Dukies in the NBA 2021-22

[DoubleBlue]

After winning 6 games in a row, the Sixers have now lost 5 in a row. Its mostly due to positive COVID tests on several of the starters, but also scheduling. Seth's minutes and production have been down in the 5-game skid, which may be due to greater reliance on Tyrese Maxey for playmaking and less touches for Seth.

Seth had a nice night against the Nuggets, 20 pts on 8-17 shooting with 6 rbs and 5 assists, helping the Sixers end their losing streak. The Sixers just shot better than the Nuggets (50% vs 36%), despite 30 pts from Jokic.

[TheOldBattleship]

After winning 6 games in a row, the Sixers have now lost 5 in a row. Its mostly due to positive COVID tests on several of the starters, but also scheduling. Seth's minutes and production have been down in the 5-game skid, which may be due to greater reliance on Tyrese Maxey for playmaking and less touches for Seth.

Seth had a nice night against the Nuggets, 20 pts on 8-17 shooting with 6 rbs and 5 assists, helping the Sixers end their losing streak. The Sixers just shot better than the Nuggets (50% vs 36%), despite 30 pts from Jokic.

Big for them to have Tobias Harris back and at least starting to look like himself again after what was apparently a pretty nasty bout of COVID. Honestly, super impressive for them to even be in the games during that losing streak given their general injury/COVID/Ben Simmons situation. This is a team with a ton of guys who are at least reasonably good on the wing, but even that depth starts to look pretty bleak when you take out Simmons (obvious reasons), Danny Green, and the group of folks who had COVID (Harris/Thybulle, notably). And that's not even mentioning the obvious in Joel Embiid. Amazingly, the addition of Andre Drummond looks like it could end up being one of the most important moves of the offseason. He's not going to carry them a long way by himself, but having starter-quality minutes at center with Embiid out is crucial, and his passing with all the shooters/cutters they can put around him is legitimately a massive weapon in running an offense.

One big concern: how does Embiid look when he comes back from COVID? We've seen some guys who are well-known for being in great shape (say, Jason Tatum) struggle with their conditioning after COVID, and Embiid... is not well-known for his conditioning, we'll say, and it's as much of a consequence of his body type as anything else. Can he catch back up with that this season at all? It's a big question in the playoff landscape in the East going forward.

[DoubleBlue]

Big for them to have Tobias Harris back and at least starting to look like himself again after what was apparently a pretty nasty bout of COVID. Honestly, super impressive for them to even be in the games during that losing streak given their general injury/COVID/Ben Simmons situation. This is a team with a ton of guys who are at least reasonably good on the wing, but even that depth starts to look pretty bleak when you take out Simmons (obvious reasons), Danny Green, and the group of folks who had COVID (Harris/Thybulle, notably). And that's not even mentioning the obvious in Joel Embiid. Amazingly, the addition of Andre Drummond looks like it could end up being one of the most important moves of the offseason. He's not going to carry them a long way by himself, but having starter-quality minutes at center with Embiid out is crucial, and his passing with all the shooters/cutters they can put around him is legitimately a massive weapon in running an offense.

One big concern: how does Embiid look when he comes back from COVID? We've seen some guys who are well-known for being in great shape (say, Jason Tatum) struggle with their conditioning after COVID, and Embiid... is not well-known for his conditioning, we'll say, and it's as much of a consequence of his body type as anything else. Can he catch back up with that this season at all? It's a big question in the playoff landscape in the East going forward.

Another big off-season pickup for the Sixers was Georges Niang who is having a career year so far. He's averaging 24 mpg and 12 ppg, shooting 40% from three. He started his first game against Denver and had 11 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast. He's solid in all aspects of the game.

Embiid started the season in the best shape of his career, so hopefully he has been able to keep up the routine. He should be back any day now. Although the Sixers are missing Simmons, the rest of the team has been strengthened since last year.

[TheOldBattleship]

Obviously nobody was watching this game this evening (and probably wouldn't have been even if there wasn't a conflicting Duke game), but shout out to Frank Jackson! Not sure about the mustache, but the rest of his game tonight was pretty awesome. 27 on 8/15 from the field and 5/12 from three, a few steals and a couple rebounds. Not to make too much of a single-game +/-, but his +20 in a three-point loss is pretty impressive. (Relatedly, I know Killian Hayes is still REALLY young, but the Pistons have to be starting to wonder what exactly they have there...)

And Jason Tatum totally swatted the Lakers in Bron's return to the court: 37/11/2/3/1 on 13/26 from the floor with only one turnover.

[Peter]

https://nypost.com/2021/11/20/zion-w...ary-practices/

new zion.jpg

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

https://nypost.com/2021/11/20/zion-w...ary-practices/

new zion.jpg

Come on Zion. Please don't let your career get torpedoed by your love of the culinary arts.

[bundabergdevil]

The Kings fired Walton. Maybe a new lease for Bagley? Dunno but in addition to injuries, he seems to have been challenging and challenged in other ways.

[DukieInBrasil]

The Kings fired Walton. Maybe a new lease for Bagley? Dunno but in addition to injuries, he seems to have been challenging and challenged in other ways.

I was about to post the same thing. The word that was reaching us non-insiders was that Walton refused to play MB3...

[cato]

I was about to post the same thing. The word that was reaching us non-insiders was that Walton refused to play MB3...

The bloom is off the Walton rose. I guess we’ll find about about Bagley in due time.

Hindsight is 20/20, but if there were one Duke recruit that I wish didn’t get recruited over it was Wendell Carter, Jr. He just screamed big time Duke 5 to me.

[bundabergdevil]

I was about to post the same thing. The word that was reaching us non-insiders was that Walton refused to play MB3...

The bloom is off the Walton rose. I guess we’ll find about about Bagley in due time.

Hindsight is 20/20, but if there were one Duke recruit that I wish didn’t get recruited over it was Wendell Carter, Jr. He just screamed big time Duke 5 to me.

It's hard for me not to believe there isn't a place in a rotation for a guy like Bagley (when healthy). I had a feeling Okafor was going to struggle in a league that had moved away from his style game but Bagley could really move and run the floor and had a ridiculous second bounce. Hope he gets in a good situation and we get to see him on court again.

[Steven43]

It's hard for me not to believe there isn't a place in a rotation for a guy like Bagley (when healthy). I had a feeling Okafor was going to struggle in a league that had moved away from his style game but Bagley could really move and run the floor and had a ridiculous second bounce. Hope he gets in a good situation and we get to see him on court again.

I’m with you. I think Bagley’s combination of athleticism, nimbleness, and body control is off the charts for a man his height. It mystifies me that he hasn’t been more successful in the NBA.

[cato]

I checked the score of the Sixers-Warriors game and it was 71-71, with each team featuring an S. Curry with 17 points.

[Furniture]

I checked the score of the Sixers-Warriors game and it was 71-71, with each team featuring an S. Curry with 17 points.

Wow it’s now 88-88 and both S.Currys have 22 each...

[bundabergdevil]

I’m with you. I think Bagley’s combination of athleticism, nimbleness, and body control is off the charts for a man his height. It mystifies me that he hasn’t been more successful in the NBA.

He played 20 minutes last night. Promising sign he’ll get more PT going forward. Had a clutch 3 down the stretch…

https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360103

[bundabergdevil]

He played 20 minutes last night. Promising sign he’ll get more PT going forward. Had a clutch 3 down the stretch…

https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360103

Bagley played 35 minutes last night in a 3OT win over the Lakers.

[TheOldBattleship]

Bagley played 35 minutes last night in a 3OT win over the Lakers.

Obviously didn't catch it live (might have been an important Duke game overlapping), but this apparently was Bagley's best defensive performance in the NBA (and possibly ever). The Kings went with Bagley on LeBron for much of the multiple overtimes and he showed out. This Twitter thread from Steve Jones (a fantastic follow for close looks at NBA games) gets into some of what Bagley was doing. You know you're doing a good job defensively when LBJ is hunting switches to get you off of him rather than to get someone specific switched onto him. Bagley's ability to avoid the screens and stick with the King was a major factor in the win.

Great to see him getting an opportunity with Luke Walton gone. I don't know any details about that whole mess (and honestly don't want to), but I have to admit that the idea of not playing Bagley at all strikes me as totally absurd and 100% counterproductive. Gentry is not a perfect coach, though I think he's a much better one than he gets credit for, but no matter what you think of him, that kind of petty thing just won't happen. He'll play his guys, and he'll connect with them personally in a way that Walton just clearly didn't with Bagley. I still think that Bagley probably could use a change of scenery, but maybe this is the jumpstart he needs?

[TheOldBattleship]

Couple of familiar names popping up on this list of the most efficient jumpshooters so far this season in the NBA (measured in points per shot).

[heyman25]

Obviously didn't catch it live (might have been an important Duke game overlapping), but this apparently was Bagley's best defensive performance in the NBA (and possibly ever). The Kings went with Bagley on LeBron for much of the multiple overtimes and he showed out. This Twitter thread from Steve Jones (a fantastic follow for close looks at NBA games) gets into some of what Bagley was doing. You know you're doing a good job defensively when LBJ is hunting switches to get you off of him rather than to get someone specific switched onto him. Bagley's ability to avoid the screens and stick with the King was a major factor in the win.

Great to see him getting an opportunity with Luke Walton gone. I don't know any details about that whole mess (and honestly don't want to), but I have to admit that the idea of not playing Bagley at all strikes me as totally absurd and 100% counterproductive. Gentry is not a perfect coach, though I think he's a much better one than he gets credit for, but no matter what you think of him, that kind of petty thing just won't happen. He'll play his guys, and he'll connect with them personally in a way that Walton just clearly didn't with Bagley. I still think that Bagley probably could use a change of scenery, but maybe this is the jumpstart he needs?

Not a Sacramento fan but I did follow both Giles and Bagley. Luke Walton gave both of them limited playing time. Bagley was wasted in Sacramento as was Giles. Walton was a grudge holding coach. Should have been fired a long time ago.

[DoubleBlue]

Not a Sacramento fan but I did follow both Giles and Bagley. Luke Walton gave both of them limited playing time. Bagley was wasted in Sacramento as was Giles. Walton was a grudge holding coach. Should have been fired a long time ago.

Walton had a grudge against former Duke players, or something else?

[DukieInBrasil]

Just wanted to give a shout out to Wendell Carter Jr., who is so far having the best year of his career with career highs in pretty much every category, so far. FG% is just slightly lower than his career high, but due to a career high in 3FG% and 3FGA his eFG is a career high by far. His blocks/game is not his career high either (actually career low), but we'll overlook that since it is only 0.1 bpg below every other year of career except his rookie year (0.7 vs 0.8). His FT% is at a career low right now, but that might change with time...