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

Remove this Banner Ad

mitchzz

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 4, 2007
8,432
2,964
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Golden State Warriors
Great stuff again

I'll admit I kind of jumped on the Jazz bandwagon because of the Straya influence, Exum frustrated the bajeezus out of me but I kept on watching hoping eventually he would improve and start attacking the rim. Doubt I watch much of them now that he is out though, although I do think they can have a decent season again, I really like Hood and wouldn't be surprised if he went up a notch again this season
 
A bit annoying that Exum got injured, as I was interested to see how he offensive development would go. Also will be interesting to see if they can keep up their stingy defence for a whole season.

Also, your best pun-work yet Son of Skeletor . Hit all the right notes.
 
Sep 7, 2005
85,389
37,904
Firing GarPax
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Liverpool, Chicago Bulls
charlotte_hornets_proposed_logo_2014.png


Charlotte were a team that many thought would make the playoffs again and Lance could push them towards the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference..... Oh how wrong we were. Lance sucked the soul out of the team, their shooting was deplorable and the loss of McBob hurt them badly. The one shining light was MKG. The Hornets ranked last in 3 point percentage. Bone dead last

undertaker-sitting-up.gif


But hey at least we got that gif

Kemba - Good news, he put up reasonable numbers of 17.3ppg and 5.1apg. Bad news, he shot 38.5% from the field and 30% from 3,and if you take the last two months of the seasons its even worse. March saw Kemba shoot 34% (field) and 28% (3),and April was 36% (field) and 23% (3). Kemba is a high usage guard whose defence is... well not great, and whilst he possesses a great cross over, can get hot for a 50 point game and hits the odd game winner. Perhaps we need to rethink his standing in the ranks of current NBA point guards, I love watching the guy play when he's got it going, but when he doesn't... ugh its ugly. Of course, he's never played with decent shooters around him, something that would open up the driving lanes for him to excel, and with Al Jeff taking up the low block, that's not conducive to great spacing either. Perhaps in another situation, or with some roster changes Charlotte can unlock his true potential, personally i think he's mired in the realms of mediocrity.

kemba.jpg


Brian Roberts... Is alive. May be over 5 feet tall. Is a professional basketball player. Is not a zombie.

PJ Hairston. Apparently he can shoot. Its just everything else he has problems with. Driving with a revoked licence, gun infractions, marijuana possession and assault are just some of his brushes with authority, and thats not even mentioning his lack of brains on the court. 32% from the field, with only 17% of his shots coming at the rim compared to 61% from 3. He shot 35% at the rim... thats a worse percentage than a Pricey bet on the Angels. And for a 6'5" guy with a 6'9" wingspan and 37 inch vertical he failed to record a dunk for the entire season. Thats almost comical... but not as comical as this



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2524243-should-the-charlotte-hornets-move-on-from-pj-hairston

Marvin Williams

Linsanity


Jeremy Lamb gets yet another fresh start. He's got size and can shoot the rock, so he'll get a chance, but he'll have to take it if he wants Charlotte to pick up his 4m QO next year.

MKG - Whilst he struggled with injury, and didnt take a single 3 for the year he showed encouraging signs from . From 16 feet to the three-point line, he improved from 30.8 percent to 37.1 percent. From 10-16 feet, he also improved from 15.4 percent to 50 percent. Combined, these shots accounted for 45.3 of Kidd-Gilchrist's total attempts. Eventually he needs to work on continuing to expand his range to the three point line, but it will be a process.

http://www.atthehive.com/2015/5/29/8683363/hornets-season-preview-review

Yet...



Damn thats ugly

Batum. Nic is a nice player, but was flipping Vonleh, who was 20 and on a rookie deal for Batum, who is on an expiring the right move? He can shoot the 3 ball which helps, having made the third most triples in Portland history and his defense is superb, so from that respect its fine. Will he be there next year tho? The cap explosion, and the league love affair with the all position 3 and D guy suggests he will get paid and there will be no shortage of suitors.

Frank '6 Picks' Kaminsky. I'll wait for Frank to prove me wrong (and believe me I'm sure it will happen) but turning down that deal from Boston is the worst trade in Hornets history... Ok thats a slight (lol) exaggeration.

Some hilarious quotes....

“You have two minutes to decide: ‘Do I want to do this trade?’” says Polk, one of five men atop Charlotte’s decision tree.2 “You don’t have a day. You don’t have hours. After all the intelligence we’d done, we were comfortable with Frank. But now you have two minutes to decide if you make this trade, who you’re gonna take at no. 16, or maybe no. 20, and we haven’t been focusing on that range. In fantasy basketball, it sounds great: ‘Oh my god, they could have gotten all those picks.’ But in the real world, I’m not sure it makes us better.”

Adds Rich Cho, the team’s GM: “If it was such a no-brainer for us, why would another team want to do it?”

“We didn’t have enough spots after picking up Spencer Hawes, Jeremy Lamb, and Batum,” Polk says. “Even if someone wants to give me first-round picks, what am I going to do with them?”

If you haven't done your due diligence on what picks you would take in the draft in the event of a trade you have no place in an NBA front office.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/g...nets-and-the-sliding-scale-of-nba-mediocrity/

Cody Zeller, lets be honest was picked far too early, and then to compound it Charlotte drafted another guy in his position at a low pick. So what do we expect of the latest in the never ending supply of Zellers. He'll never be an All Star, but he can be a useful role player going forward. His per 36 numbers showed almost no change from his rookie season, altho his defensive RPM was ranked 18th in the A. Whist useful on defence he can't handle the genuine post up guys, or the stretch 4's, such as Kevin Love. He takes 37% of shots in the 16-23 feet range, yet rarely gets to the rim despite having a decent vertical.

Al Jeff. Big Al struggled with injury and was exposed on the defensive end, in part because of their poor perimeter defense, but even for his low standards ond efense, he was, shall we say, pretty poor. Returning from the foot injury from last season he seemed a touch less agile and whilst inured a lot of the year his numbers were well down across the board. Yet he was still a commanding presence down low. Supposedly Al has dropped 20-30 pounds, something which should help the knees. Yet he turns 31 this year and is out of contract at the end of the season.....

http://www.atthehive.com/2015/5/30/8687801/2014-15-player-report-cards-al-jefferson

Spencer Hawes

460832856.jpg


Hansbro... lel

Hansbrough.gif


Speaking of which, Will Bynum is everyones fave player



Is a Gun - MKG. Even if he only ends up as Tony Allen 2.0... thats good enough, if he can get that shot going even a little bit....

In the Gun - For me its Kemba, he's got to take that leap or Charlotte will forever be average.

Improvement - Shooting. Its so dire its comical

Question - What does the future hold? Al Jeff and Batum are out of contract, and they have a plethora of above average talent, yet no All Star calibre players coming through.

Experts opinions - Shoot em in fellas DangerSloane

pretty spot on mate.
loved the part about Pricey betting on the Angels.

If thats not a rousing endorsement i dont know what is

Prediction - 38 wins and battling for 8th spot only to miss out
 
Last edited:

Log in to remove this ad.

May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
I'll admit I kind of jumped on the Jazz bandwagon because of the Straya influence, Exum frustrated the bajeezus out of me but I kept on watching hoping eventually he would improve and start attacking the rim. Doubt I watch much of them now that he is out though, although I do think they can have a decent season again

If you've got five minutes, watch that Favors/Gobert soul-eating vid - it'll make you want to watch more Jazz basketball.

Also, your best pun-work yet Son of Skeletor . Hit all the right notes.

What ye did thar, I sees it! I should just hire you instead and take the week off ;)
 
May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
8.-Nuggets.jpg



2014/15 Record: 30-52 (4th in Northwest, 12th in West), DNQ

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #19 offensively, ranked #26 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Ty Lawson (15.2 ppg), Kenneth Faried (8.9 rpg), Ty Lawson (9.6 apg)



Picked: Mike Miller (1/min), Nick Johnson (trade), Nikola Jokic (Europe)

Shafted: Ty Lawson (Rockets)

Drafted: G Emmanuel Mudiay (#7)

Notable: Re-signed Danilo Gallinari (3/45), Wilson Chandler (4/46), Jameer Nelson (3/13), Will Barton (3/10) & Darrell Arthur (2/6), hired Mike Malone as HC


ty-lawson-head-coach-brian-shaw-denver-nuggets-nba-2013-2014.jpg



The Lowdown

Talk about a second consecutive annus horribilis - not even the Romans had the foresight to coin a phrase for the two-year dumpster fire that Nuggets' fans have endured.

It's tough to do justice to the calamity that was Brian Shaw's reign of error. He began in 2013 by telling a team fresh off a franchise record 57-win season that their game-style was "cute". He then proceeded to implement the post orientated offence he'd grown accustomed to during his playing days with the Lakers, only with JJ Hickson and Javale McGee in the middle instead of Shaq. He fought sporadically with his players, first with Andre Miller, then Kenneth Faried, with Ty Lawson and finally Jameer Nelson.

As the Nuggets' 2014/15 season lurched from one disaster to another, culminating in a mid-season stretch where they lost 19 of 21 games, Shaw first accused the team of playing possum, then implied that they were impossible to reach. He even resorted to this:




In the end the Nuggets players were left counting the days. Add to this a dubious recruiting policy - JJ Hickson, Nate Robinson, Randy Foye, Aaron Afflalo - and Shaw's reign might be considered the most disastrous in Denver's history (although Bernie Bickerstaff gives him a run for his money).

So, where to from here for the Nuggets? One one hand the franchise seems ready to move on into a new era - Mike Malone was a solid hire as coach, and already seems to have succeeded in mending fences in the locker-room. Meanwhile there's considerable excitement surrounding the potential of top draft pick Emmanuel Mudiay, while the team also has high hopes for the imposing Jusuf Nurkic. Additionally, trading away Lawson and Timofey Mozgov has left Denver well-stocked with future draft picks.


On the other hand Denver also handed out an eyebrow-raising $120 million in contract extensions to five separate players in July, indicating that management likes their team, presumably feeling that the Nuggets have under-performed in recent times. A Philly/Orlando-style total rebuild does not appear on the cards in the Mile high city.

Ultimately Denver fans probably won't mind the team having a bet each way, just so long as hoops at the Pepsi Centre starts becoming fun again.

Mudiay_Draft.0.0.jpg



The Roster

GUARD: While Ty Lawson's personal life may have blown off-course, on the court the Nuggets have generally been in pretty safe hands with the speedster at the helm.

Denver GM Tim Connolly held out as long as he could, but eventually had to accept cents on the dollar in moving his most accomplished player to Houston. The good news for Nuggets fans is that the team may have already found its next point guard:




Denver certainly hopes that in Mudiay a significant foundation piece has been laid. The NBA's become a league dominated by point guards, and it's arguable that playing at altitude no position is so critical as that of the playmaker for the Nuggets. Jameer Nelson is getting paid $13 million to mentor the kid in the meantime.

The biggest knock on Mudiay's game is his outside shooting, meaning that it's pretty crucial for the Nuggets to boast solid shooting at the off-guard position. Looking at the mass of bodies Denver has amassed here, I suppose that means more Randy Foye for the time being - yippee.

The Nuggets have high hopes for Gary Harris, although shooting 20% from the arc won't get it done in the short term. Will Barton did OK after coming over from Portland in the Afflalo trade, and management obviously liked enough of what they saw to hand him a three year deal. Erick Green and Nick Johnson will struggle to get a look in.

faried_arms_raised_600.jpg



FORWARD: There's some talent here, but as Zach Lowe notes Malone has his work cut out finding a way to make the pieces fit.

Denver's conundrum is that it has two starting-quality small forwards - in fact Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are probably to two best players on the current roster, period. While the former is as versatile offensively as the latter is defensively, the glut of power forwards on the roster rules out turning to small ball in anything other than small doses. That the Nuggets value them both is evident in the contract extensions they received in the off-season - compare this course of action with Utah's re. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap a couple of years back. At the very least, the Nuggets were determined to avoid losing their remaining assets for nothing.

Gallo seemed to finally put his injury woes behind him at the tail end of last season. His strong Euro performances for Italy come after averaging almost 20 ppg in March and April, including this explosion against the Mavs:




Chandler meanwhile quietly put together his best season as a pro amid the chaos that was the Nuggets' 2014/15 campaign. He tends to run hot and cold with his outside shot, but his well-rounded game makes him versatile. Denver might be tempted to try him at two guard in patches, although that's a stop-gap measure at best.

If Denver has too much of a good thing at small forward, it has a headache of a different kind to resolve at power forward. Simply put, Faried is a great rebounder with a limited offensive game and problematic defence; Darrell Arthur is a solid defender who offers little offensive threat; 'King' Joffrey Lauvergne is a finesse shooting big with limited exposed form; and JJ Hickson is, well... JJ Hickson.

How any of the four fit with the Nuggets' project big (BIG) man Jusuf Nurkic is difficult to see - whichever direction Malone chooses, he'll have to sacrifice something - spacing, size, defence or any combination of the above. The good news for long-suffering fans is that Hickson will be a free agent in 12 months time.

Tina-Fey-giving-herself-high-five.gif



CENTRE: Ladies and gentlemen, Javale McGee has left the building.

Jusuf Nurkic has some rough edges that need smoothing out - he shot a Hibbert-esque 44% from the field as a rookie, while he turned it over a lot and fouled like a mo-fo.

It was nevertheless hard not to be optimistic about the future of the Nuggets' big Bosnian who patrolled the paint with a vengeance and pulled down six boards a game in just eighteen minutes playing time. It's also hard not to like him when he does stuff like this:




Nuggets fan or not, you'd be wise to join with me in hailing our glorious new pivot God.

Denver seem to have taken a bit of a liking to European bigs of late, able to boast not only the aforementioned Nurkic and Lauvergne, but also adding 2014 second round pick Nikola Jokic and blast-from-the-past Oleksiy Pecherov to their roster. Jokic has solid hoops fundamentals and probably figures to see significant playing time this season.


Pick & Pop - where we pick an unlikely occurrence and pop Primetime Pricey 's hard-earned cash on it for shits & giggles


In the Gun: Stan & Josh Kroenke

It was their decision to dismiss George Karl and allow Masai Ujiri to leave for the Raptors in the aftermath of the Nuggets' wildly successful 2012/13 season. It's fair to say that the Brian Shaw hiring was an unmitigated disaster, while replacement GM Tim Connelly has also been criticised for being a little wet behind the ears (and a cheap hire). The Nuggets lost serious traction with the Denver fanbase during last-season's horror show; any further bungling will bring serious heat upon the embattled ownership.

Is a Gun: To be frank the cupboard's pretty bare, so let's go with the star-crossed Gallinari.

gallo-passing.gif



Needs Improvement: Brian Shaw had poor man-management skills, a dogmatic attachment to an ill-advised game-plan, bizarre rotation policies and no respect for his forbears. Apart from that he made a great coach.

Seriously though, shooting: the Nuggets were 22nd in 2PtFG%, 28th in 3PtFG% and 24th in FT% - that's a lot of bricking. They also foul more than any other NBA team.

Big Question: Can Mike Malone find a way to implement working offensive and defensive strategies?

Malone was known as a defensive specialist in Sacramento, where he worked wonders with the Kings before unfathomably getting the chop.
The Nuggets don't look like a fearsome defensive team on paper, but then again neither did the Kings. Offensively Malone (like Shaw ironically) preferred a grinding post-up style in Sacramento - that's fine if you possess Shaq or Boogie, but not so much with Denver's roster. The Nuggets' abundance of wings, coupled with their lack of inside scoring and spot up shooting, almost demands that they run a lot. The thin air inevitably helps with the latter too.


And now, a word from our sponsors:

mickelboy182 - fancy letting off a little steam here?


The Magic Eight Ball:


honda-happy-honda-days-sales-event-skeletor-magic-eight-ball-small-6.jpg



My drug-induced haze powers of foresight lead me to deduce that Denver fans will find Malone's honest approach refreshing after enduring two years of psycho-babble at the hands of Phil Jackson-disciple Shaw.

The signs also look promising for burgeoning romance between the prodigious Mudiay and the star-starved Denver crowds - this seems to be one of those serendipitous draft selections that was just meant to be. The Nuggets don't have enough balance on the roster to re-enter playoff calculations, but happier days may yet be around the corner in Denver.
 

mickelboy182

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 30, 2008
12,105
10,721
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Denver Nuggets
Really solid write up, very much an accurate representation of where we are at and what the fans are thinking. Couldn't nitpick something if I tried, can't really give it any higher praise than that.

Shitting on JJ Hickson and Brian 'BS' Shaw the icing on the cake.
 
May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
Very nice sos

Puts my muddling efforts to shame :-D

Lol, nah - without your efforts I'd have hit the wall by now. I try to put some meat on the bone, but doing 30 of these would be a bridge too far.

Plus I'm not so good with the shot charts and Pricey jokes ;)
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
As kind of a post-script mickelboy182 , I came across this when I was doing some reading on the Nuggets - without reading too much into it, it just looked like what real coaching is supposed to be:




No Keef mention for Nuggets? :D

It might be the unseasonable heat melting my brain, but you'll have to explain this one to me...
 

mickelboy182

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 30, 2008
12,105
10,721
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Denver Nuggets
So far most of what Malone has done has been the exact opposite of what Shaw did. Can only conclude that as a good thing.
Obviously well adored by his players and that's a pretty big deal in a league with so many egos.

Love the fact he says it's on himself and the coaching staff to get the players focused, Shaw's favourite line to the media was 'hey man I'm not responsible for getting the players motivated that's on them!'
 
May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
So far most of what Malone has done has been the exact opposite of what Shaw did. Can only conclude that as a good thing.
Obviously well adored by his players and that's a pretty big deal in a league with so many egos.

Love the fact he says it's on himself and the coaching staff to get the players focused, Shaw's favourite line to the media was 'hey man I'm not responsible for getting the players motivated that's on them!'

People skills - very underrated skill.

If you guys can snag a decent pick this year, you'll have the makings of a decent team. Pretty like-able bunch too.


OP has now been updated with quick links for anyone wishing to laugh at the Knicks read about certain teams.
 
May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
Wont name names but some idiot is getting his teams mixed up and which team had the Morris' playing for them. Much embarrassment.

Just blame the heat ;)

Fear not, because Look2Me4Guidance will have a kind word or three to say about Mr. Morris when we get around to previewing the Suns.
 
... and I'll tell you a tale.

Something, something knob-ends

Something, something fail.


This thing writes itself!

s05e01_120.jpg
Swing it, swing it
Then you'll see
Mirza Teletovic open for 3
 

Atlanta_Cats

All Australian
Dec 21, 2014
740
528
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Atlanta hawks, New Orleans saints
Atlanta Hawks 2015-16 season preview
1684_atlanta_hawks-jersey-2016.png

Last season: 60-22, 1st in Eastern Conference. Lost 4-0 in ECF to Cavaliers

Offseason additions: Tiago Splitter, Walter Tavares, Lamar Patterson, Terran Petteway, Justin Holiday, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Offseason losses: DeMarre Carroll (Raptors), Austin Daye (waived), Pero Antic (Europe)

Overview
After an incredible season in 2014-15 netting 60 wins, a division title and conference finals it was a challenging offseason for Atlanta losing their best player throughout the playoffs DeMarre Carroll via free agency to the Toronto Raptors. However they have added some needed depth in the frontcourt with Tiago splitter coming to Atlanta via trade from San Antonio and Walter Tavares from overseas. Also adding Tim Hardaway and Justin Holiday gives Atlanta many more options on the perimeter.


Point guard

Jeff Teague: He could have peaked at this stage in his career as a very good point guard slightly below the elite category, but his 17 pts/7 ast. Average stacks him right up there with the best point guards in the association.

Dennis Schroder: Coming off an impressive 2nd year where he was able to establish himself as the 2nd option at the PG position, this season will be vital for Dennis to continue his development and place pressure on Teague as the starting point guard. Schroder showed great promise in EuroBasket averaging 15 pts/5.3 assists at 57% shooting playing 25 minutes per game. If Schroder can show some of this form he will place plenty of pressure on Jeff Teague.

Shelvin Mack: Falling down the rotation last year with Schroder’s improvement it is hard to see Mack getting many minutes this season, however he is a valuable depth option if injuries strike and can give valuable minutes when needed.


Shooting Guard:
Kyle Korver: Sidelined with ankle injury late last season in the ECF, it will be interesting to see how Korver comes back. At age 34 he is on the downside now, but his sweet shooting will shape defences for years to come. Korver’s health and shooting is one of the most vital ingredients to Atlanta’s success, particularly offensively

Kent Bazemore: Atlanta’s official no.1 bench celebrator, made a strong contribution off the bench last season. He looks a potentially viable candidate at the small forward position to play major minutes, however the offensive deficiencies seem to prevent him from making a step forward, quite the opposite of Tim Hardaway Jr. Coming into a contract year, this season shapes as the biggest in Kent’s young career.

Tim Hardaway Jr: Trade acquisition from the #lolknicks, wasn’t as good last season with slight decreases in shooting, however if he can bring up his shooting, it can make the hawks much more dangerous on the perimeter, especially when Korver is on the floor he may be vital in stretching the floor for Atlanta, particularly on the second unit.

Justin Holiday: An intriguing addition in the offseason, not sure where he fits in the rotation, but it appears that his role may be more so as a defensive stopper, similar to the way that DeMarre Carroll flourished over the last few years.

Small Forward

Thabo Sefolosha: Coming back after his broken leg in a New York nightclub of all places. It appears at this stage he will be a starter at the 3 and Atlanta’s record with him on the court last year was an 80-90% win ratio, so his contribution on the defensive side of the ball is invaluable to Atlanta, also if he can space the floor offensive it could transform Atlanta

Lamar Patterson: Probably in a fight with petteway for the final roster spot, hard to know a lot about him, but drafted in 2014 after averaging 17 ppg in his senior season at Pittsburgh he definitely has the potential to crack the hawks roster.

Terran Petteway: Like Patterson, a young player trying to crack the roster after going undrafted, if he makes the roster it is hard to see him making a significant contribution over the course of the 2015-16 season.



Power Forwards

Paul Millsap: In the first year of a 3yr/60million contract, the expectation at this point is that he has probably peaked at this point, however he will continue to be one of the most underrated players in the nba that fills it up night in and night out, while Horford’s return last season diminished his numbers slightly last season, the potency of these two on the floor together cannot be questioned.

Tiago Splitter: Traded from the spurs, essentially Atlanta’s replacement for DeMarre Carroll, who will provide much needed interior defence and rebounding that went missing, an indicator of this was him averaging 13.6 rebounds per 100 possessions which has been a glaring deficiency.

Mike Scott: The human emoji, coming back again after a troubled offseason being charged for drug offences, however it is interesting to see where he fits in the rotation now with the addition of splitter, even with his defensive shortcomings, perhaps a move to the 3 could revitalise him and bring him back to some of the form he showed in 2013-14 which established him as one of the stronger players in Atlanta’s second unit, however it will be a challenge for him to do so.


Center

Al Horford: The “BOSS” as he is affectionately known by Hawks fans, like Millsap we know what Horford brings to the table. His numbers were slightly down per game and per 36 minutes last year, however that was partly due to his slow start returning from his torn pectoral muscle in 2013. Health is vital for Horford and the hawks as we have seen when he has missed time over the last few years it has cost the hawks dearly. Coming off his first healthy offseason in years, look for Horford to have a big season.

Mike Muscala: With the departures of brand and antic it appears that muscala will be the 2nd man in at center behind Horford. Muscala is best used as a floor spacer, shooting the 3 at 41% last season and will need to fill in the role that antic played as that big that could take defenders away from the rim. He showed this in the playoffs with his shot that forced game 3 vs Washington to overtime, don’t ask me how that game ended though because I forgot...


Walter Tavares: A raw overseas prospect that cannot be expected to be playing big minutes or to crack the rotation regularly this season. However in Spain last season he was able to average 8 pts/8 reb in 22 mpg, showing that he has the potential to fill up the box score. Also his 7’9” wingspan gives him great potential particularly on the defensive side of the ball.


The verdict
There will definitely be a sense of coming back to earth this year from Atlanta, but this is not as bad as perceived by some experts. I see Atlanta winning around 50 games and making it to home court for the first round of the playoffs. Also the addition of another big body in splitter gives Atlanta a defensive presence on the inside that they clearly lacked last season despite winning 60 games, also the added shooting of players like Hardaway will help to space the floor more giving Millsap and Horford more space inside.
In concluding Atlanta will be somewhat different this year but the end product will be the same successful product we have seen using Budenholzer’s spurs system.
 
May 23, 2012
15,496
14,231
Smoothie King Central
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, New Orleans Pels
Trail_Blazers_5180145.gif




2014/15 Record: 51-31 (1st in Northwest, 6th in West), lost 4-1 to Grizzlies in first round

2014/15 Stats: ranked #9 offensively, ranked #10 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: LaMarcus Aldridge (23.4 ppg), LaMarcus Aldridge (10.2 rpg), Damian Lillard (6.2 apg)


Hail Blazers: Al-farouq Aminu (4/30), Ed Davis (3/20), Gerald Henderson (trade), Noah Vonleh (trade), Mason Plumlee (trade), Mo Harkless (trade), Phil Pressey (waivers)

Ore-gone: LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs), Wes Matthews (Mavs), Nic Batum (Hornets), Robin Lopez (Knicks), Aaron Afflalo (Knicks), Steve Blake (Pistons)

Draft: F Pat Connaughton (#41)

Notable: Extended Damian Lillard (5/120)



game4_690_042714.jpg



The Lowdown

Sometimes love just ain't enough.

The Blazers were a team who obviously enjoyed playing together. A natural extension of this camaraderie was a style of basketball pleasing to the eye, quality hoops which in turn begat two successive 50-win seasons and a place among the heavy-hitters in the wild Western Conference. Portland's unexpected renaissance in the aftermath of the star-crossed Roy/Oden era was one of the feel-good stories of the league, giving folks in the Pacific northwest good reason to love their Blazers once more.

Sadly for a franchise which has seen its fair share of hard-luck stories, the fickle hand of fate has once more dealt them a hefty nut-punch. Whether Wes Matthews' late-season Achilles injury was the catalyst for the break-up of the team or merely the coup de gras, we'll probably never know. There's no two ways about it, losing LaMarcus Aldridge to the Spurs, without compensation, cuts deep - it's not quite at the level of LeBron leaving Cleveland or Shaq fleeing to the Lakers, but it's the next best (worst) thing.

Aldridge's exit unquestionably was the catalyst for the most complete, instantaneous dismantling of an entire team in recent memory. The Blazers this season are akin to Chicago in '99 or the Lakers of 2005, only without the ultimate recent success with which to soothe the imminent pain of rebuilding. However just as the Lakers of '05 still had Kobe, Portland can at least seek solace in the knowledge that their future will include Damian Lillard, who signed a $120 million extension in July.

GM Neil Olshey has completely revamped the roster, with an apparent emphasis on youth and athleticism; the likes of Aminu, Davis, Plumlee, Vonleh and Harkless might not yet be names that roll off the tongue of the basketball purist, but they are guaranteed to get after it at the defensive end and on the boards.

How Terry Stotts adapts not only to the wholesale change in personnel but also the vastly different type of players now present on the team will determine how the Blazers fare in the short term. In the longer run Portland use the coming season to pan for gold among its plethora of untapped youth, judging who fits with Lillard and who doesn't.

Few teams know better than the Blazers how important team chemistry is to success. Unfortunately few teams understand better than Portland how fleeting fortune can be.



25.-Blazers-copy1.jpg



The roster

GUARD: Dear Dame... hmmmm, how to put this?

Lillard has never made public any explicit desire to be 'the man' in Portland, but the complicated dynamics of the NBA now dictate that he must be, at least for now. The Blazers won't worry about his mentality, as Lillard has shown that he lives for the big moment on more than the odd occasion...




Lillard has demonstrated the capacity to develop his game, as he greatly improved his finishing at the rim in 2014-15 (his shooting accuracy inside the arc went from 44.7 up to 50%) and at least showed some intent to clean up his problematic defence. Unfortunately Lillard suffered an outside shooting slump for the majority of last season, which when combined with Batum's struggles really weakened Portland's capacity to hurt teams. The Blazers will probably be most eager to see Lillard continue to improve as a playmaker - the good news is that he's most effective as the ball handler in pick & roll situations, which Portland already figures to run a lot of this season anyway.

Lillard's going to get through a mountain of work this season, as help is thin on the ground. Gerald Henderson figures to spend a lot of time at off-guard - he's not the three point shooter that Stotts loves to utilise, but he has his good points. He''ll work hard defensively, has a pretty dependable mid-range jumper and won't jack up unnecessary shots - he's not a difference maker, but he won't hurt you much either. Although some may beg to differ...

bobcatlady.gif



CJ McCollum figures to enjoy a greatly expanded role in 2015/16. The game finally seemed to slow down for him in the latter part of last season, as he became a weapon off the bench for Stotts. If Tim Frazier or Phil Pressey flame out, McCollum will likely be forced into a reserve playmaking role. If he can perfect the combo-guard role in the same way that Bobby Jackson once did, Portland will probably consider themselves pleased - he's not a natural point guard, but he can certainly score in bunches.





FORWARD: Well, at least the Blazers will have plenty of options here...

For the first time since 2008, the starters won't be Aldridge and Batum - so who steps up to fill the void?

It came as a shock to long-suffering Pelican fans, but Aminu played pretty well in Dallas - well enough to walk into a spanking new $30 million contract with the Blazers. He's very versatile defensively and will crash the boards all day. On the other hand, like Henderson he's no three point shooter - in fact no player is more symbolic of Portland's new direction than the lanky Aminu.

Mo Harkless is something of a younger, smaller version of Aminu, albeit a player with more scope to improve his outside jump shot (even accounting for the fact that he shot a horrid 18% from three point range last season). Shooting aside, it was hard to see why our own BoshtrichBurger 's favourite became such a fixture in the Orlando doghouse - he's got all the athletic ability in the world, and has shown glimpses of real talent. At the cost of a second round pick, his acquisition was a no-brainer for Portland.

480105322-general-manager-neil-olshey-of-the-portland-gettyimages.jpg



Another player with 'potential' written across his forehead is second year forward Noah Vonleh. He showed some really nice signs in summer league - the Blazers and Stotts in particular will appreciate his soft outside shooting touch. While he certainly went through some growing pains during his rookie year in Charlotte, Vonleh figures to have more latitude to learn on the job in Portland. He'll get minutes, because the Blazers certainly didn't trade the valuable Batum with the intent of burying the youngster on the bench.

Olshey also dipped into the free agency pool to steal Ed Davis away from the Lakers. Davis makes for an interesting comparison with Cleveland's Tristan Thompson - whatever the differences in the production, it's hard to deny that at three years and $20 million the Blazers spent a portion of their (suddenly considerable) cap room wisely. Davis is yet another strong rebounder on a squad stacked with them, while Portland could certainly use his shot blocking. As you can see from his 2014-15 heat map, Davis won't exactly replace Aldridge as a pick & pop weapon...

Ed_Davis_2014-15_heat_map.0.png



CENTRE: Nobody represented hipster-Portland more than Robin Lopez. The Blazers will miss his personality more than anything.

Still, they've got some nice young pieces to rotate here. Mason Plumlee joins the squad courtesy of a draft day deal with the Nets - much like Ed Davis (who can also slide over here) he'll hit the boards and use his athleticism to good effect at the defensive end. Offensively he's pretty similar to Davis too, in that he's extremely limited. Again, like Davis, he should make a nice pick & roll partner for Lillard though.

Meyers Leonard meanwhile had something of a breakout season in 2014/15, shooting an eye-popping 50/40/90 and improving his hitherto sub-standard defence. Intriguingly, he gave the conventional Grizzlies all kinds of problems in the playoffs with his shooting range. Sure he still looks like a mimbo, but stretch bigs are all the rage these days.

All told, the Blazers have an interesting collection young prospects, comprised of both traditional bigs (Davis, Plumlee) and new-wave floor stretchers (Vonleh & Leonard).

0630+new+blazers+6601.jpg



Pick & Pop - where we pick a random throwaway line and pop it here to see if anyone is paying attention


In the Gun: Neil Olshey

The former Clippers GM has
copped considerable heat for his handling of the Aldridge saga. His scatter-gun approach to re-stocking the roster is interesting to say the least - what was the Enes Kanter contract offer all about?

Is a Gun: Lillard

It never hurts to remind people that the man was effectively traded for Gerald Wallace - thank you, Billy King.

Needs Improvement: Chemistry

It's essentially useless to look at any of last season's stats for this team. It's pretty safe to assume that with all the new faces, chemistry will be an ongoing issue this season.

Big Question: Is Terry Stotts flexible enough in his coaching philosophy to adapt to a totally different roster?

Portland's team is not only new and young, but filled with players which in many ways are the antithesis of the squad which Stotts has worked with the past three seasons. The ex-Dallas assistant has received deserved praise for installing an offensive and defensive game-plan which utilised the sweet shooting and high IQ of his former players and masked their lack of athleticism.




Stotts will now be asked to nurture a young cast who possess all the raw athletic ability in the world, but with some notable exceptions can't shoot for toffee - will he adjust?


And now, a word from our sponsors: our resident Blazer fanatics answer the tough questions;

1/ What did you think of the signings of Ed Davis and Al-farouq Aminu?

Thought money was a bit much for Aminu at first, being the first signing of the entire offseason, but I'm happy with it. Happy with the deal and happy with the player. Ed Davis on a great deal. Good solid player too.

2/ What are you hoping to see from the three young players traded in (Vonleh, Plumlee, Harkless)?


Vonleh is going to be mad. He's going to shoot threes and it's going to be sick. Big hopes for him. Maybe not this year but think he will be a genuine key to our future team
Plumlee should start at C. Pretty simply, he will do what he does - solid addition
Harkless I'm excited for. Has had a good camp and is apparently in the running to start at 3. Will definitely shoot better from 3 than his prev 18% and he'll be given a free reign to shoot the 3 imo - as will Aminu - can see them both dramatically improving there.


3/ CJ McCollum and Meyers Leonard - did they show enough last season to give you optimism?

God yes. So ******* good. Mr 50-40-90.

4/ Terry Stotts did a good job with a skilled, cerebral bunch in recent seasons, after working with a similar group of players in Dallas - how do you think he'll adjust to coaching a younger, athletic roster?

This is the key question. Who knows?! I only hope he favors playing the younger guys than the experienced guys (all 2 of them) (Vonleh/Meyers instead of Kaman, CJ over Henderson)
Hope he continues to load up on 3s though. Moe/Hendo/Aminu aren't exactly Wes and Nic in that department but I hope they're given a similar license and improve.

5/ Will Lillard have to modify his game now that he's 'the man' in Portland?

Nah. He's always kind of been the man anyway. We've previously had him feeding the ball to LMA/RoLo to get them going at the start of Q's, will be interesting to see if he's willing to do that for say... Meyers Leonard and CJ McCollum.
More important to him this year is the loss of Dorrell/Mo(previously) than LMA. He can play as the man no worries imo. But now he's 'the man' and 'the vet'

1/ What did you think of the signings of Ed Davis and Al-farouq Aminu?
As smashh said I thought the Aminu deal was an overpay being the first deal of free agency, but when compared to others it looks quite decent. Ed Davis should be a solid aquicistion as long as he is paired with Leonard/Vonleh. Dont want to see Plumlee Davis on the court at the same time.
2/ What are you hoping to see from the three young players traded in (Vonleh, Plumlee, Harkless)?
Extremely excited about what Vonleh can develop into over the next few years. I am hoping we just give him consistent minutes off the bench all season, but given the glut of bigs we do have and depending on what Olshey/Stotts want (grand dreams of playoffs perhaps??) I fear Vonleh may have a lot of DNP CD's

Plumlee will start at centre and should be solid.

Harkless certainly had a good start in his first preseason game. In the running to start at the 3 with Aminu and even maybe Crabbe. Hoping he can bring that 3% up. Could be very handy in small ball lineups with Aminu at the 4.

3/ CJ McCollum and Meyers Leonard - did they show enough last season to give you optimism?
Big year for CJ i feel. Will need to contribute a lot offensively and will no doubt have a lot of ball handling duties. Hope he plays minutes at backup PG as Frazier and Pressley arent much good.

4/ Terry Stotts did a good job with a skilled, cerebral bunch in recent seasons, after working with a similar group of players in Dallas - how do you think he'll adjust to coaching a younger, athletic roster?

The thing I am most looking forward to is how he coaches such a young side on the defensive end. Hopefully they bring a tonne of energy, get really active in the passing lanes (something the Portland sides of the previous seasons really struggled with. Lowest steals per game last season?). Wonder if we will continue to allow teams to have that mid range to deep 2 whenever they want it.

Offensively I am expecting a lot of the same. Guys like Crabbe, CJ, Aminu, Henderson, Harkless, Vonleh and Leonard are going to be taking a lot of 3s. Interesting to see if we feed the ball down low into the post to start games like last couple of seasons or we will see Lillard take a lot more shots early on.

5/ Will Lillard have to modify his game now that he's 'the man' in Portland?

Lillard to continue doing what he does best - being the man.



The Magic Eight Ball:

honda-happy-honda-days-sales-event-skeletor-magic-eight-ball-small-6.jpg



The Blazers won't win 50 games this year... I tell you, I'm a freaking clairvoyant.

It's actually hard to predict exactly what Portland can achieve in the short term, as so many of their main rotation pieces are under-exposed. The Blazers will be worse, but will they be 35 wins worse or 20 wins worse?

Portland could be a decent defensive team this season, and they'll certainly be a hydra on the boards. The lack of shooting on the roster will leave an awful lot on the shoulders of Lillard in the short term though, and that spells lottery. Look for Stotts to avoid playing Davis and Plumlee together, instead keeping one of Vonleh or Leonard on court at all times.
 
Last edited:
Sep 7, 2005
85,389
37,904
Firing GarPax
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Liverpool, Chicago Bulls
So, the Wolfies.... A team on the rise, or are they.

minnesota-timberwolves-logo.png


2014/15 Record: 16-62 (5th in Northwest)

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #23 offensively, ranked #30 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: KMart 20ppg, Wiggins 16.9ppg, Dieng 8.3 rpg, Rubio 8.8apg, Mo 6.4apg, LaVine 3.6apg

Howl ya doin: Tayshaun Prince, Damjan Rudez, Dre Miller, Nemanja Bjelica

Fleeced: Anthony Bennett, Chase Budinger

New to the pack: Towns, Tyus Jones

Sadly Flip is unlikey to continue in his role with the team leaving Sam Mitchell to take over the coaching duties.

Rubio is one of the few true point guards in the league. His passing, when on song, is sublime, and throw in Wiggins and LaVine for the alley oop highlights and something special could be brewing... or at the very least one of the better teams to watch on LP. Injuries have cruelled him throughout his career and his shot.... well lets just say its ugly. Rather than use last years shot chart, given he only played 22 games its perhaps more prudent to look back to 2013.

grant_rubio_chart_1152x972.jpg


Last season he was 8/26 at the rim.... thats um, well not very good. In the run and gun offense it wont bother Minny much, although with the addition of Towns Minnesota will be playing a fair amount of slow down half court sets. Rubio hasn't been terrible from deep above the break, altho thats probably product of people absolutely refusing to guard him. If he can hit the open looks it will help, altho teams will be able to go under the pick and roll action all day long as his midrange game is all kinds of ugh. The liability of Rubio in the pick and roll game is almost verbatim what I wrote about Miami, altho they at least have decent midrange shooters. Teams can go under screens and hedge off help, and their best shooter in Martin is best used off the screen for spot ups rather than in the pick and roll.

That passing tho....



ThinPassionateIberianmole.gif


Backing up the Italian Pete Maravich* we have Prof Andre Miller... which gives us one of the worst defensive point guard pairings in the league. Easter Island statues have more leg speed than Dre these days.

*
shaq.png


Shifting to the 2 spot we have KMart 2.0 (aka trade bait) and Zach LaVine. LaVine was thrown to the wolves at the point last year in the absence of Rubio, where he showed flashes of brilliance, with 28 against the Lakers, and then true to a rookie, came out scoreless two nights later. Defensively he was prone to getting lost in rotations, shot selection was an issue, but those are general rookie problems, and he put up 14.2ppg/4.2apg/3rpg with 38% from 3 post All Star Break. Altho that said, he was dead last in RPM among 84 point guards, and his impact on the Wolves defence, measured in points allowed per 100 possessions was -4.35. I'm genuinely excited to see what he can be, especially if Minny put out some long athletic lineups that can switch at will. Martin put up 20ppg, shooting nigh on 40% from 3, albeit missing 43 games. Does a 32 year old fit with the future of this team, or would they get anything of use by trading. Martin has 2/14 remaining on his deal, and for a roster looking to build towards a title he could be a valuable scoring option off the bench, but its questionable whether Minnesota would get anything in return unless they take on a salary dump.

Down to the 3, we have Wiggins, Shabazz, Rudez and for some reason Tayshaun ******* Prince. Wiggins, what more can you say. He's a stud. Offensively he remains a work in progress. He needs to work on the midrange shot and the 3 balls, altho 31% from deep is a servicable starting point.
As an iso defender he was in the 62nd percentile, not horrible for a rookie and committed 3.4 fouls per 48.

The boy has some hops and whilst not the second coming of Lebron, or even Anthony Davis, he can be something pretty special nonetheless.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=17&v=kJnarXYrFSs

Now Shabazz. In the December 1 to Jan 9th period he was knocking down the 3 ball at 40% and putting up 16.9ppg/4.9rpg and 1.8apg. His total rebounding percentage was solid at 10.2 and his assist rate went up to a decent 9.6%. Whilst his left block play went downhill as teams worked pout how to defend him he developed a nice bread and butter right shoulder game, and projects to spend more time as a small ball 4.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgWhfvMGimQ

I know very little about Rubez, but the Wolves are high on him. He can shoot the rock, but as a 29 year old sophomore who knows what to expect.

Tayshaun ******* Prince man....

Ok shifting to the 4 we have Garnett, Towns, Payne, Bjelica. The small sample size (5 games) with KG back in Minnesota saw their defensive rating jump from 111.3 to 93.8. As a mentor he'll have a huge impact on the young squad, especially Towns,altho what he can offer on the floor will be limited going forward.

Payne is another former first round pick, playing 29 games in Minny and putting up 6.7/5.1 in 23.1 minutes. Whilst he was a decent shooter at Michigan State that didnt translate to Minny, as he shot just 11 percent from deep (small sample size). He showed improvement during SL.... ok its SL but still.



As for Towns, he has shown some nice things down low in SL and some nice rim protection. He'll be a slam dunk as a number 1 pick.



In college he showed some nice ability, and will be a force down low. Reminds me of a young LMA in a way.

Towns.jpg


He was efficient at the rim shooting 72% and has shown some ability at pre draft workouts to extend his range out to the 3. If he can develop that midrange game he'll be a great pick and pop guy going forward. Where things start to get interesting is how Minny plan to use Towns. They can use Shabazz and Payne as stretch 4 type guys, with Towns at the 5, or go big with Towns playing the 4 alongside Dieng.

Down to the 5 we have Dieng and Pek. Some interesting opinons exist on Dieng amongst Wolfie fans. One particular quote i enjoyed...

'Occasionally spectacular help defense blocks perpetuate the believe that he is an excellent defender despite the possibility that most of the people reading this post could take him off the dribble in the open court.'

corgidieng.jpg


So is he a starting calibre player or not? Or is he trade bait? I'm not sure either way. Whilst the block stats are nice, they come almost entirely in help defense situations. His one on one defense was average at best, with big centres able to have their way with him down low. Altho you can argue he had some pretty abysmal perimeter defenders ahead of him last season, and fatigue due to the increase in minutes and absence of Pek. His rebounding dropped from 20% as a rookie to 15.9% and defensive rebounding rate fell from 26.9% to 20.8%. These numbers are likely the result of playing next to Love, with oppositions focusing on Love, leaving Dieng free to have his way on the boards. Offensively its a similar mix, he is a decent post player, who shows a soft touch on the midrange and bank shots, altho a touch turnover prone (top 15% in turnover ratio in the league) and struggled at the rim. He shot 42% when a defender was within 2 feet... not great. He projects to be a decent backup centre and if another team over values him, perhaps its best to cut and run, but unless you get massive overs is it worth it?

Gorgui-Dieng-Chart.png


As for Pek. He's long had problems with ankles, and surgery on the right Achilles is not good news, and some reports indicate that it was a last ditch effort. He'll be on minutes restrictions, something like 20-25mpg. His fg% went downhill, shooting 42%, whilst most other stats were similar to those of previous years. Unfortunately he is still owed 3/36, making him in essence untradeable.

Is a Gun - Wiggins and Towns are two cornerstones for the franchise going forward

In the Gun - Rubio. Its the ever present question, can he shoot. Minny can put out a range of lineups, but are not well blessed for knockdown shooters

Improvement - Shabazz/Lavine. Both put up numbers, but were they good numbers/bad team syndrome. I tend to think that Shabazz can forge a career as a 4 in the league, the question is, is it in Minnesota? I'm not so sure on LaVine yet, lets see how he comes into his sophomore year. Defensively they were woeful, and improvement is drastically needed. The presence of KG, and less injuries will help.

Question - Who stays? Apart from the two number 1 picks, the whole roster could be on the trade block at any point of the season. Sadly Pek is essentially untradeable.

Experts opinions - Happy to include whatever

Prediction - I must admit I have no idea. A healthy roster should see them push for 30 wins , but things could just as easily go south

Hows about them puns Son of Skeletor :D
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Back