(07-24-2023, 11:31 AM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Same. It´s not about offense/defense. It´s about liabilities. The way the game developed over the last 10 years it´s all about matchups. Like JJ said. If a player can be ignored on offense or targeted on defense your in trouble because the other team is going to find ways to exploit the matchup. Need to have legit MVP level impact on end and to overcome it but in many cases even that isn´t enough (see Embiid in the playoffs when teams target him in the pick and roll).
And this is why it makes no sense to pay someone like Ayton the money he makes. At that level he’s a liability on BOTH ends, but especially defense.
It’s also why I STILL believe a healthy Kleber is still one of the better center solutions in the league.
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status...12385?s=46&t=Fmdr94oXagcEyy75KJqaFg
Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
USC All-American Bronny James collapsed on the court Monday and had a cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition and no longer in the ICU. Statement:
![[Image: F146JQHWAAAQ5d6.jpg?width=1286&height=1024]](https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/DJ9J-SElUaUCne7fviyldWjEG5QTHY9wgpSl63kFZqQ/https/pbs.twimg.com/media/F146JQHWAAAQ5d6.jpg?width=1286&height=1024)
(07-24-2023, 11:02 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]This is a good watch. There’s an interesting discussion that starts around 1:40, and I agree with JJ’s perspective completely.
https://youtu.be/a7GRwcaZuxQ
I always thought that "defense wins championships" is about defense being the difference, that contenders are always teams with good offense and that defense will separate them apart. That it was never meant literally.
(07-25-2023, 06:36 PM)khaled1987 Wrote: [ -> ]I always thought that "defense wins championships" is about defense being the difference, that contenders are always teams with good offense and that defense will separate them apart. That it was never meant literally.
Not really about the title of the video. More about the "you can't have a single player on the floor who doesn't have to be guarded" part.
Good for Dennis. I don’t think he is the second best player in the league but he found a niche. When you are drawing to stick around it helps to find a niche (and defense is their best niche for a fringe player). Once you find a niche, you get more opportunities to grow the rest of your game in real nba minutes.
Man, it also amazing looking back to last years Mavs offseason. Outside of Hardy, every single move or roster decision was way wrong. Was the front office all in crack last off-season
. Never seen everything like it. Just really weird.
https://twitter.com/playswoopsgm/status/...44000?s=46&t=iwQP5yZoJF3Ulzfb9MH7Cg
(07-25-2023, 07:54 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]Good for Dennis. I don’t think he is the second best player in the league but he found a niche. When you are drawing to stick around it helps to find a niche (and defense is their best niche for a fringe player). Once you find a niche, you get more opportunities to grow the rest of your game in real nba minutes.
Man, it also amazing looking back to last years Mavs offseason. Outside of Hardy, every single move or roster decision was way wrong. Was the front office all in crack last off-season . Never seen everything like it. Just really weird.
https://twitter.com/playswoopsgm/status/...44000?s=46&t=iwQP5yZoJF3Ulzfb9MH7Cg
He certainly showed some flashes in his last season with the Mavs. I think most of us had already given up on his offense but I remember a couple of big late game stops. Onball defense was already close to what it is today but sometimes it takes a couple of humbling experiences to come to terms with a lesser role. Not an easy transition if all you know is a superstar first option mindset (highschool, college, rookie season).
Summer Doldrums, so in other news...
Is Jalen Brown, 26.6ppg/5.2rpg/2.2apg on 49.1%/33.5%/76.5% , worth $304M/5 yrs. extension? Averages about $61M/yr but is actually worth just short of $70M in year 5. I know the cap will rise, but this seems absurdly high for the 2nd best player on a team. He is a 2x All Star and 1x All NBA.
Should we feel really ecstatic about signing Kyrie for $42M/yr?
(07-27-2023, 02:10 PM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]Summer Doldrums, so in other news...
Is Jalen Brown, 26.6ppg/5.2rpg/2.2apg on 49.1%/33.5%/76.5% , worth $304M/5 yrs. extension? Averages about $61M/yr but is actually worth just short of $70M in year 5. I know the cap will rise, but this seems absurdly high for the 2nd best player on a team. He is a 2x All Star and 1x All NBA.
Should we feel really ecstatic about signing Kyrie for $42M/yr?
In a vacuum it's too much imo, but for the Celtics it makes sense. I think once a team is a legit contender these types of moves are the price of contention for however long that window is open.
defense wins championships if you have a clutch shooter is what I think thank God we have a few of them. You put a developed Lively and Omax plus Grant on this team with Luka and Irv and you got a ring winning team.
Guys off the bench that can score Hardy Seth THJ Green
Guys off the bench that can defend Green Grant Omax Exum Kleber Lively
If you get up with a big lead on the other team you can play D and rest your stars till you need more scoring if your defensive front gives up the lead which is less likely to happen if you can help them to get easy buckets with a nicely designed offense so that they can score more than they normally would because maybe you find some plays that they can pull off.
Of the guys with defensive skills you have a few gifted 3 point shooters like Green Grant Kleber and maybe Exum but sooner or later Omax is going to be on that list and maybe Lively because he shows a lot of potential on the offensive end as well.
You can probably play Green Grant at the 1/2 with Omax at the 3 and Lively and Kleber at the bigs. Imagine that defense and then maybe they can start to score regularly. They get stuck and miss a bunch of shots just stick Ol Luka and Irving back in and that problem is fixed.
That is what I would prefer to put out there plus maybe a little help from Holmes, Seth, and Hardy thrown in to torch the other team with some offense they can't handle. THJ if he is here might as well get used so that we build up his trade value.
Great piece in the DMN about Doe Doe and his father’s parole. Both a tragic and heart-warming story. I have to confess I got a little emotional at times while reading it. Also it made me remember how much I miss him as a Maverick. He was one of my all-time favs.
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/maveri...in-prison/
NBA TV is replaying the 12/27/22 Luka 60 point trip dub miracle against the Knicks tonight in case anyone’s bored!
![[Image: F2d6z77WQAs0QJ0?format=jpg&name=small]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F2d6z77WQAs0QJ0?format=jpg&name=small)