Around The NBA 3.0

[chrbal]

DJ being signed is pretty much an announcement they are going to tank. I'm waiting for them to send Nazr Mohammed to Phoenix for Slava Krastov, and then brag about hes got so much upside and how hes very young.

Sad thing is DJ is still an improvement for them (over Mike James and Marquise Teague), I still would've rolled the dice with Kendall Marshall over DJ.

[Eoghan]

The Kings are looking for a pass-first PG to come off the bench. Why don't they just sign Kendall Marshall?

Because the Kings play in the NBA.

[LamarMatic7]

That and Plumlee really is legit.

Almost Omer Asik legit?!? (channeling 'LamarMatic7')

haha. Plumlee isn't the defender Asik is, however, he does move nicely and is a big who can guard pick-n-rolls.

[LamarMatic7]

Haha. Doc Rivers has already given up on the Mullens-Hollins-Jamison three-headed monster. If it hadn't been for DeAndre's foul trouble, Rivers would have gone with Griffin, DeAndre and Captain Jack as his three bigs the whole game. Jack plays as the 4 off the bench and DeAndre with Griffin take turns playing alongside him with the bench. Hollins and Jamison were headed to play 1 minute apiece before DeAndre got his 4th foul, both of them being only used for strategic purposes - being subbed on 1 minute before the quarter ends so the two starters don't pick up an unnecessary foul.

[mrknowitall215]

That and Plumlee really is legit.

Almost Omer Asik legit?!? (channeling 'LamarMatic7')

haha. Plumlee isn't the defender Asik is, however, he does move nicely and is a big who can guard pick-n-rolls.

Plumlee is a better shot blocker than Asik

I'm not saying that Plumlee is a better or the equal defender as Asik, but the question I would like to ask is "outside of reputation & perception, what qualifies Asik as the clear cut better defender? and is there any specific advanced stat that you'd consider me to observe that'll measure the big 'difference'?"

[LamarMatic7]

Almost Omer Asik legit?!? (channeling 'LamarMatic7')

haha. Plumlee isn't the defender Asik is, however, he does move nicely and is a big who can guard pick-n-rolls.

Plumlee is a better shot blocker than Asik

I'm not saying that Plumlee is a better or the equal defender as Asik, but the question I would like to ask is "outside of reputation & perception, what qualifies Asik as the clear cut better defender? and is there any specific advanced stat that you'd consider me to observe that'll measure the big 'difference'?"

I don't have the time, nor the energy to go through this again. I get it - you don't believe in Asik as a defender. Moreover, I don't think this is an argument that you can settle with stats, Plumlee having only played 20 games as a legit NBA playrer.

To give the benefit of the doubt to Pumlee/the Suns though, it doesn't seem like they are going to slow down that soon. I feel proud about writing them in my November column. I liked what I saw from them ever since I watched the first couple games of Phoenix. Though you have to wonder whether those young guys don't just flame out on some tough road trip in February.

[catch20two]

Asik is a good defender but not a great one. His perceptive value around the league is way overrated. As far as y'all two debate about Plumlee vs Asik they are both benchriders from great defensive teams finally getting to show their stuff. I don't see how one could throw Plumlee's small sample size out the window as if Asik has a large sample size. Asik isn't looking no better than Biz right now.

[LamarMatic7]

Asik is a good defender but not a great one. His perceptive value around the league is way overrated. As far as y'all two debate about Plumlee vs Asik they are both benchriders from great defensive teams finally getting to show their stuff. I don't see how one could throw Plumlee's small sample size out the window as if Asik has a large sample size. Asik isn't looking no better than Biz right now.

Asik had one whole season to prove his value on a bad defensive team that he made at least somewhat competent on that end of the court.

No, he isn't looking better than Biz. But we can only take this season with a grain of salt. The situation with him in Houston obviously has been awkward.

[catch20two]

You could make the situation was awkward for whoever on such and such team argument for almost any player struggling in the NBA. His per 36 numbers are still about the same. He's just getting less minutes.

[Eoghan]

Asik is a much better defender than Biz.

[mrknowitall215]

I don't have the time, nor the energy to go through this again. I get it - you don't believe in Asik as a defender. Moreover, I don't think this is an argument that you can settle with stats, Plumlee having only played 20 games as a legit NBA playrer.

I'm not trying ruffle any feathers, just having a basketball discussion

I'm a avid watcher of the Chicago Bulls because Derrick Rose is my favorite player. I've seen a lot (or little, due to his limited minutes in Chicago) of Omer Asik over the years. He's a good defender, perfect for spotty sporadic minutes off the bench as a backup C, but he's far from the defensive anchor that reputation is starting to precede. His stronghold as a defender is that he's a big, physically imposing, & have enough IQ/awareness to rotate as a help defender without fouling often. Other than that, he's not superb at anything specifically. He's a average shot blocker & etc.

Asik had one whole season to prove his value on a bad defensive team that he made at least somewhat competent on that end of the court.

...but the Rockets were just as, if not a more competent defensive unit the season before his acquisition

2011-12 (w/o Asik): 105.2 Def Rtg

2012-13 (w/ Asik): 106.1 Def Rtg

[fatlever]

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/101 ... urting-nba

interesting zach lowe piece on 3pt shooting.

based on the rockets love for all things worth 3pts, you can bet they arent interested in trading for MKG.

[MasterIchiro]

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10148890/the-reliance-3-pointer-whether-not-hurting-nba

interesting zach lowe piece on 3pt shooting.

based on the rockets love for all things worth 3pts, you can bet they arent interested in trading for MKG.

I think MKG makes most sense for Noel and the Sixers. MCW backed by an iron curtain defense would be interesting for them.

[fatlever]

and i repeat... how does woodson still have a job?

list of errors made in the last few seconds of the knicks game

1) beno has foul to give, doesnt use it
2) beno funnels beal to baseline because he is supposed to have help, but no help comes
3) 3 knicks stand flatfooted and watch as beal goes in for the layup. not one comes to help.
4) woodson doesnt call timeout - says it happened too fast.
5) melo takes a terrible shot

[LamarMatic7]

...but the Rockets were just as, if not a more competent defensive unit the season before his acquisition

2011-12 (w/o Asik): 105.2 Def Rtg

2012-13 (w/ Asik): 106.1 Def Rtg

You can't compare those two teams as if it's the same squad though. The roster experienced plenty of changes and the 2013 team played the highest pace in the league, while the previous one was around league average. As I said before - with the team starting to run and gun and Harden joining it basically as the season started, McHale threw all defensive principles out the window so poor Asik's task was to defend whatever he can while the rest of the starting five played matador D. His on/off defrtg shows his value. And as I also said before - it's a rare sight that a playoff team is so much better on defense when a starter of it hits the bench as it was in Harden's case.

All in all, that's not a valid way to make a point in this case.

You might as well compare our Def Rtg with Larry Brown as our head coach and then the Def RTG we had next year with Paul Silas and claim that some conclusion of yours is correct using that as an example.

[mrknowitall215]

You might as well compare our Def Rtg with Larry Brown as our head coach and then the Def RTG we had next year with Paul Silas and claim that some conclusion of yours is correct using that as an example.

I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this paragraph. I might be able to claim some kind of conclusion if you're insinuating that there wasn't much of a difference in the defensive production from Larry Brown as the head coach one year to the next year with Paul Silas coaching. I didn't comprehend

[LamarMatic7]

You might as well compare our Def Rtg with Larry Brown as our head coach and then the Def RTG we had next year with Paul Silas and claim that some conclusion of yours is correct using that as an example.

I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this paragraph. I might be able to claim some kind of conclusion if you're insinuating that there wasn't much of a difference in the defensive production from Larry Brown as the head coach one year to the next year with Paul Silas coaching. I didn't comprehend

Larry Brown's team play great defense. Silas is a rather regular coach. So it would be like if you compared the defense the team had under Brown with the one they had next year under Silas and then claim that Player X (who joined the team after Brown) is not that good on defense.

[LamarMatic7]

ahh, never mind - too big of a Bobcat-ish reference, I guess.

[mrknowitall215]

You might as well compare our Def Rtg with Larry Brown as our head coach and then the Def RTG we had next year with Paul Silas and claim that some conclusion of yours is correct using that as an example.

I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this paragraph. I might be able to claim some kind of conclusion if you're insinuating that there wasn't much of a difference in the defensive production from Larry Brown as the head coach one year to the next year with Paul Silas coaching. I didn't comprehend

Larry Brown's team play great defense. Silas is a rather regular coach. So it would be like if you compared the defense the team had under Brown with the one they had next year under Silas and then claim that Player X (who joined the team after Brown) is not that good on defense.

That's not the same because Kevin McHale was indeed the coach of that team both years instilling his same principles, and the Rockets actually put together a better roster from one year to the next while Silas obtained a roster in destruction

[LamarMatic7]

I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this paragraph. I might be able to claim some kind of conclusion if you're insinuating that there wasn't much of a difference in the defensive production from Larry Brown as the head coach one year to the next year with Paul Silas coaching. I didn't comprehend

Larry Brown's team play great defense. Silas is a rather regular coach. So it would be like if you compared the defense the team had under Brown with the one they had next year under Silas and then claim that Player X (who joined the team after Brown) is not that good on defense.

That's not the same because Kevin McHale was indeed the coach of that team both years instilling his same principles, and the Rockets actually put together a better roster from one year to the next while Silas obtained a roster in destruction

but did you understand the point I wanted to make? you can't just compare a franchise's two teams in back-to-back years to prove a point.