₦airaland Forum

A40:
If he said Kyrie had a bigger bag than Tony Parker I still grudgingly hear that one but Trae Young?? Trae friggin Young any body who followed that Spurs dynasty knows Tony Parker was a problem and far more difficult to guard than Trae Young

That's the problem with people, we are talking about Trea young and Parker through the first 4 years of their nba career, not the Parker that won finals MVP. He is talking as if Trea young as Plataeued after just his 4th year in the league. by their 4th year, Parker even Steph were not as good as Trae is already right now

Tatum calls game, but the Celtics have to be more efficient in game 2. I will mark today's misses to nerves due to it being the first game of the playoffs.
They just need to shoot better from the line and not miss too many layups.
As for the Nets, they just need to limit turnovers, if they keep up with the kind of defense they played today, then this series is a toss up.

aliondo:
This is blasphemy i.e..comparing Parker and Trae young...Parker was a real nuisance....Kyrie has a similar way of driving to the basket like Tony...That sleek movement...

Are you saying comparing Parker and Trea young through their first 4 years in the league, that Parker was better? Clarify before the blasphemy accusations start.

A40:
Lmaoo. Go to any forum or any place where knowledgeable hoop fans are gathered and claim Trae Young has more tools than Tony Parker let's see if they won't laugh you out of the vicinity

Go and ask Prime Lebron and the Heatles what their eyes saw from Tony Parker's hand. You don't know how goofy you even sound right now

What is the correlation between Shaq and my post? Are you inebriated or something?

The numbers back everything I said, which was Trae Young is a 3pt spammer.

The ninja you claim can shoot from anywhere is a 31% shooter from 3. That is abysmal for someone you claim has an extended toolbox

Prime Heatles lost to a team that played team basketball. No one player was the linchpin of their success. That Spurs team was and still is the only team that ever played that Noone was a primary forum. Parker was a great player, but in his 4th year in the league, this version of trea Young was far better that him and that is a fact

A40:
Alaye all you're mentioning is aesthetics. The numbers do not back a single thing you have said there.

Anybody that ever watched Prime Tony Parker knows he was a much harder guy to stop than Trae Young

He can shoot the 3 from anywhere yen yen yen but is he remotely effective at it? You people conflate shot spamming for a skillset. 31% from 3 na him you no wan make we hear word

Numbers, so you are one of those that never watched the players, go pull out stats sheet and say Numbers don't back it up.
Parkers one knock was always that he could shoot, the stats you are bringing up also shows that Shaq could shoot.

steady986:
The Nets have started this their thing where only KD and Kyrie touch the ball on offense. When I do, you do.

It was always a given, as soon as the opposing team starts building any sort of lead, the head honchos start trading iso ball.

A40:
What are you talking about? Who is talking about missing shots? Anybody can miss shots! We are talking about not having counters to what the opposing defense is showing you.

Even after telling you I was speaking in generic terms you still chose to personalize it talking about IT. How is this relevant to anything? What have you seen from Ben Simmons and James Harden that tells you their game will change

Jason Kidd was not an elite shooter not that he didn't shoot at all so stop capping like internet no dey to easily debunk your claims

Imagine claiming Trae Young has more tools in his bag than Tony Parker. You people don't know more than spamming 3 pt shots. To una eye that is what constitutes tools. I'm sure you were one of those siding with James Harden that he had more bag than Giannis.
Just this statement alone makes me question your entire knowledge of the game

Oga till Parker retired his jumper was suspect, his scoring ability was getting to the basket and that patented tear drop floater that he mastered from the paint. There is a reason he led the league in multiple years in points scored in the paint among guards.
Trae can already, score at the basket, he has a floater, he can shoot the 3 from anywhere, so tell me again what Tony had that he does not currently have.

Roland17:
We are missing too many easy buckets

Too many

The game is choppy and I am loving it

A40:
Why are you raging like a bull in a China shop. I was not referring to just Trae. I'm saying there are several players in this era that sit on that table. No be person be Harden? No be person be Ben Simmons?

Oga, I remember watching kobe airballing a jumper. Did anybody kill him, these days a young player does 1 simple mistake he is railroaded as if he killed somebody.
As for the Simmons, jkidd could not shoot at all until after at least 10-12 years in the league and he was fine.
That is why I will always respect the older IT, he always talks about the organic development of a player and how it takes time before a player becomes the finished product.
Trae right now is already has more tools in his bag than Tony Parker did all through his career and he is just in him 4th year.

A40:
That is why I laugh each time I hear this more skilled bants. They just spam a boatload of 3's and when it's not falling no plan B. That's why the shooting numbers are either amazing or look like tour dates. No happy middle ground

This is the issue I have with people like you, we all know how long it too the likes of Kobe, tmac, AI, grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Tony Parker, Jkidd etc to develop an all round game. Trea is just in his 4th season, some of the guys I listed above took almost a decade to get a jumper or fill up the holes in their games. so please stop this using every opportunity to bash these young guys. You keep making it sound like all the great players walked into the league as 3 level scorers and they did not work on anything year after year.

A40:
Don't be dubious. KD missed the entire season and Kyrie missed half of it. Adding the bubble season is dubious and dishonest. Same way adding Kawhi for the Clippers this season is dishonest. They did not play at all so it cannot possibly count

Lebron and AD - 108 games
KD and Kyrie - 44 games
Harden, KD and Kyrie - 16 games

There is not a season Lebron and AD did not play at least 20 games together. Same cannot be said for any other duo so your argument is inaccurate

Oga, all that is just excuses. Kyrie personally decided not to play this season, nobody forced him to sit out. When it's all said and done the Lakers have a chip to show for the all in move, while the Nets and the Clippers have nothing to show for theirs

The 3s are falling for the boys from south beach

Roland17:
It will be one of the biggest travesties in the history of modern basketball if Jokic doesn't get a chance to play in the finals of the NBA playoffs. He becomes an UFA in 2023, he has chosen to stay silent until after the playoffs this season. He can sign the Supermax in the summer or leave. It would be interesting to see what he does because for such a talented superstar who is already 27, he is being sold short at Denver.

He will stay with them, Denver has not been doing that bad in building around him until they decided to give MPJ that albatross of a contract, apart from that they've made some solid moves in filling out that roster. Just hope for them that their gamble on MPJ pays off

A40:
Good that you can observe this. This is also what Lamelo is morphing into at this rate and is doing it worse than Morant so I'm surprised you missed it

Both morant and Lamelo, still need learn how to play winning basketball. I liken their case to be like that of Booker before Monty and CP3 showed him the winning template and we can all see how he has run with it.
As a general observation, some of these organizations are not doing their young franchise cornerstones any favors. Look at the Grizzlies, Twolves and the Hornets and you will observe symptoms of the same issues.

A40:
Why are you including 3 years when Kyrie and KD have only played in 2.

Lakers are the only team that have spent 3 years together. Are supposedly the better duo and a pandemic flavored chip is all they have to show for it. The likes of Brooklyn can bring up injury excuse, Not the Lakers

Lebron and AD - 108 games
KD and Kyrie - 44 games
Harden, KD and Kyrie - 16 games

Kawhi and PG have played 80 games together. For only two seasons not 3 like you erroneously claim.

Baba, the KD and Kyrie project for the Nets is in its 3rd year. That's the fact, whether they've played together or not is not the issue as far as I know they've been on the payroll for 3 years and have been cashing them checks for those 3 years.
You are also claiming 3 years for the Lakers even thought most of those 108 appearances happened in the year they won the chip together and the other 2 seasons have been riddled with injuries for both AD and Lebron.

Thanos:
Bro! Be factual. Ja sold this game. Is he an all star? Yes! Is he a highlight reel? Yes! But man, his decision making was piss poor in this game and how he managed to get 30+ points (alas, free throws) was beyond me. He is not a point guard in the sense of the word, someone that orchestrates and offence. He is more in the mould of Westbrook and we know the result of having your point guard playing in that manner.

He is a modern point guard and that is not necessarily the problem. The coach IMHO is to be blamed for what is going on, most of the top teams in the playoffs spent all season working on their half court offense, because that is what playoffs basketball is all about but the Grizzlies and Twolves kept on with this pace and transition stuff as if that is what they will.be facing come playoffs.

A40:
Even the Lakers know it's been a failure thus far and you're here doing Johnny Cochrane.

That pandemic banner was made possible by a once in a lifetime health crisis that allowed LeNomad and AD a full offseason of rest and recovery only coming back to play a quarter of a league season

Any surprises they have not been able to be in good shape since? What the Lakers benefited from is what likely teams like the Clippers, Nuggets would benefit had another pandemic hit

AD has played more games than Kawhi and Paul George, not just Paul George. Don't claim there is no difference there

Harden basically played a season with Brooklyn. KD, Harden and Kyrie altogether played 16 games.

Lebron and AD - 108 games
KD and Kyrie - 44 games
Harden, KD and Kyrie - 16 games

Including them in the same argument is borderline irresponsible

The bottom-line is in the 3 years since three teams Lakers, Clippers and Nets got their big duo together. One team has a chip and as for the other 2, the Clippers are 3 and done, while the Nets will have to go through 3 top teams to even get the chance of competing for a chip. People like you can shout fugazi all you want but the Lakers have a championship to show for their all in moves while the other have none.

steady986:
The combo of LeBron and the Lakers is media orgasm. Can't deny that.

That's something I just don't understand, other teams are doing so well who deserve to be talked about. They just keep beating this Lakers and Lebron narrative to death I swear

The Twolves half court offense is very basic.

A40:
Your argument is not giving what you think it's giving.

AD has played more games than Kawhi and Paul George over this time span
LeNomad has played even more games.

Of those 3 dynamic duo only LeNomad and AD have played more than 2 seasons together. Bear in mind even in those two seasons the other guys played at least 1 player suffered season ending injury

Relatively speaking LeNomad and AD have dealt with fewer injuries than the others

They deserve every criticism in the world because our eyes are open to the Disney bubble championship they won. Every passing year that title is going to look even more fugazi.

How do you question people criticizing a team this loaded failing to finish top 10 in a conference with 3 teams actively tanking? The Rockets, Thunder and Trailblazers were shamelessly tanking and a team with such talent could not do top 10 in a 15 team conference? Are you kidding me?

There is a banner hanging at staples or is it the crypto center now. I deal in reality not narratives, and the reality is for all that has happened the Lakers Lebron and AD experiment has produced a championship.
Let's start with the Clippers in the same time span, AD has played 138 games while PG13 has played 133, so there's is little or no difference there. Both their superstars were fully fit in the bubble and they had nothing to show for it, 3 years and counting the Clippers still don't have even a conference championship to show for winning the offseason in 2019.
As for the Nets they had 2 MVPs and an all nba player on the same team for most of 2 seasons and unless, they can win it all this year which I very much doubt, that is also 3 years of nothing will incredible players.
So why do both of these franchises get a pass, but the Lakers get continuously shit on as if the last time they won a championship was 20 years ago.

steady986:
Would you even count the 1st round exit year as healthy? When AD got hurt and LeBron was literally limping.

I am just including it, because he was on the court. The truth is that they've only been fully healthy during the bubble and they took full advantage of that

A40:
Two failures can coexist my bro.

This is only KD and Kyrie's second year together.

Kawhi did not play this year. Paul George is not playing tonight and missed 75% of games this season

Kawhi got hurt in the 2nd round of the playoffs this season. Essentially unlike Lebron and AD these guys have had less than 2 seasons to play together

Also AD and Lebron are a better duo than Kyrie and KD and Kawhi and PG. So it goes without saying they would be held to a higher standard. Unless you don't think they are greater

So you are basically stating injuries as an excuse, if that is the case why is the same leeway not given to the Lakers. lebron lost the later half of his first year and at least 1/3 of his 4th year because of injury, AD has also been injured for both his 2nd and 3rd year season with the Lakers.
So I reiterate, if the injury excuse is valid for both the Clippers and the Nets, why is the same not valid for the Lakers. At least the Lakers duo have a banner a show for all the investments, why is the same level of scrutiny not leveled on the Clippers and Nets franchise players. Remember, in both teams, these top guys also demanded their teams trade for specific players too.

PS: The Lakers have been healthy for 2 seasons since Lebron got there, and In those years they won 1 and lost in the 1st round of the playoffs in the other year

I have a question, a lot of people keep talking about how the Lakers project with Lebron has been a failure. What with just 1 championship in 4 years. My question is, why is there not the same hang on about the Clippers project with Kwahi and PG13, or the Nets with KD and Kyrie, by my count both these projects are in year 3 and counting and the payout has been 2nd round exits so far. Why is there not the same aggro over the Clippers and Nets breaking up their younger core for already proven stars, but there seems to be an obsession to show that the Lakers and Lebron project has been an abject failure.

A40:
Kyrie was near perfect yesterday and KD played well too and yet they won by 7. Celtics for me are the better defensive team and the better coached team and don't forget Ime was on the Nets. I like the Celtics in this series. They have bodies they can throw at Kyrie and even KD if need be, at least enough to hurt their efficiency

That is my own take on it took. The Celtics can absolve 65pts from both KD and Kyrie and limit the others. Another thing is KD and Kyrie had to play 41mins just to win by 7 against a Cavs team, whose linchpin on defense was not playing. I think the series will get to 6 or 7 games

A40:
You're joking. Luka or Lebron a better PG than Jason Kidd? than Gary Payton? The Glove? You're drinking this modern era Kool Aid too hard mate

Do you know how many assists those guys would have in this 3pt heavy era? Please

Gary Payton and Kidd in this era will have issue because they were not good shooters. So stop with the they will dominate narrative. KAJ said something that I will always remember, he said the modern nba player is a far better shooter than they ever were,, even Larry Bird, said the game was in a far better place. We are talking of an era where something as basic as switching was not known, teams cannot use zone defenses, or zone hybrids like Miami likes to do sometimes.

A40:
Naah. Westbrook is a historically bad shooter. Even for that era Payton was a much better shooter than Russ

Anyway I'm not referring to their athleticism. Athleticism is a gift not a skill. You said these players are doing skill improvement and menenemenene so I'm asking you what are the improvements you are seeing from the guys I mentioned on a season by season basis.

The likes of Penny, Kidd, Strickland were true PGs and facilitators not these guys masquerading as PGs now by virtue of height. Their teams did not rely on them for scoring

None of the guys you just listed are better than Luka or Lebron at playing PG.

A40:
Size will not matter when a defender is able to encroach your space my guy.

Why do no one encroach on magic

A40:
It's why I can't help but wonder how guys like Luka, Brick Ross and maybe to a lesser extent Trae Young would have thrived in that era. They would have had to evolve their game for sure.

Hand checking only worked in that era because a large percentage of half courts sets in those days was initiated by a player with his back to the basket, both from the low to even PGs.
In those days, only short guards were confident enough in their handle to face up a defender, Penny was the first big guy who was confident in his handle enough to face up any player.
These days all star players under 6ft10 can face up anybody man to man anyway anytime

A40:
There is a reason injuries and load management is at an all time high. Let me tell you a secret about the body. Sometimes you allow it rest, cos all that offseason working out takes a toll.

Go and ask the average paying NBA fan whose favorite player misses 15-20 games on average how they feel about this so called taking care of their body business.

There is nobody in the top 5 scoring title list that didn't miss at least 15 games

And as for this improve game all year round cap. Is it the same league I'm watching with Brick Ross and Russell Westbrook? Where is the improvement please? Who is improving at what?

Jkidd spent decades in the league and could not shoot, same Roy Strickland.
Hell Russell Westbrook shooting percentage year by year is no different from that of Gary Payton, Grant Hill, Penny etc. Nobody ever shouts from the roof tops that they could not shoot. I can go on and on about stars that were not good shooter who made their living from attacking the rim, which is exactly what Russell is

birdman:
Yup. Old timers who are bluntly honest say the same thing. Thats why I like Isaiah Thomas, says the truth even if it diminishes his generation a bit. The kinds of things Tim Duncan did, we are seeing 3 or 4, maybe 5 big men in the league do it on a nightly basis. Granted we dont have all the WWF fouls and thugs like Oakley, but this is a very skilled and professional league. The CBA just needs to adjust to weed out the softies.

Yeah Rockets are competing for last place and LeKing don turn to papa smurf, but man, I cant wait to watch these playoffs. Waaaaay too many stars to watch.

I remember Kenny on TNT, saying something about when they played, very few players worked out in the offseason. Nowadays most of the players treat it like a year round job. Including offseason workouts and skill development/improvements. IMHO, the salary for the average player has contributed to this because almost all of them can afford either individually or as a group to hire a team to help them take care of their body and improve the game all year round.

steady986:
The one Denver did to my team a few days ago. I just felt weak on my bed. How do you even guard such a play? Jokic had the ball on top of the key and Barton came to set a screen for him. As Barton was rolling away to the 3pt line Jokic set a screen for him. The result was an open 3. Golden State also does so many variation of that set to perfection. Guy, the tactical plays of this era is just unmatched. Coaches and players have a more indepth knowledge of the game.

That's thing, the level of offensive evolution in the last decade has been incredible. Most people just say the 3 ball is prevalent, without looking at the ways sets are scripted to get guys open looks. There is a reason why almost every game now has open shots numbering in their 20s or 30s depending on the team playing.