2017-18 NBA Season Part II: Electric Boogie-lu

[M2]

We're blowing way past the 1,000-post mark on the old thread.

Here's the big question, which team will win the race to the basement? Atlanta, Chicago, Sacramento and Dallas all look terrible.

[Kingspoint]

The Geriatric Mavericks

[Cooper]

Atlanta just beat the Cavs. Seems odd to me that every team has their best offensive game of the year against the Cavs...hmmm.

[15fan]

WF alumni association had an event Fri night at Hawks-Rockets game. Got to hang out w CP3 and John Collins after the game. Great group photo of all 200-ish of us w those 2 guys. My daughter smartly worked her way into the photo so she was standing next to CP3 and right in front of John Collins.

Our hometown Hawks desperately need guys who can hit some jump shots from the outside.

By contrast, James Harden can pretty much throw it in the hoop from anywhere in the arena.

Edit: best part of the night - we were all in the tunnel to high 5 the Hawks as they came out of the locker room for the 2nd half. Hawks co-owner and Dukie Grant Hill walked by. No one said a thing.

I thought about telling Grant that he’s always going to be Rodney Rogers’ and Randolph Childress’ B, but didn’t want to get cuffed and hauled away in front of my daughter. When I told Mrs fan what I wanted to say, 3 other guys agreed they would have posted my bail and taken me out for as many beers as I wanted.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Here's the big question, which team will win the race to the basement? Atlanta, Chicago, Sacramento and Dallas all look terrible.

I'm going to go with Sacramento.

Because God hates me.

[Boston Red]

Jazz forgot that they were supposed to be good at defense.

[Kingspoint]

Lillard had his best game of the year vs OKC. He really distributed the ball well and kept it moving throughout the game. 7th straight win in Portland vs the Thunder. One difficult matchup after another for most of the NBA this season. Seems that the reshuffling of stars and Golden State's dominance has risen the overall level of play throughout the league. Memphis up next on Tuesday, which I will go to see and who always gives Portland trouble.

[Revering4Blue]

The Geriatric Mavericks

This is a good call.

With each passing game, they're looking more and more like the league's bedpan. Carlisle is as good of a coach as any, but he can't turn water into wine. They've put off rebuilding for quite awhile, but it's time to pay the piper.

IMHO, there are not enough young players with high-ceilings to build around (unlike, say, Sacramento). Therefore, they're the most likely of the teams projected to be in the race for the league's basement to start dealing veterans before the deadline. The problem: Wesley Matthews and the like aren't exactly setting the world on fire.

They also seemingly dodged a bullet by not committing 80 million to Nerlens Noel. Then again, they didn't exactly give up the farm for him, so there's that.

[Cooper]

I would think Utah will be the worst --they are running the offense thru Rubio (that's kinda a joke).

My favorite team is the Pacers --they have a lot of good young talent under the age of 25 ....Myles Turner, Sabonis, Olidipo...they have to sort somethings out --offensively those 3 are talented --Sabonis is smart as hell-sees the court really well --he's tricky around the hoop....you don't think he should be able to get his shot off, but i've yet to see him struggle to do so. He's left-handed so that helps, but they could spread the floor and i think he'd find the right guy pretty often. Turner is the dude- most of his game is facing the bucket --it's the same with Sabonis --so far that hasn't been a huge issue because so many teams spread the floor and play Euro-ball. The run a PnR at the top and both guys can finish -problem is in the 4th when they run it -the big guys just grab and hold Sabonis/Turner and so the play breaks down and this kind of confuses them because they ran it so well through out the game. A good coach will figure out a 3rd option. The Pacers shot 2 free throws in the 4th quarter total -the last 3 games --opposition shot 27-that's a product of being 21 and not getting a call and also being avoiding contact instead of instigating. There's one player the team and FO is enthralled with and i have no earthly idea why -Lance Stephenson (current PER 3). Even when he was good he was just okay and when he doesn't get to play -well-he's nuts. He over dribbles -he can't shoot and he's starting to have trouble finishing. IDKY they keep him. There are reports that they are really working with him to get him going --it's a waste of time.

[Assembly Hall]

When it comes to the Pacers, I like what I see so far. I could care less about Lance. I want to watch the young guys mature.

[M2]

Watched the Celtics tonight. A few thoughts:

- They can step on the accelerator when they need it, at both ends of the floor.

- Kyrie in a modern offensive system is pretty impressive.

- If there's a better rookie than Jayson Tatum, that kid is one hell of a player.

- When Hayward gets back, the Celtics are going to have early '80s Sixers backcourt depth.

- Semi Ojeleye was outright theft in the 2nd round.

- I went into this season thinking Al Horford was overpaid. I was completely wrong.too

[Revering4Blue]

Watched the Celtics tonight. A few thoughts:

- They can step on the accelerator when they need it, at both ends of the floor.

- Kyrie in a modern offensive system is pretty impressive.

- If there's a better rookie than Jayson Tatum, that kid is one hell of a player.

- When Hayward gets back, the Celtics are going to gave early '80s Sixers backcourt depth.

- Semi Ojeleye was outright theft in the 2nd round.

- I went into this season thinking Al Horford was overpaid. I was completely wrong.

Agree with much of this.

A few points:

1)While the Cavs needed depth and more versatility -- and the only way to obtain such was to break up the core -- we are witnessing just how much Irving meant to them. IMHO, it's a safe bet that those who share the conviction that Irving isn't capable of fronting a championship caliber team will be forced to eat their words.

2)Given the trade for Irving, Tatum fits the Celts like a glove, but there's no way Philly would deal Simmons for him, and I feel as though writing off Fultz (who was playing injured and has a considerable higher ceiling than anyone in this past draft) is a mistake. The trade with Philly was just like the Irving trade: in both cases, both sides got what they wanted.

The critical takeaway, though: Ainge is now drafting as well as he is executing trades, which is a bad sign for the rest of the league.

3)I'm still surprised that Ojeleye fell as far in the draft as he did. He's far from a finished product, but he and Marcus Morris allow for Brown to spend more time in the backcourt. In short, the Celtics will have not only early '80's 76ers backcourt depth, but early '80's 76ers frontcourt depth, as well.

[Revering4Blue]

When it comes to the Pacers, I like what I see so far. I could care less about Lance. I want to watch the young guys mature.

I imagine that Lance will spend less time on the court once GR III returns. I'd like to see Joseph Young receive more minutes.

We'll soon find out if the fourth quarter collapses in the past two games are an indication of things to come or bumps in the road. In any case, Leaf was missed, as the pace in Sunday night's game favored him. With him at the four, it would have been tough for NY to play the dynamic duo of KP and EK together for long stretches.

It's a moot point anyway when Oladipo and Bogdanovic shoot a combined 9-28 from the field and Turner only pulls down 4 rebounds.

[Cooper]

Question for the group: i believe much in the idea that college and minor league numbers can be adjusted to show what a player could do in the NBA......with that in mind --i don't understand why Denzel Valentine is not a star. He had great stats in the Big 10--i would guess they translate well.....but i have seen him play 5 or 6 times and he looks completely overwhelmed ---what happened?

[Kingspoint]

Don't know if you remember me saying a month before the draft that Tatum was Ainge's type of player and two months before that mentioned Tatum (and to a lesser degree Smith) was the one player I'd target and go after in this draft.

Who needs Hayward?

Before tonight's game these were the Top-12 rated players in the NBA in Defensive Rating (I maintain that Smart was never going anywhere despite numerous people thinking he was expendable in ordef to acquire a missing piece. I feel Smart is irreplaceable and necessary to win a Championship. He can guard Curry, Thompson, and even Durant on a switch. He can also get into Curry's head.)

1. Rosier 94.5
2. Irving 95.3
3. Horford 95.7
4. Cousins 95.8 (of course, Smart, plus a package is tradeable for him)
5. Baynes 96.2
5. Smart 96.2
7. Embiid 96.7
8. Drummond 96.8 (he can, and is, playing defense, putting Detroit firmly in the playoff race for homecourt in the East)
9. Nwaba 97.1 (I admit I have never heard of this guy before this second)
10. Jaylen Brown 97.4
11. Capela 97.5 (Rockets 2nd best player until Paul gets back)
12. Tatum 97.7

That's 6 of the Top-12 making up Boston's Top-6 player rotation. Even if they have no Offense going on a night, they will win most every game with their Defense.

[Just noting that Nurkic, Ed Davis, Aminu and Turner are ranked 13th, 15th, 17th & 24th, respectively.]

It's not the end-all-be-all stat, but it's interesting.

Horford is the highest Offensive Rating player for Boston at 39th. Hayward could certainly do better than that.

Of those mentioned above, only Capela is in the Top-12 in Offensive Rating at #2 @ 134.2. Aminu is Portland's highest at #14 @ 123.8. His 3-4 week absence (and it could be lingering all season) is a huge loss for them.

Sabonis is 18th @ 121.4. I wouldn't hesitate to start him. I've seen McMillan stunt the growth and do permanent damage to Batum. He needs to keep Sabonis' momentum moving. He's too good to have come off the bench.