NBA Season 2016-2017

[MJohnnyboy]

Interesting observations of the early season so far:

The Magic have been terrible, and they're on pace to lose their third straight game tonight by a significant margin. This could be of interest to us with a potential Ibaka trade closer to the deadline, who would really not want to resign with the Magic if they're as bad as they're looking so far.

Indiana is getting blown out in Chicago, right after losing in Brooklyn the other night. So hopefully people will slow down on the Pacers expectations a bit.

Better yet if the Pacers play like this, expect Paul George trade rumors.

[hpantazo]

Yeah, the Pacers are getting trounced by Chicago. Anyone who was worried that the Nets beat them can get off the cliff.

[hpantazo]

Interesting observations of the early season so far:

The Magic have been terrible, and they're on pace to lose their third straight game tonight by a significant margin. This could be of interest to us with a potential Ibaka trade closer to the deadline, who would really not want to resign with the Magic if they're as bad as they're looking so far.

Indiana is getting blown out in Chicago, right after losing in Brooklyn the other night. So hopefully people will slow down on the Pacers expectations a bit.

Better yet if the Pacers play like this, expect Paul George trade rumors.

Would people be willing to trade Jaylen and picks for George? I'm not sure if I would.

[SHAQATTACK]

Season is young .....Bulls legs are OLD ......

Revisit their greatness at game 60

[MJohnnyboy]

Interesting observations of the early season so far:

The Magic have been terrible, and they're on pace to lose their third straight game tonight by a significant margin. This could be of interest to us with a potential Ibaka trade closer to the deadline, who would really not want to resign with the Magic if they're as bad as they're looking so far.

Indiana is getting blown out in Chicago, right after losing in Brooklyn the other night. So hopefully people will slow down on the Pacers expectations a bit.

Better yet if the Pacers play like this, expect Paul George trade rumors.

Would people be willing to trade Jaylen and picks for George? I'm not sure if I would.

If Avery/Crowder continue to play this well, then yes. I want a true alpha dog with on this team. This team absolutely has the supporting cast to win a championship. It just doesn't have that marquee guy. The Horford signing indicates the Celtics want to win NOW. While I haven't completely give up on Durant coming to Boston next summer, I'd want George leading this team if push came to shove.

The bottom line is now the clock is ticking. In 2 years, Thomas' and Bradley's vastly underpaid contracts will be up and they're both going to want to get paid over double what they have now. Not to mention Smart's rookie deal will be up and odds are he'll want a nice big contract too. The team as it is now I believe is really good, but at best, they are the 2015 Hawks. A team that could get the best record in the east but we all know they're not winning a championship. They need that superstar to take them to the next level. That's something that Hawks team never had. If we had Paul George, I would absolutely start believing in Banner 18.

[jpotter33]

Minny is straight up punking the Kings in Sacramento. Joerger got so upset with his starters that he yanked them all out at the same time lol Just sitting here watching the inevitable build up to a Boogie trade like...

[jpotter33]

I'm not sure that Thibs knows how to call a timeout to stop a run. They've scored 1 point in the last 6 minutes, and there's a 20+ to 1 run going on. Yet Thibs hasn't called a timeout in the last four minutes..

[jpotter33]

So, Golden State just beat Phoenix by 6 - 106-100. I wasn't able to watch the game, but that seems like a mighty close finish for the fourth worst team in the league last year versus the best team in the league from last year. Did anyone watch it and see how close the game actually was?

[celticsclay]

So, Golden State just beat Phoenix by 6 - 106-100. I wasn't able to watch the game, but that seems like a mighty close finish for the fourth worst team in the league last year versus the best team in the league from last year. Did anyone watch it and see how close the game actually was?

Close throughout. I think the 6 point margin of victory was the largest lead of golden state for the game. Suns were actually only down 2 with about 30 seconds left. Zaza really looks awful and curry still does not look right.

[bopna]

Durant right now is saving the Dubs. But man he could have been really better off with the Cs or should have just stayed in OKC...ill bet ya he'll regret this signing at the end of the yr.  They look mortal to me and their D seems very suspect. They win lots of games by outgunning their opponents..not gonna be a 70 win team this yr.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

So, Golden State just beat Phoenix by 6 - 106-100. I wasn't able to watch the game, but that seems like a mighty close finish for the fourth worst team in the league last year versus the best team in the league from last year. Did anyone watch it and see how close the game actually was?

Close throughout. I think the 6 point margin of victory was the largest lead of golden state for the game. Suns were actually only down 2 with about 30 seconds left. Zaza really looks awful and curry still does not look right.

largest was 8 iirc. suns had many chances but they went iso too much. didn't even go at steph who had 4 fouls for a while and still didn't when he got 5.

I watch GSW and Curry looks drained, they look like they are forcing themselves to look excited when someone does something good, Green is the only one who looks engaged (KD at times too), they throw up half-hearted high-fives. They just don't look happy and definitely not like last season or any season prior. If you looked at the body language you would think they were Philly last season.

they are lucky they played 2 bad teams (both games they struggled) because solid teams would have beaten them!

[hpantazo]

So, Golden State just beat Phoenix by 6 - 106-100. I wasn't able to watch the game, but that seems like a mighty close finish for the fourth worst team in the league last year versus the best team in the league from last year. Did anyone watch it and see how close the game actually was?

Close throughout. I think the 6 point margin of victory was the largest lead of golden state for the game. Suns were actually only down 2 with about 30 seconds left. Zaza really looks awful and curry still does not look right.

largest was 8 iirc. suns had many chances but they went iso too much. didn't even go at steph who had 4 fouls for a while and still didn't when he got 5.

I watch GSW and Curry looks drained, they look like they are forcing themselves to look excited when someone does something good, Green is the only one who looks engaged (KD at times too), they throw up half-hearted high-fives. They just don't look happy and definitely not like last season or any season prior. If you looked at the body language you would think they were Philly last season.

they are lucky they played 2 bad teams (both games they struggled) because solid teams would have beaten them!

I can't wait until we play them, the Celtics are going to go for blood against these guys.

[RockinRyA]

I just learned i have NBA league pass! 

76ers are playing Embiid and Okafor together and they're reminding me of a young David Robinson and Tim Duncan. If they acquire a good PG, watch out. Simmons is going to make this squad a huge force.

Might just be rest but Okafor has looked really bad to start the season. Has 10 points on 14 shots through a game a half in limited minutes.

The next question is, how does he look next to Noel on the other hand? (that is if they have played together for significant stretches to be able to tell)

Noel is out with surgery for a few weeks.   Okafor is on a 12 minute restriction and is clearly working through rust.  He hasn't played in months.

He has 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal and 1 assist in 31 minutes.   He'll be fine.

To give the full stats he is 6-17 from the field and 4 turnovers. Shooting 33% as a big man will get you benched. I think it could be just rust also, but to act like he has played well is comical.

"Could be" rust?  He hasn't played basketball since Feburary.  That's over half a year.  First because of shin soreness and then surgery on his knee.  He missed all of training camp.  He missed all of preseason.  He's on a 12 minute restriction, because he hasn't jogged in 7 months.   He hadn't even practiced with the team prior to his debut.  Obviously he's rusty.

I'm just saying it was kind of weak to omit his 33% shooting and turnovers while listing his one assist. He hasn't played well. We obviously have different opinions on him though.

He and Embiid played a couple minutes tonight and it looked like it might actually work.  Embiid can do enough outside the paint that it should be a far better pairing than Okafor/Noel last season.  Okafor thinks the two of them can be dominant together long term:  http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/243815/Jahlil-Okafor-Believes-He-And-Embiid-Can-Really-Dominate-Together

“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Embiid said. “We played a little bit together today in practice. We’re figuring out how to play with each other. It’s a process and we’ve got trust it.”

“I think once we figure it out, we can really dominate together,” Okafor said. “We were able to flirt with it again today. We accidentally keep ending up on the same team even though Coach keeps telling us to make sure we alternate. But we’re having fun. We’re trying to put some pressure on it because we want to play together.”

Two budding young big man stars.  Should be interesting to see how that develops.

Question is, can they win a championship before they have to pay all these players? Given how they went all in to tank, its gotta be championship or bust. If you were to ask me, I'd rather be Minnesota than the Sixers.

[tazzmaniac]

I just learned i have NBA league pass! 

76ers are playing Embiid and Okafor together and they're reminding me of a young David Robinson and Tim Duncan. If they acquire a good PG, watch out. Simmons is going to make this squad a huge force.

Might just be rest but Okafor has looked really bad to start the season. Has 10 points on 14 shots through a game a half in limited minutes.

The next question is, how does he look next to Noel on the other hand? (that is if they have played together for significant stretches to be able to tell)

Noel is out with surgery for a few weeks.   Okafor is on a 12 minute restriction and is clearly working through rust.  He hasn't played in months.

He has 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal and 1 assist in 31 minutes.   He'll be fine.

To give the full stats he is 6-17 from the field and 4 turnovers. Shooting 33% as a big man will get you benched. I think it could be just rust also, but to act like he has played well is comical.

"Could be" rust?  He hasn't played basketball since Feburary.  That's over half a year.  First because of shin soreness and then surgery on his knee.  He missed all of training camp.  He missed all of preseason.  He's on a 12 minute restriction, because he hasn't jogged in 7 months.   He hadn't even practiced with the team prior to his debut.  Obviously he's rusty.

I'm just saying it was kind of weak to omit his 33% shooting and turnovers while listing his one assist. He hasn't played well. We obviously have different opinions on him though.

He and Embiid played a couple minutes tonight and it looked like it might actually work.  Embiid can do enough outside the paint that it should be a far better pairing than Okafor/Noel last season.  Okafor thinks the two of them can be dominant together long term:  http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/243815/Jahlil-Okafor-Believes-He-And-Embiid-Can-Really-Dominate-Together

“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Embiid said. “We played a little bit together today in practice. We’re figuring out how to play with each other. It’s a process and we’ve got trust it.”

“I think once we figure it out, we can really dominate together,” Okafor said. “We were able to flirt with it again today. We accidentally keep ending up on the same team even though Coach keeps telling us to make sure we alternate. But we’re having fun. We’re trying to put some pressure on it because we want to play together.”

Two budding young big man stars.  Should be interesting to see how that develops.

Question is, can they win a championship before they have to pay all these players? Given how they went all in to tank, its gotta be championship or bust. If you were to ask me, I'd rather be Minnesota than the Sixers.

The Sixers will have 5 1st rounders over the next 3 drafts which they are free to use or trade.  The TWolves will have 2 or 3.  Their traded 2018 pick (lottery protected through 2020) means they can't trade any 1st until 2022. 

The Sixers have better cap space and the TWolves have to pay their young players sooner.  I've listed the important young players on each team and how many season before they become RFAs and have to be paid. 

Sixers:  Noel (1), Embiid (2), Okafor (3), Simmons (4), Saric (4), Luwawu (4)
TWolves:  Muhammad (1), Dieng (1), Wiggins (2), LaVine (2), Towns (3), Dunn (4)

So how are the TWolves better off? 

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Embiid and Okafor cannot play extended minutes together. Neither have the ability to defend the pick and roll, other than just icing the ball-handler and giving him open jumpers.

For all the intrigue around Embiid, he is slow of foot laterally. He is a big man who can defend the rim, but if you make him defend a stretch big, he is going to struggle, and if you want to be a good big in today's NBA, you have to be able to defend the perimeter situationally.

Can he be good enough offensively to make stretch bigs pay? Maybe one day, but it seems like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole if you are trying to make them play together.

It's be better to pick one, build around Saric, Simmons, and that big, and trade the others for young, experienced, qualities starting guards who don't need the ball in their hands a lot.