NBA Playoffs

[Dogdeacon]

Embiid is going to be 2nd or 3rd team All NBA and All Defense (probably 2nd team) this year. That's already "great" in my book, but I guess it's fair to say he needs to do it a couple times to call it a great pick.

The average pick comment made me curious where Embiid actually ranks compared to the other recent #3 picks in their first 4 years by VORP even missing a few years?

2017 Jayson Tatum, Duke – Boston Celtics - 1.8 + 3 years
2016 Jaylen Brown, California – Boston Celtics - 0.3 + 2 years
2015 Jahlil Okafor, Duke – Philadelphia 76ers - -1.4 + 1 year
2014 Joel Embiid, Kansas – Philadelphia 76ers - 3.2
2013 Otto Porter, Georgetown – Washington Wizards - 6.3
2012 Bradley Beal, Florida – Washington Wizards - 3.3
2011 Enes Kanter, Kentucky – Utah Jazz - -1.7
2010 Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech – New Jersey Nets - 3.2

Ironically, Tatum is probably the best of all those players, but he's played exactly as many full seasons as Embiid. Porter leading surprised me. I knew they paid him and he shot efficiently, but the 3.9 he put up in his 4th year is literally better than the 4 year spans of everyone else, including his teammate Beal who I think is better.

I'm not sure I know what VORP is and how it relates to salary?

Regardless, just the # of games they've gotten out of Embid thus far make the return on him poor, but as of this writing he's an incredibly valuable player and very few peers or players you'd rather have. I'd temper the optimistic outlook a bit with injury history, but he looked solid physically all year or at least until 4thQs in playoffs and/or when natural disaster Fultz ran into him.

I'd rank the quality derived from those picks to date
1. Tatum - 10/10 gotten more from him in yr 1 than even most optimistic scenarios
2. Beal/Porter/Brown 9/10 some ups and downs either in play or injury but generally very good players and good value
3. Embid 8/10 - only 1.5/4 yrs of production, but a great glimpse in rookie year and spectacular 2nd year moving him into conversation of potential franchise players in NBA
4. Kanter/Favors - 6.5/10 NBA starters with limitations, I had to look up Favors stats but presumably that's because he's toiling in the anonymity of Utah
5. Okafor - 2/10 Even though people killed the Sixers for the Fultz trade b/c it didn't adhere to 'the process' way favoring quantity of draft picks, people now forget the fatal flaw in Hinkie's execution that they simply weren't good enough at making their high draft picks. Evan Turner, Nerlens Noel and Okafor were absolutely horrid draft picks all rating something similar to this 2/10 value derived. I don't even know if JOkafor will be in the NBA next year.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Is anybody watching this? The Cavs are playing great, but the officiating is atrocious. So in the bag for Cleveland. Lebron had two “blocks” in a two minute stretch, where he got zero ball, 100% arm. No foul call. The ridiculous ESPN announcers said “that’s how you play defense”. Please. He’s benefited from about 6 bad calls tonight, just Lebron.

 

[4UConn]

Is anybody watching this? The Cavs are playing great, but the officiating is atrocious. So in the bag for Cleveland. Lebron had two “blocks” in a two minute stretch, where he got zero ball, 100% arm. No foul call. The ridiculous ESPN announcers said “that’s how you play defense”. Please. He’s benefited from about 6 bad calls tonight, just Lebron.

I now remember why I stopped watching the NBA. There's just no excuse for this bad officiating. A strong case could be made it took the Celts out from the opening tipoff.

 

[the Q]

Is anybody watching this? The Cavs are playing great, but the officiating is atrocious. So in the bag for Cleveland. Lebron had two “blocks” in a two minute stretch, where he got zero ball, 100% arm. No foul call. The ridiculous ESPN announcers said “that’s how you play defense”. Please. He’s benefited from about 6 bad calls tonight, just Lebron.

Try that in a game 7....oh wait, 2010 actually did happen.

 

[the Q]

I now remember why I stopped watching the NBA. There's just no excuse for this bad officiating. A strong case could be made it took the Celts out from the opening tipoff.

The NBA encourages it.

See game 7 of the 2010 finals

 

[Robertelamin]

Glad I waited 4 days for this!

 

[intlzncster]

I mean, I agree with the above, but the C's might want to defend more than at least one 3pter. And that one Korver drained anyway.

D was soft as I've seen it.

 

[4UConn]

I mean, I agree with the above, but the C's might want to defend more than at least one 3pter. And that one Korver drained anyway.

D was soft as I've seen it.

Celts were complaining about moving screens the whole game. Cavs had a great shooting night also.

 

[methodology]

30 point loss has nothing to do with officiating. Celts didn't show up and then got shown up by the Cavs. Game 4 should be a good game

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Is anybody watching this? The Cavs are playing great, but the officiating is atrocious. So in the bag for Cleveland. Lebron had two “blocks” in a two minute stretch, where he got zero ball, 100% arm. No foul call. The ridiculous ESPN announcers said “that’s how you play defense”. Please. He’s benefited from about 6 bad calls tonight, just Lebron.

If one of the ones you’re talking about was the block on Baynes then you have it totally wrong. 100% a clean block.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If one of the ones you’re talking about was the block on Baynes then you have it totally wrong. 100% a clean block.

It is. All wrist. Just grazed the ball.

 

[methodology]

It is. All wrist. Just grazed the ball.

Talk about bias to the hundredth degree



All ball no if and or buts about it. The semi ojeleye block was 50/50

 

[the Q]

Talk about bias to the hundredth degree



All ball no if and or buts about it. The semi ojeleye block was 50/50

Half hand (not wrist), half ball.

The pierce block in game 7 2010 was way cleaner. It was contract because of Kobe’s followtheough adter a clean block.

 

[MadDogRevival]

It is. All wrist. Just grazed the ball.

Talk about bias to the hundredth degree



All ball no if and or buts about it. The semi ojeleye block was 50/50

Half hand (not wrist), half ball.

The pierce block in game 7 2010 was way cleaner. It was contract because of Kobe’s followtheough adter a clean block.

The only thing more incredible than that beautiful block by LeBron was the fact that the refs didn't instinctively blow the whistle.
Reffing in the NBA is a tough gig, and I've definitely seen games impacted immensely by iffy or blown calls.
That was a great no-call - he caught ball first, there was minimal contact on the hand (part of the ball), and there was no arm or body contact. Great block, great no-call.

 

[superjohn]

If one of the ones you’re talking about was the block on Baynes then you have it totally wrong. 100% a clean block.

I only watched about 2 minutes of the game and Lebron had a play where he fouled the hell out of Ojeleye at the rim and the announcers were talking about what an amazing block it was. They show the replay and it's Lebron clobbering the guy with both arms and the announcers say nothing.

NBA playoffs are a problem, way too many blowouts. It seems you have 50 point swings between home and away all the time.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I only watched about 2 minutes of the game and Lebron had a play where he fouled the hell out of Ojeleye at the rim and the announcers were talking about what an amazing block it was. They show the replay and it's Lebron clobbering the guy with both arms and the announcers say nothing.

NBA playoffs are a problem, way too many blowouts. It seems you have 50 point swings between home and away all the time.

That’s the second block I was talking about. Even worse than the first.

 

[the Q]

The only thing more incredible than that beautiful block by LeBron was the fact that the refs didn't instinctively blow the whistle.
Reffing in the NBA is a tough gig, and I've definitely seen games impacted immensely by iffy or blown calls.
That was a great no-call - he caught ball first, there was minimal contact on the hand (part of the ball), and there was no arm or body contact. Great block, great no-call.

Pierce’s block on Kobe was better...and called a foul.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Talk about bias to the hundredth degree



All ball no if and or buts about it. The semi ojeleye block was 50/50

Initial contact is with Baynes’ hand. Then he gets ball. Lebron would scream bloody murder if he didn’t draw a foul call if he was on offense there. Of course he wouldn’t have to. We saw that later when he complained and got a late whistle after he missed a layup where there was no foul.

 

[mauconnfan]

Talk about bias to the hundredth degree



All ball no if and or buts about it. The semi ojeleye block was 50/50

What are people looking at? It’s a foul you can’t hit the arm like that even after you got the ball. If you want to say tough call for the ref when it was live I’m good with that but to watch this and say good call is crazy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What are people looking at? It’s a foul you can’t hit the arm like that even after you got the ball. If you want to say tough call for the ref when it was live I’m good with that but to watch this and say good call is crazy.

Well he thinks this one is 50-50
LeBron James denies Semi Ojeleye on block in Game 3

 

[methodology]

Well he thinks this one is 50-50
LeBron James denies Semi Ojeleye on block in Game 3

I was watching in a bar that the first replay I've seen of that finely a foul. The baynes no way a foul

 

[methodology]

What are people looking at? It’s a foul you can’t hit the arm like that even after you got the ball. If you want to say tough call for the ref when it was live I’m good with that but to watch this and say good call is crazy.

 

[superjohn]

Initial contact is with Baynes’ hand. Then he gets ball. Lebron would scream bloody murder if he didn’t draw a foul call if he was on offense there. Of course he wouldn’t have to. We saw that later when he complained and got a late whistle after he missed a layup where there was no foul.

That wasn't a foul but the mugging on Ojeleye would have gotten Lebron charged with a sexual assault if it happened in the street.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I was watching in a bar that the first replay I've seen of that finely a foul. The baynes no way a foul

I didn't quite follow the innovative use of language, but, oddly, I understood it and felt warmed.

 

[the Q]

I was watching in a bar that the first replay I've seen of that finely a foul. The baynes no way a foul

Watch the forearm to forearm contact. I just broke it down by frame. There's 100% forearm on forearm contact.

You're right about the hand/ball thing. But it's also one of the 5 dumbest rules in basketball.