[FarmBoy]

My current interest level in the NBA is just hovering above zero. I just don't think they put on a compelling product. So I really don't track any teams or players anymore. I did got to a Bulls game with some guys from work a few weeks back and was entertained watching Robin gallop up and down the court, even though he had a pretty bad game.

Anyway, I'd almost forgotten about Dwight Powell entirely. An ESPN article provides interesting color on his impact on the Mavs game.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21771...-bulls-nba

One nominee for Most Surprising Trend: Dallas has outscored teams by nine points per 100 possessions with Powell on the floor, per NBA.com. Meanwhile, opponents are drubbing the Mavs by 11.5 points per 100 possessions when he sits. In other words: Dallas is about 20 points better with Powell. Only two rotation players leaguewide -- Walker and Devin Harris -- have bigger positive differentials.

Dwight Powell is a plus-minus god. His reemergence as a stable rotation guy is a major reason the hodgepodge Mavs, with an NBA Mad Libs roster, are 6-7 since their 2-14 start. Rick Carlisle: still a warlock.

Dallas's go-to second unit -- Yogi Ferrell, J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Powell, and Dirk Nowitzki -- has outscored opponents by 45 points per 100 possessions over 99 minutes, per NBA.com. That is the best figure, by a mile, among all 104 lineups that have logged at least 50 minutes. In raw terms, they have played the equivalent of two full NBA games together and won by 95 combined points! (Dennis Smith Jr.'s injury has made it harder for Carlisle to arrive at that unit -- Ferrell is starting again -- but he usually finds his way there.)

The Mavs have mothballed (for now) experimenting with Powell as a stretch center. Playing him alongside Nowitzki frees Powell to do what he does best: fly down a wide-open lane, and dunk lobs.


Powell is defending all sorts of players -- whatever it takes to spare Nowitzki grunt work. Ferrell and Barea are cagey ball handlers with reliable jumpers. If Carlisle could ever persuade the NBA to let him substitute Nowitzki and Barea out after every offensive possession, those two tricksters could son fools on the pick-and-roll deep into their 50s.

[FarmBoy]

My current interest level in the NBA is just hovering above zero. I just don't think they put on a compelling product. So I really don't track any teams or players anymore. I did got to a Bulls game with some guys from work a few weeks back and was entertained watching Robin gallop up and down the court, even though he had a pretty bad game.

Anyway, I'd almost forgotten about Dwight Powell entirely. An ESPN article provides interesting color on his impact on the Mavs game.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21771...-bulls-nba

One nominee for Most Surprising Trend: Dallas has outscored teams by nine points per 100 possessions with Powell on the floor, per NBA.com. Meanwhile, opponents are drubbing the Mavs by 11.5 points per 100 possessions when he sits. In other words: Dallas is about 20 points better with Powell. Only two rotation players leaguewide -- Walker and Devin Harris -- have bigger positive differentials.

Dwight Powell is a plus-minus god. His reemergence as a stable rotation guy is a major reason the hodgepodge Mavs, with an NBA Mad Libs roster, are 6-7 since their 2-14 start. Rick Carlisle: still a warlock.

Dallas's go-to second unit -- Yogi Ferrell, J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Powell, and Dirk Nowitzki -- has outscored opponents by 45 points per 100 possessions over 99 minutes, per NBA.com. That is the best figure, by a mile, among all 104 lineups that have logged at least 50 minutes. In raw terms, they have played the equivalent of two full NBA games together and won by 95 combined points! (Dennis Smith Jr.'s injury has made it harder for Carlisle to arrive at that unit -- Ferrell is starting again -- but he usually finds his way there.)

The Mavs have mothballed (for now) experimenting with Powell as a stretch center. Playing him alongside Nowitzki frees Powell to do what he does best: fly down a wide-open lane, and dunk lobs.


Powell is defending all sorts of players -- whatever it takes to spare Nowitzki grunt work. Ferrell and Barea are cagey ball handlers with reliable jumpers. If Carlisle could ever persuade the NBA to let him substitute Nowitzki and Barea out after every offensive possession, those two tricksters could son fools on the pick-and-roll deep into their 50s.

[YA_TITTLE]

Huestis is starting to get some minutes for OKC too. Love that the Lopez bros are still kicking

[YA_TITTLE]

Huestis is starting to get some minutes for OKC too. Love that the Lopez bros are still kicking

[teejers1]

Did you happen to see Brook air-balling 2 FTs . . . back-to-back in game against Cleveland?  Yikes, that was embarrassing.  Hell, in our crappy adult league, if you airby a free throw, it's a pitcher at the Goose.  [Brook should buy every patron in the place a round next time he is there].

[teejers1]

Did you happen to see Brook air-balling 2 FTs . . . back-to-back in game against Cleveland?  Yikes, that was embarrassing.  Hell, in our crappy adult league, if you airby a free throw, it's a pitcher at the Goose.  [Brook should buy every patron in the place a round next time he is there].

[JJJ]

Huestis is starting to get some minutes for OKC too. Love that the Lopez bros are still kicking

I didn't even recognize Huestis by face when I caught some glances of him in a broadcast I usually don't watch.
Had to do some digging. He is doing better but still has work to do, apparently.
From a 10/31/17 article:

Thunder won't exercise the fourth-year option on Josh Huestis, sources told @BBallInsiders. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
1:30 PM - Oct 31, 2017

The 25-year old plays his role well. He isn’t fluid on the offensive end, but he hits his shots in open catch-and-shoot opportunities. Huestis can both handle guards on the perimeter and protect the rim too. The Thunder have spent four years developing him into the player he is now – giving him away one season early is perplexing.

Here’s the only possible explanations I can think of/have been brought up to me:

    Huestis asked the Thunder not to pick it up so he can chase bigger opportunities. He hasn’t done much in his NBA career to garner that thinking though, which leads me to option #2.
    Oklahoma City realizes Huestis isn’t fluid enough to ever play in the NBA. When you watch him on offense he goes through his reads like a robot. That’s not something you can teach a 25 year old – if he doesn’t get it now he never will.

https://thunderousintentions.com/2017/10...c-thunder/

[JJJ]

Huestis is starting to get some minutes for OKC too. Love that the Lopez bros are still kicking

I didn't even recognize Huestis by face when I caught some glances of him in a broadcast I usually don't watch.
Had to do some digging. He is doing better but still has work to do, apparently.
From a 10/31/17 article:

Thunder won't exercise the fourth-year option on Josh Huestis, sources told @BBallInsiders. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
1:30 PM - Oct 31, 2017

The 25-year old plays his role well. He isn’t fluid on the offensive end, but he hits his shots in open catch-and-shoot opportunities. Huestis can both handle guards on the perimeter and protect the rim too. The Thunder have spent four years developing him into the player he is now – giving him away one season early is perplexing.

Here’s the only possible explanations I can think of/have been brought up to me:

    Huestis asked the Thunder not to pick it up so he can chase bigger opportunities. He hasn’t done much in his NBA career to garner that thinking though, which leads me to option #2.
    Oklahoma City realizes Huestis isn’t fluid enough to ever play in the NBA. When you watch him on offense he goes through his reads like a robot. That’s not something you can teach a 25 year old – if he doesn’t get it now he never will.

https://thunderousintentions.com/2017/10...c-thunder/

[jacketree]

Had pretty good seats down low for last night's game. Powell didn't start, but he played serious minutes.  Had a dunk, but I don't remember much else he did. Dirk Nowitzki is a modern miracle.  Slower than in his prime, but he can still get it done.  The guy next to me and I decided Dirk was KD before KD. Amazing watching 7-footers handle the ball, float in the lane, nail threes, dunk with authority.  KD is a revelation.

If Dubs can stave off boredom and injuries, they should be the clear-cut favorite.  Surprised they've had some trouble blowing big leads against marquee squads like the Celtics and Rockets.  Thunder just destroyed them too.

Watching the G-League kid from Duke out there subbing for Curry, it makes you realize how fine the line is between great player and NBA regular.

I'm going to miss the human dynamics of Oracle; not sure that will be organically matched at Chase.  Still mostly a hole in the ground. Don't see much vertical there yet.

[jacketree]

Had pretty good seats down low for last night's game. Powell didn't start, but he played serious minutes.  Had a dunk, but I don't remember much else he did. Dirk Nowitzki is a modern miracle.  Slower than in his prime, but he can still get it done.  The guy next to me and I decided Dirk was KD before KD. Amazing watching 7-footers handle the ball, float in the lane, nail threes, dunk with authority.  KD is a revelation.

If Dubs can stave off boredom and injuries, they should be the clear-cut favorite.  Surprised they've had some trouble blowing big leads against marquee squads like the Celtics and Rockets.  Thunder just destroyed them too.

Watching the G-League kid from Duke out there subbing for Curry, it makes you realize how fine the line is between great player and NBA regular.

I'm going to miss the human dynamics of Oracle; not sure that will be organically matched at Chase.  Still mostly a hole in the ground. Don't see much vertical there yet.

[Mick]

Had pretty good seats down low for last night's game. Powell didn't start, but he played serious minutes.  Had a dunk, but I don't remember much else he did. Dirk Nowitzki is a modern miracle.  Slower than in his prime, but he can still get it done.  The guy next to me and I decided Dirk was KD before KD. Amazing watching 7-footers handle the ball, float in the lane, nail threes, dunk with authority.  KD is a revelation.

If Dubs can stave off boredom and injuries, they should be the clear-cut favorite.  Surprised they've had some trouble blowing big leads against marquee squads like the Celtics and Rockets.  Thunder just destroyed them too.

Watching the G-League kid from Duke out there subbing for Curry, it makes you realize how fine the line is between great player and NBA regular.

I'm going to miss the human dynamics of Oracle; not sure that will be organically matched at Chase.  Still mostly a hole in the ground. Don't see much vertical there yet.

I think the W's suffered a lot from their China trip, both physically and mentally, and it showed in their 4-3 start, with losses to Houston, Memphis & Detroit.  They've gone 18-3 since then, including a 6-0 road trip (one of only 11 NBA teams to ever have an undefeated road trip that long).

[Mick]

Had pretty good seats down low for last night's game. Powell didn't start, but he played serious minutes.  Had a dunk, but I don't remember much else he did. Dirk Nowitzki is a modern miracle.  Slower than in his prime, but he can still get it done.  The guy next to me and I decided Dirk was KD before KD. Amazing watching 7-footers handle the ball, float in the lane, nail threes, dunk with authority.  KD is a revelation.

If Dubs can stave off boredom and injuries, they should be the clear-cut favorite.  Surprised they've had some trouble blowing big leads against marquee squads like the Celtics and Rockets.  Thunder just destroyed them too.

Watching the G-League kid from Duke out there subbing for Curry, it makes you realize how fine the line is between great player and NBA regular.

I'm going to miss the human dynamics of Oracle; not sure that will be organically matched at Chase.  Still mostly a hole in the ground. Don't see much vertical there yet.

I think the W's suffered a lot from their China trip, both physically and mentally, and it showed in their 4-3 start, with losses to Houston, Memphis & Detroit.  They've gone 18-3 since then, including a 6-0 road trip (one of only 11 NBA teams to ever have an undefeated road trip that long).