2021 NBA regular season thread

[Black Adam]

Seriously?

You going to pretend that you haven’t been spectacularly wrong on multiple occasions?

Like when you said it was common sense that LeBron wouldn’t sign in LA without another star? Or after he did that he obviously wasn’t trying to win anymore?

Or that it is “common sense” that extending Kevin Love to a “team friendly deal” would only enhance his trade value?

I could go on, but you get the point.

damn, this was just getting good, coach...

coulda went on about the Heat, the Lakers brain trust, the Kansas City Chiefs defense, etc...

 

[WiggyRuss]

Cavs back court getting some good national attention.

Sexton will be 22 in a couple days. Big knock on Sexton coming out of college was his 3 pt shooting

19 years old rookie year- 16.7 pts, 3.0 apg, 40.2% from 3, 43% from the field
20 year old 2nd year- 20.8 pts per game, 3.0 assists, 38% from 3, 47.2% from the field
21 year old (limited sample size this year thus far of course)- 25.8 pts per game, 60% from 3, 55.6% from the field, 3.8 apg.

While Sexton really started well--- Garland was just not good last year- and its not like it was just him being a rookie- he looked overmatched at times. Maybe we shouldve assumed that after coming off a 4 game college season and being thrust on a poor team.

This year he has been really good so far. Hes only 20 years old. 19 pts, 7.2 apg....almost a 3-1 assist ot turnover ration....50% from the field- 51.7% from 3.

Cavs back court looks in good hands right now- Garland will be 21 this month and Sexton will be 22 this month.

 

[WiggyRuss]

One of the biggest questions people around the NBA have regarding the Cleveland Cavaliers is whether the backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton works long term. The backcourt Cavs fans have so brilliantly shortened to “Sexland” since Garland was taken with the fifth pick in the 2019 draft hasn’t had much time on the court together. Sexton enters his third season and Garland is coming off a pretty brutal rookie campaign. Throw in the pandemic cutting their season off in mid-March and the duo just doesn’t have much going for it.

It’s an odd pairing with their size, too. Sexton isn’t really a point guard, and he measures a generous 6-foot-2. He makes up for it a little with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, but that isn’t a lot of size at the two-guard position. Garland isn’t a big point guard either, especially by today’s standards. The Cavs have the smallest healthy backcourt in the NBA, and Garland just didn’t look good as a rookie. However, after a handful of games this season, the backcourt looks night and day compared to what we saw last season.

Sexton has had strong individual numbers since he entered the NBA. This season, he’s still knocking down 3-point shots (a question coming into his NBA career) after two good seasons of outside shooting. And he’s one of the most efficient guard scorers inside of 10 feet, where a lot of his buckets are coming. His shooting percentages are through the roof with 55.6/60/76.9 splits. It’s good to see he keeps building as an offensive player, including putting up 25.3 points per game so far this season.

It’s Garland’s contributions that make this look all the more encouraging. He’s gone from being a guy battling 40 percent from the field and hovering around league average from 3-point range to making half of his shots from the field and half from deep. Garland is scoring 19 points per game. A big part of that improvement is raising his effectiveness around the rim by roughly 10 percent. He’s getting great separation to get his shot off too. He has almost a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio if you’re curious about his playmaking.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It will piss me off if the Cavs are like the 9th or 10th or 11th best team in the East.

They need one more year where they can get a high pick and add one more guy in the draft that can be a big time talent.

but i have to say--- I was really worried about Garland last year. As that TheAthletic article said- he looked brutal. In November a lot of the Cavs said that during the fall work-outs for non-bubble teams that Garland stuck out the most and looked great. I took that with a grain of salt since- fall workouts dont mean anything.

but i gotta say- right now he looks good. As far as talent goes-Zion and Ja are the cream of the crop of that draft- but after those 2 Garland looks as talented as anyone- despite playing 4 college games, coming to a poor team, and missing games after being excluded from the bubble.

Okoro/Sexton/Garland is a pretty promising start. Lets just hope they dont win too many games and ruin their shot at a guy that can bring it all together in this upcoming loaded draft.

 

[WiggyRuss]

might be a little ambitious early in the season---

but Sabonis just might be the best player in the East not named Durant. He is certainly right up there if not #2.

dude is 24 years old--- and he is signed for this year, and the next 3 years for a combined less than 20M a year (about 77M total).

thats a steal. Gotta give the Pacers credit on that Paul George trade--- getting Oladipo and Sabonis for George just keeps looking better and better. The guy is not even in his prime yet, but keeps getting better and better. A little Jokic to his game- but seems he is a bit tougher. Jokic is prob. still better- and obviously has a better track record...but this guy looks like the real deal.

 

[WiggyRuss]

While the Wizards have talent with Beal and RW.....i just hate their front office. I think Bertans was a weird overpay. Hachimura and Avdija have talent but i dont know if either one has high upside with real flaws to their games (defensively Avdija is going to be brutal).

Beal has 1 year after this year- and then a player option i doubt he picks up.
RW has 1 year and a player option at 47M i guarantee he picks up.

bad coaching. bad management. With Beal and RW they probably win enough games to stay out of a top 5 pick.

The Bulls and Pistons are probably the worst managed teams in NBA- but the Wiz gotta be 3rd. Knicks, Kings and Hornets might not be far behind.

Id rank worst managed teams in the NBA as:

1. Pistons--- just look brutal
2. Bulls
3. Knicks
4. Wiz
5. Kings
6. Hornets

and honestly--- i think its just the "win-now" for so many years finally catching up with them- but the Spurs look a long way away from being good again. I cant call them badly managed for trying to keep it together while Pop is in his twilight- but they are really going no where.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Detroit is just a bunch of players I don't have the slightest clue wtf they are doing.

They took a moderately competitive roster and shit it all away for cast offs and mediocre draft picks.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Hopefully they get lotto lucky and score a franchise player.

 

[tlance]

lol....definitely none as bad as Dellavadova is a better fit than Kyrie Irving.

And with Lebron--- that was a huge consensus opinion- and what we didnt know at the time was that Rich Paul, Davis' agent, just a few months after LeBron signed was busy forcing his way to the Pelicans--- which didnt happen right away since Demps was bitter about the whole thing--- and once Griffen was hired the deal was shortly done.

And with Love--- it all comes down to injuries. If Love was healthy I still think he would be a very good player with value. Guy cant stay healthy. I cant predict a bunch of injuries.

The biggest debate ever on this board was Hassan Whiteside which i was absolutely ridiculed for- and then proved EXACTLY right.

but when you are not a coward and actually make predictions- some of them are not going to come true.

but a blind deaf man can do better than Mathew Dellavadova. LOL

Kyrie Irving is a MUCH better player than Dellavadova.

But his skill set does not fit LeBron at all because he is so ball dominant and takes the ball out of the superior players’ hands.

Yes of course the Cavs were better with Kyrie than with Dellavadova. But not by nearly as much as people like pretend because:

Dellavadova (the far inferior player) had a defense first, catch and shoot skill set that fit perfectly with LeBron.

And for the record, I was one of few people here who has always backed TT’s value and discounted Whiteside’s.

 

[tlance]

While the Wizards have talent with Beal and RW.....i just hate their front office. I think Bertans was a weird overpay. Hachimura and Avdija have talent but i dont know if either one has high upside with real flaws to their games (defensively Avdija is going to be brutal).

Beal has 1 year after this year- and then a player option i doubt he picks up.
RW has 1 year and a player option at 47M i guarantee he picks up.

bad coaching. bad management. With Beal and RW they probably win enough games to stay out of a top 5 pick.

The Bulls and Pistons are probably the worst managed teams in NBA- but the Wiz gotta be 3rd. Knicks, Kings and Hornets might not be far behind.

Id rank worst managed teams in the NBA as:

1. Pistons--- just look brutal
2. Bulls
3. Knicks
4. Wiz
5. Kings
6. Hornets

and honestly--- i think its just the "win-now" for so many years finally catching up with them- but the Spurs look a long way away from being good again. I cant call them badly managed for trying to keep it together while Pop is in his twilight- but they are really going no where.

I have always hated the Wizards front office.

They needed to do a full tear down when Wall got injured.

Maybe they wind up bottom 5 anyway this year, but I doubt that. Russ isn’t going to let them lose 55 games.

But, 50 more to go so who knows!

 

[Wamu]

No gimme even with all their guys out. We're missing our entire defensive backfield that was projected to start. at least 2/3rds of the LBs. wont bother me if Steelers decide to sit some skill guys (other than Ben).

Damn that's not good.

 

[trojanfan12]

The minutes decrease probably has more to do with playing on the spurs than the injury imo

Maybe. Probably a combination. The increase in rebounds and assists, imo, shows that he started playing smarter, more efficient basketball. It could be because he knew he wasn't going to be able to just rely on his athleticism and was smart enough to change his game.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The Rockets beat the Kings last night and Harden, Wall and Wood combined for 76 points, 24 rebounds, 20 and assists. That could be a very interesting trio to keep an eye on. Wood is a stud in the making on a great contract, awesome pickup.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

The Rockets beat the Kings last night and Harden, Wall and Wood combined for 76 points, 24 rebounds, 20 and assists. That could be a very interesting trio to keep an eye on. Wood is a stud in the making on a great contract, awesome pickup.

Another fantastic Detroit decision

 

[DJ Fieri]

Another fantastic Detroit decision

They have BG under contract, could they have afforded to keep him?

 

[tlance]

They have BG under contract, could they have afforded to keep him?

Doesn’t matter.

Wood is better than BG at this point.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

They have BG under contract, could they have afforded to keep him?

They signed Grant for 20 million per

So...uh.....yea

 

[DJ Fieri]

They signed Grant for 20 million per

So...uh.....yea

Grant has been putting up numbers similar to Wood.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Grant has been putting up numbers similar to Wood.

I don't see near the upside there. But they had enough to sign both really

 

[DJ Fieri]

Christian Wood’s draft night hell included girlfriend dumping him

Five years ago, Christian Wood’s life forever changed — just not in the way he expected. Then a 19-year-old sophomore out of UNLV, Wood anticipated hearing his name announced during the…

nypost.com

Damn.