Your official BigBasketball 2015/16 NBA season preview - now with 15% more childish humour

[Drumroe]

Gordon is a big x factor for them. Was dominant in summer league, not that it means much. Has alot of tools to fit really well as a small ball 4

 

[thegrach]

An island of tranquility amid the maelstrom of these chaotic times.

That is magnificent

 

[stewie griffen]

On an indirect note, if anyone would be interested in some fantasy basketball related shenanigans may i draw your attention here.

Apologies for the intrusion

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/mead-meltdown-league-2014-15.1079025/page-31#post-41049277

 

[Son of Skeletor]

2014/15 Record: 46-36 (2nd in Southeast, 5th in East), lost 4-2 to Hawks in second round

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #22 offensively, ranked #5 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: John Wall (17.6 ppg), Marcin Gortat (8.7 rpg), John Wall (10.0 apg)


In the House: Alan Anderson (1/4), Gary Neal (1/2), Jared Dudley (trade), Ish Smith (1/min)

Voted Out: Paul Pierce (Clippers), Kevin Seraphin (Knicks), Rasual Butler (tbd)

Draft: F Kelly Oubre (#15), F Aaron White (#49)

Notable: Re-signed Drew Gooden (1/3), yet to reach early extension with Brad Beal


The Lowdown

The girl with the curl will be back to tease us once more in 2015/16.

Few teams confound expectations as often as these Wizards. Just when you think this talented bunch has figured it out, they'll go and lose five on the bounce. A team that was riding high on the back of an impressive playoff run in 2014 started off with a solid enough 29-13 record. They then however proceeded to falter down the stretch, losing by 40 to Brooklyn and well as falling to the Sixers, Wolves and Pistons in the space of a week.

Understandably written off as pretenders on the back of that maddening inconsistency, Washington of course promptly swept the Raptors before giving the Hawks all they could handle in the second round. So what gives? Are these guys a conference power in waiting, or merely a mermaid's siren song?

Looking at Washington's season stats, it's pretty clear where the improvement must come from in the short term if the Wizards want to take the mantle as Cleveland's biggest challengers in the East. The Wiz have been a top-10 defensive team for three straight years, but under Randy Wittman the offence is unforgettable in name only. A team with the variety of weapons that Washington boast simply shouldn't rank in the bottom quarter of the league. They don't get to the free throw line or shoot the three enough, while they turn over the ball too much - in short the Wizards numbers suggest congestion and confusion at the offensive end, hence 'clogged toilet'.

Long term, the Wiz will be counting upon incremental improvements in the games of their trio of former high lottery picks: John Wall,& Brad Beal & Otto Porter. The good news for them is that glimpses of this young core's potential were very evident during the 2015 playoffs. Whether tomorrow's potential has shone bright enough in DC to catch the attention of certain others will be the over-arching story-line for Washington this season.

The girl with the curl has some serious flirting to do in 2016, and needs to be on her best behaviour... unclogging that toilet would be a good place to start.

The Roster

GUARD: Charles Barkley's anointed 'Best Backcourt in the League' return for their fourth season together.

Wall probably had his best pro season in 2014-15, handing out double-digit assists and being voted onto the All-Defensive team (somewhat controversially he missed all-NBA selection). His turnovers numbers are still a little higher than the Wizards would like, and an increase in shot attempts at the rim would probably increase his overall efficiency - both these quibbles might be a question of 'chicken and egg' vis a vis the Wizards' lack of spacing. If anyone stands to benefit from the potential unclogging of the Washington toilet, it's Wall.

Brad Beal meanwhile faces a momentous 2015/16 season, not least because the Wizards (very likely with an eye to 2016 FA) have yet to throw a lucrative extension his way. We'll start with positives - Beal's a wonderful catch and shoot weapon, who (much like his team) has shown a propensity to step up his game in the playoffs.




The bad news is that Beal (much like his team) has also developed the bad habit of falling in love with the mid-range jumper, a below-average NBA shot that he's demonstrated below-average talent in making consistently. The simple solution to a more efficient offence would seem to involve having Beal shooting more threes off assists and less pull-up twos. Unfortunately Washington also badly need a consistent second source of offence besides Wall, and they lack any go-to options up front. With Pierce's departure, the pressure falls squarely on Beal's young shoulders - his task therefore is not an easy one. He needs to develop his dribble-drive game while reducing the number of inefficient pull-up jumpers he takes - a delicate balance to get right. Promisingly, he did demonstrate playmaking potential when Wall went down during the playoffs.

As far as depth goes, Ramon Sessions did OK late-season after a horrible few months in Sacramento, although like Wall he's not a reliable shooter. Gary Neal is a bit of a feast or famine option to relieve Beal, while the more-rounded veteran Alan Anderson also figures to see some minutes here too.

FORWARD: 2012 - Martell Webster. 2013 - Trevor Ariza. 2014 - Paul Pierce. 2015... ?

Small forward has been a revolving door in DC, although they've had some good contributions from their stop-gap solutions. The Wiz actually missed Ariza's three point corner shot as much as his defence last season, despite the veteran Pierce's steady shooting numbers. Of course now that Pierce has bolted to LA, there will always be an inkling of
'what if' attached... sometimes the truth hurts.

In his stead, the Wizards may opt to fill this position by committee. After an eyebrow-raising playoff performance (seems to be a theme here), Otto Porter figures to have the right to call first dibs. His athleticism and wingspan could bolster Washington's already-formidable defence and rebounding; the trick will be attempting to incorporate him into an already spacing-challenged offence. If Wittman and co. were paying attention, clues might be found in Porter's shot distribution makeover during the playoff run:

Washington fortunately can also call upon two newly added vets to shore up this position. Jared Dudley doesn't have nearly Porter's physical gifts, but brings considerable intangibles as well as badly need perimeter shooting to the table. Meanwhile the underrated Alan Anderson isn't quite the knockdown shooter that Dudley is, but will bring a scrappy toughness that the Wizards occasionally lack. Between the three of them, Wittman should be able to find enough '3 & D' to blend with most line-ups. Washington also traded up to land Kansas forward Kelly Oubre in the draft, giving them yet another option here. As for 2016, well...

At the other forward position, the Wizards also appear to have options galore, albeit with no obvious solutions. Nene is slowing down, and is no longer the post presence he once was. Conversely, he still makes that elbow jumper pretty regularly:

Coupled with Nene's abnormally high turnover rate last season, and the answer should appear obvious to Wittman - Nene is strictly a pick and pop option on offence nowadays, not a viable one-on-one option in the half court. Used in this way, Nene could open up the paint for Wall and improve the Wizards limited spacing, simultaneously limiting their turnover numbers. Defensively the big Brazilian still has solid instincts, if not the mobility of yesteryear.

As Nene slows further, Washington will count more on Mr. Kardashian himself to hold down the fort here. The Hump had a somewhat injury-marred first season in the capital, never quite finding his niche. Drew Gooden returns, largely on the basis of his ability to knock down the perimeter shot - he's pretty much the power-forward equivalent of Gary Neal. Elsewhere Dajuan Blair still lives... we think.

CENTRE: The Polish Hammer holds down the middle in DC, and he does a pretty good job of it.

He rebounds and defends the basket well - Washington ranked 3rd in defensive board percentage in 2nd in defensive FG%, and Gortat is a major reason why. Offensively he'll never be confused with Olajuwon:

... however he IS a good pick'n'roll partner for Wall, able to finish at the rim with either hand. And if John Wall is Candidate A in the list of Wizards who could expect to see improvement in their efficiency with a better-thought-out offensive strategy, Gortat is probably next in line to benefit;

One of Washington fandom's greatest gripes with Wittman last season was his habit of sitting Gortat in the fourth quarter of games. Now that the man who frequently took his place, Kevin Seraphin, has become a Knick, it'll be more incumbent upon Wittman than ever to manage Gortat's workload without sabotaging the team's chemistry. Presumably Hump or even Gooden will spell Gortat here given the absence of any viable alternatives.


Pick & Pop - where we pick a soft target and pop them with a Nerf gun

In the Gun: Randy Wittman

It's not that he's a bad guy - quite the contrary, his players seem to like him and more importantly play hard most of the time. And it's not like he's a complete muppet - he's won more playoff series in two years than the woe-begotten franchise had managed in the prior thirty! It's just that it's hard to escape feeling that Wall & Beal could average more than 32 ppg combined when Steph and Klay average 45, or that to follow Byron Scott's anti-analytic blueprint is to commit coaching hari-kari...

Is a Gun: Wall

The experts that select the all-NBA teams might not concur, but what would they know. If the Wizards ever manage to unclog that toilet, we might get a little more of this...

Needs Improvement: Do you need to ask?

If you're 28th in three point attempts, 22rd in free throw attempts and 24th in turnovers, your offence is going to have a bad time /southpark.jpg

Big Question: Have the Wizards played their cards right?

We all know what Washington has had on its mind re. the free agent crop of 2016. In the last couple of years the Wizards have chosen to complement their young core with solid vets as opposed to hitting the lottery again - remember the team was criticised for adding Okafor and Ariza, and spending a first round pick to acquire Gortat. Has the team's growth in maturity during the last couple of seasons (think less McGee and Swaggy P) gone some way to mending their tattered reputation as a perennial basketcase, especially when it comes to wooing potential signings?


And now, a word from our sponsors:

FreoRicci , fancy saying a few words about your boys?


The Magic Eight Ball:

I foresee a Grim Reaper knocking at the door of the House of Wittman - a coaching coup d'etat in the manner of Jacko/Kerr, Thibs/Hoiberg & Monty/Gentry.

I also see another Reaper - a slimmer Reaper. Perhaps, just maybe it could be the Wizards of Washington who are soon knocking at heaven's door.

 

[Oliver King]

Top stuff again. One of my favourites of your reviews is the In's and Out's puns.

 

[stewie griffen]

Sorry, i dont do puns

https://vine.co/v/eQz0xXxJ2Tj

2014/15 Record: 37-45, 10th in EC

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #22 offensively, ranked #19 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Wade 21.5ppg, Whiteside 10.0rpg, Wade 4.8apg

Taken their talents to south beach: Amare, Gerald Green

Draft: Winslow (#10)

Notable: Re-signed Dragic and Wade, Deng opted in

Miami are one of the true wildcards of the season. A projected starting 5 of Dragic/Wade/Deng/Bosh/Whiteside demands respect, with that 5 putting up 85ppg, four of them having PER's of 17.4 or more, ranking inside the top 70. Deng had a PER of 15.5, which is still well above average. Add to that Mario and Winslow off the bench, Gerald Green for the spark plug off the bench and McBob and add in the corpse of Stat and thats a pretty nice roster.

On the flipside.... That starting 5 played a total of zero minutes together last season, forcing Spo to play 31 different starting lineups last season Bosh just missed a chunk of time and Wade will be injured, its just a matter of when. Deng has a ton of miles on the clock courtesy of Thibs and Whiteside could just as easily be the second coming of Ron Artest. Wade, Bosh and Deng are all the wrong side of 30.

Dragic. Signing a 29 year old to a 5/85 deal is a risk, but one Miami had to take. Its all about now for them, and the trade and subsequent re-signing of Goran keeps them relevant while Wade is still playing. The cap then rises again next season, with Wade and Deng out of contract gives them options to go after another free agent next season.

Of course, defensively, a Wade/Dragic backcourt is not great, being league worst defensively witht hose two paired together. That of course comes with the caveat that they had a number of other injuries, and the presence of Deng/Bosh figures to improve those numbers. Wade and Dragic were ranked int he bottom third of perimeter players at keeping ball handlers in front of them, and can fall asleep on the cuts, and Wade is not well know for his hustle at chasing back in transition.

However, Dragic, being a lefty, is predominately a left sided player, which is precisely the piece of hardwood Wade likes to operate in. Goran is particularly strong near the rim, so the return of Bosh should help keep those lanes open. Miami's lack of shooting can reduce the space that defenses have to push, so lineups with Green in the corners should get some good looks.

How Dragic looked in his breakout at Phoenix

and how Goran looked last year



He's particularly good from the top of the key, but the reduction in percentages on the left side of the floor really stands out.

Again, thanks Lowe for a lot of help http://grantland.com/the-triangle/h...lt-squad-the-most-intriguing-team-in-the-nba/

And now....

Which Wade do we get this year? If Wade is fit and healthy, sits on back to backs and hovers in the 28-30 mpg mark for the regular season, Miami could well make some noise come playoff time. If, the knee gets banged up....



At least he'll have some light reading....

http://dwyanewade.com/a-father-first/reviews/

And a guess Gabrielle can keep him occupied....



Unless of course he has another love child



Oh you want actual basketball analysis... s**t.

Wade had a decent season, a great March, but then faded in April, along with the Heats playoff chances. His assist rate was at levels not seen for 5 years, and usage was the 3rd highest for his career. The flipside to missing the playoffs is he has had a long off season to recuperate. Overall, there's nothing I can say about him that you don't already know. Of course, when Wade's not on the floor.... its Gerald Green.

I'll leave that one for Look2Me4Guidance

Now we move to one of my fave players of all time, its just a shame he's disgraced himself by playing in that disgusting jersey right tigs2010
Deng gives 110% every time he sets foot on the court and brings a much needed defensive focus. Unfortunately he had back and knee issues last season which reduced his impact. He can be another to be rejuvenated by the long off season break. Whilst his 14/5 numbers seem ok, Miami were 11-1 when Deng scored 20 or more and 4-14 when he scored 10 or less, and he often followed up a sterling offensive performance with a house of bricks. An example is the 30 point game in Dallas followed by a 2/10 night against Indiana. His strength is off the ball cuts, but injuries to the Heat forced them to use him as a shooter more and more, and whilst his 35.5% 3 numbers are reasonable he's never going to be Kyle Korver. I think this year we'll see a rejuvenated Deng putting up similar numbers, but more consistently.

Winslow could be one of the steals of the draft.... although if everyone rates you as a steal, are you a steal anymore? The Heat threw him into every position on the floor bar the 5 during SL and he showed a nice variety of skills. He's still developing that shooting stroke, and showed some nice splitting skills on the pick and roll. His numbers were good putting up 15ppg, they were somewhat inflated by his ability to get free throws (21 of 30), with his fg% at 36.4 and 1/8 from deep. Obviously he'll get less minutes in the regular season, and on a roster with Wade and Dragic, he'll have far less playmaking opportunities, but he'll put up some nice highlights. Defensively is where the Heat will want him to make his presence felt, where he showed (alebeit in SL) an ability to guard 1 through 4. If he can add the corner 3 to his game as the season goes it will be a solid rookie year.

www.gifs.com/gif/mLDjr7

Bosh. Again, I'm not going to say anything you don't already know. He is the key guy for this club, and a lot depends on how he returns from the blood clots. He's another who will relish the long off season to recuperate

Whiteside. Teams will look to pull him away from the rim or post him up, taking him away from the rim and forcing the rest of the team to defend. He had a massive breakout, the caveat is he did it for 48 games in a dead season, how does he cope with an 82 game season? He put up a PER of 32.0 after New Years, 2 years after playing in Lebanon... thats insane, as well as leadign the league in blocks, 4th in FG%, 9th in rebounds and one of the leagues leading rim protectors.

Relying on Hassanity... what could go wrong?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZley8yAOg4

But when it goes right....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUKZaRnFYdo

Bench - Stat, McBob, Wario, Birdman

I like Mario off the bench a hell of a lot more than i liked him as a starter.

McRoberts is another who will benefit from the off season, and injuries will ultimately dictate his effectiveness.

The emergence of Whiteside means that Stat and Birdman will likely split the backup 5.

Expert words
DM me any thoughts you want included folks, if any of the Charlotte or Phoenix guys have thoughts on Green, Dragic or McBob they'd like included, feel free.

I'm going slightly differently here, the keys for Miami are not who is a gun or who isnt. The keys for me are shooting, defence and health.

I got ur preview.

"Miami are a pack of campaigners" Pretty easy

Shooters - Dragic is an average 3 shooter (apart from one season) Wade has never been able to shoot the 3, Whitesides jumper is muddling and Deng is a 33% 3 shooter. Bosh is basically the only decent shooter on the roster. All of which means the pick and roll spacing is all kinds of blurgh. Defenders on the pick and roll can hedge off Deng and Wade, and ignore Whiteside to contest Bosh in the mid range. Spo will mix the plays up to try and soften that, but that likely means minutes for Green, who is a sieve defensively.

Defense - The Heat were 19th in points allowed, yet finally have a decent rim protector. With Bosh at the 4 they should find things easier, as Bosh can deal with the likes of Draymond Green. Winslow projects to help, albeit in limited minutes as a rook, as well as a fit Deng.

Health - This team when fit is as good as any below the Cavs in the East, and woul be a hell of a matchup for them in the playoffs. Wade, Deng, Bosh, McBob all missed chunks of time last season and Amare will use up all the red wine in the state of Florida

If healthy.... is it out of the realms of possibility?

Ok probably But still, it'll be a fun season in South Beach

Crystal Ball

I'm thinking a 48 win type season as they put Wade in cotton wool to make a playoff push. And just for tigs

 

[djrossie16]

^ that initial picture loading up gave me a good shakeup before work

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Miami certainly are hard to get a hold on at this stage given the new parts. Dragic will do well on the offensive side of the floor along with Green but will struggle on the other side. When Wade sits and Green plays the 2 with Dragic, they will be cannon fodder. Green may play with Mario more often to compensate. Green will provide of highlights and ill advised shots and turnovers. The key is clearly Bosh. Much like the Pacers and PG, their livelihoods will mostly depend on his health.

 

[stewie griffen]

^ that initial picture loading up gave me a good shakeup before work

Every time i get a notification and open the thread it scares me a little

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

Started piecing something together, but been abit busy and busted my finger up in the last game of footy so typing is abit slower.

Not sure I'm more annoyed about my finger or re-living the regression that was last season

 

[stewie griffen]

No dramas mate. I've got a bit written as well so we can combine thoughts if u like

 

[Drumroe]

Damn forgot to write up my thoughts while away. I'll get it done before pre season I swear!

In a nutshell my preview is that we are the West Coast Eagles of the NBA and will rise up the ladder under the 2nd year of our coach. And anyone who disagrees is a troll....

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Damn forgot to write up my thoughts while away. I'll get it done before pre season I swear!

In a nutshell my preview is that we are the West Coast Eagles of the NBA and will rise up the ladder under the 2nd year of our coach. And anyone who disagrees is a troll....

Drumsova?

 

[stewie griffen]

Damn forgot to write up my thoughts while away. I'll get it done before pre season I swear!

In a nutshell my preview is that we are the West Coast Eagles of the NBA and will rise up the ladder under the 2nd year of our coach. And anyone who disagrees is a troll....

 

[Atlanta_Cats]

I'll get the preview up some time this week I hope, just been too busy.

 

[stewie griffen]

On we move to the northwest as we wait for the final East previews to surface.

Just putting together the bones of an OKC one, Rahul or anyone interested in making some comments foolhardy predictions?

Cant seem to dig up the OKC thread for some reason.

Likewise for Portland, Minny, Denver and Utah peops

 

[stewie griffen]

And now onto the West, where we start with the team with the worst logo and nickname in basketball...

2014/15 Record: 45-37 9th in the West

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #10 offensively, ranked #16 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Westy 28.1ppg, Ibaka 7.8rpg, Westy 8.6apg

Make-yourself-at-homa (Ins): Julyan Stone

OK-see-ya (Outs): Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb

Draft: Cameron Payne (14), Josh Heustis

Notable: Re-signed the Turk, finally parted ways with Brooks, got some horrible unis



Arguably their biggest in is Billy Donovan. On paper he walks into a great scenario with 3 of the best players at their position in the league. The other roster positions.... well he has some work to do. He's brought in some experienced assistants to help with the transition from the ncaa to the pros. He's a huge analytics guy, I expect many hours figuring out what to do with Enes... but we'll get to that

Chuckbrook. Can an All NBA guy have a breakout season? In the absence of KD, Russell was phenomenal. 28.1ppg to lead the A, scored 54 against the Pacers, had 8 other 40 point games and 20 more 30 point games. 77% of his field goals were unassisted. He had 8.6 assist per game matchign his career high of 17 three times and had 25 games with over 10 dimes. He did take at least 30 shots in ten games, but in a KD less roster thats to be expected.Rusty was the leagues best rebounding guard with 7.3 rpg, led the league in triple doubles and was the All Star MVP with 41 points. All this after suffering a fractured cheekbone courtesy of Andre Roberson and a broken finger 2 games into the season. When he had his 3rd trip doub, he broke his cheekbone, had surgery and 3 days later destroyed Philly with a 49/16/10/4 game. With Kanter, Ibaka and KD on the floor he has 3 legitimate pick and roll options to work with offensively. Obviously defense isn't his strong suit, but with KD back taking the load off him offensively to a degree he should be able to concentrate more on this aspect of hiss game. He somehow received votes for All Defense.... lel

DJ Augustin is a solid backup point, having put up decent numbers previously at Chitown and Detroit. He can be a streaky shooter and scorer.

Payne.... I know not much of, he'll play some minutes, and we could even see some funky 2 point lineups with DJ/Payne at point, Westbrook sliding off the ball to the 2 and Durant at the 4

Waiters lel.

https://grantland.com/the-triangle/...illiams-trey-burke-nerlens-noel-dion-waiters/

Dion Dion Dion.... He can create a shot, but can't finish at the rim. He can supposedly shoot the 3, but persists in taking long contested step back jumpers, and misses open looks.



He ranked 70th in guards in free throw attempts per 36 minutes (2.8), yet took the 23rd most shots in the 0-5 feet range among guards (4.4). So he can get in the paint.... yet ranked 168th in FG% in the 0-5 feet range (48.9%). If he can finish at the rim and hit the open 3.. the Thunder have a player. If he cant? Well he'll probably go postal. Regardless Dion will likely be coming off the bench in a gunning role to start the season.

Morrow is the pick of the bunch in the 2 spot. After the All Star break he put up 12.7ppg at 51% from deep. A squad with KD and Westy will create open looks and Morrow can knock them down with his eyes closed.

KD played only 27 games, putting up 25.4/6.6/4.1 a game. Of course the only thing anyone will talk about this year is free agency..... The other interesting wrinkle would be for the Thunder to put him at the 4... if only they hadn't given Kanter a bajillion dollars

Lel

Singler can put up some numbers, but finds himself in a crowded frontcourt rotation and is another member who cant defend. The Thunder gave up 110.9 points per 100 possessions with Singler on the floor. Yes the teams defense as a whole was poor, however opponents shot 52.4% against Singler, 8%higher than their usual field-goal percentage.

Adams... the most punchable guy in the league? Expectations for year 3 are increasing, but what will we actually get? Last year Adams had a PER of 14.1, just below league average of 15. His defensive box plus/minus was at 1.8, which compares favourably to the elite centres int eh league at similar stages in their careers. He won't be needed on offense, so the odd post up and dunk will suffice, he just needs to crash the boards and play defense. Imo he should be starting with Kanter coming off the bench... lets see what Donovan thinks tho.

If we look at the early stat comparison between Kanter and Adams



Collison. Mr Thunder returns. He won't get much court time but is a quality teammate and will give everything for the team.

The single worst contract in the NBA today is a direct result of the James Harden trade. By not paying the Beard a max, OKC have now signed former number 2 pick Enes Kanter to an even bigger deal. But surely its not all bead, he puts up 20/10 numbers right.

So let me get this right. You have Ibaka and Adams down low, and trade Reggie and a first for the right to overpay Kanter? If you are paying him that coin he's getting 30 minutes a night. So you have to play him alongside Ibaka, who can hit a jumper and has extended his range out to at least be passable from 3.



But at least he's big, he should be able to play some defense right?


OKC’s - With Kanter on the floor, the Thunder gave up 113.0 points per 100 poss’s. With him off (in the games he was on the team), they gave up only 105.1 per 100.

Utah’s - 112.1 per 100 when Kanter was on the floor, 103.5 per 100 when he was off (in the games he was on the team).

Kanter registered a -3.88 DRPM this season, which ranked him 469th out of 474 total players.

Kanter only had 29 blocks in 75 games split between Utah and OKC. And he’s 6-11.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2015/06/29/2015-defense/

Obviosuly some stats are skewed as KD was injured, but opponents shot about the same amount of close shots (0 to 3 feet) with Kanter on the floor than with him off, made nearly 67%. Ouch. Ibaka helped a bit here, but he could only drop it down to around 62%. When he’s on the floor, opponents have destroyed the Thunder both between 4 and 9 feet and 10 and 15 feet. They’re actually pretty good against the mid-range when he’s off the floor (40.4%), but with him on, opponents are shooting a deadly 51.2%.



In the 37 years since the NBA started tracking turnovers and defensive efficiency, only 3 teams have won a championship that finished the season with a defense ranked lower than 10th. That number reduces to 1, the 2000-2001 Lakers, in the last 15 years. Even the Spurs have never won a championship with a defense ranked below 4th.

http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2015/7/9/8915021/sam-presti-is-offering-enes-kanter-too-much-money

Ibaka took a step back in most numbers, declining in points, rebounds, and blocks with career lows in FG%, TS% and win shares per 48 minutes. He did improve in FT% and hit 77 threes, but his PER dropped to 16.6. He was curtailed by injuries to some respect, but was still second in the A in blocks and third in block percentage. Only Gobert held opponents to a lower at the rim shooting percentage than Ibaka as well. Thunder opponents have shot 53.8 percent inside the restricted area with Serge on the court, compared to 61.5 percent when he sits







Expert Words - to be added, feel free to DM if you'd like to be included

Is a Gun - Easy. They have 3, but going from last year... Westbrook

In the gun - Again easy, you pay someone that much money they best play some defence... Kanter... I'm sensing a theme here... perhaps taking over from Rudy Gay in Stew's eyes?

Improvement - Firstly health. Secondly... defence defence defence... and the defence. You don't win titles without a top 10 defence, and to keep KD thats what OKC are looking for this year. I'd add defensive rebounding in there as well, particularly from whoever plays with Ibaka (ie Kanter, you dont need to worry about Adams)

Crystal Ball - Hmm..... Health should see the Thunder back in the playoffs, no staggering surprise there. A new coach will take a little bit of getting used to, so I'm thinking maybe a 52 win season and bounced in the second round of the playoffs. Durant will stay, there's my big prediction (lel)

 

[Oliver King]

Nice puns stewie griffen

 

[stewie griffen]

Nice puns stewie griffen

All Son of Skeletor work my friend

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Excellent write up mate.

 

[stewie griffen]

Excellent write up mate.

I noticed that you haven't said that about any of the others

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I noticed that you haven't said that about any of the others

Look2Me4OccasionalGuidance

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I noticed that you haven't said that about any of the others

Always wanting more #degenerate

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Look2Me4OccasionalGuidance

Come to the punting thread for increased frequency

 

[Son of Skeletor]

2014/15 Record: 38-44 (3rd in Northwest, 11th in West), DNQ

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #17 offensively, ranked #14 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Gordon Hayward (19.3 ppg), Rudy Gobert (9.5 rpg), Trey Burke (4.3 apg).


In-fusion: Tibor Pleiss (3/10), Raul Neto (3/min), Jeff Withey (2/min)

Scat-addle: Jeremy Evans (Mavs)

Draft: F Trey Lyles (#12), G Olivier Hanlan (#42)

Notable: Re-signed Joe Ingles (2/4.5)

The Lowdown

In keeping with both their nickname and state history, the Jazz continue to go their own way.

While the NBA gets smaller and faster, Utah have hoisted their flag high upon the longest pole known to mankind and defied anyone to cross their lines. So far the signs are very promising.

Utah's 2014/15 season was a classic tale of two halves. After sleepwalking through the Tyrone Corbin Era, the young core didn't immediately grasp the opportunity to make names for themselves - the Jazz lost 19 of their first 25, and were still a pedestrian 17-33 at All-Star break. Then a single line-up change suddenly got everyone's attention.

Gone was Turkish Delight (looks tasty, but isn't) Enes Kanter; stepping up to take his place was pterodactyl in sneakers Rudy Gobert. Overnight the Jazz went from a bottom-five defensive team to the stingiest bunch in the league. While the rest of the league was being dominated by sweet shooting point guards and hybrid bigs, Utah embraced their inner 90's-child and it paid off handsomely, the Jazz winning 21 of their final 32 games to completely flip the formbook.

Under Quin Synder's leadership the method wasn't always pretty (the Jazz played the slowest pace in the league), but by season's end it was damn effective. Sure there's still huge questions surrounding Utah's backcourt and the mediocre outside shooting potential on the roster. And yes the team is unbelievably young, and could probably stand to find some free agent help to bolster questionable depth.

However history has taught us that you can do OK with a talented frontline with a knack for walling off the basket...

The Roster

GUARD: Well, let's get the bad news out of the way first, eh?

Fate has forsaken Utah's backcourt, formerly home to great players such as John Stockton and Deron Williams. The Jazz have invested rather heavily here, drafting Trey Burke, Alec Burks and Dante Exum in the lottery - but so far all they have to show for it are cruel injuries and some crappy shooting statistics.

Point guard is the position which will give Snyder most sleepless nights. Burke and Exum certainly gave effort in keeping with youthful exuberance - unfortunately that same youthful exuberance led to a lot of sloppy play. When your young tykes shoot an average of 36% and combine for less than seven assists per game, well... it's fair to say that they're the least convincing pair of guards since these guys.

To be fair to Exum, he was a plus defensively last year, and was showing some good signs in summer league before ill-fate struck in July. Health willing he still projects as Utah's likeliest long-term solution here, if for no other reason than Burke's pro struggles.

Burke's problem is that he doesn't do anything particularly well. He's small and has trouble defending the stars of the league, while he's shown an alarming inability to facilitate (just 4.3 assists per game in 30 minutes) teammates, particularly in transition. Burke is really more of a shoot-first point guard, the problem being:

When your point guard shoots like that, you certainly don't want him leading your team in shot attempts per minute, as Trey did last season. The best the Jazz can probably hope for with Burke is that he improves his shooting and becomes a poor-man's Mo Williams - instant offence off the bench. For now though he's the starter, likely to be backed up by Raulzinho Neto Togni, aka Raul Neto.

At the other guard position returns forgotten man Alec Burks. His pro career has been somewhat up and down, but the Jazz obviously like enough of what they've seen to offer a $40 million extension to the former #12 pick. His advanced stats don't paint him in a particularly favourable light, but for a non-shooter his career 35.6% strike rate from three is respectable. His strength remains his ability to get to the basket:

... how Burks meshes with the spacing-challenged frontcourt of Favors and Gobert, only time will tell.

Spelling (or even starting ahead of, depending on chemistry) Burks will be Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles. Aussie Joe actually made a positive impression in Salt Lake City, helping to space the occasionally constipated Utah offence with his outside shooting touch and savvy court-vision. Hood meanwhile took a while to get going, but closed his rookie season strong. If his improved shooting stroke from March and April holds over, the Jazz will consider they've found a steal with the 23rd pick of the 2014 Draft.


FORWARD: All of 12 months ago, people were laughing at the Jazz for matching Charlotte's $64 million contract for Gordon Hayward. They're not laughing anymore.

Hayward had a superb season, lifting his shooting percentages and approaching 20/5/5 numbers nightly, developments that put him among exalted company. Utah's ongoing issues at point guard often mean that Hayward is forced into a defacto point-forward role, while their lack of shooting means that he's also the Jazz's most consistent perimeter threat. Additionally, in Burks' absence Hayward was also the sole remaining player on the roster with the ability to create off the dribble. The culmination of all these responsibilities was that the fifth year forward was often left to carry the offence down the stretch, a burden he shouldered admirably:

The aim for the Jazz now should be to get the popular swingman some help, both on court and in reserve. Hayward should benefit from Burks' return and Hood's further development as a potent perimeter weapon. Ingles doubles as a pretty good Hayward-lite when the forward needs a breather.

Manning the other forward spot is one of the consensus top-five underrated players in the league, Derrick Favors. While Hayward remains the face of the franchise and Gobert the developing story, Favors gives the Jazz a third legitimate young star to build around. He's a low-maintenance guy with a solid two-way game, a hefty PER of nearly 22 and a contract which is fast becoming bargain basement. He and Gobert together wreak absolute havoc in the paint - watch and enjoy:



The Jazz have solid depth here - Trevor Booker was a solid low-key free agent signing who helped give the Utah bench some mongrel last season. He's a bit undersized, but his perimeter jumper has improved to the point where it needs to be honoured by the defence. Utah also went to the draft well once again to select Trey Lyles out of Kentucky. He was something of a surprise pick, but his outside shooting touch and IQ could help open up the Jazz's offence further.


CENTRE: After the heartbreaker that was Greg Ostertag, finally a worthy successor to Mark Eaton emerges!

The top five NBA rated players when it came to measuring Win Shares(WS), Box Score Plus/Minus (BPM) and Value Over Replacement (VORP) last season were Steph Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. It beggars belief that the player ranked #6 on this list is a second-year French centre who nearly lasted until the second round of the draft, whose shooting range doesn't extend beyond a dunk and who'd played a grand total of 434 NBA minutes before last season, but live & learn!

Working out why this is the case is not rocket surgery - one look at Utah's defensive ranking when starting Enes Kanter vs. their ranking when starting the Stifle Tower tells you everything you need to know. Or if you prefer:

Gobert is the full package defensively - he not only blocks shots, but alters countless others (the Hibbert law), he's quick enough to challenge players on the perimeter and unlike some shot-blockers he's also dominant on the defensive boards. He's still got a ways to go offensively, but... not bad for a guy the Jazz acquired from Denver for the princely sum of a second round pick and cash considerations (sorry mickelboy182 ).

The Jazz also went out and got themselves an Enes Kanter replacement as a footnote to the much talked about February trade - big German Tibor Pleiss has arrived in Salt Lake City armed with a three-year deal. If nothing else, he should give the Jazz a fall-guy if things happen to go awry in season 2015/16. Jeff Withey also joins from New Orleans, where his paint protection and soft shooting touch occasionally impressed.


Pick & Pop - where we pick a bottle of wine and pop the cork in an effort to get through this

In the Gun: Trey Burke

If you're going to be a point guard, ideally you should be able to score, assist and defend - or at least do one of the three. Also when your name is Trey, then it's flat-out cruel to your employers and your parents when you you proceed to shoot 31% from downtown.

Is a Gun: Gordon Hayward

Sure he looks like a Mormon choirboy, but he can be downright nasty.

Needs Improvement: Offensive execution

It's probably partly a result of lack of firepower and personnel, but the Jazz where 26th in the league in turnovers last season - unforgivable when you play at a snail's pace and have the league's best half court defensive cover. More shooters (Hood, Lyles) and more creators (Burks) on the floor might help un-clutter the Jazz offence.

Big Question: Can Utah continue to rely almost exclusively on the draft?

By my count eight members of the Jazz (Hayward, Burke, Burks, Exum, Hood, Lyles, Gobert & Neto) have come directly from the draft, while Pleiss and Favors make it ten key players who have known only Utah for almost their entire NBA lives. While the dead-end reign of stop-gap journeymen employed during the Tyrone Corbin Error Era (think Marvin Williams, Mo Williams, John Lucas, Richard Jefferson, Randy Foye, etc) has thankfully come to an end, with the team on the rise the time must fast be approaching when Dennis Lindsay and co consider splashing out in free agency? While Salt Lake's hardly the sexiest location, the Jazz do have cap room and a talented young core.


And now, a word from our sponsors:

Getting contributors to write about Utah is almost as hard as convincing people to live there - don't make me come door-knocking people!

ADDENDUM: And lo the lord hath delivered not one, but two sponsors unto this preview - I feel like Joseph Smith on the day he discovered the fabled gold plates. Brother Griffin and Brother Guidance, proceed with your wise counsel:

Ah Trey Burke. Possibly the worst starting point guard in the league.

Checks stats, ranked 49th in PG PER.

Least he can handle the rock...



Shocked they didnt sign Lou Will tbh

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So um yeah Utah, what can i say

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The Jazz are loaded up front with Gobert and Sexual Favors. Their backcourt is their worry obviously. Do they look for Hayward to handle the ball more often? (Hello point forward).

If they begin decently I fully expect them to actively pursue a PG before the deadline. Their size will give certain teams nightmares, but their shooting or lack of it will give them plenty of nightmares of their own

The Magic Eight Ball:

My magic ball actually foresees some challenges for Utah's much improved defence this season, as teams look to get Favors and Gobert further away from the rim and exploit Burke's lack of size and speed. On the other hand, the return of the slashing Burks, the further development of Hood and the addition of Lyles might give the Jazz's offence a boost and lessen their reliance upon Hayward.

If the Jazz's late season development under Snyder continues to hit the right notes, the Jazz may well find themselves swinging to the sweet sound of playoff action (yeah technically it's not jazz, but slave labour - you get what you pay for).