Nurkic postgame comments

[illmatic99]

Portland most definitely is the outlier here - by a large margine.

Shot attempts (FGA per game) by top 2 players:
Utah: Mitchell (20.6) + Clarkson (14.8) = 35.4
Phoenix: Booker (19.3) + Paul (12.5) = 31.8
Clippers: Leonard (18.3) + George (17.0) = 35.3
Denver: Jokic (18.2) + Murray (16.5) = 34.7
Lakers: James (18.4) + Davis (16.7) = 35.1
Portland: Lillard (20.1) + CJ (19.1) = 39.2

Philly: Embiid (17.8) + Harris (15.3) = 33.1
Bucks: Giannis (18.4) + Middleton (15.6) = 34.0

What we see from this is that Dame is #2 on the list and CJ is #4. There are a lot of all-star duos that don't take as many shots as Dame/CJ. They are taking 4-8 more shots per game than every other duo. That may not seem like a lot - but its ~10%-25% more than all the other pairs.

i don't think shot attempt is the right metric as it doesn't account for pace differences. usg% might be more appropriate

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think that CJ and Dame shoot too much, if you look at the other teams in the top 6 of the WC, their #'s are not too far off (cept for Phoenix). Considering Damian averages more points than anyone else in the western conference (not named Steph Curry...who shoots more per game too), it kind of makes sense that he shoots more.

CJ shouldn't only shoot 1 shot less for 6 or so fewer points though.

BUT I think this is clearly a sign that the team (as a whole) can see the issues they have with the coach. And realistically, they can't continue phoning it in as much as they do, NOR can they afford to have such a limited and simplistic offense that Stotts (overly) relies on.

I don't think it's the number of shots, it's the KIND of shots. How many times have we seen one of them bring the ball up the floor and without even looking to see if a teammate is open, jacking a shot from 30?

3 on 1 fast break? 30 foot three pointer.

Or my all-time favorite - dribble dribble dribble dribble dribble until there's only 5 seconds left on the shotclock and they either take a bad shot or pass to someone else who has to take a bad shot.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Nurk going public with what many have been saying for at least a couple of years.

- everyone is not on same page defensively. - Some playing defense while others are not? The coach holding some accountable and not others?
- we're selfish on offense. - Dame/CJ take the vast majority of shots no matter who else is hot or if one or both of them are cold.
- We don't seem to understand our potential. - We don't play teammates who have potential and keep playing some whose time has passed.
- Need to hold each other accountable. if only 2 people are playing hard, it's not really gonna change anything. - Wow...this seems a direct shot at some specific individuals. Not sure who he is singling out, but Nurk doesn't say things randomly. He is one of the more direct, non-PC quotes you will get.
- With the attention Dame/CJ get, we need to change the offense -- then says he's gonna take it on himself to try to do more. Again, a bit of a shot across the bow at Stotts and how everything revolves around 2 guys getting most of the shots (and playing the least amount of defense?).

Appreciate Nurkic being honest. Certainly Stotts won't be. He gets softball questions every night and then when one reporter (Quick) does ask him an even semi-tough question which really is just an obvious reality based query, Terry gets his underwear in a bunch and gets snarky, condesending, or plain irritated....when it is the obvious question that no one else is asking.

I think the potential quote meant “we don’t understand we have the potential to win a title or at least play better.” I don’t think it meant “play the young guys more.”

 

[royo]

Can we finally put some light on Lillard? He's takin the team out of trouble a lot of times, but it is him that constantly prizing Stotts.
And CJ?

#thissocalledcultureisrotten

 

[royo]

Half of "wasting Lillard time" is on Lillard himself.

 

[tester551]

i don't think shot attempt is the right metric as it doesn't account for pace differences. usg% might be more appropriate

Only teams with a slower pace (less possessions) are Phoenix, Clippers, and Nuggets. These 3 are only 1-1.5 possessions per game behind Portland.

The pace comment has some merit - but it doesn't change the end conclusion.... That the Dame/CJ combo are using too many possessions relative to the team.

 

[James lamphear]

I don't think that CJ and Dame shoot too much, if you look at the other teams in the top 6 of the WC, their #'s are not too far off (cept for Phoenix). Considering Damian averages more points than anyone else in the western conference (not named Steph Curry...who shoots more per game too), it kind of makes sense that he shoots more.

CJ shouldn't only shoot 1 shot less for 6 or so fewer points though.

BUT I think this is clearly a sign that the team (as a whole) can see the issues they have with the coach. And realistically, they can't continue phoning it in as much as they do, NOR can they afford to have such a limited and simplistic offense that Stotts (overly) relies on.

It's not all the shots they take but it's not any offense concept how game should be play. Your job of point is get everyone involved in the offense not have someone come across half and fire 36 foot that sometimes it goes in and sometimes it's bricks and lead to a fast break going the other way. That needs to change everyone needs be involved.

 

[wizenheimer]

The pace comment has some merit - but it doesn't change the end conclusion.... That the Dame/CJ combo are using too many possessions relative to the team.

I don't agree that's the correct conclusion, or at least half of the conclusion isn't

* Portland, as a team, scores 1.264 points/shot. And that has been about the level of points/shot for the team for a few seasons now; about 1.26 points/shot

* Dame is averaging 1.43 points/shot this season and 1.47 points/shot last season (1.26 team). So, Dame averages about .17 to .21 more points/shot than the team. But that's not the complete picture. In order to get there, you have to delete Dame's FGA's and points from the team totals. When you do, what you're left with is Dame averaging 1.43 points/shot while the rest of the team averages 1.22 points/shot. In other words, Portland is averaging 4 more points/game when Dame averages 20 shots a game, than they would without him. So, relative to the team, at least on a mathematical level, Dame doesn't shoot enough

* CJ is another matter. He's averaging 1.23 points/shot. But that number is propped up by his early season hot streak. It's been falling steadily since he returned. For his career, he's averaged 1.18 points/shot. Last season he was under 1.15 points/shot. So you could make a case that CJ shoots too much relative to the team

 

[James lamphear]

Portland most definitely is the outlier here - by a large margine.

Shot attempts (FGA per game) by top 2 players:
Utah: Mitchell (20.6) + Clarkson (14.8) = 35.4
Phoenix: Booker (19.3) + Paul (12.5) = 31.8
Clippers: Leonard (18.3) + George (17.0) = 35.3
Denver: Jokic (18.2) + Murray (16.5) = 34.7
Lakers: James (18.4) + Davis (16.7) = 35.1
Portland: Lillard (20.1) + CJ (19.1) = 39.2

Philly: Embiid (17.8) + Harris (15.3) = 33.1
Bucks: Giannis (18.4) + Middleton (15.6) = 34.0

What we see from this is that Dame is #2 on the list and CJ is #4. There are a lot of all-star duos that don't take as many shots as Dame/CJ. They are taking 4-8 more shots per game than every other duo. That may not seem like a lot - but its ~10%-25% more than all the other pairs.

That's average but slot of times it close that 50 mark on shots together.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

The issue is the first point of attack....that is Dame/CJ. It would be like having a midieval fort with a moat around it but you can't close the front gate. Guessing that kingdom would not be dominating the region.

this would be an amazing idea for Game of Zones

 

[Haakzilla]

OUCH

 

[THE HCP]

OUCH

I knew somebody on here would post this. This is straight bullshit by you. Watch the sound bite that is right next to it. JB and DJJ are boys and he was totally joking. There actually are enough issues with our team that you don’t need to try and make shit up.

 

[TBpup]

I knew somebody on here would post this. This is straight bullshit by you. Watch the sound bite that is right next to it. JB and DJJ are boys and he was totally joking. There actually are enough issues with our team that you don’t need to try and make shit up.

He was totally kidding....but for something to be funny, which is usually what someone is trying to be when they are kidding, doesn't the saying go that there is at least a degree of truth to it?

 

[MadeFromDust]

I knew somebody on here would post this. This is straight bullshit by you. Watch the sound bite that is right next to it. JB and DJJ are boys and he was totally joking. There actually are enough issues with our team that you don’t need to try and make shit up.

Lol I literally just saw this on instagram and shared it on a whim. This wasn't some calculated attack on someone. Simmer down a notch.

 

[GDiama]

I knew somebody on here would post this. This is straight bullshit by you. Watch the sound bite that is right next to it. JB and DJJ are boys and he was totally joking. There actually are enough issues with our team that you don’t need to try and make shit up.

For sure Jimmy was joking, not even a question about that.

I m wondering though if this is intended for Stotts' comment the other day. Regarding playing DJJ less minutes and that our team with him or without is 29th in def rating

 

[SIeepwalker]

For sure Jimmy was joking, not even a question about that.

I m wondering though if this is intended for Stotts' comment the other day. Regarding playing DJJ less minutes and that our team with him or without is 29th in def rating

I don't see a reason for Butler to have seen this interview, but that would be great

 

[BBert]

Is this the "Fire Stotts" thread?

Don't make me copy and paste haha.

 

[THE HCP]

Lol I literally just saw this on instagram and shared it on a whim. This wasn't some calculated attack on someone. Simmer down a notch.

This place is already unreadable enough this past 6 months, just stick to the facts. I can respect opinions based on facts. Made up bullshit has to go. Step it up a notch.

 

[MadeFromDust]

This place is already unreadable enough this past 6 months, just stick to the facts. I can respect opinions based on facts. Made up bullshit has to go. Step it up a notch.

Haha, well glad we have you here to clear all that up for us. I'll be sure my posts are pending your approval from here on out.

On a serious note, it's highly insignificant. Could I have taken more time to analyze the post to see the true intention behind it? Sure. But it's really not a very big deal though. If this stuff has become that much of a burden to you then maybe it's time to take a break or just step outside for a deep breath.

 

[THE HCP]

Haha, well glad we have you here to clear all that up for us. I'll be sure my posts are pending your approval from here on out.

On a serious note, it's highly insignificant. Could I have taken more time to analyze the post to see the true intention behind it? Sure. But it's really not a very big deal though. If this stuff has become that much of a burden to you then maybe it's time to take a break or just step outside for a deep breath.

I don't need a deep breath. No burden whatsoever. Did you get that from my post? Like I said, I don't mind reading the 98.5% negative posts in game threads. It's people's opinions. There is so much to actually be concerned about with this team right now, I just didn't think some made up bullshit what necessary is all. No deep breathes needed.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I don't need a deep breath. No burden whatsoever. Did you get that from my post? Like I said, I don't mind reading the 98.5% negative posts in game threads. It's people's opinions. There is so much to actually be concerned about with this team right now, I just didn't think some made up bullshit what necessary is all. No deep breathes needed.

Dude, you’re flying off the rails! CALM DOWN!!!!!!!

 

[BonesJones]

I like Nurk, but he's pretty low on the list of people who should be talking about these things.

Nurk has a history of allowing his personal success to impact his decision making on the court. When his shots are falling, he's totally engaged, but when things aren't going well for him, he can go in the tank. If he misses an easy shot or makes a bad turnover, he's prone to compound it by fouling right away. He's admittedly gone rogue on schemes, which is selfish, even if he thinks it well intended.

Most importantly, he's talking about guys on the floor who have been playing out of position and roles that are not ideal in order to make up for his extended absences.

LOL.

 

[AldoTrapani]

This place is already unreadable enough this past 6 months, just stick to the facts. I can respect opinions based on facts. Made up bullshit has to go. Step it up a notch.

Big bro! I called it! Now everybody sounds like me

 

[BonesJones]

I don't think it's the number of shots, it's the KIND of shots. How many times have we seen one of them bring the ball up the floor and without even looking to see if a teammate is open, jacking a shot from 30?

3 on 1 fast break? 30 foot three pointer.

Or my all-time favorite - dribble dribble dribble dribble dribble until there's only 5 seconds left on the shotclock and they either take a bad shot or pass to someone else who has to take a bad shot.

It boggles my mind how people seem to blame Dame and C.J. for this. The offense having no structure or movement FORCES them to do this shit. A lot of times I feel like Dame feels like "Fuck it, I can't get a good look unless I pull this from 30, and our offense is doing jack shit in the halfcourt so patience isn't gonna result in anything better, so I might as well launch" and I can't blame him for that if that's the case.

CJ's averaging 5 assists per 36. And it's not like he's getting easy assists by passing to cutters or guys curling off screens since we don't utilize that. Instead, he's working hard to create those 5 assists a game. He seems to have taken it upon himself to be a better shot creator for others and to make the right decision on when to shoot or pass, as well as what shots to take. Sure, I get annoyed watching him dribble 1 on 1 over and over again, but I don't get mad at him because I feel like he has to do that in order for our offense (especially the bench) to get a quality look.

I want to see what our backcourt would look like under a different coach, which is part of the reason I haven't been screaming "Trade CJ!".

 

[BonesJones]

I thing the bigger issue with Dame/CJ shooting so much is that then the other players are basically asked to stand around in the corner and then get back and play defense not only on their own man but also help on Dame/CJ's as well.

That gets old in a hurry.

I know you won't agree, but I think C.J. is having his best season as a defender. I'd make the argument that he's been average this year. A little better at staying in front of his man but most of his improvement defensively has come off the ball. I keep looking for him to make a bunch of silly off-ball defensive mistakes as he's always done and they're just nowhere near as prevalent this year. Not to mention he's one of the best shot-blocking two-guards in the league.

 

[Hoopguru]

I know you won't agree, but I think C.J. is having his best season as a defender. I'd make the argument that he's been average this year. A little better at staying in front of his man but most of his improvement defensively has come off the ball. I keep looking for him to make a bunch of silly off-ball defensive mistakes as he's always done and they're just nowhere near as prevalent this year. Not to mention he's one of the best shot-blocking two-guards in the league.

Imo, CJ plays the passing lanes as good as Dame.
Dame is better on ball though.

 

[TBpup]

I know you won't agree, but I think C.J. is having his best season as a defender. I'd make the argument that he's been average this year. A little better at staying in front of his man but most of his improvement defensively has come off the ball. I keep looking for him to make a bunch of silly off-ball defensive mistakes as he's always done and they're just nowhere near as prevalent this year. Not to mention he's one of the best shot-blocking two-guards in the league.

I do agree. It has been his best year. But the bar was so low, he's still not very good and get completely lost multiple times per game.

 

[Tince]

LOL.

Another non-basketball post... playing to your strengths?

I'd be interested in hearing if you feel Nurk is one of the more consistent, mentally strong players on the roster.

 

[BonesJones]

Another non-basketball post... playing to your strengths?

I'd be interested in hearing if you feel Nurk is one of the more consistent, mentally strong players on the roster.

Huh? That's funny. I breakdown basketball for two hours after every game and break things down in here and on Twitter day in and day out. I get the leeway of an LOL every once in a while.

 

[James lamphear]

It boggles my mind how people seem to blame Dame and C.J. for this. The offense having no structure or movement FORCES them to do this shit. A lot of times I feel like Dame feels like "Fuck it, I can't get a good look unless I pull this from 30, and our offense is doing jack shit in the halfcourt so patience isn't gonna result in anything better, so I might as well launch" and I can't blame him for that if that's the case.

CJ's averaging 5 assists per 36. And it's not like he's getting easy assists by passing to cutters or guys curling off screens since we don't utilize that. Instead, he's working hard to create those 5 assists a game. He seems to have taken it upon himself to be a better shot creator for others and to make the right decision on when to shoot or pass, as well as what shots to take. Sure, I get annoyed watching him dribble 1 on 1 over and over again, but I don't get mad at him because I feel like he has to do that in order for our offense (especially the bench) to get a quality look.

I want to see what our backcourt would look like under a different coach, which is part of the reason I haven't been screaming "Trade CJ!".

What I seen last night when the ball move and players moving we got decent looks or we score. But I also see when the ball got back in our two guards hands that when the offense stop moving due to either iso or a just a plain shot. Yes both can create very effective at times but as a point guard your job is get the team in some kind of offense and more likely your going get it the ball back with better shot selection. To me sometimes Dame and CJ hunts for there offense and then you see know movement by others this just my opinion. It's not all bad though but get more offense going with movement both ball and players and when that's working Dame and CJ will job much easier for betty shot selection and more likely you see fewer double team on our guards especially Dame. But again it's what see and it's my opinion.