Nick Nurse was fired, but Cuban isn't smart enough to fire Kidd and hire Nurse.
I have always held Nurse in high regard. This year was a tough one for him though. I thought that team should have been better. I am sure there are a lot of reasons why it wasn't but it made me re-evaluate him. Sometimes coaches have off years.
I also found it interesting he really didn't play much of a bench. It seemed like he likes to play high minutes to his starters.
(04-21-2023, 09:29 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]I have always held Nurse in high regard. This year was a tough one for him though. I thought that team should have been better. I am sure there are a lot of reasons why it wasn't but it made me re-evaluate him. Sometimes coaches have off years.
I also found it interesting he really didn't play much of a bench. It seemed like he likes to play high minutes to his starters.
Its really difficult to judge coaches. Outside of the Kawhi led title, Toronto didn't really have good results. But the roster was constructed strangely for most of the time, without real PG or C for most of the time.
Still, Nurse has a very high reputation around the league. It seems Houston wants him as their end of rebuild coach.
Spencer was terrible down the stretch. Jacked a 3 early in the shot clock one possession. Then Din had gimpy Embiid ISO’d it at 3 point line one on one, sized him up, and passed to either Bridges or Oneale who fumbled it next expecting the ball 35 feet away. Then on the shot Embiid blocked he had Doe open at the 3 point line. Dude was very clutch in his time here for the most part but when he’s bad he’s very bad.
(04-21-2023, 10:20 AM)MarkAguirreWrathofGod Wrote: [ -> ]Spencer was terrible down the stretch. Jacked a 3 early in the shot clock one possession. Then Din had gimpy Embiid ISO’d it at 3 point line one on one, sized him up, and passed to either Bridges or Oneale who fumbled it next expecting the ball 35 feet away. Then on the shot Embiid blocked he had Doe open at the 3 point line. Dude was very clutch in his time here for the most part but when he’s bad he’s very bad.
Probably easier to be clutch when Luka is commanding so much attention, but that's just my opinion.
(04-21-2023, 09:29 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]I have always held Nurse in high regard. This year was a tough one for him though. I thought that team should have been better. I am sure there are a lot of reasons why it wasn't but it made me re-evaluate him. Sometimes coaches have off years.
I also found it interesting he really didn't play much of a bench. It seemed like he likes to play high minutes to his starters.
He learned that from the Tom Thibodeau playbook, I guess... Masai was said to be disappointed that he didn't use his bench more to develop younger players. Probably one of the reasons he was let go.
Yeah Nurse to Houston has the potential to be high comedy. Can he be patient enough? The young guys would have to buy in. They have a really nice talent base and adding a top 4 pick to it, I can see the appeal.
Can’t believe the Suns are gifted Durant and a gimpy Clippers team after their back to back melt downs. Booker is back in full front runner mode. Loved it when SVG called him out for yelling “can’t guard me!” Down the stretch of Game 2. They are double teaming Durant and missing PG and you’re basically attacking defenders scrambling to rotate every possession.
And Cupcake has me rooting for Westbrook like I never thought possible. Durant is so great but this is basically his legacy at this point.
He catches a lot of heat for his lack of consistent shooting, but Westbrook has been fantastic since joining the Clippers, especially on defense. Ty Lue has shown confidence in him, and that's all he ever wanted. He was unfairly labeled the scapegoat with the Lakers.
Westbrook does get a bad rap. I think I would’ve preferred a deal where we ate his $ and received assets rather than what we wound up doing.
(04-21-2023, 12:19 PM)MarkAguirreWrathofGod Wrote: [ -> ]Westbrook does get a bad rap. I think I would’ve preferred a deal where we ate his $ and received assets rather than what we wound up doing.
Don´t even need assets. Just give them THJ, Bertans, Powell and McGee and you make out like bandits. Westbrook was treated like he had Ebola by the Klutch controlled media. It was a damn expiring contract. You´d rather pay THJ, Bertans and McGee for another two years than get off all the bad money in one swoop. Westbrook would have been a great pick-up just to show Luka some leadership. But exchanging trash for an expiring contract is beneath Cuban. Even if it was offered/discussed, he´d have turned it down immediately due to thinking THJ is better than Westbrook.
(04-21-2023, 03:11 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: [ -> ]What are empty stats if not putting up big numbers on losing teams?
IMO empty stats are putting up numbers that don't better the team. They don't make the players around them better. Historically I look to David Lee, Antoine Walker, OJ Mayo, Ron Mercer, and Monta Ellis. The perfect example in today's game is Andre Drummond. He can get you 12/14 as a starter, but you will lose the game.
(04-21-2023, 03:11 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: [ -> ]What are empty stats if not putting up big numbers on losing teams?
IMO, saying Luka put up empty stats this season is insane. He led the Mavs to the WCFs last year. This year he improved his numbers, but the Mavs missed the playoffs. Does this mean that his better than last year's stats are "empty"? No, it means that Cuban is an asshat for not resigning Brunson, then expecting the team to instantly improve by trading away two perfect compliments to Luka for a player that plays his same position. I'm not shitting on the Kyrie move, but huge growing pains come with two ball dominant superstars in the same starting lineup.
How is any of that Luka's fault, or how does it diminish his stats to the "empty" category?
(04-21-2023, 04:32 PM)Ghost of Podkolzin Wrote: [ -> ]IMO, saying Luka put up empty stats this season is insane. He led the Mavs to the WCFs last year. This year he improved his numbers, but the Mavs missed the playoffs. Does this mean that his better than last year's stats are "empty"? No, it means that Cuban is an asshat for not resigning Brunson, then expecting the team to instantly improve by trading away two perfect compliments to Luka for a player that plays his same position. I'm not shitting on the Kyrie move, but huge growing pains come with two ball dominant superstars in the same starting lineup.
How is any of that Luka's fault, or how does it diminish his stats to the "empty" category?
It’s been said that Luka is doing too much. It wears himself out and doesn’t allow the team to get into the rhythm of the game. It’s not on him, necessarily, it’s on a coach that doesn’t have the players under a system that shows off all their talents. Luka hated RC, but he got everything out of the players they could possibly give until they stopped listening. If his stats from most of a WCF team don’t lead to winning basketball, those stats are empty. Simple as that.
That’s the reason why guys fall out of an MVP race, or an allstar bid. Their big numbers don’t actually mean anything.
Cavs and Knicks series feels like basketball from a different era. Slow pace. Physical defense. Resulting in low scoring games.
(04-21-2023, 09:34 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Cavs and Knicks series feels like basketball from a different era. Slow pace. Physical defense. Resulting in low scoring games.
Darius Garland 4-21, Randle 3-15. Oof. Brutal.
(04-21-2023, 09:44 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: [ -> ]Darius Garland 4-21, Randle 3-15. Oof. Brutal.
And yet the Knicks win by 30. Our guys can shoot 11-15 and still lose. Brunson truly is a liability on defense. Hartenstein, Randle, Brunson, Hart. My Mavs team is doing well.
These teams are so deep and they're not even considered true contenders. Rubio and Fournier are benchwarmers but on the Mavs they'd be expected to be major contributors
Playoff basketball really only comes down to mismatch hunting. Cavs trying to attack Randle or Brunson. Knicks going after Mitchell.
Hawks targeting Horford. Celtics chasing Trae Young.