NBA 2012-2013 Discussion, keep it classy

[scotus]

I have no idea what "Princeton" offense is supposed to be, but what seemed clear to me is that Nash didn't look like Nash. He looked befuddled and out of place.

Wouldn't it be better if the Lakers just let Nash run the type of offense he had been running most of his career and have the rest of the team feed off that?

[jamesblakefan#1]

LA looks bad. Only 2 games of course but Dwight is still hampered by the back and still can't shoot FTs, Kobe looks decent but isn't the Kobe of old, and this offense isn't built for Nash. Pau is the only one thriving, like the guys on TNT said last night bc this offense is built for him when he's only the 3rd/4th best player on the team. They'll get it together ala Miami in 2011, but things don't look good to start.

[tennismonkey]

LA looks comically bad. they have flashes of individual brilliance because they have some incredible players but that princeton offense and their team defense looks - like a team that was just slapped together.

i don't like dwight. i don't like kobe. i don't like metta. i'm indifferent about pau. but i love nash. but 1 love doesn't negate 3 don't likes. i'm gonna root and enjoy watching LA fail but hope nash plays great.

[volleygirl]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I think Houston has better shotblockers than GS had last year. Every guard get's beat to the hole. It's up to the 4 and 5 guys to change his layup.
My take is Curray and Ellis were better players than Harden. Harden thrived as a 6th man. How many 6th men come into their own starting?
Lin is 6'3", Harden a couple inches taller. Big enough.
And no, I"m not a believer in guards winning anything by themselves. You still need the rebounders, the intimidators, and some change of pace.

Good call on Harden not being able to handle the load. Who really needs a guy who put up 37 points and 12 assists in a system hes only been able to learn in 24 hours? You would really take either Curry or Ellis ahead of Harden?

[hollywood9826]

The modern NBA is all about getting to the rim and shooting threes. I dont have Curry (if when he is healthy) and Ellis's charts. But nobody IMO is better than Harden at only shooting layups and threes. Here is hardens chart.



And kevin martins.



hardens is an excellent finisher and good enough three point guy. And he is a more than capable passer.

[LeeD]

Harden has a career game, and you think he's the allstar of basketball?
MontaEllis scored over 40 more than 5 times. Is he your allstar
Good players get into the zone. Don't expect Harden to average 30 over 3 games.

[volleygirl]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Harden has a career game, and you think he's the allstar of basketball?
MontaEllis scored over 40 more than 5 times. Is he your allstar
Good players get into the zone. Don't expect Harden to average 30 over 3 games.

I am not basing it on one game, I have thought Harden was better than either Curry or Ellis for a good while. The fact that he just signed a 5 yr 80 million dollar deal and the Warriors shocked people by giving Curry a 4 yr 40 million dollar deal shows that I am not the only one who would take Harden over Curry. I never said I thought Harden was a max player but I'd prefer him over the 2 you mentioned. Curry cant play 3 weeks without rolling his ankle.

[LeeD]

I thought OKC's offer for Harden was consideraby lower, and they should know better than Houston. OTOH, having already two allstars who want/can handle the ball, there's a glut there.
Houston tends to overpay, methinks.
Curry's downside is the ankle, which precludes any huge contract offers. The two are tied together, and separate from his ability on the court.

[volleygirl]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I thought OKC's offer for Harden was consideraby lower, and they should know better than Houston. OTOH, having already two allstars who want/can handle the ball, there's a glut there.
Houston tends to overpay, methinks.
Curry's downside is the ankle, which precludes any huge contract offers. The two are tied together, and separate from his ability on the court.

OKC offered Harden 4 yrs and 55 million while he wanted 4 yrs and 60 million. For some reason they couldnt offer him a 5 yr deal so 4 yrs and 60 mill was the max they could offer and they came within 5 mill of that.

[Power Player]

Harden is better than Ellis and curry. He can play multiple positions, has a very well rounded game, can defend as well. Ellis and curry are good but mainly just at scoring. Curry is a pretty good passer. I will give him that.

[pepka]

Lakers problem isn't Princetone offense. It's Mike Brown. His rotations SUCKS. He plays guys out of their positions. He can't make an in game adjustments to save his life. Then, there is his minute management. (Gasol was 2nd in minutes played last season in the entire NBA). Dude is 32y/o, 7' tall, white and plays for his national team. How can you play Kobe (on bum foot) 40mins on back to back nights? MB needs to go.

[hollywood9826]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I thought OKC's offer for Harden was consideraby lower, and they should know better than Houston. OTOH, having already two allstars who want/can handle the ball, there's a glut there.
Houston tends to overpay, methinks.
Curry's downside is the ankle, which precludes any huge contract offers. The two are tied together, and separate from his ability on the court.

Curry is always hurt. The ability maybe there but will we ever know?

Ellis is one of the least effiecient scorers in the league.

I will take Harden over both of them.

I garuntee you the Spurs would have rathjer face Ellis coming of the bench when they were up 2-0 to OKC. Harden killed them.

Originally Posted by Power Player

Harden is better than Ellis and curry. He can play multiple positions, has a very well rounded game, can defend as well. Ellis and curry are good but mainly just at scoring. Curry is a pretty good passer. I will give him that.

Gimmie Harden all day over both of them guys.

Curry is decent when he is on the florr at 100%. Haden does have more body so can guard a few of the bigger guys that curry cant.

Ellis is also small to be guarding SGs.

[hollywood9826]

Originally Posted by pepka

Lakers problem isn't Princetone offense. It's Mike Brown. His rotations SUCKS. He plays guys out of their positions. He can't make an in game adjustments to save his life. Then, there is his minute management. (Gasol was 2nd in minutes played last season in the entire NBA). Dude is 32y/o, 7' tall, white and plays for his national team. How can you play Kobe (on bum foot) 40mins on back to back nights? MB needs to go.

Agree with Brown. He took a team with Lebron into teh NBA finals and got swept. Im sorry you have LeBron you should at least be able to win one game.

He is not a good head coach. There really are not many in the NBA that are. Brown has had time to learn enough to figure it out.

Remeber Doc Rivers was not very good his first couple years. Then he figured it out. Brown will not.

[LeeD]

Maybe I"m not the wisest of the basketball critics.....
How can 2-3" of height make any difference in defense? Even giving away 20-30- lbs shouldn't matter much, because defense is positioning, and the desire to stay between your man and the basket. Defense is about being active, moving your feet, staying in balance, and knowing what's behind you and where to steer your man.
I know commentators are always pointing out pure physical size. They are pointing out only the basics for the average beer drinking, tv watching joe.
Lots of great defensive players are not bigger than the guys they defend. They have to be smarter, to WANT to play defense, to be active with their feet AND their hands, to watch film to notice tendencies, and to play tough when possible.
2-4" at the point makes no difference, just like that difference at the 2 or 3 or 4 makes no difference.

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by volleygirl

Good call on Harden not being able to handle the load. Who really needs a guy who put up 37 points and 12 assists in a system hes only been able to learn in 24 hours? You would really take either Curry or Ellis ahead of Harden?

It's one game...against the Pistons. Let's not get carried away here and give Houston the title or anything.

Houston's still the youngest team in basketball. They'll have their growing pains eventually.

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by volleygirl

OKC offered Harden 4 yrs and 55 million while he wanted 4 yrs and 60 million. For some reason they couldnt offer him a 5 yr deal so 4 yrs and 60 mill was the max they could offer and they came within 5 mill of that.

"In addition, newly signed contracts now have a maximum duration of five years for players with Bird rights and four years for all other players (including sign-and-trade acquisitions)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_sal..._under_the_CBA

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by hollywood9826

Agree with Brown. He took a team with Lebron into teh NBA finals and got swept. Im sorry you have LeBron you should at least be able to win one game.

He is not a good head coach. There really are not many in the NBA that are. Brown has had time to learn enough to figure it out.

Remeber Doc Rivers was not very good his first couple years. Then he figured it out. Brown will not.

When your 2nd best player is Boobie Gibson and you're going against a dynasty, you get swept. LeBron's the only reason they even got to the finals and past Detroit. Brown is on the hottest of hot seats already, If LA is under .500 after November he'll get canned.

Doc was decent in Orlando, then had a terrible roster his first few years in Boston before the big 3 came in. Plus Doc at least was a good player and players will respect that. Brown on the other hand....

in other news, to go back to a story from last year - Eric Gordon, who was supposed to be NO's great return in the CP3 trade, is still 'hurt' and sitting out. The coach doesn't buy it though.

http://updates.deadspin.com/post/347...c-gordons-knee

[jamesblakefan#1]

Don't look now, but the team everyone always ignores (except for me), San Antonio looks ready to make another run at it. They were the team to beat last year before OKC did just that. Still one of if not the deepest lineup in the league, and a system they know works.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Don't look now, but the team everyone always ignores (except for me), San Antonio looks ready to make another run at it. They were the team to beat last year before OKC did just that. Still one of if not the deepest lineup in the league, and a system they know works.

I don't know if they were the team to beat from the get go last year, but they undeniably became the team to beat.

When you have Pops and Timmy, you can do a lot of things wrong and still win. They're not flashy, never been, but they get easy buckets, and that's always fun to watch. So I don't understand why people say they're boring.

As Kenny Smith said last year: "They're surgical."

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

I don't know if they were the team to beat from the get go last year, but they undeniably became the team to beat.

When you have Pops and Timmy, you can do a lot of things wrong and still win. They're not flashy, never been, but they get easy buckets, and that's always fun to watch. So I don't understand why people say they're boring.

As Kenny Smith said last year: "They're surgical."

They were 2nd in scoring and 1st in FG & 3pt pct last year. Just because they don't have the big name superstars or play in the big market they get no love from casual fans and most of the media, while schmuck teams like the Nets and Knicks get the spotlight. Most real fans know that SA can get it done if they stay healthy.

Oh and Westbrook (soy's boy) still stinks as a clutch player and true PG. He was literally lost on that last play.