NBA 2020-2021 Season Thread

[tarheelsxxiii]

Wow the East is just so bad. You have the Top-3 (PHI, MIL, BKN).

After that? Literally EVERY team is .500 or worse. The 4 seed is currently at .500 and we're almost 35 games into the season. Wow.

They're tightly packed together and we're less halfway through the season (33/72).  Celts are poised to make a run -- while this is a weird year with COVID, we're among the most talented teams in the ECF.

[Ogaju]

Nets are really fortunate they signed Harden. With Durant out, Kyrie load mgt, Dinwiddie injury their season could have been toast.

[Ogaju]

Dallas putting the beat down on Nets.

[Birdman]

Will Durant be the Top 5 player before that Achilles injury? I think not..u can come back but it takes a toll on ur leg

[gouki88]

Will Durant be the Top 5 player before that Achilles injury? I think not..u can come back but it takes a toll on ur leg

He's as good as ever on offence basically, but his defence has taken a significant step backwards

[Somebody]

Will Durant be the Top 5 player before that Achilles injury? I think not..u can come back but it takes a toll on ur leg

He's as good as ever on offence basically, but his defence has taken a significant step backwards

His defensive APM values look decent, is this a qualitative thing (eg. his lateral quickness has slowed down, he has less vertical pop, etc)? Do think that he can become a pretty good defender at PF assuming that he continues to gain veteran smarts on that end even if his athleticism has taken a hit though.

[gouki88]

Will Durant be the Top 5 player before that Achilles injury? I think not..u can come back but it takes a toll on ur leg

He's as good as ever on offence basically, but his defence has taken a significant step backwards

His defensive APM values look decent, is this a qualitative thing (eg. his lateral quickness has slowed down, he has less vertical pop, etc)? Do think that he can become a pretty good defender at PF assuming that he continues to gain veteran smarts on that end even if his athleticism has taken a hit though.

It's very much to do with his lack of lateral quickness. Or at least my perception thereof. I think he can still be handy (he's pretty good at coming up with helpside defence - freakish length helps here) but I think paired next to DJ that's a pretty immobile defensive pairing at times.

[Somebody]

Will Durant be the Top 5 player before that Achilles injury? I think not..u can come back but it takes a toll on ur leg

He's as good as ever on offence basically, but his defence has taken a significant step backwards

His defensive APM values look decent, is this a qualitative thing (eg. his lateral quickness has slowed down, he has less vertical pop, etc)? Do think that he can become a pretty good defender at PF assuming that he continues to gain veteran smarts on that end even if his athleticism has taken a hit though.

It's very much to do with his lack of lateral quickness. Or at least my perception thereof. I think he can still be handy (he's pretty good at coming up with helpside defence - freakish length helps here) but I think paired next to DJ that's a pretty immobile defensive pairing at times.

Yeah no wonder he's become a full time PF nowadays who mainly plays the Tatum role on defence unless his team really needs a stop against elite wings. And yeah DaJ + post-achilles KD is a frontcourt pairing straight from the early aughts defensively

[ChillyWilly]

Turner got dominated again against Embiid.

[Phantom255x]

Turner got dominated again against Embiid.

That's the thing about the PF/C positions nowadays in the NBA. There are about 6-7, maybe 8 big men (PF/C) in the league who dominate. So for all the flack we give a guy like Tristan Thompson, and for all the talk about Myles Turner and other guys alike, it's not like these guys are expected to actually outduel the likes of Jokic, Embiid, AD, etc. in games.

There's a reason Ainge got KG back in 2007-2008, and wanted to get AD recently.

Myles Turner is still a nice player. Embiid is just way better. There really aren't many "answers" you can throw at some of these star bigs. I'll give him credit, Embiid has improved and it seems his conditioning is better too. He doesn't look as tired even late in games and he's having an MVP-Caliber season.

[liam]

Nader is looking good for The Suns tonight.

[Somebody]

Turner got dominated again against Embiid.

That's the thing about the PF/C positions nowadays in the NBA. There are about 6-7, maybe 8 big men (PF/C) in the league who dominate. So for all the flack we give a guy like Tristan Thompson, and for all the talk about Myles Turner and other guys alike, it's not like these guys are expected to actually outduel the likes of Jokic, Embiid, AD, etc. in games.

There's a reason Ainge got KG back in 2007-2008, and wanted to get AD recently.

Myles Turner is still a nice player. Embiid is just way better. There really aren't many "answers" you can throw at some of these star bigs. I'll give him credit, Embiid has improved and it seems his conditioning is better too. He doesn't look as tired even late in games and he's having an MVP-Caliber season.

The difference is that you're paying big money to Myles Turner for him to be great against weaker teams and get absolutely roasted in the playoffs by teams with powerful big men like Embiid/Bam/Davis/Jokic or teams with jitterbug guards who can pullup from three while you're paying MLE money to Thompson for some cover in both of those matchups.

[liam]

It's a good night when the Celtics win and The Lakers lose.

[colincb]

3-6 for the Fakers' last 9.

[SparzWizard]

Like the good 'ol competitive days when the Celtics win and the Lakers lose in the same night.