randawg91

It really was unbelievable how much they showed him last night

We might need a big, but honestly if we're just going for a tall defensive center, then we should just try our luck with Tavares. The only bigs I see that would really fit our system would be Lopez, Aldridge or Gasol, and those would only be necessary if we didn't sign Millsap. All in all, I think we need a SF

Walking in now. Was at the mudfest Sweetwater

Nm about to be in line for 20 minutes

People, Hotlanta is trolling. There's no way he's being serious here. 

If so, when would we find out?

The value of the TV deal will absolutely affect the purchase price of the franchise.  While the total spend on salaries is nearly fixed under the current CBA, the TV deal would go to how much money the team makes above expenses and a sub-market deal definitely impairs the value of the franchise just like a lucrative one boosts the team's value.

Yep that makes more sense than my response, I read his post as asking whether or not it would affect our on court performance. The value of our TV deal directly and substantially affects our team's value, but I don't think that it makes a big difference in terms of how we perform (thankfully)

I doubt it tbh. Unlike MLB, NBA has a pretty hard cap on how much you can spend. Pretty much all NBA teams will spend that allotted money if it will make the team better. 

Dang. That really is gonna hurt against GSW

I don't know "Saturn"...you have posted once or twice and I have followed this team for many years and posted over eleven thousand times.  What do you really think?  I am not one to welcome a stranger without a pedigree.

 

Personally I think we p!ssed away our future with BK (and are finally getting back "on keel") and our ownership is borderline at best.  What do you think about that?

 

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Wtf? Where did that come from?

Not a birthmark bro, this article actually talks about it.

 

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-Schröder-has-traveled-far-in-year/njfS6/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajcpremium#282b50a6.257061.735601

 

"When Schröder did show up on this continent, the only thing distinctive about him was a square of gold dyed into his dark hair. It certainly set him apart, which was his mother’s idea from the beginning. In Germany, she used to run a hair salon, and it was her vision to color Dennis entirely blond. He balked. The unique spot treatment was the product of intense negotiation and compromise."

Haha well I know a lot of people have grey patches of hair that are birthmarks, didn't know if that might be the case here. Thanks! 

Just wonderin 

Well, most of the hate when Kendrick Perkins is on a team is directed at Kendrick Perkins. They weren't pleased with their whole front, but a majority of them seemed to realize our Bigs' skill set is a mismatch for what they have.

Bud tends to make opposing fans hate their coaches for that particular night, nothing new there. They'll love him the next game. Every coach experiences matchup and lineup issues against us according to the fans, go figure. It's funny how they always have the answers, though. Its interesting becuase usually it's some DNP'd journeyman in the doghouse they think would've done better. After they debate why said player didn't play more, the trade proposals start rolling in. That's the best part. Especially when their rosters are upwards of $20 million more expensive than ours, still looking for those one or two pieces, smh.

They were lukewarm on KD's performance, most have no problem with Westbrook's mistakes becuase he plays with so much fire all the time.

Their issue isn't Westbrook and Jackson, but Waiters and Jackson. They apparently are totally unable to play together. I haven't seen any evidence that Waiters can play with anyone. You can't find a way to succeed as an off guard with LeBron you're a lost cause.

They were disappointed only one player met with Thabo after the game (I forgot who, but I think KD). Thabo is a class act and deserved better. Russ apparently didn't care for Thabo in their time together. Kinda tells you about Westbrook's character and their whole team I guess: Thabo is beloved in our locker room.

Other than that, all the usual "we got out-coached", "they move the ball so well", "all 5 guys can shoot," "Spurs East," "ECF" talk.

Great post, it was Ibaka that met with him though

Hahah wow that was freakin hilarious. "For the love of all that's holy"

Great, great write up. 

Sorry, the link to the video doesn't really work with how they set up their website. In that video, after Bud is done talking, it cuts to Korver talking about him as a coach. Just some incredibly strong statements on his behalf. Said that he's the best coach he's ever been around, that he gets the X's and O's, but also understands the personal relationship side with the players, and also that players just LOVE playing here. Obviously just reiterating what we all think, but it's nice to hear it from a player.

Bulls are still the biggest threat imo. We won by a good margin, but that was still a tough game. 

Also notice how often announcers now praise Schröder, mainly for there being no drop-off in the pressure department.

Yep, he's awesome for his on-ball D and for driving to the rim. I just wish he ran the offense a little bit better, sometimes it feels like he's looking to get to the rim a little too much. Definitely being nitpicky though 

Eh, they actually covered us pretty well last night on SC. After showing our highlights, then an interview of Horf, they had a "Are Hawks really this good?" discussion. They all said yes.

Wow, he's just dishing out HUGE praise for our squad. Serious respect from a great coach.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4717114/copy-machine-cs-want-to-soar-like-hawks?ex_cid=espnapi_public

Copy Machine? C's Want to Soar Like Hawks

BOSTON -- You get the sense that Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been watching a lot of Atlanta Hawks games, and not just to check in on former Butler University pupil Shelvin Mack. 

Stevens flat-out gushes when he talks about the Hawks and the inspired brand of basketball they've played since the end of last season. In a way, Atlanta offers a bit of a blueprint on how a superstar-less team can thrive with pure team basketball. 

Atlanta showcased that Wednesday night as part of a 105-91 triumph at TD Garden in which it rested starters Al Horford and Kyle Korver, two of its most skilled individual players. The Hawks have won 24 of their last 26 games, own a four-game lead atop the Eastern Conference and have the second-best record in basketball behind Golden State. 

As Boston overhauls its roster, having already shipped out stars Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green as part of an in-season change to its rebuilding direction, Stevens was asked if the Hawks serve as a bit of a guide on how to win without elite talent. 

“I think you have to look and redefine who the superstars are with our own eyes every day," Stevens said. "And so I would argue that they’ve got a couple of guys on their way, and I don’t know what qualifies as a superstar but I know this: Nobody in the league can keep Jeff Teaguein front of them. Nobody. And [Dennis] Schröder -- I’m not saying he’s a superstar yet; he’s a young kid -- but nobody can keep him in front of them. And then they space it with shooters. So now it’s a basketball team, right? 

"And [Paul] Millsap’s been an All-Star. [Al] Horford didn’t play tonight, he’s been an All-Star. [Kyle] Korver didn’t play tonight, he’s a really good player. So they’ve got a great group and it fits well, and you might have a budding superstar in that group, right? 
 

"The other thing that I’d say about them that stands out, that jumps off the page -- jumps on the page when you’re coaching against them, jumps off the page when you’re watching film -- big-time savvy. The game comesreally easy to them. It’s slow on defense; they can see things coming. They play well together. They know the biggest threats; they react to the biggest threats. And offense, they stay spaced and make the right basketball play time and again. 

"I agree with you that the superstar thing is a big part of this, but there’s something to be said about a group that just -- it’s like a machine. I mean, they’re a machine. They’ve really got a good thing going already." 

No one appreciates the beauty of team basketball more than Stevens, and he already had spent much of his pregame chat with reporters raving about the Hawks, their "connected" play, their "team-ness" and how "unselfish" they are. 

Stevens often is effusive in his praise of opponents, but he went out of his way to praise Atlanta's brand of ball. He said his coaching staff even used the Hawks as a bit of a target for Boston's own young players. 

"We had a long talk [Wednesday] as a staff, we all want these guys to all be able to do things that the Teagues, the Korvers and those guys do on an every-night basis," Stevens said. "I think that’s part of the process." 

If the Celtics are looking for a blueprint to follow as part of their own rebuild -- both on the court and with roster construction -- they would be wise to examine what Atlanta has done. 

On the court, the Hawks run the motion-heavy, pass-happy, up-tempo offense that Stevens desires from his team. Defensively, the Hawks put themselves in all the right spots and work together to cover missteps, while adding some physicality despite their lack of front-line size. 

"They just play the right way," Stevens said. "Defensively, they are very connected. They play very hard and the numbers bear that out. And, offensively, I think they are one of the elite teams in the league, just because of the way they spread the floor, the multiple skilled bigs that they have that allow them to play -- either with rolling, but also with driving and spacing. Then you’ve got guards, you’ve got two guards that can get wherever they want to go with the ball. And then guys that can shoot around them. Heck of a mix." 

So how did the Hawks get where they are? There was a lot of maneuvering necessary when general manager Danny Ferry took over a team that was stuck in a vicious cycle of early playoff defeats. But here's a snapshot at how this year's team was constructed: 

The fact that the Hawks have only one high-lottery player -- Horford -- is an encouraging sign for Boston. The Celtics have a treasure chest of future draft picks, but naysayers often lament that few of those picks even have potential to be lottery selections. 

The Hawks' roster construction shows that talent can be found all over the draft. What's more important is finding the right mix of players at the right value, regardless whether you draft and develop those bodies or seek them via the trade route. 

Atlanta even struck out at times in its recent pursuits of big-ticket free agents and it might have been the best thing to happen to the team. It gave the right coach the right mix of young, hungry players who have thrived since the end of last season. 

Boston's stash of picks and looming cap space will give the Celtics a similar freedom while attempting to build. The Hawks are a reminder that you don't necessarily have to hit a home run in free agency, but a couple of doubles or triples along the way with some of the less-marquee names helps put runs on the board. 

After Wednesday's game, Avery Bradley came away echoing his coach's sentiments when he said, "They're like a machine." 

The Celtics don't necessarily have to follow the exact same blueprint, but in a lot of ways it wouldn't be bad to be a copy machine.

Yeah, it's tough because there are several variables. I think the fact that Korver has the best 3pt% of any shooter on the all time 3's list (barely edges out Steve Nash, but is considerably better than allen and miller fyi) is pretty telling. Also, he has the highest free throw % so far this season, but curry is right behind him so that's not really too convincing. Sadly, I haven't found a great site for advanced stats like they have for baseball 

My friend says that Steph Curry is. Now, there's no doubt that Curry is the better player. Korver has a waaaayyyy higher fg%, but my friend's point is that Curry makes a ton of his own shots, which is valid. Do y'all have any stats or articles to help me out? Maybe something like Korver having a better catch and shoot percentage? Thanks!

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12141574/nba-why-kyle-lowry-best-pg-east

Basically says that Lowry is the best PG in the east, but that it's a toss up between Wall and Teague after that. Has some good stats in it imo. 

A New Top PG in The East

If you're a believer that the NBA is a point guard league, the Eastern Conference standings provide strong evidence for your position. Of the top four teams in the East, three are led in scoring by their point guards. The one exception (the Chicago Bulls, where Derrick Rose is third in scoring) has a former MVP at the position. And the team in fifth, the Cleveland Cavaliers, have an All-Star point guard in Kyrie Irving.

But who's the best of the group? Let's take a deep look inside the numbers to find the East's top point guard.

Scoring

I find it instructive to graph the two primary elements of scoring -- efficiency, as measured by true shooting percentage, and volume, as measured by usage rate -- to see how players compare.

 

Kevin Pelton

 

I've included league averages for both categories, as well as a line showing the typical tradeoff between usage and TS% for an average player. As has become typical for modern point guards -- who finish a higher percentage of their team's plays with a shot, trip to the free throw line or turnover than any other position -- 12 of the East's 15 primary starting point guards are average or higher in usage.

Four players are above average in both efficiency and usage: Irving, Brandon Knight, Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague. Of these, Teague best combines both elements of scoring. He's got the highest TS% in the group (.604) while using plays only slightly less frequently than the other efficient high-scorers, Knight and Lowry. Teague may not be able to keep this up -- his TS% last year was just .541 -- but for now, he's the best scoring point guard in the East.

Playmaking

Let's take a look at a few key statistics for the top playmakers, ranked by John Hollinger's pure point rating (in this case, calculated by assist rate * 2/3 - turnovers per 100 team plays).

 

 

East PG Playmaking Stats Player Team Ast% TO% PPR John Wall WAS .132 .186 .041 Kyle Lowry TOR .099 .112 .036 Brandon Jennings DET .099 .137 .031 Deron Williams BKN .093 .147 .028 Jeff Teague ATL .103 .163 .027 Kemba Walker CHA .070 .082 .026

 

 

As the eye test would suggest, John Wall is far and away the top playmaker in this group. Lowry stands out in pure point rating because he's so sure-handed. That also works to the benefit of Kemba Walker, who is below average as a distributor but turns the ball over less than half as frequently per play as Wall.

SportVU data available on NBA.com/Stats suggests Lowry might be a tad overrated as a passer, since he generates relatively few secondary (i.e. hockey) assists. Intriguingly, Michael Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers actually rates third in assist opportunities (passes that would be assists if the shot were made) per play. While it's tough to say how much that ratio reflects the point guard's passing as compared to the shooting of his teammates, in Carter-Williams' case it's clear that the poor team around him is costing him assists.

Defense

 

 

East PG Defensive RPM Player Team 13-14 14-15 John Wall WAS -0.4 2.2 Elfrid Payton ORL - 1.8 Michael Carter-Williams PHI -2.1 1.1 C.J. Watson IND -0.9 1.04 Jeff Teague ATL -0.8 0.5 Kyle Lowry TOR 0.4 0.3 Mario Chalmers MIA 0.8 0.0

 

 

The chart at right summarizes defensive real plus-minus (RPM) leaders from this season among East point guards. Including 2013-14 ratings highlights how noisy these figures can be over a small sample. It's reasonable to conclude that Mario Chalmers, Lowry, Teague and Wall are all near the top of this group based on their consistent success.

According to NBA.com/Stats, the Wizards are allowing 12.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with Wall on the floor this season, the largest gap for any of their starters. Wall seems to have harnessed his athleticism defensively, and he's got the best steal rate of this group. (Chalmers and Payton are tied for second.) Lowry is a physical defender who compensates with strength for his small stature, Teague a good recovery defender and Chalmers a talented (albeit often frustrating) freelancer.

Ultimately, the best defender of the group might be Elfrid Payton, who has proved a quick study as a rookie. Thanks to his pressure defense, the Magic's defensive rating is 5.6 points lower with him at the point.

Overall

Putting these categories together, let's see how these players rate in a variety of all-in-one stats:

• PER (per-minute)
• Win shares (value)
• RPM (per-minute)
• Win% (per-minute)
• WARP (value)

 

 

East PG Value Stats Player Team PER WS RPM Win% WARP Kyle Lowry TOR 24.1 5.5 6.3 .683 6.6 John Wall WAS 20.9 3.9 4.7 .642 5.9 Jeff Teague ATL 22.8 4.4 2.7 .653 5.0 Kemba Walker CHA 18.5 3.2 1.5 .577 4.5 Brandon Knight MIL 18.5 3.2 -0.8 .587 4.3 Kyrie Irving CLE 19.6 3.9 2.6 .551 3.6 Brandon Jennings DET 18.1 2.2 2.4 .567 2.9 Deron Williams BKN 16.8 2.4 1.5 .538 2.6

 

 

While the various statistics put these players in slightly different order, they're in agreement about the best point guard in the East. In a conference with three former No. 1 overall picks at the position, it's Lowry (taken 24th overall in 2006, 17 picks behind Villanova teammate Randy Foye) who has emerged as the best point guard. Lowry has the most complete game of the group, and has carried the Raptors near the top of the East without DeMar DeRozan. Remarkably, Lowry has never been an All-Star, but that oversight should be corrected soon.

Picking between Wall and Teague is more a matter of taste over the first half of this season, as different metrics favor different players. I'd lean in Wall's direction because of his superiority as a playmaker and defender and the likelihood that Teague falls off his current scoring pace. Still, Teague has proved that he deserves his first selection to the All-Star team as the leader of the East's best team.

An All-Star a year ago, Irving hasn't merited a return trip. Moving to a smaller role alongsideLeBron James and Kevin Love hasn't boosted Irving's efficiency as a scorer as much as anticipated, and he remains a below-average defender. Statistically, he's struggled to distinguish himself from other score-first East point guards like Knight and Walker.

Because I honestly don't know, in what ways has ASG been such a bad ownership group?