Around the NBA V: Live and Let Die

[and1GS]

Wolves are at .500 just over half way into the season. Probably their best season in several.

Currently their 2022 FRP is #16, just outside the lottery.

Glad the 2021 pick conveyed, since that got the Warriors Kuminga.

Of course the 2022 pick could potentially have been #1 but those were low odds as it turns out.

I'm beyond thrilled that the pick conveyed and they ended up getting Kuminga. Pretty much a best case scenario!

Who knew we'd get a championship level starting 3 and Kuminga for a salary dump. Uh yes definitely best case!

[tarantism]

I'll be attending the Pistons/Nuggets game this Sunday. Do you guys think Jokic will sign my Smailagic jersey?

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[watch1958]

Sabonis has a bad ankle sprain. I guess Indy’s trade market potential has dried up some.

[FNQ]

Caruso out with a broken wrist, and it sucks to see.. so glad he left LA so I could become a fan, and watching his popularity skyrocket has been great, but CHI is just flat out cursed this year

[Coxy]

Caruso out with a broken wrist, and it sucks to see.. so glad he left LA so I could become a fan, and watching his popularity skyrocket has been great, but CHI is just flat out cursed this year

Huge fan of Caruso. His defence is all-NBA level.

[wco81]

That POS Grayson Allen went from tripping other players in college to pulling them down out of the air so that they land awkwardly on the floor.

[tarantism]

Went to the Nuggets/Pistons tonight. Sat surrounded by the Jokic brothers, they are quite intimidating but friendly mostly. The oldest didn't clap or smile once the whole game. I accidentally stepped on his shoe at one point and swiftly apologized. Glad he didn't eat me.

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[watch1958]

That POS Grayson Allen went from tripping other players in college to pulling them down out of the air so that they land awkwardly on the floor.

I wonder if he has second thoughts. That maybe he should have saved the flagrant, dangerous foul for someone more important. You know, KD, or Embid?

[B-King]

That POS Grayson Allen went from tripping other players in college to pulling them down out of the air so that they land awkwardly on the floor.

I wonder if he has second thoughts. That maybe he should have saved the flagrant, dangerous foul for someone more important. You know, KD, or Embid?

Allen has some anger management issues and the Bucks just enabled him. I hope after the next incident the NBA takes a harder stance. It will happen again.

[floppymoose]

Anyone else just laughing daily at LOL? Um, I mean LAL?

[tarantism]

Anyone else just laughing daily at LOL? Um, I mean LAL?

Yes except when I'm losing money because of them randomly winning.

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[Skybox]

That POS Grayson Allen went from tripping other players in college to pulling them down out of the air so that they land awkwardly on the floor.

I wonder if he has second thoughts. That maybe he should have saved the flagrant, dangerous foul for someone more important. You know, KD, or Embid?

Allen has some anger management issues and the Bucks just enabled him. I hope after the next incident the NBA takes a harder stance. It will happen again.

I don't disagree that Grayson's a straight-up villain but, for context, take a look at the hit that everyone's hero, Lebron James, put on Jalen Suggs last week. Talen Horton Tucker wrapped him up in the air, but LBJ clearly gave him a shove while completely vulnerable in the air. One of the hardest falls I've ever seen...but he got up. Lebron was, supposedly, a very good HS football player but he put a hit on a guy who could have been slinging it for Bama if he chose football. I never saw the highlight or heard any commentary on it - I'm assuming because he was unhurt, but take a look - it's gross.

[FNQ]

Gary Trent Jr with his 5th straight 30 pt game

[tarantism]

Am I the only one who thinks the new rising star format is kind of neat? I don't know if I'll watch the draft, but I'll be interested in the results and will probably watch the tournament.

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[Scoots1994]

Gary Trent Jr with his 5th straight 30 pt game

Meh. He needs to be more efficient. Did you think the Warriors had a good way to get him to join or is he just a player you pine for (if it's that I completely understand, I have players like that that I watch all over the NBA)?

[Scoots1994]

Am I the only one who thinks the new rising star format is kind of neat? I don't know if I'll watch the draft, but I'll be interested in the results and will probably watch the tournament.

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It's okay. I still think there should be a 3 on 3 tournament with 2 10 minute halves over 5 days where each team sends 5 players, and the winning team gets $6M to split between the players.

[watch1958]

Gary Trent Jr with his 5th straight 30 pt game

Meh. He needs to be more efficient. Did you think the Warriors had a good way to get him to join or is he just a player you pine for (if it's that I completely understand, I have players like that that I watch all over the NBA)?

Maybe he meant “instead of Jacob Evans”.

[Scoots1994]

Gary Trent Jr with his 5th straight 30 pt game

Meh. He needs to be more efficient. Did you think the Warriors had a good way to get him to join or is he just a player you pine for (if it's that I completely understand, I have players like that that I watch all over the NBA)?

Maybe he meant “instead of Jacob Evans”.

That I can definitely get behind But if we are re-doing that draft Trent would be about the 5th player I'd take that the Warriors didn't take. I think Mitchell Robinson would have a pretty big impact on this Warriors team and what happened over the last 3 years.

[FNQ]

Meh. He needs to be more efficient. Did you think the Warriors had a good way to get him to join or is he just a player you pine for (if it's that I completely understand, I have players like that that I watch all over the NBA)?

Maybe he meant “instead of Jacob Evans”.

That I can definitely get behind

That draft I was stumping for GTJ for quite some time. He was a perfect fit. Thought there's no way we would pass on him.. and we did. For a guy I trashed routinely in the draft process as someone who was a system fit in college and had no legit NBA skills to build off of.

And worst of all, there was a trade for the Blazers to get GTJ, and they didnt announce the team for a while. So naturally I thought we saw what he could be, and bought a 2nd. Nope. We just had to sit and stew in the Jacob Evans aftermath

I'm still irrationally angry about that night

[GSWFan1994]

Before last year's draft, I ranked the prospects in this order:

1. Edwards
2. Wiseman
3. Okongwu
4. Haliburton

... and got laughed out by some, specially our dear comrade Old_Fart_Blues.

So, how is Okongwu doing nowadays?

The Ringer's Jonathan Tjarks published today an article about him.

He's currently averaging:

9,7 points
6,2 rebounds
1,1 assists
2,2 stocks
72% FG (yes, that's not a typo)
72% FT
(no 3 pts attempted)

... on 23 mpg (per 36 of 15/10/2 + 3,3 stocks).

So, what's so attractive about these numbers?

By reading Tjarks' article, you see Okongwu's impact really shines on the defensive end:

Atlanta is +7,7 when Okongwu is on the floor.

Atlanta's defensive rating is 113,7 (#27 in the NBA) with him off the floor, compared to 105,8 (#4) with him on the floor.

Want more?

Here are some stats of players defended by Okongwu in recent games:

Giannis: 2/12 FG
Embiid: 5/14 FG
Towns: 2/8 FG
Bam: 2/6 FG

And he's not doing it only on the defensive end, too.

Okongwu's currently 2nd in the entire NBA in TS% (only players with >200 minutes qualified).

So, the post is getting long and I'm getting lazy too... if you want to read more about him, just check Tjarks' article.

It seem to me that Okongwu's recent development is a clear sign of great things to come.

Once Atlanta resolves their PF/C rotation (will they trade only Collins? Or Capela? Or both? Will they try playing Hunter in a small ball setting for good?), I believe Okongwu will take a starting spot and run away with it, on the way to borderline All-Star status in the near future.

And you heard it here first.

Cheers.