The Official Off-Season NBA Thread

[VARNELL HILL]

I gotta side w/ Nas on this one. 99% of kids are taught to dive in that situation. Looking at it again...Kyrie put himself in that position unnecessarily. What was he actually doing there? If I have his injury history...I don't know if I'm turning myself into an offensive lineman to prevent a guy from trying to retrieve a ball headed out of bounds that I can't touch.

Knock the ball out of bounds or get the **** out of the way.

 

[addict4sneakers]

It's a five point game in the fourth.

It was going to be blazers ball had he not slid in. If that ball is sliding towards the basket cool. Out of bounds there was nothing he could do preserve the possession. He dove from the 3PT line break.

 

[getback]

Seen Marcus Smart recover loose balls like that a million times. It’s just hustle. And he touched the ball. He can’t help that Qyrie literally comes to a stop. Nothing even remotely dirty about that.

 

[IATT]

Nasir was wreckless. That ain't real hustle. He's shielding the ball and you're going to do what? Dive between his legs from behind ? #Pause

he made a play on the ball before it went out of bounds…

 

[addict4sneakers]

Seen Marcus Smart recover loose balls like that a million times. It’s just hustle. And he touched the ball. He can’t help that Qyrie literally comes to a stop. Nothing even remotely dirty about that.

And Marcus smart has a rep for being dirty too

 

[RustyShackleford]

Little dove for the loose ball basically at the same time Qyrie decided to try and shield anyone from being able to get the ball.

How was Little suppose to know Qyrie was going to use his body as a shield in such a split second play?

Little starts to dive before Kyrie got to the ball...

I'm saying it doesn't matter what Kyrie's actions were when he got to the ball, if someone is diving between someone else's legs from behind. It is not surprising they got tripped up

If was 50/50 ball or Little was ahead of Kyrie I would agree with Little.

I someone says Little was hustling and felt it necessary to make that play, cool I understand that.

But to me, his actions cause the collision more than anything Kyrie did.

 

[addict4sneakers]

This angle is fine. Dive away

 

[addict4sneakers]

Little starts to dive before Kyrie got to the ball...

I'm saying it doesn't matter what Kyrie's actions were, some if diving between someone else's legs from behind. It is not surprising they got tripped up

If was 50/50 ball or Little was ahead of Kyrie I would agree with Little.

Little was hustling and felt it necessary to make that play, cool I understand that. But to me, his actions cause the collision more than anything Kyrie did.

Thanks for this angle.

Pure fake hustle man.

 

[Cashflow]

This angle is fine. Dive away

The only difference here is the Raptors player didn't intentionally turn to shield the ball. Qyrie intentionally turns left to shield the ball which made the collision look worse.

You screenshot the play all you want and slow the play down for yourself. But IN REAL TIME it isn't looking like that to Little which is my point.

 

[getback]

The only difference here is the Raptors player didn't intentionally turn to shield the ball. Qyrie intentionally turns left to shield the ball which made the collision look worse.

You screenshot the play all you want and slow the play down for yourself. But IN REAL TIME it isn't looking like that to Little which is my point.

Yeah Nas could've been trying to do the exact same thing as Smart. Grab the ball and try to find a streaking teammate. If that happens, we're not even having this convo. I applaud the effort 10/10 times as long as no one is trying to injure someone else or being overly reckless.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Qyrie intentionally turns left to shield the ball which made the collision look worse.

This is an element that can't be looked over here. This is not a "but" variable in the story here.

I have NEVER IN MY LIFE seen a player try to shield a defender from trying to get to a ball that had a 90% chance of going out of bounds.

Ya'll can say Nas was fake hustling and maybe that's true...but Kyrie is fake trying to prevent the defender from doing what exactly?

 

[Moheezy]

Philly should have just made a move before the season. They have a solid group. Just getting back a PG like Haliburton and some shooters and/or picks would've been worth it to try and make a run. Embiid is playing out of his mind. They sort of owe it to him IMO.

I don't know if trading in the offseason was a good idea because:
- Simmons's value was at all time low due to the recency effect
- guys like Fox, Hali, Lillard was untouchable in the offseason
- As of August, every team was set and every GM thinks they did an A+ job with their team and are ready to get started

Now:
- Teams like Portland and Kings are a dumpster fire and their untouchables are not as untouchable anymore
- Other teams that did not have a need now do, look at the Hawks. Also look at the Pacers with them wanting to hit the reset button
- Recency effect, the more time passes with the Simmons playoff choke job the more it matters less.
- Guys like Lillard and Beal are now closer to free agency with a super max pending, that puts teams in a pickle
- Players may show frustration with their current teams. Players like John Collins and Brown are frustrated with their teams, not saying that they want out, but it creates an extra layer of chaos that other teams may want to jump on

Waiting does have it's risks through, guys like Dejonte having a breakout season and is now valued higher. But I think today, we are in a better situation than we were in the offseason, especially in August.

 

[getback]

but Kyrie is fake trying to prevent the defender from doing what exactly?

....which justifies the dive for the ball

 

[j rain]

The defense might be the most impressive part.

 

[picasso swerve]

He was injured but he made Kerr start him. Then he fouled 5 seconds into the game and didn’t play again. All because he just had to be on the floor with Klay

Ahh that explains the :7 log he had. I thought it was an error.

 

[B Sox]

Wild that this is even an “argument” on a LOOSE BALL that one player isn’t even going for

 

[had pants]

 

[pmatic]

Chauncey Billups has been ripping the team the entire year. He might pull Nas if he doesn't dive.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Slow news day I see

 

[8pm at msg]

Don't blame Little for diving. Kyrie looked over his shoulder twice and saw him coming for the ball and didn't commit to going after it himself or getting out the way.

 

[ballinsam23]

100% with Nas on this one. You're a scrub, most likely wont get another contract. Youre only playing because everyone has covid or is hurt. You have to make that play 10/10. Plus it was a close game.

Kyrie just has an injury history so his reaction is justified as well.

 

[HIM]

Can we at least agree that that was a low IQ play from little?

It was a backcourt violation. Kyrie can’t touch the ball. The ball is going out of bounds. Either way your team gets the ball. Instead you dive, touch the ball, injure Kyrie, and give the ball back to the nets.
Even if he got the ball. What was he gonna do with it laying on his stomach?

He could/should have just let it go and they’d have the ball.

If I’m his coach and see him make that play, i’m benching him. Idk how that’s supposed to make him look better. He hurt the team

 

[nick.]

There was literally nothing he could have done with the ball especially diving from that far away. It was going to be a back court. The epitome of fake hustle

So shouldn't Kyrie just have touched the ball & ended the possession instead of watching it go out of bounds?

 

[tomdiginson]

Can we at least agree that that was a low IQ play from little?

Kyrie can’t touch the ball. The ball is going out of bounds. Either way your team gets the ball. Instead you dive, touch the ball, give injure Kyrie, and give the ball back to the nets.
Even if he got the ball. What was he gonna do with it laying on his stomach?

He could/should have just let it go and they’d have the ball.

If I’m his coach and see him make that play, i’m benching him. Idk how that’s supposed to make him look better. He hurt the team

That's what I'm saying. But the resident Bostons fans are still upset with Kyrie since his departure, so they defending the dive.

 

[akajae]

I see Kyrie got Solomon Hilled. It happens. Hopefully it doesn’t linger like it did for Lebron.