Around the League: Week 11 (12/26 - 1/1)

[wpmiller42]

Nationally televised games this week (all times MT)
Thursday, December 29th
Clippers at Celtics 5:30 p.m. NBATV

Friday, December 30th
Lakers at Hawks 5:30 p.m. NBATV
Blazers at Warriors 8:00 p.m. NBATV


NBA News
TJ Warren makes case to be biggest offseason steal

The WNBA is infiltrating the NBA several star players at a time

Checking out the next wave of Power Forward Connectors

G-League experimenting with game play changes

Sorry about the late threads guys!

[ShelC]

Yea let's trade for this guy

[The Bobster]

Grayson Allen has always been a punk, but this certainly isn't much worse than you see several times in any given game.

Grayson also is somewhat of a modern Danny Ainge - always giving a "Who, me?" look with a face everybody wants to see punched.

Also, calm down DeRozan, you're not scaring anybody.

[Split T]

Ya Grayson did that on purpose…he used that little push to try and make it seem like he lost his balance and fell into Derozan, but I don’t buy it. He did it on purpose

[INFORMER]

G-League experimenting with game play changes

Good article, wpm. Thanks.

alternating possessions instead of jump balls like the college game.

NO!!!

But when every game ends on a converted basket, some coaches felt it detracts from the novelty of a huge game-winner, let alone buzzer-beaters. You can’t replace the energy of an entire building seeing the numbers ticking down toward a loud-blaring horn that lights the backboard in a red blaze.

Good point.

A constant churn to that final number also influenced coaches to play their best players for much of the final frame, as if they were entering an extended overtime period.

That is the one reason why some league figures on hand believe the target score could one day appear at an NBA arena near you. A concept similar to the current first-to-seven overtime setup in this year’s G League has strong supporters among NBA general managers and league office figures, sources told Yahoo Sports. It is clear the NBA is investigating all avenues of target-score frameworks — which has been used in the All-Star Game since 2020 — and it has been described as a staple of the NBA’s midseason tournament brainstorming sessions. But for regular-season and playoff NBA games, utilizing the target score to decide overtimes appears to be the most likely area to see some form of implementation, if the league chooses to go down that path.

Hmmm.

[Split T]

I do like target score for overtime…start there and see how it works. Basketball doesn’t have the OT problems other sports have, but I still think it would be an improvement.

[INFORMER]

I would set the target score at 12 for overtime. It would also be cool if a player can't foul out in overtime; the opposing team just gets a technical foul shot for every foul that player commits.

[Split T]

I do think you could tinker around with the fouls as well. Having a game end on free throws is anticlimactic and I feel it would happen a lot. What if making free throws raises the target score, so the team making them stays the same distance from it, but the team fouling gets further away? That’s maybe too gimmicky? Maybe the problem isn’t really that big of a deal.

There’s also the problem of every team will foul if the team with the ball is 3 away from the target score. Maybe just make a rule that intentional fouls are 1 ft and the ball? Just would prefer to not have fouling ever be a good strategy.

[In2ition]

I have a gimmicky idea that probably won't appeal to most people.

If the shooter takes a 3 pt shot, and it's becomes a putback dunk, the putback dunk, if the dunker hadn't landed after rebounding it(seems obvious to not be a putback) it should count for 3 pts.

[Split T]

What’s your reasoning for that?

[The Bobster]

There are some more obvious things I would worry about fixing first -

First, flopping remains a problem. I describe the league to non-enthusiasts as a "shoot and fall down league" now. Something has to be done about the constant offensive flopping.

Award two free throws for a missed 3-pointer rather than three. The reward for playing good defense on a 3-pont shooter is outweighed by the penalty if you commit a foul. If the players you foul shooting them makes the leage average of 78% of their FT that's 2.34 points a shot, which would be much better than the return on shooting 36% on 3-point FG - 1.08 points per attempt. Even giving them 2 FTA gives them a better scoring rate if they shoot 78% - 1.56 points a shot, but it's more in line with what they can expect from the shot if they aren't fouled.

Traveling/carrying needs to be a point of emphasis - the pendulum has swung too far towards the offense and now they need to reign it in by enforcing the rules a little more closely. Basically, if your hand is under the ball when you're changing direction on your dribble, it's a carry.

I'm also not a fan of offensive players who initiate contact by barreling to the basket in order to draw fouls. if the offensive player initiates the contact, call it that way.

As for the alternating arrow, I always thought that was an idiotic rule. Half the time you're going to give the ball right back to the offense after a great defensive play, Just reward the defence with possession of the ball.

[In2ition]

Those end of game 3s to tie or win the game, getting a putback dunk on them, would do it or win it. I just think it would be exciting to see that happen, and see some and1 dunks at the same time occasionally with it.

[In2ition]

There are some more obvious things I would worry about fixing first -

First, flopping remains a problem. I describe the league to non-enthusiasts as a "shoot and fall down league" now. Something has to be done about the constant offensive flopping.

Award two free throws for a missed 3-pointer rather than three. The reward for playing good defense on a 3-pont shooter is outweighed by the penalty if you commit a foul. If the players you foul shooting them makes the leage average of 78% of their FT that's 2.34 points a shot, which would be much better than the return on shooting 36% on 3-point FG - 1.08 points per attempt. Even giving them 2 FTA gives them a better scoring rate if they shoot 78% - 1.56 points a shot, but it's more in line with what they can expect from the shot if they aren't fouled.

Traveling/carrying needs to be a point of emphasis - the pendulum has swung too far towards the offense and now they need to reign it in by enforcing the rules a little more closely. Basically, if your hand is under the ball when you're changing direction on your dribble, it's a carry.

I'm also not a fan of offensive players who initiate contact by barreling to the basket in order to draw fouls. if the offensive player initiates the contact, call it that way.

As for the alternating arrow, I always thought that was an idiotic rule. Half the time you're going to give the ball right back to the offense after a great defensive play, Just reward the defence with possession of the ball.

I agree with most of this. I don't agree with 2 Fts on a fouled missed 3 though. I can see your reasoning though and it has merit.

I don't like the flopping and I hate the preferential treatment on carrying and traveling that seems to happen. If you put your hand mostly in the southern hemisphere of the ball, it should be considered picked up.

Alternating arrow is a crappy rule, but it helps when you have a little tied up with a big.

I'm also not a fan of barreling into players to draw fouls.

[Split T]

What if you made players shoot from say the top of the key for their free throw attempts on a 3pt shot?

That would lower the expected points from a 3pt foul while still giving the team/player the chance to get the full value of the shot they took.

I’d be fine better enforcement of carrying rules…I don’t really have a problem with traveling. Most of the videos where people complain about traveling are not actual travels by the rule books. I’m good with the current travel rules.

I’d consider shrinking the lane or increasing the 3 seconds to 5 seconds in the lane. I’d also love to try and do away with charges. I’d extend the restricted circle out further and I’d give the defender more leeway in what they can do to contest shots. Right now they basically have to jump straight up and make no play on the ball. If they lean slightly and the offensive player runs straight into them it’s a foul. That’s dumb, there should be no incentive for the offensive player to do that.

[Split T]

Sometimes I think we give players too much credit. Am I wrong that most of these are easy passes that just about any nba player should be able to make?

The first two especially. The 3rd pass is nice and I think is fine on a highlight reel as it is at least a cross-court pass and not just a pass to the open man closest to him like the first two are. The last one though is the only really good pass I saw, it was while Zion was on the move, was a cross court pass, and the receiver was on the move, meaning he wasn’t standing there already when Zion made his move, so he had to read the floor while attacking the rim.

[Superbone]

I agree. O'Connor should have said, "Zion Williamson knows how to pass to the open guy like most NBA players should be able to do."

[bajanguy008]

Funny that you guys have already touched on offensive players who initiate contact and now discussing a Zion clip

D'Angelo literally last night.....
Just being salty after a loss or nah

[specialsauce]

Funny that you guys have already touched on offensive players who initiate contact and now discussing a Zion clip

D'Angelo literally last night.....
Just being salty after a loss or nah

More people should speak out about the preferential treatment of Zion, Giannis and co. The league has decided they can shoulder into the defender and the media gets all amazed by them, but if others do it then it’s a charge

[Split T]

I feel like I’m the resident Clippers believer, but anyone else worried about them? They just lost to the Celtics, but Kawhi has played 10 of their last 13 games and they’ve gone 7-3 in those games with Kawhi putting up 20/7/4 on .572 TS%. In his last 5 he’s 23/7/4 and shooting 53/42/75. The sleeping giant might be waking up.

[LazarusLong]

Clippers still an X-factor.
If Kawhi, George and Wall get/remain healthy and continue to mesh, they are dangerous.
That's a big 'if' ... but Lue is a savvy enough coach to help make it happen.