2021-22 NBA Thread

[Harry Chappas]

As stated a page or so back I am the biggest fair weather Bulls fan alive and I gotta tell ya they are fun to watch.  As a a fair weather fan I only watched the first half before retiring for the evening. 

That being said, I can't help but continue to  hate the idea of the super team/ good old boys NBA club mentality.  I knew AD and Lebron were together and then.....there was Westbrook, Melo and Howard.  I know Melo and Howard are shells of their former selves but it is obnoxious and irritates me.

 

 

[Quin]

14 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said:

As stated a page or so back I am the biggest fair weather Bulls fan alive and I gotta tell ya they are fun to watch.  As a a fair weather fan I only watched the first half before retiring for the evening. 

That being said, I can't help but continue to  hate the idea of the super team/ good old boys NBA club mentality.  I knew AD and Lebron were together and then.....there was Westbrook, Melo and Howard.  I know Melo and Howard are shells of their former selves but it is obnoxious and irritates me.

 

 

Same thing in Brooklyn with Kyrie and KD...and then Harden, Blake, Aldridge, etc.

Makes it real fun watching the Bulls decimate them.

[bmags]

I think basketball is in a healthier place now though. I'm sure the playoffs will get railroaded by Nets, though the west I'm not so sure what will happen. 

But the new rules this year and Giannis staying home to win a championship just two years after a Toronto one. The Knicks just trying to be competitive, feels like a bunch of flavors of teams with different skills all making it work. Lots of fun.

[scs787]

It's wild that Caruso scored no points, in big minutes, but was +28 for the day. 

[bmags]

3 minutes ago, scs787 said:

It's wild that Caruso scored no points, in big minutes, but was +28 for the day. 

I laughed when I saw that

[Tony]

34 minutes ago, scs787 said:

It's wild that Caruso scored no points, in big minutes, but was +28 for the day. 

KC mentioned it last night about Lonzo not caring about his shooting % when taking half court shots before the quarter ends, but I think one of the biggest things I've seen with this team is how unselfish they seem to be. They really seem to be working as a "team" and it's showing up in their record, no doubt. 

[Stinky Stanky]

1 hour ago, Harry Chappas said:

As stated a page or so back I am the biggest fair weather Bulls fan alive and I gotta tell ya they are fun to watch.  As a a fair weather fan I only watched the first half before retiring for the evening. 

That being said, I can't help but continue to  hate the idea of the super team/ good old boys NBA club mentality.  I knew AD and Lebron were together and then.....there was Westbrook, Melo and Howard.  I know Melo and Howard are shells of their former selves but it is obnoxious and irritates me.

 

 

Add Deandre Jordan to your list of shells.  You missed seeing him lumber coast to coast on a break in the second half.  Best laugh of the night.

[raBBit]

Team looks great.

I love the energy Green, Jones and Ayo bring off the bench. Green is just all over the place. Jones can really get up there and brings an urgency to the rim that should help in times when Lavine/DeRozan get rest. 

Ball has been just incredible. I knew he was a pest on D and just a smart player with great spatial awareness but did not expect the 44.4% from 3. Maybe it won't last but seems he's made some meaningful improvements and I just love that he's spotting up with confidence. Obviously his jumper has come a long way but even last year where we he was improved over his career norms, there was a hesitancy in his game. Now he spots up and puts it up. Plus, he is just outstanding on the break. I wanted him last year but so far he is passing my expectations with ease.  

Looking forward, should be interesting to see how the team addresses the Patrick Williams hole. Past that, I just want to see to Lonzo with the ball more late. If DeRozan is going to ISO or work for his buckets great but otherwise I want more Ball ballhandling late and less Lavine. Lavine's ball security and decision making late is a bit of concern. 

[Chisoxfn]

2 hours ago, Quin said:

He actually came back out shortly after. Minor note, but we noticed him leave and were like, really - he is heading out now but he made a brief reappearance with a few minutes to go.  He was visibly upset most of the game and was out coaching. Vogel won't be there long at the rate they are going (not his fault either). That is a horrifically constructed roster outside of Davis/LBJ.  Like horrific.  

[Quin]

4 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

He actually came back out shortly after. Minor note, but we noticed him leave and were like, really - he is heading out now but he made a brief reappearance with a few minutes to go.  He was visibly upset most of the game and was out coaching. Vogel won't be there long at the rate they are going (not his fault either). That is a horrifically constructed roster outside of Davis/LBJ.  Like horrific.  

This is what happen when you let Klutch Sports dictate your roster.

[Chisoxfn]

6 hours ago, bmags said:

Nice you made the back to back.

I have been fighting a cold but woke up almost giddy to check the box score to see what I missed. Was not shocked to see the Bulls smack them.

It is crazy night after night seeing DeRozan get 20 points easy in first half and 35+ for the game.

I have very little hope of our center-less, power forward-less team stopping Jokic and the Nuggets, but feel like we should have no problem with Portland. Famous last words.

It really bummed me that the two games were literally right after each other - would much prefer spreading it out (that said - probably better for one west coast swing for the Bulls as a team vs. me as a fan).  Was lucky - yesterday's seats were free (thanks to work), but was super lucky, both games had stellar seats. About 20-25 rows up in the 1st game - center court and about 15 rows up for the 2nd game (just off the center).  After years of seeing such a sub-par product, when you see this team in person, they just jump off the page in terms of the pure athleticism, length, speed and hustle.  

Lavine had a dunk in the game where he tight-roped the sideline and than just elevated with ease through traffic (I presume it was a Sportscenter Top 10) but when you see it in person it is just insane how fluid he is out there. And than Derozan's rope a dope down low game is just spectacular.  Put on a show. But my favorite was seeing Ball actually make a layup and hit a mid range jumper. I think Lonzo in a year or two will benefit immennsly from playing Demar and Lavine. Lonzo is way more athletic in person - he is big, tall, fast and strong and he can get past anyone - if he can learn a thing or two from the Bulls 2 best players - I think he has a shot at being a Top 5 PG in this league (if not better).  

Lonzo's transition from 3D PG to that PG will take time though and will have its periods of frustration where he just settles for shots (which is okay with how good that 3 ball has become) but it is nice to see him look more.  I hope this squad stays healthy cause it is so fun (especially after the years of pure junk they put out).

Even the random guys the front office added - they are all so solid and so athletic. Jones Jr, Green, etc.  

[chw42]

4 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

He actually came back out shortly after. Minor note, but we noticed him leave and were like, really - he is heading out now but he made a brief reappearance with a few minutes to go.  He was visibly upset most of the game and was out coaching. Vogel won't be there long at the rate they are going (not his fault either). That is a horrifically constructed roster outside of Davis/LBJ.  Like horrific.  

They could have kept Caruso for 2 years and $20 million. Instead they opted to trade for Westbrook, gave THT similar money over 3 years, and got a bunch of ring chasers who were too old. THT might end up being a really good player, but they really went with a bunch of ring chasers over a really good role player in Caruso that was instrumental in their 2020 championship. 

[Chisoxfn]

2 hours ago, Quin said:

Same thing in Brooklyn with Kyrie and KD...and then Harden, Blake, Aldridge, etc.

Makes it real fun watching the Bulls decimate them.

The problem is - less so with the Nets (although the vets you list are all old), NBA is an athletic league and most all those aging "stars" you list are way past their prime. None of them play good D anymore and have a ton of limitations.  It is obvious when you watch on the court. There is a value to vets, but you have to have a good balance of youth and veteran leadership - especially when you get to fill out rotations.  

[Chisoxfn]

2 hours ago, bmags said:

I think basketball is in a healthier place now though. I'm sure the playoffs will get railroaded by Nets, though the west I'm not so sure what will happen. 

But the new rules this year and Giannis staying home to win a championship just two years after a Toronto one. The Knicks just trying to be competitive, feels like a bunch of flavors of teams with different skills all making it work. Lots of fun.

The rule changes were fantastic.  At least nights game, watching Derozan do his thing is absolutely spectacular. You could hear the Laker fans cheering with some of the moves, footwork, etc he showed down low.  It is noticeable how enjoyable that part of the game is (vs. just a giant 3 pt fest).  I hope the refs stick to the new way they are calling things - beyond that though, they have to find ways to bring back the mid-range game more, because it is pretty entertaining to see guys put on moves like that.  

[Chisoxfn]

7 minutes ago, chw42 said:

They could have kept Caruso for 2 years and $20 million. Instead they opted to trade for Westbrook, gave THT similar money over 3 years, and got a bunch of ring chasers who were too old. THT might end up being a really good player, but they really went with a bunch of ring chasers over a really good role player in Caruso that was instrumental in their 2020 championship. 

The funny part - Westbrook was talking smack the whole game, down 20, didn't matter. But you could see he was pissed when Derozan took him to the clinic a few times. The LA bball seen is tough and they all want their credit...it was fun with so many local guys battling each other.  I was scared someone on Bulls would get hurt cause I really don't know why their starters were in so long.  Billy kept looking at Lavine - giving him the signal to rotate and bring in the scrubs and he kept shaking Billy off.  I am a little worried that after the high's of these last 2 wins they could get caught off guard by the Blazers. Want to win that game and guarantee a winning record on this road trip cause Denver is going to be tough.  

[bmags]

7 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

The rule changes were fantastic.  At least nights game, watching Derozan too his thing is absolutely spectacular. You could here the Laker fans cheering with some of the moves, footwork, etc he showed down low.  It is noticeable how enjoyable that part of the game is (vs. just a giant 3 pt fest).  I hope the refs stick to the new way they are calling things - beyond that though, they have to find ways to bring back the mid-range game more, because it is pretty entertaining to see guys put on moves like that.  

I think the league from players to coaches to FO all have been vocally supportive of the change. I think it was something where if it was there, they were going to exploit it, but nobody really thought coaxing a guy to jump defend and jumping into them was actually a "foul", in that it was a disadvantage to the offensive player. The benefit to the offensive player should be he could drive by, he shouldn't get an automatic couple of points because of that.

I wish there were such an easy solution for baseball!

[chw42]

1 hour ago, Chisoxfn said:

The rule changes were fantastic.  At least nights game, watching Derozan do his thing is absolutely spectacular. You could hear the Laker fans cheering with some of the moves, footwork, etc he showed down low.  It is noticeable how enjoyable that part of the game is (vs. just a giant 3 pt fest).  I hope the refs stick to the new way they are calling things - beyond that though, they have to find ways to bring back the mid-range game more, because it is pretty entertaining to see guys put on moves like that.  

League average true shooting % is down a whole 2% from last year. It hasn't been this low since 2017. The three true outcomes of basketball (3s/layups/FTs) made the game more efficient, but also took away a lot of the fun of basketball. The new rule change really brought down one of those 3 outcomes and we're seeing it have a big effect on the overall game. 

[scs787]

I have no idea how it's quantified or how much stock I should put into it, but of centers with more than 10 min played per game, Tony Bradley is 3rd in defensive rating.

 

He's no bueno offensively, at least this far, but with the offensive pieces around him, should he be looked at as a guy who should get more minutes?

[fathom]

3 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

The funny part - Westbrook was talking smack the whole game, down 20, didn't matter. But you could see he was pissed when Derozan took him to the clinic a few times. The LA bball seen is tough and they all want their credit...it was fun with so many local guys battling each other.  I was scared someone on Bulls would get hurt cause I really don't know why their starters were in so long.  Billy kept looking at Lavine - giving him the signal to rotate and bring in the scrubs and he kept shaking Billy off.  I am a little worried that after the high's of these last 2 wins they could get caught off guard by the Blazers. Want to win that game and guarantee a winning record on this road trip cause Denver is going to be tough.  

I noticed Ayo cheap shot THT twice in the 4th quarter.  Those two have quite the history.

[Quin]

16 minutes ago, fathom said:

I noticed Ayo cheap shot THT twice in the 4th quarter.  Those two have quite the history.

THT had two dunks that he got REALLY hyped for...down 15.

I couldn't help but laugh.

[fathom]

3 minutes ago, Quin said:

THT had two dunks that he got REALLY hyped for...down 15.

I couldn't help but laugh.

It was amazing how much more athletic THT looked than his teammates.  

[Chisoxfn]

9 minutes ago, fathom said:

It was amazing how much more athletic THT looked than his teammates.  

He really looked out of shape in the game, the dunk's in 4th quarter came from nowhere. No knock on THT - because like Coby - he is coming back from injury and clearly out of shape but you are right, even out of shape THT looked athletic relative to the rest of the team.  

[bmags]

Was listening to the mismatch rant about the rockets. Watching the bulls post-Jimmy soured me on that 76ers process, you can't bring young players around all young players just getting their brains beat in and hoping it works. 

But this is crazy to me.

Two Teams in dire straights.

The Wizards have an injured 40 million player in Wall and Bradley beal and a circling the drain team.

Houston Rockets have MVP James Harden and expensive and disappointing Russel Westbrook last year.

Houston gets requests to trade Westbrook, everyone agrees he's just deadweight, good luck! They trade him for John Wall and a future first.

They then trade James Harden for 3 firsts and 4 pick swaps, Caris LaVert and another guy.

They then send out Caris LaVert (on an affordable 3 year deal) to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo in a trade where Cleveland also gets Jarrett Allen. Oh, they also get a 2nd round pick.

Victor Oladipo is now on the Heat. John Wall is averaging 19 and 9 (on 18 shots a night). The Rockets are 1-13. Yeah, they could fall into the next Lebron. 

Let's flip it. The Wizards had John Wall and Bradley Beal in a situation where it had become Beal's team. Everyone thinks its over.

They trade John Wall for Russell Westbrook. Make the play-offs, steal a game from the top seed. Rui Hachimura continues to develop, Beal averages 30+ points. Deni continues to develop. They make a smart trade for Gafford.

Then, they send out that untradeable asset Russell Westbrook and 3 second round picks for Caldwell Pope, Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, and hire long-deserving assistant Wes unseld Jr.

The Wizards are the top record in the East behind swarming defense from the three lakers additions and the development of their recent draft picks.

Jalen Green will probably be fine. But he's gonna have to deal with a lot of crap.

Anyway yeah the rockets seem like idiots hopefully we don't lose our 1st and can get Christian Wood.

 

[Balta1701]

 

[Kyyle23]

1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

 

Ah we have reached the layering stage.  Cool