Alright! this is probably the most excited I've been for the NBA season to get underway

How's everybody see the East shake out? I am full of misplaced optimism that my sixers are going to get over the playoff hump and make the finals

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 24 2019 22:27 GMT

I think the 76ers are the best team in the East. I think they are slightly worse than last year. Milwaukee woulda got crushed by Toronto in the playoffs if Toronto had been properly rested going into their playoff series last year. Toronto and Philly were about equal last year. Milwaukee took a step backwards by losing Brogdon.

So I have the 76ers at #1 and the Bucks at #2. I think the difference between #1 and #2 is pretty big.

ZenithM

France15951 Posts

October 25 2019 13:31 GMT

I missed NBA basketball and its TL thread, welcome back guys :D.
I'm really impressed by what the Clippers have shown so far, I wasn't expecting them to look so good right out of the gates, without even Paul George.

Phredxor

New Zealand15056 Posts

October 26 2019 10:13 GMT

New team, same old Jazz lack of offense.

At least Mitchell looks good I guess.

But nah, long way to go, we'll get better. Kawhi looking stupid good so far this season.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 26 2019 16:07 GMT

As long as the Lakers don't have many injuries I think their defense is going to be decent. So you have to give the Lakers defense some credit.

travis

United States23849 Posts

October 27 2019 00:04 GMT

#10

Does anyone know where I can find play by play logs for NBA games which include X,Y event locations?

I know they exist, certain websites use them to make shot charts. But none of those websites that I found also make the actual data available, and thus I cannot create my own shot charts.

I've found data for past seasons games, but the current season they aren't including X,Y locations in their game logs.

darthfoley

United States7958 Posts

October 27 2019 01:07 GMT

#11

Hoping the Kings can finally make the jump but Bagley getting hurt in the first game and starting 0-2 makes me sad. Luke Walton better not fuck it up

andrewlt

United States7065 Posts

October 27 2019 17:13 GMT

#12

Suns beat the Clippers. Looks like Ayton isn't the only one taking drugs. He just got caught cause he's on my fantasy team.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 28 2019 15:47 GMT

#13

Kyrie Irving is running out of excuses. Outside of the Brad Stevens' defense Kyrie Irving has been a major defensive liability. He is starting off in Brooklyn as a big defensive liability. Just because you can do amazing individual things doesn't mean you are contributing to team wins.

Jerubaal

United States7218 Posts

October 28 2019 18:01 GMT

#14

I a) don't mean to denigrate their accomplishments and b) don't mean to celebrate early, but I said in days past that Curry is not A.I. and Draymond is not Malone. They work amazingly as pieces of a good team, but they aren't necessarily great at carrying the team when they don't have much around them. The rest of the season will be an interesting referendum on that.

Twinkle Toes

United States3605 Posts

October 29 2019 16:05 GMT

#15

On October 29 2019 03:01 Jerubaal wrote:
I a) don't mean to denigrate their accomplishments and b) don't mean to celebrate early, but I said in days past that Curry is not A.I. and Draymond is not Malone. They work amazingly as pieces of a good team, but they aren't necessarily great at carrying the team when they don't have much around them. The rest of the season will be an interesting referendum on that.

I'll take it one step further. Curry had an astronomical individual performance in 2014, and that eclipsed all the weaknesses of the team and led many to think GSW was all-time great. 2016 Cavs and 2019 Raptors exposed them - Curry is not a grade A superstar, is prone to error, a defensive liability, statistically risky, and NEEDS NEEDS NEEDS Thompson on both ends of the floor to flourish, and they need a legit superstar (Durant).

BlackJack

United States7683 Posts

October 29 2019 21:56 GMT

#16

We don't know how great the Pre-KD Warriors would have been because KD signing with them and creating the GOAT team changed history. Who knows what other moves they could have done in free agency other than sign Durant. I also wouldn't say 2016 Cavs exposed them. Losing a 7 game series by 3 points to a team with 3 all-stars including the best player of this generation putting up a historic performance and also dealing with suspensions/injuries is not what I would call "exposed." If Kyrie doesn't make that shot we don't even know if the Cavs win so the entire argument hinges on whether or not a single shot rims out.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 30 2019 00:06 GMT

#17

if Dragic, Olynyk, and Waiters are going to be coming off the bench for Miami and they work as hard as they have in past years... That's a pretty good bench. If they get sucky and whine and cry about not being starters.. well .. who knows.

EDIT: Trae Young out for the rest of the night with a sprained ankle.

Twinkle Toes

United States3605 Posts

October 30 2019 12:42 GMT

#18

I agree with your points in general but the "single shot" point is naive simplification of the whole thing. The game was not decided on that alone, but the entire 48 minutes of points and play. We can agree that despite all our different valuations and assessment of team strength, the 2016 Cavs and 2016 Warriors were pretty even, despite the hype around the Warriors.

I agree with how KD's signing wouldnt allow us to have an objective evaluation of how great core GSW really, but I can say as much that there was a healthy amount of luck and stars aligning for GSW to be hyped as much. Curry is just ever so slightly overrated, Klay is underrated, Green is super elite defensively but, like Curry, has fatal flaws that could lose the game. I recall now as well that the GSW's 2015 playoff run was helped by a lot of Western guards being injured during the playoffs.

Don't get me wrong though, core GSW was a great team. but not one the greatest, even if they went 73-9. 1996-1998 Bulls, 2001-2002 Lakers, heck even 2004 Pistons could have beaten them in a Bo7 series.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 30 2019 20:57 GMT

#19

"ever so slightly over rated" is an impossible statement to test because it depends on who is doing the "over rating" of Curry. I'd say Curry is really damn good. His ability to run an offense isn't worth debating. He is all world on offense.

He is a smart, but physically weak small defender who is unwilling to sacrifice his body the way small players like VanVleet and Lowry are. I'd say Curry's defense is slightly above average. His defense looks bad in the playoffs because Golden State is always playing really good teams in the final 2 rounds of the playoffs. In the regular season against normal NBA teams Curry's defense is solid ... if unspectacular.

As far as the 2019 Raptors "exposing" Golden State last year? ummm, The Raptors had the best winning percentage against the Western Conference of any team last year. So I guess the Raptors "exposed" the entire Western Conference.

The Clippers are scheduled to start a back-to-back tonight. Leonard is out tonight.

The Raptors, for the first time ever, are getting regular season games placed on the primary SportsNet Ontario or SNO network. This is a big concession by Rogers Media who paid 87 Bazillion dollars for the overwhelming majority of NHL TV rights. The secondary SportsNet channels are called SN360 and SN1. Until this year that is where all Rogers Media Raptors games and NBA games were shown. They did not appear on the main network.

Hockey is on the decline in Canada and this move by Rogers Media is just another sign of it.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada14485 Posts

October 31 2019 00:53 GMT

#20

Speaking of hockey... pretty good brawl in the Wolves//Sixers game tonight.
Embiid and Towns got 2 ... 5 and a game. Nice rear naked choke by Ben Simmons.

https://streamable.com/gs0f1

https://streamable.com/s69dw