Have been banned from the other thread by an apparently sensitive snowflake (ironically after dozens of pages of political discussion from others) so I'll stick my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs here from now on. We needed a new thread anyway. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
No, the player that teammates can't stand, regardless of how well he plays on the court. He isn't quite as bad as Stephon Marbury, but he is definitely in the Russell Westbrook ball park. Allegedly.
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I don’t think that was a list of players who people can’t stand (at least how it started off). It seemed at first like a list like guys who can’t produce offensively to the point that their team suffers. Westbrook is also now at the stage of his career when he basically destroys his team’s offense with his efficiency.
CP3 is probably an asshole but that’s hardly unusual as far as elite NBA players go, both now and historically. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
I don’t think that was a list of players who people can’t stand (at least how it started off). It seemed at first like a list like guys who can’t produce offensively to the point that their team suffers. Westbrook is also now at the stage of his career when he basically destroys his team’s offense with his efficiency.
CP3 is probably an asshole but that’s hardly unusual as far as elite NBA players go, both now and historically.
So, Ben Simmons would be a good candidate for that team, correct?
In 7 4th quarters, he took a total of 3 shots, and he took zero 4th quarter shots in the last 5 games of the series.
I made a joke that Philly needs to draft or sign free agent Marcus Garrett just to guard Trae Young in the playoffs next year. Garrett isn't Gary Payton, but he could guard Young better than any of the Sixers.
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
Ok, I get that he is one of the best in the current NBA climate, but I watched the entire series and he almost never challenged anyone driving the lane. And he quite literally took steps away from the driver, mostly Young, until he was under the basket.
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He averaged 2 blocks a game over the series (which would place him among the league leaders). Embiid’s mere presence is also often enough to deter players from driving to the basket.
The reason Philly lost that series was not their defense (they are 2nd in the league in that and held Trae Young to 39% shooting and Atlanta struggled to score for most of it). The issue was that they couldn’t score anywhere near enough and that is primarily because they played a player for most of the series that the Hawks didn’t even have to guard. They were playing 4 on 5 on offense every possession (which allowed Embiid to get doubled easily). [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
So, Ben Simmons would be a good candidate for that team, correct?
In 7 4th quarters, he took a total of 3 shots, and he took zero 4th quarter shots in the last 5 games of the series.
I made a joke that Philly needs to draft or sign free agent Marcus Garrett just to guard Trae Young in the playoffs next year. Garrett isn't Gary Payton, but he could guard Young better than any of the Sixers.
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Simmons would be a good candidate for both a team of players who drag down their entire team’s offense and a team full of players all of their teammates hate if last night was any indication (see Embiid’s comment about him).
I disagree that he can’t guard though. He’s one of the best in the world at that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
He averaged 2 blocks a game over the series (which would place him among the league leaders). Embiid’s mere presence is also often enough to deter players from driving to the basket.
The reason Philly lost that series was not their defense (they are 2nd in the league in that and held Trae Young to 39% shooting and Atlanta struggled to score for most of it). The issue was that they couldn’t score anywhere near enough and that is primarily because they played a player for most of the series that the Hawks didn’t even have to guard. They were playing 4 on 5 on offense every possession (which allowed Embiid to get doubled easily).
I would point to Game 5 as the reason they lost the series. Embiid and Curry score 30+ and no other player broke double digits. I mean, that's just ridiculous for an NBA playoff team. Simmons is obviously not an outside threat, but he didn't even try to assert himself going to the rim at all in those 4th quarters.
Doc Rivers was definitely an improvement at HC, but man, he just let too many of the games get away from him, and he was left just staring at the court like he was Romeo Crennel.
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
I would point to Game 5 as the reason they lost the series. Embiid and Curry score 30+ and no other player broke double digits. I mean, that's just ridiculous for an NBA playoff team. Simmons is obviously not an outside threat, but he didn't even try to assert himself going to the rim at all in those 4th quarters.
Doc Rivers was definitely an improvement at HC, but man, he just let too many of the games get away from him, and he was left just staring at the court like he was Romeo Crennel.
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They lost that series primarily because of Simmons being completely useless offensively and because Doc Rivers didn’t adjust to that fact quickly enough (or at all). Also doesn’t help that Tobias Harris was throwing bricks up for most of it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
They lost that series primarily because of Simmons being completely useless offensively and because Doc Rivers didn’t adjust to that fact quickly enough (or at all). Also doesn’t help that Tobias Harris was throwing bricks up for most of it.
I feel like Embiid is a match-up nightmare, and Simmons should be as well. I haven't watched NBA full time since the late 90s or early 00s, so I can't really speak to change in offenses, other than volume 3-point shooting.
But, back in the day, coaches would have been clearing out one side of the court for Embiid or Simmons to post up or go one on one with whoever was guarding them. Or running tons of pick and roll. I am not an offensive guru, but when you have a nearly unstoppable player like Embiid, why not run every half court possession through him? Or a 6'10" point guard (who can't shoot) who almost guarantees a mismatch at one position on the court at all times.
Hell, I remember players like MJ, or Mark Aguirre, both 6'6", posting up a ton because they could score on anyone guarding them, or find the open shooter if a double came. The Sixers have a couple of very good 3 point shooters, so why not force feed Embiid and make Atlanta choose between the post or the perimeter?
When Embiid had the ball below the free throw line, it was almost an automatic 2 points. Rivers reminded me of Bill Self when we lost to TCU during Ben McLemore's only season. Self insisted on running his offense, but if he had put the ball in Ben's hand every time, we would have won, because TCU didn't have a single person who could stop him.
Same thing with Rivers. There is no one on Atlanta who could guard Embiid, and after he scored on 8 of his 10 isos, Atlanta would have to decide between a double team, or guarding Curry or Korkmaz, etc.
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
I feel like Embiid is a match-up nightmare, and Simmons should be as well. I haven't watched NBA full time since the late 90s or early 00s, so I can't really speak to change in offenses, other than volume 3-point shooting.
Embiid is a matchup nightmare. Simmons can be easily played off of (daring him to shoot, which he won't do).
Originally Posted by :
But, back in the day, coaches would have been clearing out one side of the court for Embiid or Simmons to post up or go one on one with whoever was guarding them. Or running tons of pick and roll. I am not an offensive guru, but when you have a nearly unstoppable player like Embiid, why not run every half court possession through him? Or a 6'10" point guard (who can't shoot) who almost guarantees a mismatch at one position on the court at all times.
They would if they could (and did do it a lot as it was). He gets exhausted and injured doing that, though (he was playing on a torn meniscus for most of the series).
The other issue is that opposing teams can easily double him forcing him to pass given Simmons' presence on the court. That's the issue with playing 4 on 5 offensively at all times. They simply didn't have to guard Ben and always had the others covered. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
Embiid is a matchup nightmare. Simmons can be easily played off of (daring him to shoot, which he won't do).
They would if they could (and did do it a lot as it was). He gets exhausted and injured doing that, though (he was playing on a torn meniscus for most of the series).
The other issue is that opposing teams can easily double him forcing him to pass given Simmons' presence on the court. That's the issue with playing 4 on 5 offensively at all times. They simply didn't have to guard Ben and always had the others covered.
Doc Rivers told him that they had to get in the gym and work on some things, and Simmons agreed. I think they should work on packing his suitcase.
Simmons needs a change of scenery. I don't think he will ever be what he is supposed to be while in Philly. Maybe he could resurrect his career in a new location they way Tannehill did with Tennessee.
I don't know the exact type of player Philly needs, but I don't think Simmons will ever be that guy for them.
Originally Posted by jettio:
Hawks were smart to use Huerter as a counter to Seth Curry. Curry has made himself a scorer, but has a tough time with defending a guard that can post up against smaller guards and also shoot outside.
This NBA postseason seems mostly about having a healthy team and listening to all the commentators cry about the teams they overestimated.
The Hawks were the better team. Sixers did great to win game 6. Embiid being hurt and Scott Brooks implementing hack-a-Ben in the first round series made the difference.
Simmons is not going anywhere, he can improve. He is good enough already if he did not get psyched out.
Sixers were the #1 seed, but Hawks seem like they have been the better team since they made the coaching change.
The better healthier team has won every series. The teams that lost did not blow it. Every team that has lost, lost to a team that is better right now.
No the hawks were not the "better team" when you consider the sixers had 18 and 26 point leads in games four and five and somehow contrived to mess it up. And as a sixers fan i can tell you Ben WILL be traded by the looks of it...Morey already tried to get rid of him earlier this year, even telling his agent to prepare for a trade so what makes you think he won't again?? Unless Ben decides to finally shoot with his dominant right hand i don't see him playing for us again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger:
No the hawks were not the "better team" when you consider the sixers had 18 and 26 point leads in games four and five and somehow contrived to mess it up. And as a sixers fan i can tell you Ben WILL be traded by the looks of it...Morey already tried to get rid of him earlier this year, even telling his agent to prepare for a trade so what makes you think he won't again?? Unless Ben decides to finally shoot with his dominant right hand i don't see him playing for us again.
So I guess Texans were better than the Chiefs because they had a big lead on them in the playoffs?
The Hawks were the better team. The 76ers were overrated and Simmons got exposed.
Alsl, no one is trading for that bum Ben Simmons and that huge contract he has. Get the hell out of here w that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
I feel like Embiid is a match-up nightmare, and Simmons should be as well. I haven't watched NBA full time since the late 90s or early 00s, so I can't really speak to change in offenses, other than volume 3-point shooting.
But, back in the day, coaches would have been clearing out one side of the court for Embiid or Simmons to post up or go one on one with whoever was guarding them. Or running tons of pick and roll. I am not an offensive guru, but when you have a nearly unstoppable player like Embiid, why not run every half court possession through him? Or a 6'10" point guard (who can't shoot) who almost guarantees a mismatch at one position on the court at all times.
Hell, I remember players like MJ, or Mark Aguirre, both 6'6", posting up a ton because they could score on anyone guarding them, or find the open shooter if a double came. The Sixers have a couple of very good 3 point shooters, so why not force feed Embiid and make Atlanta choose between the post or the perimeter?
When Embiid had the ball below the free throw line, it was almost an automatic 2 points. Rivers reminded me of Bill Self when we lost to TCU during Ben McLemore's only season. Self insisted on running his offense, but if he had put the ball in Ben's hand every time, we would have won, because TCU didn't have a single person who could stop him.
Same thing with Rivers. There is no one on Atlanta who could guard Embiid, and after he scored on 8 of his 10 isos, Atlanta would have to decide between a double team, or guarding Curry or Korkmaz, etc.
But, I am just an old school guy, I guess.
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The issue is Simmons inability\unwillingness to shoot the basketball. Because of that sole reason they have to put him down in the post\box area otherwise no one will guard him on the perimeter which forces Embiid outside alot of the time. [Reply]
