NBA Season 2022-23

[Celtics2021]

It is interesting (at least to me) to look at the road records of teams right now.  The Celtics are the best on the road but there are only a few team over 0.500 at all, with a few surprises:

BOS   +7 (games over 0.500 on road)
BKN   +6
PHI    +4
NYK   +4
SAC   +2
DEN   +1

Not sure what this means but at a minimum, I think it correlates pretty well with what the best teams are.  With BKN, it mostly represents the team with Durant.  NYK is an outlier but they have played pretty well in stretches.  They are 11-13 at home though.  DEN is clearly a good team and SAC has been good.

MEM (not on the list) is 20-3 at home, 11-12 on the road.  Big difference and maybe an indication that there is some weakness there.  I don't know.  One or the other probably won't sustain.  Either at home will get worse or on the road will get better.  Of the 2, it seems keeping that home pace will be harder to maintain as opposed improving on the road.

The Celtics are 17-7 on the road, so +10. 

[Vermont Green]

It is interesting (at least to me) to look at the road records of teams right now.  The Celtics are the best on the road but there are only a few team over 0.500 at all, with a few surprises:

BOS   +710 (games over 0.500 on road)
BKN   +6
PHI    +4
NYK   +4
SAC   +2
DEN   +1

Not sure what this means but at a minimum, I think it correlates pretty well with what the best teams are.  With BKN, it mostly represents the team with Durant.  NYK is an outlier but they have played pretty well in stretches.  They are 11-13 at home though.  DEN is clearly a good team and SAC has been good.

MEM (not on the list) is 20-3 at home, 11-12 on the road.  Big difference and maybe an indication that there is some weakness there.  I don't know.  One or the other probably won't sustain.  Either at home will get worse or on the road will get better.  Of the 2, it seems keeping that home pace will be harder to maintain as opposed improving on the road.

The Celtics are 17-7 on the road, so +10.

Correct.  Unforced error by me.  Thanks for catching.

[Moranis]

The West is such a jumbled mess after Denver and Memphis and before the two dregs (Spurs and Rockets).  The Kings are currently the 3rd seed, but they are only 5.5 games ahead of the Blazers who are in 13th.  The Blazers are only 1.5 games from the 3-way tie for 9th seed (Jazz, Warriors, Thunder) and the play-in and are just 2.5 games away from the 6th seeded Clippers and in the playoffs and out of the play-in entirely.

For comparison, in the East, the difference between the 3rd seeded Bucks and the 13th seeded Magic is 12 games.  The Magic are 4.5 games away from the 10th seeded Bulls and a full 8 games behind the 6th seeded Heat. 

Very strange 1st half of the year in the West (the East is fairly typical looking).  I'm sure injuries have played some factor, but some teams you'd expect to be better like the Warriors and Mavs have been fairly healthy. 

[Donoghus]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
The Washington Wizards are in serious talks to trade forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Kendrick Nunn and multiple second-round picks, sources tell
@TheAthletic
 
@Stadium
.

[celticinorlando]

Lakers going all in to lose in the play in or first round of the playoffs.

[Vermont Green]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

[slamtheking]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I'm pretty solidly on the side of LA getting the better end of the deal.  Wash undersold and helped the Lakers.  won't put them over the top by any means but I definitely think they got the better player with a future for a spare part and picks that won't be worth much

[Celtics2021]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I'm pretty solidly on the side of LA getting the better end of the deal.  Wash undersold and helped the Lakers.  won't put them over the top by any means but I definitely think they got the better player with a future for a spare part and picks that won't be worth much

I'd rather have the three seconds.  Nunn is salary-filler, but three seconds is a steep price for a guy heading into free agency that expects a raise, but at the same time profiles as a 7-9 guy on a playoff team.

The most interesting thing about this trade is that Washington is clearly a seller at the deadline, so we'll see what other back-end rotation players shake out, or if Kuzma is actually moved.

[hpantazo]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I think we’re all in on Poetl instead. I think if Stevens wanted Hachimura we’d have him, but he doesn’t fill a top need for us.

[Celtics2021]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I think we’re all in on Poetl instead. I think if Stevens wanted Hachimura we’d have him, but he doesn’t fill a top need for us.

Not at the price of three seconds, for sure.  I don’t think it at all means that we’re all-in on Poeltl tho.

[Vermont Green]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I'm pretty solidly on the side of LA getting the better end of the deal.  Wash undersold and helped the Lakers.  won't put them over the top by any means but I definitely think they got the better player with a future for a spare part and picks that won't be worth much

With second round picks, it is not so much about the specific player you might pick, it is that you don't have them for some other deal.  There is an opportunity cost.  They blew 3 seconds for Rui Hachimura.  Fair enough, I agree that this is a pretty good deal for the Lakers.  Rui Hachimura may help them.  Maybe he is buds with Bryant.

But they now have a lot less options for some other trade.  The Lakers are more desperate than the Celtics right now so they almost have to make a trade like this.  The Celtics don't have to.  And Kendrick Nunn is not just a throw in.  He probably has more value than Pritchard.  I am not sure what is going on with him in LAL but he was much better for a couple of seasons in MIA.  A fringe starter with decent scoring efficiency.  Even his FT% is down this year. 

LAL were able to mess him up. 

[Who]

Rui Hachimura has never been anything other than liability in the NBA. He is a below average bench player that only got so many minutes because his team sucked. On most contenders, he could not even crack the rotation.

A nothing player.

[Who]

Kendrick Nunn is mediocre. He is a journeyman guard. Not enough of a true PG to play there. Not big enough or good enough shooter to play SG. A combo guard with below average skills. He is too inconsistent to be considered even an average backup guard.

He is a hole plugger. When desperate, you pick him up. A short term fix but never a long term solution because his game is too limited. Jettisonned soon after once a better option shows itself.

[Goldstar88]

Yeah, "multiple" I guess ended up being 3 seconds:

ake Fischer: As of Friday, the Lakers offered Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks to Washington for Rui Hachimura, sources said. Wizards were holding out for first-round value for their former lottery selection. A third second-rounder gets it done on Monday. – via Twitter JakeLFischer

I am mixed on this.  He might have helped us.  An equivalent trade would have been Pritchard and 3 seconds.  Seems like too much.

I think we’re all in on Poetl instead. I think if Stevens wanted Hachimura we’d have him, but he doesn’t fill a top need for us.

Not at the price of three seconds, for sure.  I don’t think it at all means that we’re all-in on Poeltl tho.

The price of three seconds? What are the chances one of those picks turns out to be a player as good as Hachimura. 5%?  They are a complete shot in the dark, especially for the C’s.

[Vermont Green]

Kendrick Nunn is mediocre. He is a journeyman guard. Not enough of a true PG to play there. Not big enough or good enough shooter to play SG. A combo guard with below average skills. He is too inconsistent to be considered even an average backup guard.

He is a hole plugger. When desperate, you pick him up. A short term fix but never a long term solution because his game is too limited. Jettisonned soon after once a better option shows itself.

So more or less value than say Pritchard?

Nunn was a regular starter on some decent Miami teams.  His production is way down this year in LA as compared to his time in Miami.  Not sure why.  The Lakers have a knack for messing up players.

Pritchard is younger of course, and on a better contract.  Nunn may come back to life on WAS.  He will be playing for his next contract.  We'll see with Rui Hachimura.  He will probably help the Lakers some, but I see him as a fringe playoff rotation level player.

It is a decent deal for the Lakers, I agree.  I single though, not an extra base hit or a home run.  And those 3 lost seconds will make it that much harder for them to do other deals they will need to do down the line.