..the conference finals are upon us. With Game 7 btwn Philly and ATL (the last of the semi-finals matchups) on deck, anything can happen.

We watched as Brooklyn came up short against a determined Milwaukee team trying to prove it has what it takes to contend. Durant & company left it all on the floor. After gambling so much this year, what happens to that roster moving forward?

*Also: Chris Paul (Covid protocol) and Kawhi Leonard (ACL) ruled out for the start of the WCF against the Clippers. How will each team adjust to high stakes without their floor generals?

Let's go!



*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Church Shoes can keep his magic going

It’s the process, isn’t it...? Has to be

I’m not even going to post a link or swipe

But...describing Collins’ actions as pushing Embiid off of him
Not mentioning the kick
or Trae pushing Embiid from behind...
is so on brand for the bias I’ve seen against my team
Did Migos write the press release?

Just close your eyes to everything else that happened on that play

= Embiid fined for ‘pursuing Collins in an unsportsmanlike manner’

https://i.redd.it/xzdtdcluv4671.jpg

If a picture’s worth a thousand words...that’s worth $35K

WTF!?

He walked down Collins. That was it, and he wasn’t the instigator of the incident.
Collins sparked that situation with a punch. He should have been the one fined.

Hopefully, Embid appeals the fine.

I’m here for it. Think it’ll be really fun.

Their entire staring lineup shoots 40 percent from 3

Bev shoots 39 percent from 3

Kennard


Those dudes can bomb....only team that could keep up with UTAh’s
three point shooting.

And without Kawhi, they play even better.....everybody gets touches.

Post Achilles, down so many players, and playing that many minutes was just incredible. He was a cheat code for the Warriors, but he was just an absolute killer this whole series. Shame that shot was like half an inch from being a series clincher.

pretty amazing display of shooting from both teams

He is going to be needed more on defense this series. No one else can hang.
Bev and rondo were getting torched....

And you can’t put George on him...need his energy on offense.
Jackson is needed for offense,too...but could be a second defensive
option.

Batum is needed to help guard Ayton and the paint ...

Mann is going to be the main defender to make him work....he will not
stop Booker....but just to make it as tough as possible.

https://images.app.goo.gl/YjJ2mnWxkd544afh8

It's high time to start respecting this squad.

Booker in particular.

Lue needs to make some simple adjustments. Can’t have Rondo
guarding Booker. Throw that out. Mann seems to be the best option,
and then jackson.

And Boogie can’t get into foul trouble. But if Marcus is seriously hurt,
that will be major issue.

Suns needed a Hercules effort from Booker to win, so clips just have to keep
doing what they have been doing....balling.

.

.

you already hit him in the head, which can happen anytime, but that push was extra and stupid.

.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/o4kzw1/career_over/

.

Getting hard to defend his playoff record outside of the 2008-2010 Celtics. And i LOVE Doc

>Getting hard to defend his playoff record outside of the
>2008-2010 Celtics. And i LOVE Doc

The way they blew at least 2 winnable games before that is on Doc too.

Fun to see the young stars shine.

I had no clue he was able to create his offense the way he did in that game. I thought he was mainly a catch and shoot player.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSLLJgByPTUnErr794_h7Tn8U6rLaiO4vLqNA&usqp=CAU

in your primary ballhandler was not an effective process

all of them.

I feel like the Hawks might steal one in Milwaukee, but then Bucks will take control

>I feel like the Hawks might steal one in Milwaukee, but then
>Bucks will take control

In the half court when Ben is on the court

.

But he also made the most costly TO of the game, went 0-12 the other game, and really did some blame worthy shit too. This is a bad look for him.

Ben is useless on offense and especially useless in big playoff games when you need him most (LOL @ Doc giving him a pass for not being aggressive).

And Doc SMH...Maybe Paul George was right. LOL. You see what the Clips and PG are doing with a legit capable coach though.

It should be painfully obvious to anyone who’s watched Simmons and the Sixers over the past 3 seasons, that this series was uniquely bad for Ben. It’s not at all reflective of the player he’s primarily been in Philly. His Achilles heel is well documented, but he’s still a highly gifted player who can contribute in many ways and can be an all-star caliber player in the right environment. It should be obvious that he’s struggling mentally. His play will cost him financially and his reputation will take a huge hit.

Some of the hate is just overboard - from both Sixers fans and the outside. By all accounts, he’s seems like a genuinely good guy. He sucks at shooting and has confidence issues. Okay. Hopefully he works through it and comes out on top.

>It should be painfully obvious to anyone who’s watched
>Simmons and the Sixers over the past 3 seasons, that this
>series was uniquely bad for Ben. It’s not at all reflective
>of the player he’s primarily been in Philly. His Achilles
>heel is well documented, but he’s still a highly gifted
>player who can contribute in many ways and can be an all-star
>caliber player in the right environment. It should be obvious
>that he’s struggling mentally. His play will cost him
>financially and his reputation will take a huge hit.
>
>Some of the hate is just overboard - from both Sixers fans and
>the outside. By all accounts, he’s seems like a genuinely
>good guy. He sucks at shooting and has confidence issues.
>Okay. Hopefully he works through it and comes out on top.

He put up a 1pt game vs BOS a couple of years ago
It’s not an issue unique to the ATL matchup
He was deferring with Ish Smith guarding him
He turtles in the offs every year.

The reason folks are so vocal is because every issue that was evident vs ATL, was called out vs WAS
HC told us...you don’t know bball
...’only in Philly’...
Celebrate him
etc

We know 15 assists and 15 rebounds isn’t going to get it done as the competition gets harder in subsequent rounds...when Ben’s only scoring 6 points

I don’t care if he’s Ghandi off the court

He needs to go.

After the epic collapse of game 5
Ben responded with 2 of the worst games of his career
That’s on him and the organization

If he can’t take the valid criticism...he shouldn’t be in the NBA.

>He put up a 1pt game vs BOS a couple of years ago
>It’s not an issue unique to the ATL matchup
>He was deferring with Ish Smith guarding him
>He turtles in the offs every year.
>
>The reason folks are so vocal is because every issue that was
>evident vs ATL, was called out vs WAS
>HC told us...you don’t know bball
>...’only in Philly’...
>Celebrate him
>etc
>
>We know 15 assists and 15 rebounds isn’t going to get it
>done as the competition gets harder in subsequent
>rounds...when Ben’s only scoring 6 points
>
>I don’t care if he’s Ghandi off the court
>
>He needs to go.
>
>After the epic collapse of game 5
>Ben responded with 2 of the worst games of his career
>That’s on him and the organization
>
>If he can’t take the valid criticism...he shouldn’t be in
>the NBA.

if he flames out in the playoffs year after year and refuses to work to improve his glaring weaknesses?

You have guys busting their ass year in and year out to get better. Ben is just content getting by. I have no idea how anyone could excuse that and act like people are picking on poor ol Ben.

We aren't talking about a role player. He's a max contract guy who people are asking not to be a complete liability when the games actually count.

It's cool that he's an All-star caliber player in the regular season and helps contribute to the good home record Philly typically has the last few years. But that's obviously not enough for a team that has championship aspirations.

It's not "hate" to point out the consequences of his underachievement. Even his coach and his best teammate are alluding to it.

It’s been 5 years now. Enough.


>It should be painfully obvious to anyone who’s watched
>Simmons and the Sixers over the past 3 seasons, that this
>series was uniquely bad for Ben. It’s not at all reflective
>of the player he’s primarily been in Philly. His Achilles
>heel is well documented, but he’s still a highly gifted
>player who can contribute in many ways and can be an all-star
>caliber player in the right environment. It should be obvious
>that he’s struggling mentally. His play will cost him
>financially and his reputation will take a huge hit.
>
>Some of the hate is just overboard - from both Sixers fans and
>the outside. By all accounts, he’s seems like a genuinely
>good guy. He sucks at shooting and has confidence issues.
>Okay. Hopefully he works through it and comes out on top.

When you look around the post GSW NBA, you see all sorts of characters who can now make open shots.

Remember Boston Rondo? Compare that to now Rondo. Dude can and will drain open shots. Deep threes. All of that. Clearly he did something to make this the case. Add me to the people who want to see Ben Simmons do something about his ridiculously bad shooting and self-check/unwillingness to shoot. It’s not like he has a weakness that’s hard to detect. And again…Rondo. This is a horrible time in history to not be willing/able to shoot. He’s gotta fix it and that’s all there is to it.

>It’s been 5 years now. Enough.
>
>
>>It should be painfully obvious to anyone who’s watched
>>Simmons and the Sixers over the past 3 seasons, that this
>>series was uniquely bad for Ben. It’s not at all
>reflective
>>of the player he’s primarily been in Philly. His Achilles
>>heel is well documented, but he’s still a highly gifted
>>player who can contribute in many ways and can be an
>all-star
>>caliber player in the right environment. It should be
>obvious
>>that he’s struggling mentally. His play will cost him
>>financially and his reputation will take a huge hit.
>>
>>Some of the hate is just overboard - from both Sixers fans
>and
>>the outside. By all accounts, he’s seems like a genuinely
>>good guy. He sucks at shooting and has confidence issues.
>>Okay. Hopefully he works through it and comes out on top.
>

above the FT line and was able to roam and basically play free safety

You’re right, but Rondo NEVER had the fear Ben had in this series. He was taking those open 3s even in 2010

acting like Ben Simmons is trash and not the premier perimeter defender in the league and DPOY runner-up is comical. Yes he has some offensive issues but you can't ignore what he does on the other side of the ball.
He was one of the main reasons Tre was 5 for 23.

>acting like Ben Simmons is trash and not the premier
>perimeter defender in the league and DPOY runner-up is
>comical. Yes he has some offensive issues but you can't ignore
>what he does on the other side of the ball.



talk about an understatement.


>He was one of the main reasons Tre was 5 for 23.


he's also the reason they lost. not sure if you watched the game, but he passed up a wide-open dunk to tie the game at 88. he doesn't TRY to score in a PLAYOFF game.

he is IRRELEVANT.

the Sixers had the best record in the East, not Brooklyn, not Milwaukee, with Benjamin David Simmons, Defensive Player of the Year runner up as their starting point guard.

>the Sixers had the best record in the East, not Brooklyn, not
>Milwaukee, with Benjamin David Simmons, Defensive Player of
>the Year runner up as their starting point guard.



you cant hide a players offensive inability en route to a championship like the pistons did with ben wallace...and even with ben wallace and his atrocious free throw shooting, at least he played aggressive and went for putbacks and easy bunnies.




straight from Embids mouth....

“We just got to look at ourselves and see what we can do better individually,” Embiid said. “We gotta help each other, even if that means being outside of your comfort zone as far as to help the team win. Meaning that if you gotta space and shoot it, you gotta do it. We need everybody to buy into that. We’ll be fine. We’re gonna be fine. We’re still finding our groove. We haven’t been totally healthy, the whole starting lineup. Like I said, we’ll be fine.”



dude is BEGGING for a point guard that can step up and knock down big shots when needed. I feel so bad for him

>you cant hide a players offensive inability en route to a
>championship like the pistons did with ben wallace...and even
>with ben wallace and his atrocious free throw shooting, at
>least he played aggressive and went for putbacks and easy
>bunnies.

he's not the starting point guard. this league is heavy on guards guards bringing the ball up and shooting at a high percentage. Simmons is unable to shoot, so he sticks out of the pack in a bad way.

he might grow and get better and folks aren't saying he can't. people are wishing he had already.

and is FAR more gifted offensively than Ben Wallace ever was



>>you cant hide a players offensive inability en route to a
>>championship like the pistons did with ben wallace...and
>even
>>with ben wallace and his atrocious free throw shooting, at
>>least he played aggressive and went for putbacks and easy
>>bunnies.
>

And you poo pood Curry being top 3 in MVP so…

>And you poo pood Curry being top 3 in MVP so…

I'm not sure what your argument is here

When you didn’t care that “right today” Curry is top 3 in MVP?

https://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2738268&mesg_id=2738268&page=#2738412

NOW you care about awards voting as a qualifier?

coaches would kill to have that dude on their team.

Unfortunately, that might be what it takes.

i wish everyone would shut the hell up about his defensive prowess.

if he was that dominant, those leads would have swelled to 30 and 20 points instead of two losses

Not a coincidence that Doc’s arrival resulted in a dip in Ben’s efficiency this year. Everything that resulted in Tobias’s ascent hurt Ben imo. Tobias going off the bounce more, posting up more, shooting 3s off the catch less. He’s been efficient individually, but it’s to the detriment of Ben and thus the Sixers offense as a whole.

The recipe always should’ve been Simmons, three shooters, and Embiid. But Doc just doesn’t want to play Simmons like that. Not to quote Ben Detrick for the second time in two posts, but:

“ There is an inclination to blame Simmons’ dimmed brilliance on contemporized euphemisms about wanting it more—a crisis of “confidence” or a deficiency of “aggressiveness”—but he is not a quixotic riddle. If you clear the lane and give Simmons the ball, he will play like a superstar. Use him as a screener and traditional post player a la Brandon Bass or Big Baby Davis, and he will not. Sixers’ executive Daryl Morey has suggested on several occasions that the team could deploy Simmons as a heliotropic point-center, which hints at why he acquired deadly spot-up shooters like Curry, Green, and George Hill. “There’s a chance to play really unique, uptempo, sort of spacing, shooting lineups ,” Morey said after last November’s draft. For whatever reason, they have not.”

So now, since Doc seemed disinterested in playing this way, there’s really no reason to keep Simmons. They should prob just deal him. Then, when a new team maximizes his unique skill set, the Sixers fans rabid that he’s the fault will realize “oh, maybe we should’ve used him differently.”

Point C doesn’t work when our franchise player MVP candidate is a true C
Ben absolutely can work as a smallball 5
That opportunity isn’t possible here

IMO, he can work on a team without a traditional starting PG and premier perimeter players
i.e. BOS, LAC, DAL, TOR...

How does any of that explain a career 60%FT shooter becoming a 30%FT shooter with 0 FG attempts in the 4th quarter

Did you see the passed up dunk with 3 mins to play?

That’s not on anyone else and has nothing to do with anything else outside of Ben’s head.

It’s unclear if it’s lack of confidence, lack of desire, whatever… but there’s a lack of something. Because Simmons is an *elite* finisher who chose not to finish for reasons unknown there. He’s in his head about something. And I think it’s fair to conclude that a season of being used sub optimally has led to… whatever this is.

So it may just be better to start fresh, unless Doc does some serious off-season tinkering (which he won’t).

Dude refuses to improve his most glaring weakness.


This isn't hard. No need to psycho analyze it and/or blame Doc Rivers.

Doc deserves a lot of blame for the meltdowns...but not for Simmons not working on his game for years.

a super star contract while enabling his passive approach to shooting and contributing more on offense. Remember when BB promised Ben would take at least one 3point attempt every game?? Lol.

Doc has only been his coach for 1 season so I can’t put much on him, though I don’t think Doc had a good feel for the team outside of Embiid, Tobi, and Curry.

He's being taken to task for a rather significant shortcoming for a player of his stature, after a game 7 where he took, what, four shots?

I don't see the party there.

It's not like he's got rings and had a bad series/bad night.

This is a recurring issue. People are taking note.

Nobody is happy- at least not in the national media, that I've seen- about it.

From what I can tell, people are frustrated with him, and/or simply saying, he's underperforming, or isn't the guy we all thought he was, or variants of that.

It's cool to defend him, but to portray the response here as "partying" is wildly off base, IMO.

fried and will be the butt of a lot of jokes/memes for the foreseeable future. On quick glance, I’d argue that there’s a least one or more posters who definitely seem to enjoy pointing out his shortcomings. Regardless, the point isn’t to stick up for Ben. It’s simply pointing out that he’s not as terrible of a player that many will make him out to be. Yes, his deficiencies are augmented in the playoffs and Yes, he’s not a good fit on the Sixers with the way the team is currently constructed and coached. That’s not at all to absolve Ben from his dismal postseason play. He’s got issues that he has to sort out. I’m not going to pretend that I have any clue as to what they specifically are, but something is definitely off and his confidence has cratered. It’s not like the guy doesn’t practice shooting and doesn’t want to be great at basketball.

I know. summer league.

But it’s such a contrast to the guy you see now. Something is clearly wrong mentally

https://twitter.com/thehoopcentral/status/1406688970298200064?s=21

>I know. summer league.
>
>But it’s such a contrast to the guy you see now. Something
>is clearly wrong mentally
>
>https://twitter.com/thehoopcentral/status/1406688970298200064?s=21

definitely something mental that should have been addressed a while ago

this is the second player who went to Philly and stopped shooting.

listening to WIP in noise cancelation headphones is a bad idea.

>this is the second player who went to Philly and stopped
>shooting.

Flash forward 3 years and he was 25/73 (34%). Clearly he’s regressed, but this doesn’t mean it’s his fate. He’s on record saying he’s gotta “clear his mind and get his mental right.” Hopefully he’s able to do that and be open to constructive criticism - wherever he lands. I personally feel he can grow and become a better player in the right environment.

I personally enjoying watching what he does defensively as much as anything else he does on the court.

And there’s so much that he does on the court for dudes to be talking this way

Like, the way he played this series. It was just so ... bad.
I dunno what it's gonna take for him to turn it around. It was like watching a worse version of Drummond sometimes

https://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2738257&mesg_id=2738257&page=3#2738731

He is a professional NBA player getting paid millions to play the game of basketball,
and he is 100 percent responsible for what he can and cannot do on the basketball court.

The PG position is possibly the most important position on the court,
because the PG is the main ball handler, and is responsible for directing the
offense on the court. So it is almost impossible for a PG to hide any deficiencies
that he may have. Either the PG improves on what he cannot do, or another
PG is brought in to lead the team and push the offense.

Ben Simmons has a decision to make, either he corrects his shooting incapabilities
to become an all-around player, or he continues to be a liability on the court
regardless of who he plays for.

Rajon Rondo is now a 40pct 3 point shooter. He was a player who shot 20pct from
3, and was a terrible shooter from midrange as well. But over the years he worked
on his shooting so that he could be less of a liability in crunch time situations. No
special strategies were created for him, and he didn’t need to be part of a specific
lineup. He simplify improved his shooting.

Same thing happened with Jason Kidd...He went from horrific to one of the best 3pt
shooters in the league later on in his career.

Simmons has been in the league far too long to be this bad. It’s not cute anymore,
and his inability alone is preventing the sixers from getting to the NBA championship.

It’s all on him.

However, I’ll take him. Send Zach to Philly and Chicago takes Ben. Donovan
can fix him, and that gives the Bulls outstanding defense and PG play in the
backcourt.

White can go to the SG position, because he is a scoring guard.

Simmons/White/Williams/Young/Vucevic

And for Philly

Maxey/Lavine/Green/Harris/Embid

>He is a professional NBA player getting paid millions to play
>the game of basketball,
>and he is 100 percent responsible for what he can and cannot
>do on the basketball court.

#1 is irrelevant.

#2 is just plain stupid, particularly in a team game with a coach who dictates a fair amount of how people are used on a given team.

He's getting deservedly fried for the portion of this that's his fault, but to say that he's "100 percent responsible for what he can and can't do on the basketball court" is dumb as rocks.

There's such a thing as a bad fit, and it's crystal clear that that's a factor here, at least on the offensive end.

But yeah, that horrible opening salvo makes it hard to even read whatever else you wrote.

Then every basketball team in the league is a bad fit. You don’t make any sense.

As a player, especially as a pg, you have to be able to shoot and hit free throws
, because the pg is the main ball handler. It’s equivalent to a QB who
can’t throw down the field, because the QB is the main ball handler.

This is an issue of SKILLSET, not offensive scheme. So it is 100 percent
on him. This is why players work on their game, to improve on what they are
not good at, so they can be complete basketball players.

The greatest players who played the game mastered both sides of the ball.
With your type of thinking, he will never get better as a shooter.

Either he takes full responsibility of his issue and work on his shooting, or
he will continue to be an incomplete player.

Giannis took full responsibility and goes out there and WORKS...he gives a concentrated effort. Ben needs to do the same.

per Sixers beat writers and insiders...Elton Brand and the organization have tried numerous times to get him to work with various shooting coach (Herb McGee being the most famous) and this dude refuses to put in the work to IMPROVE his skill set

Imagine what Kobe would have said about Ben Simmons lol


>>He is a professional NBA player getting paid millions to
>play
>>the game of basketball,
>>and he is 100 percent responsible for what he can and cannot
>>do on the basketball court.
>

But he's a bad fit for his team, and he's not being utilized in a way that plays to his strengths.

That dunk shit was egregious.

And i"m not going to sit here and arrogantly dole out percentage points, but to say an NBA player is 100 percent responsible for what they can or cannot do on a basketball court is flat out ignorant.

Fact is, he's not there yet. Maybe he'll never get there, who knows.

But he plays on a team, with a coach, and there's a gameplan. If he can't shoot and he's a liability on the free throw line, it's up to the coach to make those adjustments.

Doc can't shoot those free throws for him, and Doc can't make him dunk that ball. But Doc can switch up the game plan to play to his strengths.

So even if that 100% comment "fits the narrative", it's still
wrong.

it's not as though i'm saying Ben doesn't have the lions share of the blame here.

>But he's a bad fit for his team, and he's not being utilized
>in a way that plays to his strengths.


you CANNOT be a guard in this league and not be able to shoot the ball. Absolutely impossible.

he can find work as a serviceable swing SF who can play lockdown defense and come off the bench but at that price? good luck


He's basically Stromile Swift, w less tenacity . sad. . also another LSU product. No wonder Shaq is so ashamed on TNT

edit, he can still change though. if you watch his HS tape, he was shooting pretty well, (he was teammates with Dangelo Russell)

hes young enough but time is running out, and it has definitely run out in Philadelphia w THAT fanbase

comparison. All comparisons can stop and end with the LSU connection.

Yeah I'll just pass on that and not entertain it at all

>Yeah I'll just pass on that and not entertain it at all


Thank you so much . I was worried I’d be drawn into a long back and forth with your unstable ass

>I was worried I’d be drawn into a long
>back and forth with your unstable ass

If you were stable, you wouldn't worry about being drawn into a back and forth with anyone.

Because stable people are able to decide where and when to just KIM.

Further, stable people don't tend to take those sorts of cheap shots. But you sure did :)

Conversely, I kept my shot well within the bounds of the subject at hand- but you immediately took the personal leap.

Your comment says a *lot* more about you and your character than it does about me.

I may entertain you after all, because a guy like you, who says shit like that, will wind up saying all kinds of unstable shit in the course of a long back and forth.

All I know is you're a Lakers fan

But I didn't mean it as a personal slight...I dont think anyone is stable tbh

Have a nice day


>>I was worried I’d be drawn into a long
>>back and forth with your unstable ass
>
>If you were stable, you wouldn't worry about being drawn into
>a back and forth with anyone.
>
>Because stable people are able to decide where and when to
>just KIM.
>
>Further, stable people don't tend to take those sorts of cheap
>shots. But you sure did :)
>
>Conversely, I kept my shot well within the bounds of the
>subject at hand- but you immediately took the personal leap.
>
>Your comment says a *lot* more about you and your character
>than it does about me.
>
>I may entertain you after all, because a guy like you, who
>says shit like that, will wind up saying all kinds of unstable
>shit in the course of a long back and forth.

FYI, I wasn't offended, because I know how misplaced those sorts of comments are. Were it some specific personal issue, I'd have reacted differently.

And while I made a dick comment and expected a dick comment in return, I'm a firm believer that jabs at people's mental are a no go, and I think calling someone "unstable" fits that bill.

It's also a bad look. FYI, at this point I'm just expounding on the subject, not lambasting you over it. Frankly, I think the subject is worth discussing around here, at least as much as basketball games and players.

All in all, at best, it's just a bad look for the person who says it.

At worst, iif the recipient of the comment is actually unstable, then that's a really low tact for the person who says it, because whatever that instability is, it's likely outside of their control, and is now being exploited, and likely exacerbated.

If they aren't, it's a generic cheap shot and if it's not the lowest hanging fruit there is, it's on the same branch.

Then, of course, we get back to the even playing field: Maybe we just don't be dicks at all, and everyone is the better for it. But sometimes that fair game kick mudslinging looks to good to pass up.

Whatever the case, as I said in the header, i'll take you at your word as far as intent.

I hate the Sixers and your whole “Process”. That shit was an insult to basketball.

Evan Turner at point guard would be an upgrade for you guys now lmfao

I remember Bomb and few other Sixers fans clowning him because he wasn’t remotely as good as advertised. Though he never was able to play up to expectations as a #2 overall pick, he seems like a good guy who has a bright future as a coach.

I follow and support the Sixers, but they’re my #2 behind the Spurs (Admiral was my favorite player growing up and I stuck with them). And I never was a fan of the Process. I understood the premise and potential rewards, but thought Hinkie was a bit extra with it. But let’s not pretend that other teams haven’t done the same thing to varying degrees.

If sensitive is calling out hyperbole, I’ll be that.

>If sensitive is calling out hyperbole, I’ll be that.


FIVE years. Zero improvement offensively and actual regression. He can still be "good", just not max contract worthy

*NOT for Zach. People on the internet are already saying "Ben for Zach" but that's obviously not going to happen. It's not even a conversation.

No idea how the Bulls could get Ben but maybe some combination of Lauri, a top-10 pick (top-3 protected), and whatever else they want on the roster minus Vuc and maybe Coby (Sixers already have decent shoot first guards).

Playmaking and defense are the biggest holes for the Bulls. Those are the (only) two things Ben can do. We need those things.

>No idea how the Bulls could get Ben

but it's not like we're talking about a guy who can shoot here. his contract is a potential liability at the moment. the sixers would be idiots if they expect all star value in return.

this is a unique situation. wouldn't be surprised if we see a unique and borderline desperate solution from the sixers.

But I do think someone makes a real play for him.

OKC could take a flyer and send Kemba, with little downside for themselves.

I think someone comes to the table with something better than a bag of dicks.

>his contract is a potential liability

he's on a MAX deal, in order for a trade work out the salaries you're sending back, regardless of talent, have to be close to equal under the NBA cap rules.

And I don't think the Sixers are as "desperate" as people make them out to be. Its not like they didn't have the best record in the East with non-shooting Ben starting at point guard.

Zach ain’t re-signing with Bulls. It’s already out on the street, and the trade
tremendously helps both teams. No trade will be better than this. Zach is in the final season of his contract, so he can walk at the end of next season to get a more
lucrative deal as a FA.


The only reason Zach returned to the Bulls is because the Bulls matched what the Kings offered him. He was a restricted agent at the time....He tested the market for a reason.

Let’s get this bullshit over with. Donovan wants to move on from Zach. Its clear as day.
Move White to the 2 and put Ben in at the PG. Bulls have to trade Zach now or he is
going to walk.

>Zach ain’t re-signing with Bulls. It’s already out on the
>street,
>The only reason Zach returned to the Bulls is because the
>Bulls matched what the Kings offered him.
>Let’s get this bullshit over with. Donovan wants to move on
>from Zach. Its clear as day.

All of this stuff you just typed is based on whatever random speculation you found on the internet. Speculation and/or opinion that just happens to justify your anti-Zach stance.

There is no reality where you trade an efficient 27ppg+ scorer who is still improving his all around game (he had a positive defensive RPM this year) for a guy with a Draymond Green ceiling. A ceiling that may or may not be realized.

This shouldn't have to be said, but you don't do this trade unless you can pair Zach's shooting and elite offensive game with Ben's intangibles.

and has yet to sign a contract extension. THINK.

As reported, he will turn down all contract extensions to become
a FA to get a huge deal. So if they don’t trade him, HE WILL WALK.

I mean wtf? You don’t read the news?

It’s the Celtic’s Gordon Hayward situation. He turned down extensions and
walked straight to the Hornets for a huge deal.


“reported by A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report, he’s expected to refute any and all extension attempts this summer, with eyes on becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2022:

That’s why rival executives anticipate the Bulls will try to lock up LaVine with a contract extension (he will make $19.5 million this season and next) but know he’ll likely let his deal lapse, become an unrestricted free agent and sign what will be a more lucrative multiyear max pact.”


Dude, it’s like your fascination with Werner, I told you he was trash....
this is similar Lavine will get traded or he will walk....its a business issue.

This is why Ben for Zach has to happen....or for some other possible top PG before
he walks.

This upcoming season will be Lavine’s last season as a Bull.He wants to get
paid, and he will get the most money as a FA, which is why he has yet to sign
an extension and he will not sign one.

Not my problem you two don’t realize that, even though has been reported
SEVERAL times.

I will come back and say I told you so....just like the shitty Vucevic trade you guys
were hyping.

Here are the PG KC said the Bulls could be going after:

Lonzo Ball
Dennis Schröder
Spencer Dinwiddie
Jalen Brunson

Granted, I don't think Johnson isn't as plugged into this new front office like he was with John Paxson and Gar Foreman. So honestly, nobody knows what AK and Marc are going to do.

Same knee as the quad injury that had him out for a couple of seasons

If past behavior predicts future behavior

He's gone.

https://www.nba.com/news/suns-have-no-update-on-chris-pauls-status-for-game-2

this seems off. Lebron was out partying and cleared to play.

and the stands are packed so I just can’t understand why dude is still out.

>this seems off. Lebron was out partying and cleared to play.
>
>
>and the stands are packed so I just can’t understand why
>dude is still out.

he tested positive for COVID-19 and apparently is still testing positive. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

Even though you are vaccinated you can still catch and transmit COVID you are just less likely to get sick.

Maybe he shouldn't have climbed in the stands to hug his family after sweeping Denver.

Even tough some folks are having mask burning parties precautions still have to be taken.

https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1406818940089769988

The reality is that many vaccinated people may be unknowingly walking around with symptomless covid. That is how this works. Only reason we're seeing positive tests in athletes and entertainers is because they are tested regularly.

This should be obvious but it seems to need repeating.

The writers are working overtime for twists and turns

.

as many as possible.

Let’s put these dudes on a stick!!

6 straight possessions. 3 point shots,

And you’re down 3 with 5 mins in the game...why?

Are they scared of contact?

Shits ridiculous

I mean you’re looking for what’s right or “the truth” and the truth is the ball had contact with bookers hand last

The guy who knocks the ball out of an offensive players hand often is NOT the one who contacts the ball last. Pre slo mo replay this was never a question.

This rule has never really been clarified and refined but there is a gray area here when you start saying “intent” to knock ball out and away

Suns got a free timeout to create that play. Total bullshit.

I’ve never seen anybody try it so I just assumed.
Anywhere else on the court you catch a ball over the cylinder it’s a goaltend even if you meant to throw a pass.

Learned something new

So it isn’t a “fake timeout”

I have to say Ty Lue, even in losses, is making a believer out of me. he's got the Clippers at least getting OFF the bullshit, and this is with no Kawhi.

4 reviews? great execution and probably poor defense on that out of bounds lob play. PG missing 2 FTs. the kerfuffle about who should be on the floor at the end. LAC probably had no right to steal that one anyway

...man.

not picking Luka, being a real bad team soon after the pick, Ayton getting suspended

and now look at them

and to think CP3 will eventually return.

>
But in the context of that play, that pass was EVERYTHING. That shit was money €€€€€€££££¥¥¥$$$$

Also easier to do when you have shoulders like he does lol

Down 0-2.

Clips should be up 2-0. It’s cool...let’s roll.

..somebody inform PG lol.

Scrappy game.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Both doing such exceptional work.

I wouldn’t be mad at the Suns winning it all - but healthy, the Clippers run them in 6 probably.

That game was sort of a must have but we’ve seen the 0-2 Clippers a couple tomes now.

I wouldn't count the Clippers out just yet. Even when Chris Paul comes back.

I think the Clippers have way more talent depth than the Suns. The difference is, obviously, that Monty is getting the most out of his talent and Lue is not.

I said on Twitter at the start of the playoffs that I liked the Suns’ chances to go to the WCF and beyond, and I liked them to beat the Clippers in a head-to-head matchup. If they get CP3 back for next game, they could win in 5 or even 4 imo. Against the team with the deeper talent roster! Because the Suns just get so much more out of their guys. They play as such a well-oiled machine this year.

I love Booker and Ayton.
Monty is amazing.
CP3 having this year on this team rules.
Payne is nice.
Hell, Jae’s jabs at Bron were funny as shit.

I hope they do it.

after PG choked off his FT's the Clippers were still up 1, Phoenix brought the ball down and they forced Booker to give up the ball and it went to I think Bridges in the corner and he missed, the Clippers had their small lineup in and didn't secure the rebound or the game would've been over, instead it was another review play that gave Phoenix a free timeout to set up the game winner

Playoff P gotta knock those down.

The misses were bad, absolutely…but he’s been showing out since Kawhi went down

Clipps better figure something out.

Put him up there with Spencer Dimwiddie, Daniel Gafford, Wendell Carter...

I’m going to follow the Chicago Sky ...fock it. They balling. Dope jerseys too

...oh, I don't know, THIS Cam Payne is more mature and a better overall player than the Cam Payne we had 3 years ago?

>...oh, I don't know, THIS Cam Payne is more mature and a
>better overall player than the Cam Payne we had 3 years ago?

he was *really* bad with us. and he got plenty of opportunities to show something.

Boogie almost launched his ass from the court to the locker room too.

and probably never will.

He's great scorer, that's it and that's all.

The reference is obvious because of his offensive skillset and on and off court demeanor.

>The reference is obvious because of his offensive skillset
>and on and off court demeanor.
>

he can score, that's it and that's all.

2020 in the bubble winning under unprecedented circumstances (social justice struggles, height of global pandemic, playing in isolation from fam/friends/society etc..) to where it was a mental challenge of the likes the game has never seen.

In 2020 - a lot of teams dealt with injury from the abrupt changes/stop & go nature of the season. in 2021, the excess mileage in a short span of time is catching up to virtually every team - and has sidelined the lion-share of the game's superstars at one point or another, sometimes leading to premature playoff exits of elite teams (Brooklyn, Lakers, Utah, Philly all gone - with injuries to stars as the culprit).

Milwaukee (save for DiVincenzo) has been the only elite team to endure and weather the storms to come out largely injury-free, which is a testament to Giannis and his disciplined approach to the game.

It'd be a nice story for a small-market team and a redemptive one for Giannis who has had frustrating early playoff exits over the past few years, despite being a two-time MVP and the arguably the game's most dominant two-way player.

It's literally been survivalist-mode for the past two years.
-->

I know he’s been great at high volume his first seasons, but Nate has him leading at a whole new level. A complete level-up from “terrific young high-volume offensive talent” to “uhhhhh holy shit.”

I hope Trae's and Ayton's development helps people see that drafting them ahead of Luka wasn't as devastating of a choice to the Hawks and Suns as the early returns said.

Yes, Luka's a step ahead but all three teams are relatively satisfied with their choice.

And there's no reason to believe it won't continue for the foreseeable future.

I'm sure both franchises are perfectly content with their picks at this point. Who knows how those teams turn out running a Luka-ball-dominant offense.

Meanwhile, Luka's organization is imploding and there's no guarantee they'll ever right the ship or that Luka will stay there.

dude should be getting smoked in the papers right now

Trae>>>>>>>>>>Luka

by a country mile.

Benched all 2nd half after being productive when he was on the court.

and can hit threes.

Pat is cool, but no way should he be the one to take that shot.

Holiday was hitting threes all game long....

>Benched all 2nd half after being productive when he was on
>the court.

DBook too

I slept on trae. But I knew Booker would eventually blow up. Watching those Offseason pickup IG clips with him always felt different. You could see the guy intentionally working on parts of his game.

Remember him complaining to Joakim Noah about the double teams in an “open gym”?

https://youtu.be/QmES1-rb7og


It was misunderstood at the time. Looking back you can see the hunger and a guy obviously trying to get better

Ben Simmons is in it taking turnaround fade-away
jump shots...

I think it would actually position the NBA better for the future with those 2 exciting young backcourt stars being showcased on such a big stage too.

I mean, I'm no analyst I don't really think about the game that hard I just watch and enjoy...


...that said in my mind w/out thinking TOO hard (LOL) they almost feel like somewhat mirror images as far as how they are built and how they run their stuff, giving a bit of an edge IMO to Phoenix's talent.

He won't accumulate the same eye-popping empty stats.

But he knows how to lead a team to wins in close games and doesn't fade as the game wears on.

In the end, he'll have a better track record of success. Obviously not a stretch right now, but he'll be in a (maybe multiple) finals and win a chip before Luka.

I'm not even sure Luka's teams improve that much year over year, or that Luka even stays there. Trae is gonna have ATL being competitive for a chip for a while.

https://twitter.com/FOS/status/1407712800080744459

For all of the "wokeness is killing the NBA" folks out there.

These young stars and the Nets-type superteams, whether you root for or against them, keep fans interested.

Since that myth has been thoroughly debunked, the "anti-woke" crowd is pivoting to saying the NBA is doing well because Lebron James isn't in the playoffs anymore. Lol.

https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1407660153286049793

>

I blame Kanye.

I just told my wife I might have to drop something on some tickets if it happens lol

Never seen them play like this.

now if he could make a layup

Mann, Beverly, George, and Rondo

Clippers should be up 3-0 in the series.

And Zubak can make Ayton work

He’s out here making it personal against Book. If the Clips win this series, he might be the series MVP.

Dude be looking like a genetically engineered bioweapon sometimes.

to run down hill and finish at the rim.

He'd be unstoppable. And I mean that.

"do i let him take this open three? should i foul him?"

right now it's andre drummond-style dismissive hand waves when giannis is taking threes and low murmuring and eye rolls when he's at the FT line. even a step above that will make him nearly unstoppable. i don't think he ever gets there though because his form is irreparably damaged and his routine at the FT is untenable

Blowing this series.

Dude just dribbles the clock out and clanks a fadeaway or three

.

.

lol, surprised he didn't get T'd up

.

.

which is much quicker than NFL or EPL.

.

.

They would have had to dribble down court with 3 seconds and make a three

with the way he coached at the end.

What he did is legal, but it just isn’t real basketball.....nobody wants to see that

The intentionally fouling while leading...don’t respect that

Hack a Shaq and all of that....and this ain’t college. This is the pros.

You play the game through. Took 15 mins to end 14 seconds.

Fouling while leading is not real BB to me.


People want to see straight up BB down to the last shot, last second...imagine that
being a thing, there would not have been game winners by Jordan, DAME, etc...

Your offense against my defense, my defense against
your offense.

And PHX was up by 3

just lol

Clumps should have played better. Suns used strategy and it worked.

Its a legal strategy.

It’s just wack. He just kept doing over and over, and made for a shitty finish.
I feel the same way about zones in the NBA....I just like to see straight up
competition. You’re up 3 with 15 seconds. You know it’s going to be a last
second shot, D up.

It’s like JVG said..He didn’t really believe in that as a coach.

Who is losing respect for Monty?

Moreover, what is the tangible value of said respect, from those who have lost it?

They said he was vaccinated but that nigga been playing like he suffered through the symptomatic joint.

He was firing before his Covid sabbatical. I’m thrilled to see him go this deep, but when he’s playing this poorly it kind of takes the fun out of it in a way. I want to see him get a ring AND play at the Finals MVP level he’s be otherwise capable of.

Let the conspiracy theories commence.

Are you an actor or are you tough? Pick one.

I'd say Pat Bev still did his job

Pat is an offensively challenged hack.

>Pat is an offensively challenged hack.

that's not his job lol, he did what he is supposed to do, he is probably the least blamable of any Clipper player last night. If you want to stan for Book that's fine but comparing his scoring to Patrick Beverly is silly, they're not even in the same category.

Even though they don't guard each other much PG is a more apt comparison for Book, not a guy who's career average is 8ppg at 41%