NBA Season 2016-2017

[jpotter33]

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?

For starters, the TWolves can effectively put a team on the court with guys at their natural position; whereas, the Sixers have 5 guys to play 2 positions and two positions with no player whatsoever.

TWolves - PG: Dunn, SG: LaVine, SF: Wiggins/Muhammad, PF: Towns, C: Dieng

Sixers - PG: ?, SG: Luwawu, SF: ?, PF: Simmons, Saric, C: Embiid, Noel, Okafor

[tazzmaniac]

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.

Embiid slow of foot laterally?  Just tell that to John Wall. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R80QDF6gYYo

Embiid should predominantly defend the rim but he can certainly step out and defend the perimeter situationally.  Okafor will come off the bench so he probably won't be playing extended minutes with Embiid.  They should be able to play together some especially against teams playing two bigs.   

[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?

For starters, the TWolves can effectively put a team on the court with guys at their natural position; whereas, the Sixers have 5 guys to play 2 positions and two positions with no player whatsoever.

TWolves - PG: Dunn, SG: LaVine, SF: Wiggins/Muhammad, PF: Towns, C: Dieng

Sixers - PG: ?, SG: Luwawu, SF: ?, PF: Simmons, Saric, C: Embiid, Noel, Okafor

The TWolves may have young players to fill all the positions but they're still losing.  5th worst team last year with a bottom 5 defense.  The Sixers will probably have two top 10 picks (possibly top 5) to address the PG and SF positions.  Of course, they could just trade some of their assets to fill out their team around Simmons/Embiid. 

[MJohnnyboy]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline..

[RJ87]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

Bull-y ball. They're going to beat up teams on the glass all season. That should be enough to keep them in games.

[max215]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

I want to see what happens against better competition and when they cool down from three, but they've greatly exceeded my expectations thus far.

[jpotter33]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

I want to see what happens against better competition and when they cool down from three, but they've greatly exceeded my expectations thus far.

Yeah, they played us on a back-to-back night minus our 6th and 7th men in their home opener, yet we still almost beat them. And them beating the Nets isn't a surprise either, though the Indy win was a pretty decent one, though I think Indy has largely been overrated, too. I expect a comfortable win for us on Wednesday.

[max215]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

I want to see what happens against better competition and when they cool down from three, but they've greatly exceeded my expectations thus far.

Yeah, they played us on a back-to-back night minus our 6th and 7th men in their home opener, yet we still almost beat them. And them beating the Nets isn't a surprise either, though the Indy win was a pretty decent one, though I think Indy has largely been overrated, too. I expect a comfortable win for us on Wednesday.

Yeah, I don't find the Indy win impressive at all, so IMO they should be 3-0. However, they've passed the eye test and alleviated some concerns in that they've moved the ball pretty well. I'm somewhat impressed, but I'd like to see more.

[action781]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

I want to see what happens against better competition and when they cool down from three, but they've greatly exceeded my expectations thus far.

Yeah, they played us on a back-to-back night minus our 6th and 7th men in their home opener, yet we still almost beat them. And them beating the Nets isn't a surprise either, though the Indy win was a pretty decent one, though I think Indy has largely been overrated, too. I expect a comfortable win for us on Wednesday.

Yeah, I don't find the Indy win impressive at all, so IMO they should be 3-0. However, they've passed the eye test and alleviated some concerns in that they've moved the ball pretty well. I'm somewhat impressed, but I'd like to see more.

They can only beat whose on their schedule and finishing 3-0 against Brooklyn, Indy, and Boston is pretty darn good.  Fell asleep during Chi game so haven't really seen them play much.

[max215]

I think it's time we start thinking we were wrong about the Bulls. Holy ****.

I want to see what happens against better competition and when they cool down from three, but they've greatly exceeded my expectations thus far.

Yeah, they played us on a back-to-back night minus our 6th and 7th men in their home opener, yet we still almost beat them. And them beating the Nets isn't a surprise either, though the Indy win was a pretty decent one, though I think Indy has largely been overrated, too. I expect a comfortable win for us on Wednesday.

Yeah, I don't find the Indy win impressive at all, so IMO they should be 3-0. However, they've passed the eye test and alleviated some concerns in that they've moved the ball pretty well. I'm somewhat impressed, but I'd like to see more.

They can only beat whose on their schedule and finishing 3-0 against Brooklyn, Indy, and Boston is pretty darn good.  Fell asleep during Chi game so haven't really seen them play much.

Of course, and I won't knock them for that, but I will reserve final judgement until they've played some harder games. If they beat us in our house on Wednesday, they'll have my attention.

[celticon]

The Celtics are in for a rough start of the week. First against the Bulls and then the current champions on the following day.

[LarBrd33]

Westbrook and the Thunder look unbelievable in their first 3 games.  Gotta admit I'm shocked at how efficient Westbrook has been.   But it should be noted that the games happened against Philly, the Suns and Lakers... 3 of the 4 worst teams in the league last year.   I'm interested to see how they do when matched up against decent teams.  Clippers tomorrow should be a decent challenge.  I still think OKC might be a lotto team without Durant.

[jpotter33]

Several really good games tonight.

Battle of the no-win teams - Orlando at Philly

Lakers at Indy - should be interesting to see if the Pacers lackluster start continues

Sacramento at Miami - Kings on a back to back night, hoping for another loss for the Boogie Watch

Utah at San Antonio - Good test for the Jazz to see how legit they are, have been pretty lackluster so far, even without Hayward

GSW at Portland - This will be a really good test for Golden State's defense. They've got off to an extremely slow start, barely beating two terrible teams in the Pelicans and Suns after being blown out by San Antonio.

[celticsclay]

Several really good games tonight.

Battle of the no-win teams - Orlando at Philly

Lakers at Indy - should be interesting to see if the Pacers lackluster start continues

Sacramento at Miami - Kings on a back to back night, hoping for another loss for the Boogie Watch

Utah at San Antonio - Good test for the Jazz to see how legit they are, have been pretty lackluster so far, even without Hayward

GSW at Portland - This will be a really good test for Golden State's defense. They've got off to an extremely slow start, barely beating two terrible teams in the Pelicans and Suns after being blown out by San Antonio.

Curious if Okafor looks any better tonight and does any playing alongside Embiid.

[alldaboston]

The Celtics are in for a rough start of the week. First against the Bulls and then the current champions on the following day.

Oh how i want to beat the bulls. their fans are already getting way too arrogant. they think their actually a contending team.  I would love nothing more than to emphatically destroy them and see what their fans say afterwards.