Around the League Discussion - 2018-2019 (Playoffs)

[LloydFree]

And Harrell is borderline useless in any game against Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis has refused to play C his whole career and already spoke out against playing C for the Lakers.

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2019/7/13/20693254/lakers-anthony-davis-doesnt-want-play-center-rob-pelinka-introduction-stats-lebron-james-star-power

Harrell would be defending the corpse of Boogie Cousins or JaVale McGee in any series against the Lakers. You really think the Clippers are sweating that?

Yup. Because I know Jerry West and Doc Rivers know better than to believe they can get to the Finals with just Harrell and Zubac.

[Kobblehead]

Yup. Because I know Jerry West and Doc Rivers know better than to believe they can get to the Finals with just Harrell and Zubac.

Okay, but the solutions you proposed aren't viable or even responsible.

Why would they attempt to salary match a $25m trade for a diminishing bigman like Marc Gasol or Steven Adams?

Gasol is going to be 35 and gone next year. Adams hasn't moved the needle in the postseason once in his career and looked pretty decrepit last year.

[LloydFree]

Yup. Because I know Jerry West and Doc Rivers know better than to believe they can get to the Finals with just Harrell and Zubac.

Okay, but the solutions you proposed aren't viable or even responsible.

Why would they attempt to salary match a $25m trade for a diminishing bigman like Marc Gasol or Steven Adams?

Gasol is going to be 35 and gone next year. Adams hasn't moved the needle in the postseason once in his career and looked pretty decrepit last year.

For the same reason Toronto over-payed for Gasol last season. Because they know Gasol can keep Embiid from scoring 40 every game of the Finals, like he would if he goes up against what they have currently.

And you act like it would be difficult to add a 25 million expiring. The Clippers have like 10 guys making between 5-10 million per. They can't even play all of those dudes. They collect those kind of players on purpose, in order to facilitate trades

[Kobblehead]

I think it's a ridiculous premium to put on something as insignificant and easily obtained as getting a stout post defender.

Just get a bargain bin post defender (Howard, Baynes, Mahinmi) and use him situationally if you have to. A 35 year old Marc Gasol won't be providing any scoring production so it's not like there'd be a huge gap in impact between him and those guys, anyway.

[Sixerscan]

The team that won the title less than 2 months ago literally did it and you're acting like it's inconceivable. There's a real difference between Gasol and Ian Mahimi no matter how you want to logic it out otherwise.

There's nothing "situational" about the role you would be asking this post defender to fill. Gasol averaged 35 mpg in the Sixers series.

[Kobblehead]

The team that won the title less than 2 months ago literally did it and you're acting like it's inconceivable. There's a real difference between Gasol and Ian Mahimi no matter how you want to logic it out otherwise.

There's nothing "situational" about the role you would be asking this post defender to fill. Gasol averaged 35 mpg in the Sixers series.

What's the difference between Baynes in the Celtics series in 2018 and Gasol in the Raptors series in 2019? Was there honestly a noteable gap?

It is a situational role because if you're not in a series against a post scorer, all the metrics tell you it's better to be deploying a smallball 5. Which is what they have in Montrez Harrell.

And even IF the Sixers come out of the East and Embiid averaged 40 in a series against the Clippers, Paul freaking George and Kawhi freaking Leonard are still in the drivers seat of determining the outcomes of any series. We seem to be losing sight of this.

[Sixerscan]

The team that won the title less than 2 months ago literally did it and you're acting like it's inconceivable. There's a real difference between Gasol and Ian Mahimi no matter how you want to logic it out otherwise.

There's nothing "situational" about the role you would be asking this post defender to fill. Gasol averaged 35 mpg in the Sixers series.

What's the difference between Baynes in the Celtics series in 2018 and Gasol in the Raptors series in 2019? Was there honestly a noteable gap?

It is a situational role because if you're not in a series against a post scorer, all the metrics tell you it's better to be deploying a smallball 5. Which is what they have in Montrez Harrell.

And even IF the Sixers come out of the East and Embiid averaged 40 in a series against the Clippers, Paul freaking George and Kawhi freaking Leonard are still in the drivers seat of determining the outcomes of any series. We seem to be losing sight of this.

Yes? Horford covered Jo for huge stretches of that series. The Celtics were a disaster with Baynes in without Horford in that series.

I'm not losing sight of anything. They might still win the title with a bad rotation at the 1 and 5. But I don't think they'll risk it at both spots.

[76ciology]

Educate me here. In the last two seasons in the playoffs, why dont we run actions and attack the mismatch rather than just dumping the ball to embiid?

Everyone is doing it. GSW runs the KD-Curry 2 man game, Rox is relentless in running actions to put Curry on Harden and etc.

Another thing is.. vets like Gilbert Arenas talks reading the type of defender before attacking. If Embiid face Julius Randle or Jarett Allen, then attack him at the post. If he face Baynes and Gasol, then use his perimeter skill and quickness by attacking him face up. Or again, run actions and force a smaller guy on Embiid.

I feel like if we change our coach to Brad Stevens, LeCoach or Steve Kerr, he’d do these adjustments

[Kobblehead]

C and PG are STRENGTHS of the Clippers. The only upgrade they might desire is getting a reserve wing that can defend and shoot. Right now, Harkless can only defend and Shamet can only shoot. Try to get Dillon Brooks off Memphis.

[Kobblehead]

Educate me here. In the last two seasons in the playoffs, why dont we run actions and attack the mismatch rather than just dumping the ball to embiid?

Everyone is doing it. GSW runs the KD-Curry 2 man game, Rox is relentless in running actions to put Curry on Harden and etc.

Another thing is.. vets like Gilbert Arenas talks reading the type of defender before attacking. If Embiid face Julius Randle or Jarett Allen, then attack him at the post. If he face Baynes and Gasol, then use his perimeter skill and quickness by attacking him face up. Or again, run actions and force a smaller guy on Embiid.

I feel like if we change our coach to Brad Stevens, LeCoach or Steve Kerr, he’d do these adjustments

Because we haven't had any dynamic ball handlers that can score from multiple levels off the dribble. Butler is the closest we've had and he's far from dynamic.

[Kobblehead]

If Embiid face Julius Randle or Jarett Allen, then attack him at the post. If he face Baynes and Gasol, then use his perimeter skill and quickness by attacking him face up. Or again, run actions and force a smaller guy on Embiid.

By the time Embiid processes the opponent and forms an appropriate plan of attack, the double team is coming. It's really hard to run your offense through a post player.

Embiid has lacked decisiveness in these moments, also.

[LloydFree]

The team that won the title less than 2 months ago literally did it and you're acting like it's inconceivable. There's a real difference between Gasol and Ian Mahimi no matter how you want to logic it out otherwise.

There's nothing "situational" about the role you would be asking this post defender to fill. Gasol averaged 35 mpg in the Sixers series.

What's the difference between Baynes in the Celtics series in 2018 and Gasol in the Raptors series in 2019? Was there honestly a noteable gap?

It is a situational role because if you're not in a series against a post scorer, all the metrics tell you it's better to be deploying a smallball 5. Which is what they have in Montrez Harrell.

And even IF the Sixers come out of the East and Embiid averaged 40 in a series against the Clippers, Paul freaking George and Kawhi freaking Leonard are still in the drivers seat of determining the outcomes of any series. We seem to be losing sight of this.

Yes? Horford covered Jo for huge stretches of that series. The Celtics were a disaster with Baynes in without Horford in that series.

I'm not losing sight of anything. They might still win the title with a bad rotation at the 1 and 5. But I don't think they'll risk it at both spots.

That's exactly the point. Teams are playing for Championships. What kind of GM haggles to keep friggin JayMichael Green and Rodney McGruder as their 10th and 11th men, instead of trading them to upgrade your biggest weakness. A player that can help Neutralize a top 10 player in the league, that you're likely to see in the Finals?

Sitting there praying you can get Aaron Baynes (a ridiculously inferior facsimile of Gasol) on the buyout market, with a Championship on the line, is pure nonsense. If you have to settle for that outcome, fine. If that's the plan, you're being 'penny wise, but dollar foolish' and don't deserve to win a Championship.

[Kobblehead]

That's exactly the point. Teams are playing for Championships. What kind of GM haggles to keep friggin JayMichael Green and Rodney McGruder as their 10th and 11th men, instead of trading them to upgrade your biggest weakness. A player that can help Neutralize a top 10 player in the league, that you're likely to see in the Finals?

Sitting there praying you can get Aaron Baynes (a ridiculously inferior facsimile of Gasol) on the buyout market, with a Championship on the line, is pure nonsense. If you have to settle for that outcome, fine. If that's the plan, you're being 'penny wise, but dollar foolish' and don't deserve to win a Championship.

Joel Embiid can't go on the ball and determine an outcome of a series.

The best way to neutralize him is to swarm him with the countless excellent defenders the Clippers have on the perimeter. Not to trade for some rapidly declining 35 year old post defender that you hope still has mobility by the time the playoffs roll around.

[76ciology]

If Embiid face Julius Randle or Jarett Allen, then attack him at the post. If he face Baynes and Gasol, then use his perimeter skill and quickness by attacking him face up. Or again, run actions and force a smaller guy on Embiid.

By the time Embiid processes the opponent and forms an appropriate plan of attack, the double team is coming. It's really hard to run your offense through a post player.

Embiid has lacked decisiveness in these moments, also.

Because he made it more difficult.

Its the coaching staff’s job to put him in a more favorable stage. Sure it’s difficult to attack at the post, but against a Kyle lowry off a 1-5 2man action and with Danny Green as the nearest defender near him, it’s an easier attack.

[76ciology]

That's exactly the point. Teams are playing for Championships. What kind of GM haggles to keep friggin JayMichael Green and Rodney McGruder as their 10th and 11th men, instead of trading them to upgrade your biggest weakness. A player that can help Neutralize a top 10 player in the league, that you're likely to see in the Finals?

Sitting there praying you can get Aaron Baynes (a ridiculously inferior facsimile of Gasol) on the buyout market, with a Championship on the line, is pure nonsense. If you have to settle for that outcome, fine. If that's the plan, you're being 'penny wise, but dollar foolish' and don't deserve to win a Championship.

Joel Embiid can't go on the ball and determine an outcome of a series.

The best way to neutralize him is to swarm him with the countless excellent defenders the Clippers have on the perimeter. Not to trade for some rapidly declining 35 year old post defender that you hope still has mobility by the time the playoffs roll around.

No way Embiid averages more than 20 with a 35 year old banger and having Kawhi, PG and Harell swarming around him. Agree with this.

If I’m facing the Clips, I’ll hunt Beverly or Shamet. Force both those two on Ben or Embiid. Then attack them.

[Kobblehead]

If I'm the Clippers, I'll take that all day if the Sixers want to repeatedly feed Embiid post isolation opportunities.

I'll swarm the hell out of him with Beverely, George and Kawhi. Generating turnovers by the boatload. Not to mention Embiid's conditioning is usually crap so he can't sustain the energy for that type of workload, anyway.

So what are we talking about here?

Ball handlers determine games, not bigmen. The Clippers don't need to overvalue getting an individual check for a post scorer. Get a bargain bin guy and coast to the championship that Kawhi and Paul deliver.

[76ciology]

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[Kobblehead]

How are the Warriors over the Lakers and Nuggets in Finals probability?

Bucks seem to be getting too much love.

[Wilfried]

How are the Warriors over the Lakers and Nuggets in Finals probability?

Bucks seem to be getting too much love.

Because they still have
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Draymond Green

And they added
Cauley-Stein
D'Angelo Russell

They are pretty
Deep
Versatile

And they have
The experience
The defensive potential

So everything point to them being better than Lakers and Nuggets to me too

[76ciology]

How are the Warriors over the Lakers and Nuggets in Finals probability?

Bucks seem to be getting too much love.

Because they still have
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Draymond Green

And they added
Cauley-Stein
D'Angelo Russell

They are pretty
Deep
Versatile

And they have
The experience
The defensive potential

So everything point to them being better than Lakers and Nuggets to me too

Yeah. I feel like any team with more than 2 star caliber players is an automatic contender with the current set-up.

DLo and Draymond have more star power than Tobi and Horford. While Steph and Klay has more star power than Ben and Biid.