Random NBA Observations 2014 - 2015

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

That may be the case now but I think 2 Good series' and promising performances out of D Rose would be enough.

could be. i dont know for sure. but it seems to me to not be about performance really. theyd be insane to not recognize what hes done through injuries to the team, especially because he is universally praised as a top tier coach. i think the only way he'd still be around after a solid playoff performance would be for PR reasons and if he decided not to bolt.

 

[Greenstrings]

could be. i dont know for sure. but it seems to me to not be about performance really. theyd be insane to not recognize what hes done through injuries to the team, especially because he is universally praised as a top tier coach. i think the only way he'd still be around after a solid playoff performance would be for PR reasons and if he decided not to bolt.

Yeah of course, don't get me wrong I don't think they have the balls to fire him, its a matter of whether he thinks its worth staying. Butler Rose and Mirotic are a decent core going forward but what the Magic have is a better fit for Thibs' style of coaching in terms of health/athleticism and defensive potential. plus I'd have to assume he'd have a lot more authority there. It could be that they do well and see things off at their natural conclusion ending on relatively good terms.

 

[duckbutta]

That may be the case now but I think 2 Good series' and promising performances out of D Rose would be enough.

Correct me if I am wrong...but isn't the primary beef with the FO and Thibs is that they brought some lady on board their medical team and she started feeding them all this info about how many minutes the players should be playing and that all of the injuries are due to Thibs playing them to much (which he does by the way)...

If that is the case it doesn't matter what the bulls do...thibs is gone...dude is a hardcore coach through adn through and he is not going to stand for anybody telling him how to play his team...

If that is the primary beef he has then this thibs was officially "gone" the very second the FO even started listening to that woman...

Please don't come to N.O. and run Anthony Davis into the ground Thibs...I want to see him reach his full potential...not get D'Rosed and have his career borderline ruined because you left him in a playoff game you were damn near a lock to win anyway...

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

A combination of things:
1. Their system is more in tune with his style of play. Harden is the center of its gravity even more so than he was last year and as such its now easier for him to force defenders into making uncomfortable decisions.

This is because during regular season games, sporadically all throughout the season, an environment has been created where teams are cautious on how to guard him without being called for a foul. Once Harden tests the waters so to speak; once he knows he can get these calls, teams are forced to not play as aggressively as they initially tried to do. Then the game opens up for him. This won't happen in the playoffs. Teams' defenses will be on a hunnid throughout the whole game, and there's no chance at all the refs will officiate the game in that type of manner in which they'll favor the offensive player. If that were the case, everybody would foul out.

Just going by the law of averages, on how teams defend in the post-season, it's highly unlikely he's gonna get the same calls he does in the regular season.

2. Refs become acclimated to the kind of calls they're "supposed" to make over the course of a regular season because of precedence, profile etc. His status as an MVP caliber player will be the difference that causes refs to blow that whistle when things aren't clear.

He'll get the calls.

See above.

When things aren't clear, they won't call shyt, just like they've always done. And not only that - Harden had the luxury to catch teams on back-to-backs, when they weren't giving a fukk, not game-planning for him etc etc - he's not going to have that luxury in the playoffs. Have you not weighed into account all the occasions this season where he doesn't get the calls, when teams are playing PROPER defense on him?

Courtney Lee and Tony Allen
Lamb, Thomas, Morrow and Ibaka
McLemore
Tucker just about EVERY TIME Phoenix played Houston
Caroll
Thompson and Iguodala
Turner, Bradley and Crowder

The games where he didn't get calls in his favor are sprinkled all throughout the season, you'll see his fluctuating FG% as evidence for this. Inconsistent officiating, which makes sense since teams have to play 82 games with varied effort and situation. Refs always call a tighter game in the playoffs because they have to pay more attention to detail and grow more and more familiar to teams'/players' tendencies.

If they don't call shyt for him against teams that stay true to their defensive activity and don't get caught slippin by his methods during the regular season, I find hard for you to see why they'd change that approach in the post-season.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

That I would love to see but I'm not quite convinced that the animosity between Thibs and the Bulls FO is completely irreconcilable.

Only a Finals appearance would change that. Otherwise he's most likely gone.

Edit: Already seen the rest of the convo.

 

[G.O.A.T Squad Spokesman]

“He talks shyt to everybody,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

http://grantland.com/features/nba-golden-state-warriors-draymond-green-michigan-state-spartans/

 

[Big Boss]

The spurs

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

gerald is goin off

 

[Greenstrings]

Move these damn cameramen

 

[dtownreppin214]

Dirk da gawd

 

[Darealtwo1]

exactly why I can't have guys like Rondo, Deandre Jordan, Andre Drummond...These guys are useless during crunch time. Can't hit no free throws

 

[Greenstrings]

This is because during regular season games, sporadically all throughout the season, an environment has been created where teams are cautious on how to guard him without being called for a foul. Once Harden tests the waters so to speak; once he knows he can get these calls, teams are forced to not play as aggressively as they initially tried to do. Then the game opens up for him. This won't happen in the playoffs. Teams' defenses will be on a hunnid throughout the whole game, and there's no chance at all the refs will officiate the game in that type of manner in which they'll favor the offensive player. If that were the case, everybody would foul out.

Just going by the law of averages, on how teams defend in the post-season, it's highly unlikely he's gonna get the same calls he does in the regular season.

Nah you're not giving him enough credit, he's become so good at passing out of doubles and reshaping the defence with his drives from iso's and off screens that he forces the issue now. Its not as much in the hands of the refs as it once was and contrarily teams will be conscious of the fact that early foul trouble can swing the balance of a series. The way he stretches teams now makes things easier. defenders have to hedge when he drives so they're often a step out of position when they contest. When that's the case that extra aggression in a playoff setting can even be detrimental.

His game revolves around a limited set of things, that much is a given but as he gets better the ease with which teams can take what he does away decreases accordingly.

See above.

When things aren't clear, they won't call shyt, just like they've always done. And not only that - Harden had the luxury to catch teams on back-to-backs, when they weren't giving a fukk, not game-planning for him etc etc - he's not going to have that luxury in the playoffs. Have you not weighed into account all the occasions this season where he doesn't get the calls, when teams are playing PROPER defense on him?

Courtney Lee and Tony Allen
Lamb, Thomas, Morrow and Ibaka
McLemore
Tucker just about EVERY TIME Phoenix played Houston
Caroll
Thompson and Iguodala
Turner, Bradley and Crowder

The games where he didn't get calls in his favor are sprinkled all throughout the season, you'll see his fluctuating FG% as evidence for this. Inconsistent officiating, which makes sense since teams have to play 82 games with varied effort and situation. Refs always call a tighter game in the playoffs because they have to pay more attention to detail and grow more and more familiar to teams'/players' tendencies.

If they don't call shyt for him against teams that stay true to their defensive activity and don't get caught slippin by his methods during the regular season, I find hard for you to see why they'd change that approach in the post-season.

Nah you're forgetting the precedent for this, Its all margins, no absolutes.. Refs in spite of themselves respect the top tier stars and in the moment that can sway decisions just that little bit. Certain players have been able to get to the line at an increased rate in the playoffs whether by being athletic enough to be that one step ahead, actively looking for the contact or being good at selling it. While Harden has all that it hasn't worked in the past because the Rockets offensive sets were shockingly one-dimensional so if he was slumping there was no out or alternative means. that has improved a ton this year (the fact that McHale has received no credit for this demonstrates how bad things were last year, people still assume he can't possibly have anything to do with what they're doing right)

You know full well its bogus to suggest that Hardens efficacy is dependent on back to backs, the only team he's averaged less than 19 points against for the season is Atlanta and that's with 1 game played and at this point no team plays the Rockets without game-planning for Harden.

Tony Allen won't be healthy going into the playoffs
He's averaged 30 on 48% against OKC in 3 games
Averaged 40 against Mclemore in 3 games
He dropped 40 on Tucker a few months ago

He can go to work on good defenders and has been better at finding ways to this season.
Seems obvious to say but whether or not he's hot or cold is a bigger determinant than whether or not he gets those calls. He's streaky which gets overlooked in all the the hubub about his gamesmanship. That has dictated his playoff fortunes in the past and will do again now because if he's hot, he has to be played close and that just makes his drive and flop/kick all the more easy.

 

[tremonthustler1]

 

[GoddamnyamanProf]

@GoddamnyamanProf what are your coping mechanisms for watching the morris twins and their dumb ass fouls? every time i watch them they give the dumbest fouls in the world

They're offensively talented but they refuse to make an effort on D, which leads to the bad fouls, and they make dumb decisions, on AND off the court. Seems like the management are getting fed up with it too. Whereas a couple months ago the Morris' were penciled in as a big part of the team's future, I'd say its now probably 50/50 whether they're back next year.

Breen was talking about some dude doing a great job of covering The Masters...

Then he ask Mark Jackson if he could see Jeff covering the Masters...

Jackson says no...

Then Van Gully says "yeah I mean what am I got to talk about how they didn't allow blacks and women in the Masters"

Jackson and Breen go dead silent...I mean it is like they cut their mic off...

Then Van Gully back doors that with something to the tune of "oh right neither one of you have anything to say about that"

The best part is that he said that shyt instantly...

Breen brought up the masters and the very first thing Van Gully thinks about is the people they wouldn't let compete...

I don't think I could stomach a raw uncut conversation with either one of the Van Gully's about life or basketball or anything...

Anybody see that Pistons Celtics game...they were going to commercial when Stan called a timeout...camera got to close...Stan dropped about 3 f bombs in 5 seconds...

"This is fukking pathetic"
"You haven't touch a fukking person on ONE screen"

Stan stays cursing on live TV. "Just form a fukkIN WALL"

Them Van Gundy Boys keep it 100

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Nah you're not giving him enough credit, he's become so good at passing out of doubles and reshaping the defence with his drives from iso's and off screens that he forces the issue now. Its not as much in the hands of the refs as it once was and contrarily teams will be conscious of the fact that early foul trouble can swing the balance of a series.

Yes it is. This all goes back to what I said before, of when teams are unable to adjust within one game to how the refs are officiating, allowing him to take advantage of when teams are tentative on the defensive end. Make not mistake about it, he has improved, but his game is largely down to getting calls. Half the shyt he does out there on the court is because the refs allow him to dictate what he gets away with, rather than the other way around.

The way he stretches teams now makes things easier. defenders have to hedge when he drives so they're often a step out of position when they contest. When that's the case that extra aggression in a playoff setting can even be detrimental..

Why are you speaking as if it will be unfiltered aggression? Or that aggression specifically is what teams will be using to game plan for him? After all patience, verticality and not swiping are arsenic to Harden.

His game revolves around a limited set of things, that much is a given but as he gets better the ease with which teams can take what he does away decreases accordingly.

So instead of him shooting 39% and turnover the ball over 1/3rd of the time he flails in the lane, it'll increase to 40% and he'll only turn the ball over a 1/4th of the time every time he flails in the lane?

Because let's face it, the effectiveness of his game (as it stands now) can only stretch so far in a playoff situation. Suggesting that just because he'll continue to get better at the limited set of things he does do well, doesn't automatically mean that he'll get over that hump that separates him from his former self. After all, the effectiveness of his game is still predicated on getting calls; calls that he hasn't received in the playoffs before.

Nah you're forgetting the precedent for this, Its all margins, no absolutes.. Refs in spite of themselves respect the top tier stars and in the moment that can sway decisions just that little bit. Certain players have been able to get to the line at an increased rate in the playoffs whether by being athletic enough to be that one step ahead, actively looking for the contact or being good at selling it..

I'm not suggesting otherwise, the point is 99% of star players' efficiency goes down in the post-season, increased load and minutes aside - you're suggesting that Harden is part of that 1% - which we all know isn't to be true. And don't make the mistake of him increasing the rate of his trips to the line or matching his r.season averages as if it means he's getting the same calls.

You know full well its bogus to suggest that Hardens efficacy is dependent on back to backs, the only team he's averaged less than 19 points against for the season is Atlanta and that's with 1 game played and at this point no team plays the Rockets without game-planning for Harden..

You might want to read my statement again -

"Harden had the luxury to catch teams on back-to-backs, when they weren't giving a fukk, not game-planning for him etc etc "

I wasn't talking about Harden, I was talking about the teams he faces. All these situations that Harden was able to capitalize on during the regular season, won't be there in the playoffs.

Tony Allen won't be healthy going into the playoffs
He's averaged 30 on 48% against OKC in 3 games
Averaged 40 against Mclemore in 3 games
He dropped 40 on Tucker a few months ago.

I wasn't talking about the players specifically, I was talking about the instances where he wasn't calls in his favor.



2013/2014 - he shot 48% and averaged 30 ppg against Portland during the regular season and fell to 37% against them in the playoffs.

He can go to work on good defenders and has been better at finding ways to this season.
Seems obvious to say but whether or not he's hot or cold is a bigger determinant than whether or not he gets those calls. He's streaky which gets overlooked in all the the hubub about his gamesmanship. That has dictated his playoff fortunes in the past and will do again now because if he's hot, he has to be played close and that just makes his drive and flop/kick all the more easy.

I think they're part of each other. He rarely ever scores big without going to the line, so essentially the causality is him working off those calls in order to get/stay hot.