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Rule #1

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Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

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In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

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If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

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When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

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Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

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If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

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The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

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We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

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What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

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  • What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

    https://8points9seconds.com/2017/08/...hot-selection/ Author: Hunter Kuffel

    I wanted to get a feel for how Myles Turner might shoot the ball going into his third season, but I didn’t want to cut corners. Here’s my (slightly crazy) solution.

    Myles Turner is a stud, no two ways about it.

    He’s got insane potential on both ends of the court, he’s already produced at a high level in 152 NBA games, and he’s been of legal drinking age in the US for 14 of them.

    Turner has a reputation around the league as a sweet shooter, and he’s definitely earned it. However, I’m always looking for ways to stay vigilant and not let myself fall into groupthink, and when the team at 8p9s was planning Myles Turner week, I saw a perfect opportunity to do that.

    The best way to truly evaluate Turner as a shooter is to watch him shoot, and the higher the sample the better, right? I decided to re-watch every shot Myles Turner took during the 2016-17 regular season as all-in-a-row as I possibly could. This is what I learned.

    (Spoiler alert: his reputation is deserved)

    Down Low

    Let’s start where Turner is reportedly working the hardest this summer: the post. Last season, Turner attempted 321 shots from less than five feet from the rim. They came about in all sorts of ways — rolls to the rim, entry passes into post-ups, tip-ins off a miss — all adding up to 224 makes and, if numbers mean what I think they do, 97 misses.

    Turner’s percentage from less than five feet is a sterling 69.8 percent. Only LeBron James, DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard had better percentages on more attempts last season. That’s not bad company to keep.

    It’s fair to entertain that such a stellar figure exists despite Turner’s post-up game and not because of it. He’s no slouch, but his moves are very limited. Nine times out of 10, Turner will end up trying to shoot over the top of his defender’s head, which works about as often as it doesn’t. If he tries to get fancy with a hook or step back, things don’t always end well.



    I am by no means saying that Turner should focus on his post game more than other facets. I’d actually prefer the opposite. That said, he should probably be able to win this matchup with force, instead of settling for a half-turnaround, half-hook mixture.

    On that note, Turner isn’t known for his ability to finish through contact, and he shouldn’t be. He’s not without his flashes, though. Here’s an encouraging example against the Memphis Grizzlies.



    Midrange

    This is where Turner earns his stripes and where he’s most lethal. Eventually, the hope is he converts a lot of these attempts into 3-pointers, but last season, Turner was an absolute monster from 18-20 feet, to the extent that he almost crossed into efficient territory. Not quite, but almost.

    From 15-19 feet, only eight players bested Turner’s 42.7 percent on more attempts, and only one of them, Marcus Morris, wasn’t an All-Star last February. Turner is really good at this.

    His shooting form from just inside the arc is silky smooth, as is his gather into it from the pick-and-pop. He and Jeff Teague made quite the pair last season, burning defenses over and over. I’d be shocked if a single game went by where Turner didn’t have at least one, maybe two, wide open looks after Teague pulled both defenders in then kicked it out to Turner above the left elbow. It’s very easy on the eyes.

    Behind the arc

    This is where most Pacers fans hope to see Turner’s game explode next season, and last year gave them plenty of reason to hope freely. After a shaky start, Turner averaged 34.8 percent from long range. That’s slightly below league average, but for a center, it’s a great sign.

    We saw real growth in Turner’s 3-point range last season. I mentioned his shaky start already (25.0 percent in October, 29.4 percent in November), but as clip after clip played, I saw him grow more and more comfortable stretching out that far. His form got cleaner, his release got quicker, and it just felt like more were going in.

    In January, he was on fire, draining an astonishing 50 percent of his 3s. Those are video game numbers, and he did it across an entire month, with gusto I might add.



    (Note: that clip is actually from December, but I just needed an excuse to include it.)

    Turner still has a lot of room to grow as a 3-point shooter, but that almost makes it even more exciting. He showed last year that he can make serious strides over the course of a regular season, so who knows where he might be this time next year?

    My biggest takeaway from this exercise? I can’t wait to watch the first shot of next season.
    Sittin on top of the world!

  • #2
    Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

    It will be interesting. If Myles can maintain those percentages on a higher volume, we have a big, big star on our hands.


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    • #3
      Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

      His silky jumper is a price-of-admission shot. I could watch it for days. The Smits comparison is so obvious it feels too on the nose but there is no denying it. It fits even more if you realize that while Smits was a #2 guy on a Finals caliber team (and not just 2000), he only made 1 ASG and was never the impact level of true AS centers like Ewing or Hakeem (to be fair, they were also HOF level).

      Smits was a #2 pick, so having Myles be that makes drafting him where they did a huge win for the Pacers. He doesn't need to be an AS (maybe 1-2 times) for him to be a huge success from where he was taken and what should be expected of him. My only concern is people putting unreasonable expectations on him and then ruining his rep in their minds....a common theme in the Indy fanbase.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

        Originally posted by Naptown_Seth View Post
        His silky jumper is a price-of-admission shot. I could watch it for days. The Smits comparison is so obvious it feels too on the nose but there is no denying it. It fits even more if you realize that while Smits was a #2 guy on a Finals caliber team (and not just 2000), he only made 1 ASG and was never the impact level of true AS centers like Ewing or Hakeem (to be fair, they were also HOF level).

        Smits was a #2 pick, so having Myles be that makes drafting him where they did a huge win for the Pacers. He doesn't need to be an AS (maybe 1-2 times) for him to be a huge success from where he was taken and what should be expected of him. My only concern is people putting unreasonable expectations on him and then ruining his rep in their minds....a common theme in the Indy fanbase.
        I think if Smits played in any other era other than the 90's he makes a few more all-star appearances.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

          Originally posted by Eleazar View Post
          I think if Smits played in any other era other than the 90's he makes a few more all-star appearances.
          Could you say that Smits would be in the same tier as Marc Gasol?
          Trying to enjoy every Pacers game as if it is the last!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

            Rik was an all-star center on offense for almost a decade and before the feet got too bad a much better post threat than given credit. It was his limited production on the glass and on the defensive end that held him back. He wasn't terrible with those facets but just not overly impactful.

            What I love about Myles is the potential to be a more mobile version of Rik, just as big a threat offensively, a step or two above on defense and a more productive rebounder.
            Last edited by Downtown Bang!; 08-11-2017, 07:11 AM.

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            • #7
              Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

              Originally posted by pacersgroningen View Post
              Could you say that Smits would be in the same tier as Marc Gasol?
              No, I personally would say no, close, but Gasol is/was more mobile than Smits, and a much better passer/rebounder

              Smitty had a much more diverse offensive game though (he could stick the 18 footer, and had an array of hook shots/drives to the basket )
              Sittin on top of the world!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                What was it that Shaq said about Rik? I can't remember exactly, but I know Shaq has always included Rik in the same breath as the other great big men of the 90s.


                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                  Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post
                  What was it that Shaq said about Rik? I can't remember exactly, but I know Shaq has always included Rik in the same breath as the other great big men of the 90s.
                  Yes. Shaq gives Rik respect. 7-4, and impossible to guard in the post.
                  Being unable to close out a game in which you have a comfortable lead in the 4th Q = Pulling a Frank Vogel

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                    I blame Bob Hill for ruining Smits and give credit to Larry Brown for getting him back on track as much as possible.

                    Hill saw him as the 2nd coming of Mark Eaton and wanted him to put on a lot of weight. That screwed up his feet. When Brown came on board, he just told Smits to get to a comfortable weight and his career was salvaged. He probably would have been better than he was and had a longer career if not for Hill.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                      Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post
                      What was it that Shaq said about Rik? I can't remember exactly, but I know Shaq has always included Rik in the same breath as the other great big men of the 90s.
                      Part of what made Rik so hard to guard was the fact that he could shoot and it forced Shaq to have to move away from the basket. I'm sure he's mentioned it on other occasions but the topic comes up here around the 6:10 mark:

                      https://youtu.be/5kOvPZKaNDM?t=6m10s
                      Check out my autographed 1972-73 Topps basketball project

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                        Originally posted by Downtown Bang! View Post
                        Rik was an all-star center on offense for almost a decade and before the feet got too bad a much better post threat than given credit. It was his limited production on the glass and on the defensive end that held him back. He wasn't terrible with those facets but just not overly impactful.

                        What I love about Myles is the potential to be a more mobile version of Rik, just as big a threat offensively, a step or two above on defense and a more productive rebounder.
                        I still see Turner as well beneath Smits on defense. Both slow against quicker players but Smits was a much better defender against post players than Turner.
                        Why do teams tank? Ask a Spurs fan.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                          What I remember most about Smits is he was always in foul trouble before the end of the first quarter. Refs just wouldn't let him play. When Shaq fouled, the refs said they have to let him play his game (even changed the rules for him so he could charge close to the basket - a rule that remains to this day).
                          “It is what we learn after we know it all that really counts” - John Wooden

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: What I learned from watching every shot Myles Turner took last year

                            Originally posted by Pacerized View Post
                            I still see Turner as well beneath Smits on defense. Both slow against quicker players but Smits was a much better defender against post players than Turner.
                            1993-94 & beyond Rik Smits was better than 2nd year Turner on defense. He had matured, was a smart player and played in a good defensive system. He also got a lot of help in the defensive paint from the Davis boys and on key defensive sets when a stop was needed often wasn't in the game with DD guarding Ewing etc.

                            Still think Myles will surpass him as a base defender on that side of the ball, won't need to substituted out on key defensive sets and adds that rim protection element.....

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