Around the NBA, 2015-16 Season Thread

[Paradise]

Lol so glad Boston lost they suck. We actually did better then them last year against a much better Hawks team , now let's just hope they draft a total bust . I'm hoping for wins from Pacers and hornets now , the east playoffs have been decent

Not surprised that we put up a better competitive series than Boston did. The Celtics aren't that far off from our talent level. They are blessed with terrific coaching and development when it comes to Crowder, Smart, etc. Thomas was always a talented scorer but he's improved as a point guard. Outside of that? The roster is filled with C and D tier talent.

I couldn't believe the level of homerism coming from the Celtics. Tommy Heinsohn saying that Horford isn't a great player. Cs fans scoffing at the general belief it was going to several games. I'm glad that organization and fanbase got humbled.

[Prokorov]

Lol so glad Boston lost they suck. We actually did better then them last year against a much better Hawks team , now let's just hope they draft a total bust . I'm hoping for wins from Pacers and hornets now , the east playoffs have been decent

Not surprised that we put up a better competitive series than Boston did. The Celtics aren't that far off from our talent level. They are blessed with terrific coaching and development when it comes to Crowder, Smart, etc. Thomas was always a talented scorer but he's improved as a point guard. Outside of that? The roster is filled with C and D tier talent.

I couldn't believe the level of homerism coming from the Celtics. Tommy Heinsohn saying that Horford isn't a great player. Cs fans scoffing at the general belief it was going to several games. I'm glad that organization and fanbase got humbled.

maybe last year our talent level wasnt far off with dwill, Anderson, johnson, etc.

this year its surely worse. alot worse. outside of brook and thad you could argue there wasnt antoher starter on the team.

[kamaze]

Luke Walton going back to LA and the Kings are open to trading Cousins. Boston would be a problem if they got him that's their A level talent right there.

[Paradise]

Can we just eliminate Lowry from our free agent list for next summer? People (including me) crap on DeRozan for his inconsistency and pending contract but Lowry? Jesus Christ.

15/6/4 on 31% FG, 18% 3pt (Yes, 18). .445 TS% and 12.8 PER.

He doesn't even have the luxury of an excuse like DeRozan. Paul George isn't guarding him at all.

[Mkdaman1818]

Can we just eliminate Lowry from our free agent list for next summer? People (including me) crap on DeRozan for his inconsistency and pending contract but Lowry? Jesus Christ.

15/6/4 on 31% FG, 18% 3pt (Yes, 18). .445 TS% and 12.8 PER.

He doesn't even have the luxury of an excuse like DeRozan. Paul George isn't guarding him at all.

I'm 99% sure Lowry is hurt. I'd take Lowry over derozan any day. Heart and soul guy, at least he looks like he's trying. Derozan looks god awful.

[Dirk]

Can we just eliminate Lowry from our free agent list for next summer? People (including me) crap on DeRozan for his inconsistency and pending contract but Lowry? Jesus Christ.

15/6/4 on 31% FG, 18% 3pt (Yes, 18). .445 TS% and 12.8 PER.

He doesn't even have the luxury of an excuse like DeRozan. Paul George isn't guarding him at all.

I'm 99% sure Lowry is hurt. I'd take Lowry over derozan any day. Heart and soul guy, at least he looks like he's trying. Derozan looks god awful.

Lowry is not a free agent.

I would buy the argument that he is hurt... but it's now two straight post-seasons where he has been hurt. So I don't know, it kind of sounds like a convenient excuse. Both have been terrible, but definitely agree, he is still better than DeRozan, who is pretty much one-dimensional.

[vincecarter4pres]

All comes down to Sunday, NyCeEvO!

[NyCeEvO]

Can we just eliminate Lowry from our free agent list for next summer? People (including me) crap on DeRozan for his inconsistency and pending contract but Lowry? Jesus Christ.

15/6/4 on 31% FG, 18% 3pt (Yes, 18). .445 TS% and 12.8 PER.

He doesn't even have the luxury of an excuse like DeRozan. Paul George isn't guarding him at all.

He's had right elbow bursitis (shooting arm) since January. His elbow was drained in late March and has had little effect.

Part of his struggles come from the fac g that he plays to draw fouls more than most, but most of it is definitely due to his elbow injury.

[Papi_swav]

Lol so glad Boston lost they suck. We actually did better then them last year against a much better Hawks team , now let's just hope they draft a total bust . I'm hoping for wins from Pacers and hornets now , the east playoffs have been decent

Not surprised that we put up a better competitive series than Boston did. The Celtics aren't that far off from our talent level. They are blessed with terrific coaching and development when it comes to Crowder, Smart, etc. Thomas was always a talented scorer but he's improved as a point guard. Outside of that? The roster is filled with C and D tier talent.

I couldn't believe the level of homerism coming from the Celtics. Tommy Heinsohn saying that Horford isn't a great player. Cs fans scoffing at the general belief it was going to several games. I'm glad that organization and fanbase got humbled.

I kind of am surprised we put up better competitive series than Boston did to be frank... Many commentators and fans was saying that Boston was the most feared team in the playoffs other than Cleveland and that nobody would want to face them.

they're team is better than our team last year. They have great defense and guys that play tough and hard which we didn't have last year. You could argue that they lost Bradley and Olynk but remember we lost Teletovic and we also lost D-will for 5 games lol not exactly but he only had that one 35 point performance and was nowhere to be found other than that. Either way we faced a much better Hawks team last year than Boston did this year and we didn't get blown out by 30 points in any of those games. Boston is the definition of a treadmill team, they better pray they strike gold with this pick those pricks

[MrDollarBills]

Lol so glad Boston lost they suck. We actually did better then them last year against a much better Hawks team , now let's just hope they draft a total bust . I'm hoping for wins from Pacers and hornets now , the east playoffs have been decent

Not surprised that we put up a better competitive series than Boston did. The Celtics aren't that far off from our talent level. They are blessed with terrific coaching and development when it comes to Crowder, Smart, etc. Thomas was always a talented scorer but he's improved as a point guard. Outside of that? The roster is filled with C and D tier talent.

I couldn't believe the level of homerism coming from the Celtics. Tommy Heinsohn saying that Horford isn't a great player. Cs fans scoffing at the general belief it was going to several games. I'm glad that organization and fanbase got humbled.

I kind of am surprised we put up better competitive series than Boston did to be frank... Many commentators and fans was saying that Boston was the most feared team in the playoffs other than Cleveland and that nobody would want to face them.

they're team is better than our team last year. They have great defense and guys that play tough and hard which we didn't have last year. You could argue that they lost Bradley and Olynk but remember we lost Teletovic and we also lost D-will for 5 games lol not exactly but he only had that one 35 point performance and was nowhere to be found other than that. Either way we faced a much better Hawks team last year than Boston did this year and we didn't get blown out by 30 points in any of those games. Boston is the definition of a treadmill team, they better pray they strike gold with this pick those pricks

I'm not sure how anyone could consider them a team to be feared. Yes, excellent defensively, tons of heart and hustle...but there's only one player on that team that is above C tier.

[Papi_swav]

Not surprised that we put up a better competitive series than Boston did. The Celtics aren't that far off from our talent level. They are blessed with terrific coaching and development when it comes to Crowder, Smart, etc. Thomas was always a talented scorer but he's improved as a point guard. Outside of that? The roster is filled with C and D tier talent.

I couldn't believe the level of homerism coming from the Celtics. Tommy Heinsohn saying that Horford isn't a great player. Cs fans scoffing at the general belief it was going to several games. I'm glad that organization and fanbase got humbled.

I kind of am surprised we put up better competitive series than Boston did to be frank... Many commentators and fans was saying that Boston was the most feared team in the playoffs other than Cleveland and that nobody would want to face them.

they're team is better than our team last year. They have great defense and guys that play tough and hard which we didn't have last year. You could argue that they lost Bradley and Olynk but remember we lost Teletovic and we also lost D-will for 5 games lol not exactly but he only had that one 35 point performance and was nowhere to be found other than that. Either way we faced a much better Hawks team last year than Boston did this year and we didn't get blown out by 30 points in any of those games. Boston is the definition of a treadmill team, they better pray they strike gold with this pick those pricks

I'm not sure how anyone could consider them a team to be feared. Yes, excellent defensively, tons of heart and hustle...but there's only one player on that team that is above C tier.

That's exactly why, because they are great defensively and have tons of heart. Nobody wants to face a scrappy team like that in the playoffs , I still watch a little ESPN and NbaTv and a lot of those guys were saying exactly what I said. Even on the General Board guys were saying that and it's not hard to believe. I think Avery Bradley is a B player but yea he got hurt , Crowder is a very good 2 way player and great defensively , Smart is great defensively, their bench was definitely better than ours. We probably had only one player above C tier too which is Lopez.

[Paradise]

Can we just eliminate Lowry from our free agent list for next summer? People (including me) crap on DeRozan for his inconsistency and pending contract but Lowry? Jesus Christ.

15/6/4 on 31% FG, 18% 3pt (Yes, 18). .445 TS% and 12.8 PER.

He doesn't even have the luxury of an excuse like DeRozan. Paul George isn't guarding him at all.

I'm 99% sure Lowry is hurt. I'd take Lowry over derozan any day. Heart and soul guy, at least he looks like he's trying. Derozan looks god awful.

He was awful last postseason against Washington as well. He could be hurt but two poor performances in the playoffs in a row and one solid postseason came against D-Will's corpse. Not a good sign.

[Mkdaman1818]

What the Spurs are doing to Durant and OKC is only legal in Tijuana. If this is the best okc can do, maybe Durant takes a long hard look at leaving this year. Marks needs to sell us as Spurs east on the court if we have any shot. What a performance by San Antonio so far.

[Paradise]

It's one thing to get schooled offensively by the Spurs but these immature fouls on threes and half hearted effort to defend is disgraceful. I wasn't a fan of the antics and distractions they fed into against Dallas.

Donovan was a bad hire. He could be a good coach elsewhere but the Thunder needs a coach capable of embarrassing Durant and Westbrook because there is absolutely no leadership there.

[Mkdaman1818]

It's one thing to get schooled offensively by the Spurs but these immature fouls on threes and half hearted effort to defend is disgraceful. I wasn't a fan of the antics and distractions they fed into against Dallas.

Donovan was a bad hire. He could be a good coach elsewhere but the Thunder needs a coach capable of embarrassing Durant and Westbrook because there is absolutely no leadership there.

It reminds me of when kids act out in high school class cause a teacher has no control of the room, and the kids don't respect them at all. Durant and Westbrook just don't seem happy in okc anymore. Either it's the culture of Donovan, or it's the frustration of making the playoffs every year and then realizing the strategies their team employ is one a 4 year old could have drawn on a napkin. I'm guessing it's a combo of the two.

[Paradise]

It's one thing to get schooled offensively by the Spurs but these immature fouls on threes and half hearted effort to defend is disgraceful. I wasn't a fan of the antics and distractions they fed into against Dallas.

Donovan was a bad hire. He could be a good coach elsewhere but the Thunder needs a coach capable of embarrassing Durant and Westbrook because there is absolutely no leadership there.

It reminds me of when kids act out in high school class cause a teacher has no control of the room, and the kids don't respect them at all. Durant and Westbrook just don't seem happy in okc anymore. Either it's the culture of Donovan, or it's the frustration of making the playoffs every year and then realizing the strategies their team employ is one a 4 year old could have drawn on a napkin. I'm guessing it's a combo of the two.

I can't imagine Donovan getting hired without an ideal system in mind. I don't believe that Westbrook and Durant are all that coachable, tbh. Durant complains about being overshadowed by Leonard and Curry but who's outplaying him? Kawhi.

Presti has done a poor job of getting a proper coach that emphasizes on either a structure on offense or defense but at the same time in games like this there is no coaching that can push effort and IQ. Aldridge is beasting and setting a tone. Leonard is out there setting a tone. Westbrook and Durant look absolutely clueless. When the stars aren't ready to compete then the rest will not compete either.

[shakendfries]

Watching Donnovan going against Popovich in his first year as a HC is like when Neo first fought Morpheus - no chance. Its clear that the Spurs knew exactly how the Thunder were going to defend every one of their sets, and exactly who to put in PnR situations to get Aldridge & Kawhi their shots. Once the shots started falling and the duo started drawing doubles, they already planned exactly where to pass the ball to get an open shot. It's stupid how good the Spurs are at executing - but make no mistake, the Spurs this season are an All-time great team.

Durant would be stupid to leave OKC. The Thunder are and will be a top 4 team in the NBA until he retires, they're perennial contenders in the toughest conference, they have the deepest bench in the league, they have an identity as the best rebounding team in the league, their FO is flawless, he is beloved by fans, they have a good/accomplished Xs and Os coach, their roster has all high character guys, Westbrook and Durant are the highest scoring NBA duo since Jordan and Pippen, etc.

Basically, every NBA organization aspires to create what the Spurs, Warriors, and Thunder have. I could go on and on, but blaming Donnovan getting outcoached by Pop is oversimplifying things- the Thunder have outscored opponents by 300+ pts through the first 3 quarters, and are -2 in the 4th. That's something that can be solved in the offseason.

Durant will sign a 1yr extension with OKC this summer, and will sign a supermax with Westbrook after they make the finals next season

[Mkdaman1818]

It's one thing to get schooled offensively by the Spurs but these immature fouls on threes and half hearted effort to defend is disgraceful. I wasn't a fan of the antics and distractions they fed into against Dallas.

Donovan was a bad hire. He could be a good coach elsewhere but the Thunder needs a coach capable of embarrassing Durant and Westbrook because there is absolutely no leadership there.

It reminds me of when kids act out in high school class cause a teacher has no control of the room, and the kids don't respect them at all. Durant and Westbrook just don't seem happy in okc anymore. Either it's the culture of Donovan, or it's the frustration of making the playoffs every year and then realizing the strategies their team employ is one a 4 year old could have drawn on a napkin. I'm guessing it's a combo of the two.

I can't imagine Donovan getting hired without an ideal system in mind. I don't believe that Westbrook and Durant are all that coachable, tbh. Durant complains about being overshadowed by Leonard and Curry but who's outplaying him? Kawhi.

Presti has done a poor job of getting a proper coach that emphasizes on either a structure on offense or defense but at the same time in games like this there is no coaching that can push effort and IQ. Aldridge is beasting and setting a tone. Leonard is out there setting a tone. Westbrook and Durant look absolutely clueless. When the stars aren't ready to compete then the rest will not compete either.

The difference between the two orgs is that Popovich is putting plays and systems in place to let LMA and Kawhi succeed. Donovan seems to just let Westbrook and Durant run ISOs with random piss-poor screens and hope it works. I'm convinced of two things: #1, Durant and Westbrook need to split up because they're too similar; #2, they will only flourish with coaches that actually have concrete structure that they have to buy into, rather than a coach that just runs plays that keeps them looking like stars on an And1 mixtape. Whether it's Brooklyn, LA, Boston, Golden State, whatever... What OKC has done to these guys is awful.

[shakendfries]

It reminds me of when kids act out in high school class cause a teacher has no control of the room, and the kids don't respect them at all. Durant and Westbrook just don't seem happy in okc anymore. Either it's the culture of Donovan, or it's the frustration of making the playoffs every year and then realizing the strategies their team employ is one a 4 year old could have drawn on a napkin. I'm guessing it's a combo of the two.

I can't imagine Donovan getting hired without an ideal system in mind. I don't believe that Westbrook and Durant are all that coachable, tbh. Durant complains about being overshadowed by Leonard and Curry but who's outplaying him? Kawhi.

Presti has done a poor job of getting a proper coach that emphasizes on either a structure on offense or defense but at the same time in games like this there is no coaching that can push effort and IQ. Aldridge is beasting and setting a tone. Leonard is out there setting a tone. Westbrook and Durant look absolutely clueless. When the stars aren't ready to compete then the rest will not compete either.

The difference between the two orgs is that Popovich is putting plays and systems in place to let LMA and Kawhi succeed. Donovan seems to just let Westbrook and Durant run ISOs with random piss-poor screens and hope it works. I'm convinced of two things: #1, Durant and Westbrook need to split up because they're too similar; #2, they will only flourish with coaches that actually have concrete structure that they have to buy into, rather than a coach that just runs plays that keeps them looking like stars on an And1 mixtape. Whether it's Brooklyn, LA, Boston, Golden State, whatever... What OKC has done to these guys is awful.

Blaming Donovan for getting outcoached by Pop is oversimplifying things- the Thunder have outscored opponents by 300+ pts through the first 3 quarters, and are -2 in the 4th. You don't get those numbers by running isos for 4 quarters. Your assertion that they run isos 24/7 and that's why they're losing to the Spurs is blatantly false. Running hero ball in the 4th is what's gotten them in trouble all season. That's something that can be solved in the offseason

[kamaze]

From the outside it looks like the players run things in OKC that's how it is with a lot of teams.
I say that because they lack discipline on defense and on offense they don't move the ball. I believe they gave up 103 points a game during the season and in game 1 vs a great team it was already a blowout in the 1st quarter and they didn't start moving the ball until the 2nd half after they were down 30.

Watching this game it looks like OKC is getting swept.