[Goat Milk]

Pelicans are horrible. Are they tanking? They might be thinking it's worth it to sneak into the top 5. They need a top 5 pick and to trade Ingram and they might be on the right path...

What top 5 pick are you going to get who is better than Brandon Ingram? I'll answer that for you. No one. It took Brandon Ingram like 4 or 5 years to develop into something that resembles an all-star type player. Now you want to bring in a draft pick, who will likely never turn into that even after 5 years?

[Goat Milk]

He's 'clutch' when there are multiple other scorers on the team. It's not as big of a deal if he misses a big shot, so there is less pressure....So, in reality, I would not call this 'clutch,' but by many an idiot's standards, this will suffice...

Pretty sure that Kevin Durant was the only guy who showed up in the finals vs. the Heat. Where was Harden? No where to be found. They were the same age, so don't give me that excuse. Durant averaged 30 in the finals when he was like 22 years old.

[IBetYou]

Jazz would be better without Conley. Horrendous player.

[Wrongside]

What top 5 pick are you going to get who is better than Brandon Ingram? I'll answer that for you. No one. It took Brandon Ingram like 4 or 5 years to develop into something that resembles an all-star type player. Now you want to bring in a draft pick, who will likely never turn into that even after 5 years?

You are using Brandon Ingram as an argument why another top 5 player can't be better. That seems a bit circular. BI is uniquely BI in being unimpressive. He is a good talent, but he is not going to win you anything. He does not have 'it' plain and simple. A long waste of time....If he's not going to be great, I would rather have someone with a different aura playing next to Zion.

[eidolon]

71% free throw shooting this year. He could definitely develop a shot and would be dangerous.

But not sure he needs to, he's very efficient at what he does.

Obviously there's a million ways to measure things but one ratio we look at is the Free Throws made divided by the Field Goal Attempts per game.

Zion comes in at .377 while the league averages .192.

Zion is specialist and hack a Zion might not pay off for the other team lol.

My point from the example really being that he's already a specialist.

But yeah, there should always be growth in the game.

They will start always triple teaming him soon, which will be good for their 3 point shooters. Not sure why they traded away JJ Riddick. The guy is one of the best 3 point shooters in the game.

[thomorino]

More like GS only had a dynasty because Kevin Durant absolutely obliterated everyone in his path, including Lebron James, en route to b2b finals MVPs.

Durant is one of the most lethal players you'll ever see with the ball in his hands in the 4th quarter. He's 7 feet and dribbles like a 6 foot PG.

Durant will win another ring this year as well. Why do you think Harden and Aldridge wanted to go to the Nets? Because of Irving? Lol.

Didn't you also say Aldridge wouldn't do anything on the Nets? He's already making an impact. He will play 30 min a night in the playoffs and will average DD points easily. I'll stake anything on that.

Similar vibes to when ppl told me anthony tolliver was more valuable than carmelo anthony 3 years ago when Melo couldn't get a job in the league.

lmfao.

If you think Aldridge will play 30 minutes a night in the playoffs you need to buy a tv a watch basketball. He looked good against a garbage pelicans team, that means nothing.

Durant didn’t show up in the fourth repeatedly with okc. Durant was never part of a dynasty, he won 2 titles with the Warriors. 2 titles isn’t a dynasty.

Aldridges defense will get exposed in the playoffs and he’ll be reduced to a small bench role.

[Wrongside]

71% free throw shooting this year. He could definitely develop a shot and would be dangerous.

But not sure he needs to, he's very efficient at what he does.

Obviously there's a million ways to measure things but one ratio we look at is the Free Throws made divided by the Field Goal Attempts per game.

Zion comes in at .377 while the league averages .192.

Zion is specialist and hack a Zion might not pay off for the other team lol.

My point from the example really being that he's already a specialist.

But yeah, there should always be growth in the game.

The guy already can shoot

[jtoler]

You are using Brandon Ingram as an argument why another top 5 player can't be better. That seems a bit circular. BI is uniquely BI in being unimpressive. He is a good talent, but he is not going to win you anything. He does not have 'it' plain and simple. A long waste of time....If he's not going to be great, I would rather have someone with a different aura playing next to Zion.

I agree, just dont care for ingram he doesnt do it for me. he's one of those deceptive guys if u never saw him play and just read stats cant believe its already his 5th yr time flies

[rm18]

The guy already can shoot

He has ok touch on a set shot but he does not have a pull up shot really. Same thing with Ja Morant they only shoot threes or in the paint because do not have a pull up shot.

[Goat Milk]

You are using Brandon Ingram as an argument why another top 5 player can't be better. That seems a bit circular. BI is uniquely BI in being unimpressive. He is a good talent, but he is not going to win you anything. He does not have 'it' plain and simple. A long waste of time....If he's not going to be great, I would rather have someone with a different aura playing next to Zion.

How many players in each NBA draft turn out to be "great," as in superstar great, not all star. Like 1 player every 2 years?

[Wrongside]

He has ok touch on a set shot but he does not have a pull up shot really. Same thing with Ja Morant they only shoot threes or in the paint because do not have a pull up shot.

Ya, you probably right...

[Goat Milk]

If you think Aldridge will play 30 minutes a night in the playoffs you need to buy a tv a watch basketball. He looked good against a garbage pelicans team, that means nothing.

Durant didn’t show up in the fourth repeatedly with okc. Durant was never part of a dynasty, he won 2 titles with the Warriors. 2 titles isn’t a dynasty.

Aldridges defense will get exposed in the playoffs and he’ll be reduced to a small bench role.

Incorrect, Aldridge has been an all star, all stars step up their game in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is not an all star. Claxton won't even sniff the floor in a big playoff series. This rotation will get widdled down to about 8 or 9 guys. Sorry, veterans are just much more valuable than these scrub players who show up in reg season games.

Aldridge is a much better player than Deandre Jordan or Claxton, plain and simple. It's not even a debate. The better player plays. When you overcomplicate it, you lose important games.

Blake Griffin and Aldridge will both be factors in the playoffs. You're not going to see these no name players taking their minutes away from them, I can pretty much GUARANTEE that.

[Wrongside]

How many players in each NBA draft turn out to be "great," as in superstar great, not all star. Like 1 player every 2 years?

I would still rather take my chances on a top 5 pick in this year's (this year's) draft, than have BI. I guess he's still only 23. It feels like he has been in the league forever....smart thing says to give him another year or two....

Still, I don't like his contract, his game, his attitude or -- His two missed free throws in the finals seconds against Portland (and general crappy play down the stretch).

[thomorino]

Incorrect, Aldridge has been an all star, all stars step up their game in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is not an all star. Claxton won't even sniff the floor in a big playoff series. This rotation will get widdled down to about 8 or 9 guys. Sorry, veterans are just much more valuable than these scrub players who show up in reg season games.

Aldridge is a much better player than Deandre Jordan or Claxton, plain and simple. It's not even a debate. The better player plays. When you overcomplicate it, you lose important games.

Blake Griffin and Aldridge will both be factors in the playoffs. You're not going to see these no name players taking their minutes away from them, I can pretty much GUARANTEE that.

He will not play more minutes than Jordan, Jordan can guard every position on the floor he can’t, when Aldridge was an all-star he was a different player ina different slower league.

[IBetYou]

Dragic/ Teodosic/ Bogdan/ Bojan/ Doncic/ Bjelica/ Pokusevski/ Jokic/ Vucevic/ Nurkic what a team. That's from a region with a population of about 2 million. Find a neighbourhood like that in America. Good luck!

[Goat Milk]

He will not play more minutes than Jordan, Jordan can guard every position on the floor he can’t, when Aldridge was an all-star he was a different player ina different slower league.

Bro Deandre Jordan is not gonna play more minutes than aldridge in the playoffs. If there was a way to bet you on this I would. Lol.

[jtoler]

Dragic/ Teodosic/ Bogdan/ Bojan/ Doncic/ Bjelica/ Pokusevski/ Jokic/ Vucevic/ Nurkic what a team. That's from a region with a population of about 2 million. Find a neighbourhood like that in America. Good luck!

what “neighbourhood” is that, the balkans? because they arnt all from one specific place and much more than 2 mil if that’s wut u meant

[ChuckyTheGoat]

what “neighbourhood” is that, the balkans? because they arnt all from one specific place and much more than 2 mil if that’s wut u meant

Yeah, the former Yugoslavia is about 21mill population in the current 7 countries. Very hi concentration of soccer/tennis talent in these countries.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Goes back to the Divac/Petrovic documentary. Add in Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja. Yugo was the only team that could sniff the USA Dream Team.

[Goat Milk]

Goes back to the Divac/Petrovic documentary. Add in Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja. Yugo was the only team that could sniff the USA Dream Team.

It's going to take a while for international basketball to catch up to the americans. Sure you can name a couple of stars (certain not the bogdonovic players), but they have a ways to go. The most successful international players of all time are probably hakeem, giannis, nash, dirk, pau, tony parker, manu, and now doncic and jokic will join that list. probably missing a couple players. Petrovic, we'll never know what he could have been. Divac and Kukoc were never really stars. porzingis isn't even that good. yao ming made the hall of fame but it was more for being an ambassador. he was a very good player don't get me wrong but was often dominated when it mattered most. I guess Embiid has a chance to join the ranks too, if he can keep this up for the next 8 yrs. rudy gobert is not a hall of famer imo. probably missing some guys.

[Goat Milk]

Even if you took the greatest international players off all time, from the world's 7.5 billion population minus the US, and took the US 350 million ppl, USA will still dominate

[IBetYou]

what “neighbourhood” is that, the balkans? because they arnt all from one specific place and much more than 2 mil if that’s wut u meant

Connected places that used to be the same place. I'm talking the former Yugoslavia. You're right on population though, 20mil.

So about half of California, albeit more land mass which could also factor.

[IBetYou]

Talking about Yugoslavia and Russia as one is ignorant. Europe is not a country. Tacking on another country just to get to the same land mass proves nothing. And saying well the the Bogdanovic's aren't stars... you're talking the 3rd & 4th/ 5th best players out of 20mil. Like saying well LA has produced James Harden but the Lopez brothers aren't stars so they have a long way to go.

[IBetYou]

Not that you need extra stars anyway when you have Doncic & Jokic. Just shooters.

[Orbison]

I posted in a thread the other day, the 8 teams that took the most three point attempts in the reg season last year, not one of them even made it to the conference finals.

Analytics ppl don't really know shit about the NBA.

If you can't score in the paint you can't win a championship, it's that simple. Ppl think Curry is just a shooter but the guy is lethal when he attacks the rim.

You can't win a championship shooting jump shots. GS is the only team ever to do it and it's because the greatest shooters of all time.

you're overlooking their defense during their run

[Goat Milk]

you're overlooking their defense during their run

Kevin Durant turned that team from a good defensive team to a great one.