Around The League: 2021-2022 Season 2.0

[GoSixersBro]

Is this Satan collecting on KD’s deal? Sure seems like it.

[GoSixersBro]

Been scrolling Sixers Twitter since yesterday and I’ll say it: You are spineless if you’d be happy winning a title with Durant.

[blargh]

I see some logic there. Murray can take all of the tough defensive assignments and can also share ball handling duties so Trae gets more looks off ball to take advantage of his elite shooting.

Hawks needs to play like Cavs do. 2-3 bigs. If teams attack Trae, Hawks traps and reset the rotation. It worked for the Cavs. They should rather double down on guard offense and load up on 3-4-5. Atleast have a Wiggins-Draymond-Looney type 3-4-5 unit then have 1-2 anchor the offense. Gravitate the defense to the perimeter and get easy looks at the paint

Man, you're really pushing this "2 big" system. Which is strange because the Warriors and Celtics played like one true big at any time.

The Celtics’s second most common lineup in the playoffs had Horford and Time Lord together. I think that’s how it can work.

It does require a switchable big who can credibly guard above the foul line. There are a limited number of those guys: Williams, Mobley, Simmons, Giannis, Draymond, Adebayo, maybe JJJ. Achiuwa and Nerlens might be role players who can do it. If you can find someone like that, I agree its a nice way to pair with Embiid, but its not the only way to build a good defense.

[Embiid P]

Hawks needs to play like Cavs do. 2-3 bigs. If teams attack Trae, Hawks traps and reset the rotation. It worked for the Cavs. They should rather double down on guard offense and load up on 3-4-5. Atleast have a Wiggins-Draymond-Looney type 3-4-5 unit then have 1-2 anchor the offense. Gravitate the defense to the perimeter and get easy looks at the paint

Man, you're really pushing this "2 big" system. Which is strange because the Warriors and Celtics played like one true big at any time.

The Celtics’s second most common lineup in the playoffs had Horford and Time Lord together. I think that’s how it can work.

It does require a switchable big who can credibly guard above the foul line. There are a limited number of those guys: Williams, Mobley, Simmons, Giannis, Draymond, Adebayo, maybe JJJ. Achiuwa and Nerlens might be role players who can do it. If you can find someone like that, I agree its a nice way to pair with Embiid, but its not the only way to build a good defense.

What about Reed?

[blargh]

Man, you're really pushing this "2 big" system. Which is strange because the Warriors and Celtics played like one true big at any time.

The Celtics’s second most common lineup in the playoffs had Horford and Time Lord together. I think that’s how it can work.

It does require a switchable big who can credibly guard above the foul line. There are a limited number of those guys: Williams, Mobley, Simmons, Giannis, Draymond, Adebayo, maybe JJJ. Achiuwa and Nerlens might be role players who can do it. If you can find someone like that, I agree its a nice way to pair with Embiid, but its not the only way to build a good defense.

What about Reed?

I hope it can be Reed, but he just hasn’t seemed to figure out the mental side of team defense, and this many years in i’m not sure that he will.

[76ciology]

Hawks needs to play like Cavs do. 2-3 bigs. If teams attack Trae, Hawks traps and reset the rotation. It worked for the Cavs. They should rather double down on guard offense and load up on 3-4-5. Atleast have a Wiggins-Draymond-Looney type 3-4-5 unit then have 1-2 anchor the offense. Gravitate the defense to the perimeter and get easy looks at the paint

Man, you're really pushing this "2 big" system. Which is strange because the Warriors and Celtics played like one true big at any time.

The Celtics’s second most common lineup in the playoffs had Horford and Time Lord together. I think that’s how it can work.

It does require a switchable big who can credibly guard above the foul line. There are a limited number of those guys: Williams, Mobley, Simmons, Giannis, Draymond, Adebayo, maybe JJJ. Achiuwa and Nerlens might be role players who can do it. If you can find someone like that, I agree its a nice way to pair with Embiid, but its not the only way to build a good defense.

I think Embiid can be part of that group.

Embiid should play more like a 4 on defense. This way he wouldnt need to jump too much and save his knees. Embiid has been lowkely playing below the rim defense for most of the game. PFs mostly are stretch 4s or attack from the FT line, they’re not klay thompson that he needs to chase around.

And depending on the match-up and depending on Embiid’s conditioning, if he doesnt feel like playing the 4, Reed or maybe even Bassey can play that role.

Until then, I dont see us solving our defense. Unless we get Durant or Kawhi for Tobias and Maxey.

[76ciology]

Man, you're really pushing this "2 big" system. Which is strange because the Warriors and Celtics played like one true big at any time.

The Celtics’s second most common lineup in the playoffs had Horford and Time Lord together. I think that’s how it can work.

It does require a switchable big who can credibly guard above the foul line. There are a limited number of those guys: Williams, Mobley, Simmons, Giannis, Draymond, Adebayo, maybe JJJ. Achiuwa and Nerlens might be role players who can do it. If you can find someone like that, I agree its a nice way to pair with Embiid, but its not the only way to build a good defense.

I think Embiid can be part of that group.

Embiid should play more like a 4 on defense. This way he wouldnt need to jump too much and save his knees. Embiid has been lowkely playing below the rim defense for most of the game. PFs mostly are stretch 4s or attack from the FT line, they’re not klay thompson that he needs to chase around.

And depending on the match-up and depending on Embiid’s conditioning, if he doesnt feel like playing the 4, Reed or maybe even Bassey can play that role.

Until then, I dont see us solving our defense. Unless we get Durant or Kawhi for Tobias and Maxey.

The 5 position in the modern NBA is a position that coaches use to shift gears.

For example..

Star player is on fire, put a legit 5 to sacrifice some defense and put a better defensive unit in order to widen the gap.

Star player is struggling, replace the 5 with a stretch 4. Still struggling, run a 3 guard unit.

On our team, we don’t have that and we just play a single style. A “league best 5 man unit” style. But this is just noise. It’s effectivity and ineffectivity depends on who are we playing against and how they run their team.

For instance, against the Hawks. Hawks played a really big unit with huerter-Galo-Collins-Capela. It took away our size advantage and we didnt have any counter against that.

You look at the Finals and its a chess match. Coaches can thhrow different cards and counters. Us? It’s just 90s basketball roster. Replace Embiid with another big. Drummond? Reed? Where’s playing small?

Can we play big? Play big with niang-tobi-Embiid? You felt we were outsizing our opponent?

Play small with Maxey-Green-Harden? You felt we were outrunning our opponent?

[Negrodamus]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

[mjkvol]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

It's such a Knicks move it's scary. Brunson is a nice player, I've liked him since his days at Villanova, but he can't be the centerpiece of the off season plan for a team that needs as much as they do.

[Embiid P]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

As the old saying goes, never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.

[76ciology]

I admire the Magic selecting Banchero. I like when teams do something outside of consensus mockdrafts. Sometimes its Anthony Bennett but I admire these GMs who have the balls to do it.

Overall, the more I look at Banchero. I think their FO just think Banchero is way superior on offense while offense is king, specially with how the Magic roster is built that Banchero could even just cruise on defense.

Cole Anthony, Banchero and Wagner should be a good trio who can create their shots on offense. Maybe not be elite ISO player but collectively, possibly same tier with shot creation skills of Celts or atleast the Heat?

[76ciology]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

Knicks better wake up and realize that they are THE Knicks. They are selling themselves short with all these signings.

They should be a franchise like the Lakers when you see guys like Durant or Beal begging to sign them

[76ciology]

If KD and Kyrie part ways. I do think a lockout would be looming.

The Nets would be the Tower of Babel of player empowerment. Or was it Ben?

A delusional player asking for a trade (talking about Ben) then a couple of superstars deciding to form a super team, rob the team of all the draft picks then later just calling it quits.

To be fair, Nets also played their part with all these fiasco

[GoSixersBro]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

As the old saying goes, never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.

Idk if I even consider the Knicks our enemy anymore. Do they really warrant it?

[mjkvol]

I admire the Magic selecting Banchero. I like when teams do something outside of consensus mockdrafts. Sometimes its Anthony Bennett but I admire these GMs who have the balls to do it.

Overall, the more I look at Banchero. I think their FO just think Banchero is way superior on offense while offense is king, specially with how the Magic roster is built that Banchero could even just cruise on defense.

Cole Anthony, Banchero and Wagner should be a good trio who can create their shots on offense. Maybe not be elite ISO player but collectively, possibly same tier with shot creation skills of Celts or atleast the Heat?

I don't know. Banchero to me was easily 4th out of the 'big 4' in this draft, and maybe lower than that. He might be the 'safest' pick of the group, but picking #1 you have to go upside, and both Jabari and Chet have far higher ceilings than Banchero IMO, and both would have fit beautifully with that group.

[76ciology]

I think Blazers can land KD with Sharpe.

KD, Dame, Jerami Grant and Nurkic and possibly Simons would be fun.

[Wilfried]

I think Blazers can land KD with Sharpe.

KD, Dame, Jerami Grant and Nurkic and possibly Simons would be fun.

Just KD for Sharpe?

[76ciology]

I think Blazers can land KD with Sharpe.

KD, Dame, Jerami Grant and Nurkic and possibly Simons would be fun.

Just KD for Sharpe?

Sharpe, picks and capspace I think.

Player empowerment. If KD asks to be traded to Sixers, we can even just trade Tobias for KD straight up

[Kobblehead]

I can’t believe the Knicks are going all in on Brunson. McBride is essentially going to be a Brunson-like player.

I feel like I'm in a dream-state and not in reality or something. There's an NBA franchise moving mountains (cap gymnastics, hiring family members) to sign Jalen Brunson. I don't think I can remember a less significant player getting pursued so hard.

And like you mentioned, there are in-house options already on the team that can be as good or better than Brunson. I think Quickley is wayyyy more talented.

[Kobblehead]

Overall, the more I look at Banchero. I think their FO just think Banchero is way superior on offense while offense is king, specially with how the Magic roster is built that Banchero could even just cruise on defense.

Other than his positional passing (which is solid), I wonder what is leading them to believe he is superior on offense? His jumpshot is far below the other guys.