2019-20 NBA Season Discussion

[E-Balla]

SRS has historically correlated pretty well with playoff performance, but it's obviously just one number, and matchups also play a huge role which you can't just look at a number to determine how those will play out. Otherwise, we should just determine the champion based on SRS every year.

SRS is an improvement over team record for sure, correlates a lot better, but it's just that: a correlation. The Bucks having the best SRS in the league has done absolutely nothing for them the last 2 seasons.

Middleton+Brogdon+Giannis outscored Toronto by 25 pp100 last year. Brogdon still only played 30 mpg.

The reason their SRS doesn't translate is Bud doesn't think he should play his best lineups more in the postseason or make any adjustments at all.

Read on Twitter

No wonder he keeps losing 4 straight in the playoffs. It's maddening.

[Dupp]

What’s he talking about pushing the ceiling? Why can’t he play more. Very annoying.

[Dupp]

I honestly think Brook Lopez is the second best player on the team and is better than Khris Middleton. Lopez has kind of been treated unfairly and basically bullied by fans and the media for a lot of his career, but he was always good and a much better defender than his reputation suggested.

I agree and it's despite him beng treated like a roleplayer by coach and fans. Brook is just damn good basketball player.

It’s crazy how good brook is in Milwaukee, on both sides...


In regards to him and his size should be punishing Miami.. I dunno I wouldn’t go searching to exploit it too often. If things are forced I don’t think it’ll have a positive effect. However he should be getting some more shots.

[Dupp]

Also how good is bam. What a stud.

[GSP]

Also how good is bam. What a stud.

Top 3 center IMO. I think id only take Jokic and Rudy over him right now

Ppl want Embiid to Miami but thatd make them alot worse IMO. Bam is a better defender and can actually defend perimeter and switch onto anyone and defend space which Embiid cant. His conditioning and passing is also 10x better. Embiid is a better post scorer but hes not that good and a bad passer so youd have to change the offense to give him more touches when hes not good enough to warrant them

[Doctor MJ]

I think the issue is this team is basically like the 09-10 Cavs where Giannis is a lot worse than LeBron in the PS and the cast is better than what the Cavs had but it basically evens out and this team can be game planned for. Coaching is also a huge disadvantage for them in the PS when you have Mr. Spreadsheets on the bench refusing to change his formula and just wants to copy/paste what worked in the RS. It works beautifully in the RS but in the PS he's a bottom tier coach just like Mike Brown.

The only thing surprising is that they are flaming out this spectacularly.

Hey Paulie!

The analogy to the 2010 Cavs-Celtics series is ineed remarkable, and the Bucks and Giannis and Bud (if he has a soul), will have to do some serious soul searching as soon as the season ends.

And as you say, the big difference this time is that Giannis' and his team seem much more thoroughly exposed than LeBron's Cavs did. Whereas the Cavs felt like a team whose margin for error was very small, the Bucks feel like a team that's been figured out. After last year, the Bucks were a team that needed to figure out Plan B's and C's ASAP. A game away from elimination, it looks like they haven't even tried to come up with such back up plans.

Regard Giannis as a player specifically, I think the key thing for me is that the secret to his MVP-level success is a particular cheat code that a smart defensive team can turn off (or at least turn down by quite a bit). That doesn't mean he can't figure more stuff out - that's certainly what LeBron and others have done over the course of their veteran careers - but he really doesn't seem close at this moment.

[Dupp]

Also how good is bam. What a stud.

Top 3 center IMO. I think id only take Jokic and Rudy over him right now

Ppl want Embiid to Miami but thatd make them alot worse IMO. Bam is a better defender and can actually defend perimeter and switch onto anyone and defend space which Embiid cant. His conditioning and passing is also 10x better. Embiid is a better post scorer but hes not that good and a bad passer so youd have to change the offense to give him more touches when hes not good enough to warrant them

I’d definitely take him over goober going forward.

As for Joel I think he’s also pretty clearly better than goober but it is an interesting point of discussion how good his offense actually is and how it can actually fit with many teams. Joel’s defense however is super underrated I feel.

[therealbig3]

I love Bam Adebayo.

Another C out there who I think is pretty underrated but does pretty much everything you want out of your big man is Jarrett Allen, with the exception of outside shooting.

[therealbig3]

Also, based on how Bud has been coaching, yeah he's pretty much out of my top 5 coaches. Gotta give the top 5 nod to Carlisle, Pop, Spoelstra, Nurse, and Stevens.

[Dupp]

Also, based on how Bud has been coaching, yeah he's pretty much out of my top 5 coaches. Gotta give the top 5 nod to Carlisle, Pop, Spoelstra, Nurse, and Stevens.

Yeah that seems like a pretty good list. MDA somewhere up the top for me too. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone else.


Bud is obviously really great coach. It was pretty evident in the difference he made compared to Kidd. However he’s now at some Thibs level stubbornness with his unwillingness to adjust and Play certain guys / lineups more than the regular season.

He’s reverse thibs in terms of playing guys into the ground but right now I don’t get it. Him trying to justify Giannis low minutes is mind boggling.

[therealbig3]

Also, based on how Bud has been coaching, yeah he's pretty much out of my top 5 coaches. Gotta give the top 5 nod to Carlisle, Pop, Spoelstra, Nurse, and Stevens.

Yeah that seems like a pretty good list. MDA somewhere up the top for me too. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone else.


Bud is obviously really great coach. It was pretty evident in the difference he made compared to Kidd. However he’s now at some Thibs level stubbornness with his unwillingness to adjust and Play certain guys / lineups more than the regular season.

He’s reverse thibs in terms of playing guys into the ground but right now I don’t get it. Him trying to justify Giannis low minutes is mind boggling.

I think he's on that second tier of coaches for sure, there is something to be said for someone that can lead a team to 60+ wins, even without any real superstars (like the Hawks from a few years ago). But yeah, his inability to make adjustments is what's killing his team right now, and the other coaches I mentioned were/are excellent at making adjustments.

[Dupp]

Also, based on how Bud has been coaching, yeah he's pretty much out of my top 5 coaches. Gotta give the top 5 nod to Carlisle, Pop, Spoelstra, Nurse, and Stevens.

Yeah that seems like a pretty good list. MDA somewhere up the top for me too. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone else.


Bud is obviously really great coach. It was pretty evident in the difference he made compared to Kidd. However he’s now at some Thibs level stubbornness with his unwillingness to adjust and Play certain guys / lineups more than the regular season.

He’s reverse thibs in terms of playing guys into the ground but right now I don’t get it. Him trying to justify Giannis low minutes is mind boggling.

I think he's on that second tier of coaches for sure, there is something to be said for someone that can lead a team to 60+ wins, even without any real superstars (like the Hawks from a few years ago). But yeah, his inability to make adjustments is what's killing his team right now, and the other coaches I mentioned were/are excellent at making adjustments.

Yeah I agree. Kerrs another name is put up there with MDA. I think your top 5 is pretty spot on though.

[Dupp]

Nurse squeezing every minute possible out of his guys. Complete opposite to bud.

[Basileus777]

Jaylen Brown has built a tower with his brick laying this postseason.

Nurse going with Ibaka over Gasol was a nice adjustment.

[PaulieWal]

Nurse squeezing every minute possible out of his guys. Complete opposite to bud.

As he should. Mr spreadsheet is a moron in the PS.

[Dupp]

Nurse squeezing every minute possible out of his guys. Complete opposite to bud.

As he should. Mr spreadsheet is a moron in the PS.

Giannis rolling around in his grave watching all these guys play a whole half

[Basileus777]

Boston's offense is just really underwhelming. For all the talk of a big three, Tatum is the only one of them that actually belongs in such a group. Brown has been awful and Walker is invisible every other game.

[PaulieWal]

Nurse squeezing every minute possible out of his guys. Complete opposite to bud.

As he should. Mr spreadsheet is a moron in the PS.

Giannis rolling around in his grave watching all these guys play a whole half

Remember when a 34 year old LeBron in 2018 was literally playing 48 mins in must win games.

I'm so off the Bud train. Overrated as hell.

[Basileus777]

As he should. Mr spreadsheet is a moron in the PS.

Giannis rolling around in his grave watching all these guys play a whole half

Remember when a 34 year old LeBron in 2018 was literally playing 48 mins in must win games.

I'm so off the Bud train. Overrated as hell.

Only 32 year old Brook Lopez can break the 36 minute ceiling.

[MisterHibachi]

Denver with 54 points with 9 min left in the second quarter.