Exclusive OFFICIAL Around the NBA thread: October 2019

[CupWizier]

For example, here's the traditional lineup structure:
PG - Play Initiator / Orchestrator
SG - Secondary Play Initiator
SF
PF
C

But if you give the play initiator responsibility to the SF, that doesn't change how big that SF, or who they guard on defense (they'd likely guard the other teams 3rd biggest player), etc.

The term "Point Guard" is the most subjective position in sports. The main initiator is pigeon-holed into the "point guard" role and that ignores any other factors and doesn't make sense when they're paired with another "Point Guard" who's been a "PG" his whole career, or if ball handling/initiating duties are split.

Nowadays, the best players at any position are good enough to handle the ball and initiate offense. Giannis, Jokic, Blake Griffin, etc. The term "point forward" has been more heavily used to try to explain this, but I think that still presents the same problem as a "Point Guard" designation.

Also, I know a lot of coaches at lower levels that don't use a PG designation. If you have two guards that can handle the traditional "PG" responsibility, why pigeon-hole one as a Point Guard? And you can't have two Point Guards because the traditionalist definition of a PG is a guy who has the main responsibility of initiating offense.

Who said you can't have 2 point guards on the floor at the same time. If they share the duties and responsibility then they are both running the point, but if one pretty much dominates the responsibility then he would be the lead point guard such as Lillard, Doncic and Simmons. As for a point forward, I look at that as someone who you can run the offense through on occasion but not necessarily the main facilitator and that would be guys like Giannis, Griffen, Jokic etc. Sure guys can play multiple positions, but you define their position by their main responsibility. McCollum runs the point at times, but his main role is shooting guard.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Switchability is a term that's actually used, and I use it quite a bit.

I'm not saying that, for instance, "a forward can only guard forwards".

There's a level of switchability due to who's next to you on the court. If you have three Maurice Harkless's on the court, they can all switch with each other because they're the same type of defender, and therefore it doesn't matter who each one guards. I actually think the "Guard, Wing, Forward, and Big" positional labels can help describe that. Let me try to explain:

If the Clippers start a linup of Beverly, George, Kawhi, Harkless, and Zubac, they'd be starting a guard, 3 forwards, and a big. Those 3 forwards are all switchable with each other without exposing the defense to a mismatch. Of course, a forward like Kawhi or Harkless could switch with Beverly and be fine defending a guard, but Beverly (the guard) would likely be stuck on a forward type, therefore presenting a possible defensive mismatch. This applies to guards (Dame & CJ), wings (Bazemore & Hood), or bigs (Collins & Whiteside).

So if you have a lineup described by some combination of "Guard, Wing, Forward, and Big", it can help you determine who's switchable with each other on the defensive end just based off their descriptor. Obviously there's going to be forwards that can guard 5 positions and some that can guard 2, but no simple positional labeling system is going to eliminate subjectivity like that.

Yeah, I concur, like I said I think we agree for the most part my only point was I think more and more teams are looking for guys who can cover as many positions as possible. Its definitely not the old, PG,SG,SF,PF,C of years past.

 

[BonesJones]

Who said you can't have 2 point guards on the floor at the same time. If they share the duties and responsibility then they are both running the point, but if one pretty much dominates the responsibility then he would be the lead point guard such as Lillard, Doncic and Simmons. As for a point forward, I look at that as someone who you can run the offense through on occasion but not necessarily the main facilitator and that would be guys like Giannis, Griffen, Jokic etc. Sure guys can play multiple positions, but you define their position by their main responsibility. McCollum runs the point at times, but his main role is shooting guard.

If Point Guard is defined as the guy who has the most responsibility initiating the offense, then you can't have two because two players can't have the "most responsibility". If you define it more loosly than that then you can have two "point guards". I also feel like the unicorns of the league (Simmons, LeBron, Doncic, etc.) are well known, so you could describe those guys as forwards and most NBA fans would still understand that those guys are going to have the ball in their hands and initiate offense, because they're stars. They're still guarding wings/forwards, and they still have the size of a wing/forward, so I feel like it's easier to define them as ball dominant wings or forwards instead of arguing whether or not they initiate enough offense to be considered a "PG", which is an argument I see a lot of NBA fans having. That's just how I look at it though.

 

[THE HCP]

 

[THE HCP]

And not a bad night by LeBron. The old man got ANOTHER triple double.
Just between you and THE HCP, you guys think the Lakers are going to be good this season?

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

And not a bad night by LeBron. The old man got ANOTHER triple double.
Just between you and THE HCP, you guys think the Lakers are going to be good this season?

I think the NBA is gonna make sure the Lakers and Clippers combine for 110+ wins... If nothing else just give AD 27 ft's...

 

[DDolla]

Montrez Harrell will beast out against the Blazers.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Meyers taking care of business.
https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401160728

He doesn't do anything in that clip, but was 9 for 11, 2 steals and a block (six in the last three games.)

 

[riverman]

Meyers taking care of business.
https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401160728

Your guy Russ Westbrook was like a -47 in his loss against Meyers....Meyers was like a +29....

 

[handiman]

I don’t care how tall you are, if they bring the ball up the court 90% of the time and run the offense, I consider them a PG. Magic, Stockton, Nash, Ben Simmons, Kidd, Dame, Doncic, Odom, Pippen, LeBron.

You had me until Odom. He was at most the secondary ball handler any time he was on a good team.

 

[THE HCP]

 

[KingSpeed]

I think the NBA is gonna make sure the Lakers and Clippers combine for 110+ wins... If nothing else just give AD 27 ft's...

I disagree with the idea that the NBA has control over who wins games. If they do have control, why haven’t the Knicks or Lakers made the playoffs the last 6 years? If the Lakers win 55 games, it will be because they earned it.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I disagree with the idea that the NBA has control over who wins games. If they do have control, why haven’t the Knicks or Lakers made the playoffs the last 6 years? If the Lakers win 55 games, it will be because they earned it.

Lakers have 16 championships, I believe Boston has 17. NY has James Dolan, and sure I dont believe the NBA is rigged completely, but theirs a reason small markets have a tough time in the NBA, and its not entirely stars want to play in LA. Sacremento was better than the lakers. This years LAL vs Memphis game was a close game before the refs decided AD was gonna shoot FT’s every time down the court.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Against the Heat:

James Harden scored 29 for Houston, while Russell Westbrook was held to only 10. Westbrook also posted a career-worst -46 plus/minus. His previous worst was -36 at Washington on Feb. 13, 2017, according to ESPN's Stats & Information.

 

[DDolla]

Is there a new thread for November?

 

[BigGameDamian]