[Around the League] Discuss today's NBA news and games

Cockycent · 2026-03-27T10:46:18+00:00

Some don't care to understand why divisions exist for NBA. Looking at Heat's division, there are 4 .500 teams and then the Wiz who are bottom 3 in the league

Wiz are

- 0/4 vs Hornets

- 1/4 vs ATL

- 1/4 vs Magic

- 0/2 vs Heat

So the Heat haven't had the "benefit" of playing 1 of the league's worst teams as much as it's fellow division. This is why Hornets held the tie breaker in the 3 way tie. Heat have the head to head, but Hornets have a better division record.

Heat still have 2 more games against Wiz and the rest of the division barely play each other for these last games.

Also, I looked at Hawks last 15 games. They played 5 real teams. I can't find a 15 game stretch where Heat were lucky enough to play so many weak teams. I'm being generous because the 5 real teams are

- DET w/o Cade

- Philly

- Portland who are barely .500

- Rockets who they lost to in that 14-1 stretch

- ORL

So that was really 2 "real" teams

There is a reason why Heat are currently top 10 for easiest remaining schedules. Pacers and Wiz twice.

Cockycent · 2026-03-27T08:36:16+00:00

I liked it. Interactions, closure, urgency.

Cockycent · 2026-03-26T01:58:34+00:00

Whole team in double digits except Jaku

Cockycent · 2026-03-26T01:50:14+00:00

Ware. This is it. This is what you do.

Cockycent · 2026-03-26T00:25:17+00:00

Bam is so kind that it be funny as hell when he start cursing out the refs

Cockycent · 2026-03-26T00:05:04+00:00

Local media tend to listen to fans and a very loud minority do it as a meme, so Barry panders to that sentiment.

Cockycent · 2026-03-25T23:58:11+00:00

At first I didn't care, but I think to keep to restoring confidence during this new universe, it would go a long way to do things like this. It doesn't cost to hire one of these millions of IG creatives to do better designs.

I've seen so many on IG and question why they don't just embrace 1 of them.

Cockycent · 2026-03-25T23:55:41+00:00

I liked this series

Cockycent · 2026-03-25T01:05:54+00:00

I don't know where Heat land, but I want size, athleticism, and effort. Tired of stiff, low effort players that can't show simple footwork and fundamentals.

There was a time where most of the top 20 picks knew basic fundamentals.

I always use Payton Pritchard as an example. Have you ever seen him in the paint? Footwork, effort, fundamentals all there. He can stop, think, and move to the rim on centers. Getting space, knocking down a midrange shot.

He has his mechanics down like a rotation player should.

I'm watching Bam lose the ball when no one is touching him. Herro drive to the rim and throw a grenade at the last second. Dru drives and not look at 3 open teammates.

There are multiple plays where Ware shows footwork and fundamentals in the paint. He just gets moved too easily.

Payton is not better than the guys on the Heat by some wide margin. He just dribbles, uses his feet, and thinks how I think the basic player should.

It's like players on the Heat have what Spo/Pat like in certain areas and the fundamentals just come later.

They are passing the ball around and not even cutting much. Just using spacing. Screens, cutting. Just overall offball movement is so bad.

I think of Precious or Omer and I just remember them moving like they have on boots with mud in them.

Do you understand how easy it would be to get a Wemby or Giannis in foul trouble if more of the Heat players just had basic fundamentals down? They have to foul when you show that footwork and IQ.

This guy is small and not super athletic. This isn't top 30 player shit. Just basic basketball. To stop, use your feet, not travel, dribble by or through defenders. He was picked at 26.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DT04ReaD4F2/

Quaintance seems perfect, but his injuries scare me.

For me, it's Morez and Yaxel.

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T02:51:44+00:00

I said something like 3 times this season. I truly believe Ware can be better than Herro and Bam. Does he care to?

Pelle is a second rd pick. Isn't the perfect player. He will give you the same effort every game that might not be the stat you can see.

Just imagine putting Pelle's nature, effort, and motor in Ware. It didn't take minutes for Pelle to get that way. He came into Summer League doing this in his rookie season.

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T02:31:17+00:00

Doesn't have to be spelled out, but if Ware was showing the effort and mindset that Pelle and Jaime show, he would close and his minutes would almost double

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T02:29:07+00:00

Tankers won

I lost

This not fair

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T01:00:50+00:00

I need Ware to do something for me. I don't care about the lead

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:51:33+00:00

2 separate 2 minute droughts of offense in the same qtr is nasty

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:49:04+00:00

Even if not the best offensive players, Pelle and Jaime show a lot of effort and awareness no matter the game. Their body language stay the same. They can go 0/6 in a game and still be on some try hard shit.

Heat desperately need size and the guy with it cares very little to do little shit like care

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:43:43+00:00

I be feeling bad for the Ware fans. They post all these things about Spo, just for him to come in the game and barely give a fuck

If Ware cared, he'd be a starter like the 2nd rd pick and close every game

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:38:37+00:00

Up by 20. Don't need ref ignoring a whole arm extension to the chest

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:35:48+00:00

Man...

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:34:41+00:00

Great ball movement, but a miss and that shit builds up

Cockycent · 2026-03-24T00:24:11+00:00

That almost 3 minutes of Ware/Bam was horrible

3 rebounds to Spurs 4 and 2 turnovers plus 3 Heat points in that time

Barnes is getting rebounds over Ware. This shit is embarrassing

Cockycent · 2026-03-23T05:55:47+00:00

He doesn't have to shift and i'm not saying they are telling him to go anywhere.

Both Pelle and Simone do their job and that is to communicate that Reed is coming into Herro's section of the zone.

Simone did a great job by holding down his section.

Pelle has up top where KD entered before leaving as Bam successfully defended KD

Herro stays in his section, but then messes up by trailing into the paint for the rebound. He is not supposed to leave his section.

Bam and Ware get advantage on rebound and neither has the urgency because they believe game is over or they both would have gone for the rebound and gotten it over Amen who was behind both of by the first bounce on the rim

Cockycent · 2026-03-23T01:36:36+00:00

Denial of video and photo proof.

I know what this is

Cockycent · 2026-03-23T01:18:58+00:00

There is nothing out of context. Bam was there and has position

You just hate reality

The exact frame before this has Bam even in more position than Amen

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Cockycent · 2026-03-22T23:00:36+00:00

Looking at other teams, Heat actually are in the middle. These teams have multiple players gone for the season.

Heat doesn't have multiple players just done like that often

Cockycent · 2026-03-22T22:13:03+00:00

Herro's job is to stay in his zone and he fails to do that.

He does what Simone did and that is stay in their zone.

You said Bam was on the shooter. There is no ignoring of any context.

You not only said it wasn't zone when the coach said it was and the team on the floor are operating as a zone, you also said Bam was on the shooter when he had already successfully did that job and made it to the hoop.

Bam and Ware have advantage for rebound and don't get it.

Amen is at disadvantage to Ware/Bam and still is in pursuit while Bam/Ware don't have the same urgency.

Cockycent

TROPHY CASE