2021 NBA Playoffs Thread

[kshepinthehouse]

You may be right, I'm not sure.

Some guys never become good shooters, no matter how athletic they are in terms of speed, strength and agility.

I think that shooting is much easier to learn than the 3 attributes you listed.

[DoubleBlue]

Former Duke player Chip Engelland is known to be one of the best shooting coaches. I believe he is an assistant with the Spurs.

At the same time, there is only so much one can do to improve your shot. If it was so easy to learn how to shoot a basketball, I would not be sitting in front of a computer for a living. I know of people with virtually unlimited funds who hire the best coaches to work with them but that can only take them so far.

Granted, there are individual limits, but Simmons is a career 60% free throw shooter and there has to be some upside on that. Getting him up to 70% (still below the NBA average of 78%) would be the goal. His outside shooting might follow a similar trend. As with anything, the more you work on it, the more it will improve... up to some natural limit.

[DoubleBlue]

At the same time, there is only so much one can do to improve your shot. If it was so easy to learn how to shoot a basketball, I would not be sitting in front of a computer for a living. I know of people with virtually unlimited funds who hire the best coaches to work with them but that can only take them so far.

Shooting in a gym is a lot different than shooting in a game, with a hand in your face, off-balance and rushed. The fundamentals of shooting can be mastered, but its another skill to do that on an elite level with elite defenders. Just getting open for a shot in the NBA would be a challenge for most mortals.

[MartyClark]

I think that shooting is much easier to learn than the 3 attributes you listed.

I don't think those other 3 attributes are learned so much as being physical gifts that can be refined through hard work.

I think shooting can be improved but some guys just can't shoot well. Simmons has been playing high level basketball for many years and is not a good shooter. Can he improve? Sure. Will he ever be a good shooter? I don't know but don't think so.

[kshepinthehouse]

I don't think those other 3 attributes are learned so much as being physical gifts that can be refined through hard work.

I think shooting can be improved but some guys just can't shoot well. Simmons has been playing high level basketball for many years and is not a good shooter. Can he improve? Sure. Will he ever be a good shooter? I don't know but don't think so.

Exactly my point. Those are physical gifts and shooting can be learned.

[DoubleBlue]

Simmons has been playing high level basketball for many years and is not a good shooter. Can he improve? Sure. Will he ever be a good shooter? I don't know but don't think so.

Simmons is a natural righty but his father insisted that he shoot left handed. Maybe there was some early success with that, but I think he might be conflicted. There have been attempts to go back to his right and this could have led to his regression, if he is confused. It looks like he may now be considering a switch: https://heavy.com/sports/philadelphi...hooting-hands/

[Edouble]

Hawks fan chiming in here.

The mood of the city is that Trae is now better than Luka, that Trae is a superstar, and that the Hawks are now a team of destiny.

I disagree with all three.

I would be surprised if there are any Mavericks fans out there that would trade Luka away for Trae, even after this playoff run. Trae is very good, but no superstar, which you pretty much need to win an NBA Championship (Kobe, Timmy, LBJ, KD, Steph, Kawhi... Giannis). 2004 Pistons were the rare exception.

We are lucky to have gotten this far, and lucky to have won last night. Yes, Trae scored 48, but on 4-13 from beyond the arc, including some real duds in the 4th Q. If you look at Trae's numbers, there is some ugliness in the diamond mine. 30% or less from 3 in four out of the last five games, and some real stinker performances against the 76ers.

I am just being a realist. I see this team losing against the Bucks 4-2, or maybe 4-1. If the Bucks could handle KD, they can handle us. Game 1 probably should have gone to Milwaukee, but if they needed a wake up call, that was it.

[Steven43]

The mood of the city (Atlanta) is that Trae is now better than Luka.

This is laughable. There is not a general manager in the entire NBA who would trade Luka Dončić for Trae Young straight up.

[JasonEvans]

This is laughable. There is not a general manager in the entire NBA who would trade Luka Dončić for Trae Young straight up.

I talk with plenty of Hawks fans. I don’t know a single one who thinks Trae is better than Luka. Trae is wonderful and really fun to watch. The team is built around him in a way that really allows them to succeed, but give Luka Trae’s teammates and the Mavs are still playing.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Chris Paul is available this evening.

[Faustus]

Hawks fan chiming in here.

The mood of the city is that Trae is now better than Luka, that Trae is a superstar, and that the Hawks are now a team of destiny.

With this line, I can only remember, way back, when the Eagles had lost the coin flip to Buffalo for the first draft pick (didn't they end up with Leroy Keyes?), and that summer in an exhibition game, another Eagles rookie running back had had an unusually good game, and some Eagles fan -- I think seriously -- held up a spiteful sign that read: "Who needs OJ? We've got Tom Woodeshick!"

[elvis14]

Really enjoyed last night's game. Even though I like Giannis, I just don't find myself rooting for the Bucks. I remember Connaughton from ND and (except when he was playing against Duke) have enjoyed watching him play. I felt pretty bad for him last night when he chucked up that crucial, late-game air ball. Trae Young was fun to watch. As a smaller guy, I tend to like guys like him. His post game interview was pretty cool...all the credit went to the team and other guys.

With Chris Paul back tonight and Leonard out for the Clippers, the Suns have a huge opportunity to take a 3-0 lead. I hope the officials call this as a basketball game and not a football game.

Earlier conversation in the thread about DVR's, etc. I just wanted to say that it's not that I don't skip commercials. I do for most of them. I was just saying that I watch on DVR because I tend to watch later in the evening. Commercials are not the reason I DVR and watch delayed. Sometimes it's good to put down the remote and just watch, however. Also, sometimes I multitask so some commercials will run. I don't mind most of them...although I agree that over the course of an evening seeing the same commercial multiple times is very annoying.

[bundabergdevil]

Chris Paul is available this evening.

The Clippers: “Nuts!”

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The Clippers: “Nuts!”

Can't spork, but yes please and thank you.

[wilson]

I talk with plenty of Hawks fans. I don’t know a single one who thinks Trae is better than Luka. Trae is wonderful and really fun to watch. The team is built around him in a way that really allows them to succeed, but give Luka Trae’s teammates and the Mavs are still playing.

I’d take Luca over Trae in a vacuum, but the gap isn’t all that wide…not nearly as wide as a lot of folks seem to think.
And I’ll take Trae’s front office situation all day. The Hawks’ current roster is expertly crafted, as evidenced by their ongoing playoff performance.
I also think, as I’ve said before, that Trae is the better fit for and reflection of our local culture. Whether or not Luca is “better,” I’m decidedly not mad about that trade.

[Skydog]

I would take Hawks coach over Carlisle. And literally as I am writing that the ESPN scroll informs me Carlisle doesn’t coach Dallas anymore, Jason Kidd is their coach now. I now would definitely take Hawks coach.

[hustleplays]

Shooting in a gym is a lot different than shooting in a game, with a hand in your face, off-balance and rushed. The fundamentals of shooting can be mastered, but its another skill to do that on an elite level with elite defenders. Just getting open for a shot in the NBA would be a challenge for most mortals.

Excellent discussion, thank you!

It has always been fascinating to me how incredibly skilled basketball players, while moving fast, diagonally from the basket, with hands in their faces, can get "Swish!", hitting nothing but net, way beyond the 3 point line -- BUT miss FTs, standing still, just 15' away, with no time urgency.

Psychologists and neurologists know the answer re the disparity: Our subconscious mind can process millions of data bits simultaneously, while our conscious minds might process about 14 things at once. [This is a very complex subject, and I'm simplifying and generalizing, but, directionally speaking, I believe it's accurate. Happy to be corrected by any DBR poster who also happens to be one of the world's leading neuropsychologists. it's just an occupational hazard of posting on DBR.]

So, when Trae Young, Dame, KD, both Curries, et al put in these amazing shots, they are wholly operating in their so-called subconscious minds, meaning that they have learned to not let their conscious minds get in the way. They are in the flow.

When these dudes are in the flow there is total confidence, no "rational" 2nd guessing. They are, in some way, letting their bodies [including their brains] take over.

Ben Simmons seems to facing difficulties in getting into that flow and, now, a severe lack of confidence. Improving his FT technique will help his confidence, but he also needs to engage in some deep work around who he believes he is on the court. When he gave up a clear dunk to pass to a teammate, that was a signal that he is dealing with fundamental self-belief issues. I hope that the 76ers staff can get to whatever root causes are keeping him from being a powerful presence on the court, both on O & D.

[ice-9]

Hawks fan chiming in here.

The mood of the city is that Trae is now better than Luka, that Trae is a superstar, and that the Hawks are now a team of destiny.

I disagree with all three.

I would be surprised if there are any Mavericks fans out there that would trade Luka away for Trae, even after this playoff run. Trae is very good, but no superstar, which you pretty much need to win an NBA Championship (Kobe, Timmy, LBJ, KD, Steph, Kawhi... Giannis). 2004 Pistons were the rare exception.

We are lucky to have gotten this far, and lucky to have won last night. Yes, Trae scored 48, but on 4-13 from beyond the arc, including some real duds in the 4th Q. If you look at Trae's numbers, there is some ugliness in the diamond mine. 30% or less from 3 in four out of the last five games, and some real stinker performances against the 76ers.

I am just being a realist. I see this team losing against the Bucks 4-2, or maybe 4-1. If the Bucks could handle KD, they can handle us. Game 1 probably should have gone to Milwaukee, but if they needed a wake up call, that was it.

Trae is an exciting player and the face of the franchise but the team as a whole is highly underrated. Gallinari and Lou would start on a few NBA teams.

Can you imagine Luka on this Atlanta team?

[budwom]

Luke the Duck getting some minutes!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Luke the Duck getting some minutes!

Quack quack?