Around The League - Bill Walton passes from cancer at 71

[BUCKnation]

I just don't see the Mavs having a chance. The thunder outside of SGA played about as bad as possible and that series was still a dog fight. They are legitimately relying on DJJ and PJ Washington to give them 40-ish a night to win these games and got bailed out on numerous possessions with orebs b/c OKC was so small.

[MKE_Hodag22]

Rest of the way:
Minnesota defeats Dallas 4-2
Boston defeats Indy 4-2
Boston defeats Minnesota 4-1

[Serge28]

Rest of the way:
Minnesota defeats Dallas 4-2
Boston defeats Indy 4-2
Boston defeats Minnesota 4-1

I think Minnesota beats Boston

[MKE_Hodag22]

Rest of the way:
Minnesota defeats Dallas 4-2
Boston defeats Indy 4-2
Boston defeats Minnesota 4-1

I think Minnesota beats Boston

As much as I would like that to happen, just have a gut feeling that it's Boston's year.

[chonestown]

Pacers winning the title would be hilarious, that would be he only outcome that would get Stans to realize the modern NBA kinda sucks

Stan Vangundy seems open-minded and Stan Lee (sp?) is dead, this is a solution in search of a problem.imo

[worthlessBucks]

The potential Brunson contract extension is an NBA tale as old as time. Already seen how the story ends. He’s been rolling and efficent, but at some point he will stop rolling and the descent down the mountain will not be fun for Knicks fans.

[mattg]

This year he was much better offensively individually, though it was clearly soured by his total inability to play basic PnR with Dame.

They should have ran it more, but the Dame/Giannis pick and roll was one the deadliest scoring plays in the whole league this season.

To me that's the indictment. If Giannis was capable of doing it more, he would. But to set ball screens and roll to the hoop literally is him fighting every single instinct he has to not just run at the ball or clap his hands 30 feet from the hoop and demand it back when he doesn't have it. You're talking about literally the most simple offensive action in all of basketball, and we basically don't even run it. It's not an issue of "should have ran it more". It's THE offensive action in the NBA and has been for the last 20 years, and it accounted for like 7% of Giannis scoring plays all season long.

Minimizing the issue down to "should have ran it more" is like saying a guy who is a low volume but high efficiency 3pt shooter who averages 1 3pt make every game should just shoot more of them so that he can make 5 per game because he's deadly from there. It doesn't work like that, if it was so simple to just have players shoot more of this or that shot, they'd do it. Also, part of the reason the efficiency is so deadly is that it's such low volume and only premier looks.

[ReasonablySober]

This year he was much better offensively individually, though it was clearly soured by his total inability to play basic PnR with Dame.

They should have ran it more, but the Dame/Giannis pick and roll was one the deadliest scoring plays in the whole league this season.

To me that's the indictment. If Giannis was capable of doing it more, he would. But to set ball screens and roll to the hoop literally is him fighting every single instinct he has to not just run at the ball or clap his hands 30 feet from the hoop and demand it back when he doesn't have it. You're talking about literally the most simple offensive action in all of basketball, and we basically don't even run it. It's not an issue of "should have ran it more". It's THE offensive action in the NBA and has been for the last 20 years, and it accounted for like 7% of Giannis scoring plays all season long.

Minimizing the issue down to "should have ran it more" is like saying a guy who is a low volume but high efficiency 3pt shooter who averages 1 3pt make every game should just shoot more of them so that he can make 5 per game because he's deadly from there. It doesn't work like that, if it was so simple to just have players shoot more of this or that shot, they'd do it. Also, part of the reason the efficiency is so deadly is that it's such low volume and only premier looks.

Nah, it's absolutely a coaching thing.

[mattg]

They should have ran it more, but the Dame/Giannis pick and roll was one the deadliest scoring plays in the whole league this season.

To me that's the indictment. If Giannis was capable of doing it more, he would. But to set ball screens and roll to the hoop literally is him fighting every single instinct he has to not just run at the ball or clap his hands 30 feet from the hoop and demand it back when he doesn't have it. You're talking about literally the most simple offensive action in all of basketball, and we basically don't even run it. It's not an issue of "should have ran it more". It's THE offensive action in the NBA and has been for the last 20 years, and it accounted for like 7% of Giannis scoring plays all season long.

Minimizing the issue down to "should have ran it more" is like saying a guy who is a low volume but high efficiency 3pt shooter who averages 1 3pt make every game should just shoot more of them so that he can make 5 per game because he's deadly from there. It doesn't work like that, if it was so simple to just have players shoot more of this or that shot, they'd do it. Also, part of the reason the efficiency is so deadly is that it's such low volume and only premier looks.

Nah, it's absolutely a coaching thing.

I mean I used to think so too but to me this season shut the door on it being a coaching thing (which you can see I referenced in posts linked from last summer). We have a literal decade of game tape on Giannis playing for like 4 different coaches since he's become star Giannis, none of them could get him to play as a roll man with any consistency despite that being a big part of offenses at their other coaching stops. Factor in that Giannis is completely unnatural even setting a basic pick, let alone rolling with any sort of fluidity or smoothness, he always turns his body the wrong way on PnRs and has clunky feet. It's hard for me to say it's a coaching issue when Giannis doesn't play PnR under any of them, and hasn't developed that aspect of his game despite his insane work ethic over a period of 10 full years. Again saying it's a coaching thing is basically like covering your ears and screaming LALALALALA, the evidence doesn't support that idea any longer.

Now, maybe another embarrassing playoff failure has convinced Giannis to drastically change his approach, but at this point it's impossible for me to support that as a likely outcome given everything else we know.

[Baddy Chuck]

Yeah, this series might already be over .

[PintSizedBox10]

Haliburton's step back shuffle is comical. C'mon man

[ReasonablySober]

To me that's the indictment. If Giannis was capable of doing it more, he would. But to set ball screens and roll to the hoop literally is him fighting every single instinct he has to not just run at the ball or clap his hands 30 feet from the hoop and demand it back when he doesn't have it. You're talking about literally the most simple offensive action in all of basketball, and we basically don't even run it. It's not an issue of "should have ran it more". It's THE offensive action in the NBA and has been for the last 20 years, and it accounted for like 7% of Giannis scoring plays all season long.

Minimizing the issue down to "should have ran it more" is like saying a guy who is a low volume but high efficiency 3pt shooter who averages 1 3pt make every game should just shoot more of them so that he can make 5 per game because he's deadly from there. It doesn't work like that, if it was so simple to just have players shoot more of this or that shot, they'd do it. Also, part of the reason the efficiency is so deadly is that it's such low volume and only premier looks.

Nah, it's absolutely a coaching thing.

I mean I used to think so too but to me this season shut the door on it being a coaching thing (which you can see I referenced in posts linked from last summer). We have a literal decade of game tape on Giannis playing for like 4 different coaches since he's become star Giannis, none of them could get him to play as a roll man with any consistency despite that being a big part of offenses at their other coaching stops. Factor in that Giannis is completely unnatural even setting a basic pick, let alone rolling with any sort of fluidity or smoothness, he always turns his body the wrong way on PnRs and has clunky feet. It's hard for me to say it's a coaching issue when Giannis doesn't play PnR under any of them, and hasn't developed that aspect of his game despite his insane work ethic over a period of 10 full years. Again saying it's a coaching thing is basically like covering your ears and screaming LALALALALA, the evidence doesn't support that idea any longer.

Now, maybe another embarrassing playoff failure has convinced Giannis to drastically change his approach, but at this point it's impossible for me to support that as a likely outcome given everything else we know.

The sample size isn't small, though. Only 23 players in the league were the roll man more than Giannis last season. Of those 23, just seven players averaged more PPP. He's an elite roll man. If he isn't doing it enough, it's because a coach isn't doing his job. Not doing it when Dame is your ball-handler is just coaching malpractice.

[Wonka]

Haliburton's step back shuffle is comical. C'mon man

It’s so funny to see how quickly he has become hated lol. Couldn’t agree more. Looks like 4 steps.

[CJTURT]

Giannis would dump 45 per playoff game against any of these teams If he was healthy. Seriously. Rest up king

[Bernman]

Yeah, this series might already be over .

Spoke too soon. Down just 3 after 1 quarter. The first 6 minutes of an NBA game don't matter, unless you go down 20.

[Baddy Chuck]

Yeah, this series might already be over .

Spoke too soon. Down just 3 after 1 quarter. The first 6 minutes of an NBA game don't matter, unless you go down 20.

I forgot about TJ McConnell, apologies to him and Indiana.

[Matches Malone]

Classic ESPN

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[rilamann]

The reason Horford still being solid as hell in 2024 is so weird. Is that he looked washed up in 2019.

HGH is a hell of a drug.

[Bernman]

Turner's been amazing in the playoffs. W/ him playing like this, the Pacers have one of the better cores in the league. Many think of them as just a deep, style team.

[paulpressey25]

Hard to cheer for Hali, Siakam and Turner. But I’m doing it.

Hope the Pacers can steal one here.