NBA Regular Season & Playoffs 2018-19 Thread

Angliru

Iconic

Morrison J

Talking about taking bad shots while sitting beside Westbrook. Brilliant.

https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1120933550797144064?s=19

Hitch2222

Morrison J wrote: »

Talking about taking bad shots while sitting beside Westbrook. Brilliant.

https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1120933550797144064?s=19

Yeah it's bad if you're not named Steph or Dame I guess. Those guys have range from 30ft+ and what kind of look is arguably the best wing defender going to give a 6ft 3in guard from any closer.

Lillard shoots almost 38% from 24-29ft and almost 35% from 30ft+ this season so that shot is completely fine.

I still don't think the Trailblazers as things stand can make real waves, WCF is the ceiling. That said, I mentioned it before if they could construct a package, could AD be tempted by teaming up with Lillard

Osmosis Jones

Lillard shot 8-12 from beyond 30 feet this series, you'd think PG would realise it's not that bad a shot for him after the first few

Osmosis Jones

Angliru wrote: »

Iconic

To make it even better the people running up on him in the foreground, the guy in the red jersey and the woman in white, are his brother and sister.

ButtersSuki

Hitch2222 wrote: »

He's the topic of the opening chapter of another Michael Lewis book The Undoing Project about the work of Kahneman (wrote Thinking Fast & Slow) and Amos Tversky.

It's a great book and the other book mentioned above is my fav ever, focused on the area of Behavioural Economics, Decision Theory and their overall relationship. It's excellent and the opening chapter on Morey and his rise in basketball is quite interesting.

Haven’t listened to it yet but today’s Bill Simmons podcast features Michael Lewis talking Moneyball and other topics, strange coincidence timing wise! It’s the 2nd half of the Ralph Macchio podcast if you’re looking and don’t see it immediately.

ButtersSuki

The Lillard shot was a bad shot - lots of discourse on it today and almost universal agreement it was a bad shot; but it went it. It's somewhat mitigated by the fact that the game was tied and it's a shot to nothing, but it's not the smart play - esp. considering his FT%. Personally I'd rather see a guy with his finishing skillset and handle drive to the basket with the view of having a good look or making sure you're fouled - giving you more than one option. It's also somewhat mitigated by the fact that it went in of course.

PG would be far better off concentrating on playing better D in that situation than mouthing off - esp. as one of the better defenders in the league. "Playoff P" disappoints again.

There's an interesting discussion on The Ringer NBA Show with Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor about how Russ is getting the blame once agin and PG is getting off lightly by comparison - a point I made previously. Their %'s for the series are very similar. And yes I know PG is injured.

Pretty classless by OKC to walk off like they did without congratulating Portland, reminded me of the Pistons v Bulls from the Jordan era. That said, they've behaved pretty classlessly throughout the series. I'd say Lillard's wave was in the same bracket but he has been taunted a lot - still somewhat out of character from him though. He's behaved very well throughout the series despite a lot of taunting.

Hitch2222

The more you watch what Jerry West & Doc are doing in LA, the more it seems like Kawhi may well end up there. It's incredible they've snatched 2 games from the Warriors in light of losing their best player mid season.

They've built a hard working roster and clearly washed their hands quite quickly of their Big 3 inserting a great work ethic amongst their roster in a short period.

Lou & Montrell went for a combined 23/33 off the bench, Gallinari looks revitalised, Beverley is a dog and they start 2 rookies-Alexander might be special- in a playoff game against arguably the best team ever, it's scandalous stuff.

ButtersSuki

Hitch2222 wrote: »

The more you watch what Jerry West & Doc are doing in LA, the more it seems like Kawhi may well end up there. It's incredible they've snatched 2 games from the Warriors in light of losing their best player mid season.

They've built a hard working roster and clearly washed their hands quite quickly of their Big 3 inserting a great work ethic amongst their roster in a short period.

Lou & Montrell went for a combined 23/33 off the bench, Gallinari looks revitalised, Beverley is a dog and they start 2 rookies-Alexander might be special- in a playoff game against arguably the best team ever, it's scandalous stuff.

Part of it is certainly Clippers' toughness and never say die attitude, part of it is GS just coasting.Let's face it, this series would have been over before last night had they kept their sh*t together and not blown Game 2 like they did. This won't cost them against the Clippers, but if they play like this against Houston they're in trouble.

v3ttel

ButtersSuki wrote: »

The Lillard shot was a bad shot - lots of discourse on it today and almost universal agreement it was a bad shot; but it went it. It's somewhat mitigated by the fact that the game was tied and it's a shot to nothing, but it's not the smart play - esp. considering his FT%. Personally I'd rather see a guy with his finishing skillset and handle drive to the basket with the view of having a good look or making sure you're fouled - giving you more than one option. It's also somewhat mitigated by the fact that it went in of course.

I'd totally agree with that 99.9% of the time, but he's 8 of 12 beyond 30 feet in the series. It is a bad shot for nearly every player in the league except Dame. He makes shots beyond 30 feet nearly every night. He had room on a range he is capable of making, he was on fire throughout the entire game and he's up against a pretty elite defender. He said afterward that he didn't drive and potentially leave the game up to a call or no call.

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Pretty classless by OKC to walk off like they did without congratulating Portland, reminded me of the Pistons v Bulls from the Jordan era. That said, they've behaved pretty classlessly throughout the series. I'd say Lillard's wave was in the same bracket but he has been taunted a lot - still somewhat out of character from him though. He's behaved very well throughout the series despite a lot of taunting.

I'm a Blazers fan and have nothing against OKC, but felt they were classless throughout the series, especially during the game they won. Russ was constantly trash talking and rocking the baby, Schroder tapping his wrist to imitate Dame too. PG trying to throw it down at the end of the one game they won when the everyone has stopped playing was pretty disrespectful. The way Russ and PG acted in the interview after that game they won was pretty pathetic too. It's a shame because I really like PG.

I think the wave from Dame after being provoked throughout the series after hitting that game winner was a fair response, at that stage there was nothing left to say. Definitely an iconic moment.

Hitch2222

As much as I admire Dame, I still get the feeling that this may be his ceiling as the best player on a playoff team. I don't quite buy that be can be the best player on a WCF winning team let alone a championship winning team.

As much as I admire Portland and everything Dame has accomplished with that roster I'm a seller. I see them losing in WCF at the latest and then I sell. My only hesitation would be a package that doesn't involve Dame and brings AD the other way.
Three more years at 28m, 30m & 31.5m, I'd sell now at what I expect to be the apex of his value.

Havlicek highlights

Elmer Jones

Really disappointing that game 7 of the Spurs v Nuggets series isn't on Sky tonight, the Sixers v Toronto game isn't on either.

From this point forward every single game should be live on Sky, nothing else on at that time of night so I can't really understand why they are being broadcast.

Osmosis Jones

Elmer Jones wrote: »

Really disappointing that game 7 of the Spurs v Nuggets series isn't on Sky tonight, the Sixers v Toronto game isn't on either.

From this point forward every single game should be live on Sky, nothing else on at that time of night so I can't really understand why they are being broadcast.

Sky's broadcasting of the NBA this year has been dreadful, one game every couple nights and often they'd show a game from the night before instead of a live one.

Elmer Jones

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Sky's broadcasting of the NBA this year has been dreadful, one game every couple nights and often they'd show a game from the night before instead of a live one.

BT's was much better, they showed way more games and they just allowed you to watch the punditry from the broadcast in the US.

ButtersSuki

v3ttel wrote: »

I'd totally agree with that 99.9% of the time, but he's 8 of 12 beyond 30 feet in the series. It is a bad shot for nearly every player in the league except Dame. He makes shots beyond 30 feet nearly every night. He had room on a range he is capable of making, he was on fire throughout the entire game and he's up against a pretty elite defender. He said afterward that he didn't drive and potentially leave the game up to a call or no call.

Well.....yes, and no.

Most of those 11 previous shots from 30+ were unguarded and wide open shots early in the game/mid game - and there's a big difference between those and a series closing game on the line buzzer beater. You're not comparing like with like there.

If I put it to you this way - game tied, and you have a pretty full possession and you settle for a step to the side off the dribble pull up from 37 feet guarded by one of the league's best man to man defenders would you still say it's a good shot? I doubt many coaches would call a play like that if they had a time out and possession, in fact almost no-one would. You play the percentages. I'd personally rather see him drive to either attack the basket with a view to taking a shot or creating contact, pull up mid range/in the key, dish, kick it out for a spot up shooter (and Portland have some).

I'm a Lillard fan. He's a phenomenal offensive player and is under-rated and under-exposed because he plays for Portland. The above is not meant as a criticism.

ButtersSuki

Lol.

https://twitter.com/SteveNash/status/1121986968152207360

Osmosis Jones

Denver beat San Antonio in a pretty bad game to advance to the second round. Game had a really weird ending, Denver have the ball with 30 seconds left, SAS are down by 4, instead of fouling they just let Denver run out the shot clock, DeRozan secures the rebound and then they just dribble the game out. They were down 4 with 30 seconds left and just gave up and let Denver win.

Hitch2222

Certainly not trying to reignite any LBJ related debate but this Thinking Basketball guy is excellent:

bot43

Nice few games for us tonight. Celtics Bucks at 6 and GSW Rockets at 8.30. Job.

Angliru

Give me Kawhi Leonard over anyone in the league in this sort of form, unreal on both ends and he is so efficient. At times it looks like Michael Jordan is playing out there.

LuckyLloyd

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Denver beat San Antonio in a pretty bad game to advance to the second round. Game had a really weird ending, Denver have the ball with 30 seconds left, SAS are down by 4, instead of fouling they just let Denver run out the shot clock, DeRozan secures the rebound and then they just dribble the game out. They were down 4 with 30 seconds left and just gave up and let Denver win.

Apparently it was so loud they couldn’t hear the play? That was the explanation offered. Seems inexplicable to me that they didn’t foul.

irishguitarlad

Angliru wrote: »

Give me Kawhi Leonard over anyone in the league in this sort of form, unreal on both ends and he is so efficient. At times it looks like Michael Jordan is playing out there.

He was unbelievable last night. I love his style of playing, class

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Apparently it was so loud they couldn’t hear the play? That was the explanation offered. Seems inexplicable to me that they didn’t foul.

Of all the teams you'd expect this from SA would have been the last.

The second Jokic caught the rebound from the DeRozan blocked shot was when they should have fouled to give themselves a chance at a 2 for 1 as there were still 26/27seconds left at that stage, but to not manage a foul/to stop the clock at any stage after that is inexcusable. Seeing Aldridge stand off Jokic for what seemed like an age just into the front court with Pop screaming at him and no reaction is bonkers stuff. He obviously didn't hear him, but how the hell can you not have better game awareness than that?

Hitch2222

Angliru wrote: »

Give me Kawhi Leonard over anyone in the league in this sort of form, unreal on both ends and he is so efficient. At times it looks like Michael Jordan is playing out there.

Pretty close between him, Giannis & KD at present imo. Giannis lucky enough to have only played 4 games at 28 mins per game which is insane, basically a free pass in terms of effort expended. My only fear so far-obv small sample- but he's 62% from FT line on over 10 attempts per game which the Bucks can't have happen.

KD with 35-5-5 thus far shooting 66% and 40% from 3pt range, close to maintainable numbers. Trouble with Kawhi he won't maintain shooting 52% from deep throughout the playoffs

Vital Transformation

Giannis has been largely ineffective, Celtics doing a good job at containing him.

Osmosis Jones

Al Horford is such a playoff performer

nerd69

Could see a big game 2 front the bucks but if the Celtics have this many players firing they will be real tough to stop

Angliru

Giannis was very poor. Credit to the Celtics though, great performance on him.

ButtersSuki

Celtics game plan was far better than the Bucks'; a win for the coaching staff and the execution of their plan by the players. I hate making predictions after 1 game but the Bucks look to be in trouble now, that looked very comfortable.

Kyrie, Horford, and Brown all played really well, the Bucks by comparison looked like they'd never played together before, esp. at the defensive end - and they were the No. 1 ranked D in the league this year.

I'd love to stay up and watch the GS - Rockets game but I'm up very early tomorrow.

Morrison J

Awful sloppy start by both teams so far.