NBA 2015-2016 Season Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

On attempts from beyond 28 feet this season Steph Curry is averaging over 2 points per.

[Quom]

Toronto have waived Anthony Bennett. Biggest flop of all time? Like I get he wasn't expected to go number 1, but even for a top 10 pick this would be a hell of a fall. He had been averaging 9/3 in the D-League, had failed to make it in his home-town whilst on a minimum deal? I'm wondering if we'll even see him in the league again. 

[gunnar hendershow]

That 2013 draft is so weird. This is year 3 for these guys and nobody has cemented themselves as an emerging superstar. A couple guys who might be, but it's looking like one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory.

[Maxx]

35 minutes ago, damshow said:

That 2013 draft is so weird. This is year 3 for these guys and nobody has cemented themselves as an emerging superstar. A couple guys who might be, but it's looking like one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory.

Seriously....Gobert is easily the cream of the class and he wasn't taken until 27th.  Greek Freak looks like he'll be above average.

[gunnar hendershow]

McCollum is pretty good as well.

[Meacon Keaton]

Guys like Oladipo, Trey Burke, and Hardaway Jr. aren't too bad. Oladipo is in no way #2 overall good, though.

[gunnar hendershow]

I (and most people) thought Oladipo was the best guy to take 1st, and the Cavs didn't because they had Waiters. Nothing would have panned out like it did but in theory they could have Oladipo in at the 2 now and have sent Waiters and Wiggins to Minny for Love. That team is better than the one they have on the court now.

Oladipo definitely didn't have superstar potential but he had very good SG potential, still does. Gobert and McCollum are the big surprises, playing well above where they were expected to be. It's very possible that class doesn't have a single All-Star through its first 4 years in the league.

[Benjamin]

Since the game has turned into "who can shoot from beyond the arc the bestest!", this is the first time I've been so happy about a Lakers win.

[Quom]

When did you start watching basketball? Because people seem to be nostalgic for something that never existed.

I'll take the current offensive game with loads of spacing, loads of ball movement, plenty of pace, bigs that think they're guards and stretch the floor and can dribble and distribute, more dunking, smaller guys actually being able to make a massive difference and be impact players over the previous of feed your big man (who must be on the high or low post or is out of position), iso, stand still whilst your shooter runs through three screens to get open, and stick an 8' guy in the paint on defence to swat anyone that comes their way (which was viable since there was always a big an arm's reach away). 

The option was never shoot threes or do everything exactly the same but threes weren't shot. The analytics and valuing the three has opened the game up so much more and made the game so much more exciting and fun.

[DMN in the House]

13 hours ago, Quom said:

When did you start watching basketball? Because people seem to be nostalgic for something that never existed.

I'll take the current offensive game with loads of spacing, loads of ball movement, plenty of pace, bigs that think they're guards and stretch the floor and can dribble and distribute, more dunking, smaller guys actually being able to make a massive difference and be impact players over the previous of feed your big man (who must be on the high or low post or is out of position), iso, stand still whilst your shooter runs through three screens to get open, and stick an 8' guy in the paint on defence to swat anyone that comes their way (which was viable since there was always a big an arm's reach away). 

The option was never shoot threes or do everything exactly the same but threes weren't shot. The analytics and valuing the three has opened the game up so much more and made the game so much more exciting and fun.

I prefer the 80s style (which I was barely old enough to see), because you had more of a mix. Yes, there were teams built around big men, but there were also teams like the Showtime Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets. I also prefer the way defense was played. I'm not really against zone defense, but I do prefer tougher defense. I might be the only person who liked those Heat/Knicks games in the 90s. Zone defense has really hurt the inside game, in my opinion, it's harder to run things through the post when there's less downside to collapsing down on a guy.

[VerbalPuke]

On 3/1/2016 at 19:01, Meacon said:

Guys like Oladipo, Trey Burke, and Hardaway Jr. aren't too bad. Oladipo is in no way #2 overall good, though.

Also Kentavious Calldwell-Pope from the Pistons. He's turned into a solid started, good defender as well, possibly one of our core pieces.

And I'm with DMN on the defense thing. Might be the nature of the championship teams I've seen in Detroit, but they were built as teams that played good defense and bullied people. I liked that. People hated watching the Pistons in 04 score under 80 but still win, they had some ridiculous stat of holding five straight teams under 70 points.

A three pointer is nice but I wouldn't build my team on relying on them. The Warriors are an exception of course as they have some outstanding players and the best player in the world right now. We'll see how things shake out, but it's likely he ends up as one of the all-time greats, in the echelon of the Jordans, Chamberlains, Johnsons, Ervings..etc. etc.

[Quom]

It's just common sense to build around them though. If you're shooting 3's at 33.3% it's as efficient as shooting 2's at 50%. There are only 7 PGs in the league shooting 50% or higher on 2's but there are 27 PGs shooting 33.3% or higher on 3's. It's an even more stark contrast at SG, only Klay Thompson is above 50% on his 2 point shots, but 29 SGs are able to shoot the 3 at 33.3% or higher.

FT's are an added variable and you are far more likely to get fouled on a drive than a 3pt shot. But then you'd also need to allow for a heightened risk of wear and tear from going into the paint and colliding with people. Even then if you have 2-3 33.3% shooters on your team it leads to close outs and frantic rotations which leads to easy 2's.

[gunnar hendershow]

For a simple analytical example, Curry is averaging more than 2 points for every 3 point attempt he takes. So if he's able to get off 20 shots in a game you would want them to all be 3 point attempts. He's changing the entire game like only a few players have, and I don't really see how you can go back to a system that puts such a heavy focus on the inside.

[Twist]

3 hours ago, damshow said:

For a simple analytical example, Curry is averaging more than 2 points for every 3 point attempt he takes. So if he's able to get off 20 shots in a game you would want them to all be 3 point attempts. He's changing the entire game like only a few players have, and I don't really see how you can go back to a system that puts such a heavy focus on the inside.

Well, for a start, nobody does what Steph Curry does, except for him.

[JasonM]

Christ, I think i'm done with the Mavs this year... Losing to the Clips isn't a bad thing, but between going for the OT record and Chandler Parsons flip-flopping between being great and poor I'm getting really really tired with their shit right now.

One stretch they go 4-1, and beat the Warriors and the Bulls. Then at other stretches they drop matches against the Timberwolves and the Nuggets. It's downright infuriating to experience, and at this point I'd accept Dirk retiring if it meant Cuban finally saw the light and started a proper rebuild instead of throwing together parts that kinda work, but really only delay the inevitable and force the team into deeper shit once Dirk finally hangs it up.

[thatshortguy]

Jimmy Butler is experiencing pain with the same knee that kept him out as well as his back.  Chicago's backcourt is cursed, yo.

[gunnar hendershow]

5 hours ago, Twist said:

Well, for a start, nobody does what Steph Curry does, except for him.

Everything will catch up. I'm not saying there will be another Curry in terms of being this good from anywhere on the court, but you don't need to be as good as Curry. 33% of 3's going in equals 50% of 2's going in. Close to 100 guys have a better percentage from 3 than 33% this year alone.

[DMN in the House]

I'm not saying it's not a viable way to play, last year proved it is. However, it's not the only way to build a team, and, compared to building around bigs with an inside out game, it's likely (I haven't looked at the numbers) not as consistent. If you go into a game 7 with a big man as talented as Curry, he's less likely to have his impact on the game diminished. Even if the big isn't shooting at a great clip, his size will still draw defenders inside, while Curry can literally shoot himself out of a game. Not saying it's likely, or that Curry wouldn't still have an effect on the game, but it is a concern.

[Maxx]

I'm trying to imagine what a big as talented as Curry would even look like.  I know you don't mean as a 3 point shooter too, more in the sense that he's as a good at every a big does as Steph is at everything he does.  Still struggling.  

[Plubby]

Tim Duncan?