You truly are on the cutting edge when it comes to the league aren't you?

_________________

I sure am

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Yeah.

Going forward, I never want to hear the caveat "If Embiid stays healthy" about the 76ers. He doesn't stay healthy. If Wade was 10 years younger the Cavs would be great but he's not so it's irrelevant.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

He actually is healthy. It's Philly management that's making him sit out back to backs. By all accounts he wants to play in back to backs.

_________________

Greg Oden played 51 more games in his first 3 NBA seasons than Joel Embiid played his first 3 NBA seasons.

Simmons dominating Detroit in the 1st.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

None of that matters. Oden's injuries ruined his career. Embiid's haven't.

_________________

Ben Simmons is for real.

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Yea he looks great

Geez they're on fire

i'd feel good if it were a better team than the pistons...but gotta start somewhere.

Like Brown as a coach but some of his substitutions are suspect. Amir Johnson gives you nothing and neither does McConnell. Why they play at all is a mystery.

_________________

Yea McConnell is a poor mans Dellavedova

I'm predicting a Embiid/Simmons ego clash sooner rather than later. Simmons should be the clear alpha on this team and I don't think embiid will like that.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

A little early bit G.S.'s defense is non existent. 62 in the first half against a weak Dallas team. Think teams are avg about 120 per game so far this season.

_________________

Yeah he was cool when the team was shitty but he shouldn't be playing now that the talent has arrived.

_________________

Their defense has been poor but total ppg is a terrible way to gauge defensive effectiveness.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I will check opponents fg% but just with the naked eye it seems really easy to score against them. They seem to be all in with this small ball thing now. Start ZaZa but he play little after that. They are trying to use Durant as a rim protector. Don't know about that and arguably their best on Ball defender is 34 years old. It's going to be tough to for him to be a lockdown guy at that age.

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Klay isn't 34 years old and he's much better than Iggy at on ball defense at this stage on their careers.

The Warriors are fine. There really won't be much to say about them til May. The regular season is especially meaningless for them and Kerr has already made multiple comments about them not being in shape and shit like that.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

That's why I said arguably. Iggy is the key to the whole small ball thing. His versatility as both a defender and offensive player is what makes it go. That's why resigning him was critical. If there is a slip in his play watch out world.

I never bought into the notion that they are a super team anyway. Their biggest challenge will come in the West. Hopefully the other teams won't be injured this year.

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Embiid thoroughly dominated Drummond last night. Played closer to the basket on offense. They have to get Fultz going so that Bayless can be the off the bench scoring threat he's best suited to be. I also wonder if they want Saric to be starting 4 or Simmons. Simmons has been guarding 4's but I wonder if they see Saric as the guy to do that ultimately. Saric started the 2nd half in place of Bayless and ultimately I'd like to see Covington and Bayless come off the bench.

They probably won't do it because of spacing and speed but I think the big lineup is their best lineup.

_________________

Simmons is the starting 1, not 4.

Simmons can get in the lane at will so I imagine any lineup that opens up the middle is the best lineup for the Sixers. Probably Simmons, Embid and then 3 guys who can shoot with at least one of those guys also capable of slashing/cutting on the weakside to take advantage of Simmon's interior passing.

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He is guarding 4's on defense.

They are starting Bayless Redick Covington Embiid and Simmons. Who's guarding 4's in that lineup if he isn't?

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yep, he's guarding the 4s, but playing the 1. I could see them going with an eventual lineup of.....Simmons, Redick, Covington, Embid and Saric. Fultz and Bayless in the 2nd unit. But what about Okafor? Does he take that starting 4 spot at some point? Fultz, Bayless, Saric (or Okafor) is the start of a nice bench.

_________________

They tried Embiid Okafor at the 4/5 last season for a few games but it didn't really work too well. Okafor has dropped about 20 -25 pounds and he is much more active. I'd like to see them try it again but I don't think Embiid likes that much. I think he wants the option of playing either inside or outside.

What I remembered from that lineup was that they were killed in transition. Okafor is actually more athletic than Saric but he isn't a natural 4.

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It won't matter.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

They outscored Dallas by 30 in the second half of that game

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Dallas stinks.

_________________

Of course. This is why it was funny that you seemed concerned over a first half score.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul