News and Notes: Updated between Games

[AHF]

1 hour ago, MaceCase said:

It’s what happens when you get impatient with the established strategy and bring in not one but two questionable GMs that quickly worked to squander away most of the assets and flexibility acquired by the original GM. 

Thiiiiis.  Colango stepped into a fantastic situation and immediately began squandering it with bad choices based on the mantra that they couldn’t demonstrate any degree of patience and had to win right then.  Short sighted moves followed and now they may end up breaking up before accomplishing anything more than an ECF appearance. Tobias Harris, Fultz, etc. these were bad gambles that wasted the team’s highly desirable resources.

[macdaddy]

10 hours ago, AHF said:

Thiiiiis.  Colango stepped into a fantastic situation and immediately began squandering it with bad choices based on the mantra that they couldn’t demonstrate any degree of patience and had to win right then.  Short sighted moves followed and now they may end up breaking up before accomplishing anything more than an ECF appearance. Tobias Harris, Fultz, etc. these were bad gambles that wasted the team’s highly desirable resources.

[kg01]

Gotta love how all these 6er fans hated the Iguodala-led teams because "all" they ever did was get to the 2nd round.  And how that was NBA "purgatory".  So they go through a multi-year tear down and when they come out of it all they can do is not get to the 2nd round. 

It's like tearing down a 4 bedroom house to build a shoddy duplex and share it with your cousin Rick and his girlfriend and her 6 cats.

[JayBirdHawk]

49 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Gotta love how all these 6er fans hated the Iguodala-led teams because "all" they ever did was get to the 2nd round.  And how that was NBA "purgatory".  So they go through a multi-year tear down and when they come out of it all they can do is not get to the 2nd round. 

It's like tearing down a 4 bedroom house to build a shoddy duplex and share it with your cousin Rick and his girlfriend and her 6 cats.

They were in a good place at the end of last year.  They needed shooters like Reddick and guard play that can get Embiid the ball.

Instead they waaay overspent on Tobias and Horford, instead of building around the periphery of their two stars strengths and weaknesses.

[kg01]

23 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

They were in a good place at the end of last year.  They needed shooters like Reddick and guard play that can get Embiid the ball.

Instead they waaay overspent on Tobias and Horford, instead of building around the periphery of their two stars strengths and weaknesses.

They 2K'd themselves.  Going after names instead of actually building a team.  Doesn't bode well for them in the future.

[AHF]

17 minutes ago, kg01 said:

They 2K'd themselves.  Going after names instead of actually building a team.  Doesn't bode well for them in the future.

It wasn't hard to see at the time either:

 

On 6/30/2019 at 6:12 PM, pimp said:

Adrian Wojnarowski

 

@wojespn

· 1m

Free agent forward Tobias Harris has agreed to a five-year, $180M contract to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent and father, Torrel Harris of Unique Sports Management, tells ESPN.

 

On 6/30/2019 at 6:34 PM, AHF said:

Knew it would be an ugly overpay but this exceeds my expectations.  Harris has never been a difference maker.  They better hope he has another gear or two.

 

[kg01]

20 minutes ago, AHF said:

It wasn't hard to see at the time either:

 

 

do you have to pop your elbow outta joint to pat yourself that hard on the back? 

[AHF]

3 minutes ago, kg01 said:

do you have to pop your elbow outta joint to pat yourself that hard on the back? 

It is amazing to me that they invested so much in Harris.  He is just Thaddeus Young 2.0 or Harrison Barnes 2.0.  A guy who puts up decent numbers but makes very little difference to the team's success.  Letting Butler go to keep someone like that is head scratching.

[RedDawg#8]

The biggest and best difference between our rebuild and theirs so far, is that the moment we knew what we had in Trae we decided to only add the best talent that also compliments him. Its been length and defense since last offseason. So, at the very least we know that the players will fit with one another. We have a core group that is its own self contained lineup and can grow together.

People calling for TS have to realize that if we change GM's, we run the same risk of a new voice blowing up the work that was done before seeing it all the way through. TS deserves to see how far this core can climb together before we consider a regime change

[MaceCase]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

It is amazing to me that they invested so much in Harris.  He is just Thaddeus Young 2.0 or Harrison Barnes 2.0.  A guy who puts up decent numbers but makes very little difference to the team's success.  Letting Butler go to keep someone like that is head scratching.

I’m at the point where I throw my hands up and just say “Duke GMs.”

[benhillboy]

Al got benched for Matisse Thybulle in the playoffs but you still gotta finish paying him $26.5 almost 3 years from now.  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Quote

During the 2019-20 season, Young averaged almost 30 points and 10 assists per game, benchmarks second-year guards do not come close to reaching (even the very high majority of first-ballot Hall of Famers). At age 21, he outperformed Murray and Mitchell in the regular season in the following categories: points per game, assists per game, usage rate, true shooting, assist percentage (literally doubled their output in this area), offensive rating, win shares, free throw rate (again, twice as good as Murray or Mitchell this season in this area) and three-point attempt rate. He was the most dangerous of the three weapons offensively, more efficient on higher usage.

Atlanta’s 114 offensive rating with Young on the floor surpassing Murray (112) or Mitchell’s (111) number, despite having far less talent around him is a feat unto itself. His second option, John Collins, missed 25 games due to suspension, so it’s hard to even fathom how good his offensive rating would have been in a full season with Jokic or Gobert, not to mention the rest of the depth on those respective units.

Despite Young’s struggles to find wins early in his career, he should be able to mirror, if not surpass, the individual performances of Mitchell and Murray in a playoff setting. He would be playing more minutes, ideally taking on a higher usage rate than he would in the regular season. There are skeptics of Young’s ability to win at this point in his career, which honestly seems silly given the lack of talent and experience that has surrounded him through his first two seasons.

Murray and Mitchell were drafted into more advantageous situations and into programs that were much closer to competing.

I'm not sure how to view the Bubble scoring. Players aren't traveling and playing in opposing arenas, so I think that's a factor. I also think the long break had an effect on defensive continuity for teams.

[thecampster]

On 8/25/2020 at 11:53 AM, kg01 said:

do you have to pop your elbow outta joint to pat yourself that hard on the back? 

There is no shame in a little self gratification.....uhm...check that.

[RedDawg#8]

Quote

This should be Atlanta’s goal going forward — a great offense and a league average defense. The reality is, playing Young 75% (or more) of the time is going to have a negative impact on your defense. Digging into the numbers, Atlanta was basically a slightly below average team with Young on the floor overall (-3 net rating), but crunching those to just core lineups and returning players makes the net number closer to +5

Same article

I found the bolded part to be of particular interest. Not even accounting for natural talent/chemistry improvement amongst the returning guys, If you find a way to only add other Net Positive players, this team should really take flight next year. 

That core lineup isnt enough on its own, but its a really good sign that they played so well with each other.

[marco102]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Same article

I found the bolded part to be of particular interest. Not even accounting for natural talent/chemistry improvement amongst the returning guys, If you find a way to only add other Net Positive players, this team should really take flight next year. 

That core lineup isnt enough on its own, but its a really good sign that they played so well with each other.

Thanks Travis!

[bleachkit]

Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash has signed a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. Jacque Vaughn will stay as the lead assistant and become the league’s best compensated assistant coach, sources tell ESPN.

 

Adrian Wojn

[bird_dirt]

56 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash has signed a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. Jacque Vaughn will stay as the lead assistant and become the league’s best compensated assistant coach, sources tell ESPN.

 

Adrian Wojn

Steve Nash 'bout to sell a ton of his fast casual coaches shoes now.

[macdaddy]

19 minutes ago, bird_dirt said:

Steve Nash 'bout to sell a ton of his fast casual coaches shoes now.

Internet: won!  

rofl

[bleachkit]

Well If CLP ever gets fired, we know where he's going.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Quote

I know this isn’t a fair comparison, but based on how Cam Reddish performed during his rookie, where would you rank him in this draft?Really, the only player I would have over him is LaMelo Ball. Dynamic lead guards are so valuable in today’s game, and Ball is going to walk into the league and immediately be one of the top distributors. Out of the wings projected in the lottery, I wouldn’t take Anthony Edwards, the projected top pick, over Reddish. Deni Avdija, Isaac Okoro and Devin Vassell are all solid, but I don’t see star potential for them. I still see that in Reddish if he reaches his highest potential outcome.

I understand why you get Stanley Johnson vibes from Okoro. From evaluators I trust, they see more out of him than Johnson. He’s strong and quick enough to guard the LeBrons, Kawhis, Lukas, Tatums of the league, and the Hawks could use another strong defender. Okoro is also really good finishing at the rim, which is something Reddish, De’Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter aren’t good at yet. Once Okoro improves his ballhandling, I do believe he’ll have the chance to develop into a trusted creator.

His shot is obviously his biggest unknown. If it doesn’t come around, he’s not a threat off the dribble, and the spacing, especially while playing with Clint Capela, is quite bad, and there’s a chance the offense could look clunky. If he gets to league average from 3, I do see him being an excellent pick. Those I trust believe he’s such a hard worker that he’s going to improve as a shooter.

 

Quote

What is your opinion on Hunter? He was one of the best rookies in the NBA last year, but it seems as if not a lot of people (even Hawks fans) talk about him enough/give his credit due. I think he’ll be one of those glue guys, such as Marcus Smart and Draymond Green. Do you think he has All-Star potential? — Kingston H.

He wasn’t necessarily one of the best rookies this season, and neither was Reddish. I’d be surprised if either of them makes one of the All-Rookie teams, which means they weren’t one of the 10 best rookies. Reddish does have more potential, but if we’re just evaluating them for their rookie seasons, in totality, they were just OK.

I think out of the “Core Five” players, Hunter has the lowest ceiling in the group. I don’t see All-Star potential. I see a role player whose ceiling is third-best starter. Hunter will help the Hawks win many games, however, if his shooting continues and the defensive ability he showed at Virginia comes through.

I’m interested to see if he looks more comfortable in a backup four-man role because he’s not the quickest laterally and struggled against smaller wings. The Hawks’ best lineup this season was with Hunter at the four and Collins at the five. Depending on what the Hawks do to improve their roster this offseason, Hunter likely will get minutes at the three and four, but I believe more of his minutes should be played in the frontcourt.

Hunter’s offense was encouraging in his rookie season. He made 35.5 percent of his 3-point shots on nearly five attempts per game. That percentage should continue progressing as he gets more comfortable in the league and that his ability to knock down shots provides value for this team. He struggled to get to the rim, making only 48 percent of his attempts at the rim in the half court, according to Synergy. He also didn’t show much playmaking or flash potential in growing into a trusted second or third playmaker.

Nothing Hunter showed should cause anyone concern, but he’s more of a good rotational piece than a player you can count on to build around.