2019 NBA Offseason Thread - Free Agency starts 6 p.m. ET on June 30

[Scotland]

Only 8 players have averaged 50-40-90 over a season in the history of the NBA. No one has averaged it over a career - Nash was freaking close.

Depending on you all time greatest player list Bird is the only one from the top 20 who has achieved it.

Allegedly - https://www.opencourt-basketball.com/the-exclusive-50-40-90-club-has-expanded/

It is an unrealistic benchmark.

It is and it isn't. Some of the names on the list are exceptional shooters. Curry, Bird, Durant, Miller. Dirk doing it as a big guy is amazing. It's a good benchmark if you are looking at all time great shooters. Even being close to the mark is commendable.

Harden got close in 2011/12 as a 6th man. But he's never hit 50, 40 or 90 in any season. Durant on the other hand has been in the 50 club for 7 straight years with a couple of 40s and a 90. Curry has only hit 50 once (his 2P% is low because he's a little guy and can't drive and dunk on people) but he's a career member of the 40 and 90 clubs. These guys are talked up as GOAT shooters, because they are. Harden's a great player and a good shooter in this era but he's not a 'generational shooter'.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I love a step back. It's a thing of beauty.

The ugliest form of basketball has become the 3 point obsession.

In the right circumstances yes, but not after dribbling out 21 seconds of the shot clock

 

[Dez!]

I love a step back. It's a thing of beauty.

The ugliest form of basketball has become the 3 point obsession.

When it's a legitimate step back, sure.

When you see 40 of them a game that are still contested s**t shots? Not so much.

 

[Bostonian]

When it's a legitimate step back, sure.

When you see 40 of them a game that are still contested s**t shots? Not so much.

Still prefer his game to watch than a team based around putting up 3s every second shot.

Given the league has also pretty much killed off the post up player anything but three point shooting is better to watch.

 

[peternorth]

I miss the mid range shot

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I miss the mid range shot

Make the long 2 great again

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Has Russ ever been surrounded by shooters like he will be in Houston?

 

[sherrif]

LOL. So my argument for why it might not work is 'simplistic moronic' but you 'can't see' why why they won't be a better version of their 2011/12 selves? Well I can. In 2011/12 Westbrook ran point and got 24 points and 6 assists a game, and some guy named Kevin Durant led the team with 28 points and 8 rebounds. Harden came off the bench and was 6MOTY playing at shooting guard.

Harden shot the ball 1,000 times more than his nearest teammate this season. He needs the ball. Westbrook shot the ball twice as much as CP3 and had nearly twice as many assists. He needs the ball.

I watched the conference semis, and then I saw the US sports shows going on and on about how CP3 wasn't happy with Harden's off ball work and how there is a rift and all that, then here we are in July and CP3 is out the door. Jalen Rose agrees with me that Harden off ball is lazy, but if they old 'well you didn't watch' is the best you've got then you must not have much.



Talk of open threes is silly. In what universe are teams going to just leave the 3 point leader of this season just standing there by himself on the 3 point line? If he wants shots off ball he'll have to work for them just like the other great guards in the NBA.

Yep. Missed my point by a deadset mile. I said that Paul dribbled the ball up and then Harden took over playmaking. Which is exactly what happened and how they'll do it with Westbrook in the Paul role. Harden can hit open shots. He's terrific when left open. I should have worded it better 'off ball work' is not exactly what I meant.If you want clarification Im saying he can receive and shoot the ball. No doubt Westbrook will draw more attention than Paul when he drives because of how well he finishes and that's my point. Not sure why they wouldnt be better than their early career form at Oklohoma. Nice logic fail there. Either way bookmark my post if you like. Got trashed in this thread for saying Raptors could very well win the title with the roster they had a year ago.. Some on here think the Lakers wont make the playoffs. Safe bet the Lakers and Clippers will have the two best record next season, barring injuries. Houston likely to go well enough to easily make the playoffs. Both yours and the Lakers comments here wont look very bright by seasons end.Safest bet ever.

 

[peternorth]

Yep. Missed my point by a deadset mile. I said that Paul dribbled the ball up and then Harden took over playmaking. Which is exactly what happened and how they'll do it with Westbrook in the Paul role. Harden can hit open shots. He's terrific when left open. I should have worded it better 'off ball work' is not exactly what I meant.If you want clarification Im saying he can receive and shoot the ball. No doubt Westbrook will draw more attention than Paul when he drives because of how well he finishes and that's my point. Not sure why they wouldnt be better than their early career form at Oklohoma. Nice logic fail there. Either way bookmark my post if you like. Got trashed in this thread for saying Raptors could very well win the title with the roster they had a year ago.. Some on here think the Lakers wont make the playoffs. Safe bet the Lakers and Clippers will have the two best record next season, barring injuries. Houston likely to go well enough to easily make the playoffs. Both yours and the Lakers comments here wont look very bright by seasons end.Safest bet ever.

You predicted the Raps could win the title a year ago? Would've received juicy odds!

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Yep. Missed my point by a deadset mile. I said that Paul dribbled the ball up and then Harden took over playmaking. Which is exactly what happened and how they'll do it with Westbrook in the Paul role. Harden can hit open shots. He's terrific when left open. I should have worded it better 'off ball work' is not exactly what I meant.If you want clarification Im saying he can receive and shoot the ball. No doubt Westbrook will draw more attention than Paul when he drives because of how well he finishes and that's my point. Not sure why they wouldnt be better than their early career form at Oklohoma. Nice logic fail there. Either way bookmark my post if you like. Got trashed in this thread for saying Raptors could very well win the title with the roster they had a year ago.. Some on here think the Lakers wont make the playoffs. Safe bet the Lakers and Clippers will have the two best record next season, barring injuries. Houston likely to go well enough to easily make the playoffs. Both yours and the Lakers comments here wont look very bright by seasons end.Safest bet ever.

So if the Lakers and Clippers don’t have the best records this coming season you’ll no doubt post that you were wrong?

 

[Timo pez]

I miss the mid range shot

Get on the Pacers!

 

[sherrif]

So if the Lakers and Clippers don’t have the best records this coming season you’ll no doubt post that you were wrong?

Barring massive injuries which you cant predict for either team. Yes. Fine.

 

[sherrif]

You predicted the Raps could win the title a year ago? Would've received juicy odds!

i predicted they'd contend and could win it if Leonard got back to his absolute best. Got abused beyond belief on one of the threads on b/f basketball.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Has Russ ever been surrounded by shooters like he will be in Houston?

That's the one asterix against the Thunder post Durant.

In general they did a pretty poor job of surrounding Westbrook with enough shooting. Also I wouldn't trust Billy Donovan to get the most out of whatever shooting they did have.

Perhaps Russ just isn't coachable. Then again, perhaps he just needs a coach with an identifiable offensive system.

 

[hamG]

Having played basketball since I was 7 or 8 I'd had several coaches try to get me shooting right handed. In the end I just became un-coachable.

I've seen coaches still trying to do it in recent times to kids.

Was this the man who hurt you?

 

[Bostonian]

Was this the man who hurt you?

I've never met any of your creepy rock spider relatives, so no.

 

[fidstar]

This is the same over simplistic moronic argument from the laziest of nba comentators. Actually, I cant see how the combination wont simply be a better version of how they played together in 2011 as Harden has improved out of sight since then. You're talking crap if you think Harden cant play off ball. He's doesnt it a heap with Paul spending a lot of time with the ball in hand. Pretty simply the Rockets need Westbrook to drive and shoot mid range jumpers. They dont need him to shoot threes. They need more scoring in the paint and Westbrooks great at that. Simply put, all he has to do is have the ball as much as Paul did, but instead of launching from range he drives and dishes or launches mid range jump shot. Harden's dynamic when left open for three. Im not sure you've watched the rockets much if you dont think he can play off ball. Key to the Rockets is how much support they get for the duo. Iggy's tipped to sign with them (will require a trade) and they're one of the teams considering JR Smith who's now an unrestricted free agent.

To quote yourself...

You're talking crap

 

[fidstar]

It is and it isn't. Some of the names on the list are exceptional shooters. Curry, Bird, Durant, Miller. Dirk doing it as a big guy is amazing. It's a good benchmark if you are looking at all time great shooters. Even being close to the mark is commendable.

Harden got close in 2011/12 as a 6th man. But he's never hit 50, 40 or 90 in any season. Durant on the other hand has been in the 50 club for 7 straight years with a couple of 40s and a 90. Curry has only hit 50 once (his 2P% is low because he's a little guy and can't drive and dunk on people) but he's a career member of the 40 and 90 clubs. These guys are talked up as GOAT shooters, because they are. Harden's a great player and a good shooter in this era but he's not a 'generational shooter'.

Steph doesn't hit 50% on field goal percentage because he shoots so many 3s.

That's the only reason.

His finishing at the basket is up there with the best of them.

You've got some really horrible takes lately.

 

[fidstar]

2P% is a bit of a silly stat.

Not as silly as using field goal percentage to work out if someone is an efficient scorer.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

i predicted they'd contend and could win it if Leonard got back to his absolute best. Got abused beyond belief on one of the threads on b/f basketball.

Golden State were decimated by injury. Can’t use injuries as an excuse for the Lakers/Clippers using this logic.

You seem awfully insecure.

 

[vanders]

TLDR; He's still playing in the Melbourne exhibition games

 

[Gak Attack]

TLDR; He's still playing in the Melbourne exhibition games

Pretty piss poor imo. They won't because of the exposure but should just tell him to * off from the exhibition games, it's not going to help in our prep for the WC.

Nearly every NBA player in the WC could use the same excuse.

 

[Bostonian]

Apparently he hits all these shots in practice already. Yet the plan is to practice some more on shooting in nothing practice sessions.

The perfect place to take these shots and get in game time practice would be I dunno, a tournament like this...

Such a gutless decision.

 

[peternorth]

i predicted they'd contend and could win it if Leonard got back to his absolute best. Got abused beyond belief on one of the threads on b/f basketball.

Send me a link to the posts (PM me even) and Ill infract the posters. There is no room for abuse on this board or site.

 

[Dez!]

Apparently he hits all these shots in practice already. Yet the plan is to practice some more on shooting in nothing practice sessions.

The perfect place to take these shots and get in game time practice would be I dunno, a tournament like this...

Such a gutless decision.

He just signed a max extension and his team don't want him getting injured, it's not gutless.