Grotewold wrote:

SwingOnThis wrote:The inside source guy over on RealGM says that it's one person and one person only pushing for D'Antoni, and it's Josh Harris. They rest of ownership and front office types want Lue.

It really sucks that a team with a lot of likable young players is saddled with such shit ownership for the foreseeable future.

Is that the person who called Horford last year?

Yeah fl311 i think is his handle. He's legit.

Donovan got 4/$24M from Chicago and supposedly Lue wants $7M/yr

heyeaglefn wrote:Will either Embiid or Simmons be good enough to be the best player on a championship team? Right now that appears like you need a top 10 guy in the league to win a title (Maybe Denver, Miami or Boston can break that trend).

If Denver/Miami/Boston wins a title, Jokic/Butler/Tatum will be considered a top 10 player.

throwinrocks wrote:

heyeaglefn wrote:Will either Embiid or Simmons be good enough to be the best player on a championship team? Right now that appears like you need a top 10 guy in the league to win a title (Maybe Denver, Miami or Boston can break that trend).

If Denver/Miami/Boston wins a title, Jokic/Butler/Tatum will be considered a top 10 player.

Yeah feel like it’d be tough to put together a top 10 that doesn’t have at least one of those names on it or Embiid. Embiid and Jokic were on most lists last year and Butler was probably like 12.

Pretty rare to win without a top 5 guy

This year (Curry and Durant out) in crunch time I have a hard time thinking of 5 guys I’d put ahead of Jimmy.

JFLNYC wrote:This year (Curry and Durant out) in crunch time I have a hard time thinking of 5 guys I’d put ahead of Jimmy.

I wouldn't say it is top 5 crunch time players, it is top 5 guys in the league. Crunch time doesn't do you any good if your team is down 20.

Usually you have a top 10 regular season guy or top 5 player in the league on these championship teams.

I think our best two players are at least as good as the best two players on three of the final four teams right now.

I think the more apt question is: will Embiid or Simmons ever be the go to scorer in crunch time of a playoff game? I think Embiid is too turnover prone (and gassed at the end of games) and Simmons’ shooting woes make him too easy to clamp down on in those situations. So they either need to grow their game more or we need to find someone else to step in during those moments. It would be super if Tobi could be that guy, but he hasn’t been consistent/aggressive/efficient enough and I wonder how a coach like MDA might help him succeed.

heyeaglefn wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:This year (Curry and Durant out) in crunch time I have a hard time thinking of 5 guys I’d put ahead of Jimmy.

I wouldn't say it is top 5 crunch time players, it is top 5 guys in the league. Crunch time doesn't do you any good if your team is down 20.

Usually you have a top 10 regular season guy or top 5 player in the league on these championship teams.

In the playoffs where it’s usually close, give me the top 5 crunch time player every time.

Butler is the 4th leading scorer on the heat in the ECF. Big time players have to lead you but our top 2 guys need more around them than what the collaboration has given them. Harris is the highest paid player on the team and had a worse series against the Celtics than Simmons did as a rookie.

JFLNYC wrote:

heyeaglefn wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:This year (Curry and Durant out) in crunch time I have a hard time thinking of 5 guys I’d put ahead of Jimmy.

I wouldn't say it is top 5 crunch time players, it is top 5 guys in the league. Crunch time doesn't do you any good if your team is down 20.

Usually you have a top 10 regular season guy or top 5 player in the league on these championship teams.

In the playoffs where it’s usually close, give me the top 5 crunch time player every time.

He has a losing record in the playoffs, he is 11-2 this season, 33-35 in his career. You need a good team. He is on a team now where he can thrive when needed down the stretch, but he isn't carrying a team to a title by himself.

I don't know when he became a top 5 clutch player though, just this season?

heyeaglefn wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:

heyeaglefn wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:This year (Curry and Durant out) in crunch time I have a hard time thinking of 5 guys I’d put ahead of Jimmy.

I wouldn't say it is top 5 crunch time players, it is top 5 guys in the league. Crunch time doesn't do you any good if your team is down 20.

Usually you have a top 10 regular season guy or top 5 player in the league on these championship teams.

In the playoffs where it’s usually close, give me the top 5 crunch time player every time.

He has a losing record in the playoffs, he is 11-2 this season, 33-35 in his career. You need a good team. He is on a team now where he can thrive when needed down the stretch, but he isn't carrying a team to a title by himself.

I don't know when he became a top 5 clutch player though, just this season?

If it’s not apparent the difference Jimmy made to the Sixers in the playoffs last year and to the Heat this year I don’t know what to say. And, btw, I never once suggested Jimmy was “carrying a team to a title by himself,” so I don’t know where that thought came from. What I AM saying is without a closer like Jimmy a team has no chance of winning it all, even with two non-closer all stars like Jo and Ben.. And, Mo, looking solely at Jimmy’s PPG over a 4-game stretch is, I think we can agree, not the full measure of his contributions to this year’s Heat team, including in the ECF.

Yeah my point is a closer is no good if your team sucks. His playoff record before the last two seasons show that. Luka was clutch in the playoffs, didn't matter because the rest of his team weren't good enough.

A lot of the best closers are already top 10 guys Kawhi, LeBron, Lillard, Giannis.

I hope what the Heat are doing works, because it would be nice for the NBA to have a team that doesn't have a top 5 player win it all.

I don’t think Giannis qualifies as a good closer.

no coffee for him

this D'Antoni talk is BS. I'll bet my nut its Lue, and rightfully so

Gimpy wrote:I don’t think Giannis qualifies as a good closer.

I don't know, maybe in the playoffs he hasn't been but I thought I saw some clutch stats and he was towards the top of the list in the last 5 minutes of games.

I don't know how reliable those clutch stats are though but I thought his numbers were impressive.

Whoah Embiid has a baby

Grotewold wrote:Whoah Embiid has a baby

Bout time he finished strong at the hole

Damn she kept that shit quiet. Nothing at all on her IG

Arthur was his brother's name

Arthur Elijah De Paula Embiid

We are so blessed and fortunate to welcome our little boy in this family. First of 11 or more? Trying to convince her but I’m not winning so far. I’m just trying to build a soccer team but for real I’m so excited for the future and my life has a new meaning. Kudos to @annedepaula_ for being so strong and giving me the Greatest Gift our life can offer #GodisGood

Ace Rothstein wrote:

Grotewold wrote:Whoah Embiid has a baby

Bout time he finished strong at the hole

No stamina issues here