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Post by Don Caballero on Nov 25, 2015 22:52:20 GMT -5
Nice game by Sullinger though, he made Okafor look pedestrian. Then again, I haven't been following the Sixers because lol so maybe he just looks okayish most of the nights.
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 26, 2015 9:28:10 GMT -5
Okafor is going to be a stud who won't be a very good individual defender but with the right team or coach would be a good team defender. He'd be great for the Celtics and Stevens, if they also added a shooter.
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Post by chavopepe2 on Nov 26, 2015 9:49:03 GMT -5
Okafor is going to be a stud who won't be a very good individual defender but with the right team or coach would be a good team defender. He'd be great for the Celtics and Stevens, if they also added a shooter. I'm not a huge fan. Looks like a Big Al type that can score in the post and rebound but that's about it. |
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 26, 2015 10:55:18 GMT -5
I watched him a lot at Duke; he's capable of playing good team defense. Scoring and rebounding are pretty important. He's also very smart and not an indifferent defender. A lot to work with there. He's not Karl Anthony Towns, but he's certainly a guy any team should be happy to have as one of your pieces.
Of course being in Philly will probably ruin him.
I like what the Celtics are doing because building a winning culture for these players to get into and learn how to win and play hard is important in my opinion. Minnesota bringing in KG was incredibly smart. Too many teams go the completely suck route and develop bad habits. Hard to develop players in a negative environment so hopefully Okafor can stay in the right mindset and bring his Championship experience from Duke with him and keep it. I'm a Duke fan so I'm rooting for him personally.
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Post by chavopepe2 on Nov 26, 2015 11:30:07 GMT -5
I watched him a lot at Duke; he's capable of playing good team defense. Scoring and rebounding are pretty important. He's also very smart and not an indifferent defender. A lot to work with there. He's not Karl Anthony Towns, but he's certainly a guy any team should be happy to have as one of your pieces. Of course being in Philly will probably ruin him. I like what the Celtics are doing because building a winning culture for these players to get into and learn how to win and play hard is important in my opinion. Minnesota bringing in KG was incredibly smart. Too many teams go the completely suck route and develop bad habits. Hard to develop players in a negative environment so hopefully Okafor can stay in the right mindset and bring his Championship experience from Duke with him and keep it. I'm a Duke fan so I'm rooting for him personally. I agree with you completely in this post. It's not that I think okafor is bad, just that he's not great. |
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Post by Don Caballero on Nov 26, 2015 15:55:01 GMT -5
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 26, 2015 22:27:29 GMT -5
Can't get that video to load... That's funny tho.. At least he didn't Brett Myers his wife down the street
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Post by heisenberg on Nov 28, 2015 16:38:29 GMT -5
Boston Globe article on the Warriors with kind of a stupid concluding paragraph: www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/11/27/warriors-fans-are-basking-golden-state-right-now/0NZNA8jJ5kq9OvOHGlMk1N/story.html"I fervently hope their fans appreciate what’s going on. On the 30th anniversary season of the greatest of all Celtics teams, I know there are people in this city who can relate to the feeling of never seeing a meaningless game." No. We don't appreciate the Warriors at all. Our 146 straight sellouts don't mean squat. Nor does the 18,000 person wait list for tickets. Of course we appreciate them! And just so that we're clear about this - The 2015 Warriors could beat the Thanksgiving stuffing out of the 1985 Celtics. |
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 29, 2015 9:36:58 GMT -5
Whoa... He didn't say you didn't appreciate it... Simmer down. He said he hopes you appreciate it. It's like as a Patriots fan. I hope I fully appreciate what I've been watching. At times I know I don't when I get all mad and pissed off at them even though I know this era is incredible.
And simmer down with that beat the Christmas stuffing out of the 85 Celtics. Go look at that hall of fame line up. I hate comparing teams across eras but those Celtics teams would win.
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 29, 2015 9:42:45 GMT -5
DJ Ainge Bird McHale Parish With Walton plus a couple other solid role players that aren't needed. Played in an era with other great teams too. I like the Warriors and Curry so let's stop making ridiculous claims so I start hating on them...  |
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wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Nov 29, 2015 9:49:50 GMT -5
I don't think it'd be a bloodbath like the meth guy seems to believe, but the Warriors would pick those Celtics teams apart. Just way too much speed and athleticism for those Celts teams to keep pace.
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Post by chavopepe2 on Nov 29, 2015 11:31:19 GMT -5
I don't think it'd be a bloodbath like the meth guy seems to believe, but the Warriors would pick those Celtics teams apart. Just way too much speed and athleticism for those Celts teams to keep pace. I think that is really why you can't compare across eras. Most teams these days have a lot more speed and athleticism. It's the same in almost all sports. The best teams now would beat the best teams from 30+ years ago. You really have to compare teams relative to the league as a whole at that particular time. |
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wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Nov 29, 2015 11:47:08 GMT -5
I don't think it'd be a bloodbath like the meth guy seems to believe, but the Warriors would pick those Celtics teams apart. Just way too much speed and athleticism for those Celts teams to keep pace. I think that is really why you can't compare across eras. Most teams these days have a lot more speed and athleticism. It's the same in almost all sports. The best teams now would beat the best teams from 30+ years ago. You really have to compare teams relative to the league as a whole at that particular time. For these arguments, I always assume teams from past eras would've adjusted to the speed and athleticism improvements. A guy like Red would've surrounded his front line with top-notch athletes at guard and at the wing. Plus, those players themselves would probably be better athletes today due to all the advancements in medicine, training, etc. But compared to their opponents, I've never seen a bigger discrepancy in team speed AND skill than what Golden State has put together. The 2014 Spurs were almost as skilled and the Nash-led Suns were about as fast, but the Warriors have both going at once. I've been watching basketball most of my life and never seen anything quite like this. (And I'm not one who exaggerates, unless we're talking about knuckle ball pitchers.) |
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Post by Don Caballero on Nov 29, 2015 11:58:38 GMT -5
Yes, this Golden State team is flat out the best basketball squad I have ever seen in my 20+ years of watching the sport. They are running laps on everyone else.
Funny that this Sixers team is also the worst I have ever seen. That team is absolutely atrocious and single handedly makes me wish there was some sort of relegation system, which is something that I hate. I saw someone somewhere saying that their issues were PG related and that once Kendall Marshall got back the team could win some games. Yes, KENDALL MARSHALL is their savior. Must be some sad times to be a Sixers fan.
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Post by pedroelgrande on Nov 29, 2015 12:22:29 GMT -5
Some of their fans are deep in #TheProcess.
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Post by heisenberg on Nov 29, 2015 15:48:57 GMT -5
Most Warriors games now aren't even competitive, so that they end up looking like one team that has mastered the game versus a practice squad. Nobody on the team (including Curry) plays more than 34 minutes a game. The last four straight games, Curry has sat out the entire fourth quarter, his presence completely unnecessary in a game that's already been decided. Opponents get killed inside and outside (the Warriors lead the league in both 3 pointers and slam dunks). Regarding those 3 pointers, the team has seven guys who drain it at 40% or better. The passing is a thing of beauty (the team aims for 300 passes per game). And no lead against the Warriors is safe, ever - because the defense they throw at you is the most persistent you've ever witnessed at the professional level. Almost as interesting as the games themselves is the existential devastation the team leaves in its wake. A 50 point beat down of Memphis. Overcoming a 23 point deficit to beat the Clippers. Putting the nail in Kobe's coffin. This team is playing like every single game is a game 7. It will be interesting to see how the Celtics try to counter all of that on December 11th.
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Post by rjp313jr on Nov 30, 2015 11:05:46 GMT -5
That Celtics team has a top 5 player and 2 other top 50 players plus one other HOF player all in their prime. Nothing against the Warriors, they'd give a great series but those Celtics teams can shoot and rebound with the best of them.
I guess a big question is who's era do they play in. The 80s was a more difficult era in terms of quality of teams and overall toughness. You can close line people and not get a technical.
The Celtics could more easily play in this era than the Warriors could play in the 80s. In my opinion.
Part of the reasons the Warriors are so good is because they are one of the few teams who plays good team basketball. The 80s was that way. Golden era for a reason.
Edit: DJ was the HOF player in his prime not Walton, although Walton was still a beast in his more limited role. Plus, Ainge was a very good player in his own right.
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Post by heisenberg on Dec 1, 2015 21:27:13 GMT -5
The mid '80s Celtics had their hands full with the speed of the Lakers teams of that era. Now, on top of that kind of speed, the Celtics would have had to deal with the best deep shooting team in the history of the NBA with the Warriors. The Celtics teams of that era simply lacked the personnel to defend past the three point line all of the Warriors deep threats. Steph and Klay would have lit Ainge and Johnson on fire, let alone what Barnes and Green would have done to McHale and Bird. Then, the Warriors would have had 12 pretty damn good fouls to throw at Parish via Bogut and Ezeli. Finally, the Warrior bench of Iguodala, Livingston, Barbosa, Speights, Rush and Clark would have ensured that the Celtics never had a chance to breathe let alone rest. Warriors sweep.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Dec 2, 2015 2:00:30 GMT -5
If you put a lot of thought into how players compare to players 30+ years ago, you showcase yourself as a pretty big idiot.
We can be nostalgic all we want, but the speed and strength of games is far and away better now, it's just completely useless to compare. I cringe whenever I hear people say something stupid like Babe Ruth or Ted Williams would dominate the game of baseball today. No, no they wouldn't.
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Post by heisenberg on Dec 2, 2015 4:31:04 GMT -5
Showcasing his deep historical knowledge of the game, Danny Ainge had this to say about comparisons between Boston's top player from the mid-80s Celtics squads and the Warriors current best player: Danny Ainge: Larry Bird Was NBA’s Greatest Shooter — ‘Until Steph’ Currynesn.com/2015/09/danny-ainge-larry-bird-was-nbas-greatest-shooter-until-steph-curry/"Having been involved in the NBA in some capacity for 33 years, Ainge knows better than most that the game evolves — and, eventually, often surpasses what we remember of the good old days. |
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Post by Don Caballero on Dec 7, 2015 13:42:58 GMT -5
One thing that often gets lost in these comparisons is the competitive spirit of the players. Larry Bird would win titles regardless of when he played because he had that crazy mentality that not everyone has. He would adapt with the times.
It's not something entirely rational and based purely on anecdotal evidence, but that's part of what makes sports so fun. You don't have to be logic. Take Michael Jordan, do any of you think he would ever EVER go 2-4 in the Finals? Hell no. He was insane, he wouldn't allow it even if he had to kill everyone on the opposing team in their hotel rooms while they were sleeping. Great sports figures are mythological beings.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 7, 2015 16:43:57 GMT -5
I'm feeling very bad about how excited I was to get my team stream update telling me Hollis-Jefferson was out indefinitely. Yea, I added the Nets to my teamstream
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Post by heisenberg on Dec 8, 2015 5:25:37 GMT -5
One thing that often gets lost in these comparisons is the competitive spirit of the players. Larry Bird would win titles regardless of when he played because he had that crazy mentality that not everyone has. He would adapt with the times. It's not something entirely rational and based purely on anecdotal evidence, but that's part of what makes sports so fun. You don't have to be logic. Take Michael Jordan, do any of you think he would ever EVER go 2-4 in the Finals? Hell no. He was insane, he wouldn't allow it even if he had to kill everyone on the opposing team in their hotel rooms while they were sleeping. Great sports figures are mythological beings. I can't say the Warriors have a player who's mean spirited in any way. Draymond gets a little mouthy sometimes and Curry is doing his best to try to look intimidating (even though it comes across like a baby making a grumpy face). I think it's just basically that they've got the best collection of shooters the game's ever seen and are playing in perhaps the most unselfish system the game's ever seen. It's an unusual combination that only makes sense when you watch their games and repeatedly see guys pass up good shot opportunities in order to get the ball to the guy who has the BEST shot opportunity. Count the number of times during a game that you see them kick the ball out from the paint to an open man for a 3 pointer. Then, count the number of times any other team does that. Then, wrap your head around the idea that the best shot opportunity isn't necessarily the one that's closest to the basket. The Warriors are playing the game by a completely different set of rules. |
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Post by jmei on Dec 8, 2015 14:04:26 GMT -5
As of last night, 538's Elo-based projection system sees the Celtics winning 50 games and as the second-best team in the East, with a 91% chance of making the playoffs and a 3% chance of winning the title: projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-nba-picks/The Celtics are currently in eighth place in the standings, but are just a game and a half out of first and have the best point differential in the East (and third-best overall). |
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Post by heisenberg on Dec 9, 2015 13:10:34 GMT -5
This Friday, it's must see TV with The 23-0 Warriors taking on the 12-10 Celtics. Hopefully, Klay's ankle is healed and good to go.
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