NBA Season 2024-25

[Who]

MPJ at this point is just a defender / rebounder.

He is almost no threat from 3 (after that shoulder injury). I would play way off of him until he proves he can make it consistently and with volume.

[Who]

I have a weird disconnect with Christian Braun.  His stats and metrics look quite solid but any time I actually watch him he's in the middle of screwing up, lol.

I am right there with you.

I am not convinced at all by his offense. His FG% is extraordinary, his 3PT% is very good but his 3PTA lack volume. I love his cutting which leads to those easy 2s (and transition hoops) but his lack of quality shooting ability makes him a liability offensively against good defensive teams. His ball-handling and passing is limited. He is fine until he is asked to increase it and then bad things happen for him.

His defense is excellent though. Better than KCP. It was last season as well. More size. More physicality. He is a real weapon on D. It is like having a quick footed SF at SG.

[Who]

J-Dub is such an easy player to root for. I love the way he plays. The comitment to team concepts.

It gets frustrating though when he becomes too passive and doesn't look for his shot enough. Which also reminds me of Scottie Pippen. He always reminds me of Scottie. Not as athletic but similar skill-set.

[Goldstar88]

I have been disappointed in SGA in this series.

He had a fantastic regular season and was putting up insane numbers but he hasn't been able to meet the standards set by Michael Jordan or prime Dwyane Wade in the playoffs. SGA is well below them.

The MVP should meet those standards.

I think the physicality is bothering him. He?s a finesse player.

Also, Jordan and Wade in the same sentence.   

I put them in the same bracket here because they are the two SGs who are primarily slashers that led their teams to a title. That played at an MVP level.

That then creates the benchmark for where other SGs should aspire to reach who have a similar game.

I am not sure there is anyone else to compare SGA to. In terms of the mountain top he aspires to climb to. Any other comparison ideas?

SGA is very talented and had a great year, but I need to see him perform in the playoffs. I?m not sure he has that killer instinct like Jordan, Kobe, Iverson. Those guys would also average about 40ppg in today?s NBA.

[Phantom255x]

Wow! 4 fouls on SGA before halftime

[snively]

I have been disappointed in SGA in this series.

He had a fantastic regular season and was putting up insane numbers but he hasn't been able to meet the standards set by Michael Jordan or prime Dwyane Wade in the playoffs. SGA is well below them.

The MVP should meet those standards.

I think the physicality is bothering him. He?s a finesse player.

Also, Jordan and Wade in the same sentence.   

I put them in the same bracket here because they are the two SGs who are primarily slashers that led their teams to a title. That played at an MVP level.

That then creates the benchmark for where other SGs should aspire to reach who have a similar game.

I am not sure there is anyone else to compare SGA to. In terms of the mountain top he aspires to climb to. Any other comparison ideas?

Vince Carter seemed to struggle a little bit with playoff physicality but never quite got to MVP level.

Harden has had a lot of trouble converting his regular season success into playoff success.

Isaiah Thomas (Boston version) put up those insane numbers in RS and then struggled in the playoffs. Not a SG but I think scoring points are somewhat comparable.

Finesse players who depend a lot on whistles to maintain efficiency. In the case of Harden/IT they were also glitch spammers, for lack of a better term. Guys who relied on a few scoring moves/plays for a lot of their scoring and lacked the  truly dynamic scoring arsenals that their gaudy stats implied. Kevin Martin a lesser example.

Contrast with finesse guys like Ginobli who was much more dynamic and was harder to limit.

I think SGA is showing signs of a lack of true dynamism. Over reliant on a certain style of play.

[Who]

This series is awesome. I don't want it to end.

Easily the best of the 2nd Round. DEN was also part of the best series in the 1st Round against LAC.

[Atzar]

What a run to reel this one back in for Denver - and got SGA in foul trouble in the process.  This was looking like it was about to get away from the Nuggets.

[Who]

I have been disappointed in SGA in this series.

He had a fantastic regular season and was putting up insane numbers but he hasn't been able to meet the standards set by Michael Jordan or prime Dwyane Wade in the playoffs. SGA is well below them.

The MVP should meet those standards.

I think the physicality is bothering him. He?s a finesse player.

Also, Jordan and Wade in the same sentence.   

I put them in the same bracket here because they are the two SGs who are primarily slashers that led their teams to a title. That played at an MVP level.

That then creates the benchmark for where other SGs should aspire to reach who have a similar game.

I am not sure there is anyone else to compare SGA to. In terms of the mountain top he aspires to climb to. Any other comparison ideas?

Vince Carter seemed to struggle a little bit with playoff physicality but never quite got to MVP level.

Harden has had a lot of trouble converting his regular season success into playoff success.

Isaiah Thomas (Boston version) put up those insane numbers in RS and then struggled in the playoffs. Not a SG but I think scoring points are somewhat comparable.

Finesse players who depend a lot on whistles to maintain efficiency. In the case of Harden/IT they were also glitch spammers, for lack of a better term. Guys who relied on a few scoring moves/plays for a lot of their scoring and lacked the  truly dynamic scoring arsenals that their gaudy stats implied. Kevin Martin a lesser example.

Contrast with finesse guys like Ginobli who was much more dynamic and was harder to limit.

I think SGA is showing signs of a lack of true dynamism. Over reliant on a certain style of play.

Yeah, it feels like that.

The feeling / response I am having to SGA is that -- if he cannot reproduce that unstoppable driving ability of a Jordan or Wade, if SGA lacks the physical power to do that, then SGA will need to become a better jump-shooter to overcome it. To become an unstoppable scorer that way.

I like the Ginobili comparison. He is a guy with the complete arsenal. He always had a counter to defeat whatever type of defense the opposition threw at him. That outside jump-shot that SGA currently lacks.

[Who]

Jaylin Williams has been outplaying I Hartenstein for the 2nd straight game.

Hartenstein is another player who is lacking in physicality (this time defensively). He has solid physicality but not above average / high level physicality. Like Zubac had in last round against Jokic. Zubac made post ups difficult for Jokic. Jaylin Williams has been much more physical and done a much better job battling Jokic for position than Hartenstein has.

Jaylin has also helped more on offense with his floor spreading versus Hartenstein's rim rolling and passing.

[Phantom255x]

This is an impressive postseason run from Denver win or lose tonight. Even with MPJ limited, a lot of guys have stepped up and battled. Pushing OKC to 6-7 is no small thing either. And honestly a healthy LAC may have actually been the 2nd or 3rd best team in the West, and they beat them in 7

[Who]

Denver have turned this game around. They were down 12 with 2min left in Q2 to up 11 early Q4. A 23pt turnaround in a little over a quarter.

[Neurotic Guy]

Would love Aaron Gordon on the Cs.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Haven't seen a lot of the Holgrem/Hartenstein lineup this half. Probably being saved for that late push they've been doing every game.

[Goldstar88]

Jokic needs to be checking in now.