This is all we need to know about who should be our starting center: Meyers Leonard +/- : -30 Jusef Nurkic +/- : +19
Come on, did we really need a brand new thread about how Nurkic is better than Leonard and that Leonard sucks ass? Yes, yes we did need another thread about that.
Nurkic showed a post game, passing, defense, midrange shooting, rebounding. In his FIRST game. Amazing. His only negative is the four turnovers but that's to be expected. Still, he showed he could be just as good a passer as Plumlee but unlike Plumlee, he can SHOOT.
Most of his turnovers were not bad ideas, he was just forcing passes that weren't quite there because he's trying to fit in with his new team by being unselfish with the ball. He'll settle in and deliver better passes. It's encouraging that he was looking to pass and fit into our offense, and not just force it looking for his own shot every time he got it.
This. I wasn't upset with his turnovers at all. It's his first game, and he's still finding chemistry with the team. But fuck....it was impressive for a first game! I'm very excited for him going forward. Now....it's time for our team to rest and recover. Especially Dame.
Most turnover he had that he is new to system. But some the passes he did make the turnover is when he thought a guard was going move and the guard just stood there.
I don't know about stat of the game but for me the one smile of the game....... from me, was watching Favors (who is a physical man) struggle to keep Nurkic from backing him down on the baseline. It started about 17 feet from the basket and eventually a teammate had to come over and double team our CENTER.
The cool thing about him having 4 turnovers was that he made up for them with 3 steals and a block...he has a lot of skills...I'm excited about his impact on the team.
I'm convinced. Trade Leonard with some draft picks for Jimmy Butler or Paul George. We don't need him anymore in the Jusuf Nurkic Era.
My favorite quote of his after the first practice was him answering what he'd bring to the team and his response was something like.....uh I'm good..I think this team needs me and I need this team
Most of the night when Nurk was in there the defense was really good. Just his present in the middle made them take some ugly shots tonight. They was hesitant to attack the basket. But they really attack it when ML and Davis was in the middle.
This stat does not mean what you think it means. Anyone who uses a single game +/- to compare two players either doesn't understand what the stat means, has a specific agenda, or most often, both. Ed Davis was -36 tonight. So, does that "prove" he's even worse than Meyers? Hell no it doesn't. I get that everyone hates Meyers, thinks he sucks and is excited about Nurkic, but using this stat, in this way, is not valid. +/- is not an individual stat, especially for a one game sample size. It is highly dependent on the other 9 players on the court. If one, or more, of your teammates has a bad shooting night, or plays shitty defense, it negatively impacts your +/-, even if you're ballin' your ass off. The reverse is also true. If one of your teammates comes out and lights it up and goes 18-22, you're going to have a damn fine +/- for that game, even if you individually went 0-4 with 1 point and 2 rebounds in 36 minutes. Likewise, it is dependent on the quality of the opposition's play. If a player on the other team is lighting up one of your teammates, your +/- suffers through no fault of your own. So, you have to ask yourself, why did both Meyers and Ed have such a low +/- tonight. In a nut shell, they both started and were both in at the start of the second half, when their teammates couldn't make a shot. Just go back and look at the first 7 minutes of the game, Dame and C.J. were a combined 0-9 from the field and Portland was down 18-8. Meyers and Ed actually played well during that stretch, but they both get stuck with -10 in the +/- column for those 7 minutes. I'm not saying Meyers doesn't suck Nor, am I saying, Nurkic isn't better. What I am saying is using a single game sample of +/- to prove either premise is a misuse/misunderstanding of the stat. BNM
That wouldn't happen even in 2K. Considering it'd take a 1st to unload Leonard, that'd be like trading two firsts straight up for one of them.
And let's dump Dame too. He had a minus game. Yes, Meyers had issues tonight and Nurkic looked really good. I'm very glad about that. Would love to see them play together some. I also hope that Biebs learns some things from Nurkic. Very fun to see the impact nurk Had on the game. As others noted, just being in the post on both ends made a big impact and frustrated their bigs.
It will be interesting to see what happens if Nurk plays with both Dame and CJ on the court when one or both are having off nights.