The Around The NBA Thread

[kulaz3000]

The amount of rubbish being spewed about Giannis on the General Boards is just infuriating.

I mean, sure he has some deficiencies as a player, but to call him a secondary player is just beyond laughable.

I think he could be the number one player, and be a champion given the right secondary player. Hell, I think Zach would be the perfect player alongside him, because he desperately needs a dynamic playmaker alongside him.

[Dresden]

Giannis just isn't a go to scorer. He's somewhat like Lebron in that respect. Lebron has always needed a clutch scorer with him- Wade or Kyrie or AD (although AD is not the scorer the other two are). Because esp. earlier in his career, he wasn't able to score at will in crunch time when needed to either.

Giannis is just a weird fit. He's really like a center who is trying to play point forward. But he's not quite skilled enough to be able to handle those kind of playmaking responsibilities. But if you don't let him play the way he does, it also blunts his effectiveness.

He probably is better off playing the kind of role AD has in LA- playing next to a lead scorer/initiator, where he can just do his thing, but doesn't have so much decision making duties.

[Wonderboy5]

Man I want everybody on here to take a look at these playoffs. Every team has a good quality point guard. Philly has Ben Simmons, the bucks have Holiday. Look at the Suns they have CP3, Brooklyn has Irving. Utah has Conley. The bulls have to upgrade from Satoransky. The problem is that the bulls gave him a 10 million dollar a year contract. That hurts the bulls chances of going after a big time free agents. Hopefully Arturas could pull off some magic and do a sign and trade for Lonzo with Lauri and Sato.

[kulaz3000]

Giannis just isn't a go to scorer. He's somewhat like Lebron in that respect. Lebron has always needed a clutch scorer with him- Wade or Kyrie or AD (although AD is not the scorer the other two are). Because esp. earlier in his career, he wasn't able to score at will in crunch time when needed to either.

Giannis is just a weird fit. He's really like a center who is trying to play point forward. But he's not quite skilled enough to be able to handle those kind of playmaking responsibilities. But if you don't let him play the way he does, it also blunts his effectiveness.

He probably is better off playing the kind of role AD has in LA- playing next to a lead scorer/initiator, where he can just do his thing, but doesn't have so much decision making duties.

I don't know about that, LeBron has taken and made some big clutch shots in his career, but that's because he is a playmaker who can make plays for himself and for others down the stretch, something that Giannis can't currently do.

Like you said though, he is more alike to the traditional big man who needs a really good wing player who can make plays down the stretch. I liken him more to someone like KG, a great player who you can build around, but he isn't going to make the plays down the stretch, at least offensively.

[Andi Obst]

Man I want everybody on here to take a look at these playoffs. Every team has a good quality point guard. Philly has Ben Simmons, the bucks have Holiday. Look at the Suns they have CP3, Brooklyn has Irving. Utah has Conley. The bulls have to upgrade from Satoransky. The problem is that the bulls gave him a 10 million dollar a year contract. That hurts the bulls chances of going after a big time free agents. Hopefully Arturas could pull off some magic and do a sign and trade for Lonzo with Lauri and Sato.

HAHAHAHAHA

He’s back!!!

[Jeffster81]

This would be very good for the game!

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-discussing-rule-change-so-players-couldnt-use-unnatural-motions-on-jump-shots-to-draw-fouls-203826570.html?.tsrc=fp_deeplink

Somewhere a clammy Trae Young is balled up in the corner of a bathroom rocking back and forth mumbling to himself “it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay . . . .”

Guy hit the hardest will be Luka. He literally practices flailing on his 3s and falling down like he's hit as part of his pre-game.

https://www.facebook.com/ClutchPoints/videos/352270075594655

Both are incredibly talented and will be fine. They don't need to play like this to win games.

Then why do it in the first place other than "because they can"?

[MrFortune3]

If the Bucks lose this series (and it looks like they will) I'm not sure what moves they should make outside of getting a new coach.

Their roster isn't terrible. It fits what they need to win a championship.
Giannis has to be better at the FT line. No excuse for him to be this terrible from the line.

The talk of him being a #2 is nonsense though. He's a franchise player, he's just not a pure shooter.

[Andi Obst]

Chris Paul entering health and safety protocols NOW?

You’ve got to be kidding me…

[Ice Man]

As much as I want the Bucks to beat the Nets ... they don't deserve it and would not be worthy ECF participants. If you can't beat a team that effectively is missing both of its All Star point guards, and is flailing at figuring out who to run the offense, and who spots you a 15 point halftime lead ... then forget about it.

I can't figure out what the Bucks' problem is. I guess it's a combination -

1) Flaws with their #1 option
2) Their 2nd option is very good but not quite great
3) Missing a 3rd option
4) Perhaps too predictable?

[DuckIII]

Chris Paul entering health and safety protocols NOW?

You’ve got to be kidding me…

The articles I read do not say whether or not he is vaccinated, but do say that if he is vaccinated the time away can be shortened.

I’d say it’s hard for me to imagine anyone with this much on the line not being vaccinated, but for you golf fans out there: Jon Rahm.

[DASMACKDOWN]

This season is like a disaster right now.

The champion will probably be who is the most healthy. Which is terrible. We could actually have something like a Bucks-Jazz finals based on health.

That would be the worst.

[drosestruts]

CP3 to health and safety protocols and Kawhi out with a leg injury. The playoffs just fell apart in like 30 minutes.

[Jo Jo English]

I assume it is a personal choice when it comes to an NBA player revealing whether or not they are vaccinated. However, if I am Chris Paul, and I have gotten the jabs, you better believe I am making sure the sports world knows that fact before noon today.

--EDIT--

FWIW...

Read on Twitter

[Tetlak]

Man I want everybody on here to take a look at these playoffs. Every team has a good quality point guard. Philly has Ben Simmons, the bucks have Holiday. Look at the Suns they have CP3, Brooklyn has Irving. Utah has Conley. The bulls have to upgrade from Satoransky. The problem is that the bulls gave him a 10 million dollar a year contract. That hurts the bulls chances of going after a big time free agents. Hopefully Arturas could pull off some magic and do a sign and trade for Lonzo with Lauri and Sato.

Alternatively, what we know:

Holiday is a combo guard who isn't a high enough level shot creator to be the primary perim playmaker

Ben Simmons is an offensive liability who struggles to score 10 ppg

The Suns have won playoff games without CP3 using Booker as the defacto PG

The Jazz have won playoff games without Conley using Mitchell as the defacto PG

Clearly what is more important is having a high level shot creator and scorer and a slew of versatile wings.

[DASMACKDOWN]

WOW SVG fired already.

Read on Twitter

[DASMACKDOWN]

Now I would say the Pelicans severely underachieved as a team. They technically have 2 allstars in Zion and Ingram. Have a good center in Adams and a good backcourt in Lonzo and Bledsoe.

No way they should have only gotten 1 more win than the previous year.

Again I havent followed the Pelicans to know how bad the situation was. But when you have Lonzo looking elsewhere, Josh Hart wanting to be moved, and Reddick early in the year wanted out, it doesnt sound good. Also you know guys like Jaxson Hayes wasnt a fan of how SVG was playing him.

This might be SVG last run for quite a while.

[CobyWhite0]

Man I want everybody on here to take a look at these playoffs. Every team has a good quality point guard. Philly has Ben Simmons, the bucks have Holiday. Look at the Suns they have CP3, Brooklyn has Irving. Utah has Conley. The bulls have to upgrade from Satoransky. The problem is that the bulls gave him a 10 million dollar a year contract. That hurts the bulls chances of going after a big time free agents. Hopefully Arturas could pull off some magic and do a sign and trade for Lonzo with Lauri and Sato.

Alternatively, what we know:

Holiday is a combo guard who isn't a high enough level shot creator to be the primary perim playmaker

Ben Simmons is an offensive liability who struggles to score 10 ppg

The Suns have won playoff games without CP3 using Booker as the defacto PG

The Jazz have won playoff games without Conley using Mitchell as the defacto PG

Clearly what is more important is having a high level shot creator and scorer and a slew of versatile wings.

The one thing those point guards have in common:

Holiday and Simmons were both 1st-team All-Defense this season.

CP3 was 6th among guards this season in All-Defense votes - and that's with Mikal Bridges (7% of his minutes at SG) and Butler (0% of his minutes at SG) counting as "guards" ahead of him.

Conley has only made one All-Defense Team (in 2013), but he's still known as a very good defender (when he's healthy). And he did get one 1st-team vote this season despite missing 21 games.

What's my point? I'm not sure. But I'll go with - while "defense is 1/2 the game" and "defense wins championships", maybe the NBA has reached a point where offense is more important? Or more likely, what I have maintained for quite some time - individual defense is nice, but team defense is much more important?

I do have one definite point - you left out "the Nets just won a playoff game without Irving".

[CobyWhite0]

I don’t know if it’s incompetence or being scared, but Giannis continues to blow my mind with his logic on the court.

1:40 in a tie game, he has Harden in the post, Harden calls off the double team, and Giannis immediately bricks a baseline fadeaway.

So many times he had mismatches, guys like Joe Harris on him, and did nothing with it.

No reason he shouldn’t be toe to toe with Durant and have 50 right now, but he’s mentally weak IMO.

He continues to choke, fumbled the ball with 15 seconds left and turned it over.

I think he needs better coach and or a better number 2

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Kenny Smith made an excellent point on the post-game - Giannis needs a 2nd superstar next to him to close out games offensively, just like Shaq.

When you can't shoot FTs, it's hard to have the ball late in games, because the other team will just foul you instead of letting you get a good shot off. Shaq was able to let Kobe or DWade be the man late in games, but Giannis has nobody.

The Harden situation was the perfect example - Giannis had to know that if he tried to go around Harden (or right at him), Harden would have just fouled him. Why else would he shoot a fadeaway against a guy who isn't a great defender who was playing on one leg??

Imagine if Giannis had a LaVine next to him to close out games?

[DuckIII]

Now I would say the Pelicans severely underachieved as a team. They technically have 2 allstars in Zion and Ingram. Have a good center in Adams and a good backcourt in Lonzo and Bledsoe.

No way they should have only gotten 1 more win than the previous year.

Again I havent followed the Pelicans to know how bad the situation was. But when you have Lonzo looking elsewhere, Josh Hart wanting to be moved, and Reddick early in the year wanted out, it doesnt sound good. Also you know guys like Jaxson Hayes wasnt a fan of how SVG was playing him.

This might be SVG last run for quite a while.

I just hope they don’t replace him with someone who loves Lonzo Ball.

[MrSparkle]

These are easily the strangest, most asterisk playoffs ever in the history of the NBA.

The Orlando Bubble was such a tightly-wrapped operation- IMO it was some of the most competitive, focused NBA basketball. Also that extended spring/summer rest had everybody (who made it to the Bubble) in healthy shape.

Lockout years were always weird but "back to business" once they got in the flow.

This right here is insane. The injuries, the tank jobs, the COVID protocols. A lot of teams just waived white flags throughout the season. On the other hand, Utah, Milwaukee, Philly and Phoenix had themselves strong regular seasons and deserve their place here in the final-8. Durant is playing out his mind. Any coincidence all these guys got bounced early or sat for rest?

Have to be honest; I checked out during this second round. For some reason these series don't interest me. I was looking forward to the conference finals, but not if Cameron Payne and Jordan Clarkson are headlining.

Knee issues: Kawhi, Embiid, Conley, Harden, Kyrie (and not to mention Hawks' Hunter and Reddish). Then you have Mitchell's hamstring, Paul's covid. Couple other guys playing through limps. We still have as few R2 games left, and these remaining games are going to be very competitive as the rosters are even with all the injuries considered. Hopefully everyone stays in tact.

This year's championship city is going to be a real doozy. It's unlikely, but can you imagine if a CP3-less Suns or Hawks win the chip?