Random NBA Observations 2024 - 2025

[FAH1223]

 

[Regular_P]

They're a p*ssy team.

That's the simplified version of it.

For as good as KD still is at this stage of his career, he's not a compass that keeps the foot on the gas. He gets buckets, but they're already within the flow of the game, and not when the Suns need to grab the contest by the throat. We already know Beal plays with the same type of intensity, and Booker has seemingly regressed. Then you add in the likes of Tyus and Nurkic, who're both tentative pussies themselves.

All the intangibles and connective tissue that make a squad just simply isn't there.

Fire Vogel.

 

[ReturnOfJudah]

 

[Regular_P]

There's no one that is guarding a locked-in JT, just like there is no one that is guarding Shai; that's my point.
OKC defenders can guard the other 4 spots and secure the rebound on misses. Dort is a midget in comparison to JT, but JT will still have to work on the dribble drives and 1v1 positioning to get buckets.

The other stuff with OKC's offense is why i put the question mark on Chet. He's the key if they're going to get over the hump this year/earlier than expected. Tho even if he's just the same as he was last year, with Hartenstein now there i'd have them coming out of the West at the mininum.

Chet's not a shot creator though. SGA and Dub are the only guys they have and I don't think Dub is a good enough #2 to win a title.

They're still weak on the boards and rarely get to the foul line. I'll hold my L if they win it all but I don't see it with this current roster. They still need one more guy.

Shai's so good he covers up their flaws. That guy is still underrated.

OKC's had a pretty cake schedule recently. Friday begins a tough two week stretch:

Knicks
Celts
@ Cavs
@ Knicks
@ Wizards
@ 76ers
Cavs

 

[FAH1223]

 

[JesusFOREVER]

Lakers ain’t winning nothing till Bron retires

 

[Primetime]

I was listening to Jeff Teague's podcast a few weeks back and Teague -who coaches youth league- made an interesting comment, that he tells all young players regardless of position to learn point guard. He said it's because it teaches you how to control the game, and he cited everyone from Jokic to Draymond Green to CP3. The topic was about Paul George, his poor play with PHI, and why they felt he was never as good as James Harden (which is what i was telling some folks this offseason once PHI acquired him... but i digress). The point they was making was if his shots ain't falling, George is just lost out there and isn't able to dictate or control the flow of the game.

I bring that up because while KD is a far superior player than George, he did (and still does) suffer from that as well; even as far back as OKC, when Russ was often the scapegoat. It's probably why he worked well in GSW with Kerr's pre-established system not centered on him or why Brooklyn was at their most formidable when it was the Harden-ball system, w/ KD and Kyrie integrating themselves wherever. Both archetypes allowed KD to simply be the explosive ancillary pieces in the system; keeping his role to simply 1v1 within the flow of the offense w/o having to manage the flow itself. But obviously PHX is lacking in that area and was trying to have Booker fill the void.

 

[LV Koopa]

I was listening to Jeff Teague's podcast a few weeks back and Teague -who coaches youth league- made an interesting comment, that he tells all young players regardless of position to learn point guard. He said it's because it teaches you how to control the game, and he cited everyone from Jokic to Draymond Green to CP3. The topic was about Paul George, his poor play with PHI, and why they felt he was never as good as James Harden (which is what i was telling some folks this offseason once PHI acquired him... but i digress). The point they was making was if his shots ain't falling, George is just lost out there and isn't able to dictate or control the flow of the game.

I bring that up because while KD is a far superior player than George, he did (and still does) suffer from that as well; even as far back as OKC, when Russ was often the scapegoat. It's probably why he worked well in GSW with Kerr's pre-established system not centered on him or why Brooklyn was at their most formidable when it was the Harden-ball system, w/ KD and Kyrie integrating themselves wherever. Both archetypes allowed KD to simply be the explosive ancillary pieces in the system; keeping his role to simply 1v1 within the flow of the offense w/o having to manage the flow itself. But obviously PHX is lacking in that area and was trying to have Booker fill the void.

This doesn't make sense. We've seen both KD and PG centric offenses with them as the lead ball handler dominate for extended periods. MVP KD and Indiana PG dominated the offense.

They don't look as effective as Harden ball because neither of those players need to dominate the ball as much as he does.

 

[Primetime]

This doesn't make sense. We've seen both KD and PG centric offenses with them as the lead ball handler dominate for extended periods. MVP KD and Indiana PG dominated the offense.

They don't look as effective as Harden ball because neither of those players need to dominate the ball as much as he does.

 

[Collateral]

I feel like Harden is the product of the offensive mastermind that is Mike D’antoni. I will say what separates Harden from KD/PG is his handles. Over time both KD and PG became real sloppy with the ball, and in KD’s case everyone knows to put a shorter guy on him to bother and knock the ball loose. It’s not that they can’t create for others, I think it’s more so of their athletic decline on display. At least PG has carved out a role for himself where he might not be aggressive in looking for shots for himself, but he continues to show the effort on defense, Philly has one of the best half court defenses rn. His shots will start falling soon.

 

[Primetime]

I feel like Harden is the product of the offensive mastermind that is Mike D’antoni. I will say what separates Harden from KD/PG is his handles. Over time both KD and PG became real sloppy with the ball, and in KD’s case everyone knows to put a shorter guy on him to bother and knock the ball loose. It’s not that they can’t create for others, I think it’s more so of their athletic decline on display. At least PG has carved out a role for himself where he might not be aggressive in looking for shots for himself, but he continues to show the effort on defense, Philly has one of the best half court defenses rn. His shots will start falling soon.

Tbh, while Harden and Steve Nash benefited from D'Antoni (and he in turn greatly benefited from them), the ability, skill set, and court vision were already there for both those guys. Also, if you watched Paul George with the clippers, he was always a tunnel vision turnover prone guy. And he did try to create on that team, that was part of his beef with Doc Rivers who was like nah bruh... PG just wasn't good at it.

And to be clear: PG -with his advanced age and injury history- carving a role for himself to be a defensive role player with spotty offense isn't a problem in a vacuum; but it may be for PHI because they're the ones paying him a 200 million max deal (something LAC said nah too) to be this defensive role player with spotty offense. But if PHI fans are cool with it, bc they feel its still an upgrade from Tobias, then what can i say to that

 

[FAH1223]

 

[VegetasHairline]

no clue how cam reddish has stayed in the league this long

"Potential"

 

[Damnshow]

This old racist b*stard really hates on black NBA players who started their career in the 00s. Like Kenyon, Melo, Bron, etc. In that early to mid 00s era where Hip Hop style clothing would be popular between NBA players. I guarantee you this b*stard used to lose his mind.

 

[Gotright]

Is Kevin Durant a winner? Steph saved his career?