NBA 2016-2017 Season

[Quom]

No he couldn't. Snell was super inconsistent and has confidence issues. 

[Tyrone]

Never said that Tony Snell was consistent. But even on his worst nights, he had some iota of a 3-point game, which Carter-Williams doesn't.

Regardless, MCW is a good defender, so that should make up for Rondo's shortcomings, I guess?

[JasonM]

Just now, Tyrone said:

Never said that Tony Snell was consistent. But even on his worst nights, he had some iota of a 3-point game, which Carter-Williams doesn't.

Regardless, MCW is a good defender, so that should make up for Rondo's shortcomings, I guess?

Pretty sure Rajon is one of the best defensive point guards in the game. IF he's motivated. His entire run with the big-three Celtics was marked by being a lockdown defensive player. After the Celtics tanked (and the Mavs/Kings stint) he became fussy and stopped trying, but I assume being with the Bulls and with a team aiming for a high playoff spot, he's gonna be trying quite a bit harder.

I think MCW is mostly there to be a high energy scoring backup who can also take minutes at the two when Wade needs to rest his knees. He can pass, he can cut inside and score inside very well, and he can also grab rebounds, and steals.

And only giving up Snell, that's simply put a massive steal.

[Quom]

19 minutes ago, Jasonmufc said:

Pretty sure Rajon is one of the best defensive point guards in the game. IF he's motivated. His entire run with the big-three Celtics was marked by being a lockdown defensive player. After the Celtics tanked (and the Mavs/Kings stint) he became fussy and stopped trying, but I assume being with the Bulls and with a team aiming for a high playoff spot, he's gonna be trying quite a bit harder.

I think MCW is mostly there to be a high energy scoring backup who can also take minutes at the two when Wade needs to rest his knees. He can pass, he can cut inside and score inside very well, and he can also grab rebounds, and steals.

And only giving up Snell, that's simply put a massive steal.

I mean he was. But it has been what, at least 3 seasons since he was a competent defender. To me it's like expecting Deron Williams or Ty Lawson to suddenly rediscover they were great PGs. I still think Rondo is better than MCW in every conceivable way, but I wouldn't be expecting Rondo to suddenly rediscover how to play D. I also don't think they'll be fighting for a high playoff spot. 

I dunno, both Bucks and Philly fans really, really hate MCW and think he actually makes everyone he's on the court with worse because of his poor decision making. I haven't seen enough to make a proper judgement but it seems odd both fan bases really dislike him if he's actually decent. Especially when the whole thing was 'Kidd can make him Kidd Jr so we'll ignore his current issues' which turned into 'OMG someone was willing to give us anything for him, what idiots!'.

Basically it's a trade that I don't think is super beneficial to either team. The Bulls needed any PG they could get, so MCW kind of helps? Bucks didn't need a PG and even a sometimes okay shooter helps with Middleton out.

[JasonM]

2 minutes ago, Quom said:

To me it's like expecting Deron Williams or Ty Lawson to suddenly rediscover they were great PGs.

[Quom]

Just take solace in him finally shaving off his weird Ken hair. I can actually watch him play without him making me feel disturbed.

[VerbalPuke]

The Pistons. 

edit - the fuck...

Was going to talk about Reggie Jackson being out until possibly early December. That sucks as I have high hopes for this team this season, so I'm hoping we can atleast keep things afloat with Ish Smith running the point. I think we can. I think we have enough talent to do just that, and I actually love our front court depth right now. John Leuer is looking like the perfect big man for SVGs system, and I can't help but feel good about a bench with him, Aaron Baynes, and Stanley Johnson as our top reserves. When Reggie returns that puts Smith back on the bench and we suddenly are deep. Still have concerns at our 2 spot but everywhere else looks good. 

Christ...if Andre Drummond could even fucking even figure out a way to hit half of his free throws I'd maybe even say we could make a deep playoff run with ease. 

[JasonM]

I still laugh at the new 'hack a --' rules that disallow teams from blindly hacking the shittest free throw shooter on the court during clutch time. (It gives free throws + possession now).

I still hold dear to the fact that all of those guys are god-damn millionaire athletes, that can grab 15 rebounds per game like its nothing. Yet a literal uncontested shot from semi-midrange they can barely shoot at any sort of consistency.

I'm not saying its easy, because I barely shoot 60% unless i'm really in a zone on any given day. But I'm not an NBA level athlete, nor will I ever be. These guys like Drummond though, they've been on the path to the NBA since they were at least like 12 or so. And in all that time no coach ever put them aside and let them chuck free throw shots until they hit ~70%

It's also not because 'they're tall or have a large wingspan', seeing Dirk Nowitzki is the 4th best active free throw shooter at 88% and he's 7ft, There's Kevin Love who shoots 82%, LaMarcus Aldridge has 81% showing it's not just a 'tall white guy thing', then there's Bosh (80%), B. Lopez (79%), Davis (78%), and the list goes on of others that can at least crack 70-75% whilst being big men.

But now guys like Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, and 15 others can just continue being god-awful sub-70's FT shooters for the rest of their careers, because their shitness has made the game too boring, so they've bailed them out with a stupid rule.

And the reason why they're shit is very obvious, since they've always had their athleticism and their big-manness to guarantee even a modicum of success. So they never had a reason to get good at shooting FT's. And there's no responsibility down the chain about giving those kids a respectable ability to knock down foul shots. And as such you got a guy that shoots worse FT's than some people shoot 3's...

And whilst I loathe James Harden for being a floppy cunt on the drive, at least he can knock them down. And even Boogie Cousins knows how to shoot FT's like anyone should be able to do.

/rant

Edited October 17, 2016 by Jasonmufc

[Maxx]

They could shoot it like Rick Berry and increase their FT% by a ton, but they're all too insecure to look silly while shooting.

[Meacon Keaton]

I'll never get how men with enormous hands and wingspans long enough to almost place the ball in the hoop could miss free throws so often. I'd hit like a third (or quarter  ) of my jumpshots, but you better believe I made my free throws.

[JasonM]

48 minutes ago, Maxx said:

They could shoot it like Rick Berry and increase their FT% by a ton, but they're all too insecure to look silly while shooting.

What makes that even weirder is that Rick Barry was 90% for his career!
If anything, emulating him would be the opposite of silly.
 

[Maxx]

Oh no, his shot is silly as hell, but it works.

[Quom]

Onuaku the rookie on the Rockets shoots underarm FTs. He went from 46 up to 57%. I personally don't think it's as easy as just 'you're more accurate if you shoot that way', like I think there's a proper technique you need to use when doing it which is going to be totally foreign to most players.

I don't get why nobody banks them in. The argument is that it adds an extra thing that can go wrong, but as someone that struggled with free throws it was because I had nothing to aim at. My coach told me to aim at the back of the rim, which just helped me brick every single shot. If you aim at the middle of the square though the shot goes in nearly every time once you work out how much oomph to give it. 

Also Mavs have added DeMarcus Cousins' brother to their roster to go with Steph Curry's brother. I have an inkling that they only wanted DeAndre because Cuban thought he was related to Michael Jordan. 

[Monkey D. Lars]

I am getting so tired of all those Durant/Westbrook posts on Bleacher. Now KD said in an interview he left and felt buthurt for 8 years because Harden was traded and OKC never added veterans. 2 Seasons ago they added Butler, They traded for Perkins once but I do know what he means, we never got our Ray Allen. But hey KD stop talking OKC down. I still like you and you are still one of my favs. But that cover photo was ridiculous and that fact that you left isn't that bad but to the Warriors we were up against and you choked too. 

 

 

Still November 3rd. Can't wait. We probably lose but at one point in the game, KD will guard Westbrook and vice versa. 

[Quom]

I actually get entirely where he's coming from in regards to the issues at OKC. There is no way that as a team that made the finals the best they could attract is Kendrick Perkins (who as you said they traded for). Look at Golden State, look at the Cavs, look at SA. It isn't just big market teams (besides GSW), it's teams that make it far end up being able to poach or trade for whoever they want because people want to go there.   

OKC went the other way and traded away Harden for cents on the dollar. They stayed young besides adding Perkins. They never stood back and said 'this is our core, lets find the veterans or established players who can help them win by taking some weight off and by adding a stabilising presence'.

Instead they just rotated out guys for younger guys all the time. The biggest acquisition during Durant being there was probably Kanter, a one way big.

Having said all that Durant needs to shut his mouth. All of this stuff is self-evident and really shouldn't need pointing out and he's making himself less and less likeable every time he opens his mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

Derrick Rose has been found not guilty. (It won't not merge my posts) 

[Benjamin]

Still, fuck Derrick Rose.

[Plubby]

THE knicks fuckin' ...rule?

[Meacon Keaton]

Boston was sitting four of their five starters. 

 

But yeah, the Knicks fuckin' rule.

[Quom]

I know it's only preseason, but I'm really glad I took KAT in fantasy. 31 points (17/17FT) and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes and made Marc Gasol look like someone that can't defend and outright bullied him a few times. Not only that but his ability to put the ball on the floor is unparalleled for someone his size (it's how he got so many FTs). He looks like he's going to be crazy good this season.

[Monkey D. Lars]

I like Adams preseason so far! 

And KAT will be epic this season! Really like the guy!