NBA October/November N/V: Democracy is built one brick at a time

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > NBA October/November N/V: Democracy is built one brick at a time

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verymoldy: May 23, 2004

Lockback posted:

This is the funniest breaking news I've seen in a long time.

Until recently, the Lakers were a well run organization. They were steadily collecting young assets that had clear paths to playing time, they had a couple bad contracts but they were all expiring right when they would be looking to sign FAs to make a push, and everyone seemed to be developing (barring injury). Even the Kobe farewell tour did its job in getting them a high draft pick and demonstrating to future players how the organization treats their players.

So there is hope they can get back to that. The Russell trade was pretty bad, but I don't think the Lonzo pick is all that apocryphal, he seems no more or less of a risk than other guys at that tier. Stuff like the KCP 1 year contract seems like it'll just hurt their draft position without getting into the playoffs, but whatever.

Yeah I'm not terribly down on Lonzo, and am okay with letting him develop. I was pretty sure he wasn't going to be the answer (or The Answer) since it's not like the Lakers just needed that one spark to get over the hump. And since they're only mediocre at being in the East, it means they have to play in the west which ain't great! I'm just not sure that Jeannie and Magic are gonna make it happen. And not having a 2018 first round pick is kind of a bummer.

EvanTH posted:

Welcome to NBA fandom! It's the best time to be a fan since the Jordan era and unlike the NFL it doesn't have the vaguely unsettling feeling of being a Roman cheering on the murderous bloodsports in the Colosseum as the empire burns outside.

In fact, it's quite the opposite as extreme height tends to have proportionately negative indications for long term health (the relentless ramifications of the square-cube law, you can't be a giant without the weight crushing your insides. See Larry Bird will die young. Just ask him. for some inside accounts) and the NBA provides an excellent quality of life for the nation's unfortunately heighted who would be otherwise be doomed to die in broke and in pain, crushed by the weight of themselves and bankrupted by our predatory American healthcare system

Unfortunately for Lakers fans:

There is no way to "earn" a billion dollars, that kind of incomprehensible wealth must be cheated and exploited, and it takes a certain type of devious mind to extract such massive wealth without any consideration of the human consequences. People must be numbers on a balance sheet, profitable or expendable. The Lakers management at this point might very well be made up of nice human beings, and therefore incapable of firing a good person just because they doesn't produce. Unlike the Nets ownership which is made of undeniably successful and unapologetically evil men who will very soon bring rings to Brooklyn

Yeah, I have had a really bad time being able to reconcile "really fun to watch" with "they are killing their brains right now on live tv" especially with some more revelations about how insidious and pervasive CTE is. And man the NBA is just a much more fun league! And we'll see about rings in New York, but boy would it be particularly Knicksian if the Nets become the de facto basketball team of New York City.

Rick posted:

The next line of Busses is supposedly really good, and is paired up with Jerry West's son. Jesse Buss and Ryan West are responsible for picks like Kuzma, Nance and Clarkson. The team may get sold before the point it gets to them, as after the Clippers sale Ramona Shelbourne said the possibility was on the table, and she's Jeanie Buss's number one voice, and Jeanie has eliminated two opposition votes to selling with her moves over the past year.

Well gently caress. If she wants to sell the goldenest goose in the golden state I hope whoever buys is like Steve "Ballin'" Ballmer and really wants to win O'Briens. Barring that, hopefully Magic listens to Jesse and Ryan.

Thanks for the welcomes, and go Lakers! To 20 wins!

# ? Oct 28, 2017 20:35

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 10, 2024 00:42

dokmo: Aug 27, 2006; man

E2M2 posted:

Why is Scott Brooks' crunch time offense so terrible?

All offense is terrible in crunch time. There is no time to call in plays so you have to trust your players to do something positive, and Washington doesn't have any good heroball players.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 20:41

tanglewood1420: Oct 28, 2010; The importance of this mission cannot be overemphasized

dokmo posted:

Nothing. They missed open shots. Human tendency is to look for causes for random processes, but the wise man accepts that poo poo happens.

I would love for publicly available stats to get to the stage where you can analyse quality of shots taken by each team and player in a game easily at a glance. So rather than just saying a team went 7/28 from 3 you could break it down with each shot taken given a score by location - the average make % of a three from that spot, plus whether it was open/contested, catch and shoot/off the dribble (admittedly there is some subjective element involved in those evaluations). For example a catch and shoot open corner three may score 60%, a pull-up contested three above the arc only 25%. Then you could sum and average them all together and have more nuance than a 'raw' 7/28, something like the Spurs shot 25% from three, but their shot quality was 42% so they were creating good shots it just wasn't falling for them. Or vice versa, the Nets went 15/28 tonight, but their shot quality was 34% so really they just got a bit lucky/really hot and their opponent defended them well. You could even break it down further by giving each shot an evaluation based on the shooter's past performance rather than just straight league averages, so a Gorgui Dieng open three isn't rated a better shot than a Steph Curry pull-up, but I don't know if you'd have the sample size on individual players by shot location and shot type to make it especially more accurate (for the high volume guys you would, but for most players maybe not).

Obviously the teams all have access to this and do this kind of analysis, but it would be really nice for the fans to get that info too.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 21:00

Spacebump: Dec 24, 2003; Dallas Mavericks: Generations

https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/924333314894454786
https://twitter.com/JCameratoNBCS/status/924326012095168512

# ? Oct 28, 2017 21:19

Lockback: Sep 3, 2006; All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

Spacebump posted:

I love the early part of the season. https://twitter.com/JoshEberley/status/924352684487884800 Always fun to figure out who has turned into a better player and who is just having a good start.

Hint: it's not Otto Porter.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 21:25

warcrimes: Jul 6, 2013; I don't know what's it called, I just know the sound it makes when it takes a J4G's life.

FULL HEEL

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/924141084334219264

Kerr's suit game

https://twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/924108976043651072

warcrimes fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Oct 28, 2017

# ? Oct 28, 2017 21:52

ThePariah: Feb 10, 2014

Spacebump posted:

https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/924333314894454786
https://twitter.com/JCameratoNBCS/status/924326012095168512

Embiid makes the league better.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 21:58

Redgrendel2001: Sep 1, 2006; you literally think a person saying their NBA team of choice being better than the fucking 76ers is a 'schtick'

a literal thing you think.

ThePariah posted:

Embiid makes the league better.

I had a dream last night in which I was a billionaire and I commissioned a Statue of Liberty-sized statue of Embiid to tower over the city.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 22:16

Dejan Bimble: Mar 24, 2008; we're all black friends; Plaster Town Cop

News or Views

quote:

Few thought the L.A. Clippers would be very good this season. The team traded Chris Paul for Patrick Beverley, and they lost J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford. Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams joined them, as did Milos Teodosic. But losing the captain and floor leader seemed to be a huge setback, even with Blake Griffin re-signing and DeAndre Jordan remaining under contract.

So much for that.

The Clippers are 4-0 after a Griffin buzzer-beater rescued an L.A. win in Portland on Thursday. Griffin's triple capped a 25-8-5 line, furthering the case he's one of the top 10 players in the league right now. This season, Griffin is averaging 26-9-5 on an effective field goal percentage of 60. He's been a monster, just below the level of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This was the Clippers' first close game of the season � they'd already trucked the Lakers, Suns, and Jazz. It's comforting to see L.A. have answers at the ready without clutch maestro CP3. We forgot that Griffin has been just as capable of making smart, unstoppable plays in critical moments. Well, some of us forgot.

What's new about Blake's game is the three-pointer itself. He's hit at least two every game this season, shooting 44 percent from deep overall while taking nearly six per night. If he continues to nail them at a good rate, he very well might be unstoppable.

As if the West wasn't tough enough, the Clippers might be super legit. As if we didn't have enough MVP candidates, Blake Griffin might be in the mix. There are always surprises in an NBA season.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/10/27/16556846/blake-griffin-clippers-buzzer-beater-gmib

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/gyjvp4/the-outlet-pass-phillys-big-boys-slow-food-melo-and-the-return-of-good-blake

quote:

This was already mentioned in my preview piece about Dario Saric and the Philadelphia 76ers, but one of the most critical questions for Philly is whether Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Saric can share the floor. All three are taller than 6'10", with a rare combination of intelligence and technical skill that should theoretically allow them to thrive beside one another.

If they can space the floor (more on Simmons's ability to do that without a jump shot later), maintain some defensive versatility, and move the ball, there's no way to stop them. Size has long been the sport's most valuable element, and folding it into a group that's also able to adopt modern principles (quality three-point shooting, a modifiable pick-and-roll defense, etc.) would eventually give Philly an advantage over everybody else.

They've only shared the floor for 23 minutes in four games, but in that time the Sixers have outscored opponents by 27 points per 100 possessions while assisting two-thirds of their made baskets. They're zipping up the court, running offense through whoever has a mismatch, and, as expected, gobbling up all the rebounds in sight.

quote:

So, wait. What�s happening?
Prokhorov, the team�s principal and operating owner, is selling 49 percent of the Nets to Tsai right now for something like $1.1 billion. That deal reportedly includes an option for Tsai to buy the rest of Prokhorov�s stake in the team in four years. At that point, if Tsai exercises his option, he would become the majority stakeholder � effectively, the franchise owner � of the Nets.

Why is there a four-year delay?
We do not yet know.

Is Prokhorov out of our lives?
He�s been out of our lives for a couple of years already. Perhaps he will allow himself a proper send-off. If not, we�ll always have that bonkers 60 Minutes segment.

The Nets? $2.3 billion? WHAT?
Right? The Nets have perennially lost money, though much of that has involved Prokhorov�s bid to run up the payroll in a Sisyphean quest to buy a championship.

Now, the Nets are rebuilding without high-end draft picks. Things are looking brighter this season, however.

Is this the biggest NBA team sale ever?
Yes, sort of. Since a majority stake isn�t changing hands right now, it may not exactly qualify. Tilman Ferttita bought the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion earlier this year, breaking the old record of $2 billion Steve Ballmer spent to purchase the L.A. Clippers from Donald and Shelly Sterling.

Robin Lopez's Brittney Spears locker

https://www.instagram.com/p/BavKJRjgBXg/

# ? Oct 28, 2017 22:39

Spacebump: Dec 24, 2003; Dallas Mavericks: Generations

Who is looking like potential MVP candidates for this season? So far I think Giannis, LeBron, and Blake Griffin.

edit:
lol at even talking about MVP in October though.

Spacebump fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Oct 28, 2017

# ? Oct 28, 2017 22:56

Time: Aug 1, 2011; It Was All A Dream

Eric Gordon

# ? Oct 28, 2017 22:58

G-Hawk: Dec 15, 2003

Time posted:

Eric Gordon

im glad my cult is catching on

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:01

euphronius: Feb 18, 2009

I don't know why you'd play saric over Covington in that line up

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:03

Niwrad: Jul 1, 2008

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/924399926251081729

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:21

Away all Goats: Jul 5, 2005; Goose's rebellion

Spacebump posted:

Who is looking like potential MVP candidates for this season? So far I think Giannis, LeBron, and Blake Griffin.

edit:
lol at even talking about MVP in October though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4UiM_0q-SQ

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:22

Jack's Flow: Jun 6, 2003; Life, friends, is boring

quote:

That delightful crunch you enjoy when eating hard shell tacos normally comes from its corn tortilla exterior. But if you�re at Friday�s Hawks vs. Nuggets game in Atlanta, the crunchy texture you bite into will come from somewhere else.

Crickets.

No, that�s not the sound of you waiting for me to finish my sentence. That�s what you�ll be eating if you stop at a concession stand hosted by Aketta, an Austin, Texas-based company that labels itself an �Edible Insect Movement for a Sustainable World.�

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/27/16560560/hawks-to-sell-cricket-tacos-vs-nuggets

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:24

Cool Buff Man: Jul 30, 2006; bitch

Niwrad posted:

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/924399926251081729

I can't stop laughing

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:30

ThePariah: Feb 10, 2014

Niwrad posted:

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/924399926251081729

Burn United Center into the ground and salt the earth, it's time to start over.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:40

DeimosRising: Oct 17, 2005; �Hola SEA!

Jack's Flow posted:

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/27/16560560/hawks-to-sell-cricket-tacos-vs-nuggets

4.50 for one ounce of flavored bugs ffs

I've had water bugs and grasshoppers in Mexico in tacos and both were good though.

# ? Oct 28, 2017 23:56

Kibner: Oct 21, 2008; Acguy Supremacy

https://twitter.com/ca_rockets/status/924426041527095296

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:07

Brolander: Oct 20, 2008; i am but a vessel

Kibner posted:

https://twitter.com/ca_rockets/status/924426041527095296

So Sorry fOr your Loss

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:08

Redgrendel2001: Sep 1, 2006; you literally think a person saying their NBA team of choice being better than the fucking 76ers is a 'schtick'

a literal thing you think.

https://twitter.com/AlyshaTsuji/status/924381852831424512

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:08

G-Hawk: Dec 15, 2003

Kibner posted:

https://twitter.com/ca_rockets/status/924426041527095296

i hope mike d'antoni lives long enough to see the first nba game consisting exclusively of 3 pointers

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:09

chunkles: Aug 14, 2005; i am completely immersed in darkness
as i turn my body away from the sun

Time posted:

Eric Gordon

I hope Chris Paul doesn't take shots away from him

- A serious thing that I earnestly believe

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:29

EvanTH: Apr 24, 2004; i like to express my inner pain by being really boring on the phone
or just when i'm kickin it
that's me though
i'm kind of oddddddd

Frank Nilly appears to be very good, and I still don't think Phil Jackson should have been fired.

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:34

Dejan Bimble: Mar 24, 2008; we're all black friends; Plaster Town Cop

I wish the NBA hadn't obscured so much sportvu stuff. I need to effectively waste my time with spreadsheets

Dejan Bimble fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Oct 29, 2017

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:38

EvanTH: Apr 24, 2004; i like to express my inner pain by being really boring on the phone
or just when i'm kickin it
that's me though
i'm kind of oddddddd

^^ ugh stats.nba two years ago had a ton of stuff that they don't provide anymore

Redgrendel2001 posted:

https://twitter.com/AlyshaTsuji/status/924381852831424512

Acromegaly + Horror Movies =
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondo_Hatton

# ? Oct 29, 2017 01:57

R.D. Mangles: Jan 10, 2004

bobby portis punched the plane i skipped ahead to make this post please don't point out anyone else making this extremely obvious joke i'm not in the mood

# ? Oct 29, 2017 02:55

chunkles: Aug 14, 2005; i am completely immersed in darkness
as i turn my body away from the sun

I'm working on a new advanced stat called The Rockets Lose Any Game Where Bobby Brown Plays 21 Minutes. Where's my five thirty eight writing gig

# ? Oct 29, 2017 03:10

R.D. Mangles: Jan 10, 2004

just looked at the bulls-thunder score

lmao

also

nice

# ? Oct 29, 2017 03:11

BraveJoe: Feb 18, 2010

Time posted:

Eric Gordon

he'll be with the Cavs after they get off to a slow start and IT cant come back healthy

# ? Oct 29, 2017 03:14

Dexo: Aug 15, 2009; A city that was to live by night after the wilderness had passed. A city that was to forge out of steel and blood-red neon its own peculiar wilderness.

https://twitter.com/wontgottlieb/status/924433902575353856

# ? Oct 29, 2017 03:23

Shrimp or Shrimps: Feb 14, 2012

Dexo posted:

https://twitter.com/wontgottlieb/status/924433902575353856

loving lolling.

Gotta say the start to this season has been amazing. So many stories, a ton of close games, I'm so glad basketball is back.

# ? Oct 29, 2017 03:50

Dexo: Aug 15, 2009; A city that was to live by night after the wilderness had passed. A city that was to forge out of steel and blood-red neon its own peculiar wilderness.

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/924466326101512193

run Lauri run, Portis is allowed to practice during his suspension.

# ? Oct 29, 2017 04:01

Stevie Lee: Oct 8, 2007

https://twitter.com/sixers/status/924466371253194754

loving ridiculous

# ? Oct 29, 2017 04:01

Noctone: Oct 25, 2005; XO til we overdose..

Hinkie should get Executive of the Year

# ? Oct 29, 2017 04:03

Papercut: Aug 24, 2005

Shrimp or Shrimps posted:

loving lolling.

Gotta say the start to this season has been amazing. So many stories, a ton of close games, I'm so glad basketball is back.

It's a golden era, it's crazy how many great players there are in the league.

# ? Oct 29, 2017 04:04

AggressivelyStupid: Jan 9, 2012

Noctone posted:

Hinkie should get Executive of the Year

# ? Oct 29, 2017 04:09

Redgrendel2001: Sep 1, 2006; you literally think a person saying their NBA team of choice being better than the fucking 76ers is a 'schtick'

a literal thing you think.