Play basketball instead of looking for fouls like a little bitch. The Neymar equivalent.
NBA 2016-17
- Thread starter ArmchairCritic
- Start date
Play basketball instead of looking for fouls like a little bitch. The Neymar equivalent.
So 2 more fts than Westbrook makes him a bitch?
It is so obvious to see that Harden made his teammates better this season and Westbrook made them worse. Here are a few examples of the pre-season view of the Rockets/Thunder:
ESPN Summer Panel Projections:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17131591/2016-summer-forecast-west-standings
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
Proj. record: 44-38 (finished 47-35)
Last season: 55-27
Despite OKC's losing Kevin Durant and trading away Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis, our panel still likes the Thunder's chances of making the playoffs. Over the past two seasons, Russell Westbrook played 48 games without Durant; he averaged 30.5 points, 9.2 assists and 7.6 rebounds, and he registered 11 triple-doubles. Oklahoma City went 25-23 in those 48 games, which would equate to 43 wins, just barely south of where our forecast places the Thunder in 2016-17.
8. Houston Rockets
Proj. record: 41-41 (finished 55-27)
Last season: 41-41
We know a bit about how Houston will play. The already 3-oriented offense should get a boost with new coach Mike D'Antoni arriving in town and the additions of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, who both averaged 15 points and two 3-pointers per game last season in New Orleans. But the departure of Dwight Howard cost Houston a strong interior presence on defense. Our panel expects the Rockets to hover around .500 once again.
ESPN NBA Pre-season Power Rankings:
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
2015-16 record: 55-27
Previous ranking: 10
Over the past two seasons, Russell Westbrook has averaged 30.5 points, 9.2 assists and 7.6 rebounds in 48 games played without Kevin Durant at his side. The only player in NBA history to put up that sort of stat line over the course of an entire season is Oscar Robertson, but who would dare suggest Angry Russ can't follow suit now that he'll have the opportunity? Friendly reminder: GQ (Westbrook) vs. Rolling Stone (KD), Take 1, is only 10 days away in Oakland.
14. Houston Rockets
2015-16 record: 41-41
Previous ranking: 15
It's really up to you. Do you focus on the fact that a Houston team that is routinely mocked for its lack of quality defenders just lost its most defensive-minded starter (Patrick Beverley) to knee surgery? Or are you moved more by the fact that the Mike D'Antoni-fueled Rockets -- trumping Golden State levels from last season -- just averaged 113.3 points per 100 possessions in the preseason? It's the latter if you listened to our pal Amin Elhassan on Sunday night's #NBAInsiders show.
Fivethirtyeight team-by-team preseason forecast (purely empirical based on ELO)
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/
6. Thunder - projected record, 50-32
13 Rockets - projected record, 45-37
Fox Sports NBA win total predictions
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/2016-2017-nba-season-win-total-odds-and-predictions-092016
Projected win totals
Thunder: 45.5
Rockets: 41.5
ESPN's player rankings before the season started
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/pag...nk-1-cleveland-cavaliers-forward-lebron-james
OKC
Westbrook - 5th
Adams - 36th
Oladipo - 48th
Kanter - 80th
Houston
Harden - 8th
Gordon - 86th
Anderson - 89th
Capela - 92nd
Ariza - 99th
And players like Roberson and McDermott were ranked higher than Lou Williams.
But now Westbrook's supporting cast is worthless.
Westbrook has the easiest narrative of a superstar out there: if he wins it's because of him, if he loses it's because he has no help. All the praise, none of the blame. He takes about 10-12 straight shots in the 4th quarter and then people wonder why the others are out of offensive rhythm and miss when he does finally pass to them, usually at the end of the shot clock as he has tried his heroball.
So 2 more fts than Westbrook makes him a bitch?
You watched the game. He constantly looks for contact. I'm not denying that he's not a great player but holy shit he would rather take ft's than play basketball and that was evident. Yea, Wes was worn out by the 4th but he plays the game the way it's meant to be played.
hogging the ball when you are playing shite?
If you watched the game yesterday and that was all you got I feel bad for you man.
You feel bad for me? Thanks for caring.
by padding stats and shooting 43 times? All players look for contact, just because Harden doesn't care enough to hide it doesn't make him any worse, he can come up with some beautiful plays as well.
OKC fell apart with Adams in foul trouble and then when Westbrook hit the bench. He definitely should have been more unselfish in the 4th but the coach also deserves blame for not putting McDermott and Kanter on the floor more. Westbrook clearly cared more about winning the game than his stats, he just took the wrong approach.
Roberson is a terrible player, there's no doubt about that. I don't like the revisionism about Adams and Oladipo. Adams was hyped at the end of last and beginning of current season and his stats are now absolutely appaling, and Oladipo was one of the best players at Orlando (who although quite bad, are still an NBA team) and they let Ibaka go to get him. McDermott is a good shooter as well and can score 20-25 on his night too, of course not in Westbrook's team because in current Westbrook's team barring some anomaly nobody is allowed to go near 30 points. They are not a playoffs team without Westbrook, not even close but that would go for most playoffs teams - take away their best player and they don't go above 30 wins. That goes for Bulls without Butler, Celtics without IT, Atlanta without Millsap, Indiana without George, Portland without Lillard, Houston without Harden and so on
Roberson is great defensively imo, and he contributed offensively last two games, he is the least of okcs problems right now.
Harden is such a snidey fecker. He doesn't just look for contact, he initiates it. He even hooks you to make sure it LOOKS like you fouled him.
You mean, "what assets do they have other than a bunch a highly-valuable picks, including the likely #1 overall this year which means Markelle Fultz"
Their entire roster is filled with role players on cheap contracts, they have cap space, and are in a position to build a contender in 3-5 years without the need to bottom out
The 'wolves are in a better position, sure(KAT+Wiggins), but the lakers? Come on...(and i say this as a lakers fan)
Every draft you'll see highly rated players and it's basically a crapshot if the players manage to develop into stars and Celtics record with drafted players under Ainge means they won't pan out most of the time. Seriously, the last player he drafted that became an All Star was Rondo if I remember correctly. That's how underwhelming Ainge's track record in the draft is. And honestly, Ainge should have traded the draft pick for Cousins/PG/Butler, Brad Stevens would work wonders if he finally has more than 2 players who are actually NBA starters standard, let alone superstars like them.
Their supposed cheap role players aren't going to be on such team friendly contracts by the time the team is ready to contend.
Lakers potential > Celtics potential, assuming that they get to keep their pick.
Lakers pretty much has their core of talents set, and as long some of them pans out, they're set. D'Angelo/Ingram/Randle/Zubac has more potential than anyone currently on the Celtics roster apart from IT and Horford who both won't be around by the time either team is ready to contend.
While I think without he can still be a top scorer, I don't find it wrong, more like smart play and taking advantage of the rules.
While I think without doing that he can still be a top scorer, I don't find it wrong, more like smart play and taking advantage of the rules.
Russ is a disaster - great individual player, but can't lead a team the way a PG should.
As a Rockets fan, I looked at my friend last night and said, "I'm not worried, Westbrook will shoot the Thunder out of this game." He proceeded to do that exactly.
4 for 18 in the 4th is an absolute embarrassment - but he's too selfish to see that.
Those are not the rules. Hooking someone to make it look like they fouled you is cheating plain and simple.
Not that it makes it right but every superstar in the league acts to get calls from the refs. Harden is just better than most.
Initiating contact is one thing - they all do that. Harden just takes it one step further. It's like diving in football. As a fan you either are willing to put up with it or not. Personally, I just don't like to see it.
Fultz the highest rated(non big man) prospect since....what, Kevin Durant?
To do what, lose to the Cavs in 6 instead of 4? What's the point of that? The only team with a chance to beat the dubs is the team with LeBron anyways. Until the dubs are around, there's no title window for anyone else
With the cap skyrocketing, they will, and most of them will be traded before then anyways
Not one of D'Angelo, Ingram, Randle or Zubac has shown anything that makes me think "future all-star/franchise cornerstone".
Russell has had good games, Randle will IMO
not be anything more than a decent power forward, Zubac is back up quality and Ingram I am completely not sure about as he has not played much.
IMO 76ers could quietly have the best outlook for the future. If they manage to steal Lakers pick through getting their own into top 3, all of a sudden their backcourt could be completely sorted in a number of ways. Fultz/Ball/Smith + Monk would be obvious choice but even a combo of two point guards would work fine as they have the size in other positions.
Simmons has not played a minute but he is a great prospect which goes unnoticed because he just slept a year. If Embiid can stay fit, he will be a HoF. Okafor they should trade, Holmes is a better prospect. Shame they got zero value for Noel.
not be anything more than a decent power forward, Zubac is back up quality and Ingram I am completely not sure about as he has not played much.
IMO 76ers could quietly have the best outlook for the future. If they manage to steal Lakers pick through getting their own into top 3, all of a sudden their backcourt could be completely sorted in a number of ways. Fultz/Ball/Smith + Monk would be obvious choice but even a combo of two point guards would work fine as they have the size in other positions.
Simmons has not played a minute but he is a great prospect which goes unnoticed because he just slept a year. If Embiid can stay fit, he will be a HoF. Okafor they should trade, Holmes is a better prospect. Shame they got zero value for Noel.
You mean, "what assets do they have other than a bunch a highly-valuable picks, including the likely #1 overall this year which means Markelle Fultz"
Their entire roster is filled with role players on cheap contracts, they have cap space, and are in a position to build a contender in 3-5 years without the need to bottom out
The 'wolves are in a better position, sure(KAT+Wiggins), but the lakers? Come on...(and i say this as a lakers fan
Real Madrid/Lakers' fan? Typical.
In all seriousness though, the Lakers in recent years have built championship teams through free agency, not the draft. They have a clout that smaller franchises do not have, and that'll alleviate the need to get championship caliber draft picks. Look at the rumors of Paul George wanting to play in LA... get him and another bonifide star around your players, and that's a team that can contend in a year or 2.
Well, i'm italian, Kobe's kinda one of us
(still speaks better italian than most italians)Heh. We couldn't even get Durant or Aldrigde to listen to our offer...
We might get PG, or not. We'd still need to add another star. The Cs are almost guaranteed one of Fultz or Nash 2.0(or josh jackson. Any one of them will be better than any of our young stars). And they didn't even have to tank for it
Well, i'm italian, Kobe's kinda one of us
Heh. We couldn't even get Durant or Aldrigde to listen to our offer...
We might get PG, or not. We'd still need to add another star. The Cs are almost guaranteed one of Fultz or Nash 2.0(or josh jackson. Any one of them will be better than any of our young stars). And they didn't even have to tank for it
Durant and Aldridge were looking to win. Joining a team weaker than the one they were at was no option.
Of course. Point is there's no guarantee right now that the lakers will be able to land a top 10 NBA player through trade or free agency
Raptors are shocking. "Terrible performance" is not even a suitable word to describe what they did in the first half.
Bucks are very entertaining team to watch.
Bucks are very entertaining team to watch.
Pacers up by 20 at one point, down to a 1 point game with 4 mins to go.
Pacers blow a 26 point lead and go down 3-0 to the Cavs. Lebron took over in the 2nd half. He also surpassed Kobe for 3rd all time in playoff scoring.
Raptors are also a joke in the playoffs, always play below expectations.
Raptors are also a joke in the playoffs, always play below expectations.
I have to say I was fully behind Bucks using a lottery pick on Thon Maker. The draft sucked so taking a chance on a freakish 7 footer made a lot of sense. And they have handle him brilliantly. He was brought along slowly and has now become a factor late in the season and now in the playoffs. The Bucks really have something with their Giannis, Jabari, Maker front line in the future.
It all boils down to the fact that I think Danny Ainge is overrated and apart from having superstars gift wrapped into his hands, he hasn't done anything apart from fleecing Billy King.
Barney is probably a bigger threat than the Raptors are today.
Then you haven't been watching enough Lakers basketball to see how they've improved over the course of the season.
Ingram and D'lo are definitely future cornerstones of this franchise.
Right, unlike the Pacers, we didn't drop a game on home soil. Yet.
Key factors were keeping Parker and Ginobili quiet, role players making shots, moving Z-Bo to the starting lineup where he mercilessly abused Aldridge, and improved defense on Kawhi.
Pop is a shrewd coach and will make adjustments for game 4, so our Stars will need to step up if we have any chance of winning in 6 or 7.
Key factors were keeping Parker and Ginobili quiet, role players making shots, moving Z-Bo to the starting lineup where he mercilessly abused Aldridge, and improved defense on Kawhi.
Pop is a shrewd coach and will make adjustments for game 4, so our Stars will need to step up if we have any chance of winning in 6 or 7.
The rondo trade was pretty great
Game Of Zones is back!
Wow, Bucks completely destroyed Raptors out there. The scoreline was 72-44 at one point. This will be a huge confidence boost and if they also win Game 4, then they will win the series.
LeBron . He is the best player in the world by such a distance that it isn't even funny.
. He is the best player in the world by such a distance that it isn't even funny.Can't imagine Cavs after LeBron . The gut is single-handly holding them and leading them to wins. What will they do after him gone or retired ?
Well we got to see them without LeBron quite a few times over the last couple of years. I think their record when LeBron is not playing but Love and Irving are is something around 4-27. Their record without the three of them is something like 0-1000.
Yes I have been thinking the same whenever I saw them in the regular season without LeBron and ask myself what will happen if LeBron wasn't even present the whole season not just few games ?
The team is completely dependent on him and without his presence the team always looks dysfunctional. Even if they got good players as Irving they never perform unless LeBron is present. They are the " one player team " at the moment.