AlbertPullhoez
The Takeover
Timberwolves might fukk around and blow this
Random NBA Observations 2022 - 2023
- Thread starter Big Jo
- Start date
Jaylen Tatum
Superstar
Wtf love
ALonelyDad
Veteran
Timberwolves should be embarrassed by this win
great comeback attempt Cavs
fukking clowns
You got the full article?
Yup.
Beal has actually played really well if you look at the numbers. The key is Wes Unseld Jr. should not have him be the lead ball handler. You have to get this guy running off screens/pindowns and attacking off the catch or spotting up. Brad handling the ball is a walking turnover.
Wizards are better off using Kuzma in the Draymond-type role of bringing the ball up and making reads. It will also allow Monte Morris who's a good 3-point shooter opportunities to spot up.
Nero Christ
Sniper out now on all digital platforms brev
I found the LaMelo article
MIAMI
This was new territory for LaMelo Ball, something the Charlotte Hornets star point guard didn’t know much about because he never experienced it previously.
Well, at least not in a sports-related sense.
“Not basketball-wise,” Ball told the Charlotte Observer. “But on some dumb (stuff), yeah. Playing around in my younger days.”
That’s why as soon as he came up gimpy when Washington forward Anthony Gill stepped on his left foot in their Oct. 10 preseason matchup with the Wizards, Ball immediately knew it wasn’t good. His left ankle kind of rolled and it hurt. Something was amiss and he could sense it.
“Hell yeah,” Ball said. “Man, my ankle didn’t feel right at all. He was playing defense under me and I slipped on his (foot).”
Saturday night represented the first time Ball could officially put his sprained left ankle behind him. After being sidelined for nearly five weeks and sitting out the first 12 games, he made his season debut in the Hornets’ 132-115 loss to Miami.
Although his presence couldn’t spur the Hornets (3-11) to put the brakes on their eight-game losing streak, Ball reappearing in their starting lineup was an emotional jolt. In posting 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes, he gave them a miniature spark while battling foul trouble.
“You can just see what a terrific player he is,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s in the paint. He puts a great deal of pressure on the defense. He has a great feel for where his teammates are, and it’s been, what, five, six weeks since he’s played.
“But it was great to have him back. Obviously, he makes a huge difference in our team. Now that we have him back, we can get everybody comfortable when he’s out there and I think we’ll get a lot better very quickly.”
Still, the Hornets can’t expect Ball to be a savior and he’s no perfect panacea, either. They have issues beyond an offense that’s been anemic and boasts one of the worst ratings in the league.
Ball doesn’t possess the power to alleviate their defensive shortcomings. He’s not able to serve as a rim protector. Decreasing the number of points in the paint yielded also won’t be at the forefront of his job description.
All those troubles are bubbling to the surface for the Hornets on the heels of a 3-3 start that included victories in two of their first three games of the season. Watching their losing streak grow past a half dozen was tough enough for Ball to stomach. Knowing Dennis Smith Jr. is banged up after spraining his left ankle twice in a four-game span spurred Ball into action even though he still has soreness in his left ankle.
If Smith Jr. hadn’t been added to their walking wounded list, Ball might’ve waited a bit longer before suiting up and giving it a go.
“I probably wouldn’t have played,” he said.
In his mind, sitting out was no longer an option. He wanted to be there for his teammates.
“Definitely,” Ball said. “You see one go down, you’ve definitely got to step up. It feels kind of (messed) up leaving your team out there. You’ve got to fight. So yeah, just lacing them up and I’m back now.”
Having Ball in the mix will help the Hornets immensely in a number of ways, beginning with pace. That’s the estimated number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team, and the Hornets rank in the middle of the pack in that category at 99.4.
Besides setting the tempo, Ball’s creativity navigating the perimeter and getting into the paint as well as his comfort level playing off the dribble are the strengths the Hornets will tap into over the coming weeks. They are No. 11 in the league in assists per game at 25.8, and having the guy who’s averaged seven assists in his first two seasons should only benefit them.
“He knows where his teammates are at all times,” Clifford said. “He’s an elite offensive player. So, when you are the other coach, it’s like (Jimmy) Butler has the ball for them (Miami). You have a different feeling right there and I’m sure that’s how other coaches feel when Melo has the ball.”
Eric Spoelstra surely concurs. He’s seen it enough over the past two years.
“He’s one of the very best in changing the speed and pace of a game,” the Heat coach said. “Regardless of whether he’s 100% or not, he and Kyle (Lowry) are two of the best pitch-it-ahead guys in the league.”
The Hornets’ path has been rather bumpy lately and it’s too early to tell if Ball’s return will assist in ironing out most of their major kinks. He’s confident he won’t disrupt things by trying to do too much. That’s always a concern for a young player returning from injury, especially if a team is mired in a losing streak upon them re-entering the rotation.
“I think it will be smooth,” Ball said. “I feel like I’m an all-around player that can help both sides. So, I think it will be smooth.”
If there are indeed very few kinks for Ball to iron out, that would expedite the process of assimilating him into various groupings and combinations on the floor together. Time is already of the essence for a team tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, yet the Hornets insist there’s still a positive mood and mindset.
“(It’s) actually good to be honest,” Ball said, “because we feel like we are getting people back now. And it feels like we are finally getting on the road.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2022 7:10 AM.
READ MORE
This was new territory for LaMelo Ball, something the Charlotte Hornets star point guard didn’t know much about because he never experienced it previously.
Well, at least not in a sports-related sense.
“Not basketball-wise,” Ball told the Charlotte Observer. “But on some dumb (stuff), yeah. Playing around in my younger days.”
That’s why as soon as he came up gimpy when Washington forward Anthony Gill stepped on his left foot in their Oct. 10 preseason matchup with the Wizards, Ball immediately knew it wasn’t good. His left ankle kind of rolled and it hurt. Something was amiss and he could sense it.
“Hell yeah,” Ball said. “Man, my ankle didn’t feel right at all. He was playing defense under me and I slipped on his (foot).”
Saturday night represented the first time Ball could officially put his sprained left ankle behind him. After being sidelined for nearly five weeks and sitting out the first 12 games, he made his season debut in the Hornets’ 132-115 loss to Miami.
Although his presence couldn’t spur the Hornets (3-11) to put the brakes on their eight-game losing streak, Ball reappearing in their starting lineup was an emotional jolt. In posting 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes, he gave them a miniature spark while battling foul trouble.
“You can just see what a terrific player he is,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s in the paint. He puts a great deal of pressure on the defense. He has a great feel for where his teammates are, and it’s been, what, five, six weeks since he’s played.
“But it was great to have him back. Obviously, he makes a huge difference in our team. Now that we have him back, we can get everybody comfortable when he’s out there and I think we’ll get a lot better very quickly.”
Still, the Hornets can’t expect Ball to be a savior and he’s no perfect panacea, either. They have issues beyond an offense that’s been anemic and boasts one of the worst ratings in the league.
Ball doesn’t possess the power to alleviate their defensive shortcomings. He’s not able to serve as a rim protector. Decreasing the number of points in the paint yielded also won’t be at the forefront of his job description.
All those troubles are bubbling to the surface for the Hornets on the heels of a 3-3 start that included victories in two of their first three games of the season. Watching their losing streak grow past a half dozen was tough enough for Ball to stomach. Knowing Dennis Smith Jr. is banged up after spraining his left ankle twice in a four-game span spurred Ball into action even though he still has soreness in his left ankle.
If Smith Jr. hadn’t been added to their walking wounded list, Ball might’ve waited a bit longer before suiting up and giving it a go.
“I probably wouldn’t have played,” he said.
In his mind, sitting out was no longer an option. He wanted to be there for his teammates.
“Definitely,” Ball said. “You see one go down, you’ve definitely got to step up. It feels kind of (messed) up leaving your team out there. You’ve got to fight. So yeah, just lacing them up and I’m back now.”
Having Ball in the mix will help the Hornets immensely in a number of ways, beginning with pace. That’s the estimated number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team, and the Hornets rank in the middle of the pack in that category at 99.4.
Besides setting the tempo, Ball’s creativity navigating the perimeter and getting into the paint as well as his comfort level playing off the dribble are the strengths the Hornets will tap into over the coming weeks. They are No. 11 in the league in assists per game at 25.8, and having the guy who’s averaged seven assists in his first two seasons should only benefit them.
“He knows where his teammates are at all times,” Clifford said. “He’s an elite offensive player. So, when you are the other coach, it’s like (Jimmy) Butler has the ball for them (Miami). You have a different feeling right there and I’m sure that’s how other coaches feel when Melo has the ball.”
Eric Spoelstra surely concurs. He’s seen it enough over the past two years.
“He’s one of the very best in changing the speed and pace of a game,” the Heat coach said. “Regardless of whether he’s 100% or not, he and Kyle (Lowry) are two of the best pitch-it-ahead guys in the league.”
The Hornets’ path has been rather bumpy lately and it’s too early to tell if Ball’s return will assist in ironing out most of their major kinks. He’s confident he won’t disrupt things by trying to do too much. That’s always a concern for a young player returning from injury, especially if a team is mired in a losing streak upon them re-entering the rotation.
“I think it will be smooth,” Ball said. “I feel like I’m an all-around player that can help both sides. So, I think it will be smooth.”
If there are indeed very few kinks for Ball to iron out, that would expedite the process of assimilating him into various groupings and combinations on the floor together. Time is already of the essence for a team tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, yet the Hornets insist there’s still a positive mood and mindset.
“(It’s) actually good to be honest,” Ball said, “because we feel like we are getting people back now. And it feels like we are finally getting on the road.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2022 7:10 AM.
READ MORE
Last edited:
JoelB
All Praise To TMH
50 point watch for Biid including 4 blocks and 8 assists for @Gil Scott-Heroin
The God Poster
LWO representa
Malik Monk think he Nelly
