Around the League: 2022-23 Season 3.0

[blargh]

The national media is already starting its campaign for Jokic.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nikola-jokics-case-for-a-third-straight-mvp-is-simple-and-we-should-keep-it-that-way/

You just can’t make up this level of cherry picking. If +\- is such a simple proxy for value, why did Jokic win last year when he was ranked 14th in +\-? Or the year before that, when he was ranked 20th?

[mjkvol]

The national media is already starting its campaign for Jokic.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nikola-jokics-case-for-a-third-straight-mvp-is-simple-and-we-should-keep-it-that-way/

You just can’t make up this level of cherry picking. If +\- is such a simple proxy for value, why did Jokic win last year when he was ranked 14th in +\-? Or the year before that, when he was ranked 20th?

One of many reasons that awards where media votes determine the winner are garbage. Zero objectivity, grudges, and biases rule the day.

[76ciology]

Marc Spears says he no longer votes for NBA awards:

“I remember an NBA coach telling me, ‘Well, you better vote for James Harden over Russell Westbrook because James Harden is gonna give you more interviews than Russ does. He's gonna see who voted for him, and if you didn't vote for him, he's going to shun you.’”

[mjkvol]

Marc Spears says he no longer votes for NBA awards:

“I remember an NBA coach telling me, ‘Well, you better vote for James Harden over Russell Westbrook because James Harden is gonna give you more interviews than Russ does. He's gonna see who voted for him, and if you didn't vote for him, he's going to shun you.’”

I have no doubt that access to players, ability to get quotes for columns, etc. has always played a role in media votes. I stopped caring about these kinds of awards when they gave Bird the MVP in '84 over Bernard King. There was media chatter from before the season about Bird not having yet won one, so it had been pretty much predetermined.

Anyone but the most biased, ardent Celtics fan knew that King was MVP. He had one of the greatest seasons I've ever seen any player have, dragging a virtual G-League level Knicks team to game 7 of the ECF.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

Id rather have Sharpe than Jaden Ivey

[76ciology]

Most free throw attempts over the last 4 games:

53 — Austin Reaves
51 — Jayson Tatum
50 — Damian Lillard
47 — Jimmy Butler

Reaves is averaging 13.3 attempts per game in that stretch.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

The 20-year-old has now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games.

[76ciology]

50 pt games.
2012-2013: 3
2022-2023: 23

40pts games:
2012-2013: 36
2021-2022: 87
2022-2023: 147 (season aint done)

Average 20ppg
2012-2013: 9
2021-2022: 40
2022-2023: 56 (58 if you count 19.9)

[Negrodamus]

Read on Twitter

The 20-year-old has now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games.

Yea, I was saying this was definitely a guy to target with our pick. Obviously Melton is better for our current needs.

[GoSixersBro]

Read on Twitter

The 20-year-old has now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games.

Dallas is loaded with scoring. Luka, Kyrie, Hardy, Green.

[GoSixersBro]

50 pt games.
2012-2013: 3
2022-2023: 23

40pts games:
2012-2013: 36
2021-2022: 87
2022-2023: 147 (season aint done)

Average 20ppg
2012-2013: 9
2021-2022: 40
2022-2023: 56 (58 if you count 19.9)

Thanks for posting this. Scoring 55-60 back in the Iverson days felt like when a player goes for 70 nowadays. It was actually news.

Now if someone nets 50, it's like a 40-pointer before, and we see it basically once per week this season.

I don't think you can point to one thing about the game, but it has to be some combination of more attempted threes, a wider pool of today's players are more skilled at scoring than those of 15-25 years ago, and finally less aggressive defense in the current era.

[mjkvol]

50 pt games.
2012-2013: 3
2022-2023: 23

40pts games:
2012-2013: 36
2021-2022: 87
2022-2023: 147 (season aint done)

Average 20ppg
2012-2013: 9
2021-2022: 40
2022-2023: 56 (58 if you count 19.9)

It's hard to think of this as a positive development if you're a lifelong fan of the game, but it's certainly what the league and their media partners have wanted, along with parity.

50 point games used to be like hitting for the cycle or pitching a perfect game, a special and rare event.

[Jailblazers7]

The two changes that I’d want them to change are:

1. Abolish the corner 3 - take away that spacing advantage & get unskilled unitaskers out of the league (sorry PJ).

2. Crack down on moving screens - guards are too good now to allow so many moving screens.

[Murray_17]

Thanks for posting this. Scoring 55-60 back in the Iverson days felt like when a player goes for 70 nowadays. It was actually news.

Now if someone nets 50, it's like a 40-pointer before, and we see it basically once per week this season.

I don't think you can point to one thing about the game, but it has to be some combination of more attempted threes, a wider pool of today's players are more skilled at scoring than those of 15-25 years ago, and finally less aggressive defense in the current era.

Defenses are actually a lot better today and much more complex than in the 90's or the 00's.

It's just that Offenses have evolved that much

[mjkvol]

The two changes that I’d want them to change are:

1. Abolish the corner 3 - take away that spacing advantage & get unskilled unitaskers out of the league (sorry PJ).

That would be kind of like eliminating the DH in baseball, which would take certain players out of the league. The union would never go for it.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I will say that the ticky tack foul calls are getting a bit ridiculous. That's really my biggest complaint with the league right now. I don't see how you can call a foul on someone after a shot has already been released unless it's blatant or excessive. Last night for example, Zach Lavine hit a shot with Melton guarding him. The shot had already been released, and Melton barely touched his hand on the back end of the follow through. Lavine got an and1 on the play. I think plays like that should remain no calls.
We've also seen a thousand late whistles this year where the refs wait to see if the ball goes in on a shot before blowing the whistle. Alaa Abdelnaby has constantly complained about those late calls all season long and I happen to agree with him. I also find it weird how obvious calls that are being reviewed can take upwards of 10 minutes to sort out. I'm all for reviews, but don't stagnate the game by taking forever to determine them.

[Kobblehead]

Read on Twitter

The 20-year-old has now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games.

better than scoot

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Jaden Hardy can flat out ball! I can't believe he fell to Dallas. They should probably just build with him and Doncic. Let Kyrie walk. Offensively, Hardy is special, the guy can fill it up and is going to be a 25 ppg scorer in this league once he's given starters minutes.

[Jailblazers7]

Read on Twitter

Id rather have Sharpe than Jaden Ivey

Sharpe falling to Portland because of his weird college situation is the random luck they’ll need to build a contender before Dame retires.

[mjkvol]

I will say that the ticky tack foul calls are getting a bit ridiculous. That's really my biggest complaint with the league right now. I don't see how you can call a foul on someone after a shot has already been released unless it's blatant or excessive. Last night for example, Zach Lavine hit a shot with Melton guarding him. The shot had already been released, and Melton barely touched his hand on the back end of the follow through. Lavine got an and1 on the play. I think plays like that should remain no calls.
We've also seen a thousand late whistles this year where the refs wait to see if the ball goes in on a shot before blowing the whistle. Alaa Abdelnaby has constantly complained about those late calls all season long and I happen to agree with him. I also find it weird how obvious calls that are being reviewed can take upwards of 10 minutes to sort out. I'm all for reviews, but don't stagnate the game by taking forever to determine them.

I just wish they would call traveling beyond two steps and eliminate replay completely other than last second buzzer beater plays. Just keep the game moving, I'll live with the bad calls - there are enough of them with replay.