What you want from your two way guys.

I hate amplifying stupidity (not that I am the most popular guy on here) - but this is so bad. Not sure how Perkins is, or how Nico Harrison was, in any position of importance in the basketball world.

Feels like every day I keep seeing / hearing how the Miami Heat could / should be a spot for Ja Morant. Smart basketball folks.

Yo.

Noah LaRoche is in Miami because, in large part, the current star in Memphis wanted nothing to do with him or his offense, yeah?

Frustrated, Ingram launches a water bottle, hits the towel boy, drenches Barnes and messes up the area. 😵‍💫

#NBA

First night with the '01 throwback courts.

The team stats you can start to trust are in turquoise. There will still be movement over the season in how teams rank but these stats are more real than noise now.

The stats in yellow are more noise than real at this point, and thus not much can be taken away from them until more games are played.

The Chicago Bulls are destined for 39 wins. Updated win projections after last night's games:

Jaxson Hayes just made his first 3-pointer since January 2, 2023 lol

Erik Spoelstra needed a timeout after seeing that

Wemby is breaking basketball, he is to defense what Steph was to offense

YouTube video by Jared Dubin Kyshawn George's Early Breakout

🎥 FILM FINDINGS 🎥

Kyshawn George looks like he's making a sophomore leap. He's putting up 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per night in the early going of the season. The shooting, the self-creation, the pace, and the passing are all on display. He looks like a building block for the Wiz.

Spo will use this an example to not challenge again for the rest of the year 😭

Goran would be proud, let's be fair, lol.

Every team is spending a higher % of their possessions in the bonus compared to last season...except the Kings

As I always said, Jaime Jaquez is going to be peak Kirilenko impact-wise for us...

The last sentence scares me a bit.

I will choose to ignore it. Go Heat.

My guy Goldsberry isn't on Bluesky, but I told him I'll be posting his stuff occasionally here. Because #NBASky deserves it.

Jump-shooting by team, through Week 1.
(*Kirk Goldsberry voice*) What leaps out?

October 29, 1991: Miami rookie Steve Smith with a no-look reverse layup during the Hall of Fame Game in Springfield, MA.

Smith finished with 16 PTS and Rony Seikaly added 22 PTS/12 REB for the Heat. Scottie Pippen led the Bulls with 34 PTS in Chicago's 124-118 preseason win.

Think much of Miami's offensive process is very real, but part of why we need to give the efficiency numbers time to normalize...

Halfcourt Points Per Possession
vs. ORL/NYK - 1.03 (Would Rank 30*)
vs. MEM/CHA - 1.30 (Would Rank 1*)

*using 2024-25 numbers

You're forgiven... But you must say nice things about Bam Adebayo as a result.

Jaquez and Simone played tho

He definitely had his moments for Indiana both pre-seasons with them. I know that's not much but can't teach size.

Counterpoint - would be good for Ware to have him in practice. I wouldn't assume certain guys, say Simone, to really excel here. But Spo has historically gotten things from guys like Luke Babbitt and Meyers Leonard, haha.

Am I off kilter for thinking we should roster James Wiseman?

I'm not sure anything other than this was the rational response to be fair. I still have a slight bit of skepticism about the remote sustainability of all this.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. isn't shooting many jumpers, but he's found his game again thanks to Erik Spoelstra putting the ball in his hands.

Plus, the new Heat offense isn't just about speed, it's about quick decisions.

Notebook Vol. 98: www.nba.com/heat/news/co...

I reported earlier in the summer that Willie Green had lost support from the players and organization, yet Dumars was mandated by Benson to keep him around.

Green still does not have the locker and the Pelicans patience is wearing thin. Players are checked out and management sees it.

Variance in opponent 3pt shooting can skew early season results.

Last year’s range: 38.6% (worst) to 34.6% (best) team opponent 3p%

Here are some outliers so far

Lucky Teams:
26.6% Bulls
30.1% Heat
31.0% Kings
31.2% 76ers
31.8% Pelicans

Unlucky Teams:
46.2% Nets
42.9% Grizzlies
39.7% Blazers

The Bulls are 3-0. But are they good?

No.

Here's why.

They have been unreal good at "Jedi 3 point defense".

Teams are shooting just 26% against them from 3. The next best opponent 3 point shooting percentage (SAC, MIA) is 31%. That's huge. And it's mostly luck.

Austin Reaves with 51 points & 11 rebounds, the first 50-point double-double by an undrafted* player since Neil Johnston in 1954.

It's just the fourth 50-point game by an undrafted* player in NBA history.

This is either 'great minds' for me or 'horrendous minds' for you

Taelon Peter went from three years at Division II Arkansas Tech (the Wonder Boys!) to one year at Liberty to a being a second-round pick to a two-way contract.

Now, he's playing real minutes on opening night in his first NBA game. Pretty awesome rise for the rookie guard!