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NBA - 2014-15 Regular Season - 2nd Half

ChesterCopperpot

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Cole Miner

Cole Miner

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The fact that it was Westbrook or bust at the end speaks to how poor a coach he is.  Ibaka had a clear mismatch and good position on the play with the shot clock violation.

Westbrook needs to see that too. I have confidence in Russell Westbrook right up to the last shot in a game. I was hoping they were setting up to Ibaka taking the last shot. I'm not sure what the hell they were trying to do. Even if he doesn't step out there wasn't anything he could do there.

 

Westbrook usually doesn't gamble like that on Moore's 3. Could get away with that on a lot of bigs in the league. Not Gasol though.

 

Bulls are such an odd team. Seems like you can throw anyone out there and they will be competitive as long as Noah is playing.

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Jrag

Jrag

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Mirotic is amazing.  Wiggins has ROY locked up, but I wish the Bulls had found more minutes for Niko earlier in the year.  His game really improves when his minutes are high.  One of those guys that needs to work his way into a rhythm.

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mco543

mco543

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Miami came back from 35 down against Washington, had the last shot with 1 second left, and lost at the buzzer because Michael Beasley is an idiot who can't tell time. That play by Beas perfectly sums up his career, I can't think of anything more fitting.

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Josh Mann

Josh Mann

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Miami came back from 35 down against Washington, had the last shot with 1 second left, and lost at the buzzer because Michael Beasley is an idiot who can't tell time. That play by Beas perfectly sums up his career, I can't think of anything more fitting.

 

Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, Beas gotta Beas. 

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Cole Miner

Cole Miner

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Since the start of the all star break I've been clearing out my DVR and hard drives of saved games with prospects for this years draft. The tournament should move things around a bit. There is no one in this draft as talented as Wiggins and Embiid but it is still a pretty strong draft.

 

Speaking of Embiid between the legs dunk:

 

Overall I like this draft more than last year. Figured I'll take my first shot at doing draft rankings. Hopefully it will help next year seeing what I was wrong about and see when I am valuing the wrong things.

 

1. Karl Anthony Towns- Most potential to be a big contributor on both ends of the bigs I believe. I guess I should note how I rank big men in the NBA. Since it impacts these rankings a lot since there are so many:

 

Tier 1- tier one are the bigs that are good to great on both ends. Guys like Duncan, Gasol, Ibaka, Anthony Davis.

Tier 2- tier two are the guys good to great on just the defensive end. DeAndre Jordan, Drummond,  Bogut. Most of the players here could get into tier 1 if they were more efficient on offense. Especially from the free throw line. Chandler and Noah I put in the top tier for that reason but it is open to debate.

Tier 3- tier three good to great on the offensive end. In my opinion these guys have the least amount of impact on a team's win loss percentage among bigs. Typically their defensive contributions begin and end with rebounding. Guys like Vucevic, Monroe, Jefferson, Griffin and Love. They can be an important part of a good team but they do tie your hands with what you put next to them. It is more important though with guys that project to play the 5 though. So including Griffin and Love might not be fair. Same with Monroe when on the floor with Drummond. With guards I flip these around and have offense as the second tier.

 

 

2. D'Angelo Russell- This is the guy I want the Sixers to take 1st overall if they get the pick. Fits need a bit more. Has a more polished game already. Has the ability to play either SG or PG. Sixers lack both so they would have some versatility in who you can choose to put next to him.

 

3. Jahlil Okafor- The whole point of writing out how I judge bigs was to give an idea of why I don't have Okafor first. Right now I see him as a tier 3 big. I do think there is reason for hope though. In college they are running their offense through him. That puts him in a position where he has to be on the court so he has no choice but to play somewhat conservatively. Just can't risk getting into foul trouble. Him and Towns are both really good passers. He is like Parker last year in that he is a safe bet. He won't fit with Embiid so if they Sixers pick 3rd and he is available hopefully they trade down or take Mudiay.

 

4. Emmanuel Mudiay- Quick and has great body control around the rim. Scores through contact which is a skill that will carry over to the NBA. His jump shot is broken though. His rebounding is really strong as well. Could contribute like Westbrook when it comes to rebounding. In a way coming into the league he is a better version of MCW. Coming into the league 3 years younger than MCW did though. He is so big for his age though wonder if he could get too big and slow him down. It is harder to find games from China than it is to find Euroleague games so I haven't seen enough to be 100% confident with this guy.

 

5. Mario Hezonja- Look at this an athletic Euro. Just under 6'8" and still projecting as a SG. Says if he played in college he would be the top pick. Like the attitude and he could be right. Better competition in Euroleague than college and he holds his own. Seems like some people see these attitudes as a negative and others as a positive. I really like what I've seen from him. Croatia is going to be a headache in international basketball competitions.

 

6. Stanley Johnson- With his defense you know you are getting at least 1 skill that should be elite or close to it. His finishing around the rim is sporadic but unlike a lot of guys his age he can at least use both hands. 6 feels too low for this guy but not 100% sold on the offensive skills. It is really hard to bet against his competitive fire and drive. 4 time state champion at high school. That is impressive in any state, he pulled this off in California.

 

7. Kristaps Porzingis- Will inevitably be compared to Dirk since he is a Euro that can shoot. 45% 3 point percentage this year. Has a nice touch and gets a good arch from everywhere. Some bigs tend to start shooting line drives the closer in the get. Decent athlete but probably limited to playing the 4. Which can be disappointing when talking about a 7’1” player. I'm not 100% comfortable with him here since I think his rebounding should be better.

 

8. Justise Winslow- Usually you have to worry about players physical development. This draft class is unusual because of how many are already NBA ready and not yet 20 years old. Great athlete physically similar to Jimmy Butler. Surprising that he is already close to 40% on 3 pointers.

 

9. Kevin Looney- I am probably more scared of taking this guy than I should be. It is just that he is one of those players where he looks small for a 4 and big for a 3. So right away I see Thaddeus Young. Probably not being fair to Looney though. He is a really good rebounder and has a better handle than Young as well. Nice 3 point % too. I just had him at 13 and just moved him to 9. Shows the range I see him in right now. Defense will need some work but since he is young and can hit 3s at a good enough percentage to work as a modern 4 he deserved to move up.

 

10. Myles Turner- Unusual prospect. Early in the season he was hitting 40% of his 3 point attempts. That has dropped below 30% now. At least the potential to hit them is there. Over 80% on his free throw attempts. Very good shot blocker. Has a lot of the things you look for in a modern day power forward. Only one problem. He doesn't move all that fast. He is already 6'11" 245 so it might not be a worry that he most likely can't put on more weight. Since he doesn’t move all that quickly already. The kind of guy you put next to a tier 3 big.

 

11. Willie Cauley-Stein- Best athlete of the bigs in the draft. Doubt anyone is all that excited about his offensive game. I value defensive bigs over offensive bigs usually. So this was a tough placement for me. He has taken a step backwards this year with blocking shots. Last year 4.8 per 40 and this year 2.6. Towns right now is at 4.4. His free throw percentage has been climbing. Up to 57%. I usually see him ranked higher. I just don’t trust him. See him like one of those eternal projects like Dalembert.

 

12. Frank Kaminsky- Senior that will be 22 when the season starts. It was good getting to see him go against Okafor this year. He isn’t all that strong but didn’t get bullied all that much as he is usually in a good position and maximizes the tools he does have. Has a good handle for a guy his size when attacking the basket. Senior, big white guy, I doubt anyone would be shocked to see him fall out of the lottery. Will be great value if he does. Even if just coming off the bench.

 

13. Kelly Oubre- Guy that is charging up a lot of people’s rankings. He is very inconsistent but shows a lot of potential. He was barely worth playing at the start of the season. Great athlete but still very raw. Like he’ll have 18 points one game and 0 the next. Follow that up with 20, then get 2. The fact that an athlete with this potential could be available at this point shows the depth of the draft.

 

14. Delon Wright- This is a tough one between him and Grant. Ended up going with Wright since I think he is more versatile and has a better shot of playing off ball when needed as well.

 

I guess Trey Lyles is the most glaring name missing from the top 14. Kaminsky usually gets ranked outside the lottery range.

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sabremike

sabremike

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Was at the Sixers game tonight and there was a 50% off sale on all Sixers merch (including jerseys). So I used my $50 in stored value to get a personalized jersey with my last name and the #12 (actually cost $42.50 to be presice). I was just sad that there was no plush Franklin for me to love and cuddle. But anyways, Sixers with the big win so my jersey is now officially lucky. Started off bad (Noel gets blocked twice in a minute, whathefuck?) but they didn't quit when it would've been awfully easy to do so. This team is so easy to like, and I gladly renewed a few days ago. One funny note is that there was a leak in the roof that forced them to close off an entire section in the upper deck (started during the Nova game earlier in the day and for that game I had the misfortune of being in that section. Worst thing is that game was packed so there really wasn't anyplace to go).

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AlfredoE

AlfredoE

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Since the start of the all star break I've been clearing out my DVR and hard drives of saved games with prospects for this years draft. The tournament should move things around a bit. There is no one in this draft as talented as Wiggins and Embiid but it is still a pretty strong draft.

Overall I like this draft more than last year. Figured I'll take my first shot at doing draft rankings. Hopefully it will help next year seeing what I was wrong about and see when I am valuing the wrong things.

 

1. Karl Anthony Towns- Most potential to be a big contributor on both ends of the bigs I believe. I guess I should note how I rank big men in the NBA. Since it impacts these rankings a lot since there are so many:

 

Tier 1- tier one are the bigs that are good to great on both ends. Guys like Duncan, Gasol, Ibaka, Anthony Davis.

Tier 2- tier two are the guys good to great on just the defensive end. DeAndre Jordan, Drummond,  Bogut. Most of the players here could get into tier 1 if they were more efficient on offense. Especially from the free throw line. Chandler and Noah I put in the top tier for that reason but it is open to debate.

Tier 3- tier three good to great on the offensive end. In my opinion these guys have the least amount of impact on a team's win loss percentage among bigs. Typically their defensive contributions begin and end with rebounding. Guys like Vucevic, Monroe, Jefferson, Griffin and Love. They can be an important part of a good team but they do tie your hands with what you put next to them. It is more important though with guys that project to play the 5 though. So including Griffin and Love might not be fair. Same with Monroe when on the floor with Drummond. With guards I flip these around and have offense as the second tier.

 

 

2. D'Angelo Russell- This is the guy I want the Sixers to take 1st overall if they get the pick. Fits need a bit more. Has a more polished game already. Has the ability to play either SG or PG. Sixers lack both so they would have some versatility in who you can choose to put next to him.

 

3. Jahlil Okafor- The whole point of writing out how I judge bigs was to give an idea of why I don't have Okafor first. Right now I see him as a tier 3 big. I do think there is reason for hope though. In college they are running their offense through him. That puts him in a position where he has to be on the court so he has no choice but to play somewhat conservatively. Just can't risk getting into foul trouble. Him and Towns are both really good passers. He is like Parker last year in that he is a safe bet. He won't fit with Embiid so if they Sixers pick 3rd and he is available hopefully they trade down or take Mudiay.

 

4. Emmanuel Mudiay- Quick and has great body control around the rim. Scores through contact which is a skill that will carry over to the NBA. His jump shot is broken though. His rebounding is really strong as well. Could contribute like Westbrook when it comes to rebounding. In a way coming into the league he is a better version of MCW. Coming into the league 3 years younger than MCW did though. He is so big for his age though wonder if he could get too big and slow him down. It is harder to find games from China than it is to find Euroleague games so I haven't seen enough to be 100% confident with this guy.

 

I agree about Towns. As a Laker fan, I'd probably rank the top 4 about the same with maybe Okafor ahead of Russell right now due to need. They're undersized right now. Currently have a bunch of PFs. They have no real starting SF either so they've been starting a stretch-4 in Kelly at that position. Their starting center is Sacre and he's at best the backup to the backup center. Lakers have needs EVERYWHERE, so any of the top 4 would work. They do have a keeper in Jordan Clarkson though. 

 

I'm not sure who'd they pick if they dropped to 5 though. They'll go BPA since they have needs at every position.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if Looney turns out a lot better. UCLA always hides guys.

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Cole Miner

Cole Miner

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Yeah Lakers are in a good spot as far as being able to fit in either of the 2 top bigs if they are best player available when they pick. Lakers are the team to watch for me until the end. Lakers still play us and the Knicks twice. Still think the odds of getting your pick are slim but still not 0. I was watching the Bucks and Lakers game a week or so ago and Scott sat Clarkson for the entire 4th. Brown has never done anything that blatant and I salute it since that pick is very valuable. Still ended up winning though since Kidd decided to play MCW at SG in the 4th for some reason.

 

Sixers just have one option with the top bigs. There is just no way in hell you can play Embiid and Okafor together. If they take Towns a rotation of Noel, Embiid and Towns is workable. I don't know Hinkie's mindset completely though. Could consider moving Noel but I doubt it. Noel has arrived. 7th in the league in steals, 6th in the league in blocks, 8th in the league defensive rating, 2nd in the league in defensive box plus/minus, tied for 9th in defensive win shares. Twice recently players have shot air balls on layups because he was nearby.

 

Since the all star break 12.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.5 blocks through eight games, 75.0% from the free throw line. Right now he's at 1.8 steals per game and 1.9 blocks. Very close to becoming the only the 4th player in league history to average 2 steals and 2 blocks per game in a season. Only thing keeping him out of the discussion for defensive player of the year is the team record. Davis would still win though. If he gets traded I'll be pissed. Unless it is for something really great. His offensive game isn't developed enough to warrant that though.

 

Biggest impact in the draft I think would be Towns going to Minnesota. Slightly behind that Towns to Orlando. I guess you could say the same thing about Sacramento if they get lucky. I don't know how close they are though. I don't take their start to the season all that seriously. Not much different than the Sixers starting 7-6 last year. I'm curious if they put Cousins on the market what people would be willing to give up for him.

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goodhelmet

goodhelmet

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The Spurs have been way too inconsistent this season to feel excited but I am feeling excited. 5 in a row and all have been double digit wins (or close to it). After a Toronto - Cleveland punch, they have 5 easy matchups before facing a nasty stretch of Atlanta, Dallas, OKC, Dallas, Memphis. A 2nd run has Golden State, OKC and the Rockets twice before finishing with Phoenix and New Orleans. If they play Spurs ball, they can catapult into the 3 or 4 seed before the end of the season. if they go back to struggling, they could be clinging to the 8th seed. 

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Greggulator

Greggulator

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Pelicans/Bucks last night felt like The Future Is Now. Giannis had his best game to date and put AD in a spin cycle at one point. Of course, AD went for 40+ and his a bunch of jumpers, too. AD's one or two better teammates away (so he can make the playoffs) from being the MVP.

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