NBA Thread 2022-23 Season

[Melancer46]

I'm pretty sure he's gonna flounder wherever he lands next, he's getting up there in years.

But he is also one of the best defensive players in the history of the league and a really good passer. (he has 6 seasons with at least 10 assists per 100 possessions, the only other /C with more than 2 are Lebron and Jokic) The Warriors had the top defense in the league last year. I look at their roster, and I don't see a whole lot of guys to give much credit to that for.

The 2016 season where he shot 38.8% from 3 is one of the more random shooting seasons I can remember.

I feel like he was a good 3 point shooter in college too. I’ve always been surprised how bad he’s shot in the NBA.

 

[MikeSU02]

I'm pretty sure he's gonna flounder wherever he lands next, he's getting up there in years.

But he is also one of the best defensive players in the history of the league and a really good passer. (he has 6 seasons with at least 10 assists per 100 possessions, the only other /C with more than 2 are Lebron and Jokic) The Warriors had the top defense in the league last year. I look at their roster, and I don't see a whole lot of guys to give much credit to that for.

The 2016 season where he shot 38.8% from 3 is one of the more random shooting seasons I can remember.

One follow up, I also loathe him, so that's also why I give him no credit. I'm not an impartial juror on this.

 

[Knicks411]

I think it's easy to be a great defender when bigs are marginalized and you have no worry on offense. I get that he isn't garbage, but I'm not giving him any credit.

There are dudes that play D that had to be on both ends of the floor doing way more then handling the ball on 4 on 3s and making passes to wide open dudes because the geometry of the floor has been re-calculated.

Dude wasn't better than Kawhi on D, who was guarding elite wings during an era where elite wings were insanely good. Kawhi is still guarding KD.

Respect your opinion, but I don't agree with it. I don't think he's in the class of greatest defensive player in league history.

Fair enough if you dont want to give him credit, I get it. I'm not saying anything nice about UConn, for instance.

I think Draymond's versatility is incredible on defense, I don't know how many guys there are who could make the death lineup possible. He isn't expected to score a lot on offense, I understand that, but he is pretty involved on offense. He's moving around a lot, screening, passing, etc. It's not like he's not expending any energy. I really do think he is one of the best defensive players ever. So, agree to disagree!

More importantly, what are we thinking for Friday? I was really surprised how awful they looked. Hopefully this will be like the 2013 Knicks Pacers where the road team won game 1, got run off the court in game 2, and took the series in 6

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If he's not with the best shooter of all time / top 15 all time guy in Steph who is then partnered with Klay, who is at least a top 10 shooter of all time and arguably top 5... He can't focus on being a defensive stopper. Mind you, Klay was a great on ball defender and add in Iggy and you have a force on the wings on D.

Then you add in the league / players not smoothing the CBA increase and them landing KD, arguably the best scorer of all time / top 15 guy...

And Draymond basically just doesn't have to barf on himself and he's lauded.

I cannot wait for him to sign somewhere else and see him flounder.

He is a great defender and (emotional outbursts aside) an incredibly smart player.
He was an important piece on a team that won championships. The others could do their things because he did (most of) the dirty work.

 

[MikeSU02]

Fair enough if you dont want to give him credit, I get it. I'm not saying anything nice about UConn, for instance.

I think Draymond's versatility is incredible on defense, I don't know how many guys there are who could make the death lineup possible. He isn't expected to score a lot on offense, I understand that, but he is pretty involved on offense. He's moving around a lot, screening, passing, etc. It's not like he's not expending any energy. I really do think he is one of the best defensive players ever. So, agree to disagree!

More importantly, what are we thinking for Friday? I was really surprised how awful they looked. Hopefully this will be like the 2013 Knicks Pacers where the road team won game 1, got run off the court in game 2, and took the series in 6

I'm confident in our guys that we won't go back to back blowouts. Unlike previous teams, I have confidence in this team not to get rattled and have a short memory.

We don't have a super elite guy to calm us down like a Kawhi or Tatum, but I feel like our team does have a tough constitution.

I also think game 1 took a LOT out of the guys and game 2 was just a "ran out of gas, a 30 point loss is still only 1 loss" type game.

I think it will be close and I think we'll get it by going back to being tougher on the boards, second chance points... I expect a big Brunson game.

Overall, I think we might be looking at a 7 game series. What do you think?

 

[Knicks411]

I'm confident in our guys that we won't go back to back blowouts. Unlike previous teams, I have confidence in this team not to get rattled and have a short memory.

We don't have a super elite guy to calm us down like a Kawhi or Tatum, but I feel like our team does have a tough constitution.

I also think game 1 took a LOT out of the guys and game 2 was just a "ran out of gas, a 30 point loss is still only 1 loss" type game.

I think it will be close and I think we'll get it by going back to being tougher on the boards, second chance points... I expect a big Brunson game.

Overall, I think we might be looking at a 7 game series. What do you think?

Before the series started I was worried the Cavs were "secretly" (not secretly if you looked at their scoring margin) a really good team and we might be in a bit of trouble. Then we won Game 1 and I thought maybe I was wrong. Then game 2 happened. They haven't played that poorly in months, maybe since the Dallas game where Thibs ended up going with the 9 man rotation. Hopefully it's just a one off, but the Cavs defense IS really really good.

Does seem like it's gonna be a long series. I'm going to Game 3 and Game 6. Would be great if they had a chance to close it out game 6

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If he's not with the best shooter of all time / top 15 all time guy in Steph who is then partnered with Klay, who is at least a top 10 shooter of all time and arguably top 5... He can't focus on being a defensive stopper. Mind you, Klay was a great on ball defender and add in Iggy and you have a force on the wings on D.

Then you add in the league / players not smoothing the CBA increase and them landing KD, arguably the best scorer of all time / top 15 guy...

And Draymond basically just doesn't have to barf on himself and he's lauded.

I cannot wait for him to sign somewhere else and see him flounder.

We've already seen him flounder when the Warriors real stars are out with injury.

 

[Day2]

 

[STEVEHOLT]

If he's not with the best shooter of all time / top 15 all time guy in Steph who is then partnered with Klay, who is at least a top 10 shooter of all time and arguably top 5... He can't focus on being a defensive stopper. Mind you, Klay was a great on ball defender and add in Iggy and you have a force on the wings on D.

Then you add in the league / players not smoothing the CBA increase and them landing KD, arguably the best scorer of all time / top 15 guy...

And Draymond basically just doesn't have to barf on himself and he's lauded.

I cannot wait for him to sign somewhere else and see him flounder.

What idiot team is going to waste hundreds of millions on essentially the NBA equivalent of Brad Marchand with no skill? And yet someone is going to do it.

 

[OrangeDW]

I have the opposite take on Russ. I like his game, when he's not shooting too much, but his on-court antics over the years soured me on him. He likes to pick fights with players and fans. Sure, fans say ridiculous stuff, but he - more than any other player I'm aware of - likes to get in shouting matches with fans and especially likes getting them tossed from their seats. He's had a handful of altercations with player, too, if I'm not mistaken. There's having heart and passion and there's being a d!<khead.

I doubt he's hearing anything other players haven't heard, so it just seems like he has really thin skin and a bit of an ego issue.

I get where you are coming from - frankly I enjoy his antics and dislike of other players. It entertains me. I kinda like seeing out of line fans get the boot too. Kinda reminds me of the Seinfeld bit about comedians fantasizing about showing up at the office to heckle regular 9-5 workers, lol.

 

[UpstateSM]

Dillon Brooks is the biggest tool in the NBA and the Grizzlies are as unlikeable as a team can be

 

[Cusefan0307]

AD got dominated by Xavier Tillman. Love to see it.

 

[Arangeman]

Dillon Brooks is the biggest tool in the NBA and the Grizzlies are as unlikeable as a team can be

Don’t sleep on Ja for biggest tool. Gold fronts, trucker hat, rainbow brite hair

 

[Knicks411]

I think we need to seriously explore the possibility that the Bucks are simply better without Giannis

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think we need to seriously explore the possibility that the Bucks are simply better without Giannis

Ball seems to move around better

 

[UpstateSM]

 

[OrangeDW]

Gen Z Deshawn Stevenson.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Gen Z Deshawn Stevenson.

LeBron should direct Brooks to the 13th track on Ice Cube’s 1992 album The Predator.

 

[Day2]

Well, now even I want to see LBJ score 40.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

I didn’t realize all this time Joker is a low-key combo dirty player and flopper. I can handle you being one of the two, as annoying as it is, but being both makes you hateable

 

[Newhouser]

Well, now even I want to see LBJ score 40.

It is hard to make people want to cheer for LBJ and Dillon Brooks did it.

 

[Newhouser]

AD got dominated by Xavier Tillman. Love to see it.

AD put in no effort, nor did the Lakers. They obviously were happy with the split.

 

[Melancer46]

I think we need to seriously explore the possibility that the Bucks are simply better without Giannis

I love the Bud critics that say it’s bad coaching every time the Bucks miss open shots and good coaching when they actually make their shots. This is how Game 1 should have gone too.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Don’t sleep on Ja for biggest tool. Gold fronts, trucker hat, rainbow brite hair

If I am not mistaken, don’t the numbers tell us Memphis is a better team without him on the floor.

 

[Arangeman]

Kawhi with the playoff load mgmt. Bold