The Next Few Months

Here's the plan for the next few months:

Preview each series in depth - provide the strengths and weaknesses of each team, talk about how the two lineups stack up, identify some X-factors, and predictions
Scheme road maps from each of the lottery teams while the playoffs are going on, and when they're done, for the playoff teams.
A couple mock drafts

There's going to be a lot of content coming soon. Comment below if you have something to say!

Comments

The NBA Time Machine

"I do not do cross-era comparisons." - David Jacoby That's how a lot of smart people view the NBA throughout history, as distinct eras, each with their most dominant players and most dominant teams - the 1960s with Russell's Celtics battling the individual greatness of Wilt, the coke-addled 70s with the rise of Kareem, the star power of the 1980s, featuring Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics, the Bad Boy Pistons, and Dr. J's Sixers, Jordan in the 90s, the barren wasteland of the early to mid-2000s with Shaq and Kobe, and then LeBron's world. Another way to distinguish these eras are through playing styles: The 1970s were all about gliding as close to the hoop and making smooth finishes near the rim. The 1980s were about pushing the pace and finding an open man in space. Jordan ushered in an era of hero ball with an emphasis on surrounding good post up players with cutting (i.e. MJ in Chicago, Hakeem in Houston, and Ewing in New York), something that c...

A Way-Too-Early, Scouting Report on Duke's Jayson Tatum

I've seen exactly one game of Jayson Tatum, but there's nothing like overly premature scouting reports for the NBA Draft: He already has a strong body and a will to rebound, both offensively and defensively. His first defensive position, he had a solid box-out, defensive rebound, and quick lead pass. He still needs to learn where to position for rebounds, often times committing to a box-out directly underneath the basket. He seems a little raw around the rim. He didn't go up strong on a dump off, and his shot got swatted. He also threw up a couple floaters that lacked touch. This is irrelevant, but Frank Jackson looks like Bruno Mars, if he were in that one Fresh Prince episode in the country club. His post game is very refined for his age, especially his footwork, which allows him take advantage of his athleticism. He may be a little too reliant on his speed against bigger defenders in the post, which he'll need to work on for the NBA, where he'll be defende...

2016-2017 NBA Quarter-Season Awards Watch

We're a little past the quarter mark on the NBA season, so we have a decent feel of how this year's teams work and who's been able to distinguish themselves from the pack. This is probably a pointless exercise, but when you have finals, fluff pieces like these are imperative. Let's take a look at the front runners for some of the league's most prestigious awards. Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook James Harden Kevin Durant Oh, if the top three finish out like this, the Thunder are going to be regretting their decisions. Westbrook's triple double average, Harden's renewed concentration for the game because of D'Antoni's offensive scheme, and Durant's efficiency have been documented ad nauseam. Imagine, if the Thunder had actually retained all three of these players and realized that Ibaka was nothing more than an above-average role player. The rationale behind the Harden trade was that they couldn't afford all four of Durant, Wes...

Pound the Pavement

Search This Blog