2013 NBA Season News and Discussion

[jreg]

Last year, Wade played in 54 games... Feel free to mock me when they start out hot, but I have Miami being terrible this year.

Damn it dude, let me delude myself.

Well I would say this would be the season not to need a 3 pointer since he will likely be the focal point of the offense (when healthy)

To defend Wade, why change something this late in your career, Kobe managed it a bit before his injury, a different playstyle that is, but adding something as drastic as a three pointer would take a ton of change and would really strain the rest of his game.

The point is less about developing a 3 point shot out of the blue now but more that he's been in the league how many years and hasn't bothered to develop at least one that would mildly be a threat? Yeah, it was really fun watching him attack the basket fearlessly and hit some ridiculous circus shots but that playstyle is catching up to him in a big way.

The other thing that is disappointing is that he has a pretty decent long-mid range game. It's not a stretch to say he could've extended it out to the 3 point line.

[Blueobelisk]

You guys gotta check out what they said on media day.

I mean. It's just a little bit interesting. They have Spurs, uhm. Cavs, Heat, and Nets. Oh and Kings too but I stopped reading then. They were last.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...nba-media-days

[Gumboy]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11...st-point-guard

Are they lying, stupid, or just delusional? YOU DECIDE!!

[SL1200]

If it's not him, then who is the best pg in the league? Tony parker? Can't be Kyire Irving. Cleveland fans were ready to run him out of town last year. Chris Paul needs to win some playoff series before we call him the best anything. Can't be Rondo or Rose... knees. I think he (Westbrook) might be the best pg in the league.

[Blueobelisk]

Dammit I was typing this response on iPad wayyyy a few days ago but it froze and I was mad and computer was down because I moved.

A lot of people consider Westbrook 3rd best player in league.

Personally, I think he's really good. He's a lock for top 7 best players right now just because of his youth and athleticism.

I'll stick to my story. If I was assembling a great team and needed a passing point guard, CP3 rank 1.

In terms of "this guy is gonna be the focal point of my team, and I'll build guys (even other superstars) around him" I'll take Westbrook over Rose right now.

John Wall is pretty good but lacks experience in high level situation.
Rondo is passing PG. Either way he's been out of action for like just as long as Rose.
Kyrie is the man...for showing some ball handling and some sick shots or making some sick commerc

OMG I GET IT. Kevin Love joined Uncle Drew in Kyrie's Pepsi Max commercial series and now they're gonna be on the same team together. They already had a connection. It wasn't just Lebron who brought Love to Cleveland, Kyrie had some part. Obviously they have SOME chemistry together.

ials. But Kyrie definitely can't be your #1 guy.

Who the fuck else is there? Tony Parker is old now. He's got a luxury team behind him. I don't think he could carry anyone.

That it? Mike Conley is good you guys know. Don't knock the Grizzlies.
Mario Chalmers? You want me to talk about Mario Chalmers? LOL gtfo out of here if you considered that.
Deron Williams said he's not 100% but better than last season, but let's be real. He's not best.

That's it I'm not naming more. CP3 rank 1 if I'm building (literally) a super team with 3+ scoring guys. Westbrook has #1 overall though.

[Gumboy]

Westbrook is not a point guard, he is a shooting guard that goes by "Point guard" because they have a shooting guard.

You can't be a point guard and shoot 20+ times a game when you have Durant on your team, sorry. Put a real point guard in his place and Thunder have a title, right now. Rondo/Paul someone of that ilk

[Valq]

If you think the Thunder would go anywhere without Westbrook you're delusional, Westbrook outplayed Durant throughout the playoffs, he's a guy that commands the defense's attention, draws double teams, drives to the rim, has an outside shot good enough to keep the defense true, defends quite well. Smh at people thinking the Thunder would be better off with Rondo than with Westbrook.

[Gumboy]

Thunder would have been better off with Harden then Westbrook, and a point guard, instead of a shooter in PG clothes :P

[Blueobelisk]

Nah OKC is only so good because Westbrook is a score-first, score-second, pass-last PG.

To be honest, if OKC didn't have Westbrook or an above average point guard, Durant would have to play Point Forward and that would drain him like crazy.

Also, Westbrook does draw a lot of double teams and attention, not only because he's good, but because the ball is in his hands all the time since he plays PG. This leaves Durant a little more open.

TL;DR make Westbrook play SG, get an average PG for OKC, and they move to like 3rd-7th seed.

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This Saturday, preseason begins.

[jreg]

Thunder would have been better off with Harden then Westbrook, and a point guard, instead of a shooter in PG clothes :P

Westbrook puts a ton of pressure on the opposing defense man. Durant has a much easier time with Westbrook in.

[Gumboy]

Westbrook puts a ton of pressure on the opposing defense man. Durant has a much easier time with Westbrook in.

Ball don't lie:

http://stats.nba.com/teamLineups.htm...roupQuantity=5

http://stats.nba.com/teamLineups.htm...roupQuantity=3


Better, more efficient team without westbrook on the court. People are blinded by his flashy play and high scoring antics. They NEED a point guard, AND a shooter. Two seperate people. It should not be the same person.

"One of the issues with Westbrook’s game is his relatively inefficient scoring. I emphasize relatively because on most teams he would be the dominant scoring threat, but the Thunder aren’t most teams. Westbrook is a volume shooter by nature, but on a team that scores so efficiently, in so many different ways, a lot of his shots introduce an opportunity cost to the offense.

Westbrook is a below-average shooter, especially as a jump shooter, and it becomes hard to justify — from an analytical point of view — his propensity to shoot near the elbows or above the break. This is where the opportunity costs arise: Many of Westbrook’s pull-up jumpers could instead be a Durant iso play or an Ibaka pick-and-pop. Durant is one of the most efficient scorers in the world, and when Westbrook is on the court he gets fewer touches and his usage goes down."


Now, to be fair, they make points as to why Westbrook is good for the team as well. However, in the best case scenario, they would replace him with a true PG, AND get a shooter to draw people off Durant.

Gary Payton Quote:

"“We don’t really have point guards in the NBA now. We really have (shooting) guards – and that’s a fact,” Payton said. “I think there’s only three true point guards that play like point guards. I think Chris Paul is one, I think (Rajon) Rondo is one, and I think Tony Parker is the other.”"

Keeping that in mind, building a more prototypical team in OKC (And the holligner estimates are broken atm, ignore them ((And no, not just because it goes against what I am trying to say lol))

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kxow8nf

So, obviously it wouldn't be exactly those players and all that, but a player LIKE affalo, good 3 point numbers, can't be left alone, COMBINED with a point guard, would be far, far superior to having Westbrook.


Why? (I normally wouldn't use bold for my own statements, but this is the biggest point of this post) Because that would allow one of the best, most efficient shooters in the game to shoot more, taking shots away from a streaky, below average shooter.

[Blueobelisk]

Sec I'll read through your stuff but damn stats.nba.com is pretty cool.

I wanna see the best duos/trios/5 man lineups overall :OOOO.

- - - Updated - - -

There's not a good metric to rank these lineups overall. I guess by points scored is most fun?

[Gumboy]

They are better and more efficient without westbrook on the court. Slightly worse defensivelly.

[anakin57]

Lifelong Bulls fan here - haven't been this excited for the season to start in, well, okay probably every year the last few years only to have it end in disappointment. I'm also interested to see how Cleveland puts it altogether, or how quickly.

[Gumboy]

Lifelong Bulls fan here - haven't been this excited for the season to start in, well, okay probably every year the last few years only to have it end in disappointment. I'm also interested to see how Cleveland puts it altogether, or how quickly.

I personally HOPE the bulls do well. I love Pau Gasol. Not getting my hopes up for Rose yet, sorry Rose fans, I'll come aroudn when he plays more then 20 games :P

[Jibjabb]

Lifelong Bulls fan here - haven't been this excited for the season to start in, well, okay probably every year the last few years only to have it end in disappointment. I'm also interested to see how Cleveland puts it altogether, or how quickly.

I was lookin at tickets and I was laughing at how I could get tickets to them playing the Mavs for 40 dollars. To see Cleveland? 160

[Gumboy]

I'd rather seem them play the Mavs! Western conference, CATCH THE FEVER!