The NBA Thread

DownIsTheNewUp said:
Canishoopus is my 2nd favorite basketball community on the internet and I also root for the Wolves. Really the only team I straught up root against from our division is Utah.

Meanwhile, I don't like rooting for OKC cause that team is stolen and the fanbase is hyper Republican... but I LOVE their young core so I'm on that bandwagon for now.
Click to expand...
Yeah, agreed - I’ve never rooted against the Blazers or Nuggets (the opposite, in fact), but the Jazz should give their name back to New Orleans.
One of my oldest buddies (both in length of friendship and age, now that I think about it ha) just accepted a position at UCO, so I am going to go visit and hit Thunder games with him. SGA is so fun to watch play basketball.
 
Psymon said:
the Jazz should give their name back to New Orleans.
Click to expand...
Just to add to this thought - I really do wish the New Orleans team had the Jazz name, and I love it when a city/franchise embraces a name that makes sense. Like, the Miami Heat is a great name, Orlando Magic makes sense with Disney World. If another Florida city had a team, they should be named the Sweat. One day, I hope to see KC get a team called the BBQ.
 
Psymon said:
Just to add to this thought - I really do wish the New Orleans team had the Jazz name, and I love it when a city/franchise embraces a name that makes sense. Like, the Miami Heat is a great name, Orlando Magic makes sense with Disney World. If another Florida city had a team, they should be named the Sweat. One day, I hope to see KC get a team called the BBQ.
Click to expand...

Well KC did have the Kings for like a decade before heading to Sacramento. They were originally the Royals but changed the name because of the baseball team. St. Louis also had the Hawks. Too bad the NBA couldn't stick in either city because I think they'd both be great basketball cities now.

I thought it was pretty awesome of New Orleans to return the Hornets name (and history) to Charlotte. I was gutted when the team was moved. It still doesn't really feel the same, lack of any playoff success over the last 19 years will do that, but nothing at all felt right about the Bobcats.

I think the Jazz have been in SLC long enough now that the name works now with the logos and other imagery. I also like the Pelicans name for NO. Unique name and logo and it is the state bird.
 
Psymon said:
Yeah, agreed - I’ve never rooted against the Blazers or Nuggets (the opposite, in fact), but the Jazz should give their name back to New Orleans.
One of my oldest buddies (both in length of friendship and age, now that I think about it ha) just accepted a position at UCO, so I am going to go visit and hit Thunder games with him. SGA is so fun to watch play basketball.
Click to expand...

So are Giddy and JDub
 
MikeH said:
Is he overrated? I mean, the guy scored the most points ever in a game 7 in the playoffs. He was a +5 last night and largely not the Celtics' problem. He's made big strides as a playmaker too. I'd say he is probably a top 10 player right now.

Definitely agree with the second half of your statement though. Playoff Jimmy is not to be fucked with. And Spo is somehow severely underrated every year. The Heat are not really your typical 8 seed. And a lot of pundits didn't seem to watch them and are just basing things on them being 8. They knocked out the best (or 2nd best) team in basketball and it wasn't even a close series. Have no clue what Grant Williams was thinking last night.
Click to expand...

People talk about Tatum like he is a clear cut, top 5 player. He is really good and probably top 10 but reminds me of a better defending Melo.

This is gonna be a weird night to reply to this considering he just had 33 & 7 but...

He is just average as a 3 point shooter and too often a poor playmaker and iffy decision maker for a #1 option. 4.6 assists which was a career high this year seems decent until you consider it came coupled with 3 turnovers per game. I'm not convinced he reads the game well.

But I also value playmaking more than most people. And maybe he just needs a better point guard than Smart next to him.
 
Last edited:
DownIsTheNewUp said:
People talk about Tatum like he is a clear cut, top 5 player. He is really good and probably top 10 but reminds me of a better defending Melo.

This is gonna be a weird night to reply to this considering he just had 33 & 7 but...

He is just average as a 3 point shooter and too often a poor playmaker and iffy decision maker for a #1 option. 4.6 assists which was a career high this year seems decent until you consider it came coupled with 3 turnovers per game. I'm not convinced he reads the game well.

But I also value playmaking more than most people. And maybe he just needs a better point guard than Smart next to him.
Click to expand...
I don’t know anybody that calls him top 5 outside or maybe Boston fans…he’s probably a top 10 guy though. People think guys like LeBron grow on trees. It’s pretty rare to have players who are good at everything, stay calm and collected and make good decisions in crunch time. I think Tatum has made big strides in playmaking but agree he makes too many mistakes late in games. Having an actual PG next to him would probably help.
 
MikeH said:
I don’t know anybody that calls him top 5 outside or maybe Boston fans…he’s probably a top 10 guy though. People think guys like LeBron grow on trees. It’s pretty rare to have players who are good at everything, stay calm and collected and make good decisions in crunch time. I think Tatum has made big strides in playmaking but agree he makes too many mistakes late in games. Having an actual PG next to him would probably help.
Click to expand...
Tatum is a guy who is Top 10 and has the talent to be Top 3, but too much variance.

I’d put Jokic, Giannis, Curry, KD, and Luka clearly ahead, with Tatum in the jumbled group that includes Embid, Dame, Booker, Kawhi (when healthy), AD, LeBron, and Butler.
 
wmeugene said:
Tatum is a guy who is Top 10 and has the talent to be Top 3, but too much variance.

I’d put Jokic, Giannis, Curry, KD, and Luka clearly ahead, with Tatum in the jumbled group that includes Embid, Dame, Booker, Kawhi (when healthy), AD, LeBron, and Butler.
Click to expand...
yea--i'd largely agree with that. I think AD disappears too much too though to make him top 10.
 
wmeugene said:
Tatum is a guy who is Top 10 and has the talent to be Top 3, but too much variance.

I’d put Jokic, Giannis, Curry, KD, and Luka clearly ahead, with Tatum in the jumbled group that includes Embid, Dame, Booker, Kawhi (when healthy), AD, LeBron, and Butler.
Click to expand...

I'd have him ahead of AD and would drop old KD to the second group but otherwise agree 100%

And maybe I just listen to too much ringer but it really feels like consensus is st along the lines of--

1) Giannis
2/3) Curry/Jokic
4) Luka
5/6/7) Embid / Tatum / KD

Drop off to everyone else.
 
wmeugene said:
Tatum is a guy who is Top 10 and has the talent to be Top 3, but too much variance.

I’d put Jokic, Giannis, Curry, KD, and Luka clearly ahead, with Tatum in the jumbled group that includes Embid, Dame, Booker, Kawhi (when healthy), AD, LeBron, and Butler.
Click to expand...
Ja would be in the discussion if he stopped play with guns while on social media.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Ja would be in the discussion if he stopped play with guns while on social media.
Click to expand...

Ja can't shoot or run a half court offense. Frankly, now that Jamal is healthy and playing like this, I *think* I'd rather have him than Ja regardless of the guns. Yes, I'm biased BUT:

Jamal is putting up 28/5.5/6 on 48/40/92 and averages 25/5/6 on 48/40/90 in the playoffs over his career... and that includes the 2018/19 run where he was a young 22 that drags things down. Ja's playoff averages are 27/7/8.5 BUT on pretty rough shooting splits... 45/46/77.

Part of the reason he isn't as prolific in the regular season is that the Nuggets run a team oriented, ball movement heavy style offense and only go to his and Jokic's two man game in the clutch. But he also averaged 23/5/5 on 50/43/88 in the 82 games leading up to the ACL injury. People only thought the bubble was a fluke because he had a rough first month of the season in 21' due to the shortened off season and an elbow injury. And then this year, he was coming off the ACL.

I think it's safe to say now that the bubble wasn't anything close to a fluke. Either way, I'd say him, Ja and Mitchell are ALL in that 3rd tier right below the 2nd one we've been discussing. + Jaylen Brown.
 
Last edited:
DownIsTheNewUp said:
Ja can't shoot or run a half court offense. Frankly, now that Jamal is healthy and playing like this, I think I'd rather have him than Ja regardless of the guns. Yes, I'm biased
Click to expand...
I just see Luca get thrown around a lot and he is phenomenal but his game still has holes as well. Lots of Luca being included in top 10s has to do with his potential and while I agree he is an amazing talent until Ja started making risky off court decisions he was right there with Luca.

Murray is really good when healthy and a great compliment to Jokic but if I was gonna build a team around a player starting today to lead my franchise I would take a (Non-Knucklehead version of) Ja over Murray 10 out of 10 times.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
I just see Luca get thrown around a lot and he is phenomenal but his game still has holes as well. Lots of Luca being included in top 10s has to do with his potential and while I agree he is an amazing talent until Ja started making risky off court decisions he was right there with Luca.

Murray is really good when healthy and a great compliment to Jokic but if I was gonna build a team around a player starting today to lead my franchise I would take a (Non-Knucklehead version of) Ja over Murray 10 out of 10 times.
Click to expand...

I understand your reasoning. I just remain extremely skeptical of a guard who can't shoot in the playoffs.

Ja destroys Jamal athletically and probably beats him as playmaker. Mal has him beat in regards to IQ, defense, footwork, off-ball everything and shooting.

I also firmly believe that if Mal hadn't gotten hurt he'd be mentioned in the same breath as Booker. And I'm taking Booker 100/100 times over Ja. Like Mal still doesn't have close to the burst he had before the ACL yet was just the first player to score 30+ ppg on 50/40/90 in WCF HISTORY. Yes, Jokic is part of that... but anyone who has watched our playoff run knows that the shots Mal takes are tough as hell and that he is a clear 1B in the playoffs. See the video above.

Meanwhile, Ja has helped the Grizzlies be a regular season powerhouse but is also the primary reason their half court offense is at the very bottom of the league year after year. And let me tell you as a longtime Nuggets fan, run & gun doesn't work in the playoffs.

We also disagree on Luka. Deeply. Dude's team was trash this year. It's also the first time the Mavericks haven't overachieved with Luka as the #1.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
I think we agree on Luka. We just disagree on our assessment of Ja in relation to Luka.
Click to expand...

I mean I would have Luka as a top 4 player.

1/2- Jokic/Giannis
3- Curry
4-Luka

I would have had Embid at #5 and want to give him the benefit of the doubt that it was the knee but might just go...
- small gap
All the other names we've been mentioning

But it does seem the bigger disagreement is Ja. I think he's a borderline top 20 player and not really even in the convo for top 10.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Okay, I guess we disagree then. I do not have him as top 5 yet but think he could get there.
Click to expand...

What's your top 15? I think mine goes something like:

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. Curry
—
4. Luka
—
5. Embid
6. Kawhi
7. Lebron
8. Jimmy
—
9. Tatum
10. Dame
11. Shai
12. KD
13. Booker
14. AD
—
15. Brown
16. Haliburton
17. Mitchell
18. Fox
19. Jamal
20. George

20—35
Ja
ANT
Trae
Garland
Jrue
Harden
Draymond
Lauri
Siakam
Bane
Bam
Bridges
Ingram
Wagner
Sabonis

* I refuse to include Zion because he never plays
 
Last edited:
DownIsTheNewUp said:
What's your top 15? I think mine goes something like:

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. Curry
—
4. Luka
—
5. Embid
6. Kawhi
7. Lebron
8. Jimmy
—
9. Tatum
10. Dame
11. Shai
12. KD
13. Booker
14. AD
—
15. Brown
16. Haliburton
17. Mitchell
18. Fox
19. Jamal
20. George

20—35
Ja
ANT
Trae
Garland
Jrue
Harden
Draymond
Lauri
Siakam
Bane
Bam
Bridges
Ingram
Wagner
Sabonis

* I refuse to include Zion because he never plays
Click to expand...
I don’t know…Off the top of my head…
Giannis
Embiid
Jokic
Curry
Jimmy Buckets
Tatum
Lebron
Kawhi
Luka
KD
AD
Ja
Fox
Mitchell
KAT
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top