https://ift.tt/fMXYoZg
Sabado, Abril 30, 2022
A player of KDs caliber getting shutdown in the manner he did is not unprecedented. Kobe has shown us that in the past.
One of the most overlooked series of all time, the 04 finals, was historic in many ways. Shaq and Kobe were looking for their 4th finals, and one of the big narratives that coincided with the series was if Kobe was a better player than Shaq at this point. They both had some clunkers, but Shaq had some great bounce back games such as his 36 point, 20 rebound performance to not go down 3-1, despite ultimately losing anyways.
The Pistons cemented themselves as one of the most legendary teams of all time, shutting down Shaq and Kobe and winning with NO MVP on the team. They did it though toughness and the arguable best defense ever.
Are the Boston Celtics the 04 Pistons? Absolutely not. We will never see a team like that again, winning without an MVP caliber player against two players of that caliber was unprecedented then, and it is now. That being said, you could make any argument this is one of the most versatile defenses since then, with every player on the team switching and guarding every other position for stretches of the game. Everyone? Yes, everyone. Below is a clip of Jaylen Brown guarding Joel Embiid.
Jaylen Brown guards Embiid for 20 seconds then blocks Maxey at the rim
Jaylen denies any kind of entry pass for 20 seconds, and then blocks Maxey at the rim while he tries to beat the shot clock. This is no knock to Jaylen, my favorite player, but he is the worst defender in our starting five. If he is the weakest link in your starting 5 on defense, that is a pretty strong chain.
In a gentleman’s sweep, those Pistons held Kobe to 22.6/2.8/4.4 on 38.1/17.4/92.1 (45.6% true shooting), to go along with 3.6 turnovers a game. Kobe coughed the ball up, and they took him out of the series. League average that season was 53.2%, so Kobe had a -7.6 real true shooting.
KD was able to salvage his PPG with his semi-inefficient 39 point game to close out the sweep for Boston. That doesn’t tell the whole situation of what was done to him.
Durant first three games: 22.0/5.3/5.3 on 36.5/40.0/88.9 splits (51.7% true shooting) to go along with 5.7 turnovers. 3-0 is insurmountable. He had 39/7/9 in game 4 in a close game, that the Nets never even looked like they had a chance until Tatum fouled out, where he couldn’t capitalize down the stretch. Full series: 26.3/5.8/6.3 on 52.6% true shooting.
I am not saying Kevin Durant is free of criticism for the series, just like Kobe is not. Just like every all time great player ever in their own ways for losing series and games. But if something like the 04 finals is overlooked for a Kobe type players legacy, so should this series for Durant.
Meanwhile Boston has a chance to prove this defense is the closest to that Pistons teams in a while with a battle starting tomorrow against a two time MVP, and the reigning finals MVP at that.
Which R1 losers should “shake it up?” Which should “shake it off?”
The NBA play-in games turned out to be a good idea that added some excitement to the final days of the regular season and also added more of a sense of "achievement" to making the playoff field.
That said, the actual playoffs still include 16 of 30 teams, over 50% of the entire league. Teams shouldn't be satisfied by simply making the playoffs. Instead, winning the first round (and becoming a top 8 team) represents a more tangible form of success. Teams that win the first round can safely presume they'll be back in the mix next year. Teams that lost in the first round may be forced to look themselves in the mirror and debate what to do.
Should they "shake it up" and reengineer the roster? Or should they "shake it off" and retain continuity instead? Let's go team by team and make those determinations.
Atlanta Hawks: lost 4-1 to Miami
Coming off a surprise Conference Finals appearance, the Atlanta Hawks regressed and stumbled to a disappointing 43-39 season. For many young teams, the fans and front office could shrug that off as natural growing pains. But for this franchise, it has to reignite some concerns about their Achilles heel. That is: can a team be a title contender when their best player is a defensive sieve? Trae Young looked physically overwhelmed on that end again, and the Hawks slipped back to the bottom 5 (26th) on defense largely as a result.
Overall, I'd defend Trae Young to some degree here. He's a bad defender, but one bad defender shouldn't sink your entire operation. The Brad Stevens/Boston Celtics are a good example of that. Little Isaiah Thomas had limitations on defense, but the Celtics still managed to be a top 5 defense with him (back in 2015-16.) Back in 2000-01, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to have a top 5 defense despite a small and defensively-disinterested guard in Allen Iverson. In theory, the Hawks can do the same.
Of course, to do that, the rest of the supporting cast has to be very strong defensively. GM Travis Schlenk has made some attempts at that, but it hasn't worked out so far (with Cam Reddish being the most notable swing-and-miss.) The team isn't going to be good enough on defense if they roll back this same roster, so they do need to shake it up to some degree. Schlenk should attempt to package some of their secondary stars (John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic) into a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 to find a star or near-star that can be a secondary scorer but also anchor the perimeter defense.
On a positive note, Hawks fans should be excited to see if sophomore Onyeka Okongwu can stay healthy and develop into a stud defender on the interior. Watching Okongwu versus Bam Adebayo in the playoffs, you can squint and see some similarities there (on the defensive end) in terms of their movement ability.
Brooklyn Nets: lost 4-0 to Boston
Yikes. You can make all the excuses you want, but it's hard for a preseason title contender to land with this much of a thud. The Nets should be thankful that the Lakers also imploded, otherwise their own disappointment would have absorbed even more headlines.
The foundation is mostly fine here. Kevin Durant will be back. Kyrie Irving should be back for a full season (or his version of a full season, which is about 60 games.) Joe Harris and Seth Curry are good spacers that should complement them well. Still, the Nets really need defenders with size. Like the Lakers, they had to play a lot of undersized 3 and 4 guard lineups that left them vulnerable on defense.
Can Ben Simmons fill that need? Does Ben Simmons want to fill that need? Does Simmons -- as a former # 1 pick and primary playmaker -- want to be a third option, ace defender, and overall glue guy? Consider me skeptical on that front. I'd suggest the Nets should immediately start asking Simmons what his intentions are and whether they need to trade him or not. I'd also strongly consider a shake it up to the coaching staff. If their stars want to keep Steve Nash around as a figurehead that's fine, but he needs to be backed up by strong lieutenants like they had last season with Ime Udoka (former assistant, current coach that swept their ass.)
Chicago Bulls: lost 4-1 to Milwaukee
It was a roller coaster season for the Bulls and their fans. They started red hot at 26-10 but eventually cooled down and quietly slinked out of the playoffs in shame as though they didn't truly belong there. Their advanced stats (-0.4 point differential, # 20 in SRS) suggest that they may be closer to a .500 team than a true playoff team.
Still, I'm oddly going to recommend that the team shake it off and try to recapture the magic of the first part of their year. They overachieved certainly -- but they're a solid team when they're at full strength. That may mean topping out as a 4th or 5th seed, but that's still a better position to be in than falling back into the land of the 9th or 10th seed. It'd be too hard to pull a complete 180 and start a tank right now, so re-signing Zach LaVine and staying course is the more prudent play. The hope is they’d have better health and a better playoff draw and actually have a chance next in R1 season. And if not, it’d be time for a big shake up.
Denver Nuggets: lost 4-1 to Golden State
Hopefully you picture Nikola Jokic gyrating and dancing to Taylor Swift in your dreams tonight, because the Nuggets are clearly a shake it off team. Given the circumstances and the injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Jokic and the Nuggets pulled off a Herculean feat to grab 48 wins and make the playoffs. Back at full strength next year, they should be a title contender.
To do that, Denver needs tweaks -- not an overhaul. Their defense can struggle at times (particularly with Porter) and their roster has a few weak links (spoiler alert: Facu Campazzo may make an appearance in our LVP column later this week.) But if they can trim the fat and get Bones Hyland locked in as a Sixth Man contender, then the team should be rocking and rolling for next year.
Minnesota: lost 4-2 to Memphis
As an ascending team, the Minnesota Timberwolves can feel confident in their ability to shake it off and contend for a higher seed next year. It's feasible for the team to strive for a top 4 seed next season.
That said, if the team is going to reach their eventual ceiling (which may be the Finals or a title) they may need to work on some long-term projects. Primarily, they're going to eventually need to find an heir for Patrick Beverley (now age 33) in terms of his on-court role and his attitude and toughness. Trying to get Anthony Edwards to the FT line should also be a point of emphasis. Edwards has the physical makeup and playing style to draw more than his 3.9 FTA a game; until he does that, he's going to have some inconsistencies in his efficiency.
New Orleans Pelicans: lost 4-2 to Phoenix
Like Minnesota, New Orleans should feel good about their season and their prospects going forward. After a horrid 1-12 start, the Pelicans rallied to make the play-in field, won that, and then gave the # 1 seed Phoenix Suns as much as they could handle in the first round.
The Pelicans found a winning formula with 3 established scorers (Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas) and a bunch of young energy defenders around them (like Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Jaxson Hayes.) That said, none of those young sparkplugs project as standout offensive players -- a fact that may cap the Pelicans' ceiling. That is, if they didn't have a 280-pound hulk waiting in the wings.
Zion Williamson's ridiculous efficiency around the rim (and overall 65% true shooting last year) will give this team a whole new dimension. The fact that the team did OK without him is also a boon to their long-term prospects. The franchise would be wise to "load manage" Williamson when he comes back -- going so far as to cap him around 30/32 minutes a game and 60/65 games a year. It's a plan that the L.A. Clippers did not do with Blake Griffin (who once played 38.0 minutes and started all 82 games) and arguably shortened his career.
If Williamson can come back healthy and back near 100%, the sky is the limit. In some ways, these Pelicans remind you of their new-rival Phoenix Suns. Two seasons ago, the Suns were only 28-39 in Monty Williams' first year on the job before they rallied and rattled off 8 straight wins in the bubble. Their surge continued from there (with an assist from Chris Paul) and they took an immediate leap up to 51-21 the following year. So yes, this is a long-winded way of saying the team can shake it off and look forward to 2022-23.
Toronto Raptors: lost 4-2 to Philadelphia
The Toronto Raptors may be the most difficult peg to label here. They were a solid 48-34 in the regular season, but didn't look as threatening as many experts projected in their series against Philadelphia.
Is that type of year good enough? If not, they may need to shake it up. There's a chance that Scottie Barnes takes a leap into All-Star status next season, but it's unlikely that he'd be good enough to lead them back to the Finals. There's a chance they can plug their hole at center and get a little better at the margins, but it's unlikely that will be enough of a difference to make the Finals either.
Overall, I'm going to label them as a tentative shake it off because they're not in desperate need of a teardown, but the clock may be ticking on this current core. Ultimately, Masai Ujiri will need to decide whether this roster needs a true superstar (like Kawhi Leonard had been for them) to lead them back to gold. Until then, it makes sense for them to keep chugging along and laying in wait until a big star enters the trade market.
Utah Jazz: lost 4-2 to Dallas
According to media reports, the Utah Jazz are destined for divorce court. If you read the gossip sites, you'd think Donovan Mitchell was already on the Knicks and "Quin Snyder" was already cast on season 28 of Winning Time.
Personally, I don't think there's AS MUCH reason to panic as Chicken Little would have us believe. Yes, the Jazz bombed out in the playoffs (again), but they were a good regular season team before that (again.) They finished # 3 in SRS, # 3 in point differential (+6.0), and # 1 in total offense. And yes, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert may not be besties off the court -- but their on-court skill set does complement each other well.
If anything, the Jazz may need to shake it off and strengthen their supporting cast instead. Their depth had been a strength in the past, but Joe Ingles got hurt (and then traded.) Royce O'Neale didn't play as well as he has in the past. Jordan Clarkson didn't either -- shooting only 31.8% from 3 in the regular season. When you don't have a top 5 superstar, your supporting cast has to be rock solid, and the Jazz can't claim that right now.
Now, this decision may ultimately be out of the Jazz' control. If Donovan Mitchell truly wants a change of scenario, he can make that happen. However, if I'm a small market team like the Jazz, I wouldn't force his hand.
**
[Meirov] Annual tweet of one of my favorite football quotes: “Rounds 1-3 are the easy picks to make. Rounds 4-7 are the picks that make Super Bowl champions.” ~ Bill Polian
https://twitter.com/mysportsupdate/status/1520398816737775616?s=21&t=njCEVPw6CaxYzeCjMNhpjw
Biyernes, Abril 29, 2022
[Kleiman] The #Jets offered the 10th overall pick and a pick swap for Deebo - #49ers said no.
https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1520087750766215174?t=8KBEqj3rWF31mV2loJwYpg&s=19
[Lopez] Zion asked if he’d sign extension: “Of course. I couldn’t sign it fast enough.”
Zion asked if he’d sign extension:
“Of course. I couldn’t sign it fast enough.”
There was a lot of speculation if Zion would take his qualifying offer but it seems like their playoff run made him optimistic about the pelicans future
[Austin Gayle PFF] The Lions essentially traded away just the No. 34 overall pick to move up 20 spots in Round 1 (32 to 12) and 20 spots on Day 2 (66 to 46). That is just an insanely low price to move up 20 spots TWICE.
https://twitter.com/PFF_AustinGayle/status/1520011834987880448
[Ron Johnson] The #Packers reached out to the #Vikings to trade for the 32nd pick. The Vikings didn’t want to make the trade. The Packers are looking to get WR George Pickens out of Georgia. When looking at Tom Brady’s last year most likely Pickens is probably someone the Buccaneers could get.
https://mobile.twitter.com/3RonJohnson/status/1520030596197720065
[Ari Meirov]#Lions offensive arsenal: RB: D’Andre Swift (age: 23) RB: Jamaal Williams (27) WR: Amon-Ra St Brown (22) WR: Jameson Williams (21) WR: DJ Chark (25) TE: TJ Hockenson (24) LT: Taylor Decker (28) LG: Jonah Jackson (25) C: Frank Ragnow (25) RG: Hal Vaitai (28) RT: Penei Sewell (21)
https://twitter.com/mysportsupdate/status/1520032132143280129?s=21&t=vRjyfLW7Aix7Xem8tnzIsg
[Kleiman] Hollywood Brown confirms that he indeed requested a trade away from the #Ravens and he talked to Lamar multiple times about it. After his 2nd season and during his 3rd season. Says he kept tings in-house and the issue was about the offensive system, not his QB.
https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1520056688606429184?t=b3nRGxMjVaZ-ldMNFBQrJQ&s=19
[ProFootballTalk] Brian Gutekunst: We can't reach just because a player is a wide receiver.
https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/1520038354070523904
Huwebes, Abril 28, 2022
Toronto - Philadelphia is the first Eastern Conference 1st round series to go past 5 games in 4 years
2019 playoffs :
BOS 4 - 0 IND
MIL 4 - 0 DET
PHI 4 - 1 BRK
TOR 4 - 1 ORL
2020 playoffs :
MIL 4 - 1 ORL
TOR 4 - 0 BRK
MIA 4 - 0 IND
BOS 4 - 0 PHI
2021 playoffs :
BRK 4 - 1 BOS
MIL 4 - 0 MIA
PHI 4 - 1 WAS
ATL 4 - 1 NYK
2022 playoffs :
BOS 4 - 0 BRK
MIL 4 - 1 CHI
MIA 4 - 1 ATL
PHI 3 - 2 TOR
15/16 matchups over in 4 or 5 games.
Weird to think the last time an Eastern Conference first round series went past 5 games, LeBron was a Cav, Oladipo was 2nd team All-NBA, Dirk and D-Wade weren't even in their last seasons, Luka and Trae weren't drafted yet.
Also funny how after all the talk about the East being deep as hell this season, only the 4th seed vs 5th seed matchup went past 5...
[Amick] Nuggets are expected to offer Jokic a five-year supermax extension worth a combined $254 million this summer, one that would give him the largest contract in the history of the game. And when they do, he said, he plans on grabbing the nearest pen and sealing the deal.
> Nuggets are expected to offer him a five-year supermax extension worth a combined $254 million this summer, one that would give him the largest contract in the history of the game. And when they do, he said, he plans on grabbing the nearest pen and sealing the deal.
> “I would like it, of course, but it’s not something that I’m deciding,” said Jokic, who is likely to win his second consecutive MVP award sometime soon. “I think of course if it’s offered — if (the) offer is on the table — of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization and really like the people who work here.”
> Slow down for a brief moment and ponder that sentiment again. In today’s NBA, when so many stars spend so much time sending messages of discontent that often spark chaos, here was Jokic making it abundantly clear that these past four years of disappointing playoff finishes weren’t enough to sour him on the potential that remains here. If you’re a small-market team pondering the sanity of making this kind of financial investment, it’s the kind of emotional buy-in that should make you feel that much better about the choice.
> “I’m in (a) really good relationship with people who work here, and a good relationship with everybody from the owner to, let’s say, the equipment manager,” he continued. “I think we have something that we’re building. It actually feels really good.”
[Cimini] What I’m hearing: Deebo Samuel/Jets ain’t dead yet. This sets up the possibility of the ultimate draft-night drama. Quite possible both teams waiting to see what’s available at 10 before pulling trigger. #Jets
https://twitter.com/RichCimini/status/1519707697624592385
[Youngmisuk] Nikola Jokic says he'll sign supermax if the offer is on the table
https://ift.tt/jClhxKf
[Amick] Nuggets are expected to offer Jokic a five-year supermax extension worth a combined $254 million this summer, one that would give him the largest contract in the history of the game. And when they do, he said, he plans on grabbing the nearest pen and sealing the deal.
> Nuggets are expected to offer him a five-year supermax extension worth a combined $254 million this summer, one that would give him the largest contract in the history of the game. And when they do, he said, he plans on grabbing the nearest pen and sealing the deal.
> “I would like it, of course, but it’s not something that I’m deciding,” said Jokic, who is likely to win his second consecutive MVP award sometime soon. “I think of course if it’s offered — if (the) offer is on the table — of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization and really like the people who work here.”
> Slow down for a brief moment and ponder that sentiment again. In today’s NBA, when so many stars spend so much time sending messages of discontent that often spark chaos, here was Jokic making it abundantly clear that these past four years of disappointing playoff finishes weren’t enough to sour him on the potential that remains here. If you’re a small-market team pondering the sanity of making this kind of financial investment, it’s the kind of emotional buy-in that should make you feel that much better about the choice.
> “I’m in (a) really good relationship with people who work here, and a good relationship with everybody from the owner to, let’s say, the equipment manager,” he continued. “I think we have something that we’re building. It actually feels really good.”
Miyerkules, Abril 27, 2022
[Pincus] Multiple sources indicate the team’s front office is internally blaming pressure from Klutch Sports Group (representing both James and Davis) for Westbrook
Upon the urging of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the franchise traded its championship depth for Russell Westbrook, yet the three stars still ended up with an extended vacation After the season concluded, Davis said he would meet with James to "reevaluate in the offseason. Upstairs, me and him, talking about the season and what we'd like to see next season."
Ideally, their suggestions to the Lakers' front office will be better than acquiring Westbrook.
But James certainly has a strong influence on the Lakers' decision-making. Multiple sources indicate the team's front office is internally blaming pressure from Klutch Sports Group (representing both James and Davis) for Westbrook.
Tell us what you want to see more of in our Chasing History franchise!
Hey r/nba, we’ve unveiled a brand new franchise called Chasing History, where we take fans behind-the-scenes around each team’s quest for the NBA Finals. We're glad to already see you enjoying it.
If you want to see more, here's the full playlist.
We want your feedback on how we can continue to innovate this series. What do you want to see more of? Which are your favorites so far? Tell us in the comments.
[Deebo on Twitter] To real to entertain half the stuff y’all be saying but it do be funny though….. everybody want they voice to be heard about a situation they know nothing about and just be saying whatever the next person say…. Have a blessed day ✌🏿
https://twitter.com/19problemz/status/1519355764082573312?s=20&t=wDHaTFmKp2-bCMWyO0ZK5g
[Reynolds] You know who is going to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time? Victor Oladipo.
Victor Oladipo’s playoff history:
-
2017 (OKC): L 1st Rd, 1-4
-
2018 (IND): L 1st Rd, 3-4
-
2019 (IND): L 1st Rd, 0-4 (DNP)
-
2020 (IND): L 1st Rd, 0-4
-
2021 (MIA): L 1st Rd, 0-4 (DNP)
-
2022 (MIA) Advancing to ECSF
Martes, Abril 26, 2022
Ben Simmons sat out on the Nets to better his grievance chances against Sixers
Ben is trying to collect +20M from the Sixers. His reasons why he couldn’t play was because a bad back and mental health. Dude gets traded and now he has the same issues of bad back and mental health. He’s just trying to collect his monies and never gave a damn about playing for the Nets. The nonsense he pulled this year will lead to owners protecting themselves from players who go rogue in the future.
Edit: Shout out to the guy who brought up the fact he sat out the entire rookie year, when he could have played the second half, to collect 5M from Nike for winning ROY the following year. #notarookie
[Mod Post] Announcing your new r/NBA mods!
Hi everyone!
A week ago, we asked this community for help regarding some of the automation projects that we want to do for this subreddit. And we were overwhelmed by the response. We would like to thank everyone who sent in an application, we evaluated each application and we sincerely appreciate everyone who offered to dedicate their time to the community.
Even if you were not selected, we highly encourage you to apply again in the future when positions become available again. Some of our current mods have applied many times before being accepted.
From the applicants, we have decided on four new mods:
u/Fireislander, u/adityapstar, u/little_tan and u/ironglory
Please give them a warm r/nba welcome!
They have been added to the moderation team due to expertise in Python and CI/CD automation and will help out in a variety of projects that will help make everyone's experience on this sub a little better.
We have some projects in mind that we are starting out with like improving the automation of game threads, sidebar standings and sidebar pics, reimplementing the long broken player flair system so that anyone can have any player flair they want without having to contact mods, etc.
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve your experience on the sub (regarding stuff that can be automated), we are all ears!
Thank you,
r/NBA Moderation Team.
[Pelissero] Some NFL teams have fewer than 15 players with first-round grades in this week's draft.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1518925181804195840
[Highlight] Calvin Johnson catches TD over triple coverage vs the Bengals (2013)
https://ift.tt/WvIfQE3
Kevin Durant via Instagram Stories posts pictures of the '99 Rockets' Barkley-Pippen-Hakeem
Kevin Durant via Instagram Stories posts a picture of the '99 Rockets' Barkley-Pippen-Hakeem,he's also followed it up with an image of Barkley-Drexler-Hakeem who played together from '96 to '98.
It is possible he's trying to get at Chuck for his 'bus riding' comments,he posted the pictures without any caption or context so it is upto us,either way it's definitely intriguing.
It's funny considering that Chuck had already clarified his comments.
IG Screenshots of Rockets teams’ stories
EDIT : He doubles down on it a few minutes later, and has posted images of Barkley in his early years with Julius Erving,Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks,one of the pictures has the caption 'Where would chuck be without the big homies'
Lunes, Abril 25, 2022
[Edwards III] “I think it would be tough to have the No. 1 pick and not take [Chet Holmgren],” one NBA team source said. “If he’s a whiff, he’s a whiff. The upside is too much to ignore.”
The majority of people I’ve talked to believe the Gonzaga big man carries the most upside, even though many of these same folks do have some slight concerns that he might not reach it due to his frame. Very few, though, want to be the ones who got cute on draft night and passed on a potential two-way star. “I think it would be tough to have the No. 1 pick and not take him,” one NBA team source said. “If he’s a whiff, he’s a whiff. The upside is too much to ignore.”
[UniWatch] NEW: 49ers restoring third stripe to primary jerseys this season. Also adding "Saloon font" logo to jersey chest and helmet neck bumper.
https://twitter.com/UniWatch/status/1518620894658281472
[Stephen A Smith] When Russia bombed Ukraine I thought Kyrie Irving wasn't going to show up for work
Stephen A Smith had a few words about Kyrie today
When Russia bombed Ukraine I thought Kyrie Irving wasn't going to show up for work
I know this subs thoughts on Stephen A but this was too good to not post.
Video: https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/1518594504726618114?s=21&t=yOsYz60w0Xfc16q2p8yjng
[Fillipponi] NFL Draft QB Wonderlic scores: Bailey Zappe 35 Sam Howell 34 Malik Willis 32 Carson Strong 22 Desmond Ridder 19 Kenny Pickett 17 Matt Corral 15
https://twitter.com/ThePoniExpress/status/1517549901156081668
[Pro Football Network] Sources tell @TonyPauline that #Jaguars GM Trent Baalke wants Georgia’s Travon Walker, but owner Shad Khan prefers Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.
https://twitter.com/PFN365/status/1518591752982220800?s=20&t=X98BqrGwM49LFFLOChktcA
Linggo, Abril 24, 2022
Kevin Durant is currently having a worse series then LeBron James did in the 2011 NBA finals
LeBron in first 3 games of 2011 finals vs KD in first 3 games of 2022 FIRST round
Bron: 20/7/6 on 62% TS
KD: 22/4/5 on 52% TS
KD also averaging 5.6 TO’s compared to LeBron 3.3 TO’s a game
source: basketball reference
[OurSF49ers] The Deebo Samuel Saga in SF has taken a wild turn 👀 🎥: @Fabo49FTTB
https://mobile.twitter.com/OurSf49ers_/status/1518240334932627457
Since forcing his way off a championship level Cavs team, Kyrie has basically ended up in the best possible situations and the results are abysmal
After ending up on a stacked Celtics team and then KD, results are:
- Kyrie injured for the playoffs (team reached ECF Game 7)
- Round 2 loss in 5 games; 4 straight losses, going 25 for 83 from the field (30%, including 19% from 3)
- Round 2 loss, Kyrie missed last 3 games
- Possible first round sweep
The best run for his team is the one post season he missed completely.
Starting to wonder if the idea of Kyrie is better than the player Kyrie
GAME THREAD: Milwaukee Bucks (51-31) @ Chicago Bulls (46-36) - (April 24, 2022)
General Information
| TIME | MEDIA | LOCATION | BROADCAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:59 PM Eastern | Game Preview: NBA.com | United Center | US: ABC |
| -1:59 PM Central | Game Matchup: NBA.com | Team Subreddits | Canadian: TSN |
| -2:59 PM Mountain | Play By Play: NBA.com | /r/mkebucks | |
| -3:59 PM Pacific | Box Score: NBA.com | /r/chicagobulls |
Reddit Stream (You must click this link from the comment page.)
DeSean Jackson considering retirement but would return for a "great quarterback"
https://ift.tt/bEnA54X
Sabado, Abril 23, 2022
[Charania] Toronto Raptors‘ Scottie Barnes has won the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1517913988419436545
GAME THREAD: Philadelphia 76ers (51-31) @ Toronto Raptors (48-34) - (April 23, 2022)
General Information
| TIME | MEDIA | LOCATION | BROADCAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:59 PM Eastern | Game Preview: NBA.com | Scotiabank Arena | US: TNT |
| 0:59 PM Central | Game Matchup: NBA.com | Team Subreddits | Canadian: Sportsnet |
| -1:59 PM Mountain | Play By Play: NBA.com | /r/sixers | |
| -2:59 PM Pacific | Box Score: NBA.com | /r/torontoraptors |
Reddit Stream (You must click this link from the comment page.)
If these guys had as long a career as Tom Brady…
Dick Butkus would have played on the 85’ Bears, Joe Montana would have played in the 21st century, Terrell Owens would have played in 2018, Thurman Thomas would have played in the 2010s, and this year’s rookies wouldn’t retire until the mid-late 2040s. Obviously Tom is a pocket QB and a RB would not have been able to have the same longevity, but it’s still insane to make these comparisons. Lets see more in the comments!
Who is "The one who got away" for your franchise?
What players did your team miss out on in the draft that would have been a perfect fit?
I remember when the Wolves took Wally Szcerbiak with the 6th overall pick, and the Suns picked Shawn Marion at #9. Marion would have been the perfect complement to Kevin Garnett, two hyper-athletic forwards that would have meshed great both offensively and defensively.
Another is a player that every team would want, but in 2009 the Wolves had not one but two chances to pick Steph Curry, but took Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn (big oof...) instead.
Who are the ones who got away for your franchise?
[Sharp] No team had more 1st round draft capital since 2018 than the Giants here's who Dave Gettleman used the #1 most capital on: 2018: #2 Saquon Barkley 2019: #6 Daniel Jones, #17 Dexter Lawrence, #30 Deandre Baker (cut) 2020: #4 Andrew Thomas 2021: #20 Kadarious Toney (trading?)
https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1517644573518053376?s=20&t=Amk428kHSwaNjaTxwcWHdw
Biyernes, Abril 22, 2022
Contrary to the opinions on Nikola Jokic: there is zero shame in averaging 29.6 PPG on 58.4% TS
Contrary to the opinions on Nikola Jokic: there is zero shame in averaging 29.6 PPG on 58.4% TS
I know he's struggling a bit against Draymond but TBF Draymond can only guard him in spurts and I truly think it is a different story of he had a Jamal Murray level scorer to take some load off him.
Draymond Green is an all time defender that practically invented small ball because of his unique talent to be able to handle bigs at his height. there is zero shame in jokic not averaging 40 against him.
[BillsStats] Is "Separation" just a weight stat? Also, how much does it "matter" - using NGS data, higher average separation doesn't seem to imply earning more targets. There is likely selection bias in that good players get fed regardless of openness, while bad players need to get open...
https://twitter.com/BufBillsStats/status/1517187767150825474
[Highlight] Derrick Henry stiff-arms Earl Thomas on bruising 27-yard cutback run
https://ift.tt/hCwHY7V
[Around The NFL] AFC executive on Kenny Pickett: "If you had to have a m-----f----- play right now, it's Pickett, but he doesn't have any goddamn upside"
https://twitter.com/AroundTheNFL/status/1517503237112446977
[Wojnarowski] Charlotte is dismissing coach James Borrego, sources tell ESPN.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1517528924078723072?s=21&t=n71I3OSoT73jwtSoubI32A
Huwebes, Abril 21, 2022
[Wojnarowksi] Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker could miss 2-to-3 weeks with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, @WindhorstESPN reports:
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1517194426258493440?s=20&t=kc528pl-O_Esm3ZGhFM2cA
[Le'Veon Bell] if Debo doesn’t play this year, 1 thing the 49ers gon make sure of is to feed someone else the ball & make it seem as if they didn’t need Debo…when in reality, we all know the truth…but if Debo doesn’t play, they’ll try and make it seem like the “back up” is just as good …
https://twitter.com/LeVeonBell/status/1517154684418600960
[Schefter] One factor for Deebo Samuel is that he wants do be “closer to home.” He is from South Carolina and went to college there as well.
https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1517159076676915200?s=21&t=g0Xdw0OyasvO3G1hjXvekw
[Charania] Brooklyn Nets three-time All-Star Ben Simmons plans to make his season debut in Game 4 vs. Boston on Monday as long as rehab remains on course, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Simmons is set to play his first game since June 2021.
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1517165928089333760?s=21&t=cnHPzHe2QBIJjzi-1OVpDQ
[Ruiter] #Browns QB Jacoby Brissett "This is my first time being in an all-black QB room....that's pretty unique and pretty cool" to be able to share life experiences
https://twitter.com/RuiterWrongFAN/status/1516827701004451842
Miyerkules, Abril 20, 2022
[Mark Fainaru-Wada] Behind the scenes, though Tsai and the NBA deny this vehemently, Tsai was seeking to get Morey fired
Today’s ESPN Daily was focused on Nets Owner Joe Tsai, specifically on his and the NBA’s relationship with China.
This interesting tidbit, shared by ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada, reveals some of what transpired behind the scenes immediately after Morey’s tweet in support of the Hong Kong Protests:
“So now you’ve got this dynamic in which Morey’s being attacked , Tsai is responding in the way he’s responding, and the league is trying to find some middle ground here or figure out how it can exist even as two exhibition games are about to be played in China. And part of our reporting finds out that behind the scenes - though Tsai and the NBA deny this vehemently - behind the scenes, Tsai was seeking to get Morey fired.”
Link to episode. Comment comes around the 21 minute mark.
Edit: US Government involvement
“So one of the things that’s going on is Morey hears from at least one NBA owner that Tsai is trying to get him fired in order to appease the Chinese. Morey connects with a guy named Matt Turpin, who worked in the National Security Council in the Trump administration. Turpin and a couple others volunteer to help Morey, who believes he’s gonna get fired.
One of the things Turpin tells us is he’s working back channels, both in the government and through the NBA, and said, his impression of Joe Tsai’s role in this was that he was extremely unhelpful. He was laying out to the other owners how completely unacceptable it was that anyone weigh in on Hong Kong, and it colored the way the rest of the league lined up against Daryl.”
Edit 2: LeBron’s response behind closed doors
”I don’t think people knew this at the time. There were these games that were about to be played in Shanghai, one of the teams that’s there to play is the Lakers, with LeBron of course. There’s an international incident happening in real time in front of these guys, and there are meetings that happen between the players and the commissioner as well as the players themselves.”
”LeBron has got his new movie Space Jam that’s about to open, it’s in production. The hope - at the time at least - was that it was going to open in China. So behind closed doors, the players are meeting and asking how are they going to deal with this, what are they going to do. LeBron was quite vocal in raging about Morey, and how something needed to happen to Morey.”
[Darlington] I just spoke to wide receiver Deebo Samuel — and he told me that he has asked the 49ers to trade him. He did not want to discuss specific reasons behind his request, but he has indeed let the 49ers know his desire to leave the organization. More to come.
https://twitter.com/JeffDarlington/status/1516819376225333259?t=ee2mbO7W1aq_CGRvOywZDg&s=19
Festus Ezili: “I know Lakers won a bubble chip but Everytime i see Brandon Ingram hoop i can’t help but think how much of a mistake it was to trade him”
Festus Ezili: “I know Lakers won a bubble chip but Everytime i see Brandon Ingram hoop i can’t help but think how much of a mistake it was to trade him” https://twitter.com/festusezeli/status/1516637469046845443 Brandon Ingram was unstoppable in Phoenix 🔥
- 37 pts
- 11 rebs
- 9 asts
[Mod Post] Seeking Bot Mods - Python Experience Required
Hey r/nba,
We've been working on a few Python projects for both the subreddit and Discord but we would like some help. Please only apply as a bot mod if you are willing to begin contributing immediately.
We are looking for people who:
- Have some Python experience (not required but nice-to-know: REST APIs, SQLAlchemy, Discord.py, PRAW)
- Want to write code for the subreddit and/or discord
- Learn about and work with CI/CD, automation and Kubernetes
If you're interested in:
- Improving subreddit automation (game threads, sidebar content, etc.)
- Improving moderation automation
- Developing Discord bots for things such as predictions, pulling up stats, scores and more
Feel free to fill out an application below with Google Forms - no email is required but you do need to enter your Reddit username when you fill it out.
https://forms.gle/dUotZCNxUmJWgcUA9
For those considering this, if you join as a bot mod there is no expectation to mod the subreddit or the Discord in any capacity beyond your help with the bots.
For those who may want to join as just a regular mod, we will be looking to add more mods this offseason, so please wait and apply at that time.
[SONTSeattle] Russell Wilson called Bobby Wagner a week before his trade was announced to see if he can get Wagner to join him at the Denver… Bobby really said “nah, my heart is in Seattle” 😭 😭
https://twitter.com/SONTSeattle/status/1516576644118372354
[Leonard] Giants HC Brian Daboll says Kadarius Toney is not here at voluntary pre-draft minicamp. Says Toney hasn’t received the playbook yet, because they haven’t done anything virtual. Given Toney’s history, this is noteworthy.
https://twitter.com/PLeonardNYDN/status/1516783410345385989
Martes, Abril 19, 2022
Most fouls drawn over the past two seasons: 1) Giannis 1057, 2) Embiid 956, 3) Jokic 898
What are some moments in NFL history that all 32 teams liked?
Try to think of things that fully unite every fan base.
I’ll start.
-
Alex Smith returning to play for WFT after his life threatening injury
-
Eric Berry winning comeback player of the year after being diagnosed with lymphoma the season before
-
Chargers fans egged Chargers headquarters in San Diego after Dean Spanos announced the team would be moving to LA.
[Kawakami] Joe Lacob on Warriors' philosophy: "There are a couple teams, I’m not going to say who, that went all-in on older players. And older players do get injured. Suppose we had made a trade, traded away all our youth, and they’re injured, out for the year."
There are a couple teams, I’m not going to say who, there’s some other teams that went all-in on older players. And older players do get injured. That’s the thing you have to remember. Suppose we had made a trade, traded away all our youth, for I don’t know, you name the guy, and they’re injured, out for the year. Anytime you’re over 30, 32, 35, these people get injured. It’s data.
Having a Jordan Poole emerge at 22 and a Kuminga, who obviously is incredibly talented, isn’t playing so much so far yet in this series, but I think he will have his role … and (James) Wiseman coming back next year, (Moses) Moody … I just think we’re set up for the future. And yet we’re really good now.”
Then Lacob smiled again and headed into the owners’ lounge, where music played and his guests were in an extremely good mood. There will be tougher times ahead. Maybe immediately. But on this night, after the Warriors’ first playoff games at Chase Center, there was also a little bit of serenity.
[Person] Panthers have told Rock Hill officials they are ending their agreement to build their headquarters there.
https://twitter.com/josephperson/status/1516429477475139588
[Howe] “It’s (Christian) Kirk’s fault ... What happened to Kirk is 100 percent the issue.” - An anonymous coach on the recent lucrative wide receiver contracts
Rise of the receivers: How WRs’ new leverage is impacting roster-building strategies
Rather, place the focus on the Jaguars, who signed Kirk in free agency to a four-year, $72 million contract. He merely reaped the benefits of maximizing his opportunity. Kirk is set to earn $38 million in the first two years of the deal despite never reaching 80 receptions, 1,000 yards or 10 touchdowns in a season.
“How much Kirk got really vaulted the money,” a third executive said. “That was huge for (Adams and Hill) to get those historic deals. It put more pressure on those clubs to make sure they meet those needs.”
Players understand the market value of their contracts will have a shelf life, but Kirk’s deal was an eye-opener for every team in the league. For example, Rams receiver Cooper Kupp signed a three-year, $47.25 million extension in 2020 and then doubled Kirk’s statistical output as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.
When Kirk signed last month with the Jaguars, the Rams knew they had to make sure Kupp was still happy with his terms, according to sources. Kirk might have also helped Kupp earn another raise if those discussions progress.
“Players of more worth than Christian Kirk are going to be demanding a lot more money, and you’re going to have to do it,” the coach said. “Davante is one of the best, so nobody is going to say he shouldn’t be getting this contract. I mean, it’s Davante Adams. But Christian Kirk? It causes unnecessary consternation.”
The NBA NOT putting the Wolves/Grizzlies on TNT tonight is an absolute joke.
Two of three NBA playoff games will be played on TNT tonight. The game being relegated to NBA TV is one of the two most compelling series in the 1st round of these playoffs (Boston/Brooklyn being the other). The Wolves/Grizzlies series has young stars on both sides of the ball. Specifically Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards, who both have the potential to become faces of the league. In what should be their coming out party to a national audience, the NBA has decided to tuck the game away in favor of Suns/Pelican series that everyone knows is going to be a sweep or 4-1, and a Miami/ATL series that will likely be one-sided as well.
While those who are fans of these teams will likely find a way to watch this game, it is incredibly disrespectful to both teams and the NBA fan base as a whole. u/NBA, do better.
[Rapoport] #49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been rehabbing his throwing shoulder off-site, per his surgeon's instructions. Garoppolo and the team are on the same page with that continuing and he won't be there when their offseason conditioning program starts today, per me and @TomPelissero.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1516352655567704064?t=EPeX5b6D2xLI3FmeFCs1qA&s=19
Lunes, Abril 18, 2022
[Schefter] Browns are signing Pro-Bowl CB Denzel Ward to a 5-year, $100.5 million contract extension that includes $71.25 million guaranteed, per source. At age 24, Ward is the highest-paid CB in NFL history. Tory Dandy of CAA Sports, who negotiated the contract, confirmed the deal to ESPN
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1516120777183088645
Larry Nance Jr. was matched up on Chris Paul for 1:19 last night. In that 1 minute and 19 seconds Chris Paul scored 13 points on 5/6 shooting. In that 1 minute and 19 second period the Suns scored 16 points total, with Paul also assisting on the other bucket.
Source via matchup data on NBA website. Nance spent the most time matched up against McGee, which was a better matchup for him solely based on numbers. McGee scored 2 points in the 3:33 Nance defended him, with the team scoring 11.
[Meirov] The Match is back: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will be going up against Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes for a 2v2 golf match on June 1. TNT will carry “The Match” starting at 6:30pm EST.
https://twitter.com/mysportsupdate/status/1516098712120008706?s=21&t=KcQBDYP3FM2IsjolhtsUeQ
[Lewenberg] Scottie Barnes is out for tonight’s Game 2
https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1516063373762482188
[Miller] #Chargers' Donald Parham Jr. on injury: 'A life-flashing-before-your-eyes kind of thing'
https://twitter.com/jeffmillerlat/status/1516046389612101637?s=21&t=aUfi5GfvY27hwNAgdz2jIQ
Boston Fans vs Kyrie
Is there a fan base that hates a player more than the Celtic fans hate Kyrie? I’m listening to the Bill Simmons podcast and he said during the national anthem, during a quiet part, someone screamed “f*** you Kyrie” and the entire arena heard. During the freakin’ national anthem.
Linggo, Abril 17, 2022
Baker broke the longest playoff drought in the NFL, and is talented. There are plenty of QB needy teams that haven't picked him up.....why?
Am I missing something? I'm not saying he's top 5, but compared to other starters he's better. Jets, Texans, Steelers, Giants, Commanders...etc. just to name a few. Seems to me like a no brainer.
*Edit - awesome eye opening discussion. Main points I've learned: Injury hx, playoff win isn't always on the QB. Locker room toxicity isn't always obvious to the casual observer. Overvalued/underperformed. Draft. Not as good as I thought....so yes I was missing something.
GAME THREAD: Atlanta Hawks (43-39) @ Miami Heat (53-29) - (April 17, 2022)
General Information
| TIME | MEDIA | LOCATION | BROADCAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:59 PM Eastern | Game Preview: NBA.com | FTX Arena | US: TNT |
| -1:59 PM Central | Game Matchup: NBA.com | Team Subreddits | Canadian: Sportsnet |
| -2:59 PM Mountain | Play By Play: NBA.com | /r/atlantahawks | |
| -3:59 PM Pacific | Box Score: NBA.com | /r/heat |
Reddit Stream (You must click this link from the comment page.)
Sabado, Abril 16, 2022
Jonas Valanciunas has played 5 out of 6 possible play-in games with a 4-1 record
In 2020 Bubble Playoffs, Jonas Valanciunas was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, losing to Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in series 0-1, where Memphis had to win 2 games before Portland won 1 due to play-in format at the time.
In 2021 play-in tournament, the Grizzlies make the playoffs after defeating the San Antonio Spurs & stunning the Golden State Warriors.
After being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, Valanciunas again wins both of the 2022 play-in games as the Pels defeat the Spurs again & the LA Clippers.
Valanciunas play-in stats: 5 GP, 31.6 MIN, 16.8 PPG, 15.0 REB, 2.6 AST, 1 BLK, 54.1 FG%, 60.7 FT%
GAME THREAD: Utah Jazz (49-33) @ Dallas Mavericks (52-30) - (April 16, 2022)
General Information
| TIME | MEDIA | LOCATION | BROADCAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:59 PM Eastern | Game Preview: NBA.com | American Airlines Center | US: ESPN |
| -1:59 PM Central | Game Matchup: NBA.com | Team Subreddits | Canadian: TSN |
| -2:59 PM Mountain | Play By Play: NBA.com | /r/utahjazz | |
| -3:59 PM Pacific | Box Score: NBA.com | /r/mavericks |
Reddit Stream (You must click this link from the comment page.)
| 12 - 16 |
| Box Scores: NBA & Yahoo |
| GAME SUMMARY |
| Location: American Airlines Center(0), Clock: 4:07 |
| Officials: James Capers, Pat Fraher and Scott Twardoski |
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| TEAM STATS |
| Team | PTS | FG | FG% | 3P | 3P% | FT | FT% | OREB | TREB | AST | PF | STL | TO | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | 12 | 5-14 | 35.7% | 0-3 | 0.0% | 2-2 | 100% | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 16 | 7-15 | 46.7% | 2-5 | 40.0% | 0-0 | 0.0% | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Team | Biggest Lead | Longest Run | PTS: In Paint | PTS: Off TOs | PTS: Fastbreak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | +6 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| TEAM LEADERS |
| Team | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | 6 Bojan Bogdanovic | 3 Rudy Gobert | 1 Bojan Bogdanovic |
| Dallas Mavericks | 6 Jalen Brunson | 3 Jalen Brunson | 2 Dwight Powell |
| PLAYER STATS |
| bot-script by /u/f1uk3r |
[Highlight] Stefan Logan scores his only NFL touchdown in 2010 against the Rams
https://ift.tt/Li9wO6X
Biyernes, Abril 15, 2022
[Charania] Major return: Cavaliers All-Star Jarrett Allen (fractured finger) will play tonight vs. Hawks in elimination Play-In Tournament game, barring setback in warmups, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1515024037965090820?s=21&t=zvwfhVPy6y6_aofhhvKrPw
[Farbod Esnaashari ] Paul George is symptomatic with COVID, and was tested because he was feeling symptoms.
Paul George is symptomatic with COVID, and was tested because he was feeling symptoms.
Paul George has entered health safety protocols and will miss the play-in game tonight against the Pelicans.
Sucks but hope he recovers well and is vaccinated.
[Baby] The Bengals' plans for building an indoor practice bubble have been confirmed by the Cincinnati City Planning Commission. Vote passed with unanimous approval and was also given a "Who Dey."
https://twitter.com/Ben_Baby/status/1514967799025872898?t=6MINQ0nZpO2LsKil-mK4sQ&s=19
Craziest moment of the season?
In my opinion it had to be Isaiah Stewart charging through everyone to fight Lebron & the Lakers, the man could not be stopped, what do you guys think?
Pelicans Rookies Herb Jones (2nd round) and Jose Alvarado (undrafted) combined for 201 steals during the regular season, 6th most of any duo in the league. They accomplished this playing 3,169 total minutes, which is 1,200 minutes less than any other duo above them.
Teams with the most steals by a duo:
- TOR (233)
- CHA (218)
- PHX (217)
- SAS (214)
- MIN (204)
- NOP (201)
[Wojnarowski] Clippers star Paul George has entered health and safety protocols and will miss tonight's Play-in game vs. New Orleans, sources tell @TimBontemps and me.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1515001140412309514?s=21&t=s8EtTmu_AE9_S8a5LGR63g
Huwebes, Abril 14, 2022
32 Teams/32 Days 2022: New York Giants
32 Teams/32 Days Hub
Team
New York Giants
Division
NFC East
Record
4-13, 1-5 in the division (4th place). But at least we beat Philly once.
Playoffs
Lol can you imagine?
Preface
I only had two weeks to write this after the previously tapped author dropped out, so I tried to spend my time on the parts I thought people would be more interested in (Golladay, for example). There's probably some stuff I completely missed, and some stuff I got wrong. Just remember all this before you write some ten page screed on how I'm an idiot because I wrote that Saquon ran for 95 yards in a game when it was really 96 yards, or ask why I didn't go into Belichick-level depth about Julian Love's versatility as a DB.
Warning: I didn't even pretend that I made this without the benefit of hindsight and the season having already happened. Grades/needs/etc. all are made with the benefit of hindsight. I can't pretend the season didn't happen already, and I'm not going to even try.
Overview and Pre-Season Overview
Look, I don't need to explain that New York is objectively the greatest city to ever exist: Past, present, and future. That’s just common knowledge. In contrast, our sports teams are more befitting of a lesser city; let’s say Cleveland.
We’re long-past the glory days of LT and absolute household legends like Scott Brunner. The Coughlin years were similarly good to us, and this absolute adonis still strikes fear into the heart of every Pats fan. The last few seasons have been bad, starting with this man who looks like he should be offering children candy out of a sketchy white van. 3 (now 4) coaches removed from Coughlin, we’re still struggling.
Coming into this season there was some cautious optimism: Judge hadn’t completely imploded his first year, and after 2020’s OL draft spree and signings, plus this year’s additions of Golladay and Toney this year, it was looking like we might even improve on 6 wins. Playoffs were a distant hope, but a hope nonetheless.
General Season Review
Pain. Both emotionally, as a fan, and physically, for the players. Injuries completely derailed any hope of our season turning out less than abominable. Instead of asking who to blame, the better question is to ask who's not culpable for the season.
Whatever Judge was doing to them in practice wasn't working: Injuries kept mounting as the season went on, and many of our worst losses saw 8+ penalties largely from discipline-based problems (unnecessary roughness, eg.). We were ranked 25th in terms of penalty yards allowed overall (as in, 7th worst). The OL by committee didn't work. Jason Garrett's playbook was 20 years out of date, and Freddie Kitchens didn't improve on it much. Our #1 draft pick tried to punch someone during the Cowboy's game. Danny Dimes looked really up-and-down, probably not helped by the fact that his OL was making him see ghosts but also just some poor decision making.
There were some bright spots, mostly on defense and ST. Basically, almost every game we won was off the back of defense and ST. Graham Gano was our leading scorer (lol) and almost received a pro bowl selection. Xavier Mckinney and Leonard Williams had fairly good years, all things considered. Azeez Ojulari I think was an excellent addition and fit right into the 3-4 scheme. Patrick Graham started the season off rough but made some excellent adjustments as the season went on.
Still, the last 4 games made it incredibly clear that we were going to clean house and start again. With Gettleman finally gone there's some hope for the future, but it's also fairly clear that next year is probably a wash as well (our cap space for next year being one of the big reasons).
Team Additions
Most of these grades are obviously done with the benefit of hindsight, so while the Golladay signing for example was generally lauded as being a good one at the time, it's impossible to not view it through the lens of how the season went and I'm not going to even try.
Draft
Round 1, Pick 20: WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
If the theme of last year’s acquisitions were about the OL, this year’s theme was receiving threats. Golladay and Toney were big additions and expected to fill the WR1 role that Shepard and Slayton had previously been asked to fill.
It's hard to evaluate Toney given that he just didn't play very much. Whether it was because of injuries or just not getting targets, Toney's only really big game was against Dallas in week 5, but otherwise he's a bit of a mystery. It's not good that he was injured so frequently throughout the year, though, given his history of injury also in college.
Grade: C-
Round 2, Pick 50: LB Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
Ojulari was drafted as a pass-rusher who was expected to immediately make an impact on defense. There were concerns about his speed and ability to shed blocks, especially making the jump from college to NFL tackles. He wasn’t going to fit well into a 4-3 defense, but that was fine for the Giants.
Given all that, I think Ojulari had a great year. He recorded 27 QB pressures including 8 sacks. He got overshadowed by players like Micah Parsons, but he had a really good year and the Giants should be happy they drafted him. The big tell will be how he develops next year. He's a little inconsistent, and it'll be interesting to see how he develops next year.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 71: CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
Given that he was a third round pick it's not like we immediately expect him to be Jalen Ramsey immediately. He had surgery that took him out for the first part of the season, and looked ok when he came back. Didn't light it up, but showed flashes of being a good physical CB.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick 116: LB Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa
I honestly don't remember him playing much. I looked it up and he spent a good part of the season on the PUP list. I feel like once you get into the later rounds it's hard to evaluate talent, but even still I would've expected more from him. He had a few tackles but compared to other picks (like, say, Ojulari) he just didn't make much impact.
Grade: D+
Round 6, Pick 196: RB Gary Brightwell, Arizona
Brightwell was drafted to add some needed depth partially, but also because of his special teams ability. Given how late he was drafted, I think he performed really well compared to expectations. He was mostly used on special teams, but even the few carries we saw from him he looked serviceable. Sure, he's not Saquon but he also didn't take up an early pick at all.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick 201: CB Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State
Hard to evaluate Rodarius given that, well, he didn't play much.
Grade: ???
Round 6, waiver pickup from the Steelers: LB Quincy Roche, Miami
Given where he was drafted, Quincy Roche was an absolute stud. He was a consistent force on defense and often came up with some big plays. Similar to Ojulari there were a lot of concerns about him fitting into a 4-3 defense given his physical stats, but he fit in perfectly with our 3-4 defense and was 100% worth picking up.
Grade: A
Free Agency
WR Kenny Golladay
This was a big signing. We had been lacking a solid WR1 and Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and even everyone’s favorite pro-bowler Evan Engram had been pulling that duty down. Not that they were bad! Darius Slayton had a great rookie year. But Golladay is clearly a level above that when he’s healthy and not getting into trouble, and the hope was he’d stay healthy and clean here.
I’m gonna be bold here and say the jury’s still out on this: Golladay was hurt for 3 games last year, had to deal with Jason Garrett and Mike Glennon, and clearly wasn’t happy for much of the year. He looked really good in some games (the Saints game in particular), but he was injured for three games (admittedly not the hip, which was the big concern) and when he really came back to full speed, Daniel Jones got injured. Hard to look elite with Mike Glennon out there. He'll still have to prove that his highlight reels in Detroit weren't mostly from Matt Stafford.
He might come out and have a monster year next year, but that’s largely dependent on some things only partially under his control. Golladay has to shake the label of being injury-prone, and unfortunately that’s probably just more circumstance than anything.
Regardless, though, we paid too much money for what he produced last year.
Grade: C-
RB Devontae Booker
This signing was originally a bit of a head scratcher, but I think it panned out beautifully for us. We didn't keep him this year for multiple reasons (the cap hit, he's getting on in RB years, we're committing mostly to a rebuild, etc. etc.) but he played really well for us and I'll argue was 100% worth the $2.5 million we paid him. Some of Saquon's best games were when he was able to split the carry load with Book, and Book was incredibly consistent as a runner. Unlike the rest of the team which suffered tremendously from the starters getting injured, I think Book proved he was worth the money and was a perhaps odd signing that worked out beautifully for the year.
Grade: A-
WR John Ross
John Ross was worth taking a chance on, for sure, and he came up big a few times during the season. Given that he was one of the few receivers who stayed healthy throughout the season, he was a solid use of $2.5 million also. He wasn't targeted much, but when he did make a reception he averaged about 20 yards. He looked significantly better than his time on the Bengals.
Grade: B+
QB Mike Glennon
Mike Glennon gets signed to backup Daniel Jones after we release Colt McCoy for cap reasons and sign Glennon for less money. Turns out, Colt McCoy was worth the extra million.
Grade: Is there a grade lower than F?
TE Kyle Rudolph
Rudolph was signed to be a red zone threat, but then we never really used him as such. It was weird for us to pay $12 million for a TE that didn't end up being all that useful, whether that was by design or not.
Grade: D+
CB Adoree Jackson
There were definitely some concerns we overpaid for him, which was the Gettleman special (good addition, bad price). Is he worth a $10 mill cap hit? Maybe? He doesn't give up big plays, but he also doesn't seem to really make them either. With Bradberry almost certainly gone, he's going to be a big part of the secondary moving forward, so we'll see if he can shake his sharp decline from Tennessee and be a defensive leader moving forward.
Grade: C
Other Free Agency signings not worth discussing
OLB Ryan Anderson
DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
OG Zach Fulton
DB Chris Milton
DB Joshua Kalu
TE Cole Hikutini
FB Cullen Gillaspia
C/G Jonotthan Harrison
DT Danny Shelton
ILB Reggie Ragland
Stats
In Depth Stats Review: we sucked
There's not much to say here. We were bottom half of the league on pretty much every metric except a few defensive ones, and we regressed meaningfully in some areas even there. Our pass defense got slightly better than last year, but even then we put up multiple games with 300+ passing yards allowed, including one by Taylor Heinicke. Ouch.
Offensive
| Stat | Value | Avg/game | League Rank | 2016 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Yds | 4884 | 287 | 31 | 31 |
| 1st Downs | 299 | 17.6 | 31 | 31 |
| Total Passing Yds | 3196 | 188 | 31🔻 | 29 |
| Total Rushing Yds | 1688 | 99.3 | 24🔻 | 19 |
| Points Scored | 258 | 15.2 | 31 | 31 |
| Turnovers | 30 | 32🔻 | 20 | |
| INT Thrown | 20 | 29🔻 | 9 | |
| Fumbles Lost | 10 | 23🔺️ | 24 |
Defensive
| Stat | Value | Avg/game | League Rank | 2016 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yds Allowed | 6032 | 355 | 21🔻 | 12 |
| 1st Downs Allowed | 365 | 21.5 | 25🔻 | 19 |
| Pass Yds Allowed | 3839 | 226 | 15🔺️ | 16 |
| Rush Yds Allowed | 2193 | 129 | 25🔻 | 10 |
| Points Allowed | 416 | 24.5 | 23🔻 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 22 | 14🔻 | 10 | |
| INT Forced | 15 | 12🔺️ | 18 | |
| Fumbles Forced | 7 | 20🔻 | 4 |
Weekly Game Reviews
In Depth: Pre-season
In Depth: Weeks 1-5
In Depth: Weeks 5-11
In Depth: Weeks 12+
Pre-Season Week 1, vs. Jets
Loss 7-12
It’s the pre-season and the games don’t matter. Sure. But still, this game was a sign of things to come: Poor OL play and bad depth. Yeah, they’re backups. But they’re playing the Jets backups. And they don’t look good. Offensive line woes already started showing in this game, and in a further sign of things to come Mike Glennon did not look great.
Pre-Season Week 2, @ Browns
Loss 13-17
Another pre-season game where the starters didn’t play (but maybe should have). We got better than the previous week, especially at OL. We got to see who would make improvements from week 1, and who didn’t. Also got to see Devontae Booker play a bit. Defensive mistakes piled up here, especially rush defense (which plagued the early season in general).
Pre-Season Week 3, vs. Pats
Loss 20-22
While the rumors were starters were going to play, none of the starters really played besides Daniel Jones. Evan Engram ended up getting hurt, which came back to haunt us a bit in the following weeks. There were some big concerns about how this OL would deal with someone like Von Miller the following week. We got to see some more from guys like Rodarius Williams and David Stills. In what would become a recurring theme, our defense played well for the first half before letting it open up in the second half.
Week 1, vs. Broncos
Loss 13-27
Ok, no more pre-season excuses. This game counted. This was a winnable game: The Broncos were just as bad, Bradley Chubb was out, it was a home game. Teddy Bridgewater isn’t exactly Aaron Rodgers. We were up at the half 10-7 after a big reception by Shepard. The OL, as feared, couldn’t really stop Von Miller. The defense got chunked apart: at one point the Giants offense didn’t see the field for close to an hour. Noah Fant was 6/8 on the day. Big, concerning loss.
Week 2, @ WFT (fuck you Dan Snyder)
Loss 29-30
Penalties and being chunked on defense added up here. More OL uncertainty but the team just looked undisciplined out there. The offense just couldn’t get it done in the red zone, which would become a recurring theme with the team. Graham Gano accounted for the majority of the 29 points, let that sink in. Very disappointing game we should've won.
Week 3, vs. Falcons
Loss 14-17
3 fumbles, 8 penalties on the game. That really says it all. Thank god for Graham Gano. The stats suggested we dominated this game, but just couldn’t get it done in the red zone again. Bad coaching really crept up this game: Undisciplined, cowardly calls, blowing timeouts because of players not set.
Week 4, @ Saints
Win 27-21
Honestly wasn’t expecting us to win this. Taysom Hill was a big problem for us, as was Kamara. Gano missed an easy 35 yarder. Golladay played lights out, DJ threw for 400+ yards. Letting Saquon use his speed wide works, who knew? An absolute 180 from the previous week. OL looked good with Skura in at LG.
Week 5, @ Cowboys
Loss 20-44
Absolute pain. We knew we would probably lose but not like this. Andrew Thomas being out hurt bad. Injuries started mounting, but the team just looked undisciplined also. This was the infamous game where Kadarius Toney tried to punch Damontae Kazee. Cowboys put up 515 yards on our defense. Ouch.
Week 6, vs. Rams
Loss 11-38
Clearly the Rams were good last season, but this was an all-around failure by the team. Our shaky OL vs. the Rams pass rush was a concern, but ultimately wasn't really the reason we lost this game. We expected to lose this game because of injuries and how hot the Rams looked at the moment, but this was a blowout by all accounts. Besides Xavier Mckinney, nobody really put up a noticeable effort on defense. We had no answer for Kupp, who made 9/11 catches.
Week 7, vs. Panthers
Win 25-3
I'm hesitant to call this an offensive win as much as just the defense making the GEQBUS look like shit, but this was a fun game nonetheless. We got to see Daniel Jones make a one-handed catch and see Bradberry get Darnold benched, but this mostly just the defense making some big plays after last week's embarassment.
Week 8, @ Chiefs
Loss 17-20
This was a very winnable game. It was close pretty much the whole game. The Chiefs weren't looking great at this point, and the defense managed to lock down Tyreek and Kelce pretty well this game. Ultimately we probably lost this game off penalties and all-around this game I'd just say Judge and co. got out-coached. Judge blames the headsets for blowing 5 timeouts on players not being set, despite nobody up in the press box.
Week 9, vs. Raiders
Win 23-16
Solid win largely off the back of great defensive play. Definitely a sign of Graham turning things around on defense. This was also right in the middle of the shitshow of the Raiders season, but a win’s a win. The importance of ST shines through here, as 9 of the points came from Gano.
Week 10
Bye
Week 11, @ Bucs
Result: L, 10-30
The game that got Jason Garrett fired. TB12 gets his revenge. Just bad play overall, had no answer for Brady even after they got handled by the WFT the previous week. Vita Vea wasn’t even playing and our OL still got manhandled. On the plus side, Andrew Thomas gets a TD. And Garrett got fired. Did I mention that Garrett got fired after this game?
Week 12, vs. Eagles
Win 13-7
This would be our last win of the season, so at least it was vs. a divisional rival. This was Kitchens first game as OC, and Daniel Jones's last game for the season. There weren't too many adjustments from the old playbook, though we did do some small-but-welcome things like target Golladay more in the red zone. This was largely a defensive win - Jalen Hurts recorded a 17.5 QBR for the game. Ouch.
Week 13, @ Dolphins
Loss 9-20
Daniel Jones is out, Mike Glennon gets to show why he doesn't get paid the big bucks. All 9 points come from Gano on offense. The defense can't really seem to stop Tua either, who mostly throws completions underneath and chips away slowly at us completing 30/41 on the day.
Week 14, @ Chargers
Loss 21-37
Wasn’t really as close as the score makes it look (which is saying something), we were trailing by 30 at one point. This is one game I might not blame too much on Patrick Graham: The defense was just out there too long. The time of possession differential here was ~10 minutes in favor of the Chargers. Still, they had no answers for Ekeler and Herbert.
Week 15, vs. Cowboys
Loss 6-21
This was an interesting game because as far as I know, only two starters were out for this game: Daniel Jones and Bredeson. However, it turns out that having a good QB is important.
Mike Glennon continues to suck, and Fromm gets his first start in garbage time. This turns out to not be a good idea, since Fromm looks reasonably competent in garbage time going 6/12 and picking up 82 yards, which everyone uses as ammo to ask why Fromm doesn't start the rest of the season (which he does and then does not look prepared for).
The defensive performance is admirable, including two sacks from Lorenzo Carter, but when Graham Gano is the only person to score points on your team it's hard to win.
Week 16, @ Eagles
Loss 10-34
What a huge difference this was from just a few weeks back. Fromm gets the start but gets benched partway through. Glennon and Fromm together put up.. 100 yards. Our one score of the game, until garbage time, is a single Gano kick. Most of our receiving core is active, including Toney, but it doesn't particularly make a difference.
To be fair, the defense didn't play super well here either. DeVonta Smith went 5/7 and picked up 80 receiving yards. Ouch.
Week 17, @ Bears
Loss 3-29
Fairly certain this is the game that got Judge fired. Mike Glennon records negative 10 net yards on the day. Yes, negative ten. Andy Dalton doesn't look great either thanks to a decent performance by the defense, but Mike Glennon records a QBR of 5 for this game and nothing else matters. Even Gano and a healthy-ish Saquon can't save this game. Judge releases a weird 11 minute rant after blaming Pat Shurmur, for some reason.
Week 18, vs. WFT
Loss 7-22
The suffering is finally over. Jake Fromm gets another shot to start but comes up short, recording barely over 100 yards for the day. This game epitomizes the whole season: The defense mostly holds Heinicke down, with 3 sacks and pressuing him on 33% of dropbacks. The offense... decides to do a QB sneak on 3rd and 9.
Coaching and FO
In Depth Coaching and FO
Dumbass Dave, GM:
Wikipedia sums it up best here:
Gettleman's second tenure set the organization back many years with his decision making
Nuff said.
Joe Judge, HC
A Belichick disciple who, as far as I can tell, didn't piss off his players too badly. Still, for a coach who preached discipline we had a lot of discipline-based penalties. The coordinators he chose to bring on (Garrett, Kitchens) didn't do him any favors. I think he deserves another shot somewhere, with hopefully better choices next time around.
Jason Garrett, OC
Old man yells at cloud.jpg
Pretty much all of the complaints about Garrett during his stint in Dallas continued to be a problem here. Garrett wanted to run an offense from the 90s, and it turns out that modern defenses are really good at shutting those down.
Freddie Kitchens, OC
Hard to really make a judgement here: He inherited the team in week 11 and Daniel Jones's last game was week 12. He made some adjustments, but it was still largely Garrett's playbook and obviously couldn't cobble together more than 1 win on the rest of the season. I'm sure he curses Mike Glennon every night before he goes to bed.
Patrick Graham, DC
I'm also torn on Patrick Graham. He had spurts of looking really good and then spurts of looking really bad. The start of the 2021 season went abysmally for our defense, but by the end of it the defense was pretty much the only thing that didn't look like complete shit. Very interested to see how he does in Vegas.
Thomas McGaughey, ST
The only one retained by Daboll (though he did try to retain Patrick Graham), and for a reason. Our special teams were even more of a shining beacon in the darkness than our defense. The rest of the team was either bottom-half or even just bottom of the league, special teams continually looked like upper-half.
Roster
Note: This is about the 2021 roster. Obviously, things have changed since that time.
All-Pros / Pro Bowls
Lol.
There were a couple giants who were on the cusp: Graham Gano, Cam Brown, Leonard Williams, and Xavier Mckinney. Graham Gano almost made it from fan votes for the pro bowl.
Still, just no. You could ctrl+f the AP all-pro announcement and you’d see the Giants mentioned zero times.
Team Strengths
-
ST Our special teams performed consistently pretty well in 2021. Yes, there were some really boneheaded mistakes including by one Riley Dixon (have fun with him, Rams) and even a few missed easy FGs by Gano, but by and large our ST are continually ranked in the upper half of the league and deservedly so. I mean, shit, Gano was our top scorer of the year. Watching CJ Board make a couple of 15+ yard returns made special teams worth watching alone.
-
Select Defensive Players As a whole the defense looked a bit worse than last year, but certain players continued to look dominant at various locations throughout the defense. There wasn't any one unit that looked overwhelmingly amazing, but thanks to these players the defense as a whole looked like the significantly better side of the ball:
- Azeez Ojulari
- Xavier McKinney
- Leonard Williams
- Quincy Roche
Team Weaknesses
-
OL Depth We had OL problems all year long, partially caused by depth issues. Matt Peart had to shift around from tackle to guard, and didn't look good playing guard at all. A bunch of guys went out throughout the season: Gates, Bredeson, Thomas. With them out, we looked absolutely awful. Was it the worst offensive line in the league? Probably not, based on stats like QB Pressure % and scrambles. Still, it was really hard to watch Matt Peart drop a blindside block and see Daniel Jones get absolutely annihilated.
-
Receivers? This one feels weird to type out because just looking at the roster, this should be a strength: Golladay, Shep, Engram, and even Slayton are all theoretically solid receiving threats. For whatever reason, though, our receivers looked absolutely garbage this year with Shep being our most reliable receiver by far. Some of that, obviously, is on Garrett and co. which is why I'm putting this a question mark - so we'll see this year, but last year they looked awful.
In Depth Offense: QB/RB/WR/TE/OL
In Depth Defense: DL/LB/CB/S
In Depth: ST
Team Needs:
In Depth Team Needs
Draft Picks for 2022 draft
Round 1: Nos. 5, 7 (from Bears) overall
Round 2: No. 36
Round 3: Nos. 67, 81 (from Dolphins)
Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears)
Round 5: Nos. 147, 173 (from Chiefs through Ravens)
Round 6: No. 182
Cap Space
Short answer: We have none. Last I checked we were at $6.8 million in cap space (with about $20 million in dead cap), not including the $16 million total we'll need for signing our draft class (leaving us with -$10 million in cap space projected assuming we sign our draft class). Getting Bradberry off our books would give us more than enough there.
It's not as dire as it sounds. We'll be fine in 2023 with at least $55 million in cap space (assuming that we eg. pick up Daniel Jones's 5th year option). Gettleman screwed us, but not that bad.
Basically, we're pretty screwed for 2022 but fine after that.
Final Thoughts
The nice thing about rebuilds in the modern era is that a good FO can show meaningful results in just a couple years. Yes, we're probably not competing next year. But we might the year after that, and if things go right we could be back to the playoffs and beyond in a couple years. Mara makes some really dumb decisions (TAUNTING) but he genuinely does seem to care about the team and I think New Yorkers have far more faith in him to right the ship than, say, Dolan.
Basically: Go Giants, go Knicks, go Yankees, go Rangers, fuck Boston. Amen.
Thanks
Thanks to u/ehhhhhhhhhhmacarena for taking a chance on me! I blind messaged once I saw the Giants writer dropped out and asked if I could take over.
Mag-subscribe sa:
Mga Post (Atom)