I want to remind you that DNHQ is a mainly politics free zone since last Election Day. The reasons are (1) the discussion section becomes a horrible crapzone with unlimited politics discussion, (2) a number of people asked for this because there are many better places to organize and it is good to have a small place to escape from politics. Don't reply to this pinned comment; if needed, make your own comment.
Podz knows how to play and does great stuff in the margins (like rebounds and charges), but...he is consistently beat on D at the point of attack by anyone who is quick (e.g., Game 5 vs the Wolves and last night) and against pressure and length he can't get the ball closer than 30 feet from the basket with more than 14 seconds on the shot clock (that's why Kerr put in the lacrosse guy). He should get <20 minutes a night.
Hield misses when sped up, and when he's not hot (which is most of the time). He also totally blew a defensive assignment by not covering his man who cruised in for a layup. His minutes should dry up when Melton (and the other Curry) join.
Moses was bad. E.g., 3 pointer with time off the side of the rim. There is hope there based on last year prior to hand injury --jury still out.
Damn, the vibe is so different. Past couple of years, a loss would have this group spiraling and pointing everywhere for blame. Now it's, hey, some weak points but it's all good.
Early days yet. I figure we go the first month around .500 and build from there. Nothing to really panic about (if you're panicking after 3 games, then maybe basketball isn't the sport to follow).
To me, the promise I'm seeing from JK (and, to a lesser extent, Richard) is overshadowing any negatives you could take away from this early stretch. If JK continues to improve a bit on this start, barring some hideously bad injury luck, we're going to be fine.
This. I think we're all pretty happy with JK's progress so far.
I am very pleased with Richard. Sure, he has far to go but he has played in his first three regular season games and shown potential, especially on defense. For Kerr to give a rookie taken toward the end of the second round even a few minutes that aren't pure garbage time is encouraging.
3 games in against 3 different quality opponents and I’m happy with what JK is bringing to the table. There are still things to be worked on for sure but I think there’s been way more good than bad to start the year. I’ve been very happy with his intensity on the glass and he’s been doing a job at the POA for the most part. We just have to be better as a team there.
Combo of fresh legs making shooting better and rusty (or out of shape) defenses always make NBA offenses look better than they are the first few games imo. Wouldn’t read into things much yet
I've been pretty annoyed with how bad we look at the POA. You can't really pinpoint it on a weak link too. We as a unit are just taking turns falling asleep out there at certain parts of the game and it really adds up. I understand the old guys looking tired but it kind of makes me mad when guys that really has no business dribbling the ball are blowing by Podz with little to no resistance
Update on Frisbee the dog, who wandered onto our property and seemed to be ready to move in:
He spent the night on our covered downstairs patio and was there this morning. Super excited to see us and more comfortable with getting petted. He even quietly locked on to a sloth in the tree above us and the wildlife photographer in me thought, “If you’re going to spot wildlife for me, we’re gonna get along just fine.”
Went back upstairs for a bit and just like that he was gone. We hope he has a family he went home to and we were just a one night stand, but it would’ve been nice to told up front. We feel so used. 😆
JK: He's still got work to do, but this JK is on a path to be an absolute monster. 8 rebounds, 3 assists, only 3 PF.
People complain about his lack of growth, but the thing that encourages me is the fouls. He went through a phase where he was very handsy, and picking up a lot of fouls. Then he overadjusted, and put his hands behind his back (basically giving up on defense). He's found the happy medium, it seems. That and the rebounding are very good signs he is coachable.
He's still got to get the TOs down, but at this point, I think that's just reps as a 'passing' big. The shooting ... maybe more of a question mark, but if he does the other stuff, he'd still be a hugely positive player at this level of shooting.
I thought Q Post looked OK at the start of last night's game.
He seems to be still learning how to be useful, especially on defense (when to switch, how hard, recovery etc.). To me he showed some growth in those areas, and he had some rebounds. The shots will come and go as with most players starting out in the NBA.
If JK stole Podz’ mojo, all I can say about that is, “Yeah, baby, yeah!”
My guess is Podz is pressing trying to prove his worth. If it pleases the court:
* Based on some of his um…”confident” talk, he might’ve come to camp thinking he was a starter, then heard Kerr talked to about Moody starting next to Steph.
* Now JK is staking a claim to big minutes as well, which means Moody might play more 2.
* Melton is waiting in the wings to grab a bunch of combo guard minutes.
Too early to be more than concerned at this point. Podz may just be going through a rough stretch.
Portland's a tough matchup for him, too, since they have a lot of long, quick wing defenders. But, his shooting is off, and he can't drive past his defender. So, things to keep an eye on.
Podz last year started in a slump too which took a long time to break out of. He's just not very consistent with his shot yet especially if it's not open catch and shoot
Yes, he broke his nose in the preseason when he caught an elbow from TJD, and he wore a mask for about a month. According to Kelenna Azubuike, that injury affected his vision, and the vision problem lingered even after the mask was no longer needed. Then in a game against the Hawks on Nov. 20 he was hit in the face again and had to leave the game. Ouch! Fortunately he did not break his nose the second time.
Haven't seen JK complain to the refs about the lack of a foul call. That had cropped up last season. His role model for that was Draymond so that is understandable. But now he has a better role model in JB.
I don't mean role model in the sense those are the players JK is looking up to. But as an example of behavior that he has witnessed playing a position where he can model his game after.
I get that. I just think it gets overstated. Kuminga sees power forwards play constantly. I just don't think that JB's style of play is that much of an influence on him. It's not just Kuminga -- I just don't think that being around a player is that much more important than all the other influences. You take Draymond. He's been around Steph forever. Had many an opportunity to learn not to get techs, and how to shoot the three. Hasn't learned those things.
My theory is that Kuminga gets asked "Is Jimmy a good influence" so he thinks: well, we've been talking, that helps. So he says yes, also in part because it would be rude to say no.
But if we were able to do a magic X-ray of his hands and mind in the instant that he catches a ball and the half second before he passes it on, I don't think we would see a big picture of Jimmy offering advice to move the ball more. I think we would see that picture but it would be tiny compared to all the other things we'd see. For example, practice, game play, intensive coaching, instruction from coaches, and simple natural inclinations like his hand-eye coordination.
I think the other option -- that a vet player is a major influence -- does not hold much likelihood, when weighed against all those other influences.
As an analogy: if you visit my home and on your way out the door I say "Drive safely!" that's a reminder. It's not nothing. But if you do then drive safely, there are so many likely other reasons why. You learned how to drive, you've done a lot of driving (I'm guessing), you have hand eye coordination already, you have feelings and instincts like appropriate wariness of dangerous situations, and so on. It's possible that my "Drive safely!" had SOME influence, but when a car is suddenly at an unexpected angle to you, I just don't think my reminder is the first thing on your mind.
"Drive safe" probably doesn't do much for a newer person driving, but "take this left turn slowly, there's a slick patch that most slip on" while driving might be p helpful, and that feels closer to the type of advice a helpful mentor might give?
yeah ... in this case, I would definitely bet on coaching and maturation, rather than having a different 'north star' to point to (though I'm sure JB helps a bunch).
Why would you bet that JB helps a bunch? It's not impossible, it just seems like that claim that people keep making that has very little plausibility to it.
By which I mean: of the pie chart of Kuminga's progress, isn't it likely that practicing, maturing, coaching, playing in games take up more than 99% of the pie, and talking to Butler now and then over a couple of weeks is the teensiest sliver? Just seems logical.
You keep repeating this idea that players are not major influences on each other both on and off the court, despite the fact that almost every player who is interviewed on the subject, including in pretty much all of the player podcasts, strongly state otherwise. You might consider believing them.
Feel free not to read or respond to my posts. I repeat myself, it's true. If I'm not mistaken, so do others.
I have considered believing the players. I do believe they think what they think, but that is not all that persuasive to me, as I have repeatedly explained. I'm a therapist. If everyone understood why they think what they think I'd be half out of a job. Much more commonly, people assert certainty about where their views come from without much evidence.
So I still hold my views on the subject. I expect to continue posting them, as a warning to you.
In hindsight, even without it being a road back to back, it was going to be a tall task to beat the team whose head coach has literally never lost an NBA game!
Seems like it only took two games for people to remember that Luka for AD remains the stupidest move in NBA or possibly sports history. AD seems to be entering the lightly washed phase of his career. The Lakers were heading for a few years in the desert.
I hate that the dummy Mavs get gifted Cooper Flagg after their stupid trade and then play him at PG in a stupid lineup with two non shooting C’s and no other ballhandlers because they have to placate 33 year old AD.
Not a fair comparison -- Nico had to deal with Hefty Luka, Lakers are now benefiting from SKinny Luka. If he'd stayed hefty, he would have been the same player we saw for years -- a big liability on defense, tired in late games and late seasons. I never said and never will say he wasn't great, but the gap between his two fitness levels makes a lot of difference. Not the worst move in NBA history by a great deal.
-- Nowitski and pieces for Robert (Tractor) Traylor
-- Pau to Lakers was immediately two rings for the Lakers. It can be argued that Memphis got decent return with Marc being part of the package coming back.
-- Wilt to Lakers for Darrall Imhoff, Jerry Chambers, and Archie Clark. Who are they? I don't know either.
-- Russell Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul, two 1sts, and two 1st round pick swaps. Russell Westbrook mania was high
-- 1992 Phoenix sent Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang to Philly for Chuck Barkley.
-- Warriors get Joe Barely Cares, Boston gets Parish and McHale
All those except Westy/CP3 are poor comps, as they involve either (1) rookies / prospects who did not come with crystal balls, (2) disgruntled stars who wanted out, and/or (3) big market teams exploiting small market teams.
Without the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, the Westy/CP3 one is only one in that group that approaches the dumbness of the Luka deal imo — especially when you factor in the insanity of Houston throwing in a couple first round picks. But even there: we're talking about trading 34 y.o. CP3 for 30 y.o. Westy, versus trading 26 y.o. Luka for a perennially banged up 32 y.o. AD about to enter his decline phase. Without getting a draft haul in the process, and without canvassing other teams.
My top choice: Kareem (at that point with ROY and 6 AS games in his first 6 seasons and 3 MVPs plus a 2nd and 3rd place MVP finish, 4 all-defense teams, and a ring — much better than Mavs Luka, IMHOP) and Walt Wesley (who played 1 game and retired) from the Bucks to the Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters. Some decent players there but Kareem was the best player in the league and already in the GOAT conversation.
Imhoff was a starting center and made an All Star team but no star, and I agree with your assessment of the trade.
I think the team ownership simply didn't want to pay hamburger helper version luka $71 mil a year. No way he takes less than the supermax, because he's worth it. But extra pounds is asking for extra injury.
Whether this ties into a plot to maneuver the dallas franchise over to ownership's natural environs, the deserts of nevada, remains to be seen. Las Vegas can't be both an expansion franchise and the future home of the maverflaggs
Are you saying AD is obtainable in a trade? I'm loath to part with him but Draymond + JK + filler does match his salary. But then we would really be gambling on health.
I’m starting to kind of believe the deal was fixed by a higher power and Nico Harrison is just the fall guy. It looks like even he doesn’t believe his own reasoning in the interviews and the Mavs magically winning the lottery after making that trade is just way too fishy for me to believe it happened organically.
Who are you trading for him, and whose minutes are you giving him?
A one-game sample isn’t not sufficient basis on which the determine that the team’s defense sucks. This same roster was the best D in the NBA last season post Jimmy trade, and is going to get another jolt of D with the arrival of Melton. Who on the current team are you implying sucks at defense and needs to be upgraded to Keon Ellis?
This, I really think guys are letting dudes wide open on 3pt line because we don't have much rim protection so we're conceding some 3s. There were so many layups by Portland where it was way too easy
I'm not gonna get too worked up about a schedule loss. It wasn't so much the segababa as the 3 games in 4 nights beginning with two playoff teams in the tough conference. Kerr kept the big 3 at 27 minutes and under, shrug and move on. Meanwhile, we beat the two good teams and those wins count.
On monday we host the remains of the gristle, and tuesday the brown paper baggers from LA's chinatown. Or perhaps from owens valley.
Two marquee games, SEGABABA with travel, OT game the night before, super-old roster.
My only complaint is that Kerr played the OG guys too long. I realize it's only the third game of the season, but other than Android Steph, they looked a bit foot-heavy to me.
20, 26, and 27 minutes, with dray getting the 20. I think he could have got more run but he was benched before he fully melted down at a ref. You could see it coming, kind of like your toddler building up to full tantrum.
(BTW I am very much a fan of dray the player, he's unique and they win zero championships without him, but one little-remembered flaw from last year's playoff run is that steph's injury truncated that run before dray hit the threshhold of one-game suspension for every other tech. I think he had a margin of 1 "free" tech left by the time they were eliminated)
Butler played 39 minutes the game before. The game was an exercise in futility after that run in the 3rd that they put on us. I'm not sure what would have been lost by just pulling all of them at that point (Butler continued to play, at least).
I want to remind you that DNHQ is a mainly politics free zone since last Election Day. The reasons are (1) the discussion section becomes a horrible crapzone with unlimited politics discussion, (2) a number of people asked for this because there are many better places to organize and it is good to have a small place to escape from politics. Don't reply to this pinned comment; if needed, make your own comment.
What a fight crusty
Agree or disagree (or partly each):
Podz knows how to play and does great stuff in the margins (like rebounds and charges), but...he is consistently beat on D at the point of attack by anyone who is quick (e.g., Game 5 vs the Wolves and last night) and against pressure and length he can't get the ball closer than 30 feet from the basket with more than 14 seconds on the shot clock (that's why Kerr put in the lacrosse guy). He should get <20 minutes a night.
Hield misses when sped up, and when he's not hot (which is most of the time). He also totally blew a defensive assignment by not covering his man who cruised in for a layup. His minutes should dry up when Melton (and the other Curry) join.
Moses was bad. E.g., 3 pointer with time off the side of the rim. There is hope there based on last year prior to hand injury --jury still out.
Podz has looked way worse on POA so far than last year. And he's never shown that he can be an effective PG. Always better off the ball.
Hield is who he always is, which is to say you're right, he's erratic. Don't forget how good he was in the playoffs.
Moody looked fine given the rust. Some good attacking, some good deflections, missed some shot clock grenades.
Oh Sweet Regulation - The Seasoning which only you can flavour.
From the long thaw since we parted;
Bitter and Sweet begin to mix
Heat is finally turned up
Flames lick at rims of bottomless skillets
The Kitchen is open. The Chef is ready. "Allez Cuisine!"
TJD I’m going to need you to stop smoking layups
He was in portland, plenty of other things to smoke.
Damn, the vibe is so different. Past couple of years, a loss would have this group spiraling and pointing everywhere for blame. Now it's, hey, some weak points but it's all good.
2-1, 3 in 4 nights, overtime game.
Early days yet. I figure we go the first month around .500 and build from there. Nothing to really panic about (if you're panicking after 3 games, then maybe basketball isn't the sport to follow).
To me, the promise I'm seeing from JK (and, to a lesser extent, Richard) is overshadowing any negatives you could take away from this early stretch. If JK continues to improve a bit on this start, barring some hideously bad injury luck, we're going to be fine.
This. I think we're all pretty happy with JK's progress so far.
I am very pleased with Richard. Sure, he has far to go but he has played in his first three regular season games and shown potential, especially on defense. For Kerr to give a rookie taken toward the end of the second round even a few minutes that aren't pure garbage time is encouraging.
I'm spiraling, if it helps. Or at least I was in the second half last night.
Give us another few losses, and we’ll get back into regular season form
Good thing we're going 98-1, then.
This has nothing to do with the game but this clip of tough guy Green’s interaction as a doting father with his daughter is so sweet.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uiLBQ6qKYSk
3 games in against 3 different quality opponents and I’m happy with what JK is bringing to the table. There are still things to be worked on for sure but I think there’s been way more good than bad to start the year. I’ve been very happy with his intensity on the glass and he’s been doing a job at the POA for the most part. We just have to be better as a team there.
So… are we a bad defensive team? Cuz it kinda looks like it so far…
Combo of fresh legs making shooting better and rusty (or out of shape) defenses always make NBA offenses look better than they are the first few games imo. Wouldn’t read into things much yet
Ask the Lakers
The end of the Nuggets' game defense looked decent .
I've been pretty annoyed with how bad we look at the POA. You can't really pinpoint it on a weak link too. We as a unit are just taking turns falling asleep out there at certain parts of the game and it really adds up. I understand the old guys looking tired but it kind of makes me mad when guys that really has no business dribbling the ball are blowing by Podz with little to no resistance
The defense seems to be forcing players away from their strong side but the defenders are so aggressive at it they allow an open lane past them.
It’s game 3… how could the old guys be tired already?!?! I hope it all gets better… but it doesn’t look good, and it’s across the board, as you say.
Update on Frisbee the dog, who wandered onto our property and seemed to be ready to move in:
He spent the night on our covered downstairs patio and was there this morning. Super excited to see us and more comfortable with getting petted. He even quietly locked on to a sloth in the tree above us and the wildlife photographer in me thought, “If you’re going to spot wildlife for me, we’re gonna get along just fine.”
Went back upstairs for a bit and just like that he was gone. We hope he has a family he went home to and we were just a one night stand, but it would’ve been nice to told up front. We feel so used. 😆
Our other theory is that he overheard our conversation about getting him neutered if we end up keeping him.
Things I am concerned about:
Podz shooting
Buddy shooting
Post looking kind of lost/slow at NBA game speed
Things I am no longer concerned about:
JK: He's still got work to do, but this JK is on a path to be an absolute monster. 8 rebounds, 3 assists, only 3 PF.
People complain about his lack of growth, but the thing that encourages me is the fouls. He went through a phase where he was very handsy, and picking up a lot of fouls. Then he overadjusted, and put his hands behind his back (basically giving up on defense). He's found the happy medium, it seems. That and the rebounding are very good signs he is coachable.
He's still got to get the TOs down, but at this point, I think that's just reps as a 'passing' big. The shooting ... maybe more of a question mark, but if he does the other stuff, he'd still be a hugely positive player at this level of shooting.
I thought Q Post looked OK at the start of last night's game.
He seems to be still learning how to be useful, especially on defense (when to switch, how hard, recovery etc.). To me he showed some growth in those areas, and he had some rebounds. The shots will come and go as with most players starting out in the NBA.
Jk had 3 fouls 1st half and had to sit, I think Kerr should've just rolled with it
If JK stole Podz’ mojo, all I can say about that is, “Yeah, baby, yeah!”
My guess is Podz is pressing trying to prove his worth. If it pleases the court:
* Based on some of his um…”confident” talk, he might’ve come to camp thinking he was a starter, then heard Kerr talked to about Moody starting next to Steph.
* Now JK is staking a claim to big minutes as well, which means Moody might play more 2.
* Melton is waiting in the wings to grab a bunch of combo guard minutes.
* It’s a contract year.
He does still know how to take a charge from Sharpe
Too early to be more than concerned at this point. Podz may just be going through a rough stretch.
Portland's a tough matchup for him, too, since they have a lot of long, quick wing defenders. But, his shooting is off, and he can't drive past his defender. So, things to keep an eye on.
Podz last year started in a slump too which took a long time to break out of. He's just not very consistent with his shot yet especially if it's not open catch and shoot
Wasn't a lot of that primarily injury?
Yes, he broke his nose in the preseason when he caught an elbow from TJD, and he wore a mask for about a month. According to Kelenna Azubuike, that injury affected his vision, and the vision problem lingered even after the mask was no longer needed. Then in a game against the Hawks on Nov. 20 he was hit in the face again and had to leave the game. Ouch! Fortunately he did not break his nose the second time.
Yes. He was playing through something nov and dec, I think it was a lingering eye injury.
That said, his shot is so bad right now I'm kind of wondering when we'll learn of a new issue.
I don't recall Podz was injured start of last year, only in the playoffs. Could be wrong though
Haven't seen JK complain to the refs about the lack of a foul call. That had cropped up last season. His role model for that was Draymond so that is understandable. But now he has a better role model in JB.
What if it's not about role models at all? Is that possible?
I don't mean role model in the sense those are the players JK is looking up to. But as an example of behavior that he has witnessed playing a position where he can model his game after.
I get that. I just think it gets overstated. Kuminga sees power forwards play constantly. I just don't think that JB's style of play is that much of an influence on him. It's not just Kuminga -- I just don't think that being around a player is that much more important than all the other influences. You take Draymond. He's been around Steph forever. Had many an opportunity to learn not to get techs, and how to shoot the three. Hasn't learned those things.
My theory is that Kuminga gets asked "Is Jimmy a good influence" so he thinks: well, we've been talking, that helps. So he says yes, also in part because it would be rude to say no.
But if we were able to do a magic X-ray of his hands and mind in the instant that he catches a ball and the half second before he passes it on, I don't think we would see a big picture of Jimmy offering advice to move the ball more. I think we would see that picture but it would be tiny compared to all the other things we'd see. For example, practice, game play, intensive coaching, instruction from coaches, and simple natural inclinations like his hand-eye coordination.
I think the other option -- that a vet player is a major influence -- does not hold much likelihood, when weighed against all those other influences.
As an analogy: if you visit my home and on your way out the door I say "Drive safely!" that's a reminder. It's not nothing. But if you do then drive safely, there are so many likely other reasons why. You learned how to drive, you've done a lot of driving (I'm guessing), you have hand eye coordination already, you have feelings and instincts like appropriate wariness of dangerous situations, and so on. It's possible that my "Drive safely!" had SOME influence, but when a car is suddenly at an unexpected angle to you, I just don't think my reminder is the first thing on your mind.
"Drive safe" probably doesn't do much for a newer person driving, but "take this left turn slowly, there's a slick patch that most slip on" while driving might be p helpful, and that feels closer to the type of advice a helpful mentor might give?
yeah ... in this case, I would definitely bet on coaching and maturation, rather than having a different 'north star' to point to (though I'm sure JB helps a bunch).
Why would you bet that JB helps a bunch? It's not impossible, it just seems like that claim that people keep making that has very little plausibility to it.
By which I mean: of the pie chart of Kuminga's progress, isn't it likely that practicing, maturing, coaching, playing in games take up more than 99% of the pie, and talking to Butler now and then over a couple of weeks is the teensiest sliver? Just seems logical.
You keep repeating this idea that players are not major influences on each other both on and off the court, despite the fact that almost every player who is interviewed on the subject, including in pretty much all of the player podcasts, strongly state otherwise. You might consider believing them.
Feel free not to read or respond to my posts. I repeat myself, it's true. If I'm not mistaken, so do others.
I have considered believing the players. I do believe they think what they think, but that is not all that persuasive to me, as I have repeatedly explained. I'm a therapist. If everyone understood why they think what they think I'd be half out of a job. Much more commonly, people assert certainty about where their views come from without much evidence.
So I still hold my views on the subject. I expect to continue posting them, as a warning to you.
Yeah about that https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46615956/warriors-jonathan-kuminga-fined-35k-actions-official
Understandable to complain when he literally rolled his ankle that play and no call
I think Goofus is getting more at that JK learned an expensive lesson, so he's backed off the refs (which seems likely).
In hindsight, even without it being a road back to back, it was going to be a tall task to beat the team whose head coach has literally never lost an NBA game!
doomed from the start
Seems like it only took two games for people to remember that Luka for AD remains the stupidest move in NBA or possibly sports history. AD seems to be entering the lightly washed phase of his career. The Lakers were heading for a few years in the desert.
Eff you, Nico Harrison.
I hate that the dummy Mavs get gifted Cooper Flagg after their stupid trade and then play him at PG in a stupid lineup with two non shooting C’s and no other ballhandlers because they have to placate 33 year old AD.
Not a fair comparison -- Nico had to deal with Hefty Luka, Lakers are now benefiting from SKinny Luka. If he'd stayed hefty, he would have been the same player we saw for years -- a big liability on defense, tired in late games and late seasons. I never said and never will say he wasn't great, but the gap between his two fitness levels makes a lot of difference. Not the worst move in NBA history by a great deal.
Luka carried them to the Finals 7 months before he traded him.
What are some worse moves in your opinion?
-- Kobe (rights) for Vlade comes to mind.
-- Nowitski and pieces for Robert (Tractor) Traylor
-- Pau to Lakers was immediately two rings for the Lakers. It can be argued that Memphis got decent return with Marc being part of the package coming back.
-- Wilt to Lakers for Darrall Imhoff, Jerry Chambers, and Archie Clark. Who are they? I don't know either.
-- Russell Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul, two 1sts, and two 1st round pick swaps. Russell Westbrook mania was high
-- 1992 Phoenix sent Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang to Philly for Chuck Barkley.
-- Warriors get Joe Barely Cares, Boston gets Parish and McHale
All those except Westy/CP3 are poor comps, as they involve either (1) rookies / prospects who did not come with crystal balls, (2) disgruntled stars who wanted out, and/or (3) big market teams exploiting small market teams.
Without the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, the Westy/CP3 one is only one in that group that approaches the dumbness of the Luka deal imo — especially when you factor in the insanity of Houston throwing in a couple first round picks. But even there: we're talking about trading 34 y.o. CP3 for 30 y.o. Westy, versus trading 26 y.o. Luka for a perennially banged up 32 y.o. AD about to enter his decline phase. Without getting a draft haul in the process, and without canvassing other teams.
My top choice: Kareem (at that point with ROY and 6 AS games in his first 6 seasons and 3 MVPs plus a 2nd and 3rd place MVP finish, 4 all-defense teams, and a ring — much better than Mavs Luka, IMHOP) and Walt Wesley (who played 1 game and retired) from the Bucks to the Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters. Some decent players there but Kareem was the best player in the league and already in the GOAT conversation.
Imhoff was a starting center and made an All Star team but no star, and I agree with your assessment of the trade.
I think the team ownership simply didn't want to pay hamburger helper version luka $71 mil a year. No way he takes less than the supermax, because he's worth it. But extra pounds is asking for extra injury.
Whether this ties into a plot to maneuver the dallas franchise over to ownership's natural environs, the deserts of nevada, remains to be seen. Las Vegas can't be both an expansion franchise and the future home of the maverflaggs
Are you saying AD is obtainable in a trade? I'm loath to part with him but Draymond + JK + filler does match his salary. But then we would really be gambling on health.
Maybe if they threw in gafford or lively, we'd still need another big
No, thank you. Please god, no.
I’m starting to kind of believe the deal was fixed by a higher power and Nico Harrison is just the fall guy. It looks like even he doesn’t believe his own reasoning in the interviews and the Mavs magically winning the lottery after making that trade is just way too fishy for me to believe it happened organically.
Why would the other teams agree to let the Lakers have Luka and the Mavs get Flagg?
We can at least say that if Nico Harrison didn’t exist, Adam Silver would have had to invent him.
Steph at 37 (per 36 mins.)
37.5 pts on .716 true shooting
.457 from 3 / .615 from 2 / 1.000 from the stripe
4.9 reb / 5.2 ast / 1.5 blk / 2.6 stl
That’s good, right?
We could really use Keon Ellis; the Kings are barely even playing him, and he's one of their best defenders.
Who are you trading for him, and whose minutes are you giving him?
A one-game sample isn’t not sufficient basis on which the determine that the team’s defense sucks. This same roster was the best D in the NBA last season post Jimmy trade, and is going to get another jolt of D with the arrival of Melton. Who on the current team are you implying sucks at defense and needs to be upgraded to Keon Ellis?
I think we are good on the perimeter.
If anything, we need to consolidate a little more and add an upgrade on TJD behind Al.
This, I really think guys are letting dudes wide open on 3pt line because we don't have much rim protection so we're conceding some 3s. There were so many layups by Portland where it was way too easy
I'm not gonna get too worked up about a schedule loss. It wasn't so much the segababa as the 3 games in 4 nights beginning with two playoff teams in the tough conference. Kerr kept the big 3 at 27 minutes and under, shrug and move on. Meanwhile, we beat the two good teams and those wins count.
On monday we host the remains of the gristle, and tuesday the brown paper baggers from LA's chinatown. Or perhaps from owens valley.
preach.
Two marquee games, SEGABABA with travel, OT game the night before, super-old roster.
My only complaint is that Kerr played the OG guys too long. I realize it's only the third game of the season, but other than Android Steph, they looked a bit foot-heavy to me.
20, 26, and 27 minutes, with dray getting the 20. I think he could have got more run but he was benched before he fully melted down at a ref. You could see it coming, kind of like your toddler building up to full tantrum.
(BTW I am very much a fan of dray the player, he's unique and they win zero championships without him, but one little-remembered flaw from last year's playoff run is that steph's injury truncated that run before dray hit the threshhold of one-game suspension for every other tech. I think he had a margin of 1 "free" tech left by the time they were eliminated)
Butler played 39 minutes the game before. The game was an exercise in futility after that run in the 3rd that they put on us. I'm not sure what would have been lost by just pulling all of them at that point (Butler continued to play, at least).