3 Mock Trades That (Won’t) Turn The NBA Upside Down
From three mock trades to stir the NBA pot to Tyrese Haliburton’s playmaking, here’s everything I noticed from last night around the association.
Philadelphia 76ers (108) vs Boston Celtics (103)
Aside from the evacuation alert that delayed this game, this was a war of attrition between two rivals. The Celtics had their chances to win, and they blew it.
The 76ers waited for the Celtics to slip up, and eventually, they did. Joel Embiid finished a monster night with clutch jumpers, staving off elimination with a signature performance. Philly gets a character-building win on the road.
Let’s break down all that happened in a tight contest from TD Garden.
Philadelphia 76ers
As long as Philly has Joel Embiid, there’s no need to worry. Embiid was exquisite, picking apart the Celtics from the mid-post. Everything was stuck on automatic, but he also had help.
Seth Curry continues to be excellent, hitting shots that rival his brother. Tobias Harris was solid, as this trio led the 76ers to a much-needed win.
As Philly tries to navigate inconsistency, this might be a step in the right direction for them.
Seth Curry Has Been Awesome
The career path of Seth Curry is riveting. From playing just two NBA games across his first two seasons to where he is now? He’s turned into one of the best role players in the NBA. He’s even evolved from being a spot-up sniper to someone who you can rely on off the dribble.
He’s currently having the best season of his career, with no signs of slowing down. By the numbers, by the eyes, Seth Curry is blossoming in front of our eyes. Too bad Dallas traded him for Josh Richardson a couple of years ago.
By The Numbers
16.5 points – 52% FG – 40% 3-PT – 87% FT – 64% TS
Those numbers are just ridiculous. Let’s break down these ridiculous numbers even more.
- There have been 28 players this season to shoot 100+ shots from the mid-range. Seth Curry leads all of them with a scorching 61.8% shooting mark
- Curry is one of 17 players this season shooting 40%+ from 3 on 5+ attempts per game.
- There are 7 players who are shooting 45%+ on catch-and-shoot 3’s (3 attempts per game). Seth Curry is one of them.
Even more than that, while looking at Curry’s stats, I noticed an interesting development while looking at his basketball reference page.
October: 69.7% of FG’s Assisted
November: 62.8% FG’s Assisted
December: 52.4% of FG’s Assisted
Curry has become more of a one-on-one scorer as the season’s progressed. He’s been aggressive, not waiting for Embiid or Harris to give him looks. He’s stepped into a new role with the 76ers seamlessly.
It’s Seth Curry’s world. We’re just living in it.
Tobias Harris/Joel Embiid Pick-and-Rolls
Another thing I noticed from this game was the Embiid/Harris pick-and-rolls. I have never seen these happen before, but I was struck at how effective these were. Perhaps it’s something that Philly can explore more in the future.
Enes Freedom (still weird to say that), doesn’t even recognize Harris coming into the lane. All he’s focused on is Embiid, giving Harris all the space he needs to score.
Even out of the post, Enes can’t keep his attention off of Embiid. For chrissakes, Embiid fell on this play and it still worked.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics should have won this game. Despite the struggles of Jayson Tatum and the offense in general, a seven-point lead late in the 4th quarter should be a done deal. Instead, the Celtics let this one slip away.
Even with great performances from Payton Pritchard, the Celtics, again, found a way to lose.
Payton Pritched Deserves Minutes
I don’t know why Pritchard hasn’t been playing this season. Ime Udoka just kind of shunned him from the lineup. Pritchard hasn’t been getting DNP’s, but he hasn’t been an integral part of the team like I hoped he would.
Pritchard is a talented player. He can shoot, get to the rim, and is a good on-ball defender despite his lack of size. And finally, I think Ime Udoka sees that.
Pritchard’s last two games have been the most minutes he’s played all season. Last night against Philly, he played a season-high 28 minutes. He showed why he needs more playing time.
16 points – 6/9 shooting – +2 plus/minus
In a game where the Celtics were thin off the bench, Pritchard was excellent. Instead of being a spot-up shooter, he was the aggressor. He played well off of screens, including a few nice mid-range jumpers. Of his six field goals last night, this was my favorite;
This is just great spatial awareness. Give him more minutes Udoka. DO IT!
The Kings Suck, But Haliburton’s Playmaking Doesn’t
It must be a drag to watch Kings games. I gave up after the first quarter, which saw them get thoroughly outplayed by the Warriors. It’s another loss during another lost season, but hey, you still have Tyrese Haliburton.
With De’Aaron Fox out, Haliburton has been playing point guard recently. It’s worked like a charm, with Haliburton playing the best basketball of this young season. His playmaking has spiked through the roof and it was no different last night.
11 assists against the best defense in the NBA? Let’s take a closer look into how Haliburton got those assists;
Haliburton’s ability to make an alley-oop look like a floater is beautiful. I don’t know if anybody does it better than him. They look exactly the same, making it impossible for a defense to cover either one.
| 2020-21: Haliburton while driving | 8.3 drives | 54% FG | 4.1 passes | 1.3 assists |
| 2021-22: Haliburton while driving | 10.7 drives | 41% FG | 5.8 passes | 2.0 assists |
Haliburton’s scoring efficiency while driving has plummeted. While that’s a topic for another day, he’s becoming a better passer without the use of a screen. In one-on-one situations, he’s able to break down defenders and find his teammates.
This next play is a great example of that;
Haliburton makes a great move to get past JTA. But, he is then met by the 2nd wave of defense. Not panicking, he calmly finds Tristan Thompson for the easy score.
Simple, but great basketball.
Three Realistic Mock Trades That Won’t Change The League Forever
While trade season is technically open, nothing has happened yet. There is still a lot of time until the February 10th trade deadline, but since I have nothing better to do, here are three realistic trades that could happen very soon.
(There will be no earth-shattering moves in the next 650 words or so)
Indiana Receives: Mason Plumlee – Cody Martin – PJ Washington
Charlotte Receives: Myles Turner – 2024 Lottery Protected FRP
The Hornets are still looking for their center of the future. With so much of their team already in place, a center is the last piece to the puzzle. They have cycled through Plumlee, Zeller, and drafted Kai Jones this past year in the first round. But if they want to compete, Myles Turner is the answer.
The Hornets allow teams to shoot 65% against them in the restricted area, which is 10th worst in the NBA. Turner is a great rim protector who can also stretch the floor on offense. Turner isn’t much of a vertical threat in the pick-and-roll, but he would be a major upgrade.
The Pacers would be getting a good return package. PJ Washington could use a change of scenery. Mason Plumlee is pretty cheap. At worst, he’s another tradeable asset. That protected first-round pick in 2024 will likely remain theirs, given the rebuilding direction your team is heading in.
The Pacers are looking to blow things up. The Hornets want to contend as soon as possible. This trade makes both things possible for all parties involved.
Utah Receives: Harrison Barnes
Sacramento Receive: Bojan Bogdanovic – 2023 FRP – 2027 Top 10 Protected FRP
I’m here to tell you something, Sacramento. You should be rebuilding. Having Harrison Barnes, a good but older player, doesn’t make sense anymore. It’s time to cut the crap, bite the bullet, whatever other saying you want, and restart things.
You have good building blocks in place, but this could help your future endeavors. Now, I am aware that Bojan Bogdanovic is not a player that goes with the world rebuilding. But getting two first-round picks does and I think this deal would be worth it for those two picks alone.
Now, I don’t see the Jazz getting this lucky, but we are talking about the Kings here. Bojan Bogdanovic is decent, but he hasn’t been the same since getting wrist surgery in 2020. He’s older, and more importantly, a defensive liability. Getting Harrison Barnes would be a huge upgrade for many reasons.
He can score without Conley or Mitchell force-feeding him. He’s a pretty good defender. The Jazz not only need perimeter defense, but some more fuel to the best offense in the league couldn’t hurt.
Again, unless the Kings find some sort of jackpot, I don’t think Barnes is leaving. But how much better would the Jazz be if they were able to pull this off?
Atlanta Receives: Brandon Ingram
New Orleans Receives: Cam Reddish – Sharife Cooper – Jalen Johnson – Bogdan Bogdanovic – 2022 FRP – 2025 FRP – 2028 FRP
And no, Brandon Ingram is not a superstar. I haven’t cheated. Yet.
The Hawks haven’t been great this season. Their roster hasn’t been performing well, so changes could be in store. We all know they have an aggressive front office, but this would be a pretty big swing. Just look at how much they’d be giving up.
Two promising rookies in Jalen Johnson & Sharife Cooper who never got a chance to play? Good-bye. Cam Reddish a top-10 pick in 2019? Adios. Bogdan Bogdanovic, one of the better swingman in the NBA? Dueces.
Not to mention you’re giving up three unprotected first-round picks on top of all of that. Talk about the swing of all swings. With all that they’d be giving up, the upside for this move is there, if Atlanta wants it.
You would be getting a more reliable and consistent scoring option in Ingram. Whereas Bogdanovic and Reddish are streaky, Ingram is an All-Star. His length, shooting, and scoring would make him a good fit with the Hawks.
Would New Orleans say no to this? Unlikely. In return for an All-Star, you’re getting a whole team. Now that’s what I call a deal. Does it hurt that Cam Reddish, Zion’s college teammate is coming as part of this trade? Could this, perhaps, help a soured relationship between Zion and upper management? Maybe.
If this were to happen, the Pelicans would be getting a perfect opportunity to start winning. I know it’s a shot from left-field, but it’d be fun if it happened.
I used 641 words to make those past 3 trades. The league is still relatively unchanged. I didn’t break the rules. Yay.
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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