Giannis SIGNS

[Chapter29]

Out of curiosity, outside of the Lakers with LBJ and AD, are there any other teams with two players in tier 1 and 2?

He has it:

1A: Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi, Harden
1B: Durant, Curry
2A: Davis, Doncic, Jokic
2B: Lillard, Butler, Embiid
2C: Paul, Tatum, Geroge, Gobert
3A: Bam, Simmons, Murray, KAT, Holiday, Middleton, Walker, Lowry
3B: Beal, Booker, Mitchell, Irving, Green, Siakam
3C: Morant, Brown, Thompson, Porzingis, Westbrook, Young, Williamson

That gets you through the top 37.

So Lakers have two top 10 guys. Clippers have two top 16 guys. Bucks are only team with three top 24 players. Celtics have two top 24 players and three top 37 players.

Nice. Thanks.

Yeah, this is going to be interesting. The formula to win in the NBA has generally been via a superstar pairing or more. Can a team lacking 2 superstars win a championship? We have 3 guys as noted above in that all-star caliber range and of course 1 superstar.

Simply for me we have 1 #1 guy and 2 #3 guys. So IMO the Lakers have 2 Supermen. We have 1 Superman and 2 Robin's. The Celtics have 1 Batman and 2 Robins.

Of course team and depth matter, Lakers have us there too but I am ready to run with this exact team and let the chips fall where they may. We have a chance, especially now that any negative energy from this Giannis Supermax situation has turned to rejoicing and positive energy.

Oh and....Sorry in my eyes Harden is NOT a 1a btw. I mean seriously who wouldn't trade Harden for almost every player 2B and above and a couple lower. And no, I do not want him on the Bucks.

Super excited. lets get this thing going!

[jimmybones]

Our beautiful boy is back. Smoothie Giannis came out a lil in that clip

I've missed that sweet smoothie boy

Guys. Vibe with me for a minute. With the pressure of this decision off of Giannis and his teammates shoulders, our sweet smoothie King MVP Greek God is about to unleash the most motivated and focused fury on the league en route to an NBA title and the start of a dynasty. Feels good man.

[DavidDunn21]

what would it take to convince some of you guys that Booker and Beal blow chunks if you want a winning basketball team?

Make your case. The history of the NBA is filled with players who were really good but on bad teams and got caught up in bad team culture.

Booker and Beal actually seem like good citizens and teammates who have just been on middling or bad teams. So they don't play defense. They are EXPLOSIVE scorers of the highest caliber and that's what we actually need

Sent from my moto g(7) power using RealGM mobile app

[jimmybones]

BTW, I don't think there's a debate that Middleton is a viable #2 in the regular season. But he needs to show up in the playoffs. That's what ultimately matters.

I think there is the real value in Jrue. When Bledsoe and Middleton didn't deliver in the playoffs, we had to resort to Hill and even guys like Pat C. Hill is a fine player but Jrue is in a completely different category both talent wise and leadership. It's almost hard to imagine Jrue not stepping up in a huge way during these last two playoff debacles and that's really exciting for what he can bring himself and the trickle down effect that can have on settling the rest of the non Giannis guys into their roles.

I think he can have a real calming and steadying effect on the team to the point where his value is greater than just what his individual numbers show. People who think Bledsoe to Jrue isn't a big enough of an upgrade I think are missing the bigger picture.

[MARK_POPE]

Kinda selfish of Giannis to break the news himself and not let Alex Lasry TBH but I'll give him a pass this time.

[CharityStripe34]

That nature of Giannis being a Shaq-like scorer necessitates more shooter and shot creators. I still feel like we’re short on those. It’ll be evident in the playoffs again. That’s why Bogdan would’ve been so useful.

When T.J. Ford was drafted, I remember talking with an NBA guy in Texas who was very familiar with his game. He said “the great thing about T.J. Ford, is that he makes his bigs play big”

That line really stuck with me. And for me that’s the key for Giannis breaking through. Bud has to allow Jrue and DJ to work the point and make Giannis play as a big. We just aren’t going to win a title with Giannis always bringing the ball up and initiating the offense against the wall.

I've been saying this for two years. Gianni has to morph more into evolutionary Garnett. Mid-range game, post-up game and wreaking havoc off the ball and filling the lane in transition a la Erving/Barkley/Malone. With the gravity he commands it will make the lives of primary point guards (Holiday/Augustyn) much easier. Obviously, I'm not saying in one season he needs to become Prime Hakeem on the block, but he needs to develop and stick to using 2-3 basic moves, and practice a pull up 15-18 footer. That next evolution in his game (coupled with of course better shock making and guard play) will elevate this team's chances for a title.

Does Bud have either the motivation or guts to tell a two-time MVP "Giannis, we need to take the ball out of your hands more and let our PGs distribute. You focus on scoring, drawing double-teams and kicking out. Save your energy for the fourth/playoffs."

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

Out of curiosity, outside of the Lakers with LBJ and AD, are there any other teams with two players in tier 1 and 2?

He has it:

1A: Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi, Harden
1B: Durant, Curry
2A: Davis, Doncic, Jokic
2B: Lillard, Butler, Embiid
2C: Paul, Tatum, Geroge, Gobert
3A: Bam, Simmons, Murray, KAT, Holiday, Middleton, Walker, Lowry
3B: Beal, Booker, Mitchell, Irving, Green, Siakam
3C: Morant, Brown, Thompson, Porzingis, Westbrook, Young, Williamson

That gets you through the top 37.

So Lakers have two top 10 guys. Clippers have two top 16 guys. Bucks are only team with three top 24 players. Celtics have two top 24 players and three top 37 players.

Nice. Thanks.

Yeah, this is going to be interesting. The formula to win in the NBA has generally been via a superstar pairing or more. Can a team lacking 2 superstars win a championship? We have 3 guys as noted above in that all-star caliber range and of course 1 superstar.

you know... i was thinking about this and i think its wrong unIess its Iebron and whoever hes paired with. virtuaIIy every team that has won recentIy doesnt have two and if anythin....other than Iebron.....theres a gob of times a pairing faiIed horribIy. Iook over the Iast 20 years and its basicaIIy IIebrons teams then shaq and dwade. besides that its not two superstars. even gs wasnt two superstars for their initiaI titIe so i dont know if you can even count the one with durant as evidence of anything. so.....im not sure this 1-2 thing is anything at aII. it might even be a hindrance if one guy isnt Iebron just Iooking historicaIIy

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

raptors, non durant warriors, aII spurs teams, mavs, gasoI-kobe Iakers, even the pierce Ied ceItics. none of those teams had two top 10 guys. are two superstars the recipe for anybody but Iebron? and is 1 superstar with a weIi baIanced taIented but non aII nba squad the recipe for beating him? or is there basicaIIy nothing we can Iearn from this besides aII forms and fashions of teams can win its just best to have Iebron james on your team

[DrWood]

what would it take to convince some of you guys that Booker and Beal blow chunks if you want a winning basketball team?

That isn’t fair to either player. Beal’s performed well on fairly decent Wizards teams and the Suns have only just started to turn things around because of the growth Booker has made.

there are always exceptions, but based on their career trajectories, but both are massively over-rated because they score a lot of points. Booker did increase his assist #s a couple seasons ago, but I still don't want him on a team I like.

[raferfenix]

Chris Haynes expands on the Blazers being a secret suitor of Giannis.

Lillard’s texts might have been some of what Giannis showed ownership as examples of stars recruiting him.

Haynes begins discussing the potential union near the five-minute mark of the show.

“If Giannis were to leave Milwaukee, I’m talking about this past summer, before he signed the max extension. If the team didn’t make the necessary moves to make Giannis feel comfortable, I believe there was a team that he would have considered leaving for, and that team is the Portland Trail Blazers. Sources have told me that Giannis and Damian Lillard, they’ve gotten really close over the last few months. And they were talking about working out together.

I want to explain how important that is to everybody. Giannis doesn’t workout with anybody that’s not on his team. He’s turned down working out with LeBron James and turned down being part of the Space Jam 2 movie. He doesn’t do that. Him and Dame were supposed to work out.

I’m trying to be careful how I’m saying this, I don’t want to get to saying it’s recruiting. But sources have told me that both of them were talking with each other about the possibility of what it would look like playing with each other, you know, when their contracts allowed so. I believe Dame was trying to tell Giannis about what it would look like him playing in Portland and same, visa versa, what it would look like him playing in Milwaukee.”

”If Milwaukee didn’t get things in order, Portland was going to be a real target.”

Read on Twitter

https://www.blazersedge.com/2020/12/22/22194879/damian-lillard-giannis-antetokounmpo-rumor-chris-haynes-podcast-contractextension-blazers-bucks

[TroyD92]

So in the last two years what has Giannis improved. Go.

[TD75]

So in the last two years what has Giannis improved. Go.

He is slower than what he used to be. I guess he believes he can move people around and force the issue than actually learn how to play basketball.

Sorry, but I prefer the version of Giannis from 2 years ago.

[TroyD92]

So in the last two years what has Giannis improved. Go.

He is slower than what he used to be. I guess he believes he can move people around and force the issue than actually learn how to play basketball.

Sorry, but I prefer the version of Giannis from 2 years ago.

It'd be okay if he developed that kind of game wouldnt it? He hasn't at all.

[higharc]

He has improved his 3point shooting, his turnaround post game, his small hook, his rebounding, his handles, his pace (spends his stamina in a more controlled way), his defensive fouls.

[Pachinko_]

He has improved his 3point shooting, his turnaround post game, his small hook, his rebounding, his handles, his pace (spends his stamina in a more controlled way), his defensive fouls.

I'll give you the rebounds, he's been getting stronger every year and that has helped him on the boards. But shooting more 3s on terrible efficiency is actually hurting the team so I would definitely not count his 3pt shooting as an improvement. Not sure about the defensive fouls specifically but his overall fouls per minute has actually gone up, even though his steals and blocks are steadily diminishing. And the worst for me is that his assist/turnover ratio has gone to ****. He's not even looking for assists anymore and yet he keeps turning it over.

In summary, lately he's been trying too hard to do things he's not very good at, he's just not the type to hold the ball so much and take so many shots.

My peak Giannis was actually in 2016/17 when his assists, blocks and steals peaked and he had a much lower usage and FGs. He was just a better team player. I just wish he was a little bit stronger back then because he was falling down too much and wasnt as good on the boards, but I liked his decisions much better then.

[higharc]

Saying he has improved his 3point shooting doesn't mean he is a plus shooter now. Just that he is better than 2 years ago, which was the question.

[Magic Giannison]

Giannis is much better than he was in his pre MVP years, its not even close....

His finishing got better, his rebounding is insane and his defense is also better.

There are literally tons of statistics to prove this if needed.

[Pachinko_]

Saying he has improved his 3point shooting doesn't mean he is a plus shooter now. Just that he is better than 2 years ago, which was the question.

In my mind a big part of shooting is also making the decision whether to shoot or not, and that's what's lacking here. Can't think of anyone as "improved" because he's taking a tonne of shots at a slightly less crappy % than last year.

[blazza18]

Giannis is much better than he was in his pre MVP years, its not even close....

His finishing got better, his rebounding is insane and his defense is also better.

There are literally tons of statistics to prove this if needed.

I reckon his defence has slipped a little bit but he's just getting more recognition for it.

[JayMKE]

I just feel like Giannis is way more scouted now, there is a playbook to use against him whereas before teams were at a total loss. This is also why the playoffs are so much more difficult.