The Swamp

Look on the bright side...

They can cancel the next 5 weeks and can start the playoffs on time - every player will be fresh and the series should be dynamite.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 8:37 am Look on the bright side...

They can cancel the next 5 weeks and can start the playoffs on time - every player will be fresh and the series should be dynamite.

(Especially with the VGK in first place in the Pacific, this is what I'm hoping the NHL does.)

Is LaMelo Ball really expected to be a top 5 pick in the draft. That's shocking. I know those scouts do their homework but I thought Lonzo was supposed to be the only top level brother. If so, you've got to give Lamar some credit. Not only has he developed stars but he's found a legit alternative path also.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:02 pmIs LaMelo Ball really expected to be a top 5 pick in the draft. That's shocking. I know those scouts do their homework but I thought Lonzo was supposed to be the only top level brother. If so, you've got to give Lamar some credit. Not only has he developed stars but he's found a legit alternative path also.

Yes, he is. Very good chance he goes at #1 overall. Liangelo, the middle one, is the one who is not good.

That said, I don't know that dragging your kid to Europe and Australia to play very low level professional hoops as a teenager is that legit.

Lamelo just bought the team he played for in Australia.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Apr 02, 2020 3:12 pm Lamelo just bought the team he played for in Australia.

So, very legit. I stand corrected.

I've been filling some of the live sports void by watching full game replays of older sports and its pretty fascinating (at least to me) how different the NBA game was in the not-so-distant past. I watched a bunch of an 1985 NBA Finals game last night, and it was striking how the 3 point shot and hard drives to the hoop, which are the staples of modern offense, were basically nonexistent then. It was all post-ups and mid-range jumpers. I can see how Jordan became a megastar so quickly because the types of athletic drives he made commonplace were not a part of the game before him at all.


Also, this is blasphemy I know, but the (a) style of play was decidedly not better in the Lakers-Celtics era than it is today, (b) I'm genuinely skeptical that anyone from back then (except Jordan) could play today.

Not really season-related, but who you got?



I'll go with Jordan/Bird/Stockton/Ewing/Rodman.

For J-Lo: pick a team from '80s stars in a sport you don't care about. Happy Birthday!

Jordan
Olajuwon
Payton
Stockton
Rodman (if we're playing back then)
Miller (if we're playing now)

One from each: Magic, Hakeem, Barkley, Payton, Miller

Stockton, Miller, Pippen, Mailman, Shaq. $14

I'm going with depth and a full court press to wear out your 5 player teams: Wilkens, Miller, Hardaway, Rodman, Stockton, Ewing, Drexler, Payton, Moses Malone. Moses Malone is one of those players who I remember being awesome, but I'm not sure if he really was or if it's a childhood memory thing.

Does anyone else feel the easiest way to do those things (and there have been more than enough in the last month) is to start with the cheap guys and take advantage of the market inefficiencies (shitty prices/evaluations)?

duff wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:38 am Stockton, Miller, Pippen, Mailman, Shaq. $14

Swap the Mailman for MJ and this is my answer.

I don't get Shaq over Olajuwon.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:45 pm I don't get Shaq over Olajuwon.

Olajuwon was more skilled but Prime Shaq could foul out his opponents' entire frontline.

The one Giff posted is basically "whythebullsdominatedthe90s.jpg"

Watching Shaq really makes me wish the NBA would abolish the 3pt line. It's like the entire game is based around exploiting a scoring loophole. Game would be so much better if threes were worth 2.6 pts.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 3:39 pm Watching Shaq really makes me wish the NBA would abolish the 3pt line. It's like the entire game is based around exploiting a scoring loophole. Game would be so much better if threes were worth 2.6 pts.

Counterpoint: It’s no fun watching most of the guys clear out for one guy to go one-on-one, and inevitably get fouls and shoot free throws. That’s boring basketball.

Teams wouldn't do it because it's not the best way to win. Removing the three has nothing to do with iso play. If anything it would clog the lane up.

Compromise, get rid of the short corner 3.

Maybe. I like the concept of forcing defenses to stretch in all directions to open lanes for different actions but I don't like offenses not only settling but actively seeking low percentage (if not inefficient) shots.

I don't know if this is too radical, but: move the 3 line back a bit, but widen the court so the arc can have the same proportions?

Johnny Carwash wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 4:49 pm I don't know if this is too radical, but: move the 3 line back a bit, but widen the court so the arc can have the same proportions?

I think if the court were widened a bit and the 3-point line were 23’9” everywhere (the distance it currently is at the top of the arc), it would be enough of a change to affect strategy. A lot of the more analytics based teams distinguish between 3s taken “below the break” from the shorter 22’ distance (which almost everyone has the green light to take), and 3s taken “above their break” from 23’9” (which only the better shooters take often).

ETA: I just looked it up and League-wide for 2019-20 the average shooting % on 2s is almost exactly 1.5x better than the average shooting % on 3s. Which suggests the very high volume of 3s teams currently take is analytically “correct.” So to reduce the number of 3s the game either needs to be officiated differently or the line moved back.

Yeah. Not too radical. Probably overdue. At least on the wings.

Twitter has christened her "Karen Durant."

Lefty finish pretty solid.

Bump

Giff wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:24 amBump

Before the shutdown it seemed like the Bucks and the two LA teams had separated themselves from the rest of the league and it was hard to imagine anyone else winning the title. But who knows how the four month break and absence of homecourt advantage for the playoffs will affect things. Supposedly Harden and Jokic are skinny now. And the 8/9 play-in idea seems specifically designed to get a Zion v. Ja matchup, which is cool with me.

Yeah, I was thinking it's great that Harden gets the time off, but his frame also helped him take the beatings he takes all year.
I think I'm more excited about the 4-week off-season.

I saw someone point out on twitter that the plan to resume the season has them sending the teams to Florida in the middle of what is traditionally hurricane season. So... yeah.

Very important hotels in Central Florida are pretty safe

While it's about a podcast, I feel it makes a lot more sense here.

The last few weeks, the "local hour" of the Dan LeBatard Show on Wednesdays has been Mike Ryan talking with Amin Elhassan about the latter's time in the front office with the Suns during the D'Antoni/Nash era. I'm a big fan of Elhassan and really enjoyed the Suns of that time, but it's been very fascinating listening to him talk about the front office machinations, coaching decisions, etc. of the team during that time. Last few weeks have discussed D'Antoni leaving, Sarver meddling in draft picks and other things, the team signing Shaq, Steve Kerr fucking up as a young GM, and so on.

The first episode (May 20) is about how Amin eventually got hired by the Suns, but the three since then have just been about the Suns during that time. Those last three episodes are under two hours total.

That's wild. Looks like porzingis

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:55 pm That's wild. Looks like porzingis

Agree. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad thing for him. Sometimes an athlete isn’t in peak condition. See Barkley, Charles.

Of course he was just a tremendous athlete that was able to play at that weight and his legs on the second jump were otherworldly. Zion is his closest avatar I suppose.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:55 pm That's wild. Looks like porzingis

My reaction too. Or even Andre Kirilenko. And it seems like everyone else's too.

Honestly wondering if he's too skinny now and will just get pushed around.

Johnny Carwash wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:31 pm

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:55 pm That's wild. Looks like porzingis

My reaction too. Or even Andre Kirilenko. And it seems like everyone else's too.

Honestly wondering if he's too skinny now and will just get pushed around.

Yup.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:21 pm

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:55 pm That's wild. Looks like porzingis

Agree. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad thing for him. Sometimes an athlete isn’t in peak condition. See Barkley, Charles.

Of course he was just a tremendous athlete that was able to play at that weight and his legs on the second jump were otherworldly. Zion is his closest avatar I suppose.

I don’t think the weight loss will hurt Jokic. The main strengths of his game are shooting touch and insane passing vision/skills, rather than brute power. If anything he could be a better defender if he can move laterally better now that he’s skinny.