Random NBA Observations 2015 - 2016

[RapHipHopExclusives]

 

[CSquare43]

 

[Ziggiy]

Stephen Jackson on D'angelo Russell

"Snitches get Stitches. I don't understand this new era of basketball, you got players recording conversations, Derek Fisher sleeping with his teammates wife. I don't GET this new era"

 

[ghostwriterx]

I wonder why there hasn't been a thread on this...

"Elite" seems like a stretch given who he plays with/sample size etc, but makes an interesting case. The defensive fg% stat was surprising, but so was Reddikk and Ellis being better. Lebron is second best in the league, ahead of Kawhi and Draymond


What do you think of Klay's defense this year? I'm hearing he fell off quite a bit.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

"Elite" seems like a stretch given who he plays with/sample size etc, but makes an interesting case..

I don't think he's elite, as there's VERY few PGs who're actually elite on that end. Yet he's most certainly in the group directly underneath them. I've been saying it all season, I don't think folk actually realize how good of a defender he really is.

The defensive fg% stat was surprising, but so was Reddikk and Ellis being better. Lebron is second best in the league, ahead of Kawhi and Draymond

DFG% is meaningless without the proper context - who they're matched up against, what kind of help they receive, what distance is the shot, regularity of defending the team's best player(s), game situation (late in the shotlock, defending players who're fatigued down the stretch, players ending up on their bad spots on the floor), which shots are actively contested, poor/erratic shot attempts from offensive player, fouls not being called on shot attempts etc etc. The list is endless.

I will say this though, Redikk is one of the better two-way guards in the league. He's actually a VERY good defender (particularly at keeping in front of his man and navigating through screens) - mostly because he has insane conditioning and a high BBIQ.

What do you think of Klay's defense this year? I'm hearing he fell off quite a bit.

I honestly haven't noticed too much of a difference to be honest. I'd say the talk of him falling off has more to do with the Warriors in general doing just enough on the defensive end to get by, that and injuries to key defensive players - when they're focused and locked in - no other team is better on that end.

 

[ghostwriterx]

I don't think he's elite, as there's VERY few PGs who're actually elite on that end. Yet he's most certainly in the group directly underneath them. I've been saying it all season, I don't think folk actually realize how good of a defender he really is.

Part of it is just Curry fatigue. Nobody's trying to hear he's a good defender too.

DFG% is meaningless without the proper context - who they're matched up against, what kind of help they receive, what distance is the shot, regularity of defending the team's best player(s), game situation (late in the shotlock, defending players who're fatigued down the stretch, players ending up on their bad spots on the floor), which shots are actively contested, poor/erratic shot attempts from offensive player, fouls not being called on shot attempts etc etc. The list is endless.

Should have been more clear, I was talking about the differential between what a player usually shoots and what he shoots when being defended by a particular player. That stat would seem relevant in any context.

I will say this though, Redikk is one of the better two-way guards in the league. He's actually a VERY good defender (particularly at keeping in front of his man and navigating through screens) - mostly because he has insane conditioning and a high BBIQ.

Agreed. Reddikk has really surprised me. I always thought he would hang on in the league, but I feel he's outperformed every expectation. I remember cats were calling him a future bust after LSU exposed him in the tourney. He worked on his game and has had a better career than all of them.

I honestly haven't noticed too much of a difference to be honest. I'd say the talk of him falling off has more to do with the Warriors in general doing just enough on the defensive end to get by, that and injuries to key defensive players - when they're focused and locked in - no other team is better on that end.

Yeah, just the chatter I've been seeing. He seems to get lost off the ball a lot. Just in general feels like he hasn't improved at all from last year. Which is not bad in and of itself, but seeing the leap Draymond and Curry took doesn't look great.

 

[Emoryal]

Honestly I feel Curry's defense=Redikk's defense so if Redikk is considered a good defender than I would consider Curry a good defender.

 

[Redguard]

I hope the Suns get the number one pick in this year's draft. Simmons with Booker, TJ Warren, Bledsoe, and Len could be a great starting lineup.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Should have been more clear, I was talking about the differential between what a player usually shoots and what he shoots when being defended by a particular player. That stat would seem relevant in any context.

Everything I listed above still applies.

After all, the differential between what a player usually shoots and what he shoots when being defended by a particular player is all influenced by one another and the players that defended that player previously - what, when, how, where and who influenced that player's shooting %s up to the point of each game. It's basically a causality dilemma. You have the issue of someone who's an incredibly gifted scorer who shoots poorly from the field/or from a particular area (less than 6ft, less than 10ft, greater than 15ft - I believe are the DFG% areas) like Paul George whose percentages aren't always indicative of how well a defender guards him but more so with his shot selection, and he'll have the odd game where he can't miss no matter what shot he takes. You have the issue of players getting hot or getting cold for no reason centered around their defensive matchup. The issue of a defender's style and movements being more suited to certain offensive players. The issue of a defender not wanting to get into further foul trouble and playing more conservatively. The issue of players settling for outside shots against players more than they'd like to, if there's someone like Whiteside or Gobert deterring them from driving into the paint.

Again, the list is endless.

Agreed. Reddikk has really surprised me. I always thought he would hang on in the league, but I feel he's outperformed every expectation. I remember cats were calling him a future bust after LSU exposed him in the tourney. He worked on his game and has had a better career than all of them.

Main thing for him now is being able to translate his play to the postseason when BG comes back and be the solid, consistent third option that the Clippers will need him to be. He was extremely poor in the last three games against Houston in the second round last season.

Yeah, just the chatter I've been seeing. He seems to get lost off the ball a lot. Just in general feels like he hasn't improved at all from last year. Which is not bad in and of itself, but seeing the leap Draymond and Curry took doesn't look great.

I think that's just the sort of player he is and always will be, he has a certain aloofness about him where he drifts in and out of games. Maybe the contrasting improvements of Draymond and Curry on the defensive end bring his play more into the foreground. I don't know.

 

[duckbutta]

To be fair Westbrook went off in the 2nd quarter and in some ways it seems as tho there wasn't a lot of movement and just guys standing around watching Russ attempt to make something happen in the 2nd. Some of that is coaching.

Not too fond of this OKC roster......If it's just Russ there with no Durant and Serge you gotta expect some nights like this and some absurdly great nights where he just fills up the stat sheet.

You mean like every OKC game that has ever been played in the last...4 years

 

[AAKing23]

The Bucks putting Giannis at the point next year I'm pretty sure someone will try Ben Simmons at the point next year



@Malta is this gonna be the new trend? 6'10 supersized PG's

 

[plushcarpet]

You mean like every OKC game that has ever been played in the last...4 years

didin't Ibaka just complain about this the other day?
he said standing in the corner all game after playing defense "gets to you" or something like that

 

[<<TheStandard>>]

You mean like every OKC game that has ever been played in the last...4 years

Oh Most definitely but it's a lot different when you have Russ with Durant and Ibaka than simply just Russ by himself for the entire game and there's no movement.

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Stephen Jackson on D'angelo Russell

"Snitches get Stitches. I don't understand this new era of basketball, you got players recording conversations, Derek Fisher sleeping with his teammates wife. I don't GET this new era"

Since when is Derek fisher "new era"?

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

The Bucks putting Giannis at the point next year I'm pretty sure someone will try Ben Simmons at the point next year



@Malta is this gonna be the new trend? 6'10 supersized PG's

One more step further to postionless basketball. No frontcourt or backcourt players - just muh'fukkas that do everything.