AROUND THE NBA THREAD. Sept 2021 edition

[illmatic99]

this sarah spain character just spent 2 minutes on the spelling of the word, dilemma.

...
Q: What are your thoughts on the Billups hiring drama?
A: No comment.

Q: What is your most embarrassing moment?
A: I don't have one.

I have the most perfect word to describe Terry Stotts:

Milquetoast

 

[THE HCP]

What we know is that you aren’t very good at preseason predictions.

Sigh

 

[THE HCP]

So which of Kanter, Melo or Jones Jr. is it that we'll miss the most, according to you?

Melo and Kanter’s ability to get buckets off the bench. Melo to get us 5 FTs in a tight game down the stretch. Kanters ability to grab rebounds. Don’t know if these new guys are better defensively, we better hope, because I damn sure know they aren’t going to score like the guys they are replacing.

 

[THE HCP]

HCP has been quite vocal about his belief that we will greatly miss Kanter.

No joke.

 

[THE HCP]

I agree that Kanter is seriously good on offense. But pretty much unplayable on defense. When I watch Nurk miss bunnies I will miss Kanter all the more. BUT: replacing him with Nance is a definite improvement.

But we didn’t replace Kanter with Nance, we replaced him with Zeller. He is nowhere near the player Kanter is.

 

[illmatic99]

But we didn’t replace Kanter with Nance, we replaced him with Zeller. He is nowhere near the player Kanter is.

he's better. much better.

 

[riverman]

This has already been said and again IMO that is simply a coaching flaw.

People who want rigid coaching systems will think this of any player's coach...Dame was empowered to make reads on the floor..the reason he was easy to trap is Dame never pushes the pace on the inbounds but walks the ball up the half court more often than not...I''m a firm believer you win and lose as a team and no one person is the reason...what Stotts didn't do was get pissed at players when they didn't execute...he always said...enjoy the game...live with the results....I liked the guy. I understand why high strung people are attracted to high strung coaches as well....at any rate, it's history now but I will always have respect for Terry Stotts. He reminds me of Rick Adelman a lot. Nurk simply couldn't stay on the court the last two and a half seasons..that has nothing to do with coaching and when he came back, he got in stupid quick foul trouble and was rusty as hell....he had some good games but Nurk was not in playoff shape at all this season...CJ was having a career year at the start of last season but he's a ball hog....Stotts didn't hold CJ accountable in games because we needed the points he gave us and we weren't getting them from role players

 

[THE HCP]

I thought Kanter a good bench center but the reason he got 20 rebounds a game at times was poor shooting from our bench guards when he was in the game...he's great at offensive rebounds but that also means your jump shooters are throwing up bricks...great guy Enes though

So you think Zeller is capable of getting all those boards when our guards are off this season? He’s never shown to be a rebounder like Kanter. THAT’S what will be missed.

 

[THE HCP]

Ok, I explain:

All you need to do for this team to work is keep CJ accountable, when he is changing into black hole. Stotts couldn't do it.
.

And you think Billups will do what? Yank CJ? What is going to be so different? I keep hearing this “keep players accountble”….how? And does everybody just think this will happen? None of us know? WHat if Billups gives our backcourt even MORE leeway? Nobody knows yet.

Kerr had absolutely no experience and took Warriors from out in first round to title in his first season.

Luke Walton has an even better winning percentage than Kerr with that team if I’m not mistaken……How’s HE doing?

 

[THE HCP]

FTFY

So who gets props for this years win total? Billups or Dame?

 

[riverman]

So you think Zeller is capable of getting all those boards when our guards are off this season? He’s never shown to be a rebounder like Kanter. THAT’S what will be missed.

I would have kept Enes ...had no reason to not bring him back but he's not the two way player that Zeller is at all although Enes is an ironman healthwise compared to Zeller...Zeller is more skilled at everything but rebounding and I sure as hell didn't know this until we signed him...I don't watch Charlotte games much if ever unless they play us

 

[HailBlazers]

Enes is great... In the regular season.

 

[THE HCP]

he's better. much better.

Then we got nothin to worry about. We are going to be so much better than last season. I take it all back.

 

[THE HCP]

Enes is great... In the regular season.

When is Zeller great? Guy misses the regular seasons.

 

[dviss1]

People who want rigid coaching systems will think this of any player's coach...Dame was empowered to make reads on the floor..the reason he was easy to trap is Dame never pushes the pace on the inbounds but walks the ball up the half court more often than not...I''m a firm believer you win and lose as a team and no one person is the reason...what Stotts didn't do was get pissed at players when they didn't execute...he always said...enjoy the game...live with the results....I liked the guy. I understand why high strung people are attracted to high strung coaches as well....at any rate, it's history now but I will always have respect for Terry Stotts. He reminds me of Rick Adelman a lot. Nurk simply couldn't stay on the court the last two and a half seasons..that has nothing to do with coaching and when he came back, he got in stupid quick foul trouble and was rusty as hell....he had some good games but Nurk was not in playoff shape at all this season...CJ was having a career year at the start of last season but he's a ball hog....Stotts didn't hold CJ accountable in games because we needed the points he gave us and we weren't getting them from role players

I can have an opinion on Stotts and my opinion is that he should've been fired after the NOP series.

In the GSW series and in the NOP series Dame was being trapped as soon as he crossed half court. This was without a pick and roll.

Stotts did not adjust. This is why we lost BOTH of those series. It was also Stotts who lost us the series vs DEN when he had Melo and Kanter in simultaneously. He didn't learn during that series as he continued to put both of them in together.

Any coach that would've put a leash on Dame would be a bad coach IMO. Chauncey included.

 

[HailBlazers]

When is Zeller great? Guy misses the regular seasons.

Sit tight while I find a highlight reel.

 

[wizenheimer]

Zeller Nurk and Nance are all excellent passers...

No, that's not true...they are not "excellent", unless you're grading on a very strange curve or completely diluting the definition of excellent. To me excellent = elite. Chris Paul is excellent; Lebron is excellent; Jokic is excellent. It may be a stretch to call Dame excellent rather than very good, but sure give him that credit

Zeller's career assist rate is 10%; his best mark is 13%. Harry Giles had an 11% rate last season; so did Simons, And neither one of those guys is even an above average passer. Zeller's career assist/turnover ratio is only 1.33

Nance's career assist rate is 11.7%; his best was under 18%. His career assist/turnover ration is 1.8. Nic Batum has had 6 seasons with assist rates over 20%, and three over 26%. His career assist/turnover ratio is 2.1. And Batum is a long ways from being an excellent passer. He's decent to good, or at least has been at times in his career

Nurkic's career assist rate is 14%; last year was his best at 21.4%. But his career assist/turnover ratio is only 1.03. That's light year's from excellent. Among C's and PF's last season, Nurkic ranked 22nd in assists. Now, he had a low minute average so you can move him up the list of big's normalizing for rate. But still, there are several big men who are much better passers than Nurkic. Besides Jokic there's Sabonis, Adebayo, Giannis, Draymond, Randle, and KAT. If Nurk is 'excellent'. what are those other guys?

just for reference, Dame's career assist rate is 30.4% and he's had 5 seasons over the 30% plateau. And his career assist/turnover ratio is 2.37, and was 2.5 last season. If it's a stretch to call that excellent, and it might be, there's no way those 3 guys you mentioned are anywhere close to that tier

what's needed is guys that can handle the ball with vision and efficiency. I think Portland is lacking in that department, and has been since the Aldridge team broke up

 

[illmatic99]

Sit tight while I find a highlight reel.

don't bother, he's stuck in his ways. I've showed plenty of stats/vids highlighting why Zeller will be a far better fit. He's not interested.

 

[riverman]

I can have an opinion on Stotts and my opinion is that he should've been fired after the NOP series.

In the GSW series and in the NOP series Dame was being trapped as soon as he crossed half court. This was without a pick and roll.

Stotts did not adjust. This is why we lost BOTH of those series. It was also Stotts who lost us the series vs DEN when he had Melo and Kanter in simultaneously. He didn't learn during that series as he continued to put both of them in together.

Any coach that would've put a leash on Dame would be a bad coach IMO. Chauncey included.

I believe bottom line you win and lose as a team and every player has to play as a team to be successful on both sides of the court...Stotts knew he wasi outcoached in the NO series and talked about it ....that doesn't excuse poor execution. Dame and CJ said the coaching staff did emphasize pace and defense but the players didn't execute it unless they were scrambling to stay in a game....consistency. For whatever reasons...that era didn't produce a championship and we've changed course...I'm ready for the Chauncey era...his Pistons team played perfect two way team ball..hope that translates

 

[THE HCP]

Sit tight while I find a highlight reel.

Get a Harry Giles one while your at it FAMS.

 

[dviss1]

I believe bottom line you win and lose as a team and every player has to play as a team to be successful on both sides of the court

Sure, the whole team gets a win and the whole team takes the loss, but the blame for those losses can be placed squarely on the shoulders of Terry Stotts.

 

[riverman]

No, that's not true...they are not "excellent", unless you're grading on a very strange curve or completely diluting the definition of excellent.

what the hell are you picking apart now? my adjectives and opinions on player skills? use your own descriptive adjectives and I'll use mine...dilute some of that....grading on a very strange curve? My opinion on a player is not something you get to judge as untrue anyway...you said we have one player who can pass...I think we have half a dozen....3 who are excellent at it ....deal with it but please spare me the spreadsheet...you're welcome to go on believing we don't have more than one player who can pass the ball well. There's no argument here..just points of view

 

[HailBlazers]

don't bother, he's stuck in his ways. I've showed plenty of stats/vids highlighting why Zeller will be a far better fit. He's not interested.

Oh I know. Was being sarcastic. Time will tell and my gut says playoff time.

 

[THE HCP]

Sure, the whole team gets a win and the whole team takes the loss, but the blame for those losses can be placed squarely on the shoulders of Terry Stotts.

You sir have lost your mind!

 

[dviss1]

You sir have lost your mind!

What did Stotts do in the 2nd half of those games when we were up by double digits.

Clam the fuck up when Dame started getting trapped. He was nervous AF on the sidelines.

He NEVER got the ball into Nurk in the high post to negate the trap. Nope. Just keep having Dame bring the ball up past half court

DIRECTLY into the trap. No adjustment.

I know exactly where my mind is.

 

[wizenheimer]

what the hell are you picking apart now? my adjectives and opinions on player skills? use your own descriptive adjectives and I'll use mine...dilute some of that....grading on a very strange curve? My opinion on a player is not something you get to judge as untrue anyway...you said we have one player who can pass...I think we have half a dozen....3 who are excellent at it ....deal with it but please spare me the spreadsheet...you're welcome to go on believing we don't have more than one player who can pass the ball well.

I am saying that word excellent actually has literal meaning and your use of it to label Zeller as such, as a passer was malarkey. You deal with that, and meanwhile, I'll "spreadsheet" whenever I want. You can spare yourself by not reading

and I see that you've already gone from defining it as excellent passers to 'pass the ball well'. You're getting there...keep lowering the target and you might eventually land on the right standard

 

[THE HCP]

What did Stotts do in the 2nd half of those games when we were up by double digits.

Clam the fuck up when Dame started getting trapped. He was nervous AF on the sidelines.

He NEVER got the ball into Nurk in the high post to negate the trap. Nope. Just keep having Dame bring the ball up past half court

DIRECTLY into the trap. No adjustment.

I know exactly where my mind is.

So who gets credits for the wins this season. Since Dame got credit for every win since he got here? Do we just continue the trend?

 

[Orion Bailey]

If Kanter is soooo valuable, why cant he stick with a team?

I love Kanter. Is there an NBA player who demands more respect on and off the court? With that said, most teams know of his difficiencies and see it as a great flaw than the sum of his efficiencies, thus letting him go.

If Kanter made the difference in a roster taking a step, teams would not let him go.

 

[andalusian]

So who gets credits for the wins this season. Since Dame got credit for every win since he got here? Do we just continue the trend?

The better question is - does Stotts still get blamed for the loses?

 

[dviss1]

If Kanter is soooo valuable, why cant he stick with a team?

I love Kanter. Is there an NBA player who demands more respect on and off the court? With that said, most teams know of his difficiencies and see it as a great flaw than the sum of his efficiencies, thus letting him go.

If Kanter made the difference in a roster taking a step, teams would not let him go.

Agreed. Defense is key and he's a terrible defender. That doesn't bode well in the playoffs.