2013-14 NBA Thread part 1

Evans missed just about the whole preseason with an ankle sprain. I'm sure he'll be better as time goes on this year. This is his training camp.

 

Honest question: Is it too early to wonder if Cleveland completely whiffed on the No. 1 overall pick? If so, that's fireable, isn't it?

 

Way too early.

 

Is it, though? As I understand it, it's the worst start ever by a No. 1 pick. And there have been some pretty bad No. 1 picks. Joe Smith. Olowakandi. Bargnani.

 

Worse than Otto Porter Jr who has yet to put on a full uniform?

 

I'm talking about No. 1 overalls.

 

He's played 61 minutes in the NBA.

 

The thing is, though, he was considered a reach to begin with. This is a team that would have been poised to contend for a top four seed in the East, I think, with the right part. And they picked a project, with Oladipo and others on the board.

 

Slow start should have been expected. He's coming off an injury and he's out of shape.

I have a feeling his rookie year will be pretty bad, but will be a lot better next year assuming his confidence doesn't get damaged.

 

Sixty-one minutes.

 

OK, it's only five games in, but Roy Hibbert is setting a pace (no pun intended) for defense unseen in the NBA. Ben Wallace has the record for defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions you're on the court) with 87.48 in 2003-04. Hibbert currently is at 76.6.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/def_rtg_season.html
http://stats.nba.com/?PlayerOrTeam=Player&StatCategory=Defense

The Bulls scored only 14 points in the paint last night while losing 97-80. Hibbert is averaging 5.2 blocks and lord knows how many shots misdirected. So it hasn't mattered he's only averaging 8 points per game so far.

I know I'm an Indiana fanboi looser, but it's worth watching this team. The Pacers are looking like a championship team -- fiddle around the first three quarters (especially the second), then put the hammer down in the fourth.

 

Two opposing thoughts here, both of which I feel are valid:

1) Small sample sizes. Indiana is going to have some nights where they just don't play well and their starters give up tons of points. I expect that defensive rating to rise over the course of the season.

Further emphasizing the small sample size we have in this early season, Brook Lopez has been slightly better than Hibbert so far at defending shots near the rim. He's allowing opponents to shoot only 28.9% while Hibbert is allowing only 29.8%.

2) Roy Hibbert has been really, really good at D for a year and half to two years now, but he's playing the best he ever has. It shouldn't be that surprising that he's playing at an elite level right now.