|
Post by darko on Mar 13, 2024 13:21:35 GMT -6
Have players or coaches said anything about a difference?
League sources tell me that the NBA Competition Committee met Tuesday to discuss ways to incorporate more defensive freedom for players when it comes to physicality, evaluating how to potentially allow more of it, its merits and more. I’m told the committee, which comprises league and union officials, owners, players and executives, will use the next few months and offseason to strategize ahead of next season. So far this year, the NBA’s 114.9 points per game is the highest average since the 1960s. The league’s average offensive rating (115.6) and team 3-pointers made per game (12.8) also are the highest marks ever. – via The Athletic
NBA Central: “I’m told the NBA’s Competition Committee met on Tuesday and discussed ways to incorporate more defensive freedom, evaluating how to potentially allow more physicality…Using the next few months to strategize.”👀 – @shamscharania (Via @runitbackfdtv ) pic.twitter.com/uxu3N1HX9E – via Twitter TheNBACentral
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 13, 2024 13:24:20 GMT -6
In regards to 65 game rules for awards, have to keep it, if we're still operating as an 82 game season. The only reason not to is so when Vecna is 70 he can look back at his lists he pushed for, and can say so and so player was an x time all NBA. These awards really only mean something to players heading to their third contract, like the time Morey Media/Save Our Steph pods pushed for guys over Klay (blowing up his big pay day), because they were trying to keep Klay, Dray, Steph, and KD together.
Most of these lists are just the high usage scorers right now, and really haven't meant anything since media took it up on themselves to campaign for. Media votes based on passed history as and legacy as anyone, especially if it's teams and players they're constantly doing work for.
I would much rather have an all-star game of young up and comer guys who have played the bulk of the games than old LeBron and Steph.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 13, 2024 13:40:44 GMT -6
I'd make rookie sophmore the main event, if those young kids try, that would be far more fun, on top of if it's a limited window where they can make a name for themselves, and might be more motivated by prize money.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 14, 2024 5:51:35 GMT -6
If the league did do something here, wouldn't it be beneficial to formally address it? So fans know they are attempting to reign this in? I think the league has changed what they emphasize more in-season before, but I'd assume teams would be formally notified. This would be great if Jimmy can't just get everyone in foul trouble, and free throw's all playoffs by creating contact at the rim.
Brady Hawk: I asked Erik Spoelstra about Jimmy’s free throw attempts being down as of late Notes he hasn’t gotten a memo from the league, but he knows there’s been an officiating shift Says Jimmy may need to enter shot making mode more, and it’s also on him to put him in position – via Twitter BradyHawk305
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 9:25:03 GMT -6
The last five minutes of the Venca show, he and Pelton talk scoring dip, and they are doing everything possible to delete the cause, six years ago FOM.
The reason everyone can chuck three's, is because everyone can drive. High usage, Daryl Morey iso bull does not work without this rule change. It is so fascinating they bring up hand check, and illegal defense, things that happened 20 years ago. They're refusal to credit the single rule change that did this, makes me believe they have some idea that Morey and Bob got this done, and just papering over this ridiculous rule change is crime against basketball.
Some needs to hold them down and poor milk on their face until they say the word FOM. Pelton's like everyone's talking free throw's, but it's way more about the fact you have to let guys get to the rim, literally just running alongside them, and then if they leap at you, you're picking up fouls. Jrue Holiday has to change the way he defends Butler because you couldn't have any contact with him or it's a foul, which means foul trouble, teams are in the penalty etc.
One thing the Donaghey doc got exactly right was it's not just total fouls, or total free three's, it's when and where. We've seen it completely change Wolves games this season though probably less than previous years. Not to mention their beloved, Draymond Green who is called normally, either has to change how he plays, or he's fouling out of every game. The reason he could drive through a player, and push them off ball is because he was setting that screen for the most manufactured star in all of pro sports (also see Bogut in GS versus Mil, Zaza, anywhere outside GS). It was always crap, especially when you look and the opponents best defender picking up two quicks one's in the third, or right out the gate.
Unleash the Kraken!
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 9:50:04 GMT -6
I haven't been this scandalized since that Days of Our Lives episode where Kristin fakes her pregnancy with John via a secret twin in a wig, while the real Kristin hides in the room right next to them. At least be on a different floor!
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 9:57:25 GMT -6
The idea no one could shoot 35% on in rhythm catch and shoot three's until 2018-19 was never true. This would be like if the baseball steroid era had a handful of influential media bro's telling people guys are just more talented now, because their favorite player and or gm decided that's much easier when guys are on steroids (like when you can't play d), but they pitch it as home runs are worth more than singles, and guys are just unnaturally stronger now/have bigger foreheads.
It was however much more difficult to generate those as not everyone and their mama could just prance to the rim all night.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 10:04:46 GMT -6
Until they announce they undue 2018-19 rule change, I'm not going to celebrate too much, but we know how a game is officiated is the crux of this scoring boom. For example if Naz can't jelly his way around the court, because you can defend him, it's going to impact efficiency, and what the goal of your offense even is, how you generate looks, and what looks are available.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 10:15:06 GMT -6
What percentage of the scoring increase is 3 is more than two = 0.
What percentage of the scoring increase is due to FOM + resetting the O shot clock = one hundo.
It is intentional they have gone so far out of their way to not mention this? Obviously they're all Warriors pods, but whatever was in that Sloan Tote bag must have been elite. Think about it, how could they not mention this, and continue to not mention this. It was a radical change, and they're all like well I guess the league is so talented now everyone's a 30 point scorer. Awesome awesome stuff.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 10:26:34 GMT -6
3 is greater than two, league is more talented than ever. We're they given those talking points? Or does Daryl just have them so hypnotized they repeat whatever he tells them? Have they ever watched a basketball game or are they just sorting data and they can see when numbers go up and down, no understanding of the why?
FWIW not a coincidence Vecna is defending Houston/GS out of the blue there, as more of the media and league are made aware of what happened there. I wouldn't say I deserve a pulitzer, but I don't don't deserve it.
It is a direct link to the the six years ago this rule changed, and the offensive explosion, can't believe none of their graphs indicated this?
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 15, 2024 10:50:59 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 16, 2024 10:08:45 GMT -6
The guy that told us Kevin Love is clearly a top ten player, will not mention the single most consequential rule change since 2004-05 hand check, and goes out of his way to tell you the listener, it's mostly because teams are shooting more three's. This offense explosion began six years ago when the league changed shot clock resetting from 24 seconds to 14 on o boards and this:
New for the 2018-19 season, stipulated by item No. 12 (B), Section 1 in the NBA Rule Book, players are no longer permitted to “hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an opponent,” or do anything else that would instantly cause the man they’re guarding to be “re-routed.”
Windhorst pointer fingers are out, what's going on here? I have a theory:
A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with said person or organization.
Doin' work for Daryl and GS not to mention this rule change. In a way he was a big part of circling the tub on this devolution of basketball, race to efficiency, hyping up "advanced stats" which are mostly versions of the same thing, that specifically favors his favorite team and player. What happens to three point shooting, when teams pack the paint on Ant? Is it better? Worse? Indy and Clips game versus Cavs and Lakers.
The reason Morey ball defined as iso high usage chucking exists, is because everyone can drive. Which started six years ago. He is intentionally misframing/lying about this offensive explosion. Really going out of his way to make it about everything except the rule change that created this.
|
|
jr
Junior Member
Posts: 287
|
Post by jr on Mar 16, 2024 11:27:19 GMT -6
Really Darko, write a book. I'm not being patronizing. You basically have it written already. Mostly all you'd have to do is organize and elaborate what you've posted here and get some quotes. Plenty of old school players would love to point out how easy it is to score now as opposed to when they played. I barely care enough about this to read your posts, but you've convinced me there is manipulation going on. As soon as you write and announce that the Hardens and Currys and many others made careers from a rule change and they are not GOATs, everyone will want to read the book, if only to villify the author. Not to mention all the players, particularly big men, whose careers were limited by these same changes. You've perservered through plenty of derision here, so you can handle it. I see the next "Moneyball"! The dark underside of a major pro sport.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 19, 2024 23:39:54 GMT -6
It's def the interviews, like the Kahn era stuff, it's done best if you can have a little context from those around the team at the same time, particularly if you could get to Love to tell the story about breaking his hand, explain why he lied about it, and attempted to leverage his own teammates into getting a 5th year, but it was worse than that, because he did so publicly six months after he had already signed, to distract from fans hearing the truth in real time, which if they had, and then he does that interview is the difference in being able to move off him then versus wasting the next two seasons trying to make him work.
Last thing I'll say on this rule change. The pod heads that are like, whelp, we've solved defense, moving on, are doing so because they didn't mention what was going on at all these last six years. Offense was spiraling out of control and few if any ever mentioned it, because they knew more about why it was changed, and that it was extremely beneficial to Morey and Myers teams at the time. While cleaning up some of the offensive gimme calls is a good start, ultimately it needs to be addressed in the rule book this summer.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 28, 2024 9:29:54 GMT -6
It's so funny to see so many that were saying Kat's a lock for a super max now so eager to throw him overboard for Naze Rub. I think it's true the cap could be higher than anticipated, and this really is more of a non-issue, but even so it's not really something we'd have to look at until next trade deadline.
If Naz is = to Kat from above the break, and top of the key, it's far more palatable, though we're really only talking a year, where were in trouble, Rudy's money comes up, and I believe Naz too? And what does his money look like? Bally and Canis are poised to offer him a super max lol.
I've got deals for all three, Kat, Naz, and McD, or Naz, and McD, and am good either way pending return. What I would like to see though is Kat come back, as he's watching Garza, and NR pop three's, to me so much of this is about undoing Finch's first full year where he's trying to make Kat and D-Lo initiators, The Undoing, as he kids might say. We're just trying to get him to eliminate that part of his game he's surveying the floor, and going on those long lumbering drives (different than those quick grab and go catches we saw in that Denver series). But last year he was getting free throws on those against Gordon, part of what made those effective. Is he getting those when he comes back?
Two things are interesting about this, combined with Kat watching Naz, and Luka during this stretch, does his injury naturally curb some of his driving, and or how about how d has subtly changed? It did appear to be tougher for him to drive before he went down, I don't know if that's more about the d changing, or his injury, but something was off, compared to what we saw earlier in the year.
And while it's fun Wolves are still winning, I don't think we've seen juggernauts exactly, Cav's threw us a game without three starters, Utah threw us one, Indy, I don't think is that good but for the east. Ideally tomorrow night we get a great look at what this team can be minus Kat, against a real playoff opponent. Way too many two week stretches the last few years where folks want to declare one thing, as good as Naz has been, I would just remember those stretches of Beasley, and D-Lo, those pockets of weeks, or a month where they looked like world beaters, and then what they looked like against real d and teams. No question he's been great though, and obviously ideal scenario is he keeps it rolling.
Looking forward tomorrow night, hopefully both teams are mostly healthy (outside of Katman), and where's the flags for #whenthehellwendell?
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 28, 2024 11:30:33 GMT -6
On the sale, some of the local pod boys interviewed a guy a while back, who assured us Lore would get the money, but that specific gentlemen gave me zero confidence this was done. A lot of word salad, and really didn't explain anything. He seemed like a corporate hype bro, and those guys aren't real.
The other thing I saw was A-Rod talking about private funding for a new arena, and I'm like how are we talking about this if we can barely get this deal done. As we know, that was part of what happened in Seattle they were supposedly getting private funding for a new arena, money fell through, and they were able to move to Oklahoma. I didn't really trust A-Rod either, in regards to his desire to keep the team in Minny, and was like well what would be the difference between that in Seattle if they suddenly said, oh we don't have the arena dollars, but we have money lined up willing to spend in Vegas.
I don't know what will happen. Short term it makes the off-season more interesting (as to who's calling the shots, more than changing plans), it gives the national pods another reason to dump on us, which doesn't really matter as much as impacting our free agent market or devaluing assets. Whatever the path forward it seems like it would take some time, if A-Rod and Lore are fighting in court, it's not like Glen can move on to another deal immediately.
It would be sort of hilarious if Wolves finally built a contender only to get moved, it's not necessarily more likely now, and I don't think it impacts the team or day to day short term. It will be interesting to see if the market to buy has changed, or if Glen's demand to keep the team here has waivered. Glen's got he moola, he's got Connelly in place.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 28, 2024 23:41:59 GMT -6
It's possible Glen is doing the right thing here. We don't have to guess whether or not Lore and A-Rod met the requirements or not, it shouldn't be that hard to determine, but as we've seen in other arenas, if you have money, you can basically drag this out forever.
It seems to me those most upset about this, are those that accepted Lore A-Rod narrative, but there were whispers the whole time they might not have the money.
That combined with the fact there could be more suitors that have the money required now that we have Ant, Glen legally stepping away is likely what any controlling interest would do here. It's shocking do to the length this has taken, but I think the arena thing mattered, and Glen saying Target Center is fine to me makes me wonder how that dynamic might have changed with Carlyle versus Dyal if at all? Would a group like Dyal have changed whether or not we're likely to keep the team here or not.
Just like we couldn't predict what it meant when this long term deal was announced, it's hard to look at this and say it means anything. We can credit Lore and A-Rod this team, and in someways that's true, but the reality is we have both Connelly and Gobert because we have Ant. Ant will bring more talent to the buyer pool today, than two three years ago. I don't see it as right or wrong, these guys are all interchangeable to me. The two most important cogs are Connelly, and Ant, unless you bring someone in that's really restrictive, or maybe too much of a all in type owner (Suns) it may not even change that much.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 29, 2024 13:17:41 GMT -6
Lore announcing his investment in the Timberwolves:
I wouldn't say Lore let A-Rod down, but if Lore wanted this team seems like he could have got it done, which is kind of like did he lose interest? Was he ever interested?
"It's an illusion Michael"
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 29, 2024 13:39:08 GMT -6
Whether it's Glen, or Marc and A-Rod, I don't think it impacts roster building. The money is the same, and we're likely looking at dealing Kat, McD, or Naz either this off-season, or next trade deadline, or if we're one in the west again, maybe they eat 2nd apron for a year.
Naz is the easiest to move, because teams could absorb him into their cap space, versus Kat where we're matching salary, but the other thing we would need to factor is Naz deal ain't that long, and he'll also be due for (if his numbers continue their current trend) a decent pay day.
Again there's deals out there for all as long as they're healthy, and all look pretty good to me. Like the Lore thing I think unless you're deeply panicked about losing one or the other, situation's the same. As it is for all top spending teams in the league. And it's as dependent on their playoff run as all teams are. There is no difference between Wolves roster/decisions and any contender right now, or like we saw with Denver a season ago. The only thing that would really much it up if our preferred asset we're moving gets hurt, or value is tanked somehow.
Roster building is core four, or big three. Same as it was pre and post apron, with or without A-Rod/Lore. This is what happens when you're in the mix in this league. You can't keep everyone. For the first time during GS's run, they've finally had to make real roster decisions, and they're kind of stuck, unless they're able to recruit a top ten guy to come play a very specific style designed to prop up an aging movement shooter, who oh by the way teams can now play some semblance of d on again.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 29, 2024 18:40:03 GMT -6
When you can't win legally, you attempt to win the court of public opinion.
This is exactly what I meant by we have to protect our youth. These guys are not equipped to do this. That Kyle dude is so much like Dan Bowling. When he asked the question so you have the funds to not only complete the process of this sale, but to successfully operate this team moving forward is answering their question likely in language given to him directly by Dan or A-Rod's "team." This is straight spin here.
To me it sounds like part of the agreement is payments would be made in these traunches,at specific dates, and have to be agreed upon by Glen, before being submitted to the league for approval. There is zero chance a deal of this magnitude would just be based on the spirit of the deal. If part of the deal is the controlling interest has to agree on it, before it goes to the league, that's a huge difference than just saying you have to post stamp something by x date. Maybe they should have looked at that contract!
It's the same thing that happened with Rosas, and Finch, have a beer with these dudes, and they're so enamored with nice dress pants they can't help themselves. The fan base will go as the national heads go.
Based on what's come out before this, and now this interview, my bet is Glen has this wrapped. If Lore and A-Rod were in the right, they could better explain the "missed payment" on that third traunche, none of the spirit of the deal, handshake stuff matters, that's all a play to the audience. I don't believe these dudes were punked, fact is they didn't meet the arrangement, and Glen has an opportunity (duty to the other lp's) to opt out and seek a better deal. Lore and A-Rod are nothing here, totally disposable.
When repeating phrases like nuclear bomb, ironclad contract, "we believe a contract in America, you have to honor it," "we're shocked he would do this to the city." They are making a play to the fan base, and more specifically to their emotions about Glen, and this team. A-Rod's brow was too furrowed, dead giveaway.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 29, 2024 18:40:54 GMT -6
My other thoughts are A-Rod wanting to buy the Wolves and spend time in Minnesota likely cost him J-Lo. Not the MEGA MALL type!
|
|
|
Post by darko on Mar 29, 2024 19:08:50 GMT -6
I want a Micah Nori pre-game dry erase board breakdown of this ownership deal.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Apr 5, 2024 15:31:26 GMT -6
More talent than ever? It's just more perimeter dudes. You used to have guys that had to defend Zach Randolph, now there's only like two post players that even attempt playing with their back to the basket unless we're not counting that as a skill.
This is interesting, and makes sense, the league flattening lottery odds makes the incentive for teams 9-10 less likely to tank, but it also makes teams fighting for the bottom more aggressive, because worst case scenario for them is to stumble into the play-in.
Teams 9, 10, 11, 12, have always been fairly equal, but the reality with the play in team is those are still easy outs in seven games, save for their first round match-up losing key guys to injuries (Sabonis and Fox) last year. That remains the same, and while I haven't ever watched a play-in game, I get the tv incentive to keep Steph and LeBron in the mix these last few years, I just don't think it's additive in terms of playoffs overall, but couple extra things to bet on, so whatever.
*****
Take a look at the NBA standings. It’s getting pretty interesting right? A lot of teams packed together, 19 teams with winning records. We have plenty to unpack in the season’s final 10 days. But first, take another glance at the standings. And this time, take a look at the bottom. Yiiiikes. – via The Athletic
Remember earlier this campaign, when I wrote about how bad the bottom of the league was this year? Well, unbelievably, it’s been even worse since the All-Star break, and it’s resulted in some awful March basketball. A glance at the standings on Wednesday showed three teams with double-digit losing streaks. – via The Athletic
Keep in mind that the bottom of the league was already historically bad, yet has somehow become even worse. None of the bottom eight have won more than a third of their games since the All-Star break, although San Antonio has at least fought the good fight at 7-14. The numbers look worse when they don’t play one another: The Detroit Pistons have won five games against the top 22 teams the entire season. Between that and a late rash of injuries that have caused even some of the league’s legit teams to teeter and occasionally put out subpar lineups, you wonder if the league office might, sotto voce, tell you thank goodness for the NCAA tournaments and Caitlin Clark and all the other distractions that are keeping casuals from locking in too much on the NBA at this exact moment. – via The Athletic
Some quick math tells you the league’s bottom eight teams are winning just 26.6 percent of their games this season, a 60-loss pace on average. Six of those eight teams are getting outscored by at least seven points per game on the season, with Toronto (minus-6.4 with six drubbings left on the schedule) about to join them any day now. In contrast, at the top of the standings only Boston entered Wednesday with a scoring margin of better than plus-7, although Minnesota got to plus-7.1 that night with help from the Raptors. – via The Athletic
|
|
|
Post by darko on Apr 5, 2024 16:25:44 GMT -6
Still fascinated by the anxiety of what this roster will look like next post season. It's like last years Denver team, they could have kept Bruce Brown, but they opted to keep their core four of Murray, Porter, Gordon, and Joker. Wolves in the same boat. They could have moved Porter or Gordon, and kept Brown. I like a lot of deals for both, but one thing I would keep in mind is after this season, Naz AND Rudy have two years left, and hard to say what Reid is making then. Either way, not something we are deciding on before this playoffs.
There are great deals either path, again caveat some bad luck injury wise, but it's the same issue OKC is facing, now that they're getting close to paying Giddey. Who by the way, I would be shocked if Connelly did not value there, as he saw great value in Kyle a couple off-seasons ago. And I think it's rad OKC, Denver, and Minny (same division) are best in the west.
No idea what Kat will look like coming back, last year I would have leaned into giving him a slower ramp up, and he was fine. I trust they'll do what's best for him, as far as not rushing back if it's a long term risk. He's been awesome all year, I'm less concerned about reintegrating him back into this, than I am just being right, and ready to go.
One thing that is underrated by Wolves fandom is the change in d appears to be somewhat real. I hope they address it this off-season in black and white with a formal rule change, but it does look like it is more difficult to drive. I expect that to be true of Kat as well. Perhaps if we're closer to 2010 d, he is not able to "initiate" as much on his own, as we've been forcing for years (again this was Finch's gift to basketball). He was already struggling to do it before he was hurt, although part of that was likely due to whatever was happening with his knee. A lot of our O's success has been just cutting out his clunky, drives that jack spacing.
Look around the league, and see which teams or players have dipped. Officiating seems to have benefited big, physical defensive teams, comparatively a lot of the small prance around offensive guys aren't averaging 50. Do we continue to see playoff Jimmy, and playoff Brunson? Obviously individual scoring is still up given pace and usage, but it shouldn't be as insane as it's been last six years.
Here's the other thing it's done for Minny. Mike Conley was struggling trying to initiate there for a while against pressure, so we move him off ball, make him more of a two/spacer, and get him in those minutes with J-Mac and Kyle effectively as point guards, and have since been playing more two pure ball handler lineups. This is a product of change in officiating I believe, versus when we'd have Shake or NAW giving it a whirl. I can't believe this happened in season, and really I can't think of another pro league where something like this changed so drastically in a single season. Again we've seen more emphasis on certain things but this seems about as drastic of an in-season change as I can remember.
In 2009, one of the greatest basketball minds of my lifetime (David Kahn) introduced me to the idea of two points guards, essentially to have two ball handlers if you don't have say a Kobe Bryant and Derrick Fischer, or DeRozan, and Lowry, and we've seen that really as the norm since, a back court of two smaller ball handlers, very common, unless you have a ballhandler like LeBron or Green at the three/four. At the time the idea of playing two point guards was new to me in Luke and Ricky. Is Finch's evolution back to this concept (in part due to necessity/bodies), but also is it more practical again now that it's not Luka Garza can't play point guard anymore?
I don't know what to make of this change, but it will be fascinating to see how it plays out this post-season, and if it's addressed this off-season.
One thing that is true of high usage iso guys, or at least most, is shooting percentages historically tend to dip, if you're load includes primary scorer, and point duties. Being more of an off-ball shooter like Mike is today, is way easier to score, than if duties include both, not to mention you can't do both at the same time, if you're teeing up other guys shots/running the offense. Also why Kerr has always wanted Steph off ball. Their season turned around when the got back to two ballhandlers in the first unit in Pod, and Green, so Steph to do his off-ball thing.
Kyle, J-Mac, Mike > Green, Pod, Steph. It's hard to imagine J-Mac's shooting continuing in the post season, but man what a boon to this team if it does.
|
|
|
Post by darko on Apr 5, 2024 16:37:25 GMT -6
Officiating bodes well for big defensive minded teams like Minny compared to high usage iso scoring teams like the Suns, or Dallas.
|
|