2020-2021 AROUND the NBA: Archived

[Mapka]

I agree with a lot of what you point out here.   I think sometimes the science of the analytics eclipses the art.   This has happened to baseball, where the most efficient way to win baseball games (lots of pitching changes, large defensive shifts, very little tactical baserunning) is also a very unappealing entertaining product at an aethetic level.    Like are we ever going to see a signature move around a mid range 2 point shot like Dirk's 1 legged fall away  or Hakeem's Dream Shake, or are the modern versions of young Dirk and Hakeem going to be coached out of developing those moves to just focus on 3 point shooting and rim diving?   

I think as far as keeping players from just creating mercenary super star teams in the NY/LA markets the league is just going to have to change up the incentive structures and allow small market teams to overpay to retain their homegrown talent without it being punitive on the cap.    Like if you are Minnesota and you  draft and develop Andrew Wiggins and have to offer him a max extension at the first available moment to make him happy and keep him in the franchise it shouldn't just absolutely kill you against the cap if he never reaches the next level.   Small market teams now have no path other than to try to load up on multiple high draft picks and try to "grow their own food", but a lot of times these home grown talents are punitive from a salary cap standpoint by the time they get to their 2nd or 3rd contracts.

Or we make teams pay for endless loosing streaks by  worsening their lottery chances for recent lottery odds.

Like if you have been in the top5 lottery odds 2 times in the last 4 years you can't get better than the odds for the 20th place in the league.
And your odds go to the over the cap but under the tax teams.

Look what the play-ins has done to the middling teams. If we can stop the cellar-dwellers from loosing on purpose this will even out.

[MFFL]

Strongly agree. However the NBA tends to promote their "star" teams more, which obviously even works on players looking for a home. Even the merch commercials during the game either start or end with LA or NY teams. As a result, there is as much (more?) interest in the "star" teams as there is in your local regional team.

How is a Luka jersey not featured on that merch commercial?

Luka is among the top jerseys sold yet ORLANDO is featured and not us

[Mavs2021]

League really needs to fix the buyout market. Griffin and Aldridge looked ready to retire just a few month (in Aldridges case weeks) ago. Look like legit starters for the Nets. Turns out that they just played with zero effort. Easier to get a buyout if you look like one of the worst players in the league.

Griffin averages 9/4/2 in 19 minutes. 66% FG, 55% from 3.
Aldridge dropped 11/9/6 2stls, 1blk in his first game for the Nets. Started and played 30 minutes.

All of a sudden Griffin can dunk again and Aldridge rebounds + protects the rim. I guess it is a easter miracle...

Yeah it´s hard to find elite players that are also quality professionals/humans/leaders. It´s obvious Blake is human trash ever since all the incidents on the Clippers with the staff members. LMA got ousted by the Blazers and Spurs, two model franchises. Aldridge CHOSE the Spurs, DeRozan was TRADED there. One elevated his game and carries a young roster to a potential top 8 seeding, while the other just went home.


DeRozan´s leadership qualities and game-fit are the reason, I´d make him our #1 FA target, if they are not aiming for the get younger RFA direction of Collins/Markkanen/Ball/Monk with the potential growth.

So I´m not surprised at all these two specifically are re-juvenated. A little more by Blake than Aldridge. I guess cause he sulked longer.

[dynamicalVoid]

Aaron Gordon looked great last night.  

I get this team wants shooters...but his size and the defense he showed last night seem hard to find.   I dont watch Collins...but when I do he never jumps off the screen at me.   I get that Gordon is inconsistent at shooting and Collins can shoot the 3 and score around the basket...but can he play defense like Gordon?  Maybe he blocks shots here and there.

I'll give Collins the benefit of not liking his situation supposedly.   Last time I watched a Hawks game(like a week ago) against a good opponent...Collins seemed uninterested.   Young wasnt giving him touches on offense which I am sure can make you not play as hard.  

I guess what I am getting at is Gordon, with his shooting flaws, seems like a serious defender.  Can guard 1-5.  Also...he was cutting and backdoor slashing last night and Jokic was finding him.  Im sure Luka could lob to him or find him cutting.  I know this team wants shooters...but that size and defense.   Collins just never jumps off the screen at me.   Im sure advanced stats love the guy...he is probably efficient offensively and blocks shots here and there.   Maybe its Collins situation and when he gets to a team he likes he turns it up.   
Im just meh on Collins for some reason and dont want another Powell situation.  I guess I need to watch him more.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Gordon was a great pickup for Denver. Paired with a stud like MPJ, and the Joker,  they have one of the best frontcourts in the league now. I expect them to possibly make a move up the standings.

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

And a starter's worst.....-8.

I cant tell if this is a bit or not.

[Kammrath]

I cant tell if this is a bit or not.

It's not a bit. JJ was an abysmal -7.1 over the course of 504 minutes played with the Mavs. Most games he played in he was the worst or close to the worst in on/off +/-. There is a reason that RC was eventually forced to take him completely out of the rotation.

[HAguiar95]

It's not a bit. JJ was an abysmal -7.1 over the course of 504 minutes played with the Mavs. Most games he played in he was the worst or close to the worst in on/off +/-. There is a reason that RC was eventually forced to take him completely out of the rotation.

Really don't like the +/- on/off stat as a metric alone. The LEBRON metric used by bball index actually reflects our team pretty well.

Doncic: 4.3
Porzingis: 2.0
Boban: 0.6
Brunson: 0.1
DFS: -0.2
Kleber: -0.2
Johnson: -0.3
WCS: -0.5
DP: -0.7
Richardson: -0.7
THJ: -1.1
Green: -1.3
Burke: -1.8
Iwundu: -2.3

[cow]

Really don't like the +/- on/off stat as a metric alone. The LEBRON metric used by bball index actually reflects our team pretty well.

Doncic: 4.3
Porzingis: 2.0
Boban: 0.6
Brunson: 0.1
DFS: -0.2
Kleber: -0.2
Johnson: -0.3
WCS: -0.5
DP: -0.7
Richardson: -0.7
THJ: -1.1
Green: -1.3
Burke: -1.8
Iwundu: -2.3

Boban's place on the list gave ma  double take.  Otherwise, I mostly agree with the order though I'd quibble with DFS = Maxi and THJ so far down the list makes me ponder.

[cow]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3118...ources-say

[omahen]

Go Sacramento and Milwaukee. Great opportunity for Mavs to come a bit closer to that 6th spot. I just hope they don't forfeit the game against Washington tomorrow.

[omahen]

This will be a nice pick up for Portland defense

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...9839549443

[SleepingHero]

This will be a nice pick up for Portland defense

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...9839549443

I threw his name out there after the TDL. He can't score that well but he can certainly defend. That is what POR needs.

Its funny, I do find this move mirrors the move the Mavs made last year picking up MKG. Both were glass cannon offensive teams that needed a long defensive forward. Both guys were essentially out of the league the majority of the year. Both have a 3 letter acronym.

[khaled1987]

https://twitter.com/spacejammovie/status...0940870658

[FunkBoreland]

Im calling it, 2034 Luka in Space Jam.

[omahen]

Im calling it, 2034 Luka in Space Jam.

Space Jam Stepback

[Hypermav]

James Johnson and Wes Iwundu played 29 and 28 minutes for the Pelicans.  JJ had 16 4 6 and was 3/4 from 3.  Wes was 10 1 2 and missed all his 3pt shots.  I wonder if Pelican fans think the Mavs lost the trade.

[Chicagojk]

James Johnson and Wes Iwundu played 29 and 28 minutes for the Pelicans.  JJ had 16 4 6 and was 3/4 from 3.  Wes was 10 1 2 and missed all his 3pt shots.  I wonder if Pelican fans think the Mavs lost the trade.

Looking at the Pelicans reddit page, the answer is yes.   It has been a disappointing and frustrating year for the Pelicans.   I doubt Johnson is back next year there, but maybe Iwundu finds footing there.  Iwundu had some fans in the NBA this offseason.  He just didn't fit here, but maybe he finds a home in NO.  

Melli and Reddick did not have a future there, so at least they can hope they have found a cheap rotation piece.

[Mavs2021]

Bulls are now 23rd in the league standings with a 19-28 record, two wins ahead of the Wizards, Magic and Cavs.

Six more games against the Nets + Bucks + Sixers, probably going 1-5. That´s 20-33.

Just to get to 0.500 (8th seed territory), they´d have to finish the season 16-3, while playing direct competitors like...

Miami 2x
Toronto 2x
Charlotte 2x
Boston 2x
Atlanta 2x

That´s the winning team Zach Lavine is not leaving?

[Tyler]

Cross one more FA target off the list.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...0816188420