NBA Chatter Thread

dallen

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Westbrook has reportedly agreed to a contract extension with OKC. He's supposed ot sign the deal today.

I can honestly say I didn't see this coming. I always got the vibe that KD was the lowkey guy who would be content to stay in the sleepy town of OKC and Westbrook was the big city guy who chase brighter lights and a bigger city.

With Westbrook locked up and the talent OKC has on hand, I think they can still put up 50 wins.
I think OKC is about to be in the position Dallas was in after Nash left. Westbrook is going to keep you good enough to prevent drafting any decent players, but won't be good enough to win it on his own. Obviously Dallas was ultimately able to win one, but every Mavs fan will always wonder what could have been if Nash has stayed.
 

1bigfan13

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I think OKC is about to be in the position Dallas was in after Nash left. Westbrook is going to keep you good enough to prevent drafting any decent players, but won't be good enough to win it on his own. Obviously Dallas was ultimately able to win one, but every Mavs fan will always wonder what could have been if Nash has stayed.
I can definitely see this happening especially with the talent that Golden State has. Plus the Spurs will still be the Spurs.

Unless we somehow stumble onto another superstar player I can't see us winning a title. But at least the product will be worth watching.
 
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Rev

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Because like Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, Embiid is a vast similitude that spans the continents.
Sporting an Iron Maiden avatar, bringing up Walt Whitman, and loves McDonald's.

Who are you?
 

Jiggyfly

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HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said Monday morning that shooting guard James Harden is changing positions.

He's becoming a full-time point guard. "With James you make a joke he's a 'points guard' because he's going to score some points," D'Antoni said.

Under the new up-tempo offense, D'Antoni has decided to put the ball in Harden's hands more than last season, like a traditional point guard, to get opposing defenses off him in the half court. It should also allow Harden to become more of a playmaker.

Last season, Harden set career-highs in usage rate (32.5 percent) and points-per-game average (29).

The Rockets stress this isn't a major change for Harden, given his high usage rate was third in the league last season and he also averaged a career-high 7.5 assists per game.

"He's more or less responsible giving rhythm to the team, that's what a point guard does," D'Antoni said. "He's going to be on the ball and he's going to be distributing the ball and it will take some adjusting. He's got a lot more responsibilities as a point guard. A play caller, a good basketball mind, he's already telling guys we can do this we can do that."

Harden said he expects shooting guards to continue to guard him and that this new role will help move the offense by spreading the floor.

"Just a lot of trust. My teammates trust in me to make the right decision whether its scoring or whether its making a play," Harden said. "We have a lot of guys who are more than capable to create and knock down shots and that's what is going to open our floor. A lot more guys are going to get open shots left and right."

When asked if he is a point guard now, Harden joked, "No, I'm a basketball player."
 

1bigfan13

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I saw that story the other day. Does this mean Beverley will be playing off the ball in a smallish-SG role?

I imagine they still want to keep his defensive intensity in the starting lineup.
 

Genghis Khan

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I saw that story the other day. Does this mean Beverley will be playing off the ball in a smallish-SG role?

I imagine they still want to keep his defensive intensity in the starting lineup.
They're going to play defense?
 

Jiggyfly

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I saw that story the other day. Does this mean Beverley will be playing off the ball in a smallish-SG role?

I imagine they still want to keep his defensive intensity in the starting lineup.
Yeah that's the plan.

Harden will just be initiating the offense more.
 

Jiggyfly

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ESPN's Jackie MacMullan says LaMarcus Aldridge may not finish season with Spurs
BY JEFF GARCIA, SPURS ZONE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH 2016
http://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/video-espns-jackie-macmullan-says-lamarcus-aldridge-may-not-finish-season-with-spurs


(Follow Jeff: @JeffGSpursZone)

Is there trouble in paradise between the San Antonio Spurs and LaMarcus Aldridge?

Apparently so according to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan.

Appearing on CSNNE.com's Early Edition, MacMullan says there are rumblings LaMarcus may not finish the new season in silver and black and could be on the trading block. And if that isn't enough, she says she has heard there is some discord between the Spurs and Aldridge.

For instance, sources were telling me the other day that LaMarcus Aldridge may not even finish the year with the Spurs. That experiment hasn't quite worked out the way they hoped.
When asked if she would want Aldridge on the Celtics' roster she emphatically said no.

No! Not after what I heard the other day. I don't.
There's some stuff going on."



If the Spurs do trade Aldridge, the team would get plenty in return for the NBA All-Star but keep in mind this is just a rumor. There's been nothing remotely close out of San Antonio that the Spurs and Aldridge have "stuff going on" as MacMullan stated.

Now, should this rumor be true, then consider the Spurs in full rebuilding mode. But what better piece to dangle in front of team than a player of LaMarcus' caliber. Any team would want his production on the court and would possibly give a lot in return.

What is concerning is if there is friction between the team and LaMarcus. The Spurs are known for having minimal team-chemistry issues and if there are any, the team has zero issues at getting rid of distractions on the court and in the locker room. Ask former Spur Stephen Jackson.

Is this a situation of where there's smoke there's fire? Perhaps. MacMullan isn't the first to report on the possibility of LaMarcus being jettisoned out of San Antonio. Recently, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported the same.

It be interesting to see if the Spurs do end up trading Aldridge. He just has one season with the Spurs, signed a max deal, and played well in the postseason prior to re-injuring his finger averaging 21.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and shot 52 percent from the field.

Let me know what you think on Twitter at @JeffGSpursZone.

component-story-more_media_horiz-v1-01
 

1bigfan13

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The Spurs handling the Warriors with relative ease was surprising and very enjoyable.

Kawhi Leonard was the best player on the floor. He's not flashy, but damn he's good.

The Spurs were able to effectively exploit the weaknesses of the Warriors that many pointed out before the season. Rebounding and interior defense.

The Spurs killed them on the boards and had a significant advantage in 2nd chance points. They also go to the rim several times without much resistance since the Warriors lack a decent shot blocker.

The Warriors will figure things out and will still win over 65 games but I could see those areas hurting them in the WCF or NBA Finals.

I just hope some team isn't stupid enough to hand them a quality big man like Tyson Chandler.
 

Cowboysrock55

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The Warriors will figure things out and will still win over 65 games but I could see those areas hurting them in the WCF or NBA Finals.

I just hope some team isn't stupid enough to hand them a quality big man like Tyson Chandler.
Any time a team adds a big star like this it seems to take them awhile to sort of figure things out and get in a rhythm with each other. But yeah, there are going to be questions about fit with Durant. Amazing talent but maybe not the ideal fit for what the Warriors needed.
 

1bigfan13

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Em-f'n-biid.
He was very impressive. If he can stay healthy and continue to build on what he did last night, he's going to be scary.

It's been so long since we've last seen him play that I forgot just how good he is. I don't remember him handling the ball like that or moving that well and showing that kind of footwork while at Kansas. There were times last night where he looked like the spitting image of Olajuwon. It was very nice to see; even at the expense of my beloved Thunder.
 

1bigfan13

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Westbrook with an inefficient yet effective triple double.

51 points
13 rebounds
10 assists
 
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