2013-2014 NBA Thread - IND @ WAS and OKC @ LAC on ESPN

[steebie j]

That was dirty by igudala

 

[Peep Game]

Heat and Pacers are hilarious for letting home court advantage come down to the last 3 games of the season.

Inside the NBA is sooooo different with Kenny/Chuck/Ernie compared to without. My goodness the previous nights have been brutal

 

[victor page]

Iggy is trash. Dude suppose to be a all star in this league. He brings nothing. He can score but is not aggressive at all. Can't stand him.

Hope Barnes gets traded away so he can be a go to guy on another team.


Suns are fun to watch. But they won't win a series. Hope they fall to 9th.

The only teams Harrison Barnes could be a go to guy is the Sixers or Bucks

 

[100027]

I stay givin' Iguodala the side eye because of that.

Also, the house negro remark he made after Richard Sherman did his WWE boastin'...



Julius F. Wrek

Can't stand AI2.

 

[do work son]

You know how when you misspell a word a word, you get that red line underneath the word alerting you to the mistake? I wish we had that for blatantly wrong statements about sports.

"Iggy is trash. He brings nothing".. if you guessed "That's a classic Zyzz quote" you'd be wrong.. but it's still an absurd thing to say. You should have your browser immediately closed and your computer should reboot before you even hit the submit button. There's this thing called defense.. it's kind of important and Iggy is pretty awesome at it. And just because a guy isn't dropping 30 a game and shooting like Durant doesn't mean he's not making an impact on offense.

Cool. Iggy is still trash though. With his athletic ability he shouldn't be a non factor on the offensive end.

Extremely overrated and by the time his contract is up with the Warriors he will be extremely overpaid too, (he already is)....

Can't shoot free throws...can't really shoot at all to be honest...which means he relies on his athleticism with will be gone soon enough. Not very creative. People think he's great because he's made a couple shots and plays good defense....you know who else made a couple big shots and played solid defense? Bruce Bowen....except he's not as good at Bruce on defense. The Warriors could sign a player for the mid level exception and get the same production that Iguodala gives them. OVERRATED.



W Chandler, Afflalo, Parsons, ak47, Rudy gay, Evan Turner >>>>>> Iggy
Kawhi Leonard>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Iggy
Marion>>>>>>>>>> Iggy

This is hands down one of the worst posts from last night.

 

[pepperjackchees]

The crazy thing is that a young Iguodala would've then proceeded to drive through traffic to tomahawk dunk it 

 

[coldcity]

his face tho ... knew he got hit nasty

 

[coldcity]

View media item 911024
Son beasted though

(My pic better)

damb 93 aint a career high

 

[C.Magneto]

Just saw the inside from the NBA last night

My dude said McGrady look like he was dressed like an elephant from the knee down, and god put out two cigarettes

 

[jinkazama]

Cool. Iggy is still trash though. With his athletic ability he shouldn't be a non factor on the offensive end.

Extremely overrated and by the time his contract is up with the Warriors he will be extremely overpaid too, (he already is)....

Can't shoot free throws...can't really shoot at all to be honest...which means he relies on his athleticism with will be gone soon enough. Not very creative. People think he's great because he's made a couple shots and plays good defense....you know who else made a couple big shots and played solid defense? Bruce Bowen....except he's not as good at Bruce on defense. The Warriors could sign a player for the mid level exception and get the same production that Iguodala gives them. OVERRATED.



W Chandler, Afflalo, Parsons, ak47, Rudy gay, Evan Turner >>>>>> Iggy


Kawhi Leonard>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Iggy



Marion>>>>>>>>>> Iggy

Calm down bruh...AI has always been a better athlete than basketball player, but he's not overrated by any means. He's generally regarded as a good piece of the puzzle...which is what he is..he's good at a lot of things but great at none. I agree Kawhi is a better player but he isn't much better or worse than the others you mentioned.

 

[C.Magneto]

"That's like asking if Kazaam is better then Space Jam"

 

[coldcity]

the hell is up with this iggy slander

 

[clyde the glide]

russians claiming everything lately

 

[imlive365]

"That's like asking if Kazaam is better then Space Jam"

But it is.....

 

[certifiedflyboi23]

Steel > Kazaam > Space Jam

 

[C.Magneto]

But it is.....

Undoubtedly. I was laughing at how fast chuck fired those shots. It was like he had the gun locked and loaded sitting under the table too ready to go

 

[trueprada]

 

[dman14]

not bad, teaching them early. i give 4/5 lebrons and definitely ginobili certified stamp of approval

 

[hand2handking]

realizing in a couple years i wont know anyone who is in the nba 

 

[100027]

not bad, teaching them early. i give 4/5 lebrons and definitely ginobili certified stamp of approval

  a sad state of affairs

 

[noblekane]

The only teams Harrison Barnes could be a go to guy is the Sixers or Bucks

You musta forgot how bad the lakers are

 

[antidope]

not bad, teaching them early. i give 4/5 lebrons and definitely ginobili certified stamp of approval

Dude , dude even did the yell.

 

[Bert.]

View media item 911024
Son beasted though

(My pic better)

damb 93 aint a career high

 

[proshares]

Roy Hibbert for Defensive POY.

Spoiler

While ESPN's new real plus-minus (RPM) is useful at both ends of the floor, it's disproportionately useful at the defensive end because so much of what makes for good defense can't be captured by the box score or even necessarily credited or blamed on an individual player on a single play. To wit, my WARP rating explains half the variation in offensive RPM, but less than 40 percent of the variation on defense.

By capturing the impact an individual player has on his team's defense when on the court, adjusted for teammates and opposition -- along with box-score stats that predict those ratings -- RPM offers a much more complete measure of defensive contributions.

For the most part, current results (which include past seasons, but are weighted more heavily to this season) conform to conventional defensive wisdom. Of the league's top seven players in defensive RPM on a per-possession basis, three have been Defensive Players of the Year, including Kevin Garnett (+5.9), reigning winner Marc Gasol (+5.0) and Dwight Howard (+4.9). Two more, Tim Duncan (+5.2) and Andre Iguodala (+4.9), have been picked for the All-Defensive Team, and Andrew Bogut (+5.0) might join them this year, leaving only league leader Larry Sanders (+6.3) -- whose impressive 2012-13 performance outweighs his disappointing 2013-14 campaign -- as an exception.

As important as RPM may be to evaluating defense, it's still just one of several measures that together can help us assess a player's defensive value. In fact, my Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team picks for this season, which are based on a combination of stats and scouting, include only two of those top seven players. Let's take a look.

Point guard

Rubio
First Team: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Second Team: Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets
Honorable Mention: Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns; Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics; Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers


Last season, I declared that Bradley and Bledsoe were likely fixtures at this position for years to come. This time around, they've been unseated by two more up-and-coming point guards. Rubio, my second-team pick in 2011-12, reclaims his spot after injury knocked him out of contention last season. He leads the league in steal rate, but is also effective one-on-one because of his size and wingspan.

While Rubio might be the best defensive point guard, Beverley is certainly the least fun for opponents. His aggressive on-ball defense, complemented by strength and quick feet, makes him a nightmare matchup. Bledsoe still had the best defensive RPM among point guards (+3.6 points per 100 possessions), but the time he missed due to injury bumps him to honorable mention. Bradley wasn't quite the same defensive presence this season without veterans like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce around him. The old vet on the block is Paul, who remains elite in terms of generating steals without taking dangerous risks.

Shooting guard

Iguodala
First Team: Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
Second Team: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Honorable Mention: Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies; Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City Thunder; Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

RPM backs up conventional wisdom by indicating that big men are almost always the most valuable defenders. Iguodala, who ranks sixth in defensive RPM (+4.9) is the exception that proves the rule. His ability to both lock down opponents and make plays as a team defender is unique. Iguodala's impact has been easy to see this season. The Denver Nuggets have crashed from 11th to 21st after losing him to the Warriors, who have improved from 13th to third. Golden State also slumped defensively when Iguodala missed time with a hamstring injury early in the season.

Allen and Sefolosha, perennial All-Defensive contenders who made up my shooting guard picks a year ago, have both missed extended periods. That pushes them to honorable mention and opens a spot for rising defensive standout Butler. The Bulls' new stopper generates plenty of steals and blocks as well. The last honorable mention spot goes to Iguodala's teammate, Thompson, who has improbably become a better defensive player than scorer as a pro. He's especially good when asked to use his length against point guards, a trendy form of cross-matching in the league.

Small forward

George
First Team: Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Second Team: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Honorable Mention: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder; Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Though George's shooting percentages have slipped after a fast start, he hasn't suffered the same kind of regression defensively. His 6-foot-9 height (or is it 6-10?), wingspan and quickness allow him to match up with wings of all kinds, and George is terrific in the passing lanes. If any perimeter player is going to win Defensive Player of the Year, George might eventually be it.

Draymond Green is a stunning All-Defensive choice for a few reasons. First, he's a reserve, though he's not alone there this year (foreshadowing!). More importantly, when Green came into the league, the assumption was that he'd be a useful offensive player if he could find anyone to defend. After slimming down, Green has proved to be one of the league's most versatile defenders, and if he's considered a wing (he also plays plenty as a small-ball 4), only teammate Iguodala has a better defensive RPM among this group than Green's plus-3.8 mark. When both players are on the floor, the Warriors allow just 92.6 points per 100 possessions per NBA.com/Stats, which would blow away the Pacers' league-leading 96.5 defensive rating.

Danny Green and Leonard are two more teammates with complementary skill sets. Leonard is better at defending bigger wings and stretch 4s, while Green can smother smaller players with his wingspan. Durant's defensive improvement merits an honorable mention. When locked in defensively, he's nearly impossible to beat one-on-one. According to Synergy Sports, opponents average 0.62 points per isolation play against Durant, the best mark among players who have faced at least 100 isolations.

Power forward

Duncan
First Team: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Second Team: Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls
Honorable Mention: Chris Bosh, Miami Heat; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder; Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors

If RPM had a Defensive Player of the Year vote, it would go to Duncan. While Sanders and Garnett have rated better on a per-possession basis, Duncan's superior durability gives him more defensive value by this measure. To even have Duncan in the discussion at nearly age 38 is, of course, remarkable. He's learned to compensate for declining athleticism with superior positioning and discipline.

The other reserve All-D pick is Gibson, a possible Sixth Man Award winner. Few players are better at defending on the perimeter after switches (an area where teammate Joakim Noah also excels), and Gibson does a remarkable job of protecting the rim for a power forward. Ibaka, for all his shot-blocking prowess, lags in RPM (+2.6), and the Thunder's defensive swoon has probably ruined his chances at Defensive Player of the Year. Bosh is quietly key to a Heat defensive scheme that asks more of its big men than any in the league, while Johnson deserves the most credit among players for Toronto emerging as a top-10 defense.

Center

Hibbert
First Team: Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers (Defensive Player of the Year)
Second Team: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Honorable Mention: Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors; Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies; Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets

There are four centers who merit All-Defensive and Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but my choice remains the same it has been all season: Hibbert. While Hibbert is good but not great by defensive RPM (+3.6), I think that understates his contributions to one of the best defenses in modern NBA history. Indiana's scheme is built around Hibbert's ability to protect the rim. No player who has faced more than 100 shots at the rim has allowed a lower shooting percentage than Hibbert (41.5 percent, per NBA.com/Stats). And that doesn't count the shots that Hibbert's presence deters from being taken in the first place, as the Pacers are one of the four teams that allow attempts at the rim on fewer than 30 percent of opposing shots. Hibbert's use of verticality has been imitated this season but not yet duplicated, and it's a major reason -- on top of everything else -- that Indiana ranks in the league's top 10 in keeping opponents off the foul line.

Take your pick among Bogut, Howard and Noah for the second spot. Howard (+4.9) has an elite RPM but hasn't been as effective at stopping opponents at the rim (47.8 percent). Bogut has been great by both RPM (+5.0) and opponent shooting at the rim (45.5 percent), but his limited durability knocks him to honorable mention. That leaves Noah, whose defensive RPM isn't quite as good (+3.7) but is unquestionably the most versatile defender at the center position. He excels against the pick-and-roll and also forces more steals than the other contenders. That makes Noah my second-team pick. Gasol would be in the conversation again, too, if not for the time he missed due to injury.

 

[imsneakerpimp]

Lol @dman14 video. I'd bet a pair of J's that kids favorite player is James Harden.