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[Latvian Hitman]

I addressed that in the earlier post on NBA defense. As I see it, defense in the NBA is where teams have more room for growth, often making it a tie-breaker of sorts.

It's not a tie-breaker, it's an absolute necessity. A team without the proper defensive habits is going to hit a brick wall at some point in the postseason and get sent home.

Yes, over the course of a series and a playoffs, things tend to stabilize, but a single game can still greatly shift the odds/results and series arent so long such that the effect within a single series can stabilize too much.

It's all a matter of perspective. Someone getting the hot hand late can decide a game, sure. And that game, in simplistic terms, could be looked back upon as the deciding factor in the series. With that said- my take is that your habits, offensively and defensively and the individual matchups are what actually decided it. A 7 game series is comprised of 300+ minutes of basketball. To me it's about all the (seemingly) mundane plays that took place during those minutes. How crisp were your rotations? How sharply did you execute your offense? How'd you shoot from the line? Turnovers. Rebounds. Loose balls. Those things all add up to mean a lot more over the course of 300+ minutes than somebody getting hot for a quarter and hitting a bunch of jumpers with a hand in his face.

 

[Face it Tiger..]

Greatest OKC player to wear 35

PJ Dozier

#pettywarz

 

[Syrus]

It's just a valid a prediction as "OKC in 6 over GSW." What kind of response is that, "have you seen the future then," the hell is this. If you can't take it, don't dish it out.

I get people are hyped, but if the hot take nonsense that ran rampant the past 2 years starts off too early, we'll just put the kabosh on all that a lot sooner this season.

Optimism is better then pessimism lol.

 

[Ronin Ray]

Last year the anime representation in NBA gaf was okay but we need to up it this year guys.

Also we need someone to replace hitta on the LMA better then Kawhi not that good Leonard bandwagon.

Fuck kd, the warriors, Paul Pierce

Something big baller

Boston mvp insert player name here

Trust the process

Go spurs go

Spoliers the Warriors are going to win. Win what ? Everything !!!!

Go spurs go

 

[bchamba]

will Melo be able to wear his hoodie during games?

 

[Bread]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

Seems like a lot of people haven't watched him play since the olympics.

 

[Doc Holliday]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

Just like they overrated young Melo.

 

[Latvian Hitman]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

Yeah- but they're underrating Kyle Singler, so it kind of balances out.

 

[Umbooki]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

Old Man Melo can still get buckets. Throw him at the 4 and let him do his catch & shoot shit until his knee turns to dust.

The defense may not always be there, but you can't ask for much more from a 3rd option.

 

[Syrus]

Old Man Melo can still get buckets. Throw him at the 4 and let him do his catch & shoot shit until his knee turns to dust.

The defense may not always be there, but you can't ask for much more from a 3rd option.

Yeah , he scored well in the preseason. Well see how he fares when it counts. He can shoot still and he wont havr to handle the ball anymore when Russ is playing

 

[-tetsuo-]

Pretty asinine comment. So youve seen all 82 games?

I've seen all of them play before

 

[Elegant Weapon]

Melo as the 3rd star will be dangerous as fuck for the rest of the league

He's the only player in the starting line that doesn't play d, he'll be fine

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Melo as the 3rd star will be dangerous as fuck for the rest of the league

He's the only player in the starting line that doesn't play d, he'll be fine

Russ isn't exactly great on D my dude.

 

[MikeyKlump]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2738381-nba-power-rankings-as-the-2017-18-regular-season-begins

Anyone else see these power ranking from Bleacher Report? 76ers above the Pels is comical.

 

[mordecaii83]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2738381-nba-power-rankings-as-the-2017-18-regular-season-begins

Anyone else see these power ranking from Bleacher Report? 76ers above the Pels is comical.

You think that's comical? I actually expect them to have a better year.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2738381-nba-power-rankings-as-the-2017-18-regular-season-begins

Anyone else see these power ranking from Bleacher Report? 76ers above the Pels is comical.

Nets will be better than the Magic and Lakers. Also 50/50 on the 6ers depending on health.

 

[BlackGhost]

Apparently we're honoring Kyrie with a video tribute tonight.

Also

Scott @ WFNY
Scott @ WFNY
@WFNYScott
J.R. on how to defend Kyrie: “Hope he dribbles so much he gets tired.”

Made me chuckle

 

[MikeyKlump]

You think that's comical? I actually expect them to have a better year.

Pels are contending for a playoff spot in the west, Sixers are contending for the 8 seed in the east. Pelicans have 3 proven stars, 2 of which are close to their prime. Sixers have 3 unproven players, I believe in Embiid and Simmons to a degree but ranking them higher at this point does not make sense to me. If we are strictly talking about what team is better, they may have a better record due to the fact that they will be playing eastern teams more but I definitely do not believe they are going to be a better team.

 

[Red Blaster]

Melo as the 3rd star will be dangerous as fuck for the rest of the league

He's the only player in the starting line that doesn't play d, he'll be fine

lol melo is a bench player at this point in his career

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Seems like a lot of people haven't watched him play since the olympics.

Who's gonna willingly watch the Knicks. Even when they're playing your team, you find something else better to do.

If the Knicks are your team, you already drank bleach a few years ago.

 

[Chase17]

I'm feeling good about the chances of a Rozier/Smart co sixth man of the year this season.

 

[PadWarrior]

 

[Bread]

Steve LaBoldStatement

 

[RobertRaviolli]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

 

[Hyperactivity]

People overrating the fuck out of old Melo.

It's a move you make 100% of the time, especially when you are also losing Kanter's contract.

That being said, I do think Melo makes the transition in the regular season tougher, because it's gonna be more complicated to calibrate that offense now. Also means Patrick Patterson, who is a beast according to RPM (one of the best in the league) doesn't start, although he did prefer playing a 6th man type role in Toronto and the trade does open up opportunities for PPat at center lineups.

Only way this ends up hurting the Thunder in the playoffs though is:

1) They play the Spurs and bringing out the Kanter-Adams lineup would've been a great move again.

2) (This is the more legit worry of mine) - Paul George isn't used as much as he should be. I definitely do think he's best as the NBA's best secondary star, and his ability to play off-ball, defend, do a little bit of everything well, etc. but I would be legit worried if Melo and WB together led to George being underutilized.

Melo is definitely still a valuable player imo, but I do think the increased adjustment period might cost the Thunder the 2nd or even 3rd seed.

 

[MikeyKlump]

It's a move you make 100% of the time, especially when you are also losing Kanter's contract.

That being said, I do think Melo makes the transition in the regular season tougher, because it's gonna be more complicated to calibrate that offense now. Also means Patrick Patterson, who is a beast according to RPM (one of the best in the league) doesn't start, although he did prefer playing a 6th man type role in Toronto and the trade does open up opportunities for PPat at center lineups.

Only way this ends up hurting the Thunder in the playoffs though is:

1) They play the Spurs and bringing out the Kanter-Adams lineup would've been a great move again.

2) (This is the more legit worry of mine) - Paul George isn't used as much as he should be. I definitely do think he's best as the NBA's best secondary star, and his ability to play off-ball, defend, do a little bit of everything well, etc. but I would be legit worried if Melo and WB together led to George being underutilized.

Melo is definitely still a valuable player imo, but I do think the increased adjustment period might cost the Thunder the 2nd or even 3rd seed.

Not dogging you at all but is anyone else just so supremely excited to stop reading about all these hypothetical situations on how these moves will play out and instead just start watching NBA and seeing how it all pans out ourselves.

 

[Apath]

Russ isn't exactly great on D my dude.

Historically or last season? I could understand him falling off on D due to carrying all of the offensive work load last season.

 

[Hyperactivity]

I mean, it looks like this dude is just some random twitter person...

I'm feeling good about the chances of a Rozier/Smart co sixth man of the year this season.

Eric Gordon is probably a strong candidate again.

I doubt JR can contend for it, because the Cavs play a lot of LeBron + bench lineups and there's a damn good shot at JR going back in the starting lineup if Wade is bad/injured/they decide having shooting from the back-court is more worth it than a non-LeBron point guard.

Iguodala could get it almost as an apology for the travesty that was the 2016 6MOY vote (arguably even the 2015 vote). That being said, I doubt it, because Iggy is the player the Warriors will probably watch and rest the most (which paid off last year when he seemed to be revitalized at the end of the season, when KD was out and they needed more from him, and in the playoffs).

Norm Powell would make a good candidate if I wasn't doubtful about him not starting more games than coming off the bench (him vs CJ Miles for starting 3 is apparently going to be match-up dependent)

If the Clippers end up closer to the higher end of their potential (the Clippers this year are probably the hardest team in the league to pin down, it can go so many different ways), one of Lou Williams or Milos are gonna be near the top of the discussion.

Sleeper pick might be Patrick Patterson. It's really unlikely though. Even if he ends up being one of the best 6th men, he's not the archetypal scoring guard, nor does he have the name recognition of Iguodala.

Zach Lowe brought up a good case for Greg Monroe too:

Greg Monroe wins Sixth Man of the Year

Yup, this is dumb. Big guys never win this. It always goes to some empty-calories wing chucker. There could be a ton of candidates: Lou Williams, Eric Gordon, Jamal Crawford, Andre Iguodala (he's apparently never winning it, either, which is insane), Dario Saric, Marcus Smart, Norman "Norm" Powell, someone from the Heat, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Patrick Patterson, Patty Mills, Milos Teodosic, and probably one or two more.

If Milwaukee craters, the Bucks might look to unload Greg Monroe's expiring contract -- torpedoing his candidacy.

But right now, none of those candidates feel as essential as Monroe. Thon Maker is 20. There will be a ton of nights when Jason Kidd doesn't trust him to close games. Monroe played the best all-around ball of his career last season, and de-iced what had been (at times) a frosty relationship with Kidd.

A shallow Bucks team needs him, badly. His ground-bound bully-ball game is a crucial source of late-clock offense after the Bucks fritter away possessions around the elbows. It wouldn't surprise if he averaged almost 30 minutes per game.

Also, I knew a lot of my opinion on the Melo deal was being informed by how much I generally trust Lowe's analysis, but this is fucking shameful on my part

The sexy bet is Oklahoma City. Before acquiring Carmelo Anthony, the Thunder's path to 60 wins was clear: Paul George would slither around as the slightly less wealthy man's Kevin Durant, and their defense would smother people. They had an identity -- a mix of new Thunder and old Thunder.

The Anthony deal -- one you make every time -- confuses that identity. That is worth it in the long run. You need crazy scoring potency to hang with Golden State. You need to embrace variance, and risk.

But Melo introduces a learning curve that might deflate the win total. He softens their defense. Snagging George and Melo in two-for-one trades depleted Oklahoma City's depth.

 

[Hyperactivity]

Shit, forgot to edit in instead of double posting.

EDIT: Also, new Road Trippin' episode came out, with RJ, Channing, Crowder, and IT4. Hopefully not RJ's last one (maybe they make a sister series for the Nuggets, I want a Jokic podcast).

 

[Cornbread78]

 

[friskykillface]

I'm surprised coach LeBron isn't putting Thompson in the starting line up, he's gonna feast on the boards

 

[Hyperactivity]

I'm surprised coach LeBron isn't putting Thompson in the starting line up, he's gonna feast on the boards

Coach LeBron wants Wade to play, and having Wade, Rose, and TT all out at the same time would be a fucking nightmare. Love is still a damn good rebounder.

 

[Ronin Ray]

Not dogging you at all but is anyone else just so supremely excited to stop reading about all these hypothetical situations on how these moves will play out and instead just start watching NBA and seeing how it all pans out ourselves.

I am already burnt out on the regular season and can't wait for the playoffs .

 

[spyder_ur]

Joel Embiid's got a new look.

Did he get new knees and feet too?


Way too many sixers fans/cultists in our fantasy league by the way.

 

[the_darkness]

Joel Embiid's got a new look.

How many coins does that shit cost?

 

[GravityInsanity]

WTF
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/920417917400944641

Sources: Bulls forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic were involved in serious altercation in practice today, leaving Mirotic hospitalized and out indefinitely. Story coming.

More:
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-bu...ercation-teammate-bobby-portis-223615980.html

Chicago Bulls forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis engaged in a physical altercation in practice Tuesday that resulted in Mirotic being hospitalized and sidelined indefinitely, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Mirotic was taken to the hospital Tuesday after their shoving altercation during practice ended with an alleged cheap shot from Portis to Mirotic's face, league sources told The Vertical. Mirotic is undergoing tests, but is expected to be out for the foreseeable future, league sources said.

Mirotic, 26, is in his fourth NBA season and was expected to be the Bulls' starting power forward this season. A sharpshooter at 6-foot-10, Mirotic signed a two-year, $27 million contract to return to Chicago in free agency before the season.

Portis, 22, was the Bulls' 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

WTF Portis

 

[Nomadic Sparks]

WTF
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/920417917400944641

WHOA SHIT


TRAINWRECK INCOMING

 

[darkside31337]

Holy shit the Bulls are already in full blown disaster mode and the season hasn't even started yet. Fucking crazy,

 

[Hyperactivity]

WTF
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/920417917400944641


More:
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-bu...ercation-teammate-bobby-portis-223615980.html


WTF Portis

Bulls and hospitalization should scare the shit out of any player.

I'll make the other joke too -> Next level tanking move by the Bulls.

 

[natjjohn]

Not dogging you at all but is anyone else just so supremely excited to stop reading about all these hypothetical situations on how these moves will play out and instead just start watching NBA and seeing how it all pans out ourselves.

Warriors, barring injury, will be NBA champs going away. No excitement

 

[johancruijff]

Bulls' season start with a bang

Mirotic hospitalized after an altercation with Portis

Edit = old

 

[manzoman96]

Way too many sixers fans/cultists in our fantasy league by the way.

Spoiler

You know you love it.

Spoiler

#TTP

 

[Hyperactivity]

To add to the intrigue

Bobby Portis doing all he can to start at power forward for Bulls

 

[RobertRaviolli]

I don't know what the fuck is going on anymore... Both Portis and Mirotic don't seem like the type of players who would go on and loose their temper like that. Jesuschrist what a shitshow

Edit.

To add to the intrigue

Bobby Portis doing all he can to start at power forward for Bulls

This is some fucking Game of Thrones/House of Cards shit. Wtf Portis???

 

[darkwing-buck]

Man, Portis really wants that starting spot.

 

[Umbooki]

I wouldn't mess with Bobby. He's got a serious case of the Kurt Thomas eyes...in addition to being a very large dude.

 

[Nomadic Sparks]

Over/Under on how long it takes for Derrick Rose's knee to fuck up again?

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

Portis ain't getting that starting spot. Lauri will.

 

[Milennia]

my boys are up first, please be kind to kyrie

and to start the season off fuck the warriors

 

[Bronx-Man]

Chicago turned into the Knicks so gradually, I hardly even noticed