KD to the Suns

[Saberestar]

Goosebumps

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[Fifii]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

[lilfishi22]

Goosebumps

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This sounds like a DA quote lol

Helps that KD has a whole career of dominating to warrant saying these things

[bwgood77]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

Probably not, in part due to Book, but also in part because the MVP #s are stacked. Look at the #s for Jokic. Then Kawhi and Shai are putting up amazing offensive #s but are also top tier defenders. Then you have Giannis putting up crazy #s. Luka is always lurking, but they'd have to go on a run and having Kyrie there might hurt them. I would rank them Jokic, Kawhi, Shai (a sliver behind Kawhi), Giannis, and then you could potentially argue a few players (Tatum, KD, Booker, Luka).

[lilfishi22]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

Probably not, in part due to Book, but also in part because the MVP #s are stacked. Look at the #s for Jokic. Then Kawhi and Shai are putting up amazing offensive #s but are also top tier defenders. Then you have Giannis putting up crazy #s. Luka is always lurking, but they'd have to go on a run and having Kyrie there might hurt them. I would rank them Jokic, Kawhi, Shai (a sliver behind Kawhi), Giannis, and then you could potentially argue a few players (Tatum, KD, Booker, Luka).

We have Book and KD in the top 10. That's an achievement in itself and a testament to the kind of players they are.

We should consider ourselves lucky

[Saberestar]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

Probably not, in part due to Book, but also in part because the MVP #s are stacked. Look at the #s for Jokic. Then Kawhi and Shai are putting up amazing offensive #s but are also top tier defenders. Then you have Giannis putting up crazy #s. Luka is always lurking, but they'd have to go on a run and having Kyrie there might hurt them. I would rank them Jokic, Kawhi, Shai (a sliver behind Kawhi), Giannis, and then you could potentially argue a few players (Tatum, KD, Booker, Luka).

By no means Shai is a top defender, he is OK at best and you know that Jalen Williams, Dort and Holgrem are there to cover him on defense.

Khawi WAS a top defender, one of the best perimeter defenders in the history of basketball IMO but this season he has been resting on defense in a ton of possessions and it makes sense because of his age/past injuries and to avoid his much needed load management. Can he defend better in the playoffs? Probably, we will see.

On the other hand KD has been defending the opposing best player numerous times and he is yet a great team defender, he always helps with his shot blocking ability.

[Saberestar]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

Yeah, I think he will be seen as an MVP candidate if we continue to win games.

With Embiid out of the race Jokic is the clear cut MVP IMO. After Jokic I would say Doncic and after him is open for an small group of players where I rank KD.

[sunsbg]

Very unlikely Suns finish in top 4 with hardest remaining schedule. Jokic and SGA are the clear MVP favorites based on individual play and team record.

[bwgood77]

Guys

Do you think that if we move up in table , he would make chance to win MVP ? Why he is missing in pools ? Now he plays on MVP level all RS

Probably not, in part due to Book, but also in part because the MVP #s are stacked. Look at the #s for Jokic. Then Kawhi and Shai are putting up amazing offensive #s but are also top tier defenders. Then you have Giannis putting up crazy #s. Luka is always lurking, but they'd have to go on a run and having Kyrie there might hurt them. I would rank them Jokic, Kawhi, Shai (a sliver behind Kawhi), Giannis, and then you could potentially argue a few players (Tatum, KD, Booker, Luka).

By no means Shai is a top defender, he is OK at best and you know that Jalen Williams, Dort and Holgrem are there to cover him on defense.

Khawi WAS a top defender, one of the best perimeter defenders in the history of basketball IMO but this season he has been resting on defense in a ton of possessions and it makes sense because of his age/past injuries and to avoid his much needed load management. Can he defend better in the playoffs? Probably, we will see.

On the other hand KD has been defending the opposing best player numerous times and he is yet a great team defender, he always helps with his shot blocking ability.

Well as far as Kawhi, Zach Lowe just wrote about how he is a great defender this year and not at his peak, but very close to back to his old self. Shai is averaging 2.2 steals a game and is universally thought of as a top tier defender, as is Giannis.

From Zach Lowe 5 days ago:

Do worry about Kawhi Leonard -- including his floater!

When players hit their mid-30s, it's fun to go back and watch games from early in their careers. Aging is gradual. You almost don't notice it until it becomes glaring.

But it leaps off the screen when you revisit games from 10 years ago: Chris Paul used to move like *that.*

If you want to watch maybe the scariest wing defender ever, dive down a rabbit hole of Leonard games from 2015 through 2017, when he won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and emerged as an MVP candidate. If Leonard was guarding an off-ball shooter during a pick-and-roll, the opposing ball handler had to rethink any pass toward Leonard's half of the floor: Is the roller safe? No. What about Kawhi's guy? Oh god, he's there too.

And if you were not an expert dribbler -- like a point-guard-level expert -- you could forget about even trying to dribble anywhere within a 15-foot radius of Leonard. He would just take the ball. Sometimes he didn't even need you to dribble. He'd literally just extend his massive arm and snatch the thing from your breadbasket. (Ask Ben McLemore. Real fans know.)

Leonard won't regain that level, but for the second straight season he's getting about as close as anyone could reasonably hope -- at least with games in the balance. He is accepting some of the toughest defensive assignments from the opening tip. In crunch time, he might shift assignments if the Clippers need to shut off someone's water. Against the Thunder last month, the Clippers moved Leonard onto Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the last few minutes -- and Leonard promptly swatted a Gilgeous-Alexander layup off the glass.

Leonard is averaging 0.9 blocks and 1.7 steals -- in line with his peak numbers. He's seventh in deflections per game and recorded a preposterous 10 -- one of the biggest numbers I can remember -- against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.


Leonard flies up from Jaylen Brown to snuff that Al Horford pick-and-pop 3; runs Horford off the arc; and veers back to intercept Horford's dump-off. The whole thing is almost casual -- a breeze!

On offense, Leonard has adapted more easily than anticipated to James Harden assuming point guard duties. He's averaging 24 points and is a few free throw makes away from his first 50/40/90 season.

Leonard seems to have embraced how easy things can be with Harden as the point guard. He's taking more catch-and-shoot 3s -- strolling into 12 or 15 points every game. With less heavy lifting to do on offense, Leonard can conserve more energy for his Sharktopus defense.

The Clippers mix in vintage Leonard midrange artistry. He runs a lot of offense when Harden rests, and the Clippers hunt mismatches for him even when all their stars are on the floor. They have moved Leonard off the ball more without making it feel like a demotion. That's good coaching, and a sign that L.A.'s stars understand the stakes and what it takes to achieve them.

When Leonard orchestrates, he's showing more comfort with a running floater:


Almost 40% of Leonard's attempts this season have come from floater range, easily the most of his career. (His rim volume is way down, but it hasn't mattered.) He's shooting 52% on those short 2s.


This a great player, still evolving.

The Clippers can do this thing.

[Saberestar]

Our Overall Shot Making metric looks at how well a player performs relative to their shot quality and Overall Shot quality quantifies how difficult a player's shot diet is

Players in the top left are making a lot of very tough shots

⬆️Shooting better with shot quality and volume taken into account

➡️Easier shots

↖️Consistanlty hitting tough shots

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[bwgood77]

Those headshot plots in the middle are pretty ridiculous. I wish they'd just give a list. I know you can find the lists on the website but may have to pay for it now.

[spanishninja]

Our Overall Shot Making metric looks at how well a player performs relative to their shot quality and Overall Shot quality quantifies how difficult a player's shot diet is

Players in the top left are making a lot of very tough shots

⬆️Shooting better with shot quality and volume taken into account

➡️Easier shots

↖️Consistanlty hitting tough shots

Read on Twitter

so we have a dude who is basically as good as Embiid and Steph at shot making, and ON TOP OF THAT we have another guy who is even better than the rest.

[Saberestar]

"I want to go up in that ring of honor one day."

Kevin Durant on playing for the Suns.

Read on Twitter

[Saberestar]

Good read

How Kevin Durant is reaching yet another level — with his defense

https://sports.yahoo.com/how-kevin-durant-is-reaching-yet-another-level--with-his-defense-142347599.html

[Saberestar]

Klutch performance from KD @ Denver.

35 points, 8 rebounds 5 assists and 2 blocks while scoring all of his last 4 shots to win the game in OT.

Losing 99-102 with just 27 seconds left he buried a 3-point shot in front of Aaron Gordon. He only could shoot that because of his ridiculous high point release.

In OT he scored 8 points and the Nuggets just 5.
At 35 and after playing over 40 minutes he was the better player over Jokic who was invisible in the OT. Beautiful to see it.

[Frank Lee]

You could argue the PHX MVP is Nurk. Look at how this team functions without him. We can find ways to make up for missing other guys, but take him out and we have little to no prayer. Christ, he brings the ball up on about half his rebounds, initiates the offense, and sets roadblock picks. 31 boards? Are you kidding me?

KD is the flash, Nurk is the substance

[Frank Lee]

Atta boy Sabes… come in with the frosting. Durants last 4 shots disguised the ****stain game he was having. Jocic hits that end of the game runner like he usually does, and the narrative is much different. It’s disturbing to see KD bungling his way through these games. I sure hope he isn’t approaching the same cliff CP slid down. Looking for more of a gradual decent. Would like to see his ISO chit cut in half, but old habits die hard, as he is still a difficult cover. But the Dude has to be top five in taking contested shots. In fact this team probably ranks up there when you add dueling ISO Book. No jinxing, but he also could lead the league in minutes for a 35 yr old. Which can’t be a good thing.

[Saberestar]

Atta boy Sabes… come in with the frosting. Durants last 4 shots disguised the ****stain game he was having. Jocic hits that end of the game runner like he usually does, and the narrative is much different. It’s disturbing to see KD bungling his way through these games. I sure hope he isn’t approaching the same cliff CP slid down. Looking for more of a gradual decent. Would like to see his ISO chit cut in half, but old habits die hard, as he is still a difficult cover. But the Dude has to be top five in taking contested shots. In fact this team probably ranks up there when you add dueling ISO Book. No jinxing, but he also could lead the league in minutes for a 35 yr old. Which can’t be a good thing.

Well, that's basketball. Results decide narrative.

In this one KD was clutch and we got the W. Jokic was invisible in the OT (even with Nurkic ejected).

Regarding his minutes...I think games played are more important than minutes per game. Do you think that playing 35 minutes in place of 37 minutes per game would change anything for KD's durability and health? I don't think so.

I would consider to rest him a full game here or there, that probably can provide some quality rest to his body. But if he feels great he needs to play on every game.

[sashaturiaf]

Honestly I'd like to rest KD for as many games as we can afford the rest of the way.

When's the last time KD played a full season? He's already looking tired and we aren't even close to postseason yet

[Calvin Klein]

In this one KD was clutch and we got the W. Jokic

[/quote]


Or you could say he was awful in the clutch (the whole 4th). JUSSSST hit that last 3 and then he had a second clutch opportunity which he took and was amazing.

It was a weird game.