2022/3 season thread

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737762#Comment_120737762

How much are you projecting their average game score to go up by this year?

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738199#Comment_120738199

It's not dismissing their title. They beat everyone's brains out, you can only beat who is put in front of you, etc.

But they won in 5, 6, 4 and 5. Nobody caused them difficulties to the point where players were dropped from the rotation. That's just a fact.

Beal adds 30 points, more spacing, more range and frees up Durant to defend with more energy. As Nate Duncan said in his podcast reacting to the trade, people may be surprised at how well he defends when he's on a competing team.

Look we'll see what happens, they just lost to Denver and they've pulled a lever with a coaching change and significant addition. Running it back when you got beat inspite of your top 2 playing really well would be madness.

pjohnson

If Beal takes the Lakers Westbrook 6th man role of leading the 2nd unit it could work very well, compensating for when Booker or Durant of off court. But its an insanely costly move to have your 6th be one of the highest paid on the roster having cost away your depth.

Theres only one ball in play so you can hit a point of diminishing returns if you add too many high scoring players which the Suns have just done if those 3 are on court together.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738221#Comment_120738221

What type of a question is this? Leaving aside the ridiculousness of asking me that, only two of the players who played over 1k minutes for the Suns last year are likely to be back for next year. It will be an entirely new group around Durant and Booker with a new coaching staff.

This team just won 45 games and lost in the Western Conference 2nd round. It's not like they **** broke up a Dynasty. They made a massive move at the trade deadline, and they are furthering that.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733524#Comment_120733524

It’s more than just Simmons. Woj, Windhorst and others saying the same thing.

LuckyLloyd

If New Orleans move on from Zion they are doing the right thing

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738421#Comment_120738421

Supposedly its Scoot the Pels want so with Charlotte still appearing unclear on whether or not they are taking him its leaving things up in the air.

- Pelicans want Scoot

- Portland want Zion but unless Scoot falls they can't deal as the Pels dont want Miller.

- Supposedly Charlotte are happy to deal the #2 to the Pelicans for a package based around Ingram + picks but not Zion.

-The Pels want to keep Ingram but will trade Zion.

Interesting hours ahead.

2smiggy

is Zion injured and unable to play, or just does not want to play ?

either way why would anyone take a risk on him for such a high price

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738591#Comment_120738591

Because maybe you aren't so mad about winning? Jordan and Charlotte have never been too pushed on trying to win as Hornets owner. Zion is a legend in that area of the country, sell some tickets, etc.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738690#Comment_120738690

Speaking of Jordan and Charlotte.......has anyone watched the Gamestop short-selling documentary? One of the main hedge fund shorters in that is Gabe Plotkin, who is a co-owner of the hornets and is buying Jordan's shares.

Well, I went into a deep dive on reddit (and elsewhere) and there's allegations Jordan (a notorious gambler) bet $500million on the Game Stop short through Plotkin's hedge fund......and lost. And Plotkin is collecting, via the Hornets.

There's loads of info. on it. Obviously the NBA isn't going to want a gambling / billionaire losing control of his team story making the headlines, so this one is very interesting.

Here's a sample:

https://www.essentiallysports.com/basketball-nba-news-how-did-michael-jordan-lose-500-million-in-2020/

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738254#Comment_120738254

I'll bet you anything you want Beal does not add 30 points to that team this year.

There's 2 elite scores on that team already, and he's 3rd by some distance after them. He will not average 30 points a game next year. He's averaged 23 for the last 2 seasons on a crap Washington team where he was option Number 1. He'll be third to eat on this team, not a chance he's averaging 30.

But as I said, I'll bet you anything you want if you want to out your money where your mouth is on that one.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738254#Comment_120738254

Did it possibly occur to you that they didn't have to remove someone from the rotation BECAUSE they're a well constructed team with little by way of weaknesses?

I'm not sure what your offensive philosophy is - hunt for mismatches that are so weighted in your favour that you force the opposition to remove a player from the rotation completely? Do you realise how rarely that happens? And when it does, it's usually a non-starter. It's not an effective strategy.

LuckyLloyd

Fine Beal won’t add 30ppg, but he’s a guy who can get his for 30 on any given night.

I don’t know what you mean by offensive philosophies. Teams struggling have to drop players from their rotation. Love got frozen out end of Boston series; DLo played 14 mins against Denver in game 4; Poole played 10 mins against Lakers in game 2; etc

All different series and different contexts. This happens to everyone in the playoffs, normally. Nobody forced Malone to have to significantly adjust his rotation this year. Incredibly dominant.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120739762#Comment_120739762

I think your second sentence says everything really.

Middle paragraph,; no it doesn't normally happen. The guys who get frozen out are almost always rotation players and not starters - and they're rotation players for a reason!

Your last paragraph - Denver were "incredibly dominant", for once we agree! But you think Beal changes that? I don't. And I'm not alone.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738305#Comment_120738305

You are all about how much more dangerous they will be on offense and how they'll cause huge defensive problems for other teams.

So I'm simply asking you to give your prediction as to how much their average ppg will improve with Beal.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741430#Comment_120741430

Compared to what

What team would I compare them to? Their playoff team barely played together in the regular season

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120740161#Comment_120740161

No, all my second sentence says is I “don’t know what you mean by offensive philosophies in the context of the point I am making”. Just like I’m not trying to minimise Denver and I don’t need to have projections for every NBA team to hand in June in order to make a point.

But sure, ‘there’s only one ball’, ‘defense wins championships’, Beal has a bad contract and other winning cliched insights. Good chat.

We’ll see what happens.

ButtersSuki

Even your buddies and go to reference points LaRoux and Duncan on Dunc’don said it’s a bad move…..🤷‍♂️

Btw, I like both of them, and their analysis. Not 💩’ing on them at all. But both of them said it’s an awful fit. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️😝

sure we have to wait and see what happens, but it sure seems like you think you’re right and (almost) everyone else is wrong.

So far the only people I’ve heard say this is a good move are complete idiots and hot take merchants. #JustSayin’

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741817#Comment_120741817

Compared to the regular season 116 ppg from when Durant joined.

Will they beat that with Beal's offensive prowess?

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742554#Comment_120742554

Duncan did NOT say it was a bad move. Where are you getting that from?

Osmosis Jones

All reports and betting odds suggest Brandon Miller is going #2, we're in for another big draft night I think

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742674#Comment_120742674

He absolutely did..

He said PHX won the trade from “an asset point of view”, but that the fit is bad and that it doesn’t make them better than Denver, which should be their goal.

Corvo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743456#Comment_120743456

He’s probably better rounded but I just think there is something about Scoot that should have him at 2.

Osmosis Jones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744197#Comment_120744197

Scoot is the more exciting pick but I do think people have forgotten about how good Miller has been.

eagle eye

I can only guess that Scoot's injury history might be a concern for some. There's no other reason he would not be no.2.

Wembanyama is the clear no.1 but Scoot is just as far ahead of everybody else as Victor is of him.

I don't think there's ever been a draft when there's been as definitive no.1 and no.2 best players as this year.

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744775#Comment_120744775

I'd disagree. I said weeks ago Miller would go 2............you can check back if you want to, this is not some in the moment take.

Scoot had huge exposure with those Overtime Elite Games in Vega v Wemby. What has he done of note since? He's a 2nd year player in OE and by all accounts there hasn't been much by way of improvement year on year. Miller was by some distance the best player in the NCAA this year.

I don't think it's close at all TBH. Wemby is head and shoulders over the field, but Henderson is not miles ahead of Miller.

pjohnson

The Wizards are blowing things up altogether.

- Sending Porzingis to Celtics

- Celtics sending Brogdon to Clippers

- Wizards getting back only Marcus Morris + draft picks.

Thats the headliners more will have to be moved around to match salaries.

Implication 1) of Brogdon going to Clippers means Wizards now probably have to eat Pauls contract. Leaving him free to join Lakers from the buyout matket.

Implication 2) Celtics solve their multi-guard problem and add a nice big piece to the rotation.

Osmosis Jones

I'm excited for Porzingis to be back at his best and in a good team, about time he reminded everyone of what he can do.

ButtersSuki

Porzingis had a very good year last year so excited about that. Sad yo see Brogdon go, he was 6th man of the year do it’s a strange one……I assume it’s a health-based call as he does get injured a lot, but still a strange one IMO. You’d have to assume they were looking to move someone else on the roster and money/contract played into it.

2smiggy

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1671731452680216579?t=8fop-YdWGdM71Ci-lZZ4TQ&s=19

Surprisingly Smart gone, but Celtics did get a lot from it. It is a ruthless business/game