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Ja morant is special man. Guy is so fun to watch
The Official Off-Season NBA Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by pmatic,
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I wondering what Nina has to say about those criticism. she's been the biggest misguided defender of Russ. no wonder the guy didn't improve his game. poor influence and encouragement.
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Look at the adjustments Derrick rose was forced to make. Russ is just spamming turbo. No pace. No floaters. No jumpshot. He’s still jumping like he’s ray Allen on jumpers too
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Cuz he found out Jeter was smashing his wife
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Don't remember the last season in OKC, but I noticed his terrible passing touch in Houston. Just simple passes would sail out of bounds.
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He’s the same guy he was last year but the microscope got bigger.
He was on some trickery in Houston too
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malik monk looks like hes having a ball no lonzoHooping with bron be stealing dudes joys of the game. We've been seeing it for years. Guys get away and be energized, even if they dont win as many regular season games. Call it pressure to win or media bull **** or whatever...dudes seem miserable with him...AD was miserable this season. Russ looks broken mentally. Russ has always played like this though. So it's not his bad play. His game isn't predicated on scoring or not turning the ball over anyway
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probably Lebron spoke to Russ about trading his butt off.
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Like this? It was this bad in DC?
Look maybe it’s not the yips. But looking at jump shooting Russ of the past (OKC).
It looks mental to me.
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His free throw percentage is down 20% He has been an 85% free throw shooter before, 80% or better from 2010-2017, he's shooting 65% right now.
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His shooting was so bad Houston traded their center so Russ had more room to drive. You saw how Bron was guarding him in the bubble
He probably keeps himself in great shape but you can’t tell me he’s studying the nuances of the game.
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No but was Russ missing shots off the top of the backboard tho?
Nuances of the game forget it.
I’m just talking about jump shooting/shooting off the dribble.
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When he was in OKC he was on and off with that transition middy pull up, but it really all came down to him getting a clean stop and elevating straight up and down and shooting at his apex and not on the way down. I haven't studied his misses much this year other than there's a ****ton of them. Is he shooting too fast, jumping too high, shooting on the way down, idk.
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Westbrook has been bad for the past couple seasons but ppl really just noticing now cuz he’s on the Lakers playing with Bron…Yo just been bouncing from team to team living off his past rep
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No but was Russ missing shots off the top of the backboard tho?
Nuances of the game forget it.
I’m just talking about jump shooting/shooting off the dribble.
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true true.
3 thoughts...
he does call bron his goat, so, being around your hero definitely makes the situation better.
he's also plying better now. not sure if thats due to bron or his shots just happened to fall.
did he look like he was having a ball prior to his hot streak this past week?
but i agree, he looks like he was having fun. A la Jr Smith and how he was having fun when things were good. I dont think he was having fun anymore at the end of game 1 in the '18 finals tho
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That's because he doesn't. We're talking about a man who has shamelessly admitted he doesn't watch game tapes at all
He don't care
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i just dont think russ works on his game. He spends the summer working on his abs and cleavage.
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Dude was doing **** like this for like 75% of the season with the Wizards. Turned it on at the late stretch, against a mix of average to bad teams, and him just playing better. Enough for a play in, to that bad pacers team.
And by the end of the season, it looked like Russell Westbrook led a bad Wizards roster to the playoffs. When that wasn’t the case at all
. But that’s the narrative and what people remembered/wanted to remember.
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Update on Ben Simmons trade talks, frustrated Hawks star John Collins a possible match? NBA news and notes
There is exactly one month until the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline (Feb. 10), and conversations are certainly starting to percolate even as the entire NBA landscape from players to coaches, front office executives to owners, has dealt with the surging coronavirus cases leading to positive tests, depleted lineups and potential game postponements. On most days, team officials have spent their time managing the franchise’s COVID-19 testing and protocols and have to find time to do other things.
“We’re making sure our guys stay healthy and we can field a team on a nightly basis,” one high-ranking team executive told me recently. “During non-pandemic times, that time is applied talking shop with other teams.”
Over 300 players have entered health and safety protocols so far across December and January, leading to 11 postponed games. This has made for a stagnant trade market — the Lakers traded Rajon Rondo to the Cavaliers, who desperately needed guard help; the Nuggets moved Bol Bol to the Pistons; and the Jazz sent Miye Oni to the Thunder in a salary cap transaction — but dialogue among teams will heat up in the coming days.
Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons remains the biggest name on the trade market, with suitors in the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers among others, according to sources.
Simmons has yet to play this season after informing his 76ers organization, coaches and teammates that he is not mentally ready to play and needs time to work on himself. The 76ers have not been fining Simmons, as he fulfills team obligations such as training sessions and team meetings as well as continuing to meet with mental health specialists, sources said. And yet, the 76ers don’t appear any closer to a trade than they were in the offseason and prior to training camp.
The Hawks are an emerging potential landing spot for Simmons, whose Defensive Player of the Year-caliber play would surely elevate one of the league’s bottom five defenses. In scanning the Hawks’ roster, it’s obvious John Collins — who signed a five-year, $125 million deal in restricted free agency last offseason — and Cam Reddish are among the players who could acquiesce a package for Simmons. It’s unclear whether the Hawks are ready to put such a proposal on the table after making a run to the Eastern Conference finals a season ago.
Collins, however, has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta, multiple sources have told The Athletic. His shot attempts per game and usage rate have decreased in each of the past three seasons — even as the athletic, energetic Collins has improved his offensive repertoire. The 6-foot-9 big man has challenged the Hawks locker room on multiple occasions to play team basketball and commit to one another this season. Oftentimes, Collins has felt his voice go unheard.
“I’ve banged my head on the wall a couple of times trying to figure it out myself, there’s really no excuse,” Collins said Friday night after the Hawks’ 134-118 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles. “All I can say is it’s unacceptable and we have to dig down and do the things necessary to win or this is going to be the result every night.”
Collins, 24, is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has set a high price threshold on Simmons, and has stated repeatedly that he wants Simmons to return to the team. Rival executives do believe Morey will stick to his approach of desiring a star in any Simmons trade, but what if that offer fails to arrive this season? Would the 76ers hold onto Simmons until the summer? There is also belief that teams are awaiting Morey to lower his asking price before a deal comes to fruition. Teams across the league continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.
More NBA news and notes…
Boston Celtics
The 19-21 Celtics have indicated to rival teams that they want to build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — and have no interest to split up the two All-Star forwards right now, sources said. The 18-21 Celtics appear open for business around other players on the roster. Boston engaged with the 76ers before the season about a potential Simmons deal, but showed no inclination to move Brown.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers continue to discuss improving their backcourt, with rival teams showing interest in a package around Ricky Rubio’s expiring deal and draft picks.
Dallas Mavericks
Isaiah Thomas cleared health and safety protocols and is now eligible to sign with any team. Thomas has played five games over two 10-day contracts this season with the Lakers and Mavericks, showing the burst and scoring ability that made him a two-time All-Star. In his one game for Dallas, Thomas scored six points and dished four assists in 13 minutes, showing elevation on his jump shot.
Detroit Pistons
Several playoff teams are pursuing Pistons star forward Jerami Grant: The Wizards, Knicks, Blazers and Lakers among others, sources said. Grant is sidelined due to a UCL injury in his right thumb but Detroit will have a vast group of suitors for the 27-year-old. Grant, who is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112 million this offseason, is one of the most sought-after players this trade season.
Houston Rockets
Teams are expressing interest in Rockets guard John Wall should he become free on the market, sources say, but a trade or buyout remains unlikely. Wall has a whopping $91.7 million remaining on his contract through next season. He is currently not playing for the Rockets after the sides discussed in late November about him potentially playing.
Indiana Pacers
Rival teams are ramping up conversations with the Pacers involving guard Caris LeVert and center Myles Turner. The Mavericks and Knicks are expressing interest in trading for Turner, sources said. The Lakers and Hornets have had a level of interest in Turner as well, sources added. The Cavaliers are among interested teams in LeVert, those sources said, as he would provide a combo guard able to handle the ball and playmaker in the season-ending absence of Collin Sexton and Rubio.
Turner is the NBA’s leading shot-blocker, averaging 2.9 blocks along with 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game Indiana is 15-25 on the season and four games out of a Play-In Tournament seed.
The Athletic reported on Dec. 7 that the Pacers would potentially move toward a rebuild and were receptive to trade conversations around Domantas Sabonis, LeVert and Turner. The Pacers have an extremely high value on Sabonis, rival executives say, which makes a trade unlikelier for the two-time All-Star big man.
There is exactly one month until the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline (Feb. 10), and conversations are certainly starting to percolate even as the entire NBA landscape from players to coaches, front office executives to owners, has dealt with the surging coronavirus cases leading to positive tests, depleted lineups and potential game postponements. On most days, team officials have spent their time managing the franchise’s COVID-19 testing and protocols and have to find time to do other things.
“We’re making sure our guys stay healthy and we can field a team on a nightly basis,” one high-ranking team executive told me recently. “During non-pandemic times, that time is applied talking shop with other teams.”
Over 300 players have entered health and safety protocols so far across December and January, leading to 11 postponed games. This has made for a stagnant trade market — the Lakers traded Rajon Rondo to the Cavaliers, who desperately needed guard help; the Nuggets moved Bol Bol to the Pistons; and the Jazz sent Miye Oni to the Thunder in a salary cap transaction — but dialogue among teams will heat up in the coming days.
Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons remains the biggest name on the trade market, with suitors in the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers among others, according to sources.
Simmons has yet to play this season after informing his 76ers organization, coaches and teammates that he is not mentally ready to play and needs time to work on himself. The 76ers have not been fining Simmons, as he fulfills team obligations such as training sessions and team meetings as well as continuing to meet with mental health specialists, sources said. And yet, the 76ers don’t appear any closer to a trade than they were in the offseason and prior to training camp.
The Hawks are an emerging potential landing spot for Simmons, whose Defensive Player of the Year-caliber play would surely elevate one of the league’s bottom five defenses. In scanning the Hawks’ roster, it’s obvious John Collins — who signed a five-year, $125 million deal in restricted free agency last offseason — and Cam Reddish are among the players who could acquiesce a package for Simmons. It’s unclear whether the Hawks are ready to put such a proposal on the table after making a run to the Eastern Conference finals a season ago.
Collins, however, has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta, multiple sources have told The Athletic. His shot attempts per game and usage rate have decreased in each of the past three seasons — even as the athletic, energetic Collins has improved his offensive repertoire. The 6-foot-9 big man has challenged the Hawks locker room on multiple occasions to play team basketball and commit to one another this season. Oftentimes, Collins has felt his voice go unheard.
“I’ve banged my head on the wall a couple of times trying to figure it out myself, there’s really no excuse,” Collins said Friday night after the Hawks’ 134-118 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles. “All I can say is it’s unacceptable and we have to dig down and do the things necessary to win or this is going to be the result every night.”
Collins, 24, is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has set a high price threshold on Simmons, and has stated repeatedly that he wants Simmons to return to the team. Rival executives do believe Morey will stick to his approach of desiring a star in any Simmons trade, but what if that offer fails to arrive this season? Would the 76ers hold onto Simmons until the summer? There is also belief that teams are awaiting Morey to lower his asking price before a deal comes to fruition. Teams across the league continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.
More NBA news and notes…
Boston Celtics
The 19-21 Celtics have indicated to rival teams that they want to build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — and have no interest to split up the two All-Star forwards right now, sources said. The 18-21 Celtics appear open for business around other players on the roster. Boston engaged with the 76ers before the season about a potential Simmons deal, but showed no inclination to move Brown.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers continue to discuss improving their backcourt, with rival teams showing interest in a package around Ricky Rubio’s expiring deal and draft picks.
Dallas Mavericks
Isaiah Thomas cleared health and safety protocols and is now eligible to sign with any team. Thomas has played five games over two 10-day contracts this season with the Lakers and Mavericks, showing the burst and scoring ability that made him a two-time All-Star. In his one game for Dallas, Thomas scored six points and dished four assists in 13 minutes, showing elevation on his jump shot.
Detroit Pistons
Several playoff teams are pursuing Pistons star forward Jerami Grant: The Wizards, Knicks, Blazers and Lakers among others, sources said. Grant is sidelined due to a UCL injury in his right thumb but Detroit will have a vast group of suitors for the 27-year-old. Grant, who is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112 million this offseason, is one of the most sought-after players this trade season.
Houston Rockets
Teams are expressing interest in Rockets guard John Wall should he become free on the market, sources say, but a trade or buyout remains unlikely. Wall has a whopping $91.7 million remaining on his contract through next season. He is currently not playing for the Rockets after the sides discussed in late November about him potentially playing.
Indiana Pacers
Rival teams are ramping up conversations with the Pacers involving guard Caris LeVert and center Myles Turner. The Mavericks and Knicks are expressing interest in trading for Turner, sources said. The Lakers and Hornets have had a level of interest in Turner as well, sources added. The Cavaliers are among interested teams in LeVert, those sources said, as he would provide a combo guard able to handle the ball and playmaker in the season-ending absence of Collin Sexton and Rubio.
Turner is the NBA’s leading shot-blocker, averaging 2.9 blocks along with 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game Indiana is 15-25 on the season and four games out of a Play-In Tournament seed.
The Athletic reported on Dec. 7 that the Pacers would potentially move toward a rebuild and were receptive to trade conversations around Domantas Sabonis, LeVert and Turner. The Pacers have an extremely high value on Sabonis, rival executives say, which makes a trade unlikelier for the two-time All-Star big man.
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