (or, to be more specific to how MR actually mispronounces it, "The Lativian Gangbanger).

On Twitter this AM, someone offered "Lordzingis".

I am just happy he is the focus of the offense as the team moves on from the Melo era. Big home game tonight against Houston who have been uneven to start the year.

English
11-01-2017, 01:15 PM
"KP" is what his teammates call him which is why I think the MSG guys call him that. Early on, I liked P.Ziddy. Michael Rappaport calls him the Latvian Gangbanger (or, to be more specific to how MR actually mispronounces it, "The Lativian Gangbanger).

On Twitter this AM, someone offered "Lordzingis".

I am just happy he is the focus of the offense as the team moves on from the Melo era. Big home game tonight against Houston who have been uneven to start the year.

I've definitely heard "PorzinGOD." It's a personal fave of mine...of course, I'm light on organized religion and without delicate sensibilities, so YMMV.

BD80
11-04-2017, 07:00 AM
After 5 years in the NBA, has Andre Drummond finally learned how to shoot free throws?

Last year, he shot 38.6% from the line, and was pulled in the 4th quarter of games because teams would intentionally foul him to get the ball back.

In the first 8 games Dre was shooting 70% from the line,

Last night, against the Bucks, Dre went 14-16 from the charity stripe!

He's now shooting 77.8% on free throws for the 6-3 Pistons, who have wins over the Warriors and Clippers on the road.

Can anyone recall such a turn-around in a player? Nine games does not a season make, but DOUBLING his shooting accuracy percentage?

camion
11-04-2017, 08:15 AM
After 5 years in the NBA, has Andre Drummond finally learned how to shoot free throws?

Last year, he shot 38.6% from the line, and was pulled in the 4th quarter of games because teams would intentionally foul him to get the ball back.

In the first 8 games Dre was shooting 70% from the line,

Last night, against the Bucks, Dre went 14-16 from the charity stripe!

He's now shooting 77.8% on free throws for the 6-3 Pistons, who have wins over the Warriors and Clippers on the road.

Can anyone recall such a turn-around in a player? Nine games does not a season make, but DOUBLING his shooting accuracy percentage?

I heard that Andre made a change to his free throw technique. This year he's keeping his eyes open.

:)

BD80
11-07-2017, 04:04 PM
Bledsoe to Bucks for Greg Monroe and protected 1st round pick (8-16 in 2018, 4-16 in 2019, 8-30 in 2020)

Bucks could be REALLY good.

Would this leave an opening for Jahlil with the Bucks?

ElSid
11-07-2017, 04:13 PM
Bledsoe to Bucks for Greg Monroe and protected 1st round pick (8-16 in 2018, 4-16 in 2019, 8-30 in 2020)

Bucks could be REALLY good.

Would this leave an opening for Jahlil with the Bucks?

Bucks philosophy, especially, seems at odds with Jahlil's physical gifts and skill set. They prefer length that can run and shoot. Folks like Maker and Giannis. Seems like a bad fit for me.

Okafor fits better with the Celtics or Bulls or some other team willing to wait to capture upside, vs. a team like the Bucks who seem willing to take risks to compete now. Don't see Jah helping them move up a few seeds in the Playoff race.

But, stranger things have happened. Sadly, I think Jahlil is stuck in Philly for the year. Hopefully he uses the time to get better off the court and in the gym.