The Swamp

Rex wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:15 pm Is Zion going to ruin the Pelicans’ chemistry?

He looks like he’s limping and slow.

Right? How can you watch a 19 year old run like that and say he’s good to go?

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 11:21 pm Right? How can you watch a 19 year old run like that and say he’s good to go?

He was never the smoothest of gait, but it looked different. However, I read an article that mentioned they were trying to change his mechanics, so maybe that's it.

I went to be around halftime so I didn't see the point explosion in the second half.

"Watch video of Willis Reed to see how a man your size should move around on the court."

Nice The Lead podcast today on Ja, tennbengal. Might be a good place for you to get caught up on this guy who's apparently doing really well in Memphis!

Zion has always walked a bit funny. He looked a bit slow (for him) and out of shape, but I'm not sure he was limping. I also stopped watching after he subbed out in the 2nd. I bet it will be a while before he hits 4 threes in a game again.

Shirley wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 2:39 pm Zion has always walked a bit funny. He looked a bit slow (for him) and out of shape, but I'm not sure he was limping. I also stopped watching after he subbed out in the 2nd. I bet it will be a while before he hits 4 threes in a game again.

Vernon and O'Conner talked about this on their latest pod on the Ringer - Vernon said that Zion walks just like his dad and it is his normal gait - and that normal gait looks like a limp but isn't.

THis seems inexplicable but Kawhi got his first ever triple double last night

Zion’s knee appears to be okay.

Guy is checking one of the best players in hoops and then helps from the 3 pt line to swat into the stands. Those are plays very few guys make.

Just plain amazing. He actually stays home on jokic and still gets there on the drive to the other side of the lane.

88 first half points for the Bucks and neither of the Antetokounmpos are playing.

I just can't get over the fact that it's Memphis (no offense) on a random Wednesday night, and the game is out of hand with less than a minute to go, and we're in the middle of New York City for pete's sake, and yet roughly 10-15K people are STILL sitting inside MSG to watch the 13-win Knicks. Until that changes, nothing will change.

I'm a little offended. Ja Morant is worth the price of admission anywhere.

As much as The Process disgusted me as a fan (and in even now, it still does), the Knicks really need to go full tank if they ever want to pull out of this millenium-long treadmill of garbage.

I'm not as versed on the NBA cap structure since it's considerably more fluid, but look at this shit:

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-york-knicks/cap/

Can anything but a full teardown get this team back on the right track? It's not like A-Level FAs would ever want to go there. Not that I'm complaining per se, it's fun watching the Toronto Maple Leafs of basketball fail.

I thought RJ Barrett had star potential, and maybe he does, but getting the #3 pick in last year’s draft has to sting for Knicks fans considering that Zion and Ja look awesome.

They also should have made amends with Porzingis rather than trading him away to clear cap space for Kyrie and Durant. I don’t think Porzingis is a franchise player but he can be a solid #2 option on a contending team.

Double post.

In a world where the Knicks have the number two pick...they may still have taken Barrett.

Grizzlies have now reached .500 at 24-24. That’s absolutely stunning to me on every level. Their season o/u was 26.5 - third worst mark on the board in Vegas. And it was reasonable. I’ve not had a team I follow seemingly hit on the many picks at one time ever. Morant, JJJ, Dillon brooks and Brandon Clarke is an apparently crazy good series of hits in the draft over the last few years. Add in the trade for Melton and the core at 24 and under is ridiculous in such a short time.

Joe K wrote: ↑Thu Jan 30, 2020 11:13 amThey also should have made amends with Porzingis rather than trading him away to clear cap space for Kyrie and Durant. I don’t think Porzingis is a franchise player but he can be a solid #2 option on a contending team.

Between the physical uncertainty, the bad relationship and the ability to dump off some bad contracts, I think the teardown/restart was the right call. They just whiffed in free agency.

L-Jam3 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 30, 2020 10:29 am As much as The Process disgusted me as a fan (and in even now, it still does), the Knicks really need to go full tank if they ever want to pull out of this millenium-long treadmill of garbage.

The company line for the longest time has been that their fan base won't put up with a full teardown like that. Of course, they've getting the won-loss result for about the last 15 years without the future hopes part of "The Process".

Given the attention paid to college basketball, wouldn't the NBA be the easiest sport to live through a tear down? A bad roster cycling through former lottery picks and recent name college players could hold interest, atleast a lot easier than the mediocrities of all other sports.

Did Kyrie Irving just have the best shooting game ever?

Rex wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 9:47 pm Did Kyrie Irving just have the best shooting game ever?

Shit. I dunno but is that true shooting percentage over 100? Dang.

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:02 pm

Rex wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 9:47 pm Did Kyrie Irving just have the best shooting game ever?

Shit. I dunno but is that true shooting percentage over 100? Dang.

Among players who have dropped 50 with more than five 3s, the best ever shooting game appears to be either Kyrie tonight or, you guessed it ........ Dana Barros.

He actually missed some shots at the end too. It really looks like that Barros game is the closest comp.

Rex wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:47 pm He actually missed some shots at the end too. It really looks like that Barros game is the closest comp.

Barros' Sixers somehow lost that game by 29 points (it was against the 1995 Rockets but still, how?). So Kyrie's performance last night is probably the best high-volume shooting game ever in a win.

Dame Lillard maybe just had the best 2 week stretch of offensive basketball in the history of the sport. Over the last 6 games he’s averaged 49 points and 10 assists per game while taking and making a ton of 3s and a lot of FTs.
I know he’s the first guy ever to average 45/10 over a 6 game stretch and also set the record for most 3s in a 6 game stretch. I’d also be surprised if anyone, on any level of competitive basketball, has taken 12+ 3s in 6 straight games and made at least 50% of them every time.

Right now I'm pretty happy that Ainge held on to Brown and Tatum

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 9:33 am Right now I'm pretty happy that Ainge held on to Brown and Tatum

I was pretty skeptical of the “Kyrie is the root of all their problems” theories but the evidence keeps accumulating in that direction. He should’ve just retired after the 2016 or 2017 finals to go search for the edge of the flat earth. He’d still be a legend due to his performances in Games 5 and 7 in 2016.

Joe K wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 9:42 am

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 9:33 am Right now I'm pretty happy that Ainge held on to Brown and Tatum

I was pretty skeptical of the “Kyrie is the root of all their problems” theories but the evidence keeps accumulating in that direction. He should’ve just retired after the 2016 or 2017 finals to go search for the edge of the flat earth. He’d still be a legend due to his performances in Games 5 and 7 in 2016.

It's not helping Kyrie that Kemba came in with the exact opposite personality.

Definitely. It's not that they're that great now but the trajectory of both is pretty clear. And kemba over horford is going to work out well. Just couldn't have worked out any better other than the Memphis pick. Maybe should have unloaded that but no way to tell. Theyre not there yet but the heavy living is done. They don't need anymore all stars or polished offensive players. Some grit and goons then buy a shooter off the bench but theyve got some of that on the bench and in Maine already. Kind of wonder if they can keep hayward if he opts out and he's kind of a cog but other than that and a max for Tatum, C's are set up nice for the next several years.

Can we talk about what the Rockets are up to? They just traded their best big man, who is 25 years old and not especially expensive, because apparently they are finished with playing guys taller than 6’6”. What does this mean? What if it works?

The Knicks will sign all the excess bigs?

They kept hitting their heads on the ceiling and Bregman got antsy

Over the last 3 games, the Rockets have given 0, 0, and 3 total minutes to people taller than 6’6”. I thought I saw somewhere that this had not happened in any game since the 1960s. Covington is 6’7” but that doesn’t really change the point. How far will they take this? I don’t think, for instance, that you can stay within 25 points of the Bucks with that lineup.

Isn't the average height in the NBA over 6'6"?

You’re thinking of Florida State

Them too

Pomeroy keeps track of average height and there are 38 college teams at 6’6” or taller, including Kansas, Duke, Gonzaga and of course FSU.

Rex wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:35 pm Over the last 3 games, the Rockets have given 0, 0, and 3 total minutes to people taller than 6’6”. I thought I saw somewhere that this had not happened in any game since the 1960s. Covington is 6’7” but that doesn’t really change the point. How far will they take this? I don’t think, for instance, that you can stay within 25 points of the Bucks with that lineup.

It's certainly a bold gambit in a conference where Anthony Davis, Jokic, Gobert, Stephen Adams and Porzingis will all be on playoff teams this year.

Raptors are on fire!