Around the NBA IV

[superunknown]

Honestly, I’m not sure how people can watch the way both mitchell and murray are shooting and not conclude this isn't normal NBA basketball. It's something else, bubble basketball.
There are great individual performances, gotta give respect to the players, but this looks odd. I find it difficult to see it happening again in the upcoming years once bubble basketball is over.

[Onus]

Honestly, I’m not sure how people can watch the way both mitchell and murray are shooting and not conclude this isn't normal NBA basketball. It's something else, bubble basketball.
There are great individual performances, gotta give respect to the players, but this looks odd. I find it difficult to see it happening again in the upcoming years once bubble basketball is over.

What I see is that the centers are struggling to guard the perimeter. Oddly enough the nuggets are the ones who have found a way to contain the jazz’s penetration.

Conley can’t be your 2nd best option. He’s just not aggressive enough.

[superunknown]

Honestly, I’m not sure how people can watch the way both mitchell and murray are shooting and not conclude this isn't normal NBA basketball. It's something else, bubble basketball.
There are great individual performances, gotta give respect to the players, but this looks odd. I find it difficult to see it happening again in the upcoming years once bubble basketball is over.

What I see is that the centers are struggling to guard the perimeter. Oddly enough the nuggets are the ones who have found a way to contain the jazz’s penetration.

Conley can’t be your 2nd best option. He’s just not aggressive enough.

that's for sure. that and a lot of mistakes on defense you don't normally see.
but I was referring more to diverse factors "altering" the game.
lack of travel helps and it might be a bigger factor than no fans.
same shooting backgrounds. better depth perception, much easier to get in a groove and stay in it.

[ILOVEIT]

After watching that game...do we still think a big loping center that can't guard these guards is the right move.

Man...this is a prime example of the dead big plodding center. Both looked lost...the game was too fast for them. Goober was being ignored most of the game and WHEN he got a pass he F'ed it up (you all know my opinion on this guy...complete overrated stiff posting as some kind of super dominant defense force.)

[Scoots1994]

I wonder about the changes in officiating in the bubble where there is no fan pressure on the refs and where the refs can hear everything all the players are saying.

[ShayDee]

After watching that game...do we still think a big loping center that can't guard these guards is the right move.

Man...this is a prime example of the dead big plodding center. Both looked lost...the game was too fast for them. Goober was being ignored most of the game and WHEN he got a pass he F'ed it up (you all know my opinion on this guy...complete overrated stiff posting as some kind of super dominant defense force.)

Still need a big to block shot, Grab rebounds, create offense at the 5, be lob threat. No FA can bring the full package

[ahmetmekin]

After watching that game...do we still think a big loping center that can't guard these guards is the right move.

Man...this is a prime example of the dead big plodding center. Both looked lost...the game was too fast for them. Goober was being ignored most of the game and WHEN he got a pass he F'ed it up (you all know my opinion on this guy...complete overrated stiff posting as some kind of super dominant defense force.)

I don't think Gobert is having a bad series. He was great in some games and meh in some other. This is also true for Jokic. Pretty much Jokic=Gobert, Mitchell=Murray and the the guards outplayed bigs.

But I think it is also not a bad idea to pick Okongwu. He looks terrific as a defender in general and mobile enough to stay in front of guards. I would pick him above Wiseman. In any case I would trade down and pick one of the guys not named Ball and Wiseman.

[Mylie10]

In yesterday’s game, the Nuggets bench is what helped get that win.

[wco81]

After watching that game...do we still think a big loping center that can't guard these guards is the right move.

Man...this is a prime example of the dead big plodding center. Both looked lost...the game was too fast for them. Goober was being ignored most of the game and WHEN he got a pass he F'ed it up (you all know my opinion on this guy...complete overrated stiff posting as some kind of super dominant defense force.)

I don't think there's a defense sometimes for insane shotmaking.

They could have tried to rush Murray, try to force him to drive, though he was finding gaps for mid range shots when needed.

Odds are better if they channel him towards Gobert, though Jokic is hitting his jumpers and 3s when the switch is too lazy.

Teams with length will rush the 3 point line and channel opponents towards the shot blockers where their efficiency drops because 3-point specialists are often not good finishers or they're facing a wall of a couple of 7 footers in the paint.

That's how the Warriors defense worked when they denied the 3 point shots and sent them towards Bogut.

[wco81]

I wonder about the changes in officiating in the bubble where there is no fan pressure on the refs and where the refs can hear everything all the players are saying.

Klay shot like 55% or better from 3 vs. Toronto. He was drilling shots in Kawhi and Siakam's faces.

Players can go nuclear.

Curry has had series of just ridiculous shooting percentages or at least from the corner 3s.

It's usually not sustainable. Murray has shot over 20 points better from 3 in this series than he did in 14 playoffs games last year.

One of the reasons the Blazers beat the Nuggets last year to make the WCF was that Murray was inconsistent.

He may have hit another gear -- he shoots in the mid 80s on FT -- or is just hot. In either case, it's not going to be sustained. They will rush and blitz him more, not just in game 7 but if Nuggets win, the Clippers will if neither Kawhi or PG13 can slow him down.

So it could be something in between. Murray won't stay this hot but maybe for the rest of his career, he will get closer to or over 40% from 3 rather than around 35-36% so far in his career.

[Mylie10]

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have found a soft spot in my heart for Chris Paul and the job he did with OKC. Melo in Portland was actually very good at times, proud of him for accepting the role. And even Russell Westbrook, who I just like more than I used to.

[TB]

I feel very confident that players are shooting better because of the setting. Being in a massive arena with 15k+ people absolutely makes a difference.

Klay would be 60% from 3 in the bubble.

[Little Digger]

I really need a Heat win here in game 1

[Mav_Carter]

I feel very confident that players are shooting better because of the setting. Being in a massive arena with 15k+ people absolutely makes a difference.

Klay would be 60% from 3 in the bubble.

Imagine KD in the bubble...

[Coxy]

I feel very confident that players are shooting better because of the setting. Being in a massive arena with 15k+ people absolutely makes a difference.

Klay would be 60% from 3 in the bubble.

Steph and Klay would average 70 points between them.

[DAWill1128]

You see guards just dominating these bubble games. Makes me wonder if somehow these guys all just got a lot better or if some change in the game is causing this. I mean this year teams offensively put up insane numbers. The Wizards who didn't even qualify for the bubble put up better offensive numbers than us or any contender over the last 12 years.

But then you look at the Lakers series and they just kept pounding away at the paint with size on the Blazers, they also have the best defense because the shot blocking, rebounding, and length. If the Rockets advance the Lakers are just going to do the same thing to them that they did to the Blazers. I mean you clearly can see the argument in size does or doesn't matter in a potential Rockets vs Lakers matchup.

But even the Mavs vs Clippers series, once KP went down the Clippers just kept attacking the paint and the Mavs were in constant chaos collapsing to cover the paint. Kleber and DFS are really more forwards than a center.

You don't really fear the Lakers or Clippers guard play or outside shooting. So how do you make things harder on them in the paint to score? If we don't have that strategic solution or roster upgrade in mind it will take some incredible outside shooting to get back to the Finals.

On another note if the Rockets had kept Paul and Capela they would have probably won the West this year in the playoffs.

[Scoots1994]

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have found a soft spot in my heart for Chris Paul and the job he did with OKC. Melo in Portland was actually very good at times, proud of him for accepting the role. And even Russell Westbrook, who I just like more than I used to.

I like players who are kind of **** and who are looking to maximize their game and push the edges of the rules. CP3 goes over that line too much, and then the non-stop whining and flopping just drive me nuts.

Melo has always been good in that little area he is good in ... it's when he or teams expected him to go outside of that area that his game really fell off it seemed to me. And he's supposedly a really good guy. Glad he had a resurgence.

Westbrook I've never been able to stand. He's bad on defense and has always been a me-first player ... and for, I think 7 years of his career he's taken 4 3s a game and shot under .300. That's nuts. And I don't think he's ever had a season with a TS% over 50.

[Scoots1994]

You see guards just dominating these bubble games. Makes me wonder if somehow these guys all just got a lot better or if some change in the game is causing this. I mean this year teams offensively put up insane numbers. The Wizards who didn't even qualify for the bubble put up better offensive numbers than us or any contender over the last 12 years.

But then you look at the Lakers series and they just kept pounding away at the paint with size on the Blazers, they also have the best defense because the shot blocking, rebounding, and length. If the Rockets advance the Lakers are just going to do the same thing to them that they did to the Blazers. I mean you clearly can see the argument in size does or doesn't matter in a potential Rockets vs Lakers matchup.

But even the Mavs vs Clippers series, once KP went down the Clippers just kept attacking the paint and the Mavs were in constant chaos collapsing to cover the paint. Kleber and DFS are really more forwards than a center.

You don't really fear the Lakers or Clippers guard play or outside shooting. So how do you make things harder on them in the paint to score? If we don't have that strategic solution or roster upgrade in mind it will take some incredible outside shooting to get back to the Finals.

On another note if the Rockets had kept Paul and Capela they would have probably won the West this year in the playoffs.

I think a big part of the difference is the difference in officiating. The refs can hear and see what is happening to guards more than in arenas with the noise and the fans and crew along the edges of the court, and that means the guards can get open and move just a little easier.

[wco81]

Chris Paul has very good stats in his playoffs career.

But he's only been past the second round once in his career, when Curry and the Warriors took his soul.

[Mylie10]

Chris Paul has very good stats in his playoffs career.

But he's only been past the second round once in his career, when Curry and the Warriors took his soul.

You’re not going to like this, but wasn’t he injured the year we went to 7 games and the Rockets missed like 247 threes in the second half of game 7?

Here’s the part you won’t like....if Paul wasn’t injured the Rockets may have knocked us out.