2024-25 NBA Season Discussion

[penbeast0]

Pretty big game tonight between the Warriors/Nuggets.

Curious to see how it plays out. The Nuggets are slipping lately. If the Warriors win, their momentum might carry them to a top 4 seed which seemed unfathomable before the Butler trade.

Just tuned in to see that Jokic and Murray aren't playing lmao, so much for that (though the Nuggets are still winning but I imagine that won't last)

Or it will lol. Healthily scraping past the Lakers sans Bron/Luka/DFS/Rui/Vincent, losing to the Wizards, and beating the mostly? healthy Warriors sans Jokic/Murray is a funny three game run for Denver

Hey, the Wiz are 5-5 in the last 10 and have been much better. Still not scaring anyone but not nearly as much of a turnstile team.

[Peregrine01]

I cannot stand Draymond. But he’s still the best defensive player in the world. Giannis couldn’t do anything with him tonight.

[parsnips33]

Draymond may just now be entering his prime now that I think about it

[EmpireFalls]

Draymond is the most underrated #2 in NBA history. People talk about him as if he’s some bum

[Peregrine01]

Draymond is the most underrated #2 in NBA history. People talk about him as if he’s some bum

Offensively, he needs Curry to unlock him. Defensively, he might be the greatest in the modern history of the league. The unique synergy of Steph and Draymond was the foundation for the Warriors’ dynasty.

[jalengreen]

Jimmy has been great defensively as well, it’s scary. Even in that loss against Denver they were absolutely hounding and forced 20 turnovers

[rk2023]

Draymond is the most underrated #2 in NBA history. People talk about him as if he’s some bum

Offensively, he needs Curry to unlock him. Defensively, he might be the greatest in the modern history of the league. The unique synergy of Steph and Draymond was the foundation for the Warriors’ dynasty.

I don’t think the game has ever seen a “so valuable on offense in 1 particular situation, and next to 1 particular co-star, but much less valuable on 29 other offensive situations” player than Draymond Green.

[Special_Puppy]

Draymond is the most underrated #2 in NBA history. People talk about him as if he’s some bum

Definately ultimate example of how surface level box score stats can be deceiving. He averages a triple single in his career and yet is 12th all time in career RAPM https://xrapm.com/table_pages/RAPM_29y.html

[Peregrine01]

West playoffs are gonna be a bloodbath. No easy outs for any team.

[70sFan]

What else can Zubac do to call him an all-star level player? Isn't dominating Cavs frontcourt enough?

He's been averaging 21/13 on +10 Net Rating in March and should be a legit contender for an all-nba third team at center position, but people still call him a roleplayer.

[tsherkin]

What else can Zubac do to call him an all-star level player? Isn't dominating Cavs frontcourt enough?

He's been averaging 21/13 on +10 Net Rating in March and should be a legit contender for an all-nba third team at center position, but people still call him a roleplayer.

He's been extremely good. I think people see who else is on that team and don't want to credit them a third AS-caliber player, but he's been a highly-efficient 20/10 guy who has featured prominently in their winning. And it isn't like Harden made him this way, he's been doing it (at least on a per-minute and raw FG% level) for several years now.

[Fadeaway_J]

What else can Zubac do to call him an all-star level player? Isn't dominating Cavs frontcourt enough?

He's been averaging 21/13 on +10 Net Rating in March and should be a legit contender for an all-nba third team at center position, but people still call him a roleplayer.

Harden being selected over him continues to puzzle me.

[tsherkin]

Harden being selected over him continues to puzzle me.

Reputation. Box score stats (23/6/9). Perimeter guys tend to get more love from fans than big guys most haven't heard of. A lot of that one is about who is visibly setting the tempo and controlling the action, because most people ball-watch and rarely see what's happening away from the ball-handler.

*shrug*

It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.

[Peregrine01]

What else can Zubac do to call him an all-star level player? Isn't dominating Cavs frontcourt enough?

He's been averaging 21/13 on +10 Net Rating in March and should be a legit contender for an all-nba third team at center position, but people still call him a roleplayer.

IMO, he’s been the second best center all year. Kinda ridiculous it took Ty Lue this long to go to him.

[Fadeaway_J]

Harden being selected over him continues to puzzle me.

Reputation. Box score stats (23/6/9). Perimeter guys tend to get more love from fans than big guys most haven't heard of. A lot of that one is about who is visibly setting the tempo and controlling the action, because most people ball-watch and rarely see what's happening away from the ball-handler.

*shrug*

It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.

Yeah, I guess "puzzle" is the wrong word. Although I genuinely wasn't even considering Harden as a serious candidate until he was selected.

[tsherkin]

IMO, he’s been the second best center all year. Kinda ridiculous it took Ty Lue this long to go to him.

Is it?

He's been working through foul trouble for several years. This is his first season under 3.6 PF36. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but I mean, it's a contributing factor.

[f4p]

Harden being selected over him continues to puzzle me.

Reputation. Box score stats (23/6/9). Perimeter guys tend to get more love from fans than big guys most haven't heard of. A lot of that one is about who is visibly setting the tempo and controlling the action, because most people ball-watch and rarely see what's happening away from the ball-handler.

*shrug*

It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.

Yeah, I guess "puzzle" is the wrong word. Although I genuinely wasn't even considering Harden as a serious candidate until he was selected.

I don't think Harden has had an all-star worthy year but he absolutely should have been in 2023 so it feels like justice for him. Also, feels like zubac has gone up a little level the last month or so. Not really sure anyone on the clippers was really an all-start at the all-star break, but all had decent cases (Trae made it and harden has been better so it was a little weak at guard it felt like).

[parsnips33]

Buddy Hield shooting a career low from 3. If he can have a well-timed regression to the mean, could mean very good things for the Warriors

[Doctor MJ]

What else can Zubac do to call him an all-star level player? Isn't dominating Cavs frontcourt enough?

He's been averaging 21/13 on +10 Net Rating in March and should be a legit contender for an all-nba third team at center position, but people still call him a roleplayer.

It's funny. Sometimes players seem to get stuck classified as not-to-be-considered-all-stars, and I think Zubac was effectively there with this last all-star selection. It's not that he'd have failed to make it if he were doing 40/20 every game of course, but people went into the year thinking of Kawhi & Harden as the all-star level players on the team, and then Norm Powell started getting buzz. There was just not enough buzz left for Zubac to emerge specifically as the all-star choice over Harden and the team wasn't good enough for two all-stars as voters typically think.

Now as we reach the end of the year I think Zubac is emerging at that level, but reaching All-NBA, and DPOY for that matter is tougher, and so even though he deserves strong consideration, I'm not sure if he'll get any such accolades this year.

I have to say though that if Zubac dominated the Cav bigs again in their last next matchup, I could see that building toward serious candidacy for him specifically because of what Mobley represents as a favored candidate.

[tsherkin]

I have to say though that if Zubac dominated the Cav bigs again in their last next matchup, I could see that building toward serious candidacy for him specifically because of what Mobley represents as a favored candidate.

Will be one to watch.

I think he'll probably have a good game. One thing about how he plays is that it doesn't lead him into the teeth of specific defenders. Because he's moving around and picking his spots, he's receiving the ball away from his primary defender a lot of the time. And if that's Mobley, it means that the Cavs are already behind the 8-ball trying to defend him.