Around the NBA 11

[Diop]

On 1/2 against Dallas, Josh Giddey put up 17 points (7-16 FG, 3-5 3PT), 13 boards, 14 assists, and 4 steals. Dude turned 19 last October.

Kid is gonna be real good.

I like Giddey to some degree, but people get too obsessed with triple doubles. At end of the day he is still only averaging 11 pts on 40/28/68%.

He is 6-8 ball handler and only averages 1.3 free throws per game. He also has 1 dunk all year,

Just for comparison sake LaMelo has 19 career dunks.

At end of the day, I think Giddey is a great pick and roll engine, but if you watch he has no ability to isolate and actually go by someone, it is all pick and roll generated. He can be a good player, but I would take at least 5 rookies over him probably.

how about 3 triple doubles in a row? his shooting is improving and he keeps delivering

[Diop]

Watch on YouTube

Sengun with a good game against Ayton, love his physicality

[HornetJail]

that was an atrocious dunk contest aside from Toppin

[JMAC3]

At end of the day, I think Giddey is a great pick and roll engine, but if you watch he has no ability to isolate and actually go by someone, it is all pick and roll generated. He can be a good player, but I would take at least 5 rookies over him probably.

how about 3 triple doubles in a row? his shooting is improving and he keeps delivering

I personally think Triple Doubles are the most overrated stat. Even when LaMelo gets one I think its crazily overblown, but it brings shine to Hornets so I don't make a big deal. I would rather celebrate a guy getting to the freethrow line 10 times or getting 6 steals than grabbing defensive rebounds, especially on a team like Thunder who lack an interior presence like Drummond, Adams or Allen who is going to grab all the rebounds anyways.

For Giddey, he is 6-8 playing majority of his minutes with Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins, Darius Bazely and Isaiah Roby. They put the ball in his hands every single play, so he is pretty much going to get 10 assists if all you do is run high pick and roll the entire game. Thunder shutdown SGA, to let Giddey shine. Wouldn't shock me to see them trade Giddey after doing everything they can to build up his trade value.

Maybe I will eat crow, but....

Giddey still can't really shoot, teams are leaving him wide open daring him to shoot threes and he is shooting 26%. That means they go under screens, don't close out hard, he doesn't have gravity when he is off the ball, so he has to have the ball to be valuable. Once he gets better shooting maybe teams will start playing defense, but I don't think his 3% will be linear.

He is a bad athlete, who has 4 Dunks all season, at 6-8. He averages 0.9 steals at 6-8 so he isn't quick twitch to where he is getting out on fast breaks and creating easy opportunities for his team. He has the ball constantly and shoots 1.5 FTA per game. He has to have a screen at top of the key to beat his man off dribble, he doesn't have speed or quickness or ball handling skills to isolate and get to the bucket.

His number 1 asset is his BBIQ, which I think will make him a starter in the league for a long time, but as a 4th best player maybe 3rd depending on how successful the team is.

This is my current rookie class rankings for the future.
1. Barnes
2. Mobley
3. Cade
4. Franz
5. Kuminga
6. Green
7. Giddey

I don't know who it will be but I expect 4 or so more guys to really pop over the next two years and be better players than Giddey as well. He just lacks too much for me to end up being a top 5 guy from this class.

[KembaWalker]

assuming he is progressing medically and fitness wise, Zion is the kind of guy we have to gamble on if we ever wanna get a championship, and we have the time to gamble with Melo being ahead of schedule as a 20 year old all star

I'd trade Bridges and some assets for Zion if he wanted to play here. I don't see any other way we get another all NBA level talent on this team in the next 5 years.

[MasterIchiro]

assuming he is progressing medically and fitness wise, Zion is the kind of guy we have to gamble on if we ever wanna get a championship, and we have the time to gamble with Melo being ahead of schedule as a 20 year old all star

I'd trade Bridges and some assets for Zion if he wanted to play here. I don't see any other way we get another all NBA level talent on this team in the next 5 years.

Zion? He looks like he ate Sean May then used Raymond Felton as a tooth pick.

[KembaWalker]

assuming he is progressing medically and fitness wise, Zion is the kind of guy we have to gamble on if we ever wanna get a championship, and we have the time to gamble with Melo being ahead of schedule as a 20 year old all star

I'd trade Bridges and some assets for Zion if he wanted to play here. I don't see any other way we get another all NBA level talent on this team in the next 5 years.

Zion? He looks like he ate Sean May then used Raymond Felton as a tooth pick.

i don't think we've seen him lately, like I said, operating with the assumption that he is progressing medically and in fitness.
its very Embiid-esque, not a guarantee it will work out but we are the kind of team that has to take that risk. we don't have a championship caliber core in place and locking in to Bridges long term is not a step in that direction either, most likely. In my opinion

[Liver_Pooty]

assuming he is progressing medically and fitness wise, Zion is the kind of guy we have to gamble on if we ever wanna get a championship, and we have the time to gamble with Melo being ahead of schedule as a 20 year old all star

I'd trade Bridges and some assets for Zion if he wanted to play here. I don't see any other way we get another all NBA level talent on this team in the next 5 years.

Zion? He looks like he ate Sean May then used Raymond Felton as a tooth pick.

i don't think we've seen him lately, like I said, operating with the assumption that he is progressing medically and in fitness.
its very Embiid-esque, not a guarantee it will work out but we are the kind of team that has to take that risk. we don't have a championship caliber core in place and locking in to Bridges long term is not a step in that direction either, most likely. In my opinion

Hes fat, out of shape, doesn't talk to his team or his teammates, is a recluse, and wasn't even part of the Pelicans letter to season ticket holders for next season. I don't want any part of someone with that attitude who has proven nothing in this league.

[Liver_Pooty]

But then again I wanted Ben Simmons so that comes off incredibly hypocritical. Oh well

[SWedd523]

assuming he is progressing medically and fitness wise, Zion is the kind of guy we have to gamble on if we ever wanna get a championship, and we have the time to gamble with Melo being ahead of schedule as a 20 year old all star

I'd trade Bridges and some assets for Zion if he wanted to play here. I don't see any other way we get another all NBA level talent on this team in the next 5 years.

Zion? He looks like he ate Sean May then used Raymond Felton as a tooth pick.

i don't think we've seen him lately, like I said, operating with the assumption that he is progressing medically and in fitness.
its very Embiid-esque, not a guarantee it will work out but we are the kind of team that has to take that risk. we don't have a championship caliber core in place and locking in to Bridges long term is not a step in that direction either, most likely. In my opinion

I don't think it's Embiid-esque at all.

Zion is hurt because he's fat. He's slow to heal because he's (allegedly) lazy. He and his camp have already made overtures towards leaving for a big market and it seems like nobody in that organization has any serious communication or relationship with what is supposed to be one of the next big superstars in the league. All of those are very serious red flags.

[KembaWalker]

Zion? He looks like he ate Sean May then used Raymond Felton as a tooth pick.

i don't think we've seen him lately, like I said, operating with the assumption that he is progressing medically and in fitness.
its very Embiid-esque, not a guarantee it will work out but we are the kind of team that has to take that risk. we don't have a championship caliber core in place and locking in to Bridges long term is not a step in that direction either, most likely. In my opinion

I don't think it's Embiid-esque at all.

Zion is hurt because he's fat. He's slow to heal because he's (allegedly) lazy. He and his camp have already made overtures towards leaving for a big market and it seems like nobody in that organization has any serious communication or relationship with what is supposed to be one of the next big superstars in the league. All of those are very serious red flags.

of course he has red flags, if he didn't have red flags we'd never in a million years have a shot at getting him

at the end of the day he's a super efficient 21 year old 27/8/4 player with local roots to both Carolinas.

he has a foot injury, he's out of shape. If you don't remember the Embiid overweight Shirley Temple pitcher drinking saga thats on you. it was a big thing. he grew up. he got in shape, he's stayed relatively healthy.

he might want to play for a big market, he might just not want to play in NO, thats Mitch's job to figure out that yes that plays a big part in deciding to pursue him obviously. if he doesn't want to be here then its a nonstarter. we don't know that

you're not going to get a 21 year old all star with superstar potential for Miles Bridges package if they don't have red flags. We're probably going to lose Trez and PJ soon. Bridges is going to be overpaid. This roster is just not built to take another step if we stand pat. We're going to struggle to float around where we are based riding LaMelos development and shedding other talent to pay for Miles, outside of some kind of unpredictable jump from Kai/Thor/Bouk(doubt)

[SWedd523]

I'm not at all concerned about any trade proposals, his perceived value, or any of that other jazz. they aren't trading him to Charlotte.

I was only responding to the Embiid comparison

[Diop]

if the rumours about Zion, Mitchell and Lillard are true, I'd love to try for Mitchell.

[HornetJail]

if the rumours about Zion, Mitchell and Lillard are true, I'd love to try for Mitchell.

LaMelo+Mitchell would be NASTY

We likely don't have the pieces unless we're parting with Miles though.

[MasterIchiro]

if the rumours about Zion, Mitchell and Lillard are true, I'd love to try for Mitchell.

LaMelo+Mitchell would be NASTY

We likely don't have the pieces unless we're parting with Miles though.

But if you're the Jazz and you have to split up Mitchell and Gobert, you immediately focus your efforts moving Gobert. 40 million for him. How can any small market team accommodate that contract? You'd inherit Utah's tax issues and limit your ceiling to theirs. No fun. You'd have to move Hayward plus Bouknight plus draft capital. Then the dude is 30. The Poeltl rumors hint at Kupchak thinking smaller and staying lean. Kai Jones is one year closer to making an impact. At any rate, the Jazz should attempt to appease Mitchell and ship out his teammates first. They have to get that out of the way before we can even think about Mitchell. No doubt Gobert goes first and we should not be in that market, not with Capela and Allen making half his salary.

[yosemiteben]

Dodged a bullet in not trading for Nurkic, at least for this year

[Goodecharlotte]

I'm a big believer in fate and what paths we choose in life and maybe the Nurkic injury doesn't happen if we traded for him

[Walt Cronkite]

I'm a big believer in fate and what paths we choose in life and maybe the Nurkic injury doesn't happen if we traded for him

"The future's not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."-probably James Borrego referencing T2.

[BigSlam]

I'm a big believer in fate and what paths we choose in life and maybe the Nurkic injury doesn't happen if we traded for him

"The future's not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."-probably James Borrego referencing T2.

Dude - you’re setting pretty high expectations.

If you don’t rip at least one of these 80’s- 90’s movie references per week I’m going to start getting pretty annoyed.

The beauty is how you are also trying them in so contextually.

It’s gold.

If there isn’t a Bloodsport or some other JCVD reference soon though I might burst.

[SWedd523]