NBA 2017-2018 thread

[Briancuse]

So Philly just gave Embiid all the money.

They better pray he stays healthy, or this contract is a monumental fail.

 

[moqui]

it's only pre-season, and he started last year strong, too . . . but wes johnson is killing it. shooting .727 from the field including 8 out of 9 from three point range so far.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The Knicks just announced they'll have a jersey advertisement. The rest of the league is surprised because it's SquareSpace and not Waste Management.

Rim shot!!

The Knicks won't win 10 games this year.

Melo and his too high a # contract in NYC, didn't prevent OKC from handing Westbrook the keys to Fort Knox.

This is just sooo stupid.

I hate the Knicks...

 

[Cusefan0307]

The Knicks are a Mitch McGary/Glenn Robinson/Spike Albrecht signing away from being able to beat Syracuse.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Rim shot!!

The Knicks won't win 10 games this year.

Melo and his too high a # contract in NYC, didn't prevent OKC from handing Westbrook the keys to Fort Knox.

This is just sooo stupid.

I hate the Knicks...

This might be sacrilege to stay but I do wonder if the Knicks will regret not trading Porzingis. I really question whether he can stay healthy for a full season and whether he can carry an offense or whether he's a really really good complementary player. I guess we'll find out this year. I also hope passing on Monk and Smith for Nitkilina won't haunt the Knicks for a decade.

 

[Knicks411]

This might be sacrilege to stay but I do wonder if the Knicks will regret not trading Porzingis. I really question whether he can stay healthy for a full season and whether he can carry an offense or whether he's a really really good complementary player. I guess we'll find out this year. I also hope passing on Monk and Smith for Nitkilina won't haunt the Knicks for a decade.

He's played 72 and 66 games the last 2 years, and if I recall, he was shut down a few games early, he was a little hurt, but also there was no reason to play him. He is super tall, so there could be an issue there, but it's not like he's Embiid or something.

As for the second part; that's a fair point. I was looking at his on/off splits with Melo, he actually scored more efficiently when Melo was on the bench last year, which surprised me a little.

KP is a big dude, it's obviously more difficult for a guy like that to control the ball than a wing or a guard, but I think the model for KP would be a 1A scoring option who anchors the defense. Very few players can offer his combo of floor spacing and rim protection.

 

[KaiserUEO]

This might be sacrilege to stay but I do wonder if the Knicks will regret not trading Porzingis. I really question whether he can stay healthy for a full season and whether he can carry an offense or whether he's a really really good complementary player. I guess we'll find out this year. I also hope passing on Monk and Smith for Nitkilina won't haunt the Knicks for a decade.

KP is about to find out what Melo did.

That Knicks fans expect perfection. He's going to need to shoot close to 100% from the floor and have high rebound and assist #s, while the Knicks win. Otherwise, he will be run out too.

And it might be uglier, because a bad night for Melo was like 18 points, for KP its going to be like 8.

And when you factor in him failing to answer the bell a lot...well, good luck.

 

[OrangeFoo]

He's played 72 and 66 games the last 2 years, and if I recall, he was shut down a few games early, he was a little hurt, but also there was no reason to play him. He is super tall, so there could be an issue there, but it's not like he's Embiid or something.

As for the second part; that's a fair point. I was looking at his on/off splits with Melo, he actually scored more efficiently when Melo was on the bench last year, which surprised me a little.

KP is a big dude, it's obviously more difficult for a guy like that to control the ball than a wing or a guard, but I think the model for KP would be a 1A scoring option who anchors the defense. Very few players can offer his combo of floor spacing and rim protection.

I think most of KP's off splits with Melo were against 2nd stringers though. Melo always played against the other team'sbest.

In my humble opinion your #1 option can't be a jump shooter unless his name is Steph Curry and even he can score off the bounce when he wants to. The #1 option needs to figure out how to score consistently even if the J isn't there. The erosion of Melo's ability to score beyond just jumpers was one of the things that hurt him and the Knicks the most the last few years. It was too easy to take Melo out of a game when it mattered. We'll see if KP can get more consistent in his scoring and if he can close out games and if he can make others better.

 

[OrangeFoo]

KP is about to find out what Melo did.

That Knicks fans expect perfection. He's going to need to shoot close to 100% from the floor and have high rebound and assist #s, while the Knicks win. Otherwise, he will be run out too.

And it might be uglier, because a bad night for Melo was like 18 points, for KP its going to be like 8.

And when you factor in him failing to answer the bell a lot...well, good luck.

I don't think Knicks fans expect perfection... at least not this one. But they do expect the best player to have an impact and to take over games at winning time. KP's 18pts and 6boards a game aren't going to cut it if they all happen before the 4th quarter. That's what we have Hardaway for... KP needs to show up big in the 4th when he historically has been at his worst.

 

[Knicks411]

I think most of KP's off splits with Melo were against 2nd stringers though. Melo always played against the other team'sbest.

In my humble opinion your #1 option can't be a jump shooter unless his name is Steph Curry and even he can score off the bounce when he wants to. The #1 option needs to figure out how to score consistently even if the J isn't there. The erosion of Melo's ability to score beyond just jumpers was one of the things that hurt him and the Knicks the most the last few years. It was too easy to take Melo out of a game when it mattered. We'll see if KP can get more consistent in his scoring and if he can close out games and if he can make others better.

I think he definitely needs to take advantage of his height and get in the post a little more.

Fwiw, his FT rate went up a lot with Melo off the court, which I think is a good sign.

 

[MikeSU02]

This might be sacrilege to stay but I do wonder if the Knicks will regret not trading Porzingis. I really question whether he can stay healthy for a full season and whether he can carry an offense or whether he's a really really good complementary player. I guess we'll find out this year. I also hope passing on Monk and Smith for Nitkilina won't haunt the Knicks for a decade.

You don't trade a unicorn unless you are getting back a top-8 player or so, imo.

I'm not as bullish on Smith, but with Monk you at least know you're getting a three point shooter. Frankie Nicotine was going top ten, I think he should be ok.

We need to tank this year and get Doncic.

Still can't believe we signed THjr.

 

[MSOrange]

Melo's Halloween costume is epic

 

[Knicks411]

You don't trade a unicorn unless you are getting back a top-8 player or so, imo.

I'm not as bullish on Smith, but with Monk you at least know you're getting a three point shooter. Frankie Nicotine was going top ten, I think he should be ok.

We need to tank this year and get Doncic.

Still can't believe we signed THjr.

So glad to have company on the Doncic bandwagon.

The THJ contract is so weird, at least it will be fun to watch him shoot a million 3's this year I think. The Baker contract as bad because of the $, but giving him a player option is just mind boggling to me.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

I'm a devout LeBron/Cavs fan, but, man, Pop makes me wanna root for him and his team. I think Pop wants a piece of the SCROTUS.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: President Trump is a 'soulless coward'

 

[MikeSU02]

I guess this is the going rate for someone like LMA.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I guess this is the going rate for someone like LMA.

Wait, everyone keeps saying Aldridge doesn't fit in San Antonio?

In other weird news - the Grizzlies waived Wade Baldwin, their 2016 1st round draft pick.

That's interesting, because rumor had been that they had promised our own Malachi Richardson that they would draft him. With my tinfoil hat on, I believe that the Grizzlies didn't think Baldwin would be available when they drafted, and with Conley's contract still unsettled, they reneged on their promise to Malachi.

And now they cut Baldwin.

 

[Knicks411]

I guess this is the going rate for someone like LMA.

the LMA contract is really meh to me. He's good, but how good is he? Big man, not a great defender, shoots a lot of long 2's. True shooting hovers around 54%, but he has the star aura. I dunno. That said, he is good, and if you're the Spurs, you want to try and win now, right? You do have Kawhi.

Would this potentially make him easier to trade? If you have a team that likes him, they now know they have him for a few years.

 

[Melancer46]

the LMA contract is really meh to me. He's good, but how good is he? Big man, not a great defender, shoots a lot of long 2's. True shooting hovers around 54%, but he has the star aura. I dunno. That said, he is good, and if you're the Spurs, you want to try and win now, right? You do have Kawhi.

Would this potentially make him easier to trade? If you have a team that likes him, they now know they have him for a few years.

Aldridge was quietly the 3rd best rim protector in the NBA last year.

 

[Knicks411]

Aldridge was quietly the 3rd best rim protector in the NBA last year.

Wow, really? That's shocking to me. I was looking at that list within the last few weeks and I didn't remember seeing him.

I want to check the past years, if that's a legit thing, i may be changing my mind

Just looked it up, crazy. Also the Spurs have a ton of guys in the top ten, sorting by over 1,000 MP you get LMA, Aldridge, Anderson, Manu.

If you sort by 1,000 MP or more, the #1 guy is absolutely hilarious.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Just saw that Windhorst is saying that the Cavs are going to have to adjust to Wade.

What he really means is Love is going down the pecking order again.

 

[Melancer46]

Wow, really? That's shocking to me. I was looking at that list within the last few weeks and I didn't remember seeing him.

I want to check the past years, if that's a legit thing, i may be changing my mind

Just looked it up, crazy. Also the Spurs have a ton of guys in the top ten, sorting by over 1,000 MP you get LMA, Aldridge, Anderson, Manu.

If you sort by 1,000 MP or more, the #1 guy is absolutely hilarious.

Yeah, it's probably just a fluke (I think he was basically average the prior season), but if Aldridge can protect the rim while also providing the offensive ability that he has, he can still be a really good player; certainly a solid 2nd banana to Kawhi.

 

[Trueblue25]

Hope jr smith enjoys the double digit loss the c's hand him tonight.

 

[Knicks411]

Yeah, it's probably just a fluke (I think he was basically average the prior season), but if Aldridge can protect the rim while also providing the offensive ability that he has, he can still be a really good player; certainly a solid 2nd banana to Kawhi.

Agree. they need to convince him to shoot some 3's.

 

[Knicks411]

Yeah, it's probably just a fluke (I think he was basically average the prior season), but if Aldridge can protect the rim while also providing the offensive ability that he has, he can still be a really good player; certainly a solid 2nd banana to Kawhi.

Was checking prior years, he was top 10 in the 2015 season.

It's not ridiculous, he is 6-11 with long arms. Maybe it's my fault, thinking a jump shooting big man can't guard the rim.

 

[Melancer46]

Was checking prior years, he was top 10 in the 2015 season.

It's not ridiculous, he is 6-11 with long arms. Maybe it's my fault, thinking a jump shooting big man can't guard the rim.

Eh, I think he's had a reputation for being a poor defender for whatever reason for a long time now. He doesn't really get blocks or steals, but he has such a strong base and long arms. Seems like he may have a knack for holding his ground and forcing tough shots rather than being a prototypical rim protector.