Around the League - 2019-2020

XtremeDunkz · Post #761 » by **XtremeDunkz** » Mon Dec 9, 2019 6:35 pm

Yeah Jimmy hated Ben for sure lol.

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Kobblehead · Post #762 » by **Kobblehead** » Mon Dec 9, 2019 7:05 pm

Nah, that's hyperbole at its finest. Towns has been excellent defensively this year.

Kobblehead · Post #763 » by **Kobblehead** » Mon Dec 9, 2019 7:06 pm

Ben appears to be a smug, defiant kid. Brett Brown calls him out in public and the very next game he doesn't attempt a three or a free throw. I wouldn't be shocked if he and Jimmy came to blows in practice and that's the "something happened" thing Jimmy vaguely refers to.

Kobblehead · Post #764 » by **Kobblehead** » Mon Dec 9, 2019 7:10 pm

You know another guy with a reputation for being a terrible defender that fans are too lazy to consider changing their opinion on who's actually having a really good defensive season? Enes Kanter. It's amazing what a great coach with an elite defensive system can get out of some guys.

Kobblehead · Post #765 » by **Kobblehead** » Mon Dec 9, 2019 10:42 pm

So Ujiri is gonna jump ship and join the Knicks, huh.

I wonder if he thinks he can get Giannis.

Post #766 » by **Sixerscan** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:32 am

Great result for all the Kings over/Rockets under fans

Revived · Post #767 » by **Revived** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:50 am

Read on Twitter

Jaylen Brown don’t want this smoke...

phillynative · Post #768 » by **phillynative** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:52 am

Revived wrote:

Read on Twitter

Jaylen Brown don’t want this smoke...

I hope someone points that out to Ben. "They tryna clown you man"...

Gant · Post #769 » by **Gant** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:57 pm

That partial quote was a bit out of context. I think Jaylen Brown followed it with something like, "Ben knocked them down too, so shout out to both of those guys."

It's pretty funny really.

Read on Twitter

Post #770 » by **Sixerscan** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:36 pm

Jaylen Brown and his career 67% free throw shooting has few people he can make fun of for free throw shooting so he’s gotta take it where he can I guess.

Post #771 » by **Sixerscan** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:41 pm

Kobblehead wrote:You know another guy with a reputation for being a terrible defender that fans are too lazy to consider changing their opinion on who's actually having a really good defensive season? Enes Kanter. It's amazing what a great coach with an elite defensive system can get out of some guys.

Read on Twitter

Maybe not...

Kobblehead · Post #772 » by **Kobblehead** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:23 pm

Sixerscan wrote:Maybe not...

Looks like a hipster blogger posting out of his college dorm room who hovers on NBA.com's player tracking data and plus/minus stats while the game is merely on in the background, streaming illegally off his tiny iPhone.

Kanter will never be a rim protector or be stout in the post, but he's playing well in space and defending the pick and roll better than he ever has at any point of his career. I don't know how anyone can not see that this year.

Post #773 » by **Sixerscan** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:56 pm

Kobblehead wrote:
Sixerscan wrote:Maybe not...

Looks like a hipster blogger posting out of his college dorm room who hovers on NBA.com's player tracking data and plus/minus stats while the game is merely on in the background, streaming illegally off his tiny iPhone.

Kanter will never be a rim protector or be stout in the post, but he's playing well in space and defending the pick and roll better than he ever has at any point of his career. I don't know how anyone can not see that this year.

Pretty sure someone that writes for Celticsblog watches the Celtics.

Kanter can be playing better defense for him and still be bad, there’s a reason he’s only getting 15-20 mpg when they have such weak alternatives.

Kobblehead · Post #774 » by **Kobblehead** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:09 pm

Sixerscan wrote:Pretty sure someone that writes for Celticsblog watches the Celtics.

Kanter can be playing better defense for him and still be bad, there’s a reason he’s only getting 15-20 mpg when they have such weak alternatives.

Feels like he's piling onto a comfortable consensus angle by criticizing Kanter's defense. It would have more merit if it was coming from a Blazers blogger from last year.

A Celtics blogger this season should be pointing out the improvements to Kanter's team defense and noting the strides he's making in pick and roll and on switches. Still going on with the "Kanter is the worst" take seems outdated and misleading.

It's the Jokic phenomenon where people equate post defense and rim protection to all-encompassing defense. Not accounting for team defense contributions or guarding in space. Denver wouldn't have been a premier defense in these last two years if Jokic was not making significant defensive contributions. Similarly, Boston would not be the 3rd ranked defense this year if Kanter was not making defensive contributions.

Gant · Post #775 » by **Gant** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:38 pm

I've watched every Celtics game this year and I think Kanter's defense can be described like this: Really terrible, but not as terrible as expected, and every once in a while, ok.

As far as center minutes, Theis, Kanter, and R Williams are overall fairly even*, but with much different strengths, weaknesses and development arcs. Each is best in certain situations, so the minutes are being split between them, with G Williams occasionally being used in small ball lineups.

(*All three of Kanter, R Williams and Theis are + players in PER with Kanter leading the way in that offensively biased stat, but when you throw in defense, it evens up. Overall, their center corps is not outstanding by any means, but hasn't been weak either.)

76ciology · Post #776 » by **76ciology** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:00 pm

Watch on YouTube

Can’t tell me he can do this just because he is playing on a losing team. He looks like a CLEAR allstar here.

Kobblehead · Post #777 » by **Kobblehead** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:23 pm

76ciology wrote:Can’t tell me he can do this just because he is playing on a losing team.

That argument only makes sense if someone is putting up volume stats on poor efficiency. Which clearly isn't the case with Ingram. He looks like a legitimate superstar, at the moment.

Kobblehead · Post #778 » by **Kobblehead** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:49 pm

Gant wrote:I think Kanter's defense can be described like this: Really terrible, but not as terrible as expected, and every once in a while, ok.

Which is more than could be said about his defense at any other time in his career. Which proves the improvement I was talking about. He still looks bad defending the few amount of post scorers he's gone up against. He still doesn't dissuade slashers from attacking the rim. However, he's defending the pick and roll at a very respectable degree and when he does get switched onto a ball handlers, he's no longer an outright sieve. He's been a pleasant surprise when you account for his reputation. He's making contributions to the team defense.

I just want people to monitor deviations from consensus opinion and make note of when improvements are made. There's no reason to attach possible outdated stigmas to certain players when discussing them.

Another minor example of this is people around the league that call Tobias Harris a black hole who plays no defense. He's made improvements to both his ball moving and defense this year and those stigmas are currently outdated and not applicable to him.

Post #779 » by **Sixerscan** » Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:43 am

Heat are such a fun story.

Would love to blow their butts out in the 2nd round.

76ciology · Post #780 » by **76ciology** » Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:14 am

Watch on YouTube

You dont usually do this. Teams usually dont adjust their defense game to game. This is why playoffs basketball is different and why not just relying on 1-2 guys on offense is important. Lakers will realize that they arent as good in the playoffs.