Dodging Bullets....

[Diesel]

 

I will say it.   The Hawks dodged a bullet with Siakam.  Siakam is who we thought he was.  He's a high usage player and it's effecting the Pacers and more importantly Haliburton.   Hali's nimbers are going down.   The Pacers are 11-11 since Siakam got there.    Siakam's usage with the Pacers is 23.5%.   Had Siakam come here, he would have disrupted our offense as well and would not have improved winning.   He would have stunted JJ's growth.   JJ will be a better player once he learned to play defense better. 

[shakes]

@Diesel is Jamaaliver on RGM?   I didn't know that lol.

[kg01]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

 

I will say it.   The Hawks dodged a bullet with Siakam.  Siakam is who we thought he was.  He's a high usage player and it's effecting the Pacers and more importantly Haliburton.   Hali's nimbers are going down.   The Pacers are 11-11 since Siakam got there.    Siakam's usage with the Pacers is 23.5%.   Had Siakam come here, he would have disrupted our offense as well and would not have improved winning.   He would have stunted JJ's growth.   JJ will be a better player once he learned to play defense better. 

So much here.  Legit questions raised.

I suspect Siakim would've been fine here.  Mainly because we have a pg capable of elevating others and isn't just out there runnin 'n gunnin. 

Do i need to repeat that in case folks didnt catch where the shade was directed?

Moving on ...

I do think Siakim wouldve blocked JJ a bit, but I could also see them playing well off each other.

All in all, I think the issue there is more with their lead guard, system, and the league catching up to what they're doing.

38 minutes ago, shakes said:

@Diesel is Jamaaliver on RGM?   I didn't know that lol.

Dies-o is nowhere near as joyless as that guy.

And, yes, I know he's reading this.  

[JayBirdHawk]

They started off with a blistering pace on offense that most teams weren't prepared for. Teams now have tape.

I think they also miss Buddy Heild for how their offense operated, he got the ball, he shot the ball. 

The no defense is also catching up to them.

[JayBirdHawk]

Indy fans saying he's (Hali) still struggling from his hamstring injury, but playing to get to the 65 game threshold to qualify for All NBA to secure his Designated Rookie Max extension...an additional ~$40 mil or so.

 

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Indy fans saying he's (Hali) still struggling from his hamstring injury, but playing to get to the 65 game threshold to qualify for All NBA to secure his Designated Rookie Max extension...an additional ~$40 mil or so.

 

$40M is a good reason to play through a tight hamstring for a little while.

[warcore]

I've always felt this way. So glad it's Indy's problem. They've locked themselves onto the hamster wheel with us. 

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, shakes said:

@Diesel is Jamaaliver on RGM?   I didn't know that lol.

Been a minute since I've been on RGM... ON RGM.. I'm still Diesel.   Not exactly sure who Jamaaliver is...  However, if he agrees with me about Siakam... Cool. 

 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

They started off with a blistering pace on offense that most teams weren't prepared for. Teams now have tape.

I think they also miss Buddy Heild for how their offense operated, he got the ball, he shot the ball. 

The no defense is also catching up to them.

I agree with several points here... especially the Buddy Heild one.  For that run and gun offense to flourish, they needed that unconscious shooter who can hit better than 41% of his threes.  But when you watch, they have slowed down a lot... I don't think it's because teams have watched the tapes though... I think it's because Siakam slows them down.   He will be a FA in the offseason.  It will be interesting to see how Indy votes on him. 

 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Indy fans saying he's (Hali) still struggling from his hamstring injury, but playing to get to the 65 game threshold to qualify for All NBA to secure his Designated Rookie Max extension...an additional ~$40 mil or so.

 

Yeah, I heard somebody say he's making Hunter like mistakes with his longterm health.  Maybe this causes him to defer more.   Point is.. Indy is not a Playoff threat. 

[shakes]

29 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Been a minute since I've been on RGM... ON RGM.. I'm still Diesel.   Not exactly sure who Jamaaliver is...  However, if he agrees with me about Siakam... Cool. 

 

he posted the exact same two Haliburton images as you did at nearly the same time.   

[Diesel]

25 minutes ago, shakes said:

he posted the exact same two Haliburton images as you did at nearly the same time.   

Ok.. He posted one of the same as I did.  I borrowed that one.  However, he didn't do the other because I Statmused that one myself.  But he does have a lot of posts over there.   He may be the bizarro in this multiverse. He had no commentary though.

 

 

[RedDawg#8]

Everything is all fun and games until teams start getting the ball out of your best player's hands.

Welcome to stardom Hali, no more one on one all game. Keep up that insane shooting my guy!

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Everything is all fun and games until teams start getting the ball out of your best player's hands.

Welcome to stardom Hali, no more one on one all game. Keep up that insane shooting my guy!

You can save this post til the playoffs.   When the playoffs come, they will test his handle.  I expect him to see more traps than he ever has...because he's kinda suspect. 

 

[kg01]

6 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Indy fans saying he's (Hali) still struggling from his hamstring injury, but playing to get to the 65 game threshold to qualify for All NBA to secure his Designated Rookie Max extension...an additional ~$40 mil or so.

 

Ah so, as was the case when he didn't wanna play with Trae (or Fox, if we're being honest), he's showing himself to be selfish.  Mmkay...

(Hater of the year trophy stays with kg, folx) 

27 minutes ago, Diesel said:

You can save this post til the playoffs.   When the playoffs come, they will test his handle.  I expect him to see more traps than he ever has...because he's kinda suspect. 

 

He got that Dejounte handle.  The uninitiated won't see it until he sees traps.

Then the excuse-makers will blame his teammates..... 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

He got that Dejounte handle.  The uninitiated won't see it until he sees traps.

Then the excuse-makers will blame his teammates..... 

I am a fan of PG who can dribble... like Kyrie for instance.  Hali and DJ falls into the category of loose dribble.  I don't know if you can train it away.   It limits DJ so much and will limit Hali too.   Defensive coordinators from playoff teams are watching Hali and rubbing their hands.  He got a taste in the playin chip vs. the Lakers.   They pressed him a little and he had trouble getting the ball up the court.  Thibs and Spoelstra has to be looking with a gleam in their eye and a smile on their face and their cheeks sangrin.    Those guys found that they couldn't easily trap Trae.   Trae's dribble is pure and his passing is way too good.   So instead, Spoelstra decided to trap him with goons and shade the 2ndary and 3rd pass options.   Because our team did not believe in moving to the ball on a trap.. what Miami did worked.   Sure it left 2 guys wide open but with nobody moving to the ball, it was hard to get the ball to those two.  That's why Hunter killed in the final game of the Miami series.  We finally got the ball to him and he had wide open drives to the hoop and wide open shots from the corner.   But it wasn't enough. 

Yeah.. Hali is in for it.   I'm going to make sure I watch all 4 of Indiana's playoff games.  Unless they don't stop free falling.