Nòmades D'en Ricky. The Grey Havens.

[ijspeelman]

OK.

There were moments I thought we'd be stomped but Spida kept us alive long enough to make them feel our teeth against their neck.
..and then we ran out of time...

I buy it.

Mitchell really inspired the comeback after the possible groin strain. It was extremely wild even without completing the comeback.

[El Hespiritu]

It's not the first time.
Everywhere we face a contender (or even a wannabe), they spend three quarters building advantages over us 'til 20-30 points.

Then, between the 3rd Q and 4th Q they try to clean a bit of their bench and our second unit (incapable to score consistently but so good or even better at collective-D than first unit) cut the bleeding.

From there, we play Spida-ball (in some games, Garlandas joined him... barely anyone else) and turn a shameful disaster into something similar to a tied game.

It happened often enough to know the script.

Probably our PO berth isn't at true risk but we're still a PI-level team until proven otherwise.

As Silvio told to Paulie:


...but...

We only need to convince Silver to implement 13 minutes-4th quarters instead of 12 and then we'll lead the NBA.

[El Hespiritu]

I have the solution for the evident inconsistency we're showing when it comes to Home/Road clutch time.

Just put La Mar and Ricky at court to close the games.

I'm serious, here.

[El Hespiritu]

...wich works better when Garlandas is healthy, 'course.

In fact, everything goes better when Garlandas is healthy saving maybe Cari and Kokoro scoring.
Afro JA having both of his eyes operative would help too.

[El Hespiritu]

This serie against Charlot are trap games.



They look weaker than they actually are and play probably the most uncomfortable style for us: the Seven-Headless-Chickens-Or-Less uptempo basketball.

A relatively young and athletic team like us is subconsciously tempted to match their speed and run the court the same fast.
Bad idea.

Fortunately, RR is eventually returning to play like himself (that BBF trade-mark shot of him is always a good measure of his confidence) and he knows what pace fits better.

Last defensive possessions at the clutch were consistent enough, cutting down any possible CHAchance to steal a W.

We will probably play second game with a better awareness but since Papi Oubre will likely play I'll be happy enough if we struggle the same and still win.

[El Hespiritu]

Nice.

Now back to back vs rested PHI.

I'm looking their game against Wizards. They played the 4th basically like garbage time.
So double rested.

I can' t foresee us beating them clearly enough to avoid the clutch... more about we'll being lucky if we get to it.
There, they will probably have more fresh legs.
We'll need to have more energy and attitude to make up for it.

But I'm feeling irrationally optimistic about this game.
I think we could win.

If this road trip full of meaningful DNPs proved something is you can rely on your bench.
They are streaky to say the least when it comes to scoring but they always hold the ground at defense... or even raise it.

My highlight goes to Cari:




https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2108624&start=180#p96672285

I don't specially like him

Well, this has changed.

He can't run the team.
Zero point guard instincts.

I stand to my word.
He's an unselfish passer and elite ballhandler, so he can run some p'n'r and be top-level on read and react at close quarters, finding ways to give passes where there's almost no room but that's it.
He's even less of a PG than Spida; both can do the trick but their game works better with a more natural PG at their side (DG, RR or Neto).

I don't know if he can play tough defense. If he can, he never proved it before.

Now I know.
He can... if not exactly tough, sure is brave. He's always trying to help his teammates and makes up for some positional and switch mistakes with tons of energy and unselfishness.
He's even impactful there, at times.
Probably he always has been better at D than I was capable to perceive.... just needed a better defensive team to show it.

My fault.

An emergency resource for games where collective mojo is not there, so we need a give me the ball and I'll do it by myself type of guy... I can't see nothing more.

That was more than my fault.

That was gross and disrespectful to the kind of player he is.

Not over-confident on him having a huge success here but not impossible either.

If he ends up being substantial and team gets better with him, I'll return to sing my #IKnowNothingJonSnow.

I'm a man of my word.


I humbly apologize.

[JonFromVA]

Sure hope you're not trying to jinx Caris ... I'll take whatever I can get when the team is short-handed, but stepping up against a team like Charlotte is not the stuff of legends. Being a viable rotation player and the kind of guy who can make a difference between winning in Charlotte .vs. losing to them when Mitchell is out is certainly worth something (around $15M/year I'm thinking); but there are bigger fish to fry and LeVert's ability or inability to step up in those will tell us his true value to this team.

[El Hespiritu]

I'm highlighting him today because I was feeling since last season I owed him a #IKnowNothing.

I prefer not to dig deep into salaries and stuff... market is market and works in funny ways.
He's not a Westbrook case, at least; one way or another he's an important part of team's improvement this RS

You're right we need the PO test to fully validate it but I'm fine with what he's doing (I was far more pessimistic when we got him).

Probably he's too expensive but if team can do a solid collective performance at post-season I will consider him cheaper regardless his personal numbers.

[JonFromVA]

You're welcome to your mea culpa. Caris has not been hot garbage, but some of us have always had bigger goals in mind.

[El Hespiritu]

I have the highest of the goals:

RRubio and La Mar starting on a 7th game.
Beat that.

[JonFromVA]

I have the highest of the goals:

RRubio and La Mar starting on a 7th game.
Beat that.

Sure

Ricky and LaMar doing what this Cavs legend is doing:

[El Hespiritu]

Nets are tough. This serie has been a good PO rehearsal.

Looks like if lately we're finishing games better.
Let's cross our fingers... this is key in post-season.

Play top defense, nail the FTs and keep your head clear at the clutch.

If you can do these things, you'll be fine even if you are breaking air-balling records.

[El Hespiritu]

Feina Feta.

We officially improved from last season yet.

Anything coming from now on is but a gift.
With 't'.



If everybody keeps healthy and the bench can consistently play, allowing us to keep running a 9-men rotation at post season... we'll be fine I guess.



2nd Round looks a realistic success.

And provided RR eventually returns to his best self even with few minutes and La Mar plays a lot... I wouldn't even say Conference Finals are delusional.



I don't dare to look beyond because there are limits to the imagination forbidden by Cholistic religion.



Don't you mislead it with Holistic theory; that is not a creed but a philosophy.

[toooskies]

Feina Feta.

We officially improved from last season yet.

Anything coming from now on is but a gift.
With 't'.



If everybody keeps healthy and the bench can consistently play, allowing us to keep running a 9-men rotation at post season... we'll be fine I guess.



2nd Round looks a realistic success.

And provided RR eventually returns to his best self even with few minutes and La Mar plays a lot... I wouldn't even say Conference Finals are delusional.



I don't dare to look beyond because there are limits to the imagination forbidden by Cholistic religion.



Don't you mislead it with Holistic theory; that is not a creed but a philosophy.

We have a realistic shot of having the best offensive player in a series with Mitchell and the best defensive player in Mobley. Which is a reasonable counter against having the best overall player in the series, which Tatum or Giannis or Embiid might be. The trick is whether we can defend them, as well as Brown or Jrue or Harden.

[El Hespiritu]

No sophomore can be the best defensive player at a PO serie.
I think is even written somewhere in the referee's rule books.

Anyway, this is a team thing and we always play team defense and (most of the time at least) team offense.

Stars will always drop more or less their expected offensive and defensive (if any) numbers no matter what.
To my eyes, role players are more often than not the 'X' unpredictable factor unbalancing series.

I'm more worried about ball movement, toughness (physical, mental and even emotional) and everybody involved bringing solid stuff to the table than I am about individual players (aside La Mar or RR 'course but I guess you know that's a metaphysical bias of mine).

About concrete match ups at court, I'll speak my mind when I know what opponents we face each turn (if more than one).

Knicks looks probable but I'll wait 'til mathematically done... is not easy but yet not impossible some last-time turn of tides.

[ijspeelman]

No sophomore can be the best defensive player at a PO serie.
I think is even written somewhere in the referee's rule books.

Tim Duncan did it and won a chip. Why can't EMo?

[El Hespiritu]

Different times, different style of game... even different officiating.

Moble is forced to switch more guards in just one random game than Tim did during all the serie.

[toooskies]

Kawhi was easily the best defensive player in 2014 as a third-year player.

[El Hespiritu]

Quin SociopathEyes Snyder is my favourite NBA coach.
I like weird systems.

He was kissing, embracing and chatting Ricky, Spida and Spida's mom during just one post game more than he probably did with any ATL guy since he landed there.

Still I think Hawks are playing slightly better than last year (or more coordinated in defense at least).

I take it as a friendly reminder that we need tons of focus and intensity to win any game; with or without Load Management, with or without Don's aching ankles.

[El Hespiritu]

Read on Twitter

If you see this tweet, quote it with 4 pics defining your taste about men

I swear I've been honest with my men of choice.

Them 4 plus me would make a hell of a clutching lineup.
No prisoners.