***Official NBA Thread***

[NUFAN]

These playoffs have been excellent with 5 out of 8 series were/are at 2-2. I've found myself rooting for Bucks, Jazz and Grizz but can't bring myself to support the other lower ranked teams: Hawks or Bulls.

 

[OverratedSanity]

This is amazing

The NBAis lucky I'm home doing damn articles- Dion Waiters

 

[Howsie]

westbrook was the reason game 2 with the rockets was close but he was also the clear reason it got away from them in the 4th qtr...insane volume shooting even when it was clear he had gone cold was criminal...hero ball when there was no need to be a hero...

So classic Westbrook then?

Look, he's s great player but it's always the same damn way with him. He'll always start the game looking to get his teammates involved, but by the fourth quarter he's putting up shots and bricking them left and right. I mostly blame Donnavan because that team really doesn't have any offense, it's just Westbrook. Hence why we saw Olidipo and Adams regress this year, they're not actually involved on offense at all with this team, it's mostly just dump offs from Westbrook when he's run out of options.

 

[Agent TBY]

Comedy of errors for the Raptors in the past few minutes.

If only the Bucks could shoot free throws...

ETA: There's no way Giannis got that three off in those 0.5 seconds.

 

[Agent TBY]

What an anticlimactic last play after all that.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Wtf was Giannis thinking

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Wtf was Giannis thinking

He looked exhausted, feel for him, but he'll be back.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Buff Bagwell and Jerry Lawler! Haha this is amazing

 

[hendrix]

So classic Westbrook then?

Look, he's s great player but it's always the same damn way with him. He'll always start the game looking to get his teammates involved, but by the fourth quarter he's putting up shots and bricking them left and right. I mostly blame Donnavan because that team really doesn't have any offense, it's just Westbrook. Hence why we saw Olidipo and Adams regress this year, they're not actually involved on offense at all with this team, it's mostly just dump offs from Westbrook when he's run out of options.

Yeah but I agree that that is nearly 100% on the coach.

 

[Howsie]

Yeah but I agree that that is nearly 100% on the coach.

Oh definitely, and from what I've seen these past two seasons Billy D is a pretty average coach, Thunder fans don't think of him very highly anyway.

But Westbrook is going to Westbrook, and from all accounts he's never really been held accountable with the people that run the Thunder team. People can huff and puff that he has no help (which is a bunch of rubbish) but why he's putting up 30, sometimes 40 shots a game I have no idea, he's never been a great shooter himself.

 

[NUFAN]

It would be great if Westbrook goes for another record next year like NBA assist leader. OKC need to find someone keen on Kanter somehow and bring in a 3 point shooting wing and a capable back up guard. Someone like Joe Ingles (for like 25M/2YRS) would work. Roberson needs to work on his free throw shooting too - He made Drummond look good.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

No one is gonna take Kanter from them without the Thunder also having to attach assets to him like first rounders. The guy is a max contract that can't get on the floor against any team that's halfway decent.

 

[NUFAN]

No one sensible will, but there are still a few NBA teams who might.

This Bulls vs Celts game has been ordinary so far. Bulls look disinterested which is bizarre for a game 6 at home.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

No one sensible will, but there are still a few NBA teams who might.

Who? Big men are a dime-a-dozen and Kanter is far more expensive than most of the rest of them.

 

[NUFAN]

Who? Big men are a dime-a-dozen and Kanter is far more expensive than most of the rest of them.

I was going to suggest SAC but they seem to be making some smarter decisions recently and WCS, Skal and a couple of lottery picks mean he would be a complete waste. Brooklyn could do something funky if they lose Lopez and they get some draft picks as Kanter is still just 24. so fits the timeline better. Lakers could get rid of Mozgov's contract and one of their guards (like Clarkson) if they get Lonzo and feel like they have too many guards. Indiana might lose PG13 and decide to tank, so take on Enes's contract and get a few first rounders that will be/likely be in the 20s or he could be involved in some sort of 3 team trade.

The guy is still only 24 and a 3rd overall pick. He sucks at OKC but he could do a Nurkic and strive in another situation.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

He doesn't suck because of his situation or the system, if anything his situation and the system with him being the guy off the bench and getting loads of work when Russ is out benefits him more than hurts him. He's bad because he's slow and cannot play even the slightest lick of defence, and whilst he can be a good offensive guy in the right type of game, it's not good enough to make up for his shortcomings. Nurkic is a lot faster and always played fantastic interior defence (except when he sulked because Jokic was starting), it's a completely different situation. Brooklyn is someone that I overlooked that I could see giving it a go because they're completely asset deprived, but they'd be a difficult partner cause they've got basically to send back to salary match. You say the Lakers if they can move Mozgov. If no one is taking Kanter, who in their right mind would take Mozgov? Lakers certainly aren't going to attach picks to Mozgov to move him, they just absolutely and blatantly tanked away a season to try to make sure they kept their next two first rounders. They obviously value them.

My point about giving up assets to get rid of him was to imply that OKC won't do that. The only way they can get better on the court with their cap situation the way it is right now is to get lucky in the draft. It's the only way to get good players on value contracts right now. I mean, I guess they could do it, in theory, but they definitely shouldn't and I'd be shocked if they did it this year. Maybe next off-season when Russell is close to finishing his contract.

 

[NUFAN]

All good points you make.

I want to offer up one more trade suggestion though:

Enes Kanter for Brandon Knight especially if Phoenix loses Chandler too. OKC save around 4.5 mill per season and could use that money on say Kyle O'Quinn who may want to play some Playoff Basketball.

Len, Kanter, Bender, Chriss would be a weird front court I guess.

Jazz - Clips is going to be great.

EDIT - Just googled Enes Kanter trades and found an article suggesting Marvin Williams might work.

 

[Anil]

Comedy of errors for the Raptors in the past few minutes.

If only the Bucks could shoot free throws...

ETA: There's no way Giannis got that three off in those 0.5 seconds.

yeah this is what killed them...

 

[Anil]

Oh definitely, and from what I've seen these past two seasons Billy D is a pretty average coach, Thunder fans don't think of him very highly anyway.

But Westbrook is going to Westbrook, and from all accounts he's never really been held accountable with the people that run the Thunder team. People can huff and puff that he has no help (which is a bunch of rubbish) but why he's putting up 30, sometimes 40 shots a game I have no idea, he's never been a great shooter himself.

you just have to look to steve nash to see how a great pg can make average teammates better (most of them) and good ones spectacular (amare)...his suns teams were terrific just because of him and the only true great he played with in his career was nowitzki...westbrook has the ability but he also has in many ways a shooting guard mentality...reminds me often of kobe with much less of an excuse...i read an article that stats show once he gets his 10th rebound and assist, his efforts in those areas drop perceptibly for the remainder of the game...

 

[_Ed_]

This is amazing

The NBAis lucky I'm home doing damn articles- Dion Waiters

I don't know what to say to that. Unbelievable.