2018-2019 NBA Regular Season Thread

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I've asked myself often what would've happened had they taken Melo and given the results it definitely takes the sting out of Darko

If I recall they only even had that pick because of continued deferments from trading Otis Thorpe anyway

They nearly flipped Otis Thorpe for Melo lol

That would have been near Dirk for Tractor Traylor territory.

 

[ericd7633]

I think Smith is Jimmy's replacement.

He might be a Damn good one too.

I was really high on him coming out of Tech, if that turns out to be a hit, our future looks much better. I'm happy with what I've seen out of Shamet. I was actually pissed they weren't playing him more at the beginning of the year with Fultz taking some of those minutes.

 

[Sparhawk]

I would go with Kuzma. Dude is really good

Agree.

So far, Kuzma holds that position.

But, Hart has the potential to be a good two way player.

Kuz is only good on one side of the ball.

Advanced stats tell us otherwise (according to BasketballReference.com).
Both are the same age.
Kuzma has played in 14 more games and logged roughly 1200 more minutes.
Hart has a better TS%, 3P rate, and FT rate.
Kuzma has slightly better TRB% and AST%, but Hart has a much better STL% and slightly better BLK% and TOV%.

For their careers :
Hart has earned 0.102 Win Shares/48 and 1.3 VORP
Kuzma has earned 0.082 Win Shares/48 and 0.8 VORP

Kuzma really gets hurt for his astonishingly bad defense.
Hart has simply done more with roughly 2/3 of Kuzma's career minutes.

With the way the league is heading towards 3P, FT, and being able to defend against those, I think the Villanova kid has a higher ceiling. Kuzma is pointz, which is valuable, but he could be a liability in a playoff game defensively.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

That would have been near Dirk for Tractor Traylor territory.

Dumars was heisting fools back then to build that team but I don't think he even did that one the grizzlies were so bad that started out as a top 20 or so protected and worked down to top two

I think it took five years or something crazy

 

[Wamu]

Fair enough.

Lonzo isn't comparable to any of those guys...imo

I was just using them as a comparison for guys that had slow starts, but turned out to be really good.


Lonzo is Elfrid Payton.

He has a ways to go to be Jason Kidd.

Lonzo shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence w/ Kidd right now. Kidd's 2nd year in the league he averaged 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rebs, 9.7 asts, 2.2 stls & was an All Star. Lonzo's #'s in his 2nd year- 9.4, 5.1, 5.1, 1.4.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I was really high on him coming out of Tech, if that turns out to be a hit, our future looks much better. I'm happy with what I've seen out of Shamet. I was actually pissed they weren't playing him more at the beginning of the year with Fultz taking some of those minutes.

Jimmy wasn't Jimmy coming out of Marquette.

He had to work at it.

Ditto for Kawhi.

Neither of those guys had the athletic upside of Smith.

So, with hard work, he could be awesome.

I really like Shamet too.

 

[Bolts]

I never considered him a bust.

It was way to early....imo

I do agree that year 2 is too early to declare a player as a bust. Even if that player is a fucking Laker.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Lonzo shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence w/ Kidd right now. Kidd's 2nd year in the league he averaged 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rebs, 9.7 asts, 2.2 stls & was an All Star. Lonzo's #'s in his 2nd year- 9.4, 5.1, 5.1, 1.4.

Yeah, I agree.

Stats aside, people who compare Lonzo to Kidd refuse to acknowledge the fact that Jason had two 24ppg scorers on his rookie year roster.

So, he didn't have to score.

 

[Sparhawk]

I can understand if you're hesitant to call Lonzo a bust, everything you have brought up is proof it can take more than 2 years for some guys. But Fultz is already there and there's no going back. Had the sixers taken Tatum our current outlook might be even better than it is now and there's no question our future outlook would look much brighter. Now we have like a 3 year window until Butler/Redick start to decline. Maybe not even that long.

The books are still open on Fultz and Ball. Ball has the luxury of figuring things out next to arguably the greatest player of his generation. Fultz has to figure out whatever mental/physical roadblocks are holding him back. We easily forget that some of these players are under 21. If they have no value after their rookie contract, then you can slap the 'Bust' moniker on them.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Advanced stats tell us otherwise (according to BasketballReference.com).
Both are the same age.
Kuzma has played in 14 more games and logged roughly 1200 more minutes.
Hart has a better TS%, 3P rate, and FT rate.
Kuzma has slightly better TRB% and AST%, but Hart has a much better STL% and slightly better BLK% and TOV%.

For their careers :
Hart has earned 0.102 Win Shares/48 and 1.3 VORP
Kuzma has earned 0.082 Win Shares/48 and 0.8 VORP

Kuzma really gets hurt for his astonishingly bad defense.
Hart has simply done more with roughly 2/3 of Kuzma's career minutes.

With the way the league is heading towards 3P, FT, and being able to defend against those, I think the Villanova kid has a higher ceiling. Kuzma is pointz, which is valuable, but he could be a liability in a playoff game defensively.

Advanced stats aside, my eyes say Kuzma is currently better.

Hart is clearly better defensively and is the more well rounded of the two.

But, Kuz is currently better , and more valuable, next to LeBron because of his scoring prowess.

When Hart's offense catches up with his defense, that will change the equation....for me.

 

[bksballer89]

about 40% of players taken in the top 5 go on to make at least an all star team or two.

Notice I said the word superstar right.

There is a huge difference in being an all star and a superstar

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

@Wamu

Elfrid Payton year 2:

10.7 ppg, 6.4 dimes, 3.6 boards, 1.2 steals.

Fg % .436, FT % .589, 3p % .326


Ball = Payton

 

[DJ Fieri]

https://sportshoop.la/sportsbook/1-3-nba-houston-golden-state-10-35pm-et-tnt.7584/

 

[DJ Fieri]

There is a chance that Josh Hart might be the Lakers best pick from the previous four drafts.

Kuz.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Calling a guy a bust 2 years in is too quick IMO. I like to give guys until their rookie contract before I start making that claim.

This.

Or until he gets dealt to another team (which is inevitable)....

 

[DJ Fieri]

about 40% of players taken in the top 5 go on to make at least an all star team or two.

Remind us.

How many did Bennett make?

 

[DJ Fieri]

Advanced stats tell us otherwise (according to BasketballReference.com).
Both are the same age.
Kuzma has played in 14 more games and logged roughly 1200 more minutes.
Hart has a better TS%, 3P rate, and FT rate.
Kuzma has slightly better TRB% and AST%, but Hart has a much better STL% and slightly better BLK% and TOV%.

For their careers :
Hart has earned 0.102 Win Shares/48 and 1.3 VORP
Kuzma has earned 0.082 Win Shares/48 and 0.8 VORP

Kuzma really gets hurt for his astonishingly bad defense.
Hart has simply done more with roughly 2/3 of Kuzma's career minutes.

With the way the league is heading towards 3P, FT, and being able to defend against those, I think the Villanova kid has a higher ceiling. Kuzma is pointz, which is valuable, but he could be a liability in a playoff game defensively.

Advanced stats?

You could also use the eye test.

 

[Wamu]

@Wamu

Elfrid Payton year 2:

10.7 ppg, 6.4 dimes, 3.6 boards, 1.2 steals.

Fg % .436, FT % .589, 3p % .326


Ball = Payton

The funny thing is I don't even remember Elfrid Payton. But certainly not a good comparison for Lonzo though.

Do you miss Papa Ball? He ain't been around for a while.

 

[The Derski]

You guys see this shit? I couldn’t stop watching. At first I was like oh shit, then after about 20 times it changed to “I’m going to hell for laughing at this”.

 

[Wamu]

Remind us.

How many did Bennett make?

Bennett's all time bust no doubt. But I still can't put him ahead of Bowie or Oden.