Raptors vs Warriors Betting Matchup & Odds Jan 10, 2021

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Streaming options for Week 8 - Who are you guys streaming next week? Here are my thoughts.

Ready to run over and crush your next week's opponent like a STREAMroller? You're in the right place!
If you got a roster spot to spare or a guy you're not particularly fond of and wouldn't mind sacrificing him to the Waiver Wire Gods in return for some more games played next week, streaming is your cup of tea. I'm taking a look at which teams play on scarce gamedays next week, as their players should help most fantasy GMs fill out their starting rosters on those days, and analyzing which players could bring you some juicy stats and a W in the upcoming matchup.
Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 8.
Just one word before we go deep into next week. I've been getting some amazing replies to my posts in the past few weeks, and thank you guys so much for this!
I just wanted to let you know that the whole RotoBaller crew is working hard to help fantasy GMs out, and there is a ton of quality stuff on plenty of topics on our website, so if you're looking for information about something else as well, you can probably find it here: https://www.rotoballer.com/category/nba-fantasy-basketball-advice

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 8

Only Thursday and Saturday (with five games a piece) have fewer than seven games scheduled. There are five teams that play on both of these days, and their players will be the ones we will focus on here.
Here's the low-down:
​
Teams with 4 games:
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
​
Teams with 3 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Chicago Bulls
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Miami Heat
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Sacramento Kings
Utah Jazz
​
Teams with 2 games:
-
​
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 16
Tuesday: 14
Wednesday: 18
Thursday: 10
Friday: 22
Saturday: 10
Sunday: 20
​
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: GSW, HOU, SAS
Tuesday/Wednesday: BKN, NOP
Wednesday/Thursday: IND, TOR
Thursday/Friday: BOS, DET, ORL, POR
Friday/Saturday: ATL, NYK, UTA
Saturday/Sunday: PHO
Sunday/Monday the following: CLE, LAC, SAC
​
Days with SIX or fewer games:
Thursday: 5 games
Saturday: 5 games
​
Teams playing on both days:
Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Houston Rockets (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Indiana Pacers (3 games - Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Miami Heat (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Philadelphia 76ers (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
​
Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)
Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Houston Rockets (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Toronto Raptors (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
​
Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)
Boston Celtics (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Detroit Pistons (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Orlando Magic (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Portland Trail Blazers (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
​
Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)
Atlanta Hawks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
New York Knicks (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sat)
Sacramento Kings (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Utah Jazz (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sat)
​
Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)
Brooklyn Nets (3 games - Tue, Wed, Sat)
Chicago Bulls (3 games - Mon, Wed, Fri)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)
Washington Wizards (3 games - Mon, Wed, Fri)

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 8

Thursday has only four, and Saturday only five games scheduled, while all other days have at least seven. So these are the two days most likely to bring empty starting spots for fantasy GMs. Five teams have games on both these days and their players could fill in these holes nicely. Primarily Golden State and Houston who have a four-game week, and also Indiana, Miami and Philadelphia who play one more time in addition to the two days mentioned above. Players from these five teams will be our focus.
Fantasy managers with a bigger acquisition limit who need some help on other days as well could potentially try to maximize their games played by combining several players with different schedules throughout the week.
For example, San Antonio has a back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday, then Atlanta and Indiana play three games from Wednesday till Saturday, and 18 teams play on Sunday so you can have your pick. If you stream players from these teams in the correct order, you could potentially get a six-game week from just one streaming spot using three acquisitions. There are other options as well of course, but this is just one example.

Streaming Options for Week 8

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Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):
Eric Gordon, SG/SF, HOU, (59% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, HOU, (67% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL - positive circumstance: will get more minutes while Christian Wood is out
Justin Holiday, SG/SF, IND, (42% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, a bit of everything
Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, IND, (53% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, a bit of everything
Duncan Robinson, SG/SF, MIA, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Goran Dragic, PG/SG, MIA, (68% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST - buyer beware: sprained his ankle in the previous game and we don't have an update at the moment so be sure to check his status before adding him
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, MIA, (26% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK
Seth Curry, PG/SG, PHI, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, AST - buyer beware: an illness kept him out of his previous game

Shallower League Add

DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, HOU, (67% Rostered)
Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL
Positive circumstance: will get more minutes while Christian Wood is out
Boogie Cousins is a household name, especially in fantasy basketball. A top-10 player for years while back in Sacramento, Cousins is known to be able to stuff the stat sheet when he hits his groove. And with Wood being out for some time, he should be getting enough playing time to really be fantasy relevant.
You gotta take the good with the bad with Boogie, and he could be quite frustrating to have on your team, but when he shines, he shines brightly! Here is what I mean.
He is second on the all-time ejections list behind only Rasheed Wallace (found this on several unofficial websites so if it's not correct I apologize, although it sounds legit) and he is starting to gain on Rasheed with a few ejections this season as well.
Furthermore, Boogie doesn't care if he's got a cold hand as he is capable of shooting 2-of-16 from the field (in his first of three games that Wood has missed during January).
But, then he steps up and hits 9-of-15 (4-of-8 from three-point range), and goes 6-of-7 from the charity stripe for 28 points, adds 17 boards and five assists the very next game. Then he follows that one up with 6-of-11 from the field for 19 points with 11 rebounds, five steals and a block. Very hot and cold. But that's Boogie for you.
If you have nerves of steel, and you like having a high impact player (whether it's a positive or negative impact, only Boogie will tell), he is definitely worth a shout with Wood out. Especially with a four-game week with games on the scarce days.
​

Deeper League Add

T.J. McConnell, PG/SG, IND, (22% Rostered)
Strong Cats: AST, STL
I absolutely love McConnell! As I am a big fan of a three-way punt FT%, 3PM, PTS build, he is exactly my type of player in the final rounds of drafts (or off the waiver wire in most cases as well). He brings elite per minute assists and steals to the table, along with a few boards without hurting you FG% from the PG spot, which is quite useful in such builds.
Now, T.J. is definitely an acquired taste, as he doesn't shoot or score much, is not too good from the free-throw line and doesn't get many threes or blocks. Furthermore, he might hurt you in the TO department as well on an off night. So, if these categories are important to you, McConnell is probably not your guy.
However, in the previous month, he is averaging 5.5 PTS on 49.2 FG% and just 20.0 FT% (but on only 0.4 attempts per game), 0.3 3PM, 3.3 REB, 8.3 AST, 1.9 STL, 0.3 BLK and 2.3 TO in over 25 minutes a game. This is good enough for spot #118 in Yahoo rankings.
So, if you don't need much help in his weak categories from your streamer, and you do anticipate a close matchup in AST, STL and FG%, McConnell is your guy! Furthermore, Indiana doesn't play before Wednesday, so if you're a gambling man, and you believe T.J. will be waiting for you, you could potentially get in a Houston, San Antonio or Golden State player for the back-to-back on Mon/Tue and then switch to McConnell for his three games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
​

Insanely Deep League Add

Juan Toscano-Anderson, SF/PF, GSW, (10% Rostered)
Strong Cats: FG%, 3PM, REB, BLK/STL
The NBA is crazy, and this season is making it even crazier. Thus, it shouldn't come as too big a surprise that I am recommending a player here who has played just seven games from the start of the season until February and scored a total of 22 points in those seven games. He actually had 11 personal fouls in those seven games as well, so 2 points for every personal foul. Not quite what you want from your fantasy players.
Juan Toscano-Anderson is buried in a crowded Warriors' rotation when everyone is healthy. But at this very moment, almost no one is. We got Marquese Chriss, James Wiseman and Kevon Looney already confirmed out for the next week (Chriss even longer of course), and Eric Paschall missing the previous game and questionable for the Week 7 Saturday game, so he could potentially also miss games in Week 8 as well.
And in the two February games in these new circumstances, Juan has been quite good, averaging 15.0 points with 2.5 threes on 70.6% from the field and no misses (in just one attempt) from the line, 5.0 boards, 3.0 dimes, 0.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 turnovers in 33 minutes a night. I will just mention that this has him ranked at #30 on Yahoo, although this isn't a reliable indicator on such a small sample size.
Nevertheless, Juan has been given a shot and has used it quite well. He even played 40 minutes in the previous game. And with so many players making way for him, and such a favorable schedule for GSW next week, Toscano-Anderson is someone who could really contribute to your fantasy team. Of course, he could do nothing as well, since he is a rotational player usually, but it seems he is as good a bet as any in deep leagues.
​

Other Deep League Options for the Week

Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues
​
Juan Toscano-Anderson, SF/PF, GSW, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, 3PM, REB, BLK/STL
Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB - buyer beware: currently injured day-to-day
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, REB
Brad Wanamaker, PG/SG, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM, AST, STL
Damion Lee, SG/SF, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
P.J. Tucker, PF/C, HOU, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB
Jae'sean Tate, SG, HOU, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK - positive circumstance: rookie factor; - buyer beware: also the rookie factor
Sterling Brown, SG/SF, HOU, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, a little bit of everything
David Nwaba, SG/SF, HOU, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, a little bit of everything - buyer beware: missed a couple of games due to an ankle sprain and still hasn't returned
Danuel House Jr., SF/PF, HOU, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, a little bit of everything
Doug McDermott, SF/PF, IND, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Aaron Holiday, PG, IND, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, FT%
T.J. McConnell, PG/SG, IND, (22% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Goga Bitadze, C, IND, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Kendrick Nunn, PG/SG, MIA, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL, FT% - buyer beware: his minutes are very dependable on whether Goran Dragic is playing or not
Precious Achiuwa, SF/PF, MIA, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL, FG% - buyer beware: plays just 16 minutes a game so far this season
Andre Iguodala, SG/SF, MIA, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, REB
Shake Milton, PG/SG, PHI, (22% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, AST
Danny Green, SG/SF, PHI, (23% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, a bit little of everything
Tyrese Maxey, SG, PHI, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Matisse Thybulle, SG/SF, PHI, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK
Dwight Howard, C, PHI, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG% - buyer beware: poor FT%
Furkan Korkmaz, SG/SF, PHI, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
​
I hope this article helps you jump over your next obstacle on the way to the Fantasy ring!
EDIT: If you read this post in the first 10 minutes of publishing, there were some mistakes in it. Thanks to u/dubious_dinosaur for pointing it out. I've corrected the mistakes. Two games have been added to Week 8 and some schedules have changed a bit. This resulted in an extra game for Boston, Detroit, New Orleans and Toronto. The article should be fully correct now.
submitted by zvekete to fantasybball [link] [comments]

Streaming options for Week 5 - Who are you guys streaming next week? Here are my thoughts.

Row, row, row your teamGently down the STREAMFantasy, fantasy, fantasy, fantasyTitle's not a dream
In these crazy times, fantasy GMs need to be flexible and quick to react. Plenty of games are being postponed, and plenty of fantasy lineups are remaining unfilled. This is where streaming can come in handy and fill those holes left by poor schedules or game postponements.
Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 5.
Just one word before we go deep into next week. I've been getting some amazing replies to my posts in the past few weeks, and thank you guys so much for this!
I just wanted to let you know that the whole RotoBaller crew is working hard to help fantasy GMs out, and there is a ton of quality stuff on plenty of topics on our website, so if you're looking for information about something else as well, you can probably find it here: https://www.rotoballer.com/category/nba-fantasy-basketball-advice

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 5

Very obvious week for streaming. Tuesday with two and Thursday with three will be the days we focus on. All other days have between seven and 13 games played so fantasy GMs should have less difficulty filling up the lineups there.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 4 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
​
Teams with 3 games:
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers
Sacramento Kings
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
​
Teams with 2 games:
None
​
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 20
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 22
Thursday: 6
Friday: 26
Saturday: 14
Sunday: 16
​
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: -
Tuesday/Wednesday: -
Wednesday/Thursday: GSW
Thursday/Friday: MIL, NYK
Friday/Saturday: BKN, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, MIA, MIN, PHI, PHO
Saturday/Sunday: -
Sunday/Monday the following: BOS, CHA, CLE, IND, MEM, OKC, ORL, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR
​
Days with SIX or fewer games:
Tuesday: 2 games
Thursday: 3 games
​
Teams playing on both Tuesday and Thursday:
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Utah Jazz (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
​
Teams playing on Tuesday:
Denver Nuggets (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sat)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Oklahoma City Thunder (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Utah Jazz (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
​
​
Teams playing on Thursday:
Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Milwaukee Bucks (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
New York Knicks (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Los Angeles Lakers (3 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Utah Jazz (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
​
​
Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)
Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
​
Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)
Milwaukee Bucks (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
New York Knicks (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
​
Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)
Boston Celtics (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Chicago Bulls (3 games - Mon, Fri, Sun)
Cleveland Cavaliers (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Denver Nuggets (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sat)
Indiana Pacers (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Oklahoma City Thunder (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Philadelphia 76ers (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Sacramento Kings (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Washington Wizards (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
​
Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)
None

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 5

Absolute stars of this week will be players from the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz. Although both teams have just three games this week, they play on both two-game Tuesday and three-game Thursday, along with Saturday which has the next fewest games with seven.
Furthermore, streaming players from these teams potentially allows you to have a five-game week from the streaming spot. Now, this is in an ideal situation, but you could have a guy play on Monday, then cut him in favor of a player from NOP or UTA, keep him until Saturday and then drop for another player who has a game on Sunday. Keep in mind though that you're probably not the only one streaming in your league so these players won't just wait around for you to pick them up. So it might be worth more to pick one of these guys up before Tuesday if you think they could be gone by then.
There are two more teams that play on Tuesday (Denver and Oklahoma City with three games apiece this week), and four more that play on Thursday (Golden State, Milwaukee and New York with four games and LA Lakers with three). We will be taking a look at their players as well.
One important thing to remember here though is to always check whether any new games have been postponed before adding a player based on his schedule.

Streaming Options for Week 5

Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):
Josh Hart, SG/SF, NOP, (27% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF/PF, UTA, (71% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG, UTA, (67% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Will Barton, SG/SF, DEN, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, a bit of everything
Paul Millsap, PF/C, DEN, (40% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK/STL
Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (54% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, a bit of everything
Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, OKC, (37% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Luguentz Dort, OKC, (25% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB
George Hill, PG/SG, OKC, (25% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT%, 3PM
Donte Divincenzo, PG/SG, MIL, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB
Bobby Portis, PF/C, MIL, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL
Elfrid Payton, PG, NYK, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Alec Burks, PG/SG, NYK, (44% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT% - buyer beware: still hasn't returned from injury at the moment of writing this
Nerlens Noel, PF/C, NYK, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: plays very limited minutes
Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (27% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (41% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Shallower League Add

Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG, UTA, (67% Rostered)
Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
If by any chance you're in a league shallow enough that Clarkson is still sitting on your waiver wire,
in case you need some help in threes, points and FT% and don't care too much about turnovers don't waste too much time pondering whether to pick him up or not.
Clarkson is the offensive leader of Utah's second unit and is averaging 13.4 field goal attempts per game (6.9 from beyond the arc). He is using his 25 minutes a game quite effectively with averages of 17.1 points, 2.9 3-pointers, 48.4% from the field, 93.3% from the line, 4.8 boards, 1.8 dimes, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks and 2.1 turnovers. This has him ranked inside the top 80 on Yahoo.
These stats are not too much out of the ordinary for Jordan, although he is rebounding a bit more, but is also turning the ball over more than usual. Therefore, he should be on a similar level next week as well, and with games on such scarce days, he could prove vital to you winning your matchup.
Furthermore, Utah plays two games against the Pelicans and one against the Warriors. Neither of these teams have had trouble with Covid so there is less risk of the games being postponed.

Deeper League Add

Royce O'Neale, SF/PF, UTA, (23% Rostered)
Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything
First of all, if someone told me that I would be recommending O'Neale as a pickup at the start of the season, I would have thought that Utah would have to have seven games that week, and he would still be in the "Insanely Deep" category. But lately, we are witnessing crazier things happen than O'Neale playing some of his best ball so far, so why the hell not?
His role on the Jazz team is that of a three-and-D role player who usually just sits in the corner on offense and waits to launch a three, occasionally running down the court for a transition basket. Rarely is the ball in his hands to try to create a scoring opportunity for himself or others. The fact that he is playing close to 32 minutes a game and is averaging 5.0 shot attempts says it all. And that is completely fine, just not that attractive for fantasy purposes.
Now, things didn't change drastically with Royce's role, but he is doing everything he does just a little bit better. Averages of 7.3 PTS with 1.8 3PM on 50.0 FG% and 62.5 FT%, 7.4 REB, 2.3 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.4 BLK and 1.1 TO are enough for him to be ranked at #103 in Yahoo leagues.
If you like what O'Neale brings to the table, which is a little bit of everything, you could do worse in deep leagues. And with such a low usage rate, he is a pretty safe bet that he won't hurt your fantasy team too much even on an off night.

Insanely Deep League Add

Immanuel Quickley, PG, NYK, (9% Rostered)
Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, FT%
Immanuel could prove to be both a streaming, but also a season-long pickup. Elfrid Payton is the designated starter at the PG position in New York at the moment, and we all know how much their coach Tom Thibodeau likes to play his starters plenty of minutes, but Quickley has been outplaying Payton in their last two games. Even Thibs said that everything is under consideration, so if Quickley was to take over the starting role and get 30 minutes a night, that would be huge for him and his fantasy value.
His upside was flashed quite brightly in the previous two contests with him scoring a combined 42 points (16-of-32 from the field, 4-of-5 from the line) with six 3-pointers, along with seven boards, seven dimes, two steals, a block and just one turnover in 25 minutes a game.
With four games (one of which is on the scarce Thursday) next week, Quickley is worth a gamble in deep formats and could pay dividends on this investment for months to come.

Other Deep League Options for the Week (Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues)

Jaxson Hayes, C, NOP, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG/SF, NOP, (21% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS - buyer beware: could see a drop in minutes upon Lonzo Ball's return
J.J. Redick, SG, NOP, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, PTS
Royce O'Neale, SF/PF, UTA, (23% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything
Joe Ingles, SG/SF, IND, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, a little bit of everything - buyer beware: missed his previous couple of games due to Achilles soreness
Georges Niang, SF/PF, UTA, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM - buyer beware: should see a drop in minutes upon Joe Ingles' return
Derrick Favors, PF/C, UTA, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG% - buyer beware: plays just 16 minutes a game so far this season
Gary Harris, SG/SF, DEN, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, a bit little of everything - buyer beware: missed his previous couple of games due to personal reasons
Monte Morris, PG/SG, DEN, (20% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, FT%, 3PM
P.J. Dozier, PG/SG, DEN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM
JaMychal Green, PF/C, DEN, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK
Facundo Campazzo, PG, DEN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, 3PM
Mike Muscala, PF/C, OKC, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT% - positive circumstance: more minutes while Al Horford is out
Theo Maledon, PG, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST - positive circumstance: rookie factor
Isaiah Roby, PF/C, OKC, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, FG% - positive circumstance: more minutes while Al Horford is out
Aleksej Pokusevski, SF, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, BLK - positive circumstance: rookie factor
Kenrich Williams, SF/PF, OKC, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB - positive circumstance: more minutes while Al Horford is out
Kevon Looney, PF/C, GSW, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, REB
Brad Wanamaker, PG/SG, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM AST
Damion Lee, SG/SF, GSW, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
Bryn Forbes, PG/SG, MIL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
D.J. Augustin, PG, MIL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST
Pat Connaughton, SG/SF, MIL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, FT%, STL
Austin Rivers, SG/SF, NYK, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Kevin Knox II, SF/PF, NYK, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM
Immanuel Quickley, PG, NYK, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, FT%
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL - buyer beware: sprained his ankle on Friday (Jan 1st), no news on his availability yet)
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK
Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, LAL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
Alex Caruso, PG/SG, LAL, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL - buyer beware: is currently in COVID-19 protocols - check his availability before adding
Markieff Morris, PF/C, LAL, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
​
Hopefully, some of these guys will help you win your next week's matchup and get you that one step closer to winning the whole thing!
submitted by zvekete to fantasybball [link] [comments]

Official /r/NBA Power Rankings #2 - MLK day

25/30 rankers reporting this week. /NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section. Rankings were completed prior to Today's games. We will be looking for a new Lakers tanker this week.
# Team Δ Record Comment
1 Lakers -- 11-3
2 Clippers -- 10-4 I still see some people defending doc. Lue saw some bad roatations, and cleaned them up. His willingness to experiement, and his apparent straight-forwardness with the players has seemingly relfected within the first 15 games. Plus it's pretty nice to have MVP PG13 giving us a show every game. I look forward to seeing what else Lue can scrounge up, and how well everyone meshes with Batum, Kennard, and Ibaka as the season goes on.
3 Bucks +1 9-4 It's been a wild start to the season for the bucks Bucks, going 6-1 in their last 7 after starting 3-3. With all the roster turnover, an updated offensive philosophy, and Bud finally showing some willingness to run a switching defensive scheme, there's been a lot of changes in a short time. It seems like the whole team is doing a bit of a "coasting" and really focusing more on figuring out how to play better together, than winning games (we're giving Thanasis legitimate rotation minutes for chrissake). The team has already made strides, but in a league where two teams have multiple MVP-Level players, there's still a lot of work to be done in order to be ready for the playoffs.
4 Nets +3 8-6 Despite the 8-6 record, the Nets are 4th in the leage in net rating and have only played a few games at full strength. With COVID taking out KD for a few games and then Kyrie going on a personal leave, Nash and co. have been scrambling to try new starting lineups and rotations. Kyrie seems to be close to returning so fans will finally get a full taste of Kyrie, Harden, and KD for the first time. It was just 5 years ago that the Nets were starting Donald Sloan and Wayne Ellington - now we'll get to unveil Kyrie and Harden. The trade was a huge gamble but with KD looking like himself again, the time to go for a championship is now.
5 76ers -2 9-5 Making sense of a team's performance can get dicey once COVID regulations strike, and the Sixers are one of those teams. The decimation of the team's roster has led to head-scratching losses, bright spots like the emergence of Tyrese Maxey as a dark horse ROTY candidate, and general confusion about how the team ranks when weight record, net rating, and the eye test. Among all that, one thing is for certain: Joel Embiid is a legitimate MVP candidate. The team is a contender when he's in regardless of the other players. When the starting lineup is together this team can compete with anyone, but will they be able to weather another potential clash with the health and safety protocols?
6 Jazz -- 9-4 The Jazz are on a roll! Winners of a league best 5 consecutive games, they enter this edition of power rankings with the third best record in the NBA. Over the last two weeks no team has recorded more triples than the Jazz who shot 41.1% from deep on over 40 attempts per game. Thumping victories against the Cavs and Hawks by 20+ points and a road win in Milwaukee were the highlights in a stretch that got off to a rough start with double digit losses to the Nets and Knicks. Rudy Gobert continues to put together the best defensive season of his career while Jordan Clarkson's season averages of 17.5PPG on 50/43/94 shooting splits in under 25 minutes per game sees him further establish himself as the 6MOTY favourite. After playing a league high 9 road games to began the year, the Jazz return to Salt Lake City where they will host 6 consecutive games, a great opportunity to build off some early season momentum.
7 Celtics +1 8-4 The Celtics went 4-1 since the last power ranking and Kemba is finally cleared to start playing on a minutes restriction, but the elephant in the room is the absolute beatdown of a blowout the Celtics took from the Knicks. Tatum has been out due to COVID, however it's still not an excuse to put up 75 points in this era of basketball, especially when you could argue 10-15 of those points came after the Knicks were just going through the motions at the end of the game. Luckily, Tatum should be back soon and as last reported might even be a go for their matchup on the 20th vs the 76ers. Between now and the next rankings, the Celtics will play 6 times. They'll face off against the 76ers in Philly two games in a row, play the Cavs at home, go on the road for two games vs the Bulls and Spurs, and then come home for a matchup against the Lakers on the 30th.
8 Suns -3 7-4 The Suns haven't played in a week since the embarrassing loss vs the Wizards that should have obviously not even been played given the Wizards exposure. The Suns are set to play tonight against the recently exposed Grizzlies, a game that likely would not be happening if it wasn't on TNT.
9 Pacers -- 8-5 It's a new NEW era in Indiana, as the Pacers decided to insert themselves into the blockbuster James Harden deal and flip Victor Oladipo's expiring contract for Caris LeVert. LeVert's debut will have to wait a while due to an issue with a mass on his kidney, but the Pacers brass seems optimistic he will play this year. Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis continues his excellent start to the season, routinely threatening 20-20 stat lines, and Myles Turner has firmly anchored down the paint with Mutumbo-esque block totals. A hand injury will sideline Turner for a bit, but for now, Indiana seems to be in good standing near the top of the East.
10 Trail Blazers +4 8-5 Basketball is dumb. There are so many things we could do with our lives instead. Read a book. Call our parents. Clean the kitchen. But here we are, getting our hopes up only for Nurk to break his hand and CJ to sprain his foot. All is lost. Life is misery. Dreams are for the young and the foolish.
11 Mavericks +4 6-6 Kristaps Porzingis returned to the lineup, but the depth of the Mavs is still on hold due to Covid-19. Rookie Josh Green and 4 year vet Wes Iwundu are getting significant run without josh Richardson present, but they still leave a lot to be desired. The Mavs need to improve offensive consistency, and with Porzingis healthy alongside a fully healthy Dallas starting 5, the upside is limitless for the Mavericks.
12 Nuggets -- 6-7 Nikola Jokic continues to dominate with an MVP-worthy campaign, averaging 25 PPG/11 RPG/10 APG on the season with an absurd 31.43 PER, and has racked up 5 triple doubles in just 13 games thus far. Unfortunately I also have to talk about the rest of the Nuggets, who have looked better over the past two weeks, but have also taken some hard fought losses to Brooklyn and Utah. The loss of Michael Porter Jr. to the COVID protocol has not helped with their scoring, however the main crux thus far has been a severely lacking perimeter defense, with teams averaging 39% on 33.5 3PA per game against the Nuggets this season. The team is certainly trending in the right direction, and I wouldn't expect them to remain outside of the playoff picture for much longer, however the claims that the shortened season would help this team have been unfounded thus far.
13 Spurs +9 7-6
14 Warriors +7 6-6 Warriors put together a couple nice games but have been on a skid this past week. Draymond's lack of any offensive threat right now is starting to take a toll on the offense. Oubre has started to find his 3 point shot with 3 makes in both of the past 2 losses @ IND and @ DEN. Wiseman has been a beast with only 21 minutes per game averaging 11.3/6.6. After the Lakers game today the Warriors have a relatively lighter schedule where they can idealy find some consistency.
15 Grizzlies +8 6-6
16 Magic +1 6-7 With Isaac's torn ACL, Fultz' torn ACL, Okeke's bone bruise, MCW's tendon strain, Fournier's back spasms, and Aminu's knee, the Magic have had to really scrape the barrel to find some positive play. At least Bamba has managed to get some decent minutes in, but even he's dealing with COVID protocols at the moment. Vuc and Gordon are the only reason we're somewhat competitive in recent games but they can't perform miracles. The next few weeks the schedule gets easier so maybe we don't fall behind in a strenghtening eastern conference.
17 Heat -6 4-7 We haven't had the best of times since the last time power rankings were done. Played a total of 8 players in our two matches against the Phillies, and it was an admirable effort even though it didn't work out at all. Tyler Herro mostly carried us as best he could through those two matches as well as our scouting (Gabe Vincent and KZ Okpala had some nice outings). It's not time for all doom and gloom since we've had some nice games against good teams, but we're entering a stretch of the schedule where it might be hard to right the ship. Outside of COVID protocol it's amazing how the Miami Heat continue to do a good job of finding prospects. Some guys have to spend time developing with the G-League affiliate and others we sign from other teams, but it's been very impressive. The recent ones are Kendrick Nunn, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, Chris Silva and before that we had Tyler Johnson (I miss him) and Rodney McGruder. We haven't always drafted well but I'll welcome this stretch of scouting and developmental success.
18 Pelicans -5 5-7 Yes, the Pelicans had an abysmal 0-5 stretch where they lost in OT to the Pacers in a game that should've been finished off, to the tanking Thunder by 1, and to Lonzo Ball's brother's team. But they also played the two best teams in the NBA, and played them well for portions of those games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has emerged as a legit starter in the league already in his second season, and looks to be the absolutely perfect fit next to Lonzo when he returns from injury. As the coaching staff slowly figures out the offensive issues and rotations, this team will ramp it up into second and maybe even third gear. We're not ready to take it over the finish line yet or win any races, but this is the kind of team that will get into the mix as the finish line approaches.
19 Cavaliers -1 6-7 No SexLand, No Love. Admittedly, a hard to watch 2-5 stretch which included us utilizing a 5 man of Dotson/Nance/MakeMcgee/Drummond on the court played out exactly how it sounds. Still, the Cavs remaining hovering around .500 with the imminent return of Sexton, Garland, and Kevin Love (~2 weeks), any of which will be a jolt of offense for a team with the #2 defensive rating. A KPJ return would be wonderful, but it is sounding more and more like he is about to be traded or released. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince will make their Cavs debut on Wednesday vs the Nets
20 Hornets +6 6-8 The Hornets went on a four game winning streak, bringing our record to 6-5 before coming back to Earth a little bit in the past week. Regardless, that taste of above-.500 basketball was enough to offer Hornets fans a glimmer of hope. Gordon Hayward has played at an All-Star level. LaMelo Ball is an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Scary Terry and Miles Bridges are dunking on everybody, and your favorite player might be next! Our glaring weakness is at Center, but Cody Zeller can hopefully come back soon. We have entered an alternate universe in which the Charlotte Hornets are very fun to watch. Tune in sometime.
21 Hawks -11 5-7 What stupid idiots we all are for falling for the Hawks 4-1 start. Injuries no doubt have played a huge factor, but the Hawks have lost 6 of their last 7 with the only win being over the Philadelphia COVID-19ers. Trae Young has seemingly forgotten how to play the sport of basketball and apparently he, John Collins, and Lloyd Pierce all hate each other. The sky is falling, but it's a long season and for some dumb reason I still believe the Hawks will turn it around and fight for the 8th seed.
23 Knicks +1 6-8 "Pleasure, scarcely in one instance, is ever able to reach ecstasy and rapture; and in no one instance can it continue for any time at its highest pitch and altitude. The spirits evaporate, the nerves relax, the fabric is disordered, and the enjoyment quickly degenerates into fatigue and uneasiness. But pain often, good God, how often! rises to torture and agony; and the longer it continues, it becomes still more genuine agony and torture. Patience is exhausted, courage languishes, melancholy seizes us, and nothing terminates our misery but the removal of its cause, or another event, which is the sole cure of all evil, but which, from our natural folly, we regard with still greater horror and consternation. Get Elfrid Payton off the Knicks" -David Hume
23 Raptors -4 4-8 Odd few weeks to the Raptors. Had our first decisive victory against the kings, with two very close wins against the Hornets at the end of the week. Against good teams though we’ve continued to lose, with losses to golden state, portland, Phoenix, and Boston since the last write up. Chris Boucher has been the bright spot of this season, with him really stepping up in place of Baynes/Len who continue to not provide any contributions. Our fan base remains torn on whether we should tank or not, but I personally believe it’s in our best interest to do so.
24 Thunder +4 6-6 After last season and the first month or so of this season, I'm running out of ways to say "this franchise just refuses to tank for real." This time around, it might have more severe consequences, given the potential franchise-transforming potential of the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes. In the meantime, another resemblance to last year's squad is the balance of scoring: after the incredibly smooth-finishing SGA's 22, OKC's next 7 players all score between 9 and 13 points per game. However, OKC's newfound affinity for launching threes this season has not been matched by success at actually making them: the team is currently hitting only 33.0% from deep, ranking 27th in the league. As a whole, the team's struggling offense (29th-ranked ORTG) threatens to sink the Thunder's currently .500 record to a much more expected range going forward. Clank for Cade?
25 Rockets -9 4-7 Newer NBA fans had never known a Rockets team without James Harden, but that is the new reality. Despite never achieving the ultimate goal, the Harden era gave this team many great memories. Rafael Stone now faces the tough task of slowly rebuilding this team back into contention.
26 Bulls +1 5-8 The growing pains are, well, painful. The Bulls are better than their record would have you think, as the team has 5 losses by a combined 12 points. It does mean that at the end of the day, the Bulls don't have the clutch gene. The final minutes of games are filled with bad turnovers and missed easy shots. These things are coachable though and that's what Billy Donovan, so don't count us out of a low seed playoff berth yet. The young starting 5 is showing clear signs of improvent and is complemented by bench pieces that slot in nicely. #4 pick Patrick Williams is proving he was worth what many called a reach!
27 Kings -7 5-9 The Kings have been largely unable to capitalize on their current homestand, since our last rankings the team had a stretch where they lost three of four games by over 20 points. Tyrese Haliburton has continued to impress, coming back earlier than expected from injury, and shooting 52% from the field and from three in 11 games played. Marvin Bagley has had a mini-resurgence in efficiency though he and Buddy Hield are still struggling offensively. The bigger problem remains the team's defense, as the Kings are currently giving up a blistering 50/40/80 shooting splits to opponents, and have the worst defense in the league.
28 Wizards -3 3-8 A COVID outbreak has stalled the Wizards' season, and as such, there isn't really much to report on for this edition. That being said, Scott Brooks' rotations continue to boggle the mind, as former first round pick Troy Brown Jr has appeared to have fallen in his doghouse and isn't coming out any time soon, while Jerome Robinson continues to throw up more bricks than a cocaine dealer. Hopefully this break will allow the team to get healthy and continue their play before the break, which concluded with a demoltion of the Suns.
29 TWolves -- 3-8 Thoughts and prayers are with Karl-Anthony Towns who is going through the worst years ever.
30 Pistons -- 3-9 The Pistons remain really bad, but they do compete. Blake Griffin still looks like he's basically done for, but Jerami Grant may be a legit All-NBA caliber player given how great he's been. Saddiq Bey and Beef Stew have shown flashes. Overall it's a tough season for Detroit, but there are good signs in the early going.
submitted by powerrankingsnba to nba [link] [comments]

[OC] The Secular Lebron James, The Case for The King over His Airness: An analysis of film, accolades, advanced metrics, rules, era, ect ect. (basically everything except longetvity) PART 1: Introduction, Counter-Arguments, and Defense

Fun title, right?
DISCLAIMER:
There have been many Lebron vs Jordan threads. I imagine there will continue to be. I realize this bothers people, but frankly it shouldn't. Comparing and arguing about the greats is a large aspect of the narrative surrounding the nba. Sport is a form of storytelling, and a new generation's hero chasing a ghost of the past is one of the better storylines we have.
That being said, if you are worred about "tired arguments/cliches" I dont think you have to worry. The vast majority of what I'm going to be discussing here --hasnt'-- been covered and is going to be fairly in-depth and comprehensive. There will be no "1-9", "6-0", or ect. I am unconcerned with what the popular narratives or points around these two players are. Nor am I going to hide my biases or bother acting like I don't have a preference here. The title implies exactly what I think.
I am simply going to make arguments, and, being aware that there are a wide variety of criteria differing from mine, I am going to specifically make a variety of arguments that may appeal to those criteria. While I personally don't care too much about things like peak, cross era comp, team success, or resume, many people here do..
I've left out longetvity because I haven't seen people dispute Lebron's superiority there (though if you disagree you are welcome to discuss why in the comments). The aim here is to persuade, but I will try to do this by using wide variety of avenues as opposed to forcing my own narrow criteria onto you.
I am going to primarily argue that
A. Lebron peaked higher than Micheal Jordan
B. Lebron on average was better at basketball than Micheal Jordan when they played
C. Lebron has a better resume
With all that said, as this is going to be rather long. So long I'm going to be breaking this into parts. I'm going to provide an outline here and bold the various sections so that you can skip to whatever interests you, in case you don't want to read all of it. For now we're just going to do 1., an the first part of 2. (I was originally intending to do everything at once but, er, i need more time lol):
1. COUNTER ARGUMENTS - Will tackle arguments made for jordan that seem to have signficant traction which I find dubious. A. Stats B. Resume
2. Granular film/play breakdown - The idea is to make my conclusion here make sense 'on paper'. This will also work to supplant the holistic evidence that I think strongly supports lebron's superiority.
A. Defense B. Creation C. Scoring
3. Holistic Evidence/impact - Having laid out "why lebron being better than jordan makes sense", I'm going to try and show that what I've outlined "on paper" is well supported by the results
4. RESUME - I'm going to make the case that Lebron's resume is better, that Jordan's advantages here aren't being applied consistently in other comparisons and supplant this with...
5. ERA COMPARISON - Establish that the 2000's-2010's have a talent advantage over the 90's similar to that enjoyed by the 90's over the 60's(since the era is a fair explanation for many on the valuation of certain accoaldes shifting)
6. Rules - Some people claim that the rules favor Lebron relative to Jordan. By using what I consider a fair analog for Jordan in Curry(and yes I am going to back this up) as well as how jordan performed against the great defenses of his time, I'm going to dispute the idea that jordan would get --better--as a playoff performer with illegal defnese being removed.
7. Intangibles - Will argue Lebron has a better influence on winning off the court and is more resilient against elite oppostion as well as opposing defensive adjustments in the playoffs
8. Team success - Just going to present a case for lebron being more successful from a team perspective. Will refer back to era comparison
9. Conclusion - you can figure this out I think.
Now that I've mapped out what this will look like, lets get started...
1. COUNTER ARGUMENTS
A. _STATS_
There are two sorts of stastical arguments that are typically made in support of Jordan. The first is one that's prevelant in sports media from Max Kellerman to Zach Lowe to supposedly 'smarter' analysts like Nate Silver. "The Secular Micheal Jordan" by u/John_Krolik outlines it fairly well:
PER: Okay, #1 in all-time regular season PER is...Michael Jordan. I'll keep an eye on that name.
Win Shares per 48: Like I said, I slightly prefer average to cumulative, so I'll look at this instead of overall Win Shares next. #1 in that category is...Michael Jordan. Stat geeks must love this guy.
Box Plus-Minus: Limited, but interesting, let's see if it matches up with what I've seen so far. #1 in that is...Michael Jordan. I think I have a clubhouse leader here.
Here are the numbers for lebron and jordan u/John_Krolik is referencing:
PER: Lebron- 27.5 Jordan- 27.9
WS/48: Lebron-.244 Jordan- .25
BPM: Lebron- 8.9 Jordan- 9.2
The point of the essay is that Jordan has a strong argument as the greatest player ever without narrative crafting like "jordan was a killah!" and a heavy emphasis on rings "6-0". This section is specifcally arguing, that "you would think jordan was the greatest player ever if you only looked at bball-reference" and therefore Jordan has a strong --stastitical argument-- as the GOAT.
The only issue here is that such a stastical argument is contingent on ignoring that two very different samples are very different. See, generally, as players play longer, averages go down. Lebron entered the league three years earlier than Jordan did, stayed in the league two years longer(soon to be three), and didn't miss as much time with injury/baseball.
Here's how many minuites each played:
Lebron- 48637 Jordan- 41011
To make matters worse with this sample, the years dragging down Lebron's average, his first three years in the league are years where he was vastly better than Jordan. Jordan's weakest years as a basketball player relative to Lebron are not included in this sample, and these three years easily represent the largest gap between the two. Here's what each did from the ages of 19-21...
Age 19
Lebron joins a 17 win team and instantly elevates them to 35 wins. Is clearly the best player on a near .500 team in the NBA.
Jordan joins a team that goes 29-8 and made the ncaa championship, he's a very good role player as they win 32 games and win the ncaa championship off a very clutch MJ shot. This is the NCAA.
Age 20
Lebron improves and makes all-nba as one of the best players in the league. The cavs record improves by 8 wins despite losing their second best player(boozer) as they start playing >.500 basketball.
Jordan improves and becomes the best player on his team. Despite this, largely due to worthy leaving, UNC regreses from 32-2 to 28-6 and gets knocked out in the elite 8.
Age 21
Lebron firmly establishes himself as one of the best players in the league finishing 2nd in MVP voting and carrying the cavs to nearly 50 wins. In the playoffs he leads his team past the wizards and takes the pistons, 2 time eastern conference champs and (almost) 2x defending champs, to 7. The pistons proceed to take 2 games off the eventual champs.
Jordan finishes 1st in college player of the year voting, leads his team to an improved 28-2 RS record and gets knocked out in the last 16.
Summary
To put it simply, Lebron was able to play at a comparable level in the nba as Jordan was able to in the ncaa despite
A Playing much better competition
B. Playing twice as many games
C. Playing three times as many minuites
Lebron was far, far better at basketball during these three years that drag down Lebron in the all-in-one's u/John_Krolik is citing. That Lebron is essentially tying Jordan in these all in one's despite playing far longer and being graded on a much steeper curve speaks to, at least if you value these kind of metrics, Lebron being better at basketball. This becomes even clearer in the postseason.
​
Alright, I hope this guy wasn't basketball's Mike Trout, or I'm in trouble.
Playoff PER: Okay, he's #1 in that. Can't imagine people hating on someone with a top-3 playoff PER.
Playoff WS/48: #1 again.
Box Plus-Minus: Believe it or not, he's #1.
​
Here are the numbers u/John_Krollik is referencing.
PER: Lebron- 28.4 Jordan- 28.6
WS/48: Lebron- .245 Jordan- .255
BPM: Lebron- 10.6 Jordan- 11.1
Here's how many minuites they played:
Lebron- 10811 Jordan- 7474
So again, Lebron is basically tying Jordan despite playing around 30% more.
Of course Lebron isn't even the worst victim of this disinegnuous framing. Kareem, has three of the top 4 ws/48's so why is he lower than Jordan and Lebron here?
Well, it might have something to do with him playing 57446 minuites. Not to mention Kareem was good enough to be one of the best players in the league in college while Jordan was...definitely not.
Wilt has the best two seasons of PER and is only .2 off MJ's ws/48 while playing 6000 more minuites.
This isn't to say this proves wilt was nearly as good as anyone ever(I dont even have Wilt's peak as top 5), but if you are lending weight to these kinds of stats(more on why you really shouldn't later), considering the sample size and what's being sampled is like context 101. Jordan is not #1 in these stats because he played the best, he's #1 in these stats because he played less and his worst years as a basketball player relative to the others here aren't even included in the sample.
With that out of the way, lets get to the second, somewhat more respectable argument often made: Listing Jordan's slash-line, listing Lebron's, and coming to the conclusion, "jordan's better". My issue with this is really two-fold:
  1. People don't track what's happening at a team level or how these box stats are correlating with what really is the point of havng good players, how much they're lifting their team. This is especially relevant here, because Lebron's 'impact' has largely been better relative to his box stats than Jordan. Or, to put it another way, Lebron's 'box stats' translate better to improvment in team performance than Jordan's do. I'll be elaborating on this in 'holistics' but Lebron has been able to achieve similar or better results than jordan at his best in a wide variety of settings and contexts with the granular signals of his game radically changing.
  2. Basiclaly everything in a slashline outside of scoring(kinda) is pretty awful at tracking what they're supposed to show a player's attributes in. For now lets focus on point 2.
To start lets look at assists.
https://youtu.be/RmOHrDxpoxg?t=220
This is an extremely valuable play where lebron creates a very good look off a combination of nigh unrivalled inteior gravity(hence why two defenders try to prevent him from picking up speed) and his talent as a skip passer. No assist.
https://youtu.be/S2lKIW9TNjk?t=77
This play isn't completely worthless, its not the easiest pass in the world and he does draw defensive attention with two players looking at him, but kyrie is clearly doing way more of the work here and ends up having to score over the defenders lebron is distracting anyway. Assist. If you were to watch the mavs game from the beginning there are 5 plays from lebron more valuable than the assist i just linked that dont end up being recorded as assists.
Alright another example, courtesy of u/BlockedbyBAM who stattracked bird's game 1 in the 97 ecf.
(Blocked has actually supplied alot of the argumentation/film-tracking/clips/statistical-da, ect, ect, so if you like this post, thank her, if you hate it blame her. To quote her "I am merely her puppet" ;D)
https://youtu.be/Nm2efjx9Xus?t=2260
Like the lebron play its not entirely worthless, bird running to the other side to draw defender away is worth something, but ulimately, the pass is a play legendary passer kevin durant could have made and ultimate the scorer is doing the --vast-- majority of the work.
https://youtu.be/JCks-bQbn1A?t=25
Lets compare that to off-ball wizard Stephen Curry. Here he ends up drawing not one, not two, but three defenders away from green leaving him wide open.. He techinally distracts gasol too, but whose counting. BTW, if you're wondering why only one man is being thrown at 40% shooter larry bird, remember
A. Bird did that on incredibly low volme and as importantly
B. Bird shot 34% against defenses that actually bothered to cover his three pointers.
Anyway the point is this play is --faaar-- more valuabe than the play i linked above, but both count the same.
According to Ben Taylor, a man who is incredibly high on the peaks of both Jordan and Bird (has pieak bird as>peak magic, gives Jordan 5 seasons better than anyone else's, i'm just saying this so I don't have to hear nonsense about elgee being some sort of 'biased source'. If you were to look at what he used to post in realgm, you'd find he was a massive jordan ---and--- larry bird stan.), Curry created 17 shots while only getting awarded 4 assists. Conjecture I guess, but I imagine if we replaced the 'assist' slot in the slashline with --shots created-- for his raptors series, the discussion wouldn't be "why can't curry perform like KD in the final?" and more was this the greatest offensive series we've ever seen?.
Incindentally, team assists has a 0.04% correlation with offense rating and the man who created more open shots than lebron james averaged less assists per game than legendary passer Kevin Durant. Assists offer some value, if you correlate assist totals with an induvidual's tendencies as a creator, but really they're only useful here because its a bit much to film track every game ever played. When we can rely on oppurtunies created(when a player creates a free throw, a open look, via rebounding gravity, scoring ravity, above replacement passing, ect, ect), we will rely on oppurtunies created, because the point of passing is to create for others, not to boost your assist count.
What about rebounds?
Per u/blockedbyBAM, of Bird's 13 rebounds that game, 2 of those rebounds were contested. His one offensive rebound wasn't really contested wth his bigmen doing most of the work. It turns out playing with two bigs can wonders for you in recording certain stats(namely blocks and rebounds).
What about blocks?
I'm really going to get into this into A. DEFENSE but to demonsrate why this means very little without some sort of tracking of player tendencies/impact, (ex: duncan is a big man who posts atg defnesive impact, if duncan's block rate doubles in the playoffs, that probably means something) Bill Walton contested far more shots in the paint. Kareem Abdul Jabbar has more blocks. Kareem is actually third in blocks. Alas, Kareem is nowhere near the third best paint protector of all time, if he was, this post might be named The Secular Kareem.
Steals tho
Iverson led the league in steals, defenses stayed the same or got worse with him. Curry led the league in steals while committing very few defensive errors in 16. While metrics consistently rate curry as a positive(before and with draymond green), there's nothing that suggests he's as valuable as inferior steal-getter kyle lowry. Steals just aren't --that--valuable defensively. They provide offensive value, but thats already baked into other stats. Context also matters, if you're playing on a team with a bunch of switchable defenders/poa dudes who can on a scheme with prioritizes hyper aggressive lunging, your steals are probably less valuable than those acquired alongside, say, the 99 twin towers. IOW, if the team is scheming around getting you steals, credit should probably be shared more. More on that in DEFENSE.
I hope I have demonstrated to you that while slashlines are useful in small doses with heavy applicaion of context, they are not a patcualrly strong rack to hang your hat on. Ultimately impact, or more specfically, your affect on winning, should be the primary driver of your analysis. Granular data is useful, but don't forget the forest for the trees. And when you are examning the trees, keep in mind that there are better magnifying glasses than ppg/apg/rebounds.
Finally, lets bring it all full circle with those all-in one's I was talking about. Guess what they're largely or (in the case of per) entirely based on? These not so useful slashlines and their derivatives. Go figure.
B. ACCOLADES
I'm going to get into a case for lebron's resume being more impressve in ACCOLADES, but there's something I take serious issue with: patial credit accolades. What that's you say? Scoring titles, dpoy', assist titles, leading the league in steals, ect, ect. When a player happens to be the best(or at least the most prolific) at one aspect of the game, and this is tacked on their resume as if players who acheived similar holistic recognition(as in they were as good overall) are not as good becuase they happen to be more versatile. Lebron won a scoring title in 2008 at the age of 23. Same age as Jordan's first. Did he get worse as a scorer? No, what happened was that his --passing-- skyrocketed in 2009, and thus, as any player who isn't a low iq idiot would do, he turned his scoring volume down a bit and started --creating--. Jordan's first scoring title, where he averaged 37 ppg, would have won over every other season he'd ever played. Did Jordan get worse? No, again, holistically he improved, as can be tracked with holistic accolades. Defensive stuff is a bit more understandable, defense is comically under appreciated, but there's issues here too(i will get into that after this section) when we're talking about guards as opposed to bigs. With that said, if you want to use jordan's dpoy, keep in mind, that Lebron won more dpoy votes from 09-13 than did at any point in his career. If jordan was a better defender in 88 than Lebron was in 09 or 13, Lebron was a better defender for his 5-year prime. As for all-nba? I'll get into this next, but one is a guard and the other is a forward. None the less, this is all still partial credit. Someone who was one vote shy of a unanimous mvp is not suddenly worse at basketball because you tag a dpoy and a scoring title to one of thier seasons.
Lebron's holisitic resume is superior imo, and thats really what matters. There are --ways-- you can argue jordan's actually more decorated but...lets just say for now its hard to apply that line of reasoning consistently...(will get into this in accolades).
Before we enter--film--, i will make one last point. This is all --regular season-- shit. This isn't to say its worthless, but if you're a team that's good enough to make the title, the regular season means very little relative to postseason play. And as I'm going to argue soon, the stretch of tme in which jordan turns an mvp defecit(3-4) to an advantage (5-4), during his second three-peat, Lebron is playing far better postseason basketball.
For now, here's a reminder of what they did in their most decorated 5 year stretches. I'll cheat and give jordan an extra year so we can count all his mvp's:
Jordan, 3 MVP'S, 3 FMVP'S, 5 ALL STAR, 5 ALL-NBA
Lebron, 4 MVP'S, 2 FMVP'S, 5 ALL-STAR, 5 ALL-NBA
Pretty close, but as a tiebreaker, lebron winning 4 mvp's in 5 years, and coming closer to a unanimous mvp than Jordan, isn't a bad shout.
2. GRANULAR FILM/PLAY BREAKDOWN
A. Defense
First, lets agree on something. The most valuable aspect of defense by a country mile is....protecting the paint. In case you disagree, lets look at the results.
What is the greatest defense in history? The 60's celtics Who was their most valable defender? A paint protector.
How about the next best defenses?
The 60's Lakers? Wilt. The Knicks? Ewing. The Spurs? Duncan and Robinson, I mean they're literally called --THE TWIN TOWERS--. The pistons? Ben Wallace. The 08 Celtics? Kevin Garnett. The Raptors? Gasol. The Bucks? Giannis and Brook
What about the best 5 yr defense of the 2010's? The Golden State Warriors? Draymond green, a paint protector.
The only team to win a championship without an elite paint protector in the last 10 years is the Miami Heat whose best defeder was....one of the best paint protecting wings in history, known as Lebron James. Okay I lied, there was another team that won a championship without an elite paint protecting big, the 2016 cavs whose best defender was....Lebron James.
"The Bulls didn't have true big-men" you say. You know who they did have? The --BEST-- Pant Protecting Wing in history, Scottie Pippen. As well as Horace Grant.
People argued Marcus Smart and Ben Simmons were deserving dpoy's. Their Dpipm doesn't touch that of AD, Giannis and Rudy Gobert.
The Lakers had Dwight, Lebron, and AD, the Clippes had Kawhi, Paul George and Patrick Beverly. Guess which team got blown to hell by playoff offenses and guess which team didn't.
If Tom Brady is the Micheal Jordan of football, paint protection is the Micheal Jordan of defense. It always has been, and barring the introduction of a 4 point line, always will be, The most pivotal part of keeping the ball from entering the hoop. Ben Taylor, the man who thinks Jordan has the 5 best seasons ever, got alot of flack for darng to call out Jordan's defensive risk takng. I too will give Ben flack... for making it seem like his aggressive steal chasing(and we will get to that) is why he wasn't a deserving DPOY.
No, what makes MJ "definitely not a dpoy defender" is that he offers little paint resistance compared to say a lebron or a pippen(let alone players like hakeem, eaton, kg, duncan, ect). But jordan averaged as many blocks! you say. Yes, but this is why you don't use 'blocks' when comparing a shooting guard to a wing.
We talk about gravity on offense, but what about defensive gravity? As I said before, Ben touches on the concept when he notes that Walton affected more possessions than Kareem despite Kareem getting alot more blocks, but this reaches a whole new level with players like Larry Bird or 6'6 shooting guard MJ, players who spent their defensve primes playng with one or multiple comparable-better rim deterrents.
This is what most jordan blocks look like:https://youtu.be/fFPi95UEpog?t=55Jordan gets the block, but is he even the key to this possession? The difficult part of this, holding ewing still, isn't being done by Jordan. Jordan is making this play off his teamamte's, gravity defensively. If you rewatch the section where ben is fawning over Jordan's rim protection...
https://youtu.be/p5aNUS762wM?t=1212
...you might notice that aside for --two-- clips, all these plays have jordan making plays on a defender whose preoccupied worrying about a larger guy at the rim.
Lets compare this to the following non-blocks:https://youtu.be/T-c1NradPN4?t=147Lebron's presence here blows up a potential dunk/layup, a shot even more dangerous than a curry three. Lebron isn't awarded a block here, but this play is more valuable than the majority of plays you'll see in a jordan defensive highlight reel.https://youtu.be/T-c1NradPN4?t=17Lebron here basically prevents a open layup/dunk. These kinds of plays are both extremely valuable and require a combination of strength and size Jordan doesn't have.https://youtu.be/T-c1NradPN4?t=176Here, Lebron isn't rewarded a block and even looks a bit silly, but his presence is what draws draymond's attention and allows for delly to get the block.https://youtu.be/3oAAcEQ8t84?t=1529Lebron ends up getting a block later on the possessions, but the key of this possession is here, where Lebron's presence makes dwight opt for a post up, preventing what is the most dangerous play in basketball, an all time interior threat coming in at the rim.Per blockedbybam, Lebron blocked, diverted, or deterred a dwight inside atempt 18 times over the ECF..https://youtu.be/MyWFllfRqaU?t=256.Grant gets the block, and pippen is made to look silly, but it's pippen who sets the play up for grant. Much like a shooter will feed of a slasher's interior gravity, grant makes this play off pippen's defense.https://youtu.be/C7uxePXXfU8?t=63While the possession doesn't end up going chicago's way, what Pippen is doing here, essentially pre-emptively nuetralizing the threat of an Ewing drive is about as valuabe as a play you will get defensively. It doesn't show up in the scoresheet.
Over this series, Pippen interefeed/prevented ewing rim attempts 22 times.
None of the linked plays show up in the stat-sheet, but they are all signficantly more valuable than the average play you would see in a jordan's defense highlight videos. Equally importantly, these are all plays that Jordan, the 6'6 shooting guard has no hope of replicating. When ben calls Jordan "one of the best shotblocking guards ever", whats important to remember here is that "guard" is a very signifcant qualifier. Jordan's 'paint' play does not approach that of elite wings, let alone legitmate atg paint protectors(gobert's shotblocking threat often deters multiple rim attempts in the same possession.) Jordan's "high activity" is not a bunch of game changing possessions, its a bunch of decent-good plays which on the aggregate, under a scheme and along personell perfectly catered to amplify his strengths and paper over his weaknesses, end up making up for a high volume mistakes.
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So this begs the question, if Wings like Lebron and Pippen are signifcantly better at what is, by a country mile, the most valuable defensive skill, where exactly is Jordan making up value? Its not like Lebron is some one trick pony.
We've seen lebron, in down years atheletically, very effectively contain the likes of curry and derrick rose over a series. We've seen Jordan's teammate, Pippen do it to John starks, Dumar and Magic johnson. Both have had playoffs against elite offenses where the opposing team shoots 20 points better against their teammates as they do against them. Both have less defensive breakdowns than jordan does (from 88-93 83% of players in the nba commited less mistakes defensively than Jordan) and both have demonstrated the ability to perform under a wide variety of defensive schemes. Both are excellent POA defenders who can make it a nightmare to try and utilize passing lanes. If Jordan is blowing rotations and committing so many mistakes, where exactly is he making up value?
And yes, those breakdowns ;jordan haters' keep citing, ...do....matter.
https://i.imgur.com/PekfKnR.png
https://i.imgur.com/Snem7Qg.png
Kawhi didn't gamble as much as Jordan did and the spurs didn't need to have a bunch of switchable POA guys aggressively press opposing offenses. Incidentally, Kawhi's steals clearly improve the defense while Jordan's steals offer a marginal add in value. Why am I bringing up Kawhi? Because Lebron averages nearly as many steals as he does without high-risk defense. Somtimes, less is more.
But this is all talk, just because I tell you lebron is a better defender than Micheal Jordan on paper doesn't mean he's a better defender in practice. Indeed, if Lebron is truly a superior defender, it should be reflected in the results. So lets take a look:
The 08 cavs are the 11th ranked defense in the league. Lebron enters his prime(largely because of a massive defnsive upgrde) and they're the 3rd best defense in the league. The 09 cavs with lebron are the #1 defense in the league. Without him they're 18th. His dpipm that year, +3.3, is twice as close to dwight howard's as it is to 'elite defensive guards' like ben simmons and marcus smart. Lebron's playoff drapm is higher than kawhi despite a vastly longer playoff career(averages go down as you play more), and in 15 and 16, well past his atheletic peak, he's leading elite playoff defenses with--kevin love(well for one of those playoffs anyway), tristan thompson and matthew delledova. In what corresponds to Jordan's wizards years Lebron has a two year stint where defenses improve with him but not significantly. Then in 2020 in his 17th season of professional basketball, he's the second most valuable defender on the best playoff defense in the league.
In 86, The bulls are the worst defense in he leagueJordan wins dpoy in 88 on the 3rd best defense in the league. Next season oakley leaves and they're 11th. Next season they're 19th. Then in 91, wth Jordan getting worse at basically everything defensively(slower, less atheltic, less rim protection, more breakdowns) they become the 4th best defense in the league which curiosly coincides with...checks notes....Pippen and Rodman(but mostly Pippen) entering their prime. Jordan leaves in 93 and their defense is...basically unaffected. Per playoff drapm, Pippen is comparable to Kawhi in how much he improves his teams despite drapm only counting years past his peak.
Looking at induvidual data Ben's bpm, which he admits is the worst of his stats at accounting for defense ranks Jordan's three year playoff peak first, pipm which does a somewhat better job ranks him second, and then, when ben, specifcally citing that these stats struggle with defensive value, went ahead and calculated apm for the playoffs, he came in 9th.
It would seem Jordan, like basically every guard in history, had a limited affect on his team's defensive profiency. Lebron's defense on the other hand, seems to have a clear impact whereever he goes.
We need to stop using jordan's defensive accolades as evidence he was better than what he contributed. Jordan won dpoy because he led the league in steals and came second in blocks. I've already outlined jordan's relative lack of value in the paint, and his steals were
A. the result of a defensive scheme+pesonell that squeezed every ounce of value jordan had to offer and
B. came at a considerable cost (remember, Jordan commited more defnesive errors than 87 percent of the league)
Even if we disregard reputation as a factor, making the all-nba team as a guard does not mean you were better than a forward or center who didn't get recognized as all-nba. Even if Jordan was the greatest defensive shooting guard in nba history, being the biggest fish in a tiny pond does not change that the bigger fish are bigger.
Jordan could have been absolutely perfect in his role, and he wouldn't have come close to being a dpoy-calibre defender. Off course jordan was far from perfect. The idea that he shares parity as a defender with all time wings is absurd. Simply put, Lebron James is a signifcantly better defender than Micheal Jordan.
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And that brings Part 1 to a close!!!!
Next up, in part 2***--creation, scoring, holistics--***
Thanks for reading!
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The Daily Run-Down, Jan 8th Edition

Hey again, I have decided to name this piece the Daily Run-Down, extremely busy slate last night, so lets get into it:
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Quick Hitters
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Rookie Report
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Stud of the Night: Caris Durant (43 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, 15/23 shooting, 35 minutes)
Dud of the Night: Russell Westbrook (12 points, 4 boards, 8 assists,4/16 shooting, 33 minutes, 7 TOs)
Rook of the Night: Lamelo Ball (12 points, 10 boards, 9 assists, 4/11 shooting, 25 minutes)
Quote of the Night: "We can't guard a parked car" - Bradley Beal on the Wizards defense
Bonus Quote: "Long arms. He has Kawhi-type hands that I noticed out on the floor so I knew I couldn't play with the ball much. You could tell he's laser sharp on just trying to get better...Chicago has a good one" - Lebron James on rookie Patrick Williams
Link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/FantsyPowrHouse
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Santa Cruz Warriors: An overview of the 2021 Orlando Bubble Squad

Santa Cruz is set to tip-off their 2021 season today against the Ignite Team. Thirteen players will be suiting up for the Sea Dubs including two-way player Nico Mannion and assignees, Jordan Poole and Alen Smailagić. While those three might be well known by Warriors fans who've watched them play with Golden State, hopefully this post can shed some light on the other 10 players who make up the main squad. The G-League doesn't generally get a lot of attention or recognition from NBA fans, but if guys like Damion Lee, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Mychal Mulder have shown anything, it's that there is talent lurking down there and it's a great place for young players to develop.
Notes on the G-League Season:

Jeremy Lin

Point Guard, 32 years old, 6′3, 200lbs
Lin is of course a very familiar face for Warriors fans. The Bay Area native, as an undrafted rookie, appeared in 29 games for Golden State during the 2010–11 season and would go on to become a tenured veteran in the NBA. However, a ruptured patellar tendon suffered at the beginning of the 2017–18 season would sideline Lin for that remainder of that campaign and the effects would carry over into the following season in which Lin struggled on the court with the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, temporarily putting a hold on his NBA career.
Following a solid showing in the CBA last year putting up 22.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 5.6apg on .493/.335/.822, a now-healthy Lin is looking to make his way back to the NBA and hopes this path with Santa Cruz will be his opportunity to do so.
Playstyle
Lin is well known as a scoring guard who operates out of the PNR with a quick first step and playmaking ability. He will be looking to show that he still possesses those skills at the NBA-level following concerns he had lost his quickness due to injury.
He is a career 34.2% three-point shooter and has never shot over 37.2% in a season, including last year in the CBA where he 33.5% from the outside on 173 attempts, so he should not be expected to start draining them, but he won't be asked to do so either with elite marksmen such as Hannahs, Taylor, and Wesson on the roster.
Lin has left much to be desired on the defensive end throughout his NBA career, but was recently a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year in the CBA so it will be interesting to see how much he has improved and what he can offer on that end.
Expectations
Lin is expected to start for Santa Cruz at point guard and is most likely hoping to only have to play a few games before getting signed by an NBA team looking for a veteran point guard, a team like the Magic, who have been riddled with injuries at that position, for example. For those who watched Santa Cruz last season, Lin will take on the role that was Jeremy Pargo's as the veteran who runs the offense and is the default scoring option.

Dusty Hannahs

Shooting Guard, 27 years old, 6′3, 210lbs
Hannahs is an undrafted guard out of Arkansas. He's spent the last three seasons in the G-League with the Memphis Hustle averaging 14.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.7apg on .460/.435/.917 and was named to the All-G League Third Team last season. He's also been in-and-out of the Memphis Grizzlies on a couple of 10-Days throughout the past 2 years. Santa Cruz traded for his rights ahead of the 2021 G-League draft.
Playstyle
Hannahs is a lights out shooter. Through three seasons in the G-League he shot 43.5% from deep on 648 attempts. He's capable of both spotting up for catch-and-shoot threes and pulling up from off-the-dribble. He has a decent handle which allows him to create separation, and his shooting threat and speed gives him an edge when driving to the basket. He has steadily improved as a finisher over the years, but will still throw up some wild shots driving into traffic. He also isn't much of a playmaker. When he drives he doesn't look to pass and has too much tunnel vision.
Hannahs is a bit undersized for a wing at 6'3 which makes him limited defensively where he leaves much to be desired. He's not very good as an on-ball or off-ball defender. He will occasionally ball watch and lose track of his assignment and often reacts a bit too slowly to how the play develops. He also isn't much of a rebounder and doesn't do a great job of positioning or boxing out. He also isn't very good at fighting over screens or offering much as a help defender, which is more of an issue of lack of effort and focus. He will have to improve on this side of the ball if he hopes to make it at an NBA level.
Expectations
Hannahs would've started in the backcourt with Lin, but with Mannion and Poole assigned, he will be relegated to a bench role, playing at times as a 2 or 3. As one of the more tenured players on the roster, his G-League experience will be valuable for the team and he should see a lot of minutes provided he can offer more off-the-ball and defensively than he has shown so far. Hannahs has already established himself as an elite G-Leaguer and has flirted with the NBA, so if he can put together another solid season and make improvements in the areas he needs to, there's a good chance he can find himself on a two-way deal in the near future.

Ryan Taylor

Small Foward, 26 years old, 6'6, 190lbs
Taylor is a 4-year college player who went undrafted in 2019. He was selected with the 24th pick in the 2019 G-League draft by the Lakeland Magic, but was cut in training camp. He joined Santa Cruz as a mid-season acquisition from the available player pool and would go on to appear in 22 games where he averaged 9.2ppg, 2.0rpg, 0.6apg on .456/.430/1.000 coming off the bench. He was put on the radar of Warriors fans when he was invited to participate in the Dubble and shot the lights out during their televised scrimmage, putting up 18 points with 6 threes.
Playstyle
Taylor is a knockdown shooter who usually hangs around the corner and moves around off-the-ball a decent amount. He doesn't handle the ball or create a lot for himself, but has a pull-up midrange jumper off a down screen he likes to go to and a floater alternative as well. Outside of that, he hasn't driven a lot or showed off his finishing, but he is deceptively athletic and can throw it down. He's not really a playmaker, but he's a smart player who will make the right passes and not play out of his comfort zone.
He's not any sort of lockdown defender, but he does enough defensively where he can bother players on-ball and stick with them, fighting through screens and using his athleticism and lateral speed. He does a good job of forcing players into tough shots and not giving them anything easy. He's also a smart team defender, who knows when to rotate and help. Overall he projects as a 3&D wing who doesn't do more than he's capable of and plays within the flow of the game. He would fit in well at Golden State.
Expectations
Taylor most likely would've started, but with the assignment of Jordan Poole and based on scrimmage tape, it seems he will be coming off the bench instead, playing a big role as the backup small forward. At 26 years of age, having just started his pro career, Taylor is looking for a late-bloomer career arc similar to that of Damion Lee. Having impressed last season in limited time, this season will be a better opportunity for Taylor to move into a bigger role and establish himself as a starting quality G-League player with the hopes of receiving a training camp invite from Golden State next season and being a candidate for a two-way spot. As a 3&D archetype, he's arguably the most interesting prospect on this roster for Warriors fans to watch out for as a potential future Golden State player.

Axel Toupane

Power Foward, 28 years old, 6'7, 196lbs
Toupane is a French wing who went undrafted in 2014 and has become a well-traveled journeyman. He played 2 seasons in the G-League with Raptors 905 where he averaged 15.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 3.6apg, 1.1spg on .446/.329/.798. He's also played 29 games in the NBA on a couple of 10 Day and ROS deals with the Nuggets, Bucks, and Pelicans, and spent the last three seasons playing overseas in Lithuania, Greece, Spain, and France. Most recently he appeared with the Warriors in pre-season, where he saw a handful of minutes.
Playstyle
On offense, Toupane likes to spot up in the corner or move from wing to wing in hopes of receiving the ball off a drive-and-kick for an open 3. He didn't shoot the 3-ball well during his time in the G-League, but overseas his percentages looked better from year-to-year and he is capable of knocking them down at a low volume. He doesn't have the ball in his hand often, but seems to have a pretty good handle and likes to take defenders off-the-dribble and either beat them to the rim or pull up for a jumper. He especially loves to slash in transition and due to his speed, length, and athleticism can blow by defenders with ease and finish in traffic with an array of acrobatic moves. He doesn't necessarily seem like a playmaker, but can make some good read for a wing and likes throwing lobs.
Defensively he's a pretty good on-ball defender who can bother opposing ballhandlers with his length and lateral quickness. His size makes him versatile and capable of matching up fairly well with 1-4s. Oubre is a good comparison in that regard. He also seems to have a decent read of passing lanes and can use his length to get a hand on the ball and burst out for a transition dunk.
Expectations
Toupane is expected to start at power forward. Although he's played as a 2/3 for most of his career, Santa Cruz likes to play small and Toupane is the 3rd tallest player on the roster after Mawugbe and Wesson. Golden State even played him at the 4 during pre-season which makes him the obvious choice to start there, coupled with his experience. As the second oldest player after Lin, Toupane will have a very important and big role in this squad both on and off the floor.

Kaleb Wesson

Center, 21 years old, 6'10, 253lbs
Wesson is an undrafted big out of Ohio State where he averaged 12.9ppg, 7rpg, 1.6apg on .495/.385/.729 over 3 seasons. He was well regarded by draft experts and many thought he could get picked in the second round or at least grab a two-way contract. However, he would join the Warriors for training camp where he didn't get much playing time and wasn't able to impress.
Playstyle
Wesson biggest attraction is his stretch 5 ability. He's a good outside shooter who shot 42.5% from deep in his final year on 106 attempts and did well in all the combine shooting drills. He finished first in one of the drills making 80% of his attempts. He gets most of his threes out of pick-and-pops around the top of the key and wings and that's most likely where he'll be money from moving forward. Wesson doesn't create a lot of offense for himself, but he does have a post hook and post fadeaway he likes to go to with moderate success. Otherwise, his finishing is a bit poor. For someone with his size and strength, he goes pretty weak to the rim and gets rejected far too often. He also doesn't have leaping ability to go up for lobs and rim-run, a bit Looney-like in that regard. He does however have great court vision and will make some eye-catching reads especially out of the post and elbow, and off the short roll. He seems like he has the potential to become a really good playmaker for a big.
Defensively he's limited due to his size and athleticism. He is slow and doesn't have good verticality. He struggles when switched out to guards due to his lack of lateral speed and gets beaten pretty easily. He's not much of a rim protector or shot blocker, but makes up for his deficiencies with relatively high defensive BBIQ and active hands. He has a good feel for when to reach in for a block or steal. He's also a good rebounder who boxes out and positions well, and uses his size and strength to neutralize opponents and pin them under the basket out of position.
The best comparison for him might be like Boris Diaw. Although I haven't watch Boris in a while, but I remember him as a stocky big man who was a good passer and could knock down a 3-ball. That's kind of the mold he's looking to fulfill in the NBA.
Expectations
Wesson will start at center while Smailagić is out and then become his primary backup. He'll be looking to at the least establish himself as a starting-level G-Leaguer and potentially play well enough to have a shot at earning a two-way for next season. Stretch bigs are a premium and if he can show that his shot translates to the next level, he should definitely get some NBA teams interested. Outside of Taylor, he's arguably the most interesting non-assignee for Warriors fans to watch. He's the youngest player on this roster, but also one of the ones with the most potential to become an NBA level player, and his passing, outside shooting, and defensive BBIQ would make him a great fit for Golden State and an answer to the Mo Speights/David West type big they're looking for.

Isaiah Reese

Point Guard, 24 years old, 6'5, 185lbs
Reese is a 3-year college player who after going undrafted in 2019 joined the Houston Rockets for Summer League. He was selected with the 6th pick in the 2019 G-League draft by the Austin Spurs and was traded to Santa Cruz on draft night for Kavion Pippen. Reese played 42 games coming off the bench and averaged 7.0ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.7apg on .408/.343/.667 his rookie season.
Playstyle
Reese doesn't necessarily seem to excel at any one specific skill but he seems to have an all-around skill set that if developed properly could turn him into a useful player. He's big for a point guard at 6'5 and can bother opposing point guards with his size defensively. He relatively does a good job on the defensive end, although he has a tendency to gamble a little too much and go for steals he shouldn't. He will occasionally lose track of his assignments and forget to box out, but if he can improve his awareness and focus, he projects to be a decent defender, at least at a G-League level.
Offensively, as I said above, he has an all-around game. He's shown some playmaking chops, capable of making good reads, but he also turns the ball over a fair amount and needs to learn to pick his spots better. He can shoot the 3-ball, but he's only really around a 35% outside shooter and shouldn't be taking them unless he's open in the corner. He can finish inside and has shown some finesse with his layups, but he doesn't go in strong and struggles to get to the line, only attempting 6 free throws in 810 minutes last season. I would compare him to his teammate from last season, Andrew Harrison, as a sort of big point guard who can kind of do a bit of everything, just none of it at an elite level yet.
Expectations
Last season was a primarily developmental one for Reese, as he got his feet wet at the pro-level. The Santa Cruz staff seemed to take a liking to him and would spend, what seemed like extra time, working specifically with him. He seems like someone they believe is a long term prospect. This season he should have a bigger role on the team as one of the guard options off the bench and should see plenty of game time. It will be a good opportunity to establish himself as a G-League level player and maybe play himself into a starting role next season with this team.

Zach Norvell Jr.

Shooting Guard, 23 years old, 6'5, 206lbs
Norvell played two seasons at Gonzaga before signing a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after going undrafted in 2019. He would see limited time with the Lakers and would be waived in December of that year to make room for Devontae Cacok. Apart from a single 10-Day contract, where he endeared himself to some Warriors fans, Norvell spent the bulk of the season playing in the G-League with South Bay and then Santa Cruz. He finished his rookie season averaging 14.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.9apg on .395/.387/.814.
Playstyle
Norvell is an athletic, scoring wing who can shoot fairly well. In the G-League he shot 39% from deep and shot 37% in college. Although his shot selection could be a little better, he's more than capable of knocking down catch-and-shoot threes in the corner, as well as, pulling up off-the-dribble. He has a good handle on him and although he is not necessarily a playmaker, he has shown that he can make some good reads and can excel as a secondary ballhandler and creator on the floor. Although his jumper is his calling card, he can also finish inside with his athleticism and finesse, but again his shot selection could be a little better there too as he'll take the ball into trouble a little too often.
Norvell seems like a decent defender. He's not any sort of liability, but he also isn't going to lock down anyone. He does a good job of fighting over screens and sticking with his man, but will still lose track of his assignments from time-to-time, and could do more when challenging shots to make them tougher. He has active hands at least and can come up with a couple of steals. For a guard, he's also pretty good about making sure to box out when the shot goes up.
Expectations
The Warriors acquired Norvell last season for Santa Cruz after they were impressed with him while he was on his 10-Day and felt he was an intriguing, young prospect worth bringing in and developing. Norvell will be one of the go-to players off the bench and have a fairly big role. Among the young players, he is one of the more intriguing ones to watch out for and could potentially find his way back on a two-way in the near future.

Elijah Pemberton

Shooting Guard, 23 years old, 6'5, 195lbs
Pemberton is an undrafted wing who finished his career at Hostra last season with 15.4ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.1apg on .448/.387/.788 over his 4 years. He was a last-minute sign-and-waive for the Warriors after they were unable to receive Lin's FIBA Letter of Clearance in time, and most likely wouldn't have made the roster otherwise.
Playstyle
Based on watching some of his film, Pemberton projects to be a long-term project. He's a big athletic guard/wing with a handle and decent shooting touch, especially on pull-up 3s (career 39%), but his game leaves a lot more to be desired outside of that. He does not seem comfortable at all finishing inside and consistently will drive into traffic and throw up a hopeless wild shot. Showing both poor decision making and poor technique. Although he only averaged 2.1 assists per game during his college career, based on a film he seems to have the potential to do better in that area. He doesn't necessarily seem to have natural court vision, but can make some good reads from time to time, and if he can hone in on that skill, he could become useful as a secondary creator on the floor.
Defensively due to his size and athleticism he has the potential to become a decent defender which could give him hope to make in the league one day as a 3&D wing, but for now, he has a lot to work on.
Expectations
Pemberton will most likely start the season as a deep reserve and not see much time on the court given that Santa Cruz is loaded with guards and small wings. At this point for him, the best thing is to just get consistent work in during practice and soak up as much information as he can. Depending on how well he progresses and if he shows potential he could return to next year's team and challenge for a more fixed role in the rotation.

Dwayne Sutton

Power Forward, 23 years old, 6'5, 220lbs
Sutton is an undrafted 4-year player out of Louisville who joined the Warriors for training camp this past December and is most memorable to fans for his monster dunk against the Kings during pre-season.
Playstyle
Sutton is a tweener. An undersized power forward who doesn't necessarily excel at any one thing or fit any set position, but is a gritty, versatile, and fierce competitor in the mold of a PJ Tucker or Draymond Green. Although small, he is athletic and long and is a good defender capable of guarding multiple positions and coming up with big plays.
On offense, he seems a little more limited. He shot the 3-ball at 34.3% during his college career at limited volume (338 attempts) and probably doesn't project to be a shooter or if so, his ceiling would seem like Tucker's as a corner specialist. He only averaged 1.3 assists per game over his career, but could potentially grow more as a playmaker. That number seemed a bit limited due to his low usage rate and based on some of the reads he made he seems like a capable and willing passer. He doesn't seem very comfortable creating off the dribble and doesn't seem to have any sort of reliable mid-range, both of which are areas he will need to work on to be able to make it at the next level.
Expectations
Of the three Exhibit 10's, Sutton seems the least ready to contribute right away so he probably won't have a large role but given how undersized the Warriors are, he should see a good amount of playing time primarily as Toupane's backup at the 4. It will be a good opportunity for him to show if he can stick in the G-League and add enough to his game to be a useable rotation piece moving forward.

Selom Mawugbe

Center, 22 years old, 6'10, 230lbs
Mawugbe is an undrafted standout from Divison II, Azusa Pacific, where he averaged 16.9ppg, 10.5rpg, 2apg, 3.1bpg, 1.1spg on 71.8% FG in his senior season. Mawugbe was the 21st pick in the G-League draft and the final addition to the Santa Cruz squad.
If you do a search for "Selom Mawugbe" on YouTube, outside of an interview and a workout clip, you will find one single highlight of a PNR lob finish. Nothing else. So in order to get some semblance of Selom's game, I watched a few of his Azusa Pacific games I could find.
Playstyle
Maguwbe seems to fit the archetype of a traditional center. On offense, he roams from block to block looking to post up or come out and set a screen for a teammate. When he does receive the ball, he's a willing passer and will make some good reads finding shooters out of the post. Due to his size and strength, he can outpower most players and finish inside, but he doesn't seem very comfortable creating his own offense and rarely does so. He also doesn't seem to have any sort of reliable jumper or at least is unwilling to let it fly (I think I saw him attempt maybe one jump shot through the film I watched).
He seems to be a more defensive-oriented player and does a good job of protecting the paint and keeping drivers at bay with his shot-blocking. He averaged around 3 blocks per game throughout his final 3 seasons at college and was routinely among the top shot blockers in D2. He communicates often with his teammates, which is important as Azusa seemed to run a primarily zone defense with Mawugbe anchored in the paint. He has enough athleticism and lateral speed to switch out to perimeter players and bother them, but he didn't do so often and is not a strong suit. He's also a good rebounder and looks to box out immediately as soon as the ball is up in the air.
Expectations
Mawugbe will most likely follow suit with Pemberton as another young player looking at a mostly developmental season. He will probably have more opportunities to play, however, as Santa Cruz is thin in the frontcourt and Smailagić isn't expected to play right away so he will need to backup Wesson. This season will be a good opportunity for Mawugbe to show if his game can translate to the next level, where he will no longer be able to dominate purely off of size and athleticism. His goal should be to establish himself as a G-League level player and challenge for a more fixed role in the rotation next season.

Projected Depth Chart

Pos. Starter Backup Third String
PG Lin Reese
SG Mannion Hannahs Pemberton
SF Poole Taylor Norvell
PF Toupane Sutton
C Smailagić Wesson Mawugbe
Based off of scrimmage clips it seems the Warriors are planning on rolling out a Lin-Mannion-Poole-Toupane-Wesson line-up to start the season, with presumably Wesson filling in for Smalagić temporarily. Lin and Mannion will most likely get the lion share of minutes at the 1 with Reese also getting some spot minutes and sometimes two of them will be on the court together. Poole, Hannahs, Taylor, and Norvell will be the wings playing 2/3 with Pemberton getting a sprinkle of minutes here and there. Toupane and Sutton will shore up the 4 spot and Smiley, Wesson, and Mawugbe will eat up the center minutes, although it will be interesting to see if they play any big line-ups with 2 of them on the floor (I also saw a line-up with Toupane at the 5 which was interesting).
This team seems to bode a lot of playmaking (Mannion, Poole, Lin, Wesson) and outside shooting (Hannahs, Taylor, Wesson, Norvell, Pemberton) so they should be fairly potent offensively. The defensive side of the ball will be more interesting to watch to see how well they can tighten up.
TLDR:
Lin - Veteran looking to return to the NBA, probably will not end up playing for Golden State
Taylor, Hannahs - Knockdown shooters, two-way contract candidates, ones-to-watch
Toupane - Veteran, athletic, defensive wing, could be a two-way contract candidate
Wesson - Knockdown shooter who can pass, young player with a lot of potential, maybe a future two-way candidate, one-to-watch
Norvell - Scoring, athletic wing, young player with a lot of potential, maybe a future two-way candidate, one-to-watch
Reese, Sutton, Pemberton, Mawugbe - G-League level projects
I was hoping to go a bit more in-depth with this and include some short video compilations, but was kind of pressed for time and wanted to post this before today's game. Hopefully, this will still give at least a general idea of what to expect from this roster. If there are any questions I can try to answer let me know.
submitted by Perksofthesewalls to warriors [link] [comments]

Offseason Blueprint: the Los Angeles Lakers may win the title tonight, but their ambition won't end there

The NBA season is nearly over: be it 1, 2, or 3 more games left. With the offseason looming around the corner, we've been looking ahead with our OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each entry, we preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way.
Like the NBA, we've officially come to the end of the road and to our final team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
step one: know it will never be All Quiet on the Western Front
The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of fans, but also plenty of people who enjoy watching them struggle (some even run their own sports websites.) It feels like they've been a punching bag for almost a decade now. Even when the team landed a coup and signed LeBron James, there were plenty of skeptics and haters picking at the roster and fanning the flames of front office tension. Even when the team followed that up with a trade for Anthony Davis, there were STILL doubters and haters camped at the gates.
At the end of the day, LeBron James and company only had one way to shut them up: win.
Now, no one can criticize them anymore. Whatever they did to get here -- it worked. LeBron James deserves a huge amount of credit for this presumptive title (no offense, Miami) but there's plenty to go around. Anthony Davis reminded the world that he's a friggin' beast. Frank Vogel did a great job getting the defense to play on a string, especially on the perimeter. The maligned bench with Rajon Rondo, Markieff Morris, and Kyle Kuzma even stepped up in a major way on the road to the Finals.
While the team may be drenched with champagne by the time you read this, they still won't be satisfied. LeBron James went back to Cleveland to win a title. He didn't go to L.A. and recruit Anthony Davis to win a title. He wants to win multiple titles. He may get his 4th ring after this year, which means he'll only be 2 away from catching Michael Jordan. If he can do that, then there won't be any doubt about his GOAT status. And honestly, it's possible. James still looks like a top 5 player (if not 1 overall), and Anthony Davis is in the heart of his prime. With a decent supporting cast around them, they're going to be in title contention for the next two or three years.
However, the Lakers can't get complacent. They deserved this title, but they didn't exactly beat Murderers' Row to get here. In fact, their playoff opponents had the weakest seed value and weakest W-L percentage of any title team since 2000. Next season may be tougher sledding. The L.A. Clippers could be a real threat with better coaching and better rotations. The Milwaukee Bucks could be a real threat with better health. Health permitting, the Brooklyn Nets have the star power and the depth to be a force themselves. It's going to be a dogfight next season. The Lakers still may be the top dogs in that fight, but they're going to have to scrape and claw to get that bone again.
step two: convince your free agents that It's a Wonderful Life
LeBron James is a champion for player empowerment, but that concept is going to put his L.A. Lakers in a precarious position this offseason. Some decisions with be out of their hands. The team has an inordinate amount of player options for next season, with 5 separate players having the right to opt "in" or "out" of their contracts. Let's take a look at each of those one individually.
The most important, of course, will be Anthony Davis. He has the choice whether to opt in to his $28.7M salary. It's weird to say, but $28.7M is a bargain. Davis is a 27-year-old superstar. He deserves the new max and then some. From the Lakers' perspective, the only question will be timing the extension in the best interest of Davis and the team as a whole. If they wait until next offseason to give him a full max, they may have some more wiggle room in salary to bring in extra free agents (in Offseason 2021, not Offseason 2020.) Perhaps they can convince AD to wait until then to accrue more years. At the same time, uncertainty isn't their friend. If the Lakers disappoint next season and LeBron James hits a wall (unlikely, but theoretically possible) then perhaps Davis doesn't want to stay tethered to this older roster for the long haul. Perhaps his relationship with James -- great now -- bleeds into resentment over time. Who the heck knows. Superstar pairings don't always end with "happily ever after." Even that remote concern would make me push for a max extension for AD ASAP.
The second most important player option will be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. When the Lakers first signed them, it raised some eyebrows and potential tampering conspiracy theories. These days, his $8.5M player option looks like a good value. KCP shot well this year and played hard on defense. Effectively, he looked like the player that Danny Green was supposed to be. Your hope here is that the Lakers have built enough goodwill with KCP and his representatives to make this a friendly negotiation. Whether that means he opts in, or whether that means he signs a long-term deal, it's a relationship that needs to continue.
step three: but convince others to ride off like Shane
Conversely, there are a few player options that the team may try to talk players out of taking. Avery Bradley missed the bubble for personal reasons, but the Lakers' backcourt did just fine without him. At this stage in their careers, Alex Caruso is probably better at the 3+D guard role. Still, it's going to be up to Bradley whether to return or not. He can opt in to his $5.0M player option. The value is OK in the broadest sense, but perhaps the Lakers are rooting for him to test the market elsewhere. The Lakers should take a hard line here and not offer him extra years; if Bradley leaves to chase a long-term deal, so be it. If he opts in, he may be used as a potential trade chip.
Meanwhile, JaVale McGee has a $4.2M player option himself. McGee started 68/68 games in the regular season, but he didn't always look like their best option in the playoffs. As he ages (now 32), he'll continue to struggle with certain matchups. I don't think McGee can match that $4M anywhere else, so trying to convince him to opt out may be a losing proposition. Again, if McGee opts in, then the Lakers need to consider utilizing his salary as a potential trade piece.
Some of those decisions -- whether they want to keep Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee -- may hinge on some other free agents on the team. Backup PG Rajon Rondo has his own player option of $2.7M. All season long, I'd been talking about Rondo as a potential liability for the team. Instead, he justified some of that "Playoff Rondo" talk. Between Rondo and Caruso, you'd prefer Caruso getting extended minutes. Between Rondo and Bradley, it's more of a debate. Rondo deserves more than $2.7M, so I expect him to opt out. Presumably, he appreciates the role and limelight here in L.A. and wouldn't play hardball. If he's amenable to a short-term, reasonable deal, then you'd want to keep him in house. If his playoff hype spirals into outsized offers (anything over $6M or so) then you should thank him for his service and wish him well.
The Lakers should treat backup C Dwight Howard (an unrestricted free agent) in a similar way. Now 34, he's become a role player. Moreover, his role -- as the more traditional center -- is no longer a valuable one either. Still, he's pretty good at that role -- arguably better than JaVale McGee. The team shouldn't over-invest in this one-two punch though. If Howard wants to re-sign for a bargain basement deal, great. If he expects a mid-sized contract or an extra year, then he may be on the move again. For both Rondo and Howard, I'd stand firm on 1 year deals. However, the team can potentially add in "team option" years on top of that. The purpose would be less to entice them into staying and more to make them potential trade chips (in terms of salary matching) later on down the road.
The Lakers will have more free agents to discuss. Markieff Morris is an interesting one; he looked like a shell of himself after some injuries, but he showed signs of life in the postseason. If that's legit, then he could potentially be a good rotational player for the team (when they go "small" with AD at the 5.) The verdict from team doctors will be crucial to determining his value. Alternatively, vets like J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters don't appear to have any value at all. Fortunately, they don't have player options either.
step four: solve the mystery of The Third Man
All season long, we heard that the Lakers would need a third star to emerge if they were going to win the title. Kyle Kuzma never got there, but it didn't matter. Perhaps we've just defaulted into a more familiar era of the NBA. Shaq and Kobe won without another "star." Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won without another "star" (Dennis Rodman was more of an ultra role player.) With Kevin Durant removed from Golden State, perhaps the bar has been lowered back to reasonable heights for NBA title teams.
Still, the Lakers need to figure out who Kyle Kuzma is, and what his role should be. He averaged 16-6 as a rookie, but showed some signs of a "good stats / bad team" kind of player. That fear hasn't gone away. Since then, Kuzma's shot 30% and 32% from three over the following two years, and played poor defense overall. ESPN real plus/minus metric graded him as a -0.4 and -0.7 defensive impact, while box plus/minus had him at -1.2 and -1.0. That same BPM metric graded him below replacement level overall (-0.2 VORP).
Kuzma has played OK in these playoffs, but he hasn't had a major role. In fact, his minutes per game is down to 23.2 in the postseason so far, with 0 starts drawn. It's clear that Frank Vogel and the team don't believe he's the 3rd best player on the team. He may not even be the 4th or 5th best player.
You may ask: who cares? Kuzma isn't a world beater, but the Lakers beat the world anyway. Still, it's an important question hanging over their heads. Kuzma is under contract for one more year, and then will enter restricted free agency (at a time when they will be a lot of cap space out there.) Based on name value, he's going to get a decent contract.
If the Lakers don't believe he's worth decent money, it may be time to trade him now. (Realistically, the time to trade him was last offseason, but what can ya do.) Kuzma's $3.5M salary is easy to move, and the team can attach other contracts like McGee, Bradley, and Quinn Cook ($3M) to match a deal anywhere from the $3M-$15M range if need be.
What can the Lakers get for Kuzma on the open market? It's hard to tell. He's a polarizing name, so it may depend on whether their trade partner reads reddit or not. I'd call up Detroit and ask about Luke Kennard. If Houston's blowing it up, I'd ask about Robert Covington. If Minnesota's locked into Anthony Edwards at # 1, maybe they'd be open to trading Malik Beasley in a sign and trade. If you want to play dirty, you can tell Portland that Gary Trent Jr. (newest client of Klutch) is going to sign with the Lakers next season no matter what, so they may as well recoup something for him now. Fair? Ethical? Ehh. But hey, it's proven to be effective before.
step five: encourage others to hunt for the Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Lakers don't have much cap space this offseason, but that's not a major problem. They're not going to have to list job openings on monster.com -- available players are going to flock to them. The most obvious reason to join the Lakers would be to chase rings. However, it goes deeper than that. There's not a lot of teams with cap space this offseason, but there are plenty with space next season.
If you're a free agent who's not getting a lot of attention, there's one great way to get attention: play with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. You can inflate your stock for next offseason, when hopefully you cash in.
If I ran the Lakers, my first call would be to a veteran like Darren Collison. Collison took the season off to pursue his faith, but reportedly he may return next year. If so, he'd be a dream fit for this Lakers' rotation. Collison can run the point when LeBron James rests, but he can also serve as a complementary spacer. The former UCLA standout has become a very reliable shooter -- hitting over 40% from deep in his last four seasons. He's undersized and sometimes outmatched on D, but the team has Alex Caruso ready to match up with bigger guards. Collison's skill set would merit $10+ million in a good market, but perhaps NBA teams are going to want to see him "prove it" after his extended absence. If that's the case, the Lakers can thank their lucky stars and Jehovah for delivering him into their laps.
Other veterans who may be drawn to the Lakers like a moth to the flame would include: the underrated E'Twaun Moore (NO) and likable vet Courtney Lee (DAL). Moe Harkless (NYK) could probably get more elsewhere, but he may decide to bet on himself and inflate his price for next season.
Since Anthony Davis still prefers playing PF, depth at center will be more important for the Lakers than other teams. As mentioned, JaVale McGee will probably be back (barring a trade) and Dwight Howard may be as well. If not, the team could try to recruit a player who wants to boost their stock. Nerlens Noel (OKC) could benefit from the spotlight like that; better yet, his agent happens to be some dude named Rich Paul.
Overall, the Lakers need to keep pushing and trying to improve, be it through free agency, through trades, or through the draft (where they have the # 28 pick.) This team may have been good enough to win the title, but as mentioned, one title isn't going to satisfy this star, this team, and this fan base. Hollywood's all about excess, and the goal will be to overindulge over the next few years.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS
submitted by ZandrickEllison to nba [link] [comments]

Offseason Blueprint: It may feel like the sky is falling for the Milwaukee Bucks, but they're still in rare air right now

The playoffs continue to rage on, but there are 25 teams sitting at home with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs, tinker with their fantasy football teams, and wait for next season to start.
For their sake, we wanted to look ahead with the next edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each, we'll preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way. Today, we're looking at the Milwaukee Bucks.
step one: plug your ears and get back to work
There's no getting around it: the 2019-20 playoffs were a disaster for the Milwaukee Bucks. This was a team that had been # 1 all year in terms of win record, SRS, defensive rating, etc. Consider this. Their +10.1 point differential in the regular season was the best in the entire NBA by a margin of 3.7 (next best was +6.4). That means their point differential was 58% better than the next closest team. Based on all that, losing 4-1 in the second round feels like an abject failure, regardless of whether Giannis Antetokounmpo was hobbled or not, and regardless of whether the Miami Heat were a "tough matchup" or not. Championship teams need to leap past those hurdles on their way to the finish line.
What's more concerning from Bucks' fans perspective is how familiar this all must feel. Forget Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who won the title before his exit), because younger fans won't remember that period anyway. However, all of us can look around at recent history and feel some sense of deja vu.
Primarily, I'm thinking about LeBron James' first stint in Cleveland. The superstar landed on a small market, and lifted them into high-profile and contender status. In 2006-07, 22-year-old James led the Cavs all the way to the Finals, only to get swept 4-0 by the veteran San Antonio Spurs. After that, we naturally presumed that James and the Cavs would get better and better and eventually reach the promised land. And they did -- in the regular season. By 2008-09, LeBron James had become the league MVP, leading the Cavs to finish with a 66-16 record (best in the NBA.) That season, they lost a tough Conference Finals. The next season, James won MVP again, and the Cavs finished with the best record in the league again. Only this time, they got bounced in round TWO.
The Bucks are on that exact same trend. Giannis has won two MVPs in a row -- the Bucks have grabbed the # 1 seed two years in a row -- and they've disappointed in the playoffs two years in a row.
We all remember what happened after the Cavs' hit that roadblock -- LeBron James left the following year. Giannis isn't a free agent yet, but he theoretically could push for a trade, or he could simply wait until next offseason to fly the coop. We've already started to hear the whispers. Miami. Toronto. Golden State. If he wants to mimic LeBron James' career arc, he may be eyeing the Dallas Mavericks, their cap space, and their young international stars. It can be their own version of a super team: the Big III.
If you're a Bucks fan or executive, that fear should keep you up at night. That paranoia may be real.
But still, you can't live in the fear. You need to keep pushing forward, ignoring all the gossip, all the media rumors, all the instagram tea leaves. Even if some of it's real, you need to block it out. You have a job to do. Win. Championship-caliber teams and title chances don't come along very often in a league with 30 teams. Even if they just run it back, the Bucks have a chance to win the championship. Even if it's just for one more year, even if it's your own Last Dance, you strap on your dancing shoes and go for it.
After all, there's no Giannis trade that's going to make sense from a basketball perspective. If you lose Giannis (via trade or via free agency), you may never be in this position ever again. This is it. This is your chance. Be grateful that you even get one, because most front offices and coaching staffs don't.
step two: build a title machine, not a title team
When you're scared that your superstar may leave, there's a tendency to get desperate with "win now!" moves. The Cleveland Cavaliers did the same with LeBron James, adding players like old Ben Wallace and old Shaq. Didn't work.
There may be some temptation to do the same here, with names like Chris Paul already being thrown around. Presumably, the logic goes that if the Bucks win in 2021, then Giannis won't leave.
But we also have recent history to suggest that's not true either. The Toronto Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard, won the championship, and still lost him in free agency. Players don't base their decisions around the past; they base decisions about what's best for their FUTURE.
By those standards, the Bucks need to be concerned. They've built the roster around Giannis, but it's a fairly old roster. Khris Middleton is still in his prime, but Eric Bledsoe is already 30 (and under contract for 3 more years.) Brook Lopez is 32 (and under contract for 3 more years.) Wes Matthews is 33, and George Hill is 34. This is a supporting cast that may have peaked, and may get worse and worse over time. Would Giannis want to sign a long-term contract with a team with diminishing returns around him?
With that in mind, the Bucks should only make a major trade if it yields a star in his 20s. No Chris Paul, no Al Horford. The ideal acquisitions for this team would be players like Bradley Beal (27 years old) or C.J. McCollum (28). Both of them can space the floor for Giannis, but also create their own scoring as well. Better yet, their skill sets should age well and keep them valuable for the next 4-5 years. If Giannis gave the greenlight (and signed on the dotted line), the Bucks could make a Clippers-PG3 esque move and mortgage their future drafts to acquire a star like that.
Realistically, that may be too high of a bar. They're the template, but they're likely out of the Bucks' price range in terms of assets. Other candidates that have been floated on the market include Buddy Hield (a super fit as a shooter), and Otto Porter (injury prone and expensive, but still effective as a 3+D player when healthy.) Jrue Holiday may be an intriguing option, although he'd technically break our rule because he just turned "30" in June. Still, Holiday is a great guy and a versatile defender, so he may be worth betraying our bolded mandate.
step three: no weak links allowed in the machine
We've been taught through history lessons and Michael Jordan mythology that the best player in the NBA is supposed to win the title, no matter what. Alas, it's nearly impossible in today's climate for a superstar to win a championship without a great supporting cast. Either you need a superstar teammate, or an incredibly balanced roster around you.
The Bucks have a very good supporting cast, but it's probably a little shy of title worthy. The shooting guard position is a potential weak link.
Current starter Wes Matthews is a tough dude who fits the 3+D profile, but his 3 and his D ain't quite what it used to be. He still fights admirably, but he's approaching 34 and saddled with a lot of mileage and injury history. This season, he struggled to find his rhythm offensively, registering a 54.7% true shooting. That's actually not a bad number on its own, but it was the lowest among the Bucks' top 10 rotation players.
With Matthews aging, the hope is that 23-year-old Donte DiVicenzo can step up and grab hold of that mantle. That's still up in the air. DiVicenzo has virtues: good athleticism, good energy, solid defense, but he's still developing his shot and learning to play under control. It may be a leap of faith to presume that he'd be ready to start for a title team next season. Meanwhile, Pat Connaughton is OK, but he's a free agent and wouldn't be any great shakes himself.
Presuming we don't land a great trade, what do we do here? The options may be limited, given the lack of cap space and movable trade assets.
The Bucks may need to find a place-holder again until they're confident that DiVicenzo can play 25-30 minutes a night. You may be able to find a decent stopgap in the trade market: someone like Terrence Ross (ORL), or Reggie Bullock (NYK), or Jeremy Lamb (IND).
The New Orleans Pelicans would intrigue me as potential trade partner, given their abundance of riches (and question marks) at the guard position. They'll have Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball under contract, as well as promising combo guards like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart. Those latter two may be great options for the Bucks' long-term approach. If "short term" is the goal, then you'd have to consider J.J. Redick as well. The defense and age are issues, but Redick still lit it up to the tune of 45% shooting from 3 this year. Platooning Redick and DiVincenzo isn't a terrible option. And hell, let's throw one more Pelican into the mix. If I ran the Bucks, I'd try to sign free agent E'Twaun Moore, an underrated 3+D player who got lost in the shuffle this season. Moore has enough length to play the 2 or 3, and could soak up 25 minutes for the team. Adding more competent wings would also give the team some flexibility in their lineups and rotations to go big or small as they please.
step four: if all else fails, embrace organic farming
Let's say the Milwaukee Bucks don't acquire a third star. Let's say they don't land an upgrade on the margins either. Let's say they have to enter 2020-21 with this exact same roster. If that's the case, they're still likely going to win 50+ games, still likely going to be a threat to make the Finals. It's not the end of the world by any stretch.
However, if the Bucks can't shake up or tweak their roster, then they're going to have to rely more on internal improvements. We already mentioned Donte DiVincenzo as a major piece of the future and a potential starter down the road. It'd be great if we could see that trajectory for PF D.J. Wilson as well. After doing nothing as a rookie, he started to find some footing as a sophomore (playing 18.4 minutes a night.) But instead of improve again, he took a sizable step back.
If Wilson can shake it off and get back on schedule, it would be very helpful for the team. PF Marvin Williams is retiring, and PF Ersan Ilyasova is 33 years old himself. It's imperative that the Bucks find a capable stretch PF for the future, not only to back up Giannis at the 4 but also to play alongside him when he slides over to the 5.
This draft may also represent an opportunity to add a rotation player. The Bucks will have Indiana's draft pick -- # 24 overall. It's not likely to yield a star, but they should be able to find a contributor.
Let's take a look at some names to file away. Tyrell Terry (Stanford) is a smaller guard, but he's an elite shooter (41% from 3, 89% from the FT line.) Perhaps he can be our C.J. McCollum -- or at least, our Seth (not Steph) Curry off the bench. Terry's ranked in the 20s, but some sites like The Ringer have him a lot higher (# 9 for them.) Speaking of potential sleepers, I'd be intrigued by PF/C Killian Tillie (Gonzaga). He's also a top notch shooter for his position. He's limited in terms of defense and durability, but playing next to Giannis can cure a lot of problems. I also like SF Robert Woodard II (Mississippi State), a 6'7" wing with 3+D potential.
Regardless of who the Bucks take, they need to show that they can develop him well. As we've mentioned numerous times, this is an older supporting cast that will slowly decay. Replacing those talents with competent rotational players will be key to sustaining the team's success.
step five: have a Plan B, C, D and E in your back pocket
Coach Mike Budenholzer has gotten a lot of flak for his playoff performance, and there's validity to that criticism. Throughout his career, Bud has done a lot better in the regular season than the postseason. He's gotten spanked too many times, losing 3-4 games in a row in a fashion that shouldn't happen for a high-level coach. At times, he appears to be a step slow to adjust, freezes, and watches the train roll over him.
In some ways, I wonder if the Bucks were a victim of their own success here. They've been SO GOOD in the regular season that they've never seemed to need a Plan B. They can lock you down on D, use those transition opportunities to score at will, and dominate the game so easily that Giannis can check out and eat gyros by the 4th quarter.
However, we can see the pitfalls of that when teams slow down their typical gameplan, and cause the Bucks to scramble for new looks. Does this team have the ability to counter-punch?
One potential wrinkle I'd be curious to see is whether they'd be more effective in playoff games with Eric Bledsoe coming off the bench. While George Hill is old, he's still a good 3+D player who can hold the fort at PG. In fact, he's a better shooter and spacer than Bledsoe. For his part, Bledsoe is more of a playmaker and wrecking ball who could theoretically have more freedom and more impact in leading a second unit.
Is that the answer? Is going small the answer? Is playing Giannis closer to 40 minutes (in the playoffs) the answer?
I dunno. But I'm not paid to know. And I'm not expecting Coach Bud to have all the answers right now. But from what we've seen, the team needs to be more willing to throw some potential solutions at the wall and see what sticks rather than allowing themselves to get stomped out of another playoff series. Because if this happens again, they may as well call up United Airlines and get the blond flight attendants ready, because Giannis will be flying out of here.
previous offseason blueprints
CHA, CHI, IND, GS, MIN, NYK, POR, SA, SAC, UTA
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warriors raptors gambling line video

Warriors vs Raptors NBA Finals Game 2: Betting Odds ... NBA Finals Game 1 Free Betting Pick - Golden State ... Warriors Raptors Game 6 Betting Preview: Why This Is a ... Free NBA Betting Pick - Toronto Raptors vs Golden State ... Warriors - Raptors Gambling Prediction - Thursday, May 30 ... Warriors vs Raptors NBA Finals Predictions NBA Betting ... NBA Finals 2019: Warriors vs. Raptors props and picks ...

Spread: Raptors -3 (-110) | Warriors +3 (-110) Totals: Over 233.5 (-110) | Under 233.5 (-110) Odds via FanDuel as of 1/10/21 (11:00 AM ET) Will Steph Curry Lead From The Front Again? Steph Curry is on 30.6 points per game average in the new season. There is a fun fact here worth nothing: whenever Steph scored above thirty points, the Warriors went ahead to win the game, and whenever he scored The line on Game 6 of the Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals had Golden State as a -2.5 favorite. Those looking to bet the Raptors might want to consider doing so at Bookmaker.eu. Here they have the The Raptors are the league’s 16th-highest scoring team (111.9 PPG), while the Warriors allow the 26th-fewest points per game (117.9) in NBA action. The Raptors have been out-scored by 12 points this season (1.5 points per game on average), and opponents of the Warriors have out-scored them by 30 more points on the year (3.3 per game). The Golden State Warriors opened at -275 to win the Finals, per Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, while the Toronto Raptors were at +225. Since then, early money has gone in favor of the Warriors. As Warriors-Raptors Betting Line Moves. We’ll be relying on Pinnacle, an offshore sportsbook that takes high-limit bets from professional players, for odds in this game. 7 p.m. ET: The rest of the market has gone back up to Raptors -9.5, matching Pinnacle’s line. This is likely where it will settle. The Dubs are getting 56% of the bets and 58% Raptors-Warriors Betting Odds Movement. 10:15 p.m. ET: The consensus line is now at Warriors -8. It’s only 15 minutes before game time, so this looks to be the closing number. 9:30 p.m. ET: Raptors star Kawhi Leonard was just ruled out with a hip injury, and the line immediately jumped to Warriors -7.5 or -8, depending on the book.The total dropped a point to 226.5. Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors NBA betting matchup for Jan 10, 2021. Get stats, odds, trends, line movement, analysis, injuries, and more.

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Warriors vs Raptors NBA Finals Game 2: Betting Odds ...

With the series on the line, we're giving you our free pick for Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors!With Toro... Warriors - Raptors NBA Gambling Prediction for Thursday, May 30, 2019, by Al DeMarco of Demarco Sports.com, a former contributor on Fox Sports, MSNBC and Com... The Daily Line breaks down all you need to know before betting the Warriors-Raptors series. Find out how many games the series will last and who the guys thi... We’re giving you our free betting pick for Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors! To wager on the NBA Playo... The Warriors are 3-point favorites, but this appears to be a Raptors line.Read more in our Game 6 betting preview: https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/06/nba-... Golden State Warriors v Toronto Raptors: NBA Finals Preview and Betting Tips: https://www.oddsmarket.com/tips/more-sports/nba-finals-preview-and-betting-tips... Join the crew as we take a look into tonight's big game 2 of the NBA Finals. Warriors vs Raptors NBA picks and predictions from the experts. If you enjoyed t...

warriors raptors gambling line

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