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****The Official 2016-2017 NBA Thread****

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by Section126, Jul 1, 2016.

  1. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Rockets are now 15-7 against the NBA's 2nd toughest schedule.

    Mike Dantoni gets so much credit. Everyone is having fun...they know their roles...they share the ball...young guys are developing rapidly.

    I forgot how good Eric Gordon was. Damn, he's been balling. 6th man of the year.
     
  2. Fin-O

    Fin-O Initiated Club Member

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    Unfortunately will not be why we lose. LONG way to go
     
  3. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You can pretend it wasn't a boast, but it was a somewhat backhanded boast. His point was that you beat a 9-player roster with multiple contributors out, so saying anything is pretty silly.

    I guess when you are a Knicks fan and you've struggled with being a laughing stock for so many years, you'll take what you can get. Honestly, I'm rooting for the Heat to keep losing. This is the year to tank.
     
  4. Fin-O

    Fin-O Initiated Club Member

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    Fear not..

    They are going to keep losing..

    calling it a "tank" will be cute..
     
  5. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Ugly road win in OKC. I'll take it.

    Road wins so far in Oakland, San Antonio, OKC, Utah, and Portland. Haven't gotten to Clippers and Grizzlies yet.

    Dantoni is coaching his a## off against this ridiculous schedule. We've played 15 road games out of 23.

    16-7. 10-2 since Patrick Beverly came back. That's not a coincidence.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2016
  6. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    If they end up with a top pick in this draft you can call it whatever you want.
     
  7. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Another one.

    17-7

    "We're on to something!" - Clint Capela
     
  8. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Did Dragic get buff or have I just never noticed?

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
     
  9. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Rockets up by damn near 40 in the 3rd quarter....I've seen enough.

    19-7. 8 straight.
     
  10. Fin-O

    Fin-O Initiated Club Member

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    Refs swallow whistle Warriors get by Knicks..
     
  11. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    I watched thefirst half of that knicks/warriors game. Considering the fact that melo and rose were out i thought they competed well. Its just so difficult to keep up with that warriors team. The knicks would cut it down to five points and you cant even blink because suddenly the warriors are up 14. Just ridiculous..
     
  12. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    He was noticeably out of shape most of last year. Got serious in the gym I think.
    That's my experience of the Dubs as well. You hardly notice when they're pouring in a 35-40 point quarter. It's routine for them. Look at some of these lineups they play against the other team's bench units...LOL.
     
  13. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Rockets up 22 at halftime. Might break our own record for most 3 point attempts (50)....already at 31.

    Vegas and ESPN had us barely making the playoffs with their preseason predictions. Maybe we can squeeze in :)

    20-7

    Updated: Rockets finished 24-61 on threes tonight...both new records. WE GOT SHOOTERS!
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2016
  14. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    2nd game of a back-to-back.
    -2 degree weather in Minnesota.
    Down 12 with 2 minutes left in the game.....

    Rockets somehow still found a way to win...lol. Dantoni pushing all the right buttons.

    21-7. 10 in a row.
     
  15. Ludacris

    Ludacris Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    James Johnson is a keeper. Good defender who can give you a scoring option once in a while. May be a nice 6th man. I liked what he did in Toronto and he he looks good with this Heat team.
     
  16. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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    Yo Phins... predictions for tonight?

    The beat writers for both teams seem to be wary of the opposition and seem to be covering for/expecting a loss.

    The Spurs this year are a different team and it's particularly showing in their weaker defence and uninspired offence. Doesn't seem like all the new pieces are clicking. If anything it's the Spurs 'bench' (AKA 'Juice Unit') that are playing the more inspiring basketball. The Rockets definitely seem to have found a rhythm and Harden is slaying opposing defences. I don't see the Spurs defence will fare much better as a whole, and success will probably hinge on Kawhi Leonard locking down James Harden. If he can't do that (maybe because of the Rockets screening him off for another defender), I'm not sure the Spurs can win in a point-for-point shootout.

    On the other hand, if Harden's offense can be weakened, especially considering the Montiejunas' departure and Capella's injury, then the Spurs stand a chance as long as they have their offence firing on all cylinders. If they can't click, they even a locked down Harden won't be enough to defeat the Rockets who seem set to keep sniping from 3pt land.

    Bottom line - I can appreciate the feeling to want to call this one for the Rockets, the odds probably favour them here, but I'm going to step out with a bit of belief in the Spurs, and say that the boys in silver and black prove they're still contenders and give Houston something to think about.

    High-scoring game, with Rockets taking the first quarter, maybe half, but not by much, the Spurs playing an inspiring second half to a victory.

    Only proviso - the Spurs are about to embark on a series of back to backs. Pop might rest key players, in which case I don't see a less than full strength San Antonio winning this.
     
  17. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Honestly, the Capela injury is huge. He was our one true rim protector. NeNe was the offense...Capela was the defense....Harrell was the energy boost. It was the perfect mix.

    During our previous 2 meetings this season with the Spurs, I thought Capela was probably the 2nd biggest reason why we finally found some success. We hadn't been able to contain Aldridge for years until Capela started defending him.

    I expect Aldridge to have a monster game tonight, which is going to force Dantoni to go with our version of the 'death lineup' early. Nothing but offense.

    Pg - Harden, 36 percent from 3
    Sg - Beverly, 39 percent from 3
    Sf - Gordon, 44 percent from 3
    Pf - Ariza, 38 percent from 3
    C- Anderson, 40 percent from 3

    It should be interesting. I just don't have as much confidence without our rim protector. I could see us launching 70 threes tonight, lol. Seriously.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2016
    Galant likes this.
  18. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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    Prediction?
     
  19. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Houston
    Rockets 114
    Spurs 113

    Eric Gordon drops 30.

    I would have bet you money if not for the Capela injury.
     
    Galant likes this.
  20. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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    That's the spirit! I won't be surprised if the Spurs lose, they've been too inconsistent and too slow off the mark - even their style has varied somewhat. I'll be pleased if they win against a strong showing the the Rockets, but it will be interesting to see what that effect losing Capella actually has.
     
  21. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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    Urgh. That game.....

    That's all my emotional strength gone for the week. Phins Bills better not be a cliff hanger....

    Way too many turnovers. Solid D from Houston. Aggressive offense. Horrible offense from the Spurs for most of that.

    Ugly, ugly game.

    Condolences Phins. That's the worst way to lose.
     
  22. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Good game. We choked. Simple as that. Stopped moving the ball.

    I am proud of Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell though. They stepped up. John Lucas is head of player development. Our young guys are really improving thanks to him.

    My only critique of Dantoni is not letting Kyle Wiltjer play when Ryan Anderson is off. Kyle is damn near automatic on threes. Let the kid play.
     
  23. BevoPhin

    BevoPhin Well-Known Member

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    How do you guys think Harry Giles would fit next to Hassan Whiteside?
     
  24. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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  25. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Brian Windhorst just brought up an interesting topic on Russillo and Kanell (yes I realize that in itself is notable). He said that the way that things are going in the NBA, it will be increasingly difficult to leave your team in FA if you are a star because the difference in money will be so great. He said that there is talk that this could push top draft prospects to pull Eli Manning's (my words, not his), and tell small market or crappy organizations with top picks that they don't want to go there. He used the example of Sacramento. I could actually see this happening and that could impact those of us in this thread that follow big market teams (most of us).

    For example, say the Kings have the top pick and The Heat have the 5th pick. A Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz could say "sorry Kings, I'm not spending the next 10 years in Sacramento, I want to be in Miami." The same could be said about New York or LA, although maybe not this year as those teams may not have top picks.

    It's something interesting and worth watching IMO.
     
  26. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

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    I looked up "hack", "talentless" and "fraud" in a thesaurus. These three names showed up.
     
    Fin-O likes this.
  27. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    Well if you have to ask it means it's probably not a perfect fit, lol. His best offensive flashes have come in the post as opposed to spacing the floor. Giles jump shot is just okay to like 14 feet, he's a poor FT shooter, and he isn't a big threat as a ball handler in the half court at this point. Neither he nor Hassan are good interior passers; you can't run offense through them in the lo/hi post a la the Gasol brothers.

    Obviously there are reasons he's so highly touted though. Fantastic mobility and springy/twitchy athleticism for a guy his size. Projects to be able to defend at a super high level: switching onto wings, holding his own staying in front of guards, and (if he bulks up a little) protecting the rim. He's a fantastic rebounder. I could see his off-the-dribble scoring improving, but it'll take some time against NBA players and he just doesn't see the floor well. His jumper mechanics aren't too bad imo (though they're not as good as other forwards in this draft), and I'm sure Duke has a plan for tweaking his stroke. He seems to fit a faster more open game.

    Injury is the biggest concern, of course. But the other is that he's not really an ideal PF, and he's not an ideal C either.

    Anyways... I would probably avoid pairing them if Hassan is indeed in the long-term plans. Ultimately though, whether we draft him or not, I trust Spo.
     
  28. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think we won't yet know what Giles will be just yet, but the upside is massive. If he's the best player on the board, I'd probably pull the trigger. If we're talking best fit, Jonathan Isaac and Ivan Rabb fit the bill nicely. Personally I want one of the point guards, though. Best case scenario for me would be to move Dragic for another 1st round pick and get Ball/Fultz/Smith/Fox, and then take whoever falls with the second 1st round pick. There is just so much damn talent in this draft, you could go a bunch of different directions.
     
  29. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I fully realize that. He's the worst. But this was actually something that made some sense.
     
  30. dolfan32323

    dolfan32323 ty xphinfanx

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    LeBatard was discussing the upcoming CBA as well, and the difference in money that the former team will offer apparently will be gigantic. Seems like a way to prevent superstars from switching teams so easily (if all they care about is the money).
     
  31. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Nice road win tonight on the 2nd game of the back-to-back. Montrezl Harrell looked pretty good in his first start (17 points, 3 blocks).

    22-8. Time to start another streak. Grizzlies and Clippers up next. Should be good tests.
     
  32. Fin-O

    Fin-O Initiated Club Member

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    Harrell was a nice Fanduel guy last night...helped me secure about $800 in winnings.
     
  33. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    I've liked what I've seen from Isaac a lot. Stock is definitely up, and yeah he's more of the fit you want next to Whiteside. As for the PGs, it's is one of the more fun discussions of this draft. For me...

    Fultz>>Smith/Fox>Ball.

    Fultz is distancing himself as the top talent in the draft. He's just so damn good. I'd go after him hard, would give up a bunch of assets.

    With Smith and Fox, I think they'll really blossom with the space on an NBA floor. They're pretty close to me, would probably favor Smith slightly, though the knee obviously has to be looked at. I think Fox's stroke and midrange game are much more promising than the guys he's usually compared to (Rondo, Elfrid).

    I'm not as big on Ball as most people, I guess. His *decent* athleticism will be an issue at the next level. He doesn't have a strong pull-up game, and he isn't really explosive attacking the paint...which are issues when you're talking top PnR players.
     
  34. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Yeah, for the most part I agree with you, but it's getting harder and harder to write off Ball. He's single-handedly turned UCLA into one of the best teams in the country. The way he changes the game is pretty crazy. There are some people who I really trust their opinions comparing him to Jason Kidd. Either way, though, I'm not sure you can go wrong. At that position alone, there's also Frank Ntilikina, who is off in Europe, but could conceivably end up being the best of the bunch when it's all said and done.

    I do agree that Fultz would be my overall top player in the draft. He looks like a special, spcial player.
     
  35. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    Dragic trade buzz picking up...
     
  36. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I saw the note on basketball insiders. Are there reports somewhere else? I'm torn on this. Dragic has been great this year and could be a nice contributor if we turn it around quickly. On the other hand, I love the PGs in this draft and you might be able to get a lotto pick in a stellar class from Dragic.
     
  37. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    sports24/7 likes this.
  38. JShady

    JShady Miami Heat lover

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    Trade Dragic and tank this season.
     
  39. JShady

    JShady Miami Heat lover

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    Does Whiteside look unmotivated to you all? First Heat game that I'm able to watch.
     
  40. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

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    Congrats. I gotta get back on fanduel.
     
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