NBA Season 2024-25

[Who]

JJ Redick said if you look back at the last 6 weeks, LeBron is playing at an All-Defensive level.

I don't know about that but I have been shocked at how well LeBron has been playing defensively. He is playing plus defense on a regular basis. That has been huge for LAL. Especially for Luka. I was worried about the LeBron / Luka partnership on defense. Not offense. But on defense. LeBron's plus defense is doing a lot to make that work well enough for LAL to compete defensively.

[tazzmaniac]

JJ Redick said if you look back at the last 6 weeks, LeBron is playing at an All-Defensive level.

I don't know about that but I have been shocked at how well LeBron has been playing defensively. He is playing plus defense on a regular basis. That has been huge for LAL. Especially for Luka. I was worried about the LeBron / Luka partnership on defense. Not offense. But on defense. LeBron's plus defense is doing a lot to make that work well enough for LAL to compete defensively.

There's the regular season and then there are the playoffs when good teams really can focus on mismatches.  How is Lebron going to prevent teams from exploiting Luka's crappy defense over and over again like the Celts did in the finals last season?  The Lakers other 3 players on the court better be top level defenders. 

[SparzWizard]

ABC should flex the GSW/PHI game with MIL/DAL...at least that's more fun lol

[Who]

Jason Timpf was pointing out how bad Orlando's shooting has been this year. They rank 30th in 3PT% at 30.5%. The 29th team is Washington and they make 33.4%. That almost 3% difference is the same difference between the 29th team and 12th best team Oklahoma City Thunder at 36.3%. That is how large the gap is between Orlando and the 2nd worst three point shooting team in the league. It is massive.

You gotta think injuries play some role in that. In not being able to create as many good looks like Banchero and F Wagner missed significant time.

Mo Wagner is their best 3PT% at 36% and he is out for the season. Cole Anthony is 2nd best at 34%. Then their rookie T Da Silva at 33% is their 3rd best. F Wagner is shooting only 30.7% on 6 attempts a night. Banchero 29.9% on almost 6 attempts a night. Suggs 31.4% on nearly 7 attempts a night. I expect Suggs to shoot better when he is playing more as a role player and not their main creator or 2nd option as he was when Banchero was out. KCP has struggled with 30.6% on 4.4 attempts per night. He should turn it around at some point. He is a good shooter. F Wagner is a better shooter than that.

Still, if those guys don't turn that around, it is hard to see how the Magic can get past the 1st round in the playoffs. That three point shooting is TOO BAD.

[Goldstar88]

JJ Redick said if you look back at the last 6 weeks, LeBron is playing at an All-Defensive level.

I don't know about that but I have been shocked at how well LeBron has been playing defensively. He is playing plus defense on a regular basis. That has been huge for LAL. Especially for Luka. I was worried about the LeBron / Luka partnership on defense. Not offense. But on defense. LeBron's plus defense is doing a lot to make that work well enough for LAL to compete defensively.

Hate to say it, but I agree. I?ve tuned in to several of their games to see how Luka would look. Also, hate to say this, but JJ has done a great job as their HC. Now I?m going to go puke.

[SparzWizard]

JJ Redick said if you look back at the last 6 weeks, LeBron is playing at an All-Defensive level.

I don't know about that but I have been shocked at how well LeBron has been playing defensively. He is playing plus defense on a regular basis. That has been huge for LAL. Especially for Luka. I was worried about the LeBron / Luka partnership on defense. Not offense. But on defense. LeBron's plus defense is doing a lot to make that work well enough for LAL to compete defensively.

Hate to say it, but I agree. I?ve tuned in to several of their games to see how Luka would look. Also, hate to say this, but JJ has done a great job as their HC. Now I?m going to go puke.

A competent head coach goes a long way

[radiohead]

JJ Redick said if you look back at the last 6 weeks, LeBron is playing at an All-Defensive level.

I don't know about that but I have been shocked at how well LeBron has been playing defensively. He is playing plus defense on a regular basis. That has been huge for LAL. Especially for Luka. I was worried about the LeBron / Luka partnership on defense. Not offense. But on defense. LeBron's plus defense is doing a lot to make that work well enough for LAL to compete defensively.

Hate to say it, but I agree. I?ve tuned in to several of their games to see how Luka would look. Also, hate to say this, but JJ has done a great job as their HC. Now I?m going to go puke.

Well, we?ll know by next saturday how good this Lakers team is.

[Goldstar88]

Yesterday, Mark Williams had 26pts, 16rebs, 3ast, 1blk. Today, he had 24pts, 12rebs, 3ast, 2blks, 1stl. Lakers may have really shot themselves in the foot when they voided that trade. 

[Goldstar88]

Rockets lost to the Kings and have now dropped to 5th place in the West. Grizz lost as well and they are now in 4th. Lakers moved up to 3rd place and the Mavs have fallen to 10th.

[SparzWizard]

Warriors fell into the 76ers trap game tonight...ooof

[tazzmaniac]

Warriors fell into the 76ers trap game tonight...ooof

Sixers can't even tank right.  Maxey does his part only scoring 5 pts but Quentin Grimes scores 44pts. 

[Phantom255x]

Warriors fell into the 76ers trap game tonight...ooof

Sixers can't even tank right.  Maxey does his part only scoring 5 pts but Quentin Grimes scores 44pts.

Grimes has had a really good season so far. He could be another nice piece for PHI going forward with Maxey, Top-6 Pick and McCain. Now they just need to find a way to dump PG13 and Embiid lol

[Who]

Warriors fell into the 76ers trap game tonight...ooof

Sixers can't even tank right.  Maxey does his part only scoring 5 pts but Quentin Grimes scores 44pts.

Grimes has had a really good season so far. He could be another nice piece for PHI going forward with Maxey, Top-6 Pick and McCain. Now they just need to find a way to dump PG13 and Embiid lol

Nice three guard rotation there with Maxey, Grimes and McCain. If they could get a good forward in the draft, they'd have another good three man rotation at forward with PG13, lotto pick and Oubre. Embiid at center.

Good quickness and athleticism at guard & forward to have around Embiid as a slow footed center.

[Neurotic Guy]

I wonder how many teams have never have a single legit top 5 player.  How many times have the Lakers had 2 simultaneously?

A fun one to think about.

(1) Atlanta

They had a top 5 player back in St Louis with Bob Petitt. I don't think they have one since then. Dominique Wilkins has their best claim. He finished 2nd in MVP one year but I think that was a mistake by the voters. Never came close again. Then Dikembe Mutomo / Mookie Blaylock as their best players in late 90s. Joe Johnson and Al Horford as best players in 2000s / 10s. Trae Young as best player in 2020s. So for their 55 years in Atlanta since 1970, they have never had a top 5 player on their team.

(2) Charlotte

Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Glen Rice were their best players in the 90s. Alonzo reached top 5 player in late 90s with Miami but he wasn't top 5 in Charlotte. Neither were LJ or Rice. Nor Eddie Jones. Then Baron Davis and Mashburn. The team left for New Orleans after that. The Bobcats were the 2nd incarnation in Charlotte. They never had a top 5 player. Emeka Okafor was their best player. Then Jason Richardson / Stephen Jackson / Gerald Wallace. Al Jefferson. Then LaMelo Ball. So in 30 years or so, they have never had a top 5 player.

(3) Memphis

Pau Gasol was their best player. Then Z-Bo and Marc Gasol. Now Ja Morant. None were top 5 players.

(4) Seattle

A debatable one. Was Gary Payton ever a top 5 player in the league? I am not sure he was. Kemp wasn't. He was top 10 at his peak. Sikma, Gus Johnson and Dennis Johnson were never top 5 in the league in Seattle. Ray Allen. Nope. I don't think Seattle ever had a top 5 player despite all the success they managed to create up there. Spencer Haywood? Not sure he was ever top 5.

Teams with a Top 5 Player

* Boston = Cousy, B Russell, Hondo, Cowens, Bird, McHale, KG, Tatum
* Cincinnati = Oscar Robertson
* Chicago = Jordan, Pippen, D-Rose?
* Cleveland = LeBron
* Dallas = Dirk, Doncic
* Denver = Jokic
* Detroit = Bob Lanier, Grant Hill
* Golden State = Wilt, R Barry, Steph, Durant
* Houston = Moses Malone, Olajuwon, Harden
* Indiana = Jermaine O'Neal
* Kansas City = Tiny Archibald
* LA Clippers = CP3, Kawhi?
* LA Lakers = Mikan, E Baylor, J West, Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, A Davis, Doncic
* Milwaukee = Kareem, Oscar Robertson, Marques Johnson (late 70s), Moncrief?, Giannis
* Minnesota = Garnett
* Miami = Zo, Wade, Shaq, LeBron
* New Jersey / Brooklyn = Kidd, Durant
* New York = W Reed, Walt Frazier, B King, Pat Ewing
* New Orleans = CP3, A Davis
* Oklahoma = Durant, Westbrook, SGA
* Orlando = Shaq, Penny, T-Mac, Dwight
* Philly = Wilt, Billy Cunningham?, Doc, Barkley, Iverson, Embiid
* Phoenix = Connie Hawkins, Westphal, Barkley, Nash
* Portland = B Walton, Drexler?
* Sacramento = Webber
* San Antonio = Gervin, D Robinson, T Duncan, Wemby (already? if not, he will be soon)
* Toronto = one year of Kawhi
* Utah = K Malone
* Washington = W Unseld, E Hayes, E Monroe?

Leaders

Boston = 8 players
LA Lakers = 11 players

PHI = 5-6 players
MIL = 4-5 players

4 Top 5 players = GSW, MIA, NYK, ORL, PHX, SAS
3 Top 5 players = CHI, HOU, OKL

Orlando and Miami stand out as new(ish) franchises that have only existed for 35 years and already rate highly on this list. Orlando benefitting for draft luck with 3 #1 picks and then netting T-Mac in FA. Miami trading their way to 2 players, one top 5 pick in Wade and FA for LeBron. Hard work to get their guys except for LBJ.

Oklahoma also impressive. Only existed for a very short period. The year after Boston won the title in 2008. That was Durant's rookie year in Seattle. Then they moved. So 16-17 years. Something like that. And they have already had 3 top 5 players in Durant, Westbrook and SGA. They also had James Harden but refused to pay him. And PG13 had one big year there where he (unjustly IMO) got a top 5 MVP finish. Lady luck has shone brightly on them.

2 Top 5 Players = DAL, DET, LAC, NJN / BKN, NOH / NOP, POR, WAS
1 Top 5 Players = CLE, DEN, IND, MIN, SAC, TOR, UTA

Detroit is interesting because neither of their 2 title winning eras had top 5 players. Bob Lanier was in the 1970s when Detroit was the worst run team in the league and had little success. Grant Hill in the mid to late 90s when Detroit was often a middle of the pack of the squad with the exception of one strong year.

Indiana is also interesting. Reggie Miller was never a top 5 player. Jermaine O'Neal was a top 5 player for perhaps only 1 season in his career. Neither Danny Granger or Paul George were top 5 players. Tyrese Haliburton is not a top 5 player. So at best they had only 1 season in their near 40 year history with a top 5 player.

Toronto also noteworthy for their single season of Kawhi Leonard who led them to a title. They had Vince Carter and Chris Bosh as their other top players. DeMar DeRozan. They had T-Mac but lost him in FA.

The New Jersey Nets were always a famous example. They had Julius Erving in the ABA but lost him in the merger. Then never had a supstar again for almost 25 years when the got Kidd. And since Kidd left, they did not have a superstar since before leaving for Brooklyn and getting Durant.

Just now going back to see your responses to the questions I posed. Thank you. Fantastic analysis - much appreciated.   TP.    Amazing that the Lakers have had 5 top-five tandems since their move to LA. That, as you say, doesn't consider the years they've had a top-5 along with a top-10.   The Celtics arguably have had two (Russell/Cousy; Bird/McHale).   

[MattyIce]

89-71 portland up on cavs in cleveland