Some Mildly Interesting Things I’ve Been Noticing
I’ve been watching a lot of basketball recently, so I thought I’d share some mildly interesting things I’ve been noticing.
There’s so many things to keep an eye on in the NBA at once. It’s hard to keep your eye on the multiple angles of the league. I’ve been watching lots of basketball, so I thought I would share some mildly interesting things that I’ve been noticing as of late.
Today, I’m focusing on Portland’s new rotations, Franz Wagner, and more!
Chauncey Billups is Pushing Some New Buttons
The Portland Trail Blazers have been sliding. After a strong 10-4 start, my Blazers have struggled with injuries, turnovers, and inconsistent shooting. That all culminated with a five-game losing streak that saw Portland fall below 0.500 and out of the playoff picture. Questions about the team’s future came into question, but everybody reiterated Portland’s desire to be competitive.
Since that five-game skid, the Blazers have had a new energy about them. Sometimes, getting kicked in the nuts is the perfect catalyst for change. Now, a lot of that change can be attributed to health. Gary Payton II is back on the floor, and so is Nassir Little. Both guys have provided much-needed POA defense and spark off the bench.
But, I will begrudgingly be giving Chauncey Billups credit. He understands this team’s roster is better than their [] record. So, he’s been changing things in his rotation. The biggest difference has been the tandem of Lillard and Simons. Simons has struggled to consistently score with Lillard playing alongside him. He’s not the off-ball wizard that CJ McCollum was for so many years.
So, Billups has been staggering their minutes more. Dame comes out earlier in the 1st and 3rd quarters, allowing Simons to lead the offense. The extra rest means Lillard gets more rest throughout the game. For the first time in Dame’s regular season career that I can remember, he’s starting the fourth quarter energized.
Shaedon Sharpe has been getting more minutes, and the newfound health has given Billups more reliable options off the bench. Sharpe has been much more aggressive over the past few games, a welcome sight in his development going forward;
Portland is by no means a finished product. I still lament all of the little things they could be doing better. But Chauncey’s new rotation has worked…for now. If the injury bug has done its worst, the Blazers still have a chance to make noise in the West. Their schedule is filled with home games and easy opponents. The time may be now to make a patented playoff push that this team pulls off with regularity.
Franz Wagner Is Making Chicago Pay
I was a fan of Franz Wagner the minute Orlando stole him from Chicago. One of the prices of the Nikola Vucevic deal during the 2021 trade deadline was the 8th pick in that year’s draft. Orlando used that to select Wagner, a versatile Michigan forward oozing with two-way potential.
This season, Wagner has built on his strong rookie campaign and is one of the most underrated players in the league. Wagner’s basic numbers are great, but a quick look under the hood will make him seem even more impressive. Avert your attention elsewhere, Bulls fans;
20.3 points ~ 49% FG ~ 36% 3-PT ~ 4.5 FTA ~ 17.0 PER ~ +3.3 EPM (92nd Percentile)
Wagner glides to the rim, using his long strides to just teleport to the basket. His euro-step has become his devastating signature move near the hoop. It’s damn near impossible to stop him once he gets a running start.
On top of that, Wagner has developed into a great shooter. He’s shooting more mid-range jumpers than he was last year, and he’s hitting them at a 50% clip. In fact, he’s in the 96th percentile among all wing players on long mid-range jumpers, according to cleaning the glass.
An uptick in free-throw attempts (up to 4.5 FTA) is also a welcome sight for Wagner. He’s meshed well with Paolo Banchero and has become a go-to option for Orlando this season. Oh, and the Magic are 8.1 points per 100 possessions better defensively when Franz is on the floor. No big deal.
Today, I want to talk about Wagner’s improvement in the pick-and-roll.
Improvement as far as the eye can see
Wagner is more of a secondary passer at this point. Once he gets a screen, his mindset is to score. This season, he’s been much more effective than he was as a rookie. He’s improved from 0.85 PPP as a ball-handler last year to 0.94 this season. And he’s shooting nearly 10% better from the field.
Again, once he gets a running start, good luck stopping Wagner. Here, he receives a staggered double-screen and scores over Jaren Jackson Jr, one of the best interior defenders in the league;
Here, Wagner rejects the screen and shows his explosiveness. It took him just one dribble to get from the foul line to the rim;
In the future, hitting more jump shots off of screens is something Wagner will have to be better at. Right now, he doesn’t look that comfortable doing so;
Wagner is shooting just 32.9% on pull-ups this season. He’s even worse from 3, shooting just 25.9%. This is where Wagner will have to get better. And I would love to see more plays like this when he gets downhill;
Outlook
Wagner is such a crafty and savvy player at just 21 years old. He knows how to use his size, and his improved shooting stroke is a sign of things to come. If he continues to polish his pull-up shooting and improves as a passer, we could be looking at a perennial two-way All-Star for the next decade.
And to think the Bulls could have had their hands on a player like that.
The Atlanta Hawks are Imploding
Both on and off the court, the Atlanta Hawks have been depressing. On the court, Trae Young nor his teammates can shoot, and there have been plenty of easy transition points for opponents. It’s been a mess. John Collins is available for trade for the 100th time in his career, and you have to wonder if more pieces will follow him out of the door.
The Hawks were two wins away from the Finals a couple years ago (a crazy statement in retrospect), but it may be time to blow things up. And that’s just the product on the court. Off the court, Atlanta is doing their best Succession impression.
(Note: I haven’t watched Succession, so I’m hoping that analogy made sense)
From the looks of it, Atlanta’s ownership group is stingy and impatient. They traded Kevin Huerter away for nothing just to stay under the luxury tax. Former GM Travis Schlenk “stepped down” and handed the reigns to Landry Fields, a 34-year-old with no experience. Nick Ressler, the 27-year-old son of owner Tony Ressler, has a lot of power in the front office. I think you see where this is headed.
Apparently, Tony was fine with Schlenk running things, but little Nick was not. He’s the Grima Wormtounge of this universe – a poisonous presence that kills everything he touches. Nick was the one who pushed for the Dejounte Murray deal over the summer, not Schlenk.
And then there’s Trae Young. Before pondering retirement, Nate McMillan benched his franchise cornerstone over a shootaround dispute. Some rival executives around the league think Young will soon request a trade. It’s not like Young is a beloved player, and his status as a franchise player is up in the air.
Bad ownership and front offices can kill a team. Right now, the Hawks are headed down a dark path because of their own self-inflicted wounds. Exiling Grima may be the tip of the snake. Atlanta will have to do some serious soul-searching over the next few months to right this ship.
Earth to Houston?
Rebuilding teams aren’t fun to watch, and the Houston Rockets are no different. John Wall didn’t need to tell us this team was losing on purpose for us to see it. The writing was on the wall – in very visible ink. But, the way the Rockets are playing is concerning.
Losing basketball is never good for a young player’s development. But you’re hoping that the fundamentals have been instilled in Houston. Instead, the Rockets are playing the NBA equivalent of rec basketball. There’s no cohesion or passing. Every time somebody touches the ball, they’re looking to take on the world instead of keeping the offense flowing.
Houston ranks second to last in assists and first in turnovers per game. They’re sloppy when they have the ball, and their best playmaker is their second-year center. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are glorified shot-chuckers who don’t know how to run an offense. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers are second in the league in assists and have greatly accelerated their rebuilding timeline. Not exactly a coincidence.
Improvement is something that should be evident in every team’s rebuild. We’re seeing it in Orlando, Detroit, and especially in Indiana. And yet, I couldn’t agree with Eric Gordon more when he said this a few weeks ago;
Stephen Silas and his coaching staff aren’t teaching Houston how to play the right way. On every other damn defensive possession, every Rocket crashes the offensive glass, leading to easy points on the other end. This is the stuff you see second graders do;
I get that all this losing could lead to Wembanyama or Scoot. I get that. But if it’s coming at the cost of the young guys you’ve already invested in, is it really worth it? Houston isn’t building any lasting culture or bond with their players. The only reason you know they’re a team is because of the laundry they’re wearing.
Now’s a great time to remind Rockets fans that they passed up on Evan Mobley in the 2020 draft.
The Clippers Are Attrocious
I feel like we always ignore the Clippers during the regular season. The Clippers are always a team that gets lost in the shuffle around the league. LA isn’t very exciting, and their constant injury management makes them a buzzkill most nights. Kawhi Leonard struggling to get on the court to start the year was an excuse for their mediocre play.
But now? Leonard has looked sharp as of late, and the Clippers still can’t win. They’re 4-8 since Christmas Day and have had some lowlights. Against the rival Denver Nuggets in early January, Ty Lue benched his starters at halftime after they shot 27% from the field and 2/21 from 3-PT land. Then, eight days later, the Nuggets beat them again with Jokic watching from the sidelines.
Despite having an incredibly deep roster, the Clippers are showing some invulnerability. LA’s point guard situation of Reggie Jackson and John Wall isn’t great. Wall going down with injury doesn’t help the Clippers or his trade value. And, outside of the quietly outstanding Ivica Zubac, the Clippers don’t have any other centers.
Roster dysfunction aside, LA should be better than they are. There’s no excuse for them to have the 27th-ranked offense in the league. Turnovers continue to be a thorn in this team’s side. The Clippers rank 20th in turnovers per game, leading to 18.6 points for their opponents. Despite having a stout, tough defense, the Clippers’ offense is holding them back.
Here’s the catch. With Leonard and George on the floor, the Clippers have a 115.7 offensive rating. It’s just that both of these guys hardly play together. They’ve only played 16 times together, and LA is 9-7. As per usual, injuries and rest have done more harm to the Clippers than good.
Cohesion and chemistry are impossible to maintain or grow with their constant lineup changes. LA has used 16 different starting lineups this season. Whatever they have right now isn’t working. The vibes are off, and this team is nowhere near their goal of contending for a championship.
I don’t know if they ever will, which is a damning statement considering all the all-in moves they’ve swung over the past few seasons. Lawrence Frank and this Clippers front office could benefit from a Myles Turner, a Fred VanVleet, or even somebody small like Ish Smith or Nerlens Noel. They need something.
But, in a crowded Western Conference, if one of the deepest rosters in the league isn’t getting the job done, can anything save the Clippers?
What were your thoughts on my findings? Leave a comment down below!
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