startingvbasketball

@SamHumphreys34 Nobody ever complained about FT disparity...it was always about HOW the fouls were called and which players flopped or foul baited the most.

Spurs have attempted 111 free throws (27.8 per game), while the Thunder have attempted 94 (23.5 per game) (lowest of the final 4 teams). And in a pivotal Game 4, the Spurs shot 15 more free throws. …and the discourse is still how OKC gets a favorable whistle. Forget the Thunder having an advantage, they have been at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to the whistle that they are getting. Add in the fact that OKC is missing its 2nd and 3rd best offensive players, and you realize how remarkable it is that OKC still has a chance to win this series.

@samesfandiari @TommyGunnNBA That would just make the bench even weaker if the main bench scorers become starters.

@TommyGunnNBA Tbf the rotation is completely messed up with Jalen and Ajay out. That said also clear spurs have keyed on on SGA

This is now nearly a 1700 minute playoff sample, where the combined on/off for the back to back league MVP is a -4.2pts per 100 poss. Which begs the question: why is this happening? What is the difference between the RS (+11.2 per 100) and playoffs??

@APEX_Hoops @TommyGunnNBA So you are saying SA has the better starters/main players so the main reason OKC is winning is cos they have better bench players than SA...not cos they have the MVP. Gotcha

This highlights a big deficiency with the on/off metric. OKC has a much stronger bench than SAS, so whenever Shay sits and the OKC bench dominates, the on/off metric for Shay reflects that bench dominance. But what if there was another way to measure player impact? 🤔 apexhoops.fyi/depth-charts?t…

Another Thunder run in these playoffs with SGA on the bench. In these playoffs, the Thunder are 17.5pts per 100 better with SGA OFF the floor, than they are with him ON. In their 3 most recents playoffs, here’s SGA’s ON/OFF: 2023-24: -2.2 2024-25: +1.8 2025-26: -17.5

@HateuPikachu @geola388 @TommyGunnNBA Stagger what? Caruso is literally the 2nd scorer now and the bench outplays starters so stagger means nothing when you dont have your no.2 and the rest of the team are all similar level players.

@geola388 @TommyGunnNBA is it because the thunder stagger lineups with him on the bench Today at times it just felt like the offense flowed and they were running out in transition more when he was sitting

@DalkeKong3 Whatever the excuse this is shitty basketball to watch and nobody wants to see Shai win a title with more FTM then FGM (which he shamelessly is on pace to do)

I’ll say one thing… do people really think the NBA is rigged in favor of a small-market Oklahoma City team? Why not rig it for the team led by the guy who will be the face of the NBA for the next 10-15 years? Or for LeBron’s Lakers before he retires?

@Shane00 Yeah of course it is if you ONLY post or highlight negative points but never mention any of Kobe's best points/games/performances... especially when he is obviously a great player not a bad player. If you had some positive and some negative mixed in you could argue it's not hate

@startingvbasket So being truthful is hate?

Kobe fans who trash LeBron are always in my comments when I apply their logic to kobe. They call me a fake laker fan, fake kobe fan But when I post positive things about kobe they are no where to be found They are attracted to negativity

@Shane00 I dont know your definition of 'trashed' but almost every single Kobe post a was negative point/stat...maybe 1 post was trashing Shai but not exactly praising Kobe.

@startingvbasket I have never trashed kobe actually

@KalshiHoops Shai on pace to be the first Western Conference star ever to make more FTM than FGM on a title run if he can win the title (and 2nd star ever to do it).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 1st Player in Western Conference Finals History to record the following stats in a single game: • 30+ PTS • Under 8 FG Made He now has a 60% chance to win Finals MVP.

@LukaToBron And how did Game 6 go? 3-11 FG, carried by a rookie bench player Boobie who scored 31pts on just 9 FGA! Np other legend got carried to the finals by a rookie scrub before 😂 Then Bron proceeded to have the worst ever finals shooting 35/20/69% with 6 TO per game

LeBron James in game 5 of the 2007 ECF: 48 Points 9 Rebounds 7 Assists 18/33 FG 61.3% TS Scored 25 straight in Q4 and OT Best 22 year old ever. Not remotely close.

@TrevorLane If he keeps this up, SGA is about to have the 2nd ever title run with more FTM than FGM!

SGA has 30 points on 6 made field goals

@nixoffplatform @TheBHentel Do you think Shai had a good game today based on his own MVP standards?

@TheBHentel 20 at half time n we talking bout “regular”

Somebody let me know if Kobe has ever looked this regular over the course of 4 games in a conference finals …

@DamienPetersNBA Award is called Most Valuable and Caruso has been the most vaulable and impactful player for them

Has Alex Caruso been the best player in this series?

@LegionHoops @realapp SGA is about to join Wade as the only stars with more FTM than FGM in a title run (if OKC goes on to win the title).

SGA is just too good man. What can you do… 32 points 9 assists 2 steals 16/17 FT 2/3 3P (via @realapp)

@CaesarAmerican2 @BronWorld Yes that is the whole point...they sagged back protected the paint and dared Bron to shoot midrange shots and look what happened to his efficiency. They couldnt guard MJ like that cos he was one of the best midrange shooters ever and would make you pay every time.

@startingvbasket @BronWorld Them sagging = paint protection They weren’t worried about JR and Shump like that. Dallas in ‘11 and San Antonio in 07 played Bron in a similar way.

People don't realize how insane this is

@CaesarAmerican2 @BronWorld They guarded him straight up and sagged back so he couldnt drive so easily but employed a no double team policy. If they doubled then shooters would have been open and no way Bron would take 33 shots a game just to avg 35ppg.

@startingvbasket @BronWorld Also just a correction Bron in 15 wasn’t guarded solely single coverage, there weren’t other legit offensive threats on the Cavs. Similar to 07 that was 5 vs. 1 ball a lot of the time.

@CaesarAmerican2 @BronWorld GS strategy was to play Bron single coverage and stay home on shooters and make Bron shoot lots of long 2s and be a scorer. Same strategy Dallas used in 2011 when Bron avg 17 and scored 8pts and same as what Spurs did in 07 when Bron shot 35/20/69%. You cant guard MJ like that

@startingvbasket @BronWorld Yeah man generally speaking it’s not a good sign when one player dominates that many FGAs, Bron def would’ve preferred getting his guys going in 2015 vs taking that many shots against a really good defense. Tbf if MJ did the same thing against GSW the Bulls would have problems.

@JoshEberley Why compare only Wade? Wade is the only star to have more FTM than FGM for an entire title run and SGA is about to join him. So Shai has only the 2nd title run ever (if he even wins) with more FTM then FGM and you want to compare to the ONLY guy with more to make a point?

Fun fact: if SGA shoots 52 more free throws in the last 2.5 games here, he’d still have shot fewer free throws in this series than Wade did in the 06 Finals.

@CaesarAmerican2 @BronWorld But Jordan scored WAY more pts in those 30pt games cos Jordan had way more 35, 40, 50 and 60 pt games so yes he took more shots but score more pts doing it. When Kyrie and Love got inj 2015 Finals and Bron had to shoot more like MJ what happened? He took 33 FGA shot 39% FG

@startingvbasket @BronWorld Bro has over 30 career games with more than 35 FGA. Bron only has 4 such games. Jordan hunted his shot so it makes sense he’d have so many 30pt games, he’s a score first guy, Bron is a overall guy. That’s what I’m looking at, not MJ’s efficiency relative to his(inefficient) era.

@auto_monaco @cavsfortheland How can you win a title when your 3 perimeter defenders are Harden, Mitchell and 43 yr old Bron! And you think Bron wants to come to be Mitchell's sidekick in his own city?

@cavsfortheland If it wins championship is it worth it?

Listen, I would love for LeBron to come back, I think he would improve the team. But, someone is going to have to explain to me how trading 28 year old Jarrett Allen for 1 year of LeBron makes any sense.