NBA Games Discussion Thread - Part 5

[Ruzious]

Brook Lopez is now the NBA's best center!

I was like when I saw that stat line and was wondering who was guarding him, he absolutely feasted in the post.

No doubt it helps him be a scorer when he's playing with Portis rather than Giannis - because of... spacing. He got the middle all to himself. And remember when he was with the Nets, he was a big scorer as a traditional center. I believe he's still that franchise's all-time leading scorer. Playing with Giannis, he's often standing around the 3 point arc, but his game before coming to Milwaukee was inside the lane.

[miller31time]

Brook Lopez is now the NBA's best center!

I was like when I saw that stat line and was wondering who was guarding him, he absolutely feasted in the post.

No doubt it helps him be a scorer when he's playing with Portis rather than Giannis - because of... spacing. He got the middle all to himself. And remember when he was with the Nets, he was a big scorer as a traditional center. I believe he's still that franchise's all-time leading scorer. Playing with Giannis, he's often standing around the 3 point arc, but his game before coming to Milwaukee was inside the lane.

Just checked basketball reference for Brook. Good lord, he was fantastic in his prime. PER of 25. Posting about 25pts, 9rebs and almost 3blks per-36.

Dude was a beast.

[wall_glizzy]

They also added a healthy, lights-came-on-in-year-3 Deandre Ayton, who has been their 2nd most important player in the playoffs and is looking like the third best center in the entire league.

That's an interesting discussion. Where does Aayton rank among centers?

You have to put Jokic and Embiid ahead of him.

Davis is still better when healthy, but that's a big caveat. (And he doesn't play center that much.)

Would you rather have Aayton or Gobert? Aayton has made an impressive case. He didn't get played off the floor against the Clippers like Gobert did.

Aayton or Bam? Tough call. They're similar players in that both guys are so mobile that they can switch everything. Aayton is a better rebounder, but Bam is good enough offensively that you can run plays through him.

And that's really about it. I'd take Aayton over anyone else in the league.

We had this exact discussion in between pickup games the other week - I think we settled on the Jokic / Embiid tier, then Bam / KAT, who are both undeniably elite in at least one skill not currently a part of Ayton's game, and then a messy Gobert / Ayton / Capela / Vucevic grouping that was mostly dependent on team allegiance, one's bias towards offense vs. defense at the 5 spot, whether we're discounting Gobert for being schemed out in the playoffs, etc.

Even as a Gobert hater, I think I'd have a hard time knocking him out of the top 5, but after that I don't think you can put Ayton lower than 6, or maybe 7 after Vucevic.

[dobrojim]

Brook Lopez is now the NBA's best center!

I was like when I saw that stat line and was wondering who was guarding him, he absolutely feasted in the post.

The thought I had, maybe an obvious one, was that once Giannis went out, player placement
on the offensive end shifted for MIL. Lopez became the guy in the post where he would have
just created spacing issues before that with Giannis needing to operate in the paint.
BrLo was an offensive force in BRK when he was like a first option.

MIL got great play out of all their starters, including Crazy Eyes, but nothing from their bench.
ATL's starters sucked in the first few minutes or they might have still won.
I wonder if McM will change the lineup. That said, the slow starting starters played better
later in the game, just falling down by 20 isn't a very good plan.

[Kanyewest]

They also added a healthy, lights-came-on-in-year-3 Deandre Ayton, who has been their 2nd most important player in the playoffs and is looking like the third best center in the entire league.

That's an interesting discussion. Where does Aayton rank among centers?

You have to put Jokic and Embiid ahead of him.

Davis is still better when healthy, but that's a big caveat. (And he doesn't play center that much.)

Would you rather have Aayton or Gobert? Aayton has made an impressive case. He didn't get played off the floor against the Clippers like Gobert did.

Aayton or Bam? Tough call. They're similar players in that both guys are so mobile that they can switch everything. Aayton is a better rebounder, but Bam is good enough offensively that you can run plays through him.

And that's really about it. I'd take Aayton over anyone else in the league.

Sabonis up there as well but Ayton has improved his stock a lot this season.

[payitforward]

Where is Zards?

What did I tell you, my brother? For a bust, Cam Reddish is playing his a$$ off against the Bucks tonight!

[80sballboy]

Cam F-ing Reddish with six 3-pointers and he's not 100% healthy. Some guys do mature and get better as they go through the league if they do the work. Sure, he has turnover issues, but dude is 21.

[miller31time]

So everyone who said they wouldn’t have wanted Coach Bud for the Wizards even if he was available…still going with that hot take?

[payitforward]

Cam F-ing Reddish with six 3-pointers and he's not 100% healthy. Some guys do mature and get better as they go through the league if they do the work. Sure, he has turnover issues, but dude is 21.

He was absolutely outstanding. I thought the down court pass to Capela was a real highlight! & of course he shot great too! Good for him!

[80sballboy]

Hawks certainly have an embarrassment of riches at the wing with Huerter, Bogdanovich, Reddish, and Hunter, who was injured. Must be nice. Need a backup PG. Lou is cooked and Kris Dunn will likely be in China next season.

[DCZards]

Where is Zards?
What did I tell you, my brother? For a bust, Cam Reddish is playing his a$$ off against the Bucks tonight!

I’m here and watching, pif. I’m convinced we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cam.

Yes, he shot the ball well tonight but I also liked how he used his 7ft wingspan to try to be disruptive on the defensive end.

Reddish has some growing and maturing to do but l really like what I’ve seen from him in spurts. He’ll get more consistent with playing time and experience.

But I’m guessing the Hawks like what they see in Cam as well. I doubt that they’re looking to trade him.

[FAH1223]

Where is Zards?
What did I tell you, my brother? For a bust, Cam Reddish is playing his a$$ off against the Bucks tonight!

I’m here and watching, pif. I’m convinced we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cam.

Yes, he shot the ball well tonight but I also liked how he used his 7ft wingspan to try to be disruptive on the defensive end.

Reddish has some growing and maturing to do but l really like what I’ve seen from him in spurts. He’ll get more consistent with playing time and experience.

But I’m guessing the Hawks like what they see in Cam as well. I doubt that they’re looking to trade him.

Reddish and Hunter defending the wings is some scary hours next year potentially

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[payitforward]

Where is Zards?
What did I tell you, my brother? For a bust, Cam Reddish is playing his a$$ off against the Bucks tonight!

I’m here and watching, pif. I’m convinced we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cam.

Yes, he shot the ball well tonight but I also liked how he used his 7ft wingspan to try to be disruptive on the defensive end.

Reddish has some growing and maturing to do but l really like what I’ve seen from him in spurts. He’ll get more consistent with playing time and experience.

But I’m guessing the Hawks like what they see in Cam as well. I doubt that they’re looking to trade him.

No, they'd have no reason to trade him.

As i wrote above... that full down court pass to Capela absolutely knocked me out even more than the shooting. His level of talent & athleticism were never in question. Intensity & grasp of the game were. If he has that, which is what that pass & his defensive effort seemed to show, think a slightly smaller version of Rudy Gay.

[closg00]

Funny, the ESPN Mock Draft had us taking Reddish

[DCZards]

Funny, the ESPN Mock Draft had us taking Reddish

I was at the Zards 2019 draft night party at the Entertainment & Sports Complex in SE DC. Fans were chanting for the Zards to draft Reddish when he was available at 9. Rui was the pick instead.

I was lukewarm on Cam before that draft but he's grown on me...despite him not being all that productive or consistent to this point in his NBA career.

[payitforward]

I wouldn't have liked Cam as our pick, & I didn't like Rui as our pick either. I.e. in my case not "lukewarm" but in the fridge on both of them.

My recollection is that you liked PJ Washington a lot. I don't quite recall whether you'd gone so far as to say you wanted us to pick him. I'm pretty sure Hunter would have been your pick if he'd been on the board. But, really, there was never much chance of that.

In all it was a pretty weird draft. Or maybe... aren't they all?

[Kanyewest]

Mikal Bridges with a great performance. I would have really liked to see him play against Donte DiVincenzo- his former teammate at Villanova.

[dobrojim]

Obviously a few players in addition to Giannis need to step up if MIL is to be competitive.
Not surprising they are down 0-2 when no one else is stepping up.
Brook had a good first game but last night reminded us he is not the
best C in the NBA. Just about everyone on the Suns is playing well.

[WallToWall]

The Suns... in 2019, they had the worst record in the league. In 2020 they were a lottery team. In 2021, they are in the finals. That's one heck of a turnaround.