NBA Thread 2020-21

[Jockey]

I hope he comes back soon.  I think him breaking up the locker room is the only way the Nets don't win the East.

He's always been a team first guy.

[Billy Hoyle]

Honestly, this is as close to a win win as you can get for almost everyone. 

Nets wanted Harden.

Rockets get Dipo, who really wanted out of Indy, a ton of picks, and Exum who is still only 25, is finally healthy and has tons of upside and can play under Wall and learn from him.

Pacers get a replacement for Dipo in Lavert who is a similar kind of player.  They showed last night what a tough team they have, and hopefully it improves chemistry.

And the Cavs, just for playing along, move a guard from a crowded backcourt and get a solid complimentary player in Prince and one of the best young big men in the league in Allen.

Besides Houston, the Pacers are the big winner here. They get an equivalent to Oladipo in LeVert who is cheaper and has two more years left on his deal after this year. 

Brooklyn trading bunch of unprotected picks. Shades of the KG/Pierce trade in 2013. How did that work out again, Brooklyn?

[The Big East]

One thing I don't understand about the NBA Covid protocal, when a team doesn't have 8 players why can't they call up someone like Vander  or Buycks  who are  staying in shape and ready to play? Seems like there would be plenty of guys like that out there.

[wadesworld]

Besides Houston, the Pacers are the big winner here. They get an equivalent to Oladipo in LeVert who is cheaper and has two more years left on his deal after this year. 

Brooklyn trading bunch of unprotected picks. Shades of the KG/Pierce trade in 2013. How did that work out again, Brooklyn?

Harden is in his prime. KG and Pierce were not. And these Nets were better before the trade than those Nets were. The Nets are totally stacked. Just up to whether Kyrie and Harden can coexist.

[reinko]

Harden is in his prime. KG and Pierce were not. And these Nets were better before the trade than those Nets were. The Nets are totally stacked. Just up to whether Kyrie and Harden can coexist.

Dude is a specimen (from last night).

[JWags85]

Dude is a specimen (from last night).

Harden is always hard to gauge fitness cause even at his peak fitness he's got that Paul Pierce/Chris Paul soft borderline pudge arm look going.  The jokes about him wearing a fat suit to force a trade were hilarious today tho

[SERocks]

Personally I  think this is the end of the Nets.  Between Harden's me me me, Durant's poutyness and Kyrie's bi-polarishness, that team is done.

[StillAWarrior]

Never.
He is who he is.

I think that when it's all said and done, winning a championship with Kyrie on the roster might prove to be LeBron's single greatest accomplishment.

[JWags85]

I think that when it's all said and done, winning a championship with Kyrie on the roster might prove to be LeBron's single greatest accomplishment.

Except they don't win that title without Kyrie being unreal. Beyond the sublime winning shot in Game 7, if he doesn't go supernova alongside Lebron in Game 5 and add 26 in Game 7, they don't it pull it off. Lebron fans love acting like he carried Kyrie or overcame him. But that was hardly the case, and he didn't get fully wacky until he left Cleveland.

As for the Lebron leadership angle, he and Kyrie clearly didn't get along and according to my friends in Cleveland close to the franchise, Channing Frye and Kevin Love were the ones who helped guide and get all they could out of Kyrie

[StillAWarrior]

Except they don't win that title without Kyrie being unreal. Beyond the sublime winning shot in Game 7, if he doesn't go supernova alongside Lebron in Game 5 and add 26 in Game 7, they don't it pull it off. Lebron fans love acting like he carried Kyrie or overcame him. But that was hardly the case, and he didn't get fully wacky until he left Cleveland.

As for the Lebron leadership angle, he and Kyrie clearly didn't get along and according to my friends in Cleveland close to the franchise, Channing Frye and Kevin Love were the ones who helped guide and get all they could out of Kyrie

Absolutely. I think Kyrie is an incredible player. I also think they would have won another title the year before if Kyrie hadn't gotten injured.

I was just making a joke about Kyrie's widely-discussed tendency to create some locker room challenges.

[SERocks]

Cleveland was one Draymond Greene suspension away from showing the same futility as the Buffalo Bills.

[BM1090]

Assuming full health for both rosters Cleveland probably wins in 14-15 and GS probably wins in 15-16.

[MU82]

Except they don't win that title without Kyrie being unreal. Beyond the sublime winning shot in Game 7, if he doesn't go supernova alongside Lebron in Game 5 and add 26 in Game 7, they don't it pull it off. Lebron fans love acting like he carried Kyrie or overcame him. But that was hardly the case, and he didn't get fully wacky until he left Cleveland.

As for the Lebron leadership angle, he and Kyrie clearly didn't get along and according to my friends in Cleveland close to the franchise, Channing Frye and Kevin Love were the ones who helped guide and get all they could out of Kyrie

This.

But Kyrie seems toxic now. It's gonna be interesting in Brooklyn.

[4everwarriors]

#34 is a joke at the free throw line. MVP, my ass, aina?

[MuggsyB]

#34 is a joke at the free throw line. MVP, my ass, aina?

1-10 is a problem.  It's strange because he shot over 70% early in his career.

[JWags85]

1-10 is a problem.  It's strange because he shot over 70% early in his career.

All his shooting percentages have trended upwards the last few years....except FT. It's bizarre indeed

[The Sultan]

#34 is a joke at the free throw line. MVP, my ass, aina?

What is it with you and Giannis? 

[4everwarriors]

Giannis' best basketball attributes are his height and length. He is a "freak of nature" because of the things he's capable of doing on the basketball floor, given those measurables. For all his "at the end of the day, its about getting better" rhetoric, I don't see it materializing. He's not a great shooter, nor a great passer. Yes, he's a great defender and rebounder. I don't see him exhibiting a high basketball IQ. Lock yourself in a gym each day and shoot 1000 free throws. You can just see it in his face that he has no confidence in free throw shooting, especially with the game on the line. He'll never win a championship as the alpha dog. Needs more talent surrounding him to take the pressure off his game. That's when he can excel.
I can't stand LBJ, on and off the court. But, from a pure basketball standpoint, even at age 36, he's the best overall basketball player on the planet, and its not even close, hey?

[The Sultan]

LBJ is a better player yes.

But I just don't think you can shoot yourself into a being a better shooter.  If you don't have the touch, you can only do so much.  Giannis is a very efficient player and one of the best defenders in the NBA.  And winning a championship isn't easy.  If he wins one, he will be the alpha dog on that team.  I mean, there are only a couple players in the league who are arguably better.

[HutchwasClutch]

FT are in his head now and a confidence  issue. He shot 72% or better 5 straight seasons, then fell to 63% last year and under 60% this year.  He's clearly capable of much better from the line because he's done it consistently, but it's snowballed and his confidence is shot.

It's a real problem for the Bucks to make a title run.  He's their best player obviously and will be there a ton how he plays. 

[MU82]

Giannis sucks. He'll never be any good. If he's gonna keep sucking, the Bucks should punish him by trading him to the Hornets for a second-round draft pick. That'll show him!

[JWags85]

Honestly, even though it's close, that was an ugly first half of basketball in Brooklyn. 6 made FGs in the last 5 min of the second. Gross

[PGsHeroes32]

Quite the big IF

But if Kyrie can at least semi screw his head on. Nets gonna be pretty unstoppable.

[forgetful]

Giannis' best basketball attributes are his height and length. He is a "freak of nature" because of the things he's capable of doing on the basketball floor, given those measurables. For all his "at the end of the day, its about getting better" rhetoric, I don't see it materializing. He's not a great shooter, nor a great passer. Yes, he's a great defender and rebounder. I don't see him exhibiting a high basketball IQ. Lock yourself in a gym each day and shoot 1000 free throws. You can just see it in his face that he has no confidence in free throw shooting, especially with the game on the line. He'll never win a championship as the alpha dog. Needs more talent surrounding him to take the pressure off his game. That's when he can excel.
I can't stand LBJ, on and off the court. But, from a pure basketball standpoint, even at age 36, he's the best overall basketball player on the planet, and its not even close, hey?

Giannis is a career 72% FT shooter. Lebron is a career 73% FT shooter.

Should the "best player on the planet and it's not even close" lock himself in the gym each day too?

[PGsHeroes32]

Giannis is a career 72% FT shooter. Lebron is a career 73% FT shooter.

Should the "best player on the planet and it's not even close" lock himself in the gym each day too?

Giannis free throw shooting in a small sample does appear to be badly plummeting and has I think been terrible throughout his playoff career.