NBA 2018-19, Part 3..."They have a Cave Troll!"

[Kingspoint]

The "Last 2-minute Report" came out from the NBA and it verified what Dame and I said about the Dallas game...the Blazers got cheated out of a win.

[Mutaman]

Brook Lopez just broke his own record for most 3 pointers in a season by a center. Some day Bucks fans may get to see this fellow Mirotic. right calf strain.

[M2]

Double triple-double for PG and Russ tonight.

[Kingspoint]

Paul George (and Felton and Burton) were on fire. Stotts hasn't been able to figure out how to deal with 2018-19 Paul George (Moe Harkless' injury has severely effected his play...Rodney Hood is going to take many of his minutes as will Turner, while Layman is going to be getting 24+ a night taking Aminu's minutes instead of Zach, where Zach and Meyers will split Nurk's minutes...Seth Curry and Turner will soak up C.J. and Dame's minutes).

[M2]

Paul George (and Felton and Burton) were on fire. Stotts hasn't been able to figure out how to deal with 2018-19 Paul George (Moe Harkless' injury has severely effected his play...Rodney Hood is going to take many of his minutes as will Turner, while Layman is going to be getting 24+ a night taking Aminu's minutes instead of Zach, where Zach and Meyers will split Nurk's minutes...Seth Curry and Turner will soak up C.J. and Dame's minutes).

I wish Portland had gotten more than Hood before the deadline. Dame, CJ and a slasher/shooter at SF would be something to behold. I hope they take a swing at that missing piece this summer.

[Kingspoint]

I wish Portland had gotten more than Hood before the deadline. Dame, CJ and a slasher/shooter at SF would be something to behold. I hope they take a swing at that missing piece this summer.

Layman is making a legitimate claim to be that guy.

[M2]

Layman is making a legitimate claim to be that guy.

I like that you like your guys. Layman's been good with limited minutes. Yet they have two more years of Dame, CJ and Nurk. Is Layman going to put this team over the top if KD takes a walk?

Turner, Harkless and Leonard have expiring deals next season. They should be able to make something happen. I'd love to see them assemble a lineup of death.

[Kingspoint]

From the Oregonian:

“It was unreal,” Blazers forward Evan Turner said of George’s performance. “Everybody is going crazy for Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and James (Harden). And no disrespect ... they’re unbelievable. Paul is the best that we probably went up against all year. He’s at a completely different level. It’s hard to even explain.”

“Paul George,” Lillard said, when asked the difference in the series. "I think everybody in the whole arena can see that. “He’s on a different level. After watching him over the last 10 games or so — I catch a lot of their games — that dude, he’s MVP. If they keep this up, he’s MVP.”



Kudos to Scotland Red for pointing out on Dec. 23rd that PG was worthy of the MVP, and that Harden was at the beginning of an incredible surge, also MVP-worthy.

[Kingspoint]

I like that you like your guys. Layman's been good with limited minutes. Yet they have two more years of Dame, CJ and Nurk. Is Layman going to put this team over the top if KD takes a walk?

Turner, Harkless and Leonard have expiring deals next season. They should be able to make something happen. I'd love to see them assemble a lineup of death.

Layman is surging in his quality of play. He's passed Harkless. This is the first season he's ever had minutes. He had a stretch where he didn't play for about 6-8 games, but upon his return he's taken off and is getting better each week to where right now he has clearly passed Harkless in production and that's with Harkless having his best stretch of the season in January. Harkless has taken a step back the last two games, but Layman has gotten better. Layman passed Turner the day he returned to the rotation, though Turner is having his worst year in five years. Turner has improved the last two weeks. With the arrival of Hood, Layman will have to get his minutes at the "4" instead of the "3", which is great as he and Hood can be used as stretch Wings at the same time with Layman being taller than Hood, Harkless or Aminu. His Defense improves every game (4 blocks tonight) and he's a good rebounder. He's easily the most aggressive slasher on the team, dunking at least two to three times per night now. As aggressive as he is, and with no negative history, he's going to start getting calls and getting a ton of and-one's. He's fouled on every dunk and never gets a call because his game is new to the refs. He's the purest 3-pt shooter of all the bigs with a quick release. (Meyers has the best percentage, but it takes two whole seconds to shoot the ball while to the irritation of Stotts, his teammates, and everyone in the crowd, passes up more good looks he should take than he actually takes.)

Two weeks ago I couldn't say this about Layman as I was looking for him to play at a solid level for a consistent amount of time. He's been more consistent than anyone other than Nurk and Lilkard. C.J. was horrible again tonight. Lillard was 1-10 in the first half tonight. Lillard does other things that make him the most consistent Blazer. Aminu's Defense makes him consistent on that level, but Amihu's Offense is barely alive. Layman's Offense is solid every night now while he's consistently capable on Defense now.

[goreds2]

celtics vs Sixers
TUESDAY FEB 12
WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA
8:00PM
ET

TV: TNT Radio: 97.5 THE FANATIC

XM Satellite Radio: XM 86 - XM Streaming 902

[Ohayou]

Brook Lopez just broke his own record for most 3 pointers in a season by a center. Some day Bucks fans may get to see this fellow Mirotic. right calf strain.

He averaged like zero 3 point shot attempts a game for 8 years prior to 2016. I remember watching Duncan shoot a 3 once every few years.

[Revering4Blue]

Brook Lopez just broke his own record for most 3 pointers in a season by a center. Some day Bucks fans may get to see this fellow Mirotic. right calf strain.

You may get to see Mirotic Wednesday against Indy. It goes without saying that acquiring Mirotic is huge. The more shooters to surround Giannis with -- especially ones that create match-up problems for opponents, such as Lopez, Illyasova and Mirotic -- the better.

[Mutaman]

He averaged like zero 3 point shot attempts a game for 8 years prior to 2016. I remember watching Duncan shoot a 3 once every few years.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/brook-l...ks-11549917024

[Revering4Blue]

Hinkie's asset collection strikes me as similar to PayFlex. He did a fine job of setting the organization up to do something. Can't say how he'd have done at the something part.

He wasn't a great drafter. He didn't come up with picks like Steph and Klay. Embiid was his greatest hit, but I'm under the impression Wiggins was the guy he really wanted. Obviously he wasn't alone in that thinking, but it makes him a little less visionary.

With Simmons I think he deserves credit for putting them in position to make the pick. I'll buy he had picked Simmons had he kept the pick, but if someone offered him an asset haul (e.g. the Lakers to move down one slot), would he have been able to resist it?

There's a lot of if with him. I do think he deserves another shot. The Wizards or the Grizzlies would do well to hire him.

By all accounts, out of what turned out to be the top 3 players chosen in the '14 draft, Hinkie was least interested in Parker and likely would have traded down had Embiid and Wiggins been off the board by the 3rd (Hinkie's) pick. And let's face it, Embiid would have been off the board by the 3rd pick -- very likely the first pick overall -- had he been healthy circa '14 draft.

As for the '16 draft, it's a safe bet that it would have required the Lakers to include D'Angelo Russell with the 2nd pick -- which LA never would have done. Heck, they never considered dealing Russell until Magic assumed control several months later --for Hinkie to even consider trading out of the top spot and passing on Simmons.

Can't see the Wiz (Owner has Castellini's disease. Read: Thinks with his heart, rather than his head, just like a casual fan) nor the Grizzlies (they're having enough trouble drawing fans in a suspect NBA market as it is) hiring Hinkie. Though it's obviously not going to happen, Charlotte really needs the Hinkie treatment, pronto!

[M2]

Layman is surging in his quality of play. He's passed Harkless. This is the first season he's ever had minutes. He had a stretch where he didn't play for about 6-8 games, but upon his return he's taken off and is getting better each week to where right now he has clearly passed Harkless in production and that's with Harkless having his best stretch of the season in January. Harkless has taken a step back the last two games, but Layman has gotten better. Layman passed Turner the day he returned to the rotation, though Turner is having his worst year in five years. Turner has improved the last two weeks. With the arrival of Hood, Layman will have to get his minutes at the "4" instead of the "3", which is great as he and Hood can be used as stretch Wings at the same time with Layman being taller than Hood, Harkless or Aminu. His Defense improves every game (4 blocks tonight) and he's a good rebounder. He's easily the most aggressive slasher on the team, dunking at least two to three times per night now. As aggressive as he is, and with no negative history, he's going to start getting calls and getting a ton of and-one's. He's fouled on every dunk and never gets a call because his game is new to the refs. He's the purest 3-pt shooter of all the bigs with a quick release. (Meyers has the best percentage, but it takes two whole seconds to shoot the ball while to the irritation of Stotts, his teammates, and everyone in the crowd, passes up more good looks he should take than he actually takes.)

Two weeks ago I couldn't say this about Layman as I was looking for him to play at a solid level for a consistent amount of time. He's been more consistent than anyone other than Nurk and Lilkard. C.J. was horrible again tonight. Lillard was 1-10 in the first half tonight. Lillard does other things that make him the most consistent Blazer. Aminu's Defense makes him consistent on that level, but Amihu's Offense is barely alive. Layman's Offense is solid every night now while he's consistently capable on Defense now.

That's all well and good, but is he a starter for a championship-level contender next season? Like, could they get T.J. Warren, who's added 3-point shooting this season? If you can gin up enthusiasm for Rodney Hood, Warren would be Christmas in July.

As a neutral I'd like to see Portland go from good to great.