Around The NBA : 2023-24 Season #2

[Wingy]

Teams should target Austin Reaves as a key acquisition and cog.

[step]

Teams should target Austin Reaves as a key acquisition and cog.

Lakers have locked him up until 2027 on basically a MLE type deal.

[Wingy]

Lakers have locked him up until 2027 on basically a MLE type deal.

That was sarcastic in nature.

[step]

Lakers have locked him up until 2027 on basically a MLE type deal.

That was sarcastic in nature.

Oh my bad, sarcasm meter broken. I was like, 9 points today, ooof. Okay, I must have missed something...

But then again, there are people on her wanting to dump Lavine in exchange for a Reaves package. So I wasn't exactly sure which side you were on.

[step]

https://theathletic.com/5433545/2024/04/22/nba-player-poll-2024-lebron-jordan-goat-celtics-nuggets-rudy-gobert-timberwolves/

The Athletic anonymous poll - which coach would you least like to play for:
Thibs - 46.8%
Doc Rivers - 9.1%

[dumbell78]

The 76ers, especially Embid and Nurse crying about the refs after that game is really really rich. Embid is on one leg and I commend him for gutting it out but leave that conversation alone. No one is giving you THAT excuse.

[kodo]

What's with these scores, 86-96? 101-99?
The 90s are back. And it's more entertaining when a team isn't winning by 40.

[Ice Man]

The 76ers, especially Embid and Nurse crying about the refs after that game is really really rich.

As when Lowry hit a Knick upside the head while knocking the ball away from him, and after review that was called no foul, incidental contact? Man, that was a gift to the Sixers, and at a critical part of the game, too.

[Muzbar]

If I can't have a good Bulls team, at least the Lakers are getting beat.

Thank you Jamal Murray.

[Ice Man]

This is how good Nikola Jokic is. Basketball-reference keeps a statistic called Game Score, which attempts to summarize how well a player performed in a single game. It measures what you would expect. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and efficient scoring are good, while turnovers and fouls are bad.

https://captaincalculator.com/sports/basketball/game-score-calculator/

A Game Score above 30 is a lot! In his legendary 2005 Finals, DWhistle had 2 games above 30. In the 2011 Finals against the Heat, Dirk had none. In his 2019 dominance of the Warriors, Kawhi had 1. So far in this playoffs Jokic has 2 Game Scores above 30 out of 2 games played, and people aren't much talking about him. He is expected night in and night out to play like a Hall of Famer who is at the very top of his game. Average for Jokic = the very best of ordinary Hall of Famers.

[sco]

Thibs hasn’t had a team with this much 3P firepower… ever? Hart and OG are 3D, Brunson/DiVinci/McBridge/Bojan knock-it-down with an inch.

Philly are still favorites IMO, so long Embiid suits up, and NYK isn’t going to shoot 46% on 35 3Ps again… but as far as the east goes, I’m rooting for our rival Knicks.

Couldn't let a Knick comment go uncommented.

Totally agree Philly looks hard to stop with a healthy Embiid. That dude is so skilled it's insane, but he's a 50/50 proposition to be healthy at the end of any year.

Watching this series has made me sad for our Bulls. Knicks have an unstoppable guy in Brunson and a rotation full of meaningful contributors, maybe the most 3-D guys in the league (Divicenzo, OG, McBride are all legit at both), Hart and Hartenstein are 2-way hustle guys and Robinson gives then elite rim protection and RB's. Where Philly has 2 unstoppable guys and 2 really good 3-D guys in Oubre and Batum, plus some really good vets in Lowry and Harris. We are so relatively devoid of talent.

What I take away from their rosters is just how easy it is to nab complementary players once you have elite talent (which we lack). I'll also note that you don't need to suck to find good picks. Maxey was pick 21 and Brunson was a 2nd rounder. And to be fair to AK, I think he is on the lookout for those type of guys - Ball, IMO, was on track to become very good...injuries suck.

[Ice Man]

What I take away from their rosters is just how easy it is to nab complementary players once you have elite talent (which we lack).

Very easy. In fact, I would say that the complementary players on the Bulls are better than what Philly has. I would rather have Caruso, Javonte, and Drum than any three players on Philly who are not named Joel or Maxey. The problem is, we don't have any guys like those two.

Contending is all about finding those 2 or 3 guys. That's why I don't really care much about Ayo, Pat, Coby. I mean, I like them as players and would be happy if they stayed Bulls. But they don't really matter for what the Bulls need to accomplish.

[Muzbar]

This is how good Nikola Jokic is. Basketball-reference keeps a statistic called Game Score, which attempts to summarize how well a player performed in a single game. It measures what you would expect. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and efficient scoring are good, while turnovers and fouls are bad.

https://captaincalculator.com/sports/basketball/game-score-calculator/

A Game Score above 30 is a lot! In his legendary 2005 Finals, DWhistle had 2 games above 30. In the 2011 Finals against the Heat, Dirk had none. In his 2019 dominance of the Warriors, Kawhi had 1. So far in this playoffs Jokic has 2 Game Scores above 30 out of 2 games played, and people aren't much talking about him. He is expected night in and night out to play like a Hall of Famer who is at the very top of his game. Average for Jokic = the very best of ordinary Hall of Famers.

Jokic is absolutely amazing. He's easily my favourite player in the league.

How could you not like him (I guess if you're a Laker fan, maybe).

[drosestruts]

Orlando's try hard style doesn't work as well in the playoff when everyone else is trying hard too. Banchero and Franz with pretty bad games.

Opting to start Isaac at center is... something. Jarrett Allen is just having his way with Orlando.

[DuckIII]

What's with these scores, 86-96? 101-99?
The 90s are back. And it's more entertaining when a team isn't winning by 40.

I’d have to research it to confirm, but I think even in the modern era scoring goes done markedly in the postseason when teams go all in on defense. Not gonna see that type of urgency in an 82 game regular season.

[MrSparkle]

Thibs hasn’t had a team with this much 3P firepower… ever? Hart and OG are 3D, Brunson/DiVinci/McBridge/Bojan knock-it-down with an inch.

Philly are still favorites IMO, so long Embiid suits up, and NYK isn’t going to shoot 46% on 35 3Ps again… but as far as the east goes, I’m rooting for our rival Knicks.

Couldn't let a Knick comment go uncommented.

Totally agree Philly looks hard to stop with a healthy Embiid. That dude is so skilled it's insane, but he's a 50/50 proposition to be healthy at the end of any year.

Watching this series has made me sad for our Bulls. Knicks have an unstoppable guy in Brunson and a rotation full of meaningful contributors, maybe the most 3-D guys in the league (Divicenzo, OG, McBride are all legit at both), Hart and Hartenstein are 2-way hustle guys and Robinson gives then elite rim protection and RB's. Where Philly has 2 unstoppable guys and 2 really good 3-D guys in Oubre and Batum, plus some really good vets in Lowry and Harris. We are so relatively devoid of talent.

What I take away from their rosters is just how easy it is to nab complementary players once you have elite talent (which we lack). I'll also note that you don't need to suck to find good picks. Maxey was pick 21 and Brunson was a 2nd rounder. And to be fair to AK, I think he is on the lookout for those type of guys - Ball, IMO, was on track to become very good...injuries suck.

In all fairness, Lonzo/Caruso/Demar/Zach were a great construct, and in a more favorable scenario, maybe we're the #2 seed today. Didn't pan out, especially because of 1 extreme injury.

The Vuc trade and AK's inability to pivot from him and his horrendous play (Hartenstein amongst the guys passed off for MLE chips) is the one move to rule them all, though.

[DuckIII]

Orlando's try hard style doesn't work as well in the playoff when everyone else is trying hard too. Banchero and Franz with pretty bad games.

Opting to start Isaac at center is... something. Jarrett Allen is just having his way with Orlando.

The team is talented and ascending, not a bunch of try-hards. It’s their first trip to the playoffs and their starters are aged 21, 22, 22, 26 and 29 and their first two guys off the bench are 23 and 24.

And they are playing a superior team. Extreme youth vs. veteran experience in the playoffs is a formula for failure the first time out. Was to be expected. But has absolutely nothing to do with their talent, which is considerable though not elite.

[Michael Jackson]

Thibs hasn’t had a team with this much 3P firepower… ever? Hart and OG are 3D, Brunson/DiVinci/McBridge/Bojan knock-it-down with an inch.

Philly are still favorites IMO, so long Embiid suits up, and NYK isn’t going to shoot 46% on 35 3Ps again… but as far as the east goes, I’m rooting for our rival Knicks.

Couldn't let a Knick comment go uncommented.

Totally agree Philly looks hard to stop with a healthy Embiid. That dude is so skilled it's insane, but he's a 50/50 proposition to be healthy at the end of any year.

Watching this series has made me sad for our Bulls. Knicks have an unstoppable guy in Brunson and a rotation full of meaningful contributors, maybe the most 3-D guys in the league (Divicenzo, OG, McBride are all legit at both), Hart and Hartenstein are 2-way hustle guys and Robinson gives then elite rim protection and RB's. Where Philly has 2 unstoppable guys and 2 really good 3-D guys in Oubre and Batum, plus some really good vets in Lowry and Harris. We are so relatively devoid of talent.

What I take away from their rosters is just how easy it is to nab complementary players once you have elite talent (which we lack). I'll also note that you don't need to suck to find good picks. Maxey was pick 21 and Brunson was a 2nd rounder. And to be fair to AK, I think he is on the lookout for those type of guys - Ball, IMO, was on track to become very good...injuries suck.

To that point.... New York has a solid team. Look at NOP... really solid guys. You need a real team as the stars are not always going to be there like Brunson last night. The problem with AK is he just builds poorly.

[Michael Jackson]

Orlando's try hard style doesn't work as well in the playoff when everyone else is trying hard too. Banchero and Franz with pretty bad games.

Opting to start Isaac at center is... something. Jarrett Allen is just having his way with Orlando.

That is true an they need some scoring. No one can shoot. I love Suggs heart though.

[MrSparkle]

Orlando's try hard style doesn't work as well in the playoff when everyone else is trying hard too. Banchero and Franz with pretty bad games.

Opting to start Isaac at center is... something. Jarrett Allen is just having his way with Orlando.

Well, Cavs are also back to full strength, after an injury riddled season. They're probably the true #2 seed in the East. Pretty loaded team with all bases covered, if we have to be honest (3P shooting, rim protection, perimeter defense, superstar clutch guard, playmaking, bench scoring, prime age/experience). I don't think Orlando stands a chance, with Mitchell/Garland/Allen/Mobley all ready to go.