Around the League: Week 5 11/24-11/30

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week.
Note that the schedule is super weird because of the holiday week.
Monday: No games.
Tuesday: Golden State @ Miami 7:30 EST NBATv
Wednesday: New York @ Dallas 7:30 EST ESPN, Memphis @ Los Angeles Lakers 10:30 EST NBATv
Thursday: No games.
Friday: Los Angeles Clippers @ Houston 8:00 EST NBATv
Saturday:New Orleans @ Washington 7:00 EST NBATv
Sunday: No games.

NBA News.
The Memphis Grizzlies are 12-2?
Cuban backs Silver on sports betting: LINK
James Harden leads the league in defensive win shares? (I don't understand stats.) LINK
LeBron calls Cavs 'fragile': LINK
There's a rumored deal that sends AK-47 and Karasev to Philly? Yikes (for them.) LINK
Durant & Westbrook participated in non-contact drills on Saturday: LINK

[carey]

D.A.'s morning tip - main topic is Philly: LINK

[Mori Chu]

One thing I just found out in reading Zack Lowe's article today about the Lakers. Rob Pelinka is the agent for Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, and Wesley Johnson. I tell you, these agents have so much power in the NBA. The Lakers basically snapped up every Pelinka free agent this year and that's their 2014-15 team.

[carey]

NBA Shoot Around @ Grantland: LINK

Some interesting things there, this is the most interesting, which I think we all knew but when it's put this way it just seems wrong. They really need to do something to increase parity.

The NBA is the most predictable of the four major sports. Since 1980, only nine teams have won the NBA title — the Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Heat, Mavericks, and Spurs. Half the teams in the league have never won a championship, and seven of those have never even been to the Finals. Picking which team wins on a given a night is pretty easy, and if asked to name their top three title contenders, most NBA fans will name the eventual champ among those three.

[Ring_Wanted]

The fewer players on the court, the bigger the impact of the best players on the outcome.

[carey]

Would the NBA ever survive with a franchise tag? In which it is impossible for a team to lose their best player thereby limiting these super teams a tad?

[Shabazz]

A much bigger issue for me is the imbalance between the conferences. It's as bad as ever and shows no signs of changing any time soon. I think 13 teams in the West would challenge for the playoffs in the east.

I'd like to see the NBA come up with a solution to have the top 16 teams represented in the playoffs. At worst, top 6 from each conference and then the next 4 teams by record.

[Shabazz]

Related - but this is an interesting idea:

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/11/26/ ... p-playoffs

[Ring_Wanted]

Very interesting.

I've been a proponent of playoffs=top16 for years.

And some time ago I posted something similar to that site. No divisions. 4 games against your own conference. 1 against opposite, where home court gets determined by who won the prior season (added value to wins, maybe interesting for anti tanking purposes). First season detemined by luck. Or just everybody and make it another lotto show like the draft.

If you want to keep the 82 games (which I have a hard time changing anyway), these regions work although I am not a fan of the 4-3-2, and I like the classicism that Conferences carry. It has the merit that fights against back to backs. Just 4-5 per season, but it also wisely points at Arenas' schedules.

Indeed playoff traveling is a problem with a top16, but come on, this is the NBA. And maybe what you lose in travelling you make up for in added revenue from, you know, the playoffs.

[Ring_Wanted]

Anyone catched the kindergarten party that was Wolves-Bucks? First time ever 4 teenagers play in the same game and probably make the most interesting collection of youngs you can find around along with Orlando.

Antetokounmpo is unreal. Most exciting thing in the whole NBA outside of your team. By far. His ability matches his vast physical tools. It's no wonder why they wanted to make a point guard out of him, but it is a waste if he is the one starting sets. He needs to be the guy getting the first or second pass making things happen, not getting away from the ball at the start of plays. Parker is a sidekick compared to him in terms of potential.

Nevertheless, Parker is skilled and smooth and I think he will be able to score but I don't know if he'll be a real star. Also have doubts that he can play at PF, but with a SF like the Freak he'll have to adapt. Kidd will have to be creative.

Lavine has handles but he is not a PG either although his IQ is not as bad as advertised. Terrific weapon for Horns in the making, with bonus points from transition and pick and roll (mainly to get a shot off). Tons of potential alongside Rubio.

Wiggins will need to learn how to drive by people or he'll be just a high end Luol Deng type. Already a very nice jumpshot if spot up and his athleticsm is indeed outstanding. When he takes a shot after some movement his legs and body control remind you of Michael Jordan. Intense defense and other contributios but he needs an effective change of direction. Seriously, everything depends on it.

I am not sure there's enough room for the three of Young, Benett and Shabazz (restless attacker). And in Milwaukee, Middleton could become the odd man out soon.

Sanders is healthy and he makes a real difference. He'd be in the big discussions if it wasn't by his head.

Brandon Knight's numbers have been good so far but trust me, he is a discernibly worse player than Bledsoe. Also far from a floor general.

Mayo is in better shape but has just lost it. Same with Dudley, Budinger's hoops and ditto for Ilyasova's three point shot (much better inside the arc) and rebounding. Pachulia still serviciable.

If the Wolves indeed trade Brewer they are going to miss him a lot. The difference with Dudley on the Suns is that the Wolves don't need to move him because they have a ton of rebuilding assets, but this is the same problem with rebuilding teams over and over. On the other hand, Chase and Mo (didn't play but, ugh) should be gone. Bayless? For real? I guess anything is better than Marshall.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for the scouting report, Ring. You're right that Minny and Milwaukee have two of the best sets of young players in the NBA, along with Orlando and Utah. If you could have one of those four rosters for the next decade, which one would you choose?

[Ring_Wanted]

Milwaukee or Utah but strictly because of Giannis-Parker and Exum-Hayward.

If what you see is what you have for the decade, Orlando-Minnesota have more stuff, but individually I like the Freak then Exum better than the rest.

Still, all things considered I could see Orlando having the most success among them, and the soonest too since they are in the east and are not the pariah of a franchise that is Milwaukee (although they have new ownership and are in talks for a new arena).

[Mori Chu]

Really nice article up today on NBA.com about Craig Sager and his progress in his battle against leukemia:

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/s ... to-return/

[Sunsfan4life]

Thanks for the scouting report, Ring. You're right that Minny and Milwaukee have two of the best sets of young players in the NBA, along with Orlando and Utah. If you could have one of those four rosters for the next decade, which one would you choose?

I can't believe Utah isn't better then they are. I like Trey Burke, Favors,Kantar, and Gobert all have a lot of talent and Gordon Hayward fills the stat sheet. Exum will be a player in the future and has flashed...they have a lot of young talent, but really thought they would challenge for the playoffs this yr which doesn't seem like it will happen.

[Ring_Wanted]

Their guards are not too impressive beyond Exum's potential, and their big men are good on their own but have trouble fitting together. Hayward is a great third option, second at best but not a franchise player. An overlooked factor is that for all their shinny youth, they have no bench and that's tough to overcome in the west.

[Gladiator]

Atlanta just destroying Charlotte tonight, 81-40 midway through the 3rd. Hornets shooting just 28 per cent. Yikes.

[Danimal]

Well our hopes of the lakers pick took another hit. They lost to the Wolves tonight after being up 8 with about 5 mins to go. Kobe misses the game winner at the buzzer. Wiggins did very little but La Vine with 28 off the bench!! Still they showed 90% lakers highlights on nba.com

[Danimal]

Saw the Cavs beat down the Pacers tonight. Regardless the Cavs still have a long way to go despite showing flashes. Their defence is prone to lapses and its not like the Pacers offense is strong at all. Their offense is a lot of isolation for either Lebron or Irving. Still seems like they don't have a great system in place.

Also can we get sweet Lou back on the cheap He is with the Cavs now. Him and Tucker would be an abomination on offense, but such energy on D in spurts.

[Mori Chu]

It's really amazing what is happening with the Lakers this season. If it were any other team, they'd just be bad and we'd just ignore them. But since it's the Lakers, they're still all over TV, ESPN, the news, highlight shows, etc. The insistence on continuing to cover a horrible team, it is baffling and sad.

I get a kick out of how badly Kobe is shooting. He is at .388! Ouch! And if you just watch these games (I've seen a few of them), he is hogging the ball and actively taking teammates out of the flow. It has helped them to have Nick Young back, but it's just a horrible roster overall.

[Danimal]

The weird thing is most Lakers fan where I am don't seem to be that aware of the state of affairs. Its like Kobe is league leading scorer! Wes Johnson dunk highlight! All is well?! Might be scratching their heads come playoff time. But not to worry the #1 pick will be yours soon enough.