Around the NBA - March 2018

Remember when Carmelo was the hot topic of the summer? Whichever team he was going to join was supposed to be a challenger to the GS Warriors? Houston is probably glad they avoided Anthony. I know the Blazers are thrilled he didn't come to our team. If OKC lose the first round , they will just blow out this team.

 

Wouldn't put Minny up there as their record of late has been a result of the injury to Butler.

OKC for sure. They were supposed to be in the upper echelon in the west.

 

https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-...in-durant-returns-bill-simmons-podcast-part-1

53 minute mark, Durant says CJ is the most underrated tough cover in the league.

 

You’re reaching PapaG levels of woe-is-me passive aggressiveness, which I have to say is impressive!

 

The Ringer have made a good point recently about Minnesota. It’s not even so much about Butler being injured as it is about the entire team being exhausted because Thibodeau has overused everybody for the entire season. They get extreme minutes almost every night, there is just no rotation. Even if Butler comes back they are out in the first round, that’s if they are even in the playoffs.

 

Ouch!

 

Yes, on OKC. Most "experts" in the media, and a few self-appointed "experts" in this forum had them challenging GSW and HOU for a top 2 seed in the West.

They haven't "figured it out", but they still have a legit shot at a top 4 seed and HCA. So, only about two spots (but 10+ wins) less than most projections.

Wasn't MIL supposed to be a top 4 seed in the East? They are currently in 8th.

BNM

 

OKC is really missing Roberson. I'm hoping we don't have a similar impact with Moe being gone

 

Milwaukee have been seriously disappointing, yes. They looked very good for a few weeks after Bledsoe went there from what I remember and Giannis was in amazing form at the beginning season (he was talked up as the main candidate for the MVP award) but they have been very underwhelming since dismissing Jason Kidd. That team really does not have a proper balance and they need a center so badly. Probably another wasted year for them and against all expectations they are probably also going to have to give their pick to Phoenix this year, contrary to 2020 as it was thought (it has to be between 10 and 17 and will probably end up being either 15 or 16.

BTW Phoenix will have three good picks in this draft. One top lottery pick and a couple of mid-firsts from Miami and Milwaukee. I wonder if they can make good use of them finally, they really have wasted so many picks over the last few years. Only Booker is genuinely good.

 

MIN's starters average 34.8 MPG - most in the league by 2.7 MPG per player. May not seem like a lot, but it adds up over the course of a long season and is totally out of whack with the rest of the league.

The Blazers seem to rely heavily on their starters, but they average 30.5 MPG - 12th in the league. It's really only Dame and C.J. who play more minutes than the average starter league wide.

All five of MIN's starters average over 33 MPG. Only two POR players average that much. Aminu at 30.1 MPG is third on the team and Nurk is 4th at 26.2.

BNM

 

Exactly and within those numbers there are nights when some of them are used for over 40 minutes which is madness.

Against a bad Memphis team they played Gibson for 43 minutes, Wiggins for 43, Teague for 42 and Towns for 39. Then they had Bjelica with 22, Jamal Crawford with 30, Dieng with just 13 and Tyus Jones with 5. They only used 8 players but you can hardly even say that they used Jones when he got five minutes.

They lost the game to the worst team in the league by 8 points having scored 11 in the final quarter. How Thibs cannot see there is something wrong I don’t know. Even if your fringe players are pretty bad, they should be good enough to at least not lose too much distance during those 8-10 minutes when your key players are resting.

 

I think Turner will fill in nicely unless his back acts up. Not as good at shooting the three point shot but wow, can he ever post up.

 

Turner has really done a nice job of picking his times to take over.

 

I still think Melo would've been better if he played for us and especially if he played with his friend Chris Paul in Houston. OKC was just a horrible team for him.

 

OKC is a horrible team for anyone not named Westbrook. Durant couldn't wait to escape. Oladipo and Harden thrived immediately after leaving. Paul George will be next to get the hell out of there.

BNM

 

Exactly. And is Ryan Anderson better than Melo? Not really.

 

Melo and George look so disinterested on the court.

Westbrick just doesn't fit with stars.

 

OKC = Westbrick & the Mortars

Everyone is all about supporting the ‘Brick.

 

Melo is just being used as a spot-up shooter - seems like he should be posting up a lot more than he is.