Around the NBA: December to Remember 2018

[handiman]

I'm surprised Westbrook is just now hitting 108 triple doubles. It seemed like he had 40+ of them in consecutive seasons... Did he lose half of them to a doping infraction I missed?

 

[Rozay]

Thunder are nice this year. Lakers and them have now blown past us fun times

 

[SIeepwalker]

Thunder are nice this year. Lakers and them have no blown past us fun times

Why do you keep coming back Tunchi ?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Thunder are nice this year. Lakers and them have no blown past us fun times

Thunder have 14 wins against losing teams and 2 wins over teams > .500. That is the easiest schedule I have ever seen over the first 23 games of an NBA season.

BNM

 

[THE HCP]

Thunder have 14 wins against losing teams and 2 wins over teams > .500. That is the easiest schedule I have ever seen over the first 23 games of an NBA season.

BNM

Thats why they play the games FAMS.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[Boob-No-More]

Thats why they play the games FAMS.

Yep, and wait until post all star break when they actually have to play games against good teams. From Feb 7 - April 10, almost all of OKCs opponents will be playoff teams with winning records. They need to pad their record now against PHO (three times), CLE (twice), ATL, BRK, etc. while they can. They are using up all their gimmes before Christmas.

If you look at the last 28 games on their schedule, the only gimme will be BRK (who they struggled to beat last night). You might also include SAC as a gimme, but so far OKC is 0-2 against SAC. Over the last two months of the season, they will play all of the other Western Conference playoff teams, most of them twice, even their games against the East will be tough ones (TOR twice, IND twice, MIL). No PHO, CLE, ATL, CHI, etc.

Enjoy it while you can.

BNM

 

[Rastapopoulos]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/life-and-times-of-allen-iverson

It's good, but I gotta say I thought the Darius Miles one was better.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yep, and wait until post all star break when they actually have to play games against good teams. From Feb 7 - April 10, almost all of OKCs opponents will be playoff teams with winning records. They need to pad their record now against PHO (three times), CLE (twice), ATL, BRK, etc. while they can. They are using up all their gimmes before Christmas.

If you look at the last 28 games on their schedule, the only gimme will be BRK (who they struggled to beat last night). You might also include SAC as a gimme, but so far OKC is 0-2 against SAC. Over the last two months of the season, they will play all of the other Western Conference playoff teams, most of them twice, even their games against the East will be tough ones (TOR twice, IND twice, MIL). No PHO, CLE, ATL, CHI, etc.

Enjoy it while you can.

BNM

Of course, we probably won't have to worry much about that, since after tonight, we don't get any kind of a schedule break for a month (NYK, 1/7/19). 15 straight games against playoff contenders (I most certainly DON'T consider the Kings a gimme); the way the Blazers have been playing lately, they'll be lucky to win 3.

 

[THE HCP]

Yep, and wait until post all star break when they actually have to play games against good teams. From Feb 7 - April 10, almost all of OKCs opponents will be playoff teams with winning records. They need to pad their record now against PHO (three times), CLE (twice), ATL, BRK, etc. while they can. They are using up all their gimmes before Christmas.

If you look at the last 28 games on their schedule, the only gimme will be BRK (who they struggled to beat last night). You might also include SAC as a gimme, but so far OKC is 0-2 against SAC. Over the last two months of the season, they will play all of the other Western Conference playoff teams, most of them twice, even their games against the East will be tough ones (TOR twice, IND twice, MIL). No PHO, CLE, ATL, CHI, etc.

Enjoy it while you can.

BNM

I’m not an OKC fan, I hope they lose. But props to them for winning games they should. Especially with such a garbage player running the point for them.

 

[LayneStaley]

Make sure that grass is mowed over there.

Oh it’s mowed, seeded, and watered daily.

 

[Hoopguru]

Lord have Mercy....I just saw that Boston is 13&10 and they are in the East. Something seriously wrong with that organization taking a leap backwards from last and supposed to be running away with the conference?
What the deal? Players?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Lord have Mercy....I just saw that Boston is 13&10 and they are in the East. Something seriously wrong with that organization taking a leap backwards from last and supposed to be running away with the conference?
What the deal? Players?

If you go to a BOS forum they are probably all clamoring for Danny and Brad to be fired, blowing up the roster and tanking to get Zion (especially with both LAC and MEM and even SAC overachieving).

Wouldn't it be bizarre if BOS's own pick ended up the highest of the four 2019 first round draft picks they currently own? Not going to happen, but totally unexpected that it's in play over a quarter of the way into the season.

BNM

 

[TBpup]

Boston is trying to play 3 SF's.....they have a glut.

 

[dviss1]

I agree on that, in German nba Page i had a discussion with a Okc fan and he said Okc will be a contender based on their Winning Record, and then when i watched their schedule i thought WTF? They played 3 times Suns, Cavs 2 times, Kings two times, Hawks, Knicks, Hornets 2 times, Wizards and Rockets when they were terrible, Warriors without Steph and Dray. That has to be the easyiest schedule i've ever seen. But i still think they have a better Team than the Blazer (I know we swept the thunder last year but at least they won two Playoffs Games)

Is that the racist that called Bosnians lazy? Just asking for a friend.

 

[TBpup]

LeBron interested in bringing Carmelo to LA. PLEASE!

https://www.nba.com/article/2018/12/06/report-lebron-interested-carmelo

 

[LayneStaley]

Boston is trying to play 3 SF's.....they have a glut.

I’d take Brown off their hands.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I’d take Brown off their hands.

Let's hope he looks better than the last swingman we took off their hands...

 

[KingSpeed]

Are Rockets threat to miss playoffs? Chris Paul signing looking like a major mistake.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Man, HOU sucks. Tonight, Harden and CP3 combined for 7 assists and 12 TOVs, with 2-10 3FG. Paul having, by far, the worst year of his career:



And this is what they have to look forward to:



That last year is a player option (like he's going walk away from $44.2 million when he's 37-years old and averaging 8 pts and 3 ast per game).

BNM

 

[Dom McBlazer]

Of course, we probably won't have to worry much about that, since after tonight, we don't get any kind of a schedule break for a month (NYK, 1/7/19). 15 straight games against playoff contenders (I most certainly DON'T consider the Kings a gimme); the way the Blazers have been playing lately, they'll be lucky to win 3.

The Kings has had a number of tightly contested games since the 2013-14 season so it'd be foolish to think the Kings are a gimme.

 

[kjironman1]

Pearl Harbor Day!

https://www.newsweek.com/pearl-harbor-remembrance-day-2018-1941-hawaii-1248282

Hawaii needs an NBA team.

 

[blue9]

Man, HOU sucks. Tonight, Harden and CP3 combined for 7 assists and 12 TOVs, with 2-10 3FG. Paul having, by far, the worst year of his career:

View attachment 23683

And this is what they have to look forward to:

View attachment 23684

That last year is a player option (like he's going walk away from $44.2 million when he's 37-years old and averaging 8 pts and 3 ast per game).

BNM

Wow - that makes Crabbe's contract look pretty good!

 

[THE HCP]

Pearl Harbor Day!

https://www.newsweek.com/pearl-harbor-remembrance-day-2018-1941-hawaii-1248282

Hawaii needs an NBA team.

They’ve got one......all you see is Lakers gear!
Funny story, while my wife and I were on vacation in Kauai we were on the far west side and I jumped out to take a cool picture of this basketball court. Coach walks up and introduces himself and informed me I was standing on the western most basketball court and high school in the United States. Kinda cool, I thought. Got to talking basketball and when I told him I was a Blazers fan, he rolled his eyes and said, “Welcome to Laker country son!” And walked off laughing!

 

[illmatic99]

 

[Boob-No-More]

Wow - that makes Crabbe's contract look pretty good!

Not really. CP3 may be having the worst year of his career, but he's still an above average starting PG.

Crabbe is owed $37 million combined this season and next and he has a PER of 6.1 on team that's 8-18.

Personally, I wouldn't want either of those contracts. You just knew they were going to be bad the minute they were signed. Paul, because of age and injury history and Crabbe because you knew he'd never be good enough to be paid that kind of money - not even in 2016 dollars. I said at the time Crabbe was worth half of what he got paid. In hindsight, my initial estimate was too high.

BNM

 

[blue9]

Not really. CP3 may be having the worst year of his career, but he's still an above average starting PG.

Crabbe is owed $37 million combined this season and next and he has a PER of 6.1 on team that's 8-18.

Personally, I wouldn't want either of those contracts. You just knew they were going to be bad the minute they were signed. Paul, because of age and injury history and Crabbe because you knew he'd never be good enough to be paid that kind of money - not even in 2016 dollars. I said at the time Crabbe was worth half of what he got paid. In hindsight, my initial estimate was too high.

BNM

Just saying, I'd rather be on the hook for $18M than $44M, when neither player will be worth $10M.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Just saying, I'd rather be on the hook for $18M than $44M, when neither player will be worth $10M.

True, the current CBA runs through at least 2022-23 (potentially 2023-24 if neither side opts out). So, no hope of an amnesty provision during CP3's contract. Yuck for HOU, hooray for us!

BNM

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

BNM should like this Lowe piece: he slams Brooklyn for bailing Portland out of the Crabbe contract;
"Crabbe is a good catch-and-shoot guy; he's up to 36 percent from deep after canning seven triples Wednesday in Brooklyn's latest fall-from-ahead gut-punch loss (this one against Oklahoma City).
He just doesn't do, like, anything else. When defenders run Crabbe off the arc, he takes one or two dribbles before pulling up.
He's shooting *cleans fake glasses, vomits a little* 24.7 percent on 2-point attempts. Crabbe rarely keeps the machine moving with a drive-and-kick. He averages four drives per 100 possessions -- a teensy number for a perimeter player. Only 21 percent of those drives result in a pass that leads to a shot -- well below average. (Crabbe dishes one measly dime per game.) Only 2 percent end in shooting fouls -- 265th among 276 guys who have recorded at least 20 drives, per Second Spectrum. When Crabbe does pass, he often finds someone on the other team.

He's also not a Kyle Korver/JJ Redick type, zig-zagging around, setting random screens, and dragging entire defenses with him.

This would be fine if Crabbe were an elite multi-positional defender. He's not. Brooklyn could have found (at least) 80 percent of Crabbe's production on a minimum contract, or something close."

Then, this about Westbrook: "on pace to be the worst high-volume 3-point shooter in league history.
You could argue this isn't a huge problem. A 30 percent-ish 3-point attempt carries more expected value than some 2-point attempts.

But if he's going to shoot so damned many, you'd prefer he actually make more. Defenders might pay some attention to him off the ball. "

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25470903/10-things-like-including-bucks-weakness-nba

 

[kjironman1]

Going on with the Blazers!

Sunday there is a coat drive at Beaverton Fred Meyers
Sunday 2pm - 4pm
Evan Turner and Caleb Swanigan will be there.

Just in case anyone didn't know?