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Mitch Cumsteen

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Posts posted by Mitch Cumsteen

  1. 28 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

    Boston almost assuredly still wins, but I would have loved to see that Houston-Boston series with John Lucas playing.  He was really, really good at PG and his loss due to coke hurt the team.  They had to move Robert Reid to PG.  He did a nice job.  But he was out of position.

    1986 Rockets were very deep.  Olajuwon, Sampson, Lucas, Lew Lloyd, Rodney McRay, Bobby Joe Reid, Wiggins.  I think with Lucas playing that Boston wins in 7 instead of 6.

    Then you have the what if on Rockets versus Lakers for the back half of the 80s had Sampson stayed healthy and Lucas, Lloyd, and Wiggins avoided cocaine. 

    No disrespect the the Rocket fans, but @Wulaw Horn would have a much better case for 1986 if Sampson doesn't hit that shot and it's the rubber match between the Lakers and Celtics from the previous two finals. Sorry, but that would have been much, much bigger.

    But in that same vein of overvaluing your own team in these types of discussions....  I could make an argument for 2014. It was the last of the Duncan-era Spurs rings, winning the title playing the beautiful game and avenging the prior year's loss to Miami in the finals. Lebron was at his absolute peak with the Heatles. Durant won MVP and OKC won 59 games. The Splash Brothers Warriors were just hitting their runway, one year away from their first title. Lebron, KD and Steph really defined the NBA for nearly the next 10 years. The west was ridiculous that year -- you had Lob City Clippers and the Harden/Dwight Howard Rockets. Portland with upstart Lillard and Aldridge, and the Grit and Grind Grizzlies. And it was probably Dirk's last great year before he started tailing off. 

  2. It's probably inarguable that he had the greatest basketball career in history, all things considered. Never saw him play and by all rights he was an all time great, but what an absolutely legendary front office man. Put together the Showtime Lakers, the Shaq-Kobe Lakers, the grit and grind Grizzlies, and the Splash Brothers Warriors. 

    1 minute ago, Deej said:

    west.gif

    And after all that, he probably gets remembered as a psycho from a TV show that took way too many artistic liberties.

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  3. 15 minutes ago, Fud said:

    Clingan has shot 52% and 58% from the free throw line

    Sengun shot around 30% on threes this year, mostly on wide open attempts 

    The team I'd be looking at is Boston, which has five-out spacing at all times (their first three players off the bench can all shoot threes at volume), which just put up statistically the best offensive season ever by some metrics

    If you draft Clingan because you think he's too good to pass up, then I'd be looking to make a Sabonis type of trade down the line 

    All fair. Clingan did shoot it better from the line in the last half of the season and his form looks okay to me. I don't think his outside shooting is a lost cause.

    And sure, emulating Boston seems like a fine idea, but they have had to defend zero bigs in the playoffs that offer any sort offensive threat. They were lucky to dodge Embiid and Giannis. You aren't going to have that luxury in the west.

  4. 19 hours ago, Fud said:

    To be clear, my post was justifying him going #1 overall in general in this class, not to Houston at #3

    I don't love the Clingan and Sengun pairing. You need to be confident that Sengun can become a spacer from three and that Clingan is just too good/safe to pass on, or you need to feel that you can't win big with Sengun and are looking to trade him for a star (like the Sabonis trade), and view Clingan as his eventual replacement

    I'm usually "when in doubt, take a wing" since when they don't hit, they're at least holding their trade value better than bigs or guards that don't hit, and there should be a wide variety of flavors of wings at #3, although all of them have some sort of major flaw for picking at that spot. The swing for upside pick there might be Holland. Similar to Amen, if he learns to shoot, he might have all-NBA potential. Castle is in the same boat, although as a guard.

    I'm obviously an outsider, but I would be all over Clingan if I were Houston. Not only is Sengun's range evolving, there's even the better than zero possibility that Clingan grows into a stretch 5 or at the very least becomes respectable from 15-20 feet out. He doesn't have terrible touch and actually shot really well at the combine, if you believe in such things.

    I look around the west and who are the contenders over the next 5-10 years? Jokic is still only 28 years old with a game not predicated on athleticism that should age very well. Minnesota plays two seven footers, at least until they have to salary dump one of them. OKC has Holmgren and is almost assuredly adding another big sooner rather than later. Dallas has an interior presence now with Lively and Gafford. Wembanyama is lurking in San Antonio. Sengun is at a size disadvantage and is a defensive liability to all of them. Unless you believe in Steven Adams knee that he hasn't been able to play on in two years or want to invest in a Mason Plumlee-level journeyman, this team has a gaping need for an interior defender and rim protector. It's not news. They chased the hell out Brook Lopez last summer. Clingan seems like a no brainer to me.

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  5. 1 hour ago, Pancho said:

     

    In general or for Clark’s position? Because for her position, all the guards selected are better and more experienced. That is something every media member regardless of race or gender will tell you. 

    However, if Gray can’t go, I expect Clark to be asked to join the team as a backup. 

    The crazy part is if you’re Clark, you almost welcome not being selected. She’ll get a month off to rest. 

     

    I don't really follow this shit, but is a 41 year old Diana Taurasi really better than Clark is right now?

    Taurasi is averaging 17.0, 4.4 and 3.9. Clark is averaging 16.8, 5.3, and 6.3, and doing it while being hounded from the second she leaves the locker room.

  6. 2 hours ago, Pam Cummings said:

    You can just see how much harder it is for the Mavs against Boston. One team is having to work really hard and make a lot of tough shots. The other team is getting great look after great look. When you have 5 guys that shoot 40%+ from downtown that creates some tough choices for the defense.

    Not only that, but Boston was 10/38 from 3 last night and still rolled. They missed one wide open look from three after another. Granted, Dallas was 6/26 including a putrid 2/15 by people not named Luka, but that was far from a vintage performance last night by the C's. Also, Tatum has shot the ball poorly in the first two games. He's 12/38 for the series and 4/14 from three. It just shows you how well balanced and talented Boston is. Granted, he's been impactful in other ways, but Boston has the luxury of their best player being average and winning while Dallas needs Luka to be world class to even stay competitive. The Dallas role players are going to have to be special at home for this series to become competitive.

    38 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

    So kyries just gonna hit every impossible shot vs Minnesota? Turn around fade aways in the corner, off handed hook shots while falling down, 3 after 3 after 3?

    Then brick those same shots vs Boston? Maddening

    Somewhere, on some other message board, a couple of weeks ago there was a Nuggets fan saying this exact thing about Edwards, Townes and Gobert during their series against the Mavericks.

    Seriously?

    Rudy_Gobert_hits_a_fadeaway_over_Nikola_Jokic.gif.c3a94107cb3e3fd9c6326a130ed2c458.gif

     

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  7. Boston didn’t play well at all and still won rather easily. Let’s see how Dallas does at home but this was a bleak start to the finals for them. 

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  8. Luka with some pretty awful defensive effort last couple of possessions. I get that he’s probably exhausted, but that’s losing basketball in the NBA finals. 

  9. 19 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:


    Where’s the fucking lob? wtf is Boston doing that Minnesota couldn’t? Maddening. Dallas’ role players need to show up…and even tho kyrie is 5/10…he’s not exactly making his imprint on the game

    Up until that last play, they haven’t been blitzing Luka on the pick. They’ve been switching everything so there’s no free run at the rim. I’m surprised they switched it up. I don’t think they were supposed to. They should try to make Luka score 60 tonight to beat them. 

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  10. Boston seems like they’re playing like crap but still winning. Getting to the rim at will with Gafford and Lively on the bench. If they start hitting their threes, look out. Of course it wouldn’t hurt for the mavs to start knocking down some free throws. 

  11. 4 minutes ago, Pancho said:

    You can’t have both here. Would you be as emotional if she was invited but declined?

    Zero chance she declines. You think Nike is paying her all that dough to not play in the Olympics? You don’t think they would be cramming her commercials non stop during the games? Hell, they will probably will anyway. 

    David Stern has got to be doing backflips in his grave today. 

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  12. 4 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

    If Clark has raised awareness of women’s basketball and created more fans, they’ll be watching their national team compete at one of its biggest events. 
    If it’s just a bunch of Caitlin Clark fans, then is she really growing the game?  
     

    I did see the post upthread about the venue change and sell out. That’s wonderful but is it only happening for Clark’s/indiana’s schedule?  I hope the game was entertaining so that people will go back for more. 

    I’m not really a marketing guy but maybe, just maybe, they would have a better chance of growing the game if they included its most popular player on its biggest stage? Like, are you being serious?

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  13. The NBA is killing me with their schedule. They give us a playoff game every night for like 6 weeks, and then have a week off before the finals. And now 3 days between games 1 and 2, and multiple days between each of the other games. What the fuck.

    Boston matches up really well against Dallas. They switch everything and have a good defender at every position and it's not like Dallas has any post up threats if they switch a small onto a big.  Boston is going to make Luka beat them one on one. Can he beat you launching 20 step back threes per game? Dallas only had 9 assists as a team last night. That tells how stagnant Boston is making them. And then offensively, Boston plays 5 out and clears out the interior for Tatum and Brown to drive. And they are targeting the shit out of Luka on those drives, too. Meanwhile, all those interior defenders for the Mavs are having to check guys at the three point line, where they're not comfortable.

    Dallas should play better in game 2 and Porzingis was out of his mind in the first half, but Boston is going to be a tough out. Boston will probably shoot themselves out of 1-2 games in this series from the three point line, but that roster is so versatile and they have so many different guys to throw at Luka and Kyrie. I hate the game 1 overreaction stuff, but this looks like some tough sledding for Dallas.

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  14. 2 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

    That's fine.  Laugh as you will.  But Kyrie, at least 'basketball' skill wise, is on one hand all-time in the NBA in pure skills.  Very few dribble, pass, shoot, and understand the game like he does.  He's been an injured idiot half of his career, but that doesn't change the fact at how skilled he is.   He absolutely is more basketball skilled than MJ.  That doesn't mean he's a better player, not by a damn sight.  Doesn't mean he's a better athlete either.  He's more refined skills-wise though.   

    With all due respect, ain’t no fucking way. Handles. I’ll give him handles over MJ but otherwise Jordan was better at every facet of the game. Jordan was one of the most fundamentally sound players who ever laced them up. Early in his career he out athleted guys but as he matured, he absolutely started dissecting his opponents mentally, physically, strategically and every other way possible, and he did it pathologically.

    Unless you’re talking about that stupid skills competition that they do at the all star game? Maybe World B Flat is better at that. But as far as doing shit in an actual game against opponents? That’s absolutely ridiculous. 

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  15. 2 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

    Sucks because in a good draft, you probably walk away with your core. 

    It really does but we're so spoiled. If only the Spurs could catch a break in the lottery and draft.

    2 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

    We had 0 guys who on a per minute basis really played winning basketball (TS > .550; PER > 15; WS/48 > .100; VORP > 1.0) besides Wemby.  Tre Jones and Vassell were really close so they probably stay unless you get an insane offer on them.  Anyone else?  Should be eligible to move immediately if it's better for the team L-T.  Jeremy Sochan is a losing basketball player as a package.  I like some things he does outside the boxscore and in isolation but as a package on the court -- he's not good right now and I would argue it's because the staff has done a really bad job of defining his role.  Team still needs playmaking, shooting, and some energy.  Hope we can take a major step forward next year.  The goal should be the playoffs.

    Agree with all of this. Sochan should be the energy guy but he doesn't bring it every night. Hopefully he grows into it and maybe not scrambling his brain trying to run point will settle him a bit, but they need so much more consistency out of him. I don't think his shot ever gets fixed, though.

    I'm not as concerned about the playmaking so much. Wemby is going to create looks for everybody. They need someone to knock them down. They need better defensive players around him. And for fuck's sake, they need to take care of the ball. They are close to a playoff team with league average shooting, non-Wemby defense and turnovers.

    These numbers paint a pretty ugly picture: 26th in offensive RTG. 25th in TO%. 25th in EFG%, 25th in TS%. #3 in pace. 28th in 3P%. 11th in 3PA. #1 in AST% (wtf, for a team that misses so many shots). 25th in contested 3 point shots.

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