2021-22 NBA playoffs, 2022 NBA off-season and 2022 NBA draft

[Bourgeois Zee]

But is that a #1 pick or a #7 pick?

Oh, for sure.

I think Holmgren has a floor neither Banchero or Smith possesses, but both forwards have more likely upsides.

I like Smith to be a 3-and-D guy with solid D and 15-25 ppg ability (depending on how he's used).

I like Banchero to be a 20-25 ppg but a defensive minus.

I like Holmgren to be a 10-15 ppg with elite defense.

Anyone think differently?

[M2]

Oh, for sure.

I think Holmgren has a floor neither Banchero or Smith possesses, but both forwards have more likely upsides.

I like Smith to be a 3-and-D guy with solid D and 15-25 ppg ability (depending on how he's used).

I like Banchero to be a 20-25 ppg but a defensive minus.

I like Holmgren to be a 10-15 ppg with elite defense.

Anyone think differently?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around these guys. Smith's length + shot + defense definitely stands out to me. Also sounds like he's got the right amount of dog in his game. I guess my question with him is whether he can create his own shot.

Here's a question to throw in the mixer, do you think any of the wings/guards could turn into a 25+ ppg superstar?

[Bourgeois Zee]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around these guys. Smith's length + shot + defense definitely stands out to me. Also sounds like he's got the right amount of dog in his game. I guess my question with him is whether he can create his own shot.

Here's a question to throw in the mixer, do you think any of the wings/guards could turn into a 25+ ppg superstar?

Keegan Murray's not a wing, but I could see him settle in as a reliable 20 ppg scorer and solid defender. Murray is, for me, a clear consolation prize that some team should be lucky to have relatively late in the proceedings.

Not sure if Ivey gets there, if only because he's a willing passer. Sharpe might, but I've only seen a few highlights there. Not sure what he has, honestly.

[Betterread]

Rookie season -



To be fair to Chet, maybe he's got that too. I'd say the one thing that Durant always had was he's explosive on the court. Is Chet? Legitimately don't know.

Oh, for sure.

I think Holmgren has a floor neither Banchero or Smith possesses, but both forwards have more likely upsides.

I like Smith to be a 3-and-D guy with solid D and 15-25 ppg ability (depending on how he's used).

I like Banchero to be a 20-25 ppg but a defensive minus.

I like Holmgren to be a 10-15 ppg with elite defense.

Anyone think differently?

Since 2017, only five guys have averaged 19+ ppl from their rookie year on: Mitchell in 2017, Doncic and Young in 2018, Zion in 2019, and Edwards in 2020. It’s a very high bar. Tatum and Morant took threee years to get to 20+ ppl. And all those guys are full on unstoppable bucket-getting machines.
With the exception of Mitchell, all the other guys were 99/100 pt prospects. In this draft only Smith is
a 100 (banchero 98, Holmgren 96) and he is more of an all round player than an unstoppable scoring machine.
So maybe 12-18 ppl for banchero and Smith and 8-12 for Holmgren seem more likely.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Since 2017, only five guys have averaged 19+ ppl from their rookie year on: Mitchell in 2017, Doncic and Young in 2018, Zion in 2019, and Edwards in 2020. It’s a very high bar. Tatum and Morant took threee years to get to 20+ ppl. And all those guys are full on unstoppable bucket-getting machines.
With the exception of Mitchell, all the other guys were 99/100 pt prospects. In this draft only Smith is
a 100 (banchero 98, Holmgren 96) and he is more of an all round player than an unstoppable scoring machine.
So maybe 12-18 ppl for banchero and Smith and 8-12 for Holmgren seem more likely.

I wasn't talking about peak years, not first seasons.

Too, it largely depends on the situation these guys step into. Guys going to Sacramento aren't going to have to score-- or be put in that spot much at all. Fox and Sabonis can handle the majority of those points, with Mitchell and Barnes capable tertiary scorers behind them. So a guy like Keegan Murray won't have great counting stats. But put Murray in Portland, and he can be that secondary scorer and ball handler and maybe get to 20 per night.

Put Smith in OKC, and he's going to get all the minutes he can handle-- and with two exceptional passers in Giddy and SGA, likely be put in position to do some damage. Holmgren, in that same spot, is likely to be spoon-fed minutes simply because they have a dearth of other options and don't seem likely to add top-level free agents. With a team that doesn't shoot particularly well, rebounds will be plentiful. Especially long caroms wherein long arms help a great deal. That means more buckets than, say, landing in Indiana or New Orleans.

[M2]

The Celtics are having a night.

[adkindo]

I looked up some young Durant pics to make sure he wasn't the outlier, and he had biceps and quad muscles visible to the human eye.

Durant was extremely weak.....failed to bench 185 lbs. for a single rep at the combine while weighing 215 lbs.

[Betterread]

The Celtics are having a night.

They dominated Miami. They destroyed the traps and doubleteams Miami tried, and on defense, they took away Butler and forced Herrro to catch and shoot, and guess what, he sucks at that (surprisingly. I thought he was a good C&S guy, but not in this playoffs).And it looks like Miami needs to find a third or fourth option on offense. They gave Robinson a lot of shots to get back in rhythm. He didn’t make his threes.
Smart really played well, and Grant Williams…where did he come from. In season, he was#8 or lower. Now he gets as many shots as brown, in some games.

[Betterread]

He’s not a lottery pick, but Jalen Williams, Santa Clara, looks like a guy with an NBA-ready handle and bag of tricks. One to watch.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Who says no to a Julius Randle for Malcolm Brogdon swap?

What would have to be included (on either side) to find an agreement?

(And is it a good deal for either club?)

[M2]

Who says no to a Julius Randle for Malcolm Brogdon swap?

What would have to be included (on either side) to find an agreement?

(And is it a good deal for either club?)

I like that deal for both sides. Randle's good every other year.

[adkindo]

Who says no to a Julius Randle for Malcolm Brogdon swap?

What would have to be included (on either side) to find an agreement?

(And is it a good deal for either club?)

hmmm....very interesting proposal

[Bourgeois Zee]

Heat beat Celtics to take a 2-1 series lead.

Jimmy Butler, Miami's best player, tweaked his knee and sat out the second half. Tatum went down with 5 minutes left, grabbing his shoulder. Smart twisted his angle early, but returned and played well.

The difference was 23 TOs to 8, including 19 Heat steals.

[M2]

Andrew Wiggins just threw down a dunk which might be causing tectonic shifts in North Texas.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Andrew Wiggins just threw down a dunk which might be causing tectonic shifts in North Texas.

I think Golden State is good, but I'm not sure they're as good as Dallas is making them look, if you know what I'm saying.

Regardless, looking forward, I love the matchups with either team.

Curry, Poole, Wiggins, Green, and Thompson v. Tatum, Brown, Smart, G. Williams, and Horford? Or Butler, Herro/ Lowry/ Oladipo, Tucker, Strus/ Vincent, Adebayo?

Yes, please.

Also, Steve Kerr doesn't get enough credit. Bringing Moses Moody out for extended minutes was a really clever move. Most of Kerr's moves tend to work-- or are at least justifiable. Poole starting instead of Klay? Thompson with Poole as a 6th man? The new Lineup of Death? Choosing not to play Kuminga (who I thought could be an X factor in the Dallas series)? Leaning on Looney?

It's all working for him.

Kerr might be the best underrated coach in the NBA today. He's the modern-day Lenny Wilkens or Doug Moe.