General NBA '17-'18 thread

[moonpie23]

i know there was one, but i can't find it....the mods can merge this if they need to, then i'll be able to find it



anyway, Loved watching westbrook serve up a hot cup of stfu to the dubs last night....especially getting into durant's face....

you can tell the dubs know they're going to lose when they start that annoying head-shaking...like "no, this game doesn't count"

[JasonEvans]

The Dukies in the NBA thread has generally been home to all the NBA chatter thus far. Perhaps we should just have that one thread for all NBA conversation.

[BD80]

i know there was one, but i can't find it...the mods can merge this if they need to, then i'll be able to find it



anyway, Loved watching westbrook serve up a hot cup of stfu to the dubs last night...especially getting into durant's face...

you can tell the dubs know they're going to lose when they start that annoying head-shaking...like "no, this game doesn't count"

Paul George is a great addition with Westbrook, Melo is the cherry. When Melo is engaged, he can still be a really good basketball player.

Found myself rooting for OKC; the Warriors are easy to dislike, they whine incessantly

[kshepinthehouse]

Paul George is a great addition with Westbrook, Melo is the cherry. When Melo is engaged, he can still be a really good basketball player.

Found myself rooting for OKC; the Warriors are easy to dislike, they whine incessantly

Since that win the Thunder have now lost three in a row.

[elvis14]

Didn't care much for Westbrook's woofing (and I'm a big fan of his amazing game). The GSW are easy to like, they play fantastic, fun to watch basketball (not sure about the whole whining thing...they don't do it any more than other NBA teams).

It'll be interesting to see if/when the GSW hit their stride this year. I'm watching them play the Lakers right now and have seen more of their games and they really don't have it going yet. If they are going to create a gap between themselves and the rest of the NBA, they are going to have to find that next level more consistently (and then find the level above that where they are just fantastic).

[JasonEvans]

Jah gets criticized for his D... but Karl Anthony Towns needs to get some serious ribbing for this...

[luvdahops]

Didn't care much for Westbrook's woofing (and I'm a big fan of his amazing game). The GSW are easy to like, they play fantastic, fun to watch basketball (not sure about the whole whining thing...they don't do it any more than other NBA teams).

It'll be interesting to see if/when the GSW hit their stride this year. I'm watching them play the Lakers right now and have seen more of their games and they really don't have it going yet. If they are going to create a gap between themselves and the rest of the NBA, they are going to have to find that next level more consistently (and then find the level above that where they are just fantastic).

Draymond Green is in a class by himself when it comes whining (in addition to being one of the league's chippiest payers generally). He vocally protests every single foul that is called on him. Steph and Iggy have gotten a bit whinier, or at least more petulant, in recent years, too.

[yancem]

Jah gets criticized for his D... but Karl Anthony Towns needs to get some serious ribbing for this...

I'm not sure where (or even when to be honest) I read this but at one point last season there was an article about bad defensive players and what was very interesting to me was that Towns was rated lower than Okafor and Wiggins was lower rated than Parker. Both cases are interesting because leading up to the draft Towns and Wiggins were supposed to be more raw offensively but much better defensively than Okafor and Parker. But was is really facinating is that the difference offensively between Towns and Okafor their rookie year was not overly significant and both were fairly miserable defensively yet Towns was given time and reps to continue to develop while Okafor was condemmed to end of the bench. Now I understand that Okafor had to contend with Embiid and Simmons but still. Someone who averages 17.5 ppg as a rookie should have gotten more pt the following year or traded while he still had value. I really hope that he gets a fair chance with the Nets and can resurrect his career.

[IrishDevil]

Jah gets criticized for his D... but Karl Anthony Towns needs to get some serious ribbing for this...

No shot fake, no head fake, no reason why Towns would think that this was the appropriate defensive approach. It honestly looks like somebody playing a video game and getting the buttons mixed up.

Also, Nice assist for JJ, though I wish it didn't come at expense of Tyus.

[Billy Dat]

The rise of Houston has added some real juice to the race for the Western Conference title, and, therefore, the overall title. With defense that has risen to Top 5 (Holy Jeff Bzdelik!), Harden seeming to get better and better, comfort shooting 40+ 3s as a team each game and making 37% of them...the concern now seems to be D'Antoni being smart and getting his main rotation enough rest to keep them healthy. In that respect, the Warriors are way ahead of them knowing that they need to be ready for May/June.

[flyingdutchdevil]

The rise of Houston has added some real juice to the race for the Western Conference title, and, therefore, the overall title. With defense that has risen to Top 5 (Holy Jeff Bzdelik!), Harden seeming to get better and better, comfort shooting 40+ 3s as a team each game and making 37% of them...the concern now seems to be D'Antoni being smart and getting his main rotation enough rest to keep them healthy. In that respect, the Warriors are way ahead of them knowing that they need to be ready for May/June.

But they have Chris Paul. So they're not getting past the second round

[BD80]

The rise of Houston has added some real juice to the race for the Western Conference title, and, therefore, the overall title. With defense that has risen to Top 5 (Holy Jeff Bzdelik!), Harden seeming to get better and better, comfort shooting 40+ 3s as a team each game and making 37% of them...the concern now seems to be D'Antoni being smart and getting his main rotation enough rest to keep them healthy. In that respect, the Warriors are way ahead of them knowing that they need to be ready for May/June.

Curry's "injury" is just a part of a scheme to rest the key players?

[Troublemaker]

The rise of Houston has added some real juice to the race for the Western Conference title, and, therefore, the overall title. With defense that has risen to Top 5 (Holy Jeff Bzdelik!), Harden seeming to get better and better, comfort shooting 40+ 3s as a team each game and making 37% of them...the concern now seems to be D'Antoni being smart and getting his main rotation enough rest to keep them healthy. In that respect, the Warriors are way ahead of them knowing that they need to be ready for May/June.

Houston probably is trying to get the 1 seed, though. At the same time, hopefully Chris Paul being healthy will reduce Harden's minutes a bit.

If the Warriors are healthy for the playoffs, the only interesting path would be for them to run this gauntlet:

OKC 1st round, Spurs conference semis, Rockets conference finals (Houston having homecourt advantage), and the East winner (probably the Cavs) in the Finals.

[darthur]

Houston probably is trying to get the 1 seed, though. At the same time, hopefully Chris Paul being healthy will reduce Harden's minutes a bit.

If the Warriors are healthy for the playoffs, the only interesting path would be for them to run this gauntlet:

OKC 1st round, Spurs conference semis, Rockets conference finals (Houston having homecourt advantage), and the East winner (probably the Cavs) in the Finals.

Ouch -- that would be brutal.

I think the question you have to ask yourself is this: are the Warriors going all out? I think it's pretty safe to say the Rockets are. And 2-3 years ago, the Warriors also went all out in the regular season, and the playoffs were just more of the same. Last year was different. The Ws were not terribly locked in during the regular season, but then they turned it on during the last few weeks and the playoffs, becoming far better than they were. They also haven't looked very locked in this year for the most part. So will they be able to fix it during the playoffs again? If the answer is yes, I think they should still be considered a decent favorite over the Rockets. If not... well then the Rockets could shake some things up.

Same thing with Cleveland/Boston too, except there I'm 100% sure Cleveland will step it up during the playoffs. Short of significant injury, I cannot imagine anything in the regular season that would make Cleveland not the Eastern Conference playoff favorites.

[Billy Dat]

Ouch -- that would be brutal.

I think the question you have to ask yourself is this: are the Warriors going all out? I think it's pretty safe to say the Rockets are. And 2-3 years ago, the Warriors also went all out in the regular season, and the playoffs were just more of the same. Last year was different. The Ws were not terribly locked in during the regular season, but then they turned it on during the last few weeks and the playoffs, becoming far better than they were. They also haven't looked very locked in this year for the most part. So will they be able to fix it during the playoffs again? If the answer is yes, I think they should still be considered a decent favorite over the Rockets. If not... well then the Rockets could shake some things up.

Same thing with Cleveland/Boston too, except there I'm 100% sure Cleveland will step it up during the playoffs. Short of significant injury, I cannot imagine anything in the regular season that would make Cleveland not the Eastern Conference playoff favorites.

The Warriors are definitely not going all out. I think the intriguing thing is that the Rockets improved defense, and game-changing use of, and ability to hit, the 3 means that in a 7 game series, they could, as you say, shake things up. Also true what FDD said about Chris Paul, and Harden hasn't exactly been a playoff wizard either. Still, it would be fun to have another Western Conference finals like OKC v Warriors in 2016.

[CDu]

Break up the Bulls! No, they are still awful, but they have now won six in a row, undefeated since Mirotic returned from a broken face.

[JasonEvans]

Break up the Bulls! No, they are still awful, but they have now won six in a row, undefeated since Mirotic returned from a broken face.

The fact that he broke that face on the fist of a teammate makes this all the more of an amazing story.

Of course, if your Bulls were doing what they are supposed to do, they would be losing a lot lot lot more than they are. #TankCity!!

The Pacers were supposed to also be in tank mode but someone forgot to tell the players and coaches.

Jason “at least my Hawks know how to suck! #MarvinAytonDoncic, I don’t care” Evans

[Truth&Justise]

Jason “at least my Hawks know how to suck! #MarvinAytonDoncic, I don’t care” Evans

Is Schroeder+Prince+Collins+Bagley/Ayton/Doncic* the core to build around? Or does the plan require an additional year of tanking to add another potential star?


*Plus Sir Foster, obviously.

[luvdahops]

The fact that he broke that face on the fist of a teammate makes this all the more of an amazing story.

Of course, if your Bulls were doing what they are supposed to do, they would be losing a lot lot lot more than they are. #TankCity!!

The Pacers were supposed to also be in tank mode but someone forgot to tell the players and coaches.

Jason “at least my Hawks know how to suck! #MarvinAytonDoncic, I don’t care” Evans

The Bulls actually have a pretty solid frontcourt between Markannen, Mirotic, Lopez and Portis, who has really taken to playing small ball 5. And point guard play is fairly solid as well, with Kris Dunn looking more like a lottery pick lately, though he'll never a good shooter, and Jerian Grant a decent fit in a backup role. But their current collection of wings (Holiday, Valentine, Nwaba, Zipser) are all more back end of the rotation guys, though assuming Zach Lavine comes back at full speed, he will give them one bona fide wing starter.

Most Bulls fans expect Lopez or Mirotic to be moved before the trade deadline, likely for picks. In the meantime, Mirotic is unlikely to maintain his current torrid pace. So it's a matter of time before the losing starts again in earnest.

[drummerdevil]

Is Schroeder+Prince+Collins+Bagley/Ayton/Doncic* the core to build around? Or does the plan require an additional year of tanking to add another potential star?


*Plus Sir Foster, obviously.

I think with that team you aren't going to be good enough to bother not tanking. Imagine what Barrett will do in that lineup