NBA Season 2016-2017

[alldaboston]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

On that note, I realize I might not be giving Doug McDermott enough credit.   Solid 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds with 45%/43%/86% shooting last season for a decent Bulls team.   Showing his worth even more this season averaging 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist with 51%/36%/87% shooting in only 23mpg for a solid 6-4 Bulls team.  You're right in that I should give a guy like McDermott more credit for making big contributions to help his team win.  Another big underrated selection from the 2014 draft.

Right, so give credit where credit is due (in this case, give credit to Smart, and stop calling him a disappointment)

[LarBrd33]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

On that note, I realize I might not be giving Doug McDermott enough credit.   Solid 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds with 45%/43%/86% shooting last season for a decent Bulls team.   Showing his worth even more this season averaging 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist with 51%/36%/87% shooting in only 23mpg for a solid 6-4 Bulls team.  You're right in that I should give a guy like McDermott more credit for making big contributions to help his team win.  Another big underrated selection from the 2014 draft.

Right, so give credit where credit is due (in this case, give credit to Smart, and stop calling him a disappointment)

Like I said, nobody has more respect for Smart than I do.  I have tremendous hope that he'll still turn into a great player and make the improbable leap this year.  I've been encouraged by the early signs this season of him taking his shooting percentages above historically bad range.  Despite what everyone else might say, I still personally have Smart above both Julius Randle and Nik Stauskas in my prospect rankings.   But to suggest he hasn't been a profound disappointment over the course of his first two injury-plagued seasons would be disingenuous.  There's still the real possibility he pans out as a defensive role player... maybe not the level of 5x All Defense Tony Allen, but still a very good role player.   Good news is he's still only 23 years old and despite years of examples of the Ricky Rubios and Rajon Rondos of the world incapable of improving their shots, Kemba Walker is a recent rare example of someone who is showing progress and increasing his efficiency after years of chucking.   I hope Marcus can do the same.

Anyways, my point wasn't about Smart.  My point was that the 2014 draft, thanks to a Top 3 of elite-level prospects, is starting to live up to it's potential.  Wiggins, Parker and Embiid are all showing what all the hype was about.

[alldaboston]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

On that note, I realize I might not be giving Doug McDermott enough credit.   Solid 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds with 45%/43%/86% shooting last season for a decent Bulls team.   Showing his worth even more this season averaging 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist with 51%/36%/87% shooting in only 23mpg for a solid 6-4 Bulls team.  You're right in that I should give a guy like McDermott more credit for making big contributions to help his team win.  Another big underrated selection from the 2014 draft.

Right, so give credit where credit is due (in this case, give credit to Smart, and stop calling him a disappointment)

Like I said, nobody has more respect for Smart than I do.  I have tremendous hope that he'll still turn into a great player and make the improbable leap this year.  I've been encouraged by the early signs this season of him taking his shooting percentages above historically bad range.  Despite what everyone else might say, I still personally have Smart above both Julius Randle and Nik Stauskas in my prospect rankings.   But to suggest he hasn't been a profound disappointment over the course of his first two injury-plagued seasons would be disingenuous.  There's still the real possibility he pans out as a defensive role player... maybe not the level of 5x All Defense Tony Allen, but still a very good role player.   Good news is he's still only 23 years old and despite years of examples of the Ricky Rubios and Rajon Rondos of the world incapable of improving their shots, Kemba Walker is a recent rare example of someone who is showing progress and increasing his efficiency after years of chucking.   I hope Marcus can do the same.

Have his numbers been subpar? Definitely. But what gets a player out of LarBrd's "disappointment" category? What is the threshold that he has to overcome in order to not be seen as a "disappointment"? Is it his Points per Game we're supposed to look at? Is it his NBA Ranking according to some random people working for ESPN? Is it his shooting percentages? Is it his per 36 numbers? Are we supposed to look for improvement in his EFF rating (that's the stat you've been a fan of citing recently, right?).

My point is: calling someone a "disappointment" is so arbitrary; you have to be more specific as to what puts him into your "disappointment" category, and what doesn't put other players picked around his range from that draft class in your "disappointment" category.

[LarBrd33]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

On that note, I realize I might not be giving Doug McDermott enough credit.   Solid 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds with 45%/43%/86% shooting last season for a decent Bulls team.   Showing his worth even more this season averaging 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist with 51%/36%/87% shooting in only 23mpg for a solid 6-4 Bulls team.  You're right in that I should give a guy like McDermott more credit for making big contributions to help his team win.  Another big underrated selection from the 2014 draft.

Right, so give credit where credit is due (in this case, give credit to Smart, and stop calling him a disappointment)

Like I said, nobody has more respect for Smart than I do.  I have tremendous hope that he'll still turn into a great player and make the improbable leap this year.  I've been encouraged by the early signs this season of him taking his shooting percentages above historically bad range.  Despite what everyone else might say, I still personally have Smart above both Julius Randle and Nik Stauskas in my prospect rankings.   But to suggest he hasn't been a profound disappointment over the course of his first two injury-plagued seasons would be disingenuous.  There's still the real possibility he pans out as a defensive role player... maybe not the level of 5x All Defense Tony Allen, but still a very good role player.   Good news is he's still only 23 years old and despite years of examples of the Ricky Rubios and Rajon Rondos of the world incapable of improving their shots, Kemba Walker is a recent rare example of someone who is showing progress and increasing his efficiency after years of chucking.   I hope Marcus can do the same.

Have his numbers been subpar? Definitely. But what gets a player out of LarBrd's "disappointment" category?

We've talked about it before.  Probably best suited for another thread.  Disappointment is based on expectations.  When Avery Bradley had a rough rookie season, I didn't sweat it, because I had no expectations for a guy selected where he was selected.  Likewise with Terry Rozier.  There's only so much you can expect from a #16 pick.  Anything Rozier does is a positive.   But a #6 pick in a draft labelled 8 potential stars deep comes with expectations... especially when Smart was widely considered one of the most NBA-ready players in that entire draft.  He's a part of why the 2014 draft has been called overrated.   All I was getting at is that guys like Wiggins, Parker and Embiid are starting to look really good and while it's still early, if their level of play continues, it might vindicate the 2014 draft.  Hopefully Smart contributes to that as well. 

[tazzmaniac]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

Love that you single out Smart, the only guy who played for a winning team and actually made meaningful contributions to that team. In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

That's a rather simplistic statement.  Did Durant putting up nice numbers when his team stunk his first two seasons mean very little?  What about Lebron in his first season?  If you watch the games, you'll see Embiid being on court makes a world of difference for the Sixers especially on defense. 

[LarBrd33]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

Love that you single out Smart, the only guy who played for a winning team and actually made meaningful contributions to that team. In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

That's a rather simplistic statement.  Did Durant putting up nice numbers when his team stunk his first two seasons mean very little?  What about Lebron in his first season?  If you watch the games, you'll see Embiid being on court makes a world of difference for the Sixers especially on defense.

Sure.  It's the kind of logic that leads to Kelly Olynyk for Anthony Davis trade proposals on homer forums.  But I get his point... Doug McDermott deserves credit for making big contributions for a winning Chicago team.  This is partially why I argued this Summer that Doug McDermott was likely a better prospect entering the league than Buddy Hield.

[SCeltic34]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

On that note, I realize I might not be giving Doug McDermott enough credit.   Solid 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds with 45%/43%/86% shooting last season for a decent Bulls team.   Showing his worth even more this season averaging 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist with 51%/36%/87% shooting in only 23mpg for a solid 6-4 Bulls team.  You're right in that I should give a guy like McDermott more credit for making big contributions to help his team win.  Another big underrated selection from the 2014 draft.

Eh, McDermott is alright.  He's obviously very important to the Bulls since they're a team that lacks perimeter shooting.

The Bulls probably would have been better off with the players they surrendered to get McDermott - Nurkic and Gary Harris.  Harris is struggling with his shot so far this season but last season he averaged 12/3/2 on 47%/35%/82%, and is a much better defensive player than McDermott.

[green_bballers13]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

Love that you single out Smart, the only guy who played for a winning team and actually made meaningful contributions to that team. In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

That's a rather simplistic statement.  Did Durant putting up nice numbers when his team stunk his first two seasons mean very little?  What about Lebron in his first season?  If you watch the games, you'll see Embiid being on court makes a world of difference for the Sixers especially on defense.

Sure.  It's the kind of logic that leads to Kelly Olynyk for Anthony Davis trade proposals on homer forums.  But I get his point... Doug McDermott deserves credit for making big contributions for a winning Chicago team.  This is partially why I argued this Summer that Doug McDermott was likely a better prospect entering the league than Buddy Hield.

Many NBA fans love all offense, no (or little) defense stars like James Harden, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, etc. Guys like Marcus Smart do not fit into this paradigm. He affects the game in ways that do not show up in the box score. It is no surprise that people find his play disappointing so far. Once he starts hitting a couple more shots per game, some will think that his game has magically transformed.

[LarBrd33]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

Love that you single out Smart, the only guy who played for a winning team and actually made meaningful contributions to that team. In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

That's a rather simplistic statement.  Did Durant putting up nice numbers when his team stunk his first two seasons mean very little?  What about Lebron in his first season?  If you watch the games, you'll see Embiid being on court makes a world of difference for the Sixers especially on defense.

Sure.  It's the kind of logic that leads to Kelly Olynyk for Anthony Davis trade proposals on homer forums.  But I get his point... Doug McDermott deserves credit for making big contributions for a winning Chicago team.  This is partially why I argued this Summer that Doug McDermott was likely a better prospect entering the league than Buddy Hield.

Many NBA fans love all offense, no (or little) defense stars like James Harden, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, etc. Guys like Marcus Smart do not fit into this paradigm. He affects the game in ways that do not show up in the box score. It is no surprise that people find his play disappointing so far. Once he starts hitting a couple more shots per game, some will think that his game has magically transformed.

So kinda like... umm... 5x All-Defense Tony Allen?  Smart is showing signs he might reach that level some day.  I'm still hoping he can surpass that.

[tazzmaniac]

Found on Reddit.  Joel Embiid's points per 36 minutes is the highest in NBA history: 

Did the Sixers subreddit also tell you he has the highest usage rate in NBA history if he continues at this pace? Did they also tell you he would be averaging the most turnovers per game in NBA history if he continues at this pace?

He's shooting 58% from three.  Kid's a stah.  7'2 Larry Bird.  Book it.

Seriously tho... for players with at least 10 three point attempts, the top two shooters in the league are Joel Embiid (58%) and Andrew Wiggins (55%)... which goes back to the point I was trying to make.  The 2014 draft got a lot of flack for being "overrated" after seeing guys like Marcus Smart struggle through two seasons, but now we're getting a chance to see many of the players from that class start to live up to their potential as guys like Embiid and Parker reach full health.

Love that you single out Smart, the only guy who played for a winning team and actually made meaningful contributions to that team. In the grand scheme of things, a high draft pick putting up nice numbers on a trash team means very little. I'll take the guy who's actually helping his team win.

That's a rather simplistic statement.  Did Durant putting up nice numbers when his team stunk his first two seasons mean very little?  What about Lebron in his first season?  If you watch the games, you'll see Embiid being on court makes a world of difference for the Sixers especially on defense.

Sure.  It's the kind of logic that leads to Kelly Olynyk for Anthony Davis trade proposals on homer forums.  But I get his point... Doug McDermott deserves credit for making big contributions for a winning Chicago team.  This is partially why I argued this Summer that Doug McDermott was likely a better prospect entering the league than Buddy Hield.

McDermott didn't do much in his 1st season.  He's in a good situation that suits his capabilities.  How good would he look on a bad team?  I'm not particularly high on Hield but he could become a solid player with a couple years development. 

[LarBrd33]

Westbrook keeps putting up crazy numbers, but the Thunder have lost 4 in a row.

[alldaboston]

How in the world does Walton do it? No Laker has played more than 25 minutes, and theyre more than halfway into the 4th quarter and already have over 100 points. Yes, it's against the Nets, but wow. The Lakers look really good under Walton. I was among those who felt his success last year was mostly due to personnel, rather than actual coaching skill. Looks like I'm wrong.

And the Lakers really seem to be into this whole Julius "Draymond Green" Randle perception. The dude almost has a triple double, in 25 minutes. Of course, there's another side of the game that Randle doesn't have, unlike Green, which is his defense.

[SparzWizard]

So does anyone else still think that the Lakers are a joke?

They're forreals now. Might make a strong push for a 4-8 seed this year.

[LarBrd33]

So does anyone else still think that the Lakers are a joke?

They're forreals now. Might make a strong push for a 4-8 seed this year.

They are gaining steam.  They knocked off a strong Brooklyn team tonight.  Julius Randle with a triple double.  Russell looks like a future superstar.  The Lakers have a better record than us... go figure.  Still, I think as the season progresses I have a hard time imagining a team like the Lakers finishing with a better record than the Wolves (who are well behind them at this point).  I think stuff will even out.  But if their young star prospects continue to shine earlier than expected, maybe not.   It really only takes a couple studs players for a team to make a rapid turnaround... Glimpses at success like this is why teams tank.

Russell's last 5:  18 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals with 52% shooting and 46% from three.

Randle's last 5:  14 points, 10 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.8 steals with 48%/33%/77% shooting

[tazzmaniac]

So does anyone else still think that the Lakers are a joke?

They're forreals now. Might make a strong push for a 4-8 seed this year.

The Lakers last 5 games have been against Mavs, Kings, Pelicans, TWolves and Nets which they only went 3-2 against.  Their record is 7-5.  Let's see where they stand at the end of the month with their remain games being:  GSW (twice), Spurs, Hawks, Bulls (twice), OKC and NOP.