The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[Mainstreet]

I don't expect Len to be more than a journeyman center but it helps the Hawks are getting him the ball in scoring position and he has developed a 3 point shot.

Len does seem to play better when given more minutes.

 

[Phrazbit]

I don't expect Len to be more than a journeyman center but it helps the Hawks are getting him the ball in scoring position and he has developed a 3 point shot.

Len does seem to play better when given more minutes.

I just don't buy that. Correlation is not causation.

Len's minutes are limited by fouls and terrible play. In games where he wasn't playing like absolute trash he got to play more, in games where he did play like garbage he'd find himself playing less, same thing is happening in Atlanta. Len had a lot of games of like 15 minutes and virtually no production, stats like 2 points and 1 board (his 3 games earlier last week were actually BELOW those numbers), you just can't keep him in the game when he's getting obliterated.

Len's production isn't getting limited by a lack of playing time; no, his often terrible production limits his minutes.

Furthermore, while he has added range to his game, his shooting percentages have tanked and the added range hasn't done anything to aid his efficiency... also, his lurking around the 3pt line has made his rebounding rate plummet, and rebounding was pretty much the only thing he didn't suck at.

He's just not a good player.

 

[Finito]

He had a great game hell a once in a lifetime game for him, but he’s been pretty bad this year.

He hit 5 3s lol don’t expect that

 

[Mainstreet]

I just don't buy that. Correlation is not causation.

Len's minutes are limited by fouls and terrible play. In games where he wasn't playing like absolute trash he got to play more, in games where he did play like garbage he'd find himself playing less, same thing is happening in Atlanta. Len had a lot of games of like 15 minutes and virtually no production, stats like 2 points and 1 board (his 3 games earlier last week were actually BELOW those numbers), you just can't keep him in the game when he's getting obliterated.

Len's production isn't getting limited by a lack of playing time; no, his often terrible production limits his minutes.

Furthermore, while he has added range to his game, his shooting percentages have tanked and the added range hasn't done anything to aid his efficiency... also, his lurking around the 3pt line has made his rebounding rate plummet, and rebounding was pretty much the only thing he didn't suck at.

He's just not a good player.

I said Len was a journeyman player and his stats and career support this. Len does seem to play better when he is given more minutes.

I'm not making an argument the Suns should have kept him.


http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2596107

 

[Phrazbit]

I said Len was a journeyman player and his stats and career support this. Len does seem to play better when he is given more minutes.

I'm not making an argument the Suns should have kept him.


http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2596107

Again, Len gets minutes when he isn't playing like garbage. I remember the same argument being made to give Beasley more minutes, "in games when Beasley plays 30 minutes he averages nearly 20 a game and his shooting percentage is way higher"... well, he got those 30 minutes because he was making his shots, in games where Beasley was 2-12 and moping around he got benched.

Same with Len. This idea that he would produce more if he was given more minutes ignores that in games where he plays less than 15 minutes it is often because he, literally, has more fouls than points and rebounds combined.

Len will probably have a long career, because he's tall. I also doubt Len will ever be a rotation player on a even remotely decent team... because he is a bad and extremely unreliable player.

 

[Mainstreet]

Again, Len gets minutes when he isn't playing like garbage. I remember the same argument being made to give Beasley more minutes, "in games when Beasley plays 30 minutes he averages nearly 20 a game and his shooting percentage is way higher"... well, he got those 30 minutes because he was making his shots, in games where Beasley was 2-12 and moping around he got benched.

Same with Len. This idea that he would produce more if he was given more minutes ignores that in games where he plays less than 15 minutes it is often because he, literally, has more fouls than points and rebounds combined.

Len will probably have a long career, because he's tall. I also doubt Len will ever be a rotation player on a even remotely decent team... because he is a bad and extremely unreliable player.

I know you don't like Len but let's be fair.

There are a lot of tall players that will never sniff playing college basketball, much less the G-league. Len is not in the NBA just because he is tall.

Len has been in the NBA 6 years.

 

[Hoop Head]

I know you don't like Len but let's be fair.

There are a lot of tall players that will never sniff playing college basketball, much less the G-league. Len is not in the NBA just because he is tall.

Len has been in the NBA 6 years.

That is true though, that he's only in the league because he's a 7 footer. I remember reading an article not long ago about how men that are 6'10 or taller have a 20% of playing professional basketball. While trying to find it again I found this from the Boston Globe saying that men 7 feet or taller have a 17% chance of playing in the NBA while men 6'6" to 6'8" at a .07% chance. If I can find the original article I read I'll post it. I know it was a Yahoo piece about male height and it was probably done around the same time as this, which is from March 2014. Being 7'2" like Alex Len and semi-coordinated he was virtually assured that an NBA team would give him a look. Look at his game long, one good game should not be changing anyones mind on him. He sucked here for 5 years and he's sucked in Atlanta 80% of the time he's been on the floor.


https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/r...playing-nba/fNnbP8zybYfXZtsw0eYPDK/story.html

 

[Phrazbit]

That is true though, that he's only in the league because he's a 7 footer. I remember reading an article not long ago about how men that are 6'10 or taller have a 20% of playing professional basketball. While trying to find it again I found this from the Boston Globe saying that men 7 feet or taller have a 17% chance of playing in the NBA while men 6'6" to 6'8" at a .07% chance. If I can find the original article I read I'll post it. I know it was a Yahoo piece about male height and it was probably done around the same time as this, which is from March 2014. Being 7'2" like Alex Len and semi-coordinated he was virtually assured that an NBA team would give him a look. Look at his game long, one good game should not be changing anyones mind on him. He sucked here for 5 years and he's sucked in Atlanta 80% of the time he's been on the floor.


https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/r...playing-nba/fNnbP8zybYfXZtsw0eYPDK/story.html

Exactly. Only a few inches shorter and he'd probably be playing in Eastern Europe.

 

[Hoop Head]

Exactly. Only a few inches shorter and he'd probably be playing in Eastern Europe.

Or if he was 3-4 years younger. Time was on his side. If he was drafted in 2017 or 2018 I don't know where he would have gone but not #5. Although if he was born in the 80's he might have cleared $100 million playing in the league.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I don't expect Len to be more than a journeyman center but it helps the Hawks are getting him the ball in scoring position and he has developed a 3 point shot.

Len does seem to play better when given more minutes.

len is giving the same production as Atlanta's starting center. His rebounds are down because Atlanta has a PF. Journeyman center fits Len to a tee. He does not suck

 

[Phrazbit]

len is giving the same production as Atlanta's starting center. His rebounds are down because Atlanta has a PF. Journeyman center fits Len to a tee. He does not suck

His rebounds are down because he is playing farther from the rim. Atlanta's usual starter Dewayne Dedmon, who isn't a world beater in his own right, is shooting better than Len from every distance, grabbing more boards, more blocks, more steals, more assists and less turnovers. He is fouling more than Len though... which is a difficult task.

Len does suck, yes, he will fart around the league for a while as a journeyman, but he will never be a rotation player on a respectable team and there would be no purpose to having him on our roster.

 

[Mainstreet]

That is true though, that he's only in the league because he's a 7 footer. I remember reading an article not long ago about how men that are 6'10 or taller have a 20% of playing professional basketball. While trying to find it again I found this from the Boston Globe saying that men 7 feet or taller have a 17% chance of playing in the NBA while men 6'6" to 6'8" at a .07% chance. If I can find the original article I read I'll post it. I know it was a Yahoo piece about male height and it was probably done around the same time as this, which is from March 2014. Being 7'2" like Alex Len and semi-coordinated he was virtually assured that an NBA team would give him a look. Look at his game long, one good game should not be changing anyones mind on him. He sucked here for 5 years and he's sucked in Atlanta 80% of the time he's been on the floor.


https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/r...playing-nba/fNnbP8zybYfXZtsw0eYPDK/story.html

Exactly. Only a few inches shorter and he'd probably be playing in Eastern Europe.

Being 7 foot does not guarantee anyone a spot on an NBA roster.

It's that simple no matter the spin.

 

[Phrazbit]

Being 7 foot does not guarantee anyone a spot on an NBA roster.

It's that simple no matter the spin.

I'm not trying to spin... but I don't know what the metric is for a lousy NBA player if Len is above it. He couldn't get an offer better than the QO as a free agent, he is getting spot minutes on a terrible team in Atlanta, if he were here he'd hardly play behind Ayton and Holmes.

I'd start posting his stat line every time he puts up under 5 points and rebounds... combined... but people would get tired of that really quick.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not trying to spin... but I don't know what the metric is for a lousy NBA player if Len is above it. He couldn't get an offer better than the QO as a free agent, he is getting spot minutes on a terrible team in Atlanta, if he were here he'd hardly play behind Ayton and Holmes.

I'd start posting his stat line every time he puts up under 5 points and rebounds... combined... but people would get tired of that really quick.

If you had to pick between Alex Len and Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who would you pick?

 

[Phrazbit]

If you had to pick between Alex Len and Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who would you pick?

Len, but comparing him to one of the biggest busts of all time is not a high measuring stick.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Lakers are thinking about adding a center.

This referenced article and the comments below tell a lot about the state of the Lakers.


https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/252845/Lakers-Consider-Signing-Center

 

[Phrazbit]

The Lakers are thinking about adding a center.

This referenced article and the comments below tell a lot about the state of the Lakers.


https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/252845/Lakers-Consider-Signing-Center

Their trade of Zubac was absolutely baffling.

He was a gem of a 2nd round find, I realize they were going to have to pay him this summer or risk losing him for nothing but Muscala IS nothing, he's on an expiring too and is a worse player than Zubac.

Beasley was in there too and Beasley was terrible on the court and a distraction in the locker room (shocking!) but his deal was also only one year... just cut him!

Magic Johnson is a terrible GM. The Lakers are lucky their scouts have found them some late draft gems or they'd be a horror show.

 

[95pro]

Their trade of Zubac was absolutely baffling.

He was a gem of a 2nd round find, I realize they were going to have to pay him this summer or risk losing him for nothing but Muscala IS nothing, he's on an expiring too and is a worse player than Zubac.

Beasley was in there too and Beasley was terrible on the court and a distraction in the locker room (shocking!) but his deal was also only one year... just cut him!

Magic Johnson is a terrible GM. The Lakers are lucky their scouts have found them some late draft gems or they'd be a horror show.

That was just outright dumb, honestly what were they thinking??? I don't know nor am I going to look into but maybe it was an analytics thing? idk and idc as long as it happens to the lakers.

 

[Mainstreet]

Their trade of Zubac was absolutely baffling.

He was a gem of a 2nd round find, I realize they were going to have to pay him this summer or risk losing him for nothing but Muscala IS nothing, he's on an expiring too and is a worse player than Zubac.

Beasley was in there too and Beasley was terrible on the court and a distraction in the locker room (shocking!) but his deal was also only one year... just cut him!

Magic Johnson is a terrible GM. The Lakers are lucky their scouts have found them some late draft gems or they'd be a horror show.

Trading Zubac defies logic. I do not have a clue what they were thinking. Have to wonder if they thought Tyson Chandler still had some gas left in the tank.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Trading Zubac defies logic. I do not have a clue what they were thinking. Have to wonder if they thought Tyson Chandler still had some gas left in the tank.

It was a preliminary move to get AD. Backfired. My guess.

 

[Mainstreet]

It was a preliminary move to get AD. Backfired. My guess.

It's a possibility but I would think there must have been better options.

 

[sunsfan88]

It was a preliminary move to get AD. Backfired. My guess.

It was reportedly a preliminary move to get Melo...even worse.

 

[GatorAZ]

Magic and Pelinka already feel emasculated but imagine if they signed Melo. You might as well hire Lebron as player/GM/president at that point.

Funny thing is, is AD has his own flaws so if the Lakers get him they’re still not title contenders. I’d still take the Nuggets and Thunder longterm. Only thing I see happening that would put them in contention is Durant but that’s not happening... Lebron is done at 3 championships.

 

[Ronin]

Fultz done for the year.

 

[95pro]

Fultz done for the year.

hasn't he already been done the last couple of years?