2024-25 NBA Thread

[JWags85]

I hate watching the Celtics and I'm not afraid to admit it.

They have an insane amount of talent so they still score and win, but only half the time is it beautiful efficient offense.  The other half is bizarre Tatum isos for 20 seconds that are solely based on him hitting a tough jumper and then Mazulla's version of the 4 corners to kill clock which is excruciating.  I don't have the stats but I'd be shocked if any good team in recent memory has more games where they score 80-90+ through 3 and then score 20ish or less points in the 4th  as they play anti-basketball

[MuggsyB]

I hate watching the Celtics and I'm not afraid to admit it.

They have an insane amount of talent so they still score and win, but only half the time is it beautiful efficient offense.  The other half is bizarre Tatum isos for 20 seconds that are solely based on him hitting a tough jumper and then Mazulla's version of the 4 corners to kill clock which is excruciating.  I don't have the stats but I'd be shocked if any good team in recent memory has more games where they score 80-90+ through 3 and then score 20ish or less points in the 4th  as they play anti-basketball

I'd like to see them punked JWags.  That said, I don't see it until the Finals. 

[wadesworld]

I hate the Celtics, hate Tatum and Horford, but I'm happy for Jrue. Bucks are getting what they deserve, and if Giannis stays beyond this offseason he's loyal to a fault. Horst has run this roster into the ground. Old, slow, unathletic, no money to spend, and no pieces to trade. It's Giannis against everyone. Could not blame him one bit if he wants out, and will hope he has huge success wherever he winds up if he does ask out.

[cheebs09]

I appreciate Jrue and all he did for the Bucks, but I don't think the Bucks are any better with him rather than Dame. Jrue was not good in the playoffs his last year with us and I don't think he's been much better with Boston.

Bucks got killed with some bad luck playoff injuries. Also, Middleton breaking down made things tough. Horst not being able to draft a contributor has also really hurt.

I do wonder if you have to start thinking of trading Giannis. I can't see his game aging gracefully.

[wadesworld]

I appreciate Jrue and all he did for the Bucks, but I don't think the Bucks are any better with him rather than Dame. Jrue was not good in the playoffs his last year with us and I don't think he's been much better with Boston.

Bucks got killed with some bad luck playoff injuries. Also, Middleton breaking down made things tough. Horst not being able to draft a contributor has also really hurt.

I do wonder if you have to start thinking of trading Giannis. I can't see his game aging gracefully.

Jrue was incredible when he could be the third option. Khris being hurt threw everything off. I have very little doubt that the year the Bucks won the title the Nets were the best team, and the year after that the Bucks were the best team but Khris's injury ended the defense of the title.

The Bucks haven't been able to find a single perimeter defender who can contain even a mediocre perimeter player since trading Jrue. The Bucks were a significantly better team Jrue's 3 years in Milwaukee than they have been the 2 years since. He just fits better. Shuts the water off on an opponents' best perimeter player (other than Jimmy in round 1 two years ago...that matchup should always be Giannis but Bud wouldn't do that for some reason). Dame and Giannis both need the ball. Jrue doesn't. Dame makes no positive impacts on the game when he's not dominating the ball, which takes the ball away from the second most efficient player in the NBA. Jrue's been just a guy in Boston offensively because that roster is stacked.

[MU82]

Every coach in the NBA would love to have Jrue. He was the absolutely perfect get for Boston.

I will never root for the Celtics, but Jrue is easy to like.

[MuggsyB]

This Dubs/Rockets series is the most interesting to me.  Houston can really defend and is a much bigger and stronger team.  But Curry of course is Curry.  What's the verdict? 

[MuggsyB]

Every coach in the NBA would love to have Jrue. He was the absolutely perfect get for Boston.

I will never root for the Celtics, but Jrue is easy to like.

quote author=MU82 link=msg=1741611 date=1745196759]
Every coach in the NBA would love to have Jrue. He was the absolutely perfect get for Boston.

I will never root for the Celtics, but Jrue is easy to like.
[/quote]

Jrue has to be a Hall of Famer if Draymond Green is one. 

[The Sultan]

Jrue has to be a Hall of Famer if Draymond Green is one. 

lol. No.

[MuggsyB]

lol. No.

So Green is but Holiday isn't?  That's ludicrous. 

[MuggsyB]

That was a terrible foul call on Sengun.  I'm not sure why Udoka didn't challenge it. 

[JWags85]

So Green is but Holiday isn't?  That's ludicrous. 

Draymond laps him in every award category.

Draymond: 4 rings, 4 AS, 1 All NBA 2nd Team, 1 All NBA Third Team, DPOY, 4 First Team All Defense, 4 Second Team All Defense

Jrue: 2 rings, 2 AS, 3 First Team All Defense, 3 Second Team All Defense

I really like Jrue and was thrilled when he became a Buck and definitely think he was one of the more underrated players in the league when he was in NOLA.  But don't let the tantrums and the sideshow of the last few years distract from how incredible of a player Draymond was in the mid 2010s and how he was a pivotal 3rd cog to the best NBA dynasty run since the 90s Bulls.  Hell, he was in the MVP discussion, nearly top 5, in 2016 and he wasn't even averaging 15 points a game.

[BM1090]

So Green is but Holiday isn't?  That's ludicrous. 

Draymond has a 75% chance. Jrue has a 1-2% chance. Their cases aren't even on the same planet.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html

[MuggsyB]

Draymond laps him in every award category.

Draymond: 4 rings, 4 AS, 1 All NBA 2nd Team, 1 All NBA Third Team, DPOY, 4 First Team All Defense, 4 Second Team All Defense

Jrue: 2 rings, 2 AS, 3 First Team All Defense, 3 Second Team All Defense

I really like Jrue and was thrilled when he became a Buck and definitely think he was one of the more underrated players in the league when he was in NOLA.  But don't let the tantrums and the sideshow of the last few years distract from how incredible of a player Draymond was in the mid 2010s and how he was a pivotal 3rd cog to the best NBA dynasty run since the 90s Bulls.  Hell, he was in the MVP discussion, nearly top 5, in 2016 and he wasn't even averaging 15 points a game.

He'd have zero rings without Curry. 

Statistically Holiday is way better offensively and he's been a stalwart defender. 

[MuggsyB]

Houston's offense other than Sengun is ugly. 

[BM1090]

He'd have zero rings without Curry. 

Statistically Holiday is way better offensively and he's been a stalwart defender. 

Jrue would have zero rings without Giannis/Khris and JT/JB.

Klay had some huge games, but Draymond was the 2nd best player on those 2015 and 2022 title teams.

Jrue is awesome. He's a great player and he's loved pretty much everywhere he goes. He doesn't really have a hall of fame case.

And I know it seems like Draymond is old as hell because he's been in the spotlight so long, but he's the same age as Jrue.

[MuggsyB]

Jrue would have zero rings without Giannis/Khris and JT/JB.

Klay had some huge games, but Draymond was the 2nd best player on those 2015 and 2022 title teams.

Jrue is awesome. He's a great player and he's loved pretty much everywhere he goes. He doesn't really have a hall of fame case.

And I know it seems like Draymond is old as hell because he's been in the spotlight so long, but he's the same age as Jrue.

It's not a parallel argument.  Green is a great defender, but he's always played on a great team.  And in that system.  He's also played with the best offensive player by far during his tenure.  Stats don't even come close to measuring Curry's impact.  Dray's assists are skewed tremendously because of Curry.    Green is a superb defender but if he played on a different team, and a different system, he wouldn't sniff the Hall of Fame.

[Skatastrophy]

Jimmy Butler sure is good at basketball.

[MuggsyB]

Jimmy Butler sure is good at basketball.

He's had an excellent game.  You can't speed him up. 

[MuggsyB]

Lwt me ask you this:  Do you think Draymond has been a better player than Jimmy Butler for his career? 

[MuggsyB]

Omg!  Did you see that shot from Steph?

[MuggsyB]

We're truly privileged to watch Curry ball.  He's one of one. 

[BM1090]

It's not a parallel argument.  Green is a great defender, but he's always played on a great team.  And in that system.  He's also played with the best offensive player by far during his tenure.  Stats don't even come close to measuring Curry's impact.  Dray's assists are skewed tremendously because of Curry.    Green is a superb defender but if he played on a different team, and a different system, he wouldn't sniff the Hall of Fame.

I agree with you all day on Curry. Could not disagree more on Green.

[MuggsyB]

No idea why Udoka doesn't have Sengun on the floor. 

[Jockey]

Lwt me ask you this:  Do you think Draymond has been a better player than Jimmy Butler for his career? 

Yes. And that is a big, big compliment because Jimmy will be in the HoF. You need to realize that there is more to offense than scoring.