NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?

[M2]

Sure, but beyond that actual facts, Covington is a star. It's only a matter of time until he breaks through like he's already broken through. He only needs a couple more practices, then he's sure to be a completely different player that he's already well on his way to being and has been since he was traded for. If you can't follow that logic, then it's obvious that you're hopeless as a would-be analyst.

Exactly. He's bricking everything, doesn't hit the glass on offense, doesn't pass well and turns it over too much. But have you seen him set a pick? It's like a choir of angels breaks into song every time he does it.

Also, I'm interested in hearing more about this Blazers innovation called "practices." If it pans out it might catch on with the other 29 teams.

[Kingspoint]

Or if you'd like a less dubiously calculated O-Rating, he ranks 396th with a ORtg of 93. https://www.basketball-reference.com..._per_poss.html

And here's his RPM numbers, a stat you've touted in the past - http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/r...e/11/sort/ORPM. Covington ranks 410th in ORPM at -3.38, dragging him down to a -1.58 overal RPM.

I have never touted RPM. Never have I ever used it in a sentence until now. But, that doesn't stop you from making things up. Continue.

Basketball-reference is a poor-man's website for innovation, of which they have none. Picking some random stat that they come up with is typical of your stance, though. Ignore the facts. That works for you. Quoting BZ has as little substance.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Lots of small sample noise in ESPN's RPM, but some tidbits I found interesting:

- Christian Wood is looking like a steal for Houston. Great signing so far.

- Raise your hand if you thought DeAndre Hunter was making the leap this season. No one? Me neither.

- Mike Muscala needs more playing time.

- Joel Embiid is playing the best basketball of his life right now, offensively and defensively.

- Mike Conley deserves some All-Star love, apparently.

[Kingspoint]

Exactly. He's bricking everything, doesn't hit the glass on offense, doesn't pass well and turns it over too much. But have you seen him set a pick? It's like a choir of angels breaks into song every time he does it.

Also, I'm interested in hearing more about this Blazers innovation called "practices." If it pans out it might catch on with the other 29 teams.

Some teams get a lot more out of practices than others...MIA, POR, DEN, TOR, BOS, UTA. These are teams that always get better as the season goes along compared to the rest of the NBA. It's because of their Head Coaches and franchise atmosphere.

[Kingspoint]

Lots of small sample noise in ESPN's RPM, but some tidbits I found interesting:

- Christian Wood is looking like a steal for Houston. Great signing so far.

- Raise your hand if you thought DeAndre Hunter was making the leap this season. No one? Me neither.

- Mike Muscala needs more playing time.

- Joel Embiid is playing the best basketball of his life right now, offensively and defensively.

- Mike Conley deserves some All-Star love, apparently.

All of this is true. Like all statistics, they can show where someone is being overlooked, while at the same time completely miss the contributions others are making.

In my other post, I have Mike Conley as the MVP of the league at this point. Some people never learn and get caught up in meaningless triple-double stats, or points, or assists or rebounds. There's so much more to winning than any of those and all of those and why I touted Marcus Smart from the first five minutes I saw him in the Vegas Summer League as a key ingredient who can lead the Celtics to a Championship. I knew Ainge would agree as we see basketball the same way and that Ainge would never let him go in any trade talks. Would much rather let a Kyrie Irving go, and go quickly, than let Marcus Smart, the heart and soul of the team, go. He, Tatum and Brown are enough. Adding some pieces to surround them can get them a Championship. All three of those just keep getting better. Muscala has been terrific when he's on the floor. Horford just came back pushing Muscala back to struggling to find minutes.

[Betterread]

Lots of small sample noise in ESPN's RPM, but some tidbits I found interesting:

- Christian Wood is looking like a steal for Houston. Great signing so far.

- Raise your hand if you thought DeAndre Hunter was making the leap this season. No one? Me neither.

- Mike Muscala needs more playing time.

- Joel Embiid is playing the best basketball of his life right now, offensively and defensively.

- Mike Conley deserves some All-Star love, apparently.

I raise my hand for Deandre Hunter’s improvement. He has doubled his PER, shooting over 50% FGP, and 36% 3pt FGP and averages 17 ppg. He is better than other SGs from the daft selected around him: Jarred Culver, Coby White and his stats are comparable to RJ Barrett ( Barrett is more creative, but his jumper is broken, while DH is poor in isolation, but shoots well).

[Bourgeois Zee]

I raise my hand for Deandre Hunter’s improvement. He has doubled his PER, shooting over 50% FGP, and 36% 3pt FGP and averages 17 ppg. He is better than other SGs from the daft selected around him: Jarred Culver, Coby White and his stats are comparable to RJ Barrett ( Barrett is more creative, but his jumper is broken, while DH is poor in isolation, but shoots well).

Oh, my syntax sucks, sorry.

I totally buy Hunter as a first-division starter. I just didn't think it'd happen this year. My bad, BR.

- - - Updated - - -

Word is, the Rockets want three 2nd rounders or a 1st round pick for Tucker.

[M2]

I have never touted RPM. Never have I ever used it in a sentence until now. But, that doesn't stop you from making things up. Continue.

Basketball-reference is a poor-man's website for innovation, of which they have none. Picking some random stat that they come up with is typical of your stance, though. Ignore the facts. That works for you. Quoting BZ has as little substance.

You've used it in the past for your various hot takes. Hell, reaching for +/- is practically your go-to move. And O-Rating is not some random stat. It's a standard measurement. The NBA site just uses a screwy calculator, and it's Sloan School 101 that league sites bring up the rear on stats. Most of the NBA stats crunchers I read (and I read a fair number of them) use BB-Ref on the regular.

Anyway, RAPTOR also has nothing good to say about Covington's offense (https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...layer-ratings/). It ranks him 293rd in the league at -2.4. Dame ranks #1 at 9.0. CJ ranks 4th at 7.6.

[M2]

DeAndre Hunter gives me some faith in an orderly universe. He was too good a college player not to be decent in the NBA. Like it would be weird if some of that didn't translate.

[M2]

Somebody break up the Grizzlies.

[texasdave]

Somebody break up the Grizzlies.

And the Rockets while you're at it. Houston crushes OKC by 30 for their 6th straight win, sinking 28 of 52 from distance in the process.

[M2]

The Mavs officially should be getting nervous. They're now 8-13 and this is no longer cute. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, 28th in rebounding and 28th in assists. Remember that whole take that Josh Richardson would be a perfect compliment to Luka Doncic? Well, uh ...



They need to open a vein and trade for Bradley Beal. Figure it out.

Oh, and the Heat continue to be a complete mess. They're 7-13. If they don't turn things around quickly, the play-in slots might be their ceiling.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Somebody break up the Grizzlies.

Nine of the 10 who played scored in double figures. When Jackson comes back, that team may be really interesting.

[Bourgeois Zee]

And the Rockets while you're at it. Houston crushes OKC by 30 for their 6th straight win, sinking 28 of 52 from distance in the process.

7 of their next 10 are against teams who are currently below .500.

If they can get either Tucker or Cousins to be a semblance of adequacy, they'll be a solid seed. (I wonder how they'll perform in the playoffs-- might not be built for it, quite honestly. It may depend on matchups.)

[Kingspoint]

The Mavs officially should be getting nervous. They're now 8-13 and this is no longer cute. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, 28th in rebounding and 28th in assists. Remember that whole take that Josh Richardson would be a perfect compliment to Luka Doncic? Well, uh ...



They need to open a vein and trade for Bradley Beal. Figure it out.

Oh, and the Heat continue to be a complete mess. They're 7-13. If they don't turn things around quickly, the play-in slots might be their ceiling.

It's because they let Seth Curry walk.