[high floorParticipant]

After you watch or follow a team for a long time, there’s certain things you pick up about players. Some good, some bad. 

I’ve watched the orlando magic for years, the last 6+ being of the unfortunate variety. And the one constant for this team, outside of being terrible, is Nikola Vucevic’s complete reluctance to make / take contact close to the basket. This guy is 7ft tall, has all kinds of moves with the ball, can score with either hand, and is a good FT shooter for a big…….. yet he has averaged less than 2.0 FT attempts per game for his career!! Unbelievable.

I am 100% convinced that Orlando has lost games because of this. He has an above average usage rate as well, and if he could double his FT attempts that would change the complexion of the opposition’s defense. Meaning:

• If the other team has a go-to low post scorer, matched up against Vuc, foul trouble could take them out of the game & allow Nikola to go to work against reserves. Backup bigs would have trouble with him
• Orlando could get to the bonus earlier in the quarter
• Vucevic (77% FT shooter last 5 seasons) could get some easy points on the scoreboard, and potentially stop a run by the opponent

It just bugs the crap out of me that he’s scared to get hit at that size. Anyone else have a thing about a player(s) on their team that drives them bananas?

 

[Andrew1984Participant]

 During my Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent four-year (1-3) run in the NBA Finals, their laziness contesting shots drove me nuts. They probably were going to lose the last two years regardless, but challenging perimeter shots has nothing to do with talent or scheme; it’s pure effort. The NBA Finals is the highest level of professional basketball, and if any player at any level can be expected to simply raise their hand and move it toward the face of a shooter, it should be a player who is on the floor in the NBA Finals.

Yet, repeatedly, I watched Cavalier players, usually on the second or third rotation, close out on a 3-point shooter at half speed, and then stand with arms at sides, watching him shoot. I coached JV teams that would at least contest. I’m not one to yell at the TV while watching sports, but my wife graciously tolerated me muttering under my breath every three minutes, "at least challenge the shot!"

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

He’s not on the lakers anymore, but Julius Randle’s wreckless style of play used to annoy me sometimes. Especially in his first couple seasons, he had a habit of just putting his head down and barreling to the basket attempting to plow through any obstacle in his path. It would result in a lot of turnovers, offensive fouls, and just awkward flings at the basket in traffic. He’ll always have some of that in his game but he’s improved noticeably in that regard the past couple seasons. 

On the current team, the thing that clearly annoys me the most so far this season is the lack of attention to detail and failure to rotate on defense. I am hoping that it will improve as the season goes on and the team gets more continuity but the jury is still out. I wish that Brandon Ingram would be more decisive at times. There are times when it seems like he is clearly overthinking things out there, passing up open shots and hesitating for a split second to drive when he has an advantage. I hope he grows out of this as he continues to develop. Guys like Lance Stephenson and McGee both will do things that make you scratch your head at times, but you kind of have to live with that, especially since both have been hustling their ass’s off so far this year.

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

That Billy Donovan is still coaching the Thunder

Off the court stuff but it annoys me how many teams do the MVP chant now. Teams will do it for guys that have no chance and only 5 games into the season, it’s so watered down now. I remember when it used to be reserved for when an actual MVP favorite would get them after taking over a game instead of it just happening everytime they go to the line

[llperez]

 hate players who play to get fouls like harden and the refs giving into it time and again.

 

 

[llperez]

 hate super poor ft shooters who have horrible form and continue to practice said horrible form. Take clint capela for example. Despite rockets paying him 20 mil a year, he also got a 500k incentive if he hits 65%ft’s (he wont). Currently hes at 28% on the season and half the fans in the arena could probably do that.

[mowestenParticipant]

Eighth-grade girls can make free throws. It’s beyond embarassing. 

Ben Simmons can’t make a free throw and he had an entire offseason to work on his shooting, and came back worse. What did he do for five months? 

 

 

[llperez]

 hate stupid nba gm’s who use $ poorly overpaying guys. As a laker fan i watched us have to give up deangelo russell just to give away mozgov’s deal. We are currently paying luol deng like 30 million over next few year to NOT play for us. The blazers are currently spending about 40 mil a year for turner, harkless meyers leonard. You should be able to go after any free agent you want for 40 mill a year but nope, gotta love that turner/harkless/leonard trio, and for a team who could be competing for title that has to kill them. You want to know who has the highest salary this year? The miami heat. Whiteside 25 mil, tyler johnson, 19 mil, james johjnson 14 mil, dion waiters 13 mil, kelly olynyk 13 mil…Thats 84 million per year all on long term deals to a group of guys that would finish dead last in the nba if they were the starting 5.

 

[mowestenParticipant]

 That’s why I’ve said for years that half the guys working third shift at Home Depot could be an NBA GM. People prentend these guys are so smart and know basketball, yet they consistently do things a homeless person digging through a trash can wouldn’t do.

All you have to do is not hand out money to people who can’t play and you’d be light years ahead of most NBA GMs.

[WetalkinboutpracticeParticipant]

But It’s not that you’re handing money to players that can’t play. Literally everyone in the nba is great at the sport of basketball. You’re handing money to someone who’s just gonna do enough to get buy & stay in the league. You can measure how well a player can shoot from the floor or the FT line. What you can’t measure is what’s inside a person. Who’s going to do the extra work at practice, put the extra time film room, be a great teammate and continue to do those type of things after they’ve signed a guaranteed contract. You often see many players stagnant after they get that first big deal after their rookie contract. It’s why the mental evaluation process has become such a crucial part of the pre draft process. And even then it’s sort of a crap shoot.

Honestly ask yourself if there was little to no risk of you losing your day job would you performance change? Not everyone can say no.

“Some people just want to be great & some people just want to be safe.”

 

 

[ropeParticipant]

 Stanley Johnson.  Watching him waste minutes has got to be one of the most frustrating things for me as a Pistons fan.  

[CynthiaParticipant]

Agree with SubZero on Donovan…but there’s one other person in OKC that’s even worse: 

Andre Roberson – He’s a cancer on the offensive side, and he’s quite possibly the worst wing free throw shooter in NBA history. Yet you need to have him on the court for defense because he can make you top 5 by himself or bottom 5 without him.

I feel like he’s the ultimate lose-lose damned if you do, damned if you don’t player in the NBA.

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 Dwight Howard…he never worked on his game. Did an interview last year mentioning working on his 3’s, but still doesn’t have post moves or can make an 8ft jumper but practicing 3’s!  He’s been on a diffrent team the last six years and his personality or his accountability efforts have not changed. 

[marcusfizer21Participant]

 Fred Hoiberg and his lack of swag. I hate that he lacks that assertiveness that a coach should possess. He seems to be nonchalant at just about everything.

GarPax needs to go. It’s been no secret that we need new brains in the organization and the fans are simply worn out with their dumb decisions.

 

 

[Author]

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