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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 10, 2018 19:29:20 GMT
Go Spurs Go
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Post by OutRosez on Oct 10, 2018 19:43:16 GMT
I agree they're a good trio but they're all second and third option guys. They also have injury problems. Millsap since turning 30 games played: 81, 69, and 38. That's not a good trend. Harris for his career: 55, 76, 57, and 67. That's really not good. They have no defenders and Harris and Thomas (I know what you're thinking but he's at least the starter) have already had injury issues this offseason/preseason. I need to see what the Lakers look like in January because the problem is there's not 5 bad teams like there was in the west last year (Dallas and Memphis got better) the teams around them got better too, every team in their division looks better although whether or not the Clippers and Suns are actually better and how much we'll find out soon. The problem I have with most of the Lakers additions is they're all....bad. Beasley? Does things on bad teams. Lance? Awful when he's not a Pacer. Javale? Nah although he'll be nice with LeBron. Rondo? awful defender and brings their defense down by being the starter(I think this is gonna be big early on in the season), and is only good with the ball in his hands so you're taking away from LeBron. I think it's likely they're a .500 ish team rather than a playoff team. LeBron is gonna slow down at some time and it might be this year might not be. I'm just not counting on Ingram, Lonzo and Hart's improvements to amount to much. Although I'm really prepared to be wrong about Hart and think he'll prove me wrong. He's also the only young Laker that's a perfect fit along side him. Rondo? Awful defender? Give me what you are smoking. Lonzo Ball will probably get the nod within couple weeks into the season. LeBron has had nothing but good stuff to say about Lonzo. I know practice is not same as nba, but even Luke and Magic have been saying Lonzo has improved his game. He also put on some muscle and worked on his conditioning. I'm not worried one bit. He will be our point-guard. You think adding LeBron, Ingram/Kuzma/Ball/Hart improvement adds 6 wins? Okay, avy bet. I am putting all of my Lakers credibility on the line here. I say we win around 49 games and make playoffs. You say around 41 wins and miss playoffs. Loser must wear the avy chosen by winner until start of next season. Not just an avy but a signature chosen by the winner.  or no? If you think he's a good defender in 2018, I don't know what to tell you. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 10, 2018 20:49:43 GMT
Rondo? Awful defender? Give me what you are smoking. Lonzo Ball will probably get the nod within couple weeks into the season. LeBron has had nothing but good stuff to say about Lonzo. I know practice is not same as nba, but even Luke and Magic have been saying Lonzo has improved his game. He also put on some muscle and worked on his conditioning. I'm not worried one bit. He will be our point-guard. You think adding LeBron, Ingram/Kuzma/Ball/Hart improvement adds 6 wins? Okay, avy bet. I am putting all of my Lakers credibility on the line here. I say we win around 49 games and make playoffs. You say around 41 wins and miss playoffs. Loser must wear the avy chosen by winner until start of next season. Not just an avy but a signature chosen by the winner. or no? If you think he's a good defender in 2018, I don't know what to tell you. I watched Pelicans in playoffs. I thought Rondo played pretty good defense. Obviously not like his Boston days when he was elite. I wouldn't go "awful".. Let me list a few awful defenders.. Jr smith, Isaiah Thomas, Jamaal Crawford, Doug McBuckets, Lou Williams, Jose Calderon You think Rondo belongs with those guys defensively? |
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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 11, 2018 0:11:10 GMT
Spurs should have started DW a long time ago. Beautiful basketball is back! 7-8 from 3 in the first quarter  |
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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 11, 2018 1:58:16 GMT
Not a bad first start for DW. He looked a little timid, but he will play off of DeRozan and LMA very well. The offense looks so much smoother with him in place of Murray. He's not a terrible defender but the defense will probably still hurt overall without Dejounte. He was such a defensive playmaker.
15/6/3/2/1 on 55% shooting stat line for DW. Looked good but with how easy offense comes to him, he needs to let it fly.
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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 11, 2018 2:14:06 GMT
Oh damn. I didn’t even notice but he only had one turnover too
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Post by bladefd on Oct 11, 2018 6:08:10 GMT
Not a bad first start for DW. He looked a little timid, but he will play off of DeRozan and LMA very well. The offense looks so much smoother with him in place of Murray. He's not a terrible defender but the defense will probably still hurt overall without Dejounte. He was such a defensive playmaker. 15/6/3/2/1 on 55% shooting stat line for DW. Looked good but with how easy offense comes to him, he needs to let it fly. Interesting. Perhaps Spurs could be that 8th team after all if he can make up what they lost with Murray, at least offensively. Murray was an elite defender imo so that end is unlikely but maybe improved offense could jumpstart the others. Like Patty to tear it up from 3pt line. Aldridge could be opened up in the paint to unleash down low. Do you think Patty and White can play together in backcourt? I don't know if Gasol will be healthy whole season. They may have to go White, Patty, DeRozen, Gay, Aldridge at some point or another. Pop has been known to make average players look very good. It will be intriguing to see what he does with White. Team defense and defensive schemes should be able to cover up some of the holes in defense. Maybe some extra zone defense. |
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Post by ballup on Oct 11, 2018 16:02:48 GMT
Rockets
Warriors
Jazz
OKC
Blazers
Pelicans
Nuggets
Spurs
This is a rough idea of how I see it play out. Health is a big determinant for the Pelicans and Nuggets
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Post by bladefd on Oct 11, 2018 20:27:21 GMT
Nah, Teague is more than 'mediocre'. Twolves I felt had major chemistry issues. They just didn't fit well together. Wiggins was one of the most overrated players I have seen since I have watched the nba going back to 2000. Lets also see what they get for Butler. Until that trade happens, I think we have to keep our minds open. If they get trash back in return or draft picks then all bets are off. I wish to reserve ultimate judgment on them until such a time they successfully move Butler. Stotts has been the leader of that underperforming team going back 6yrs. They missed playoffs his first season with prime Aldridge, Lillard, Batum, Matthews when he was decent, JJ Hickson who wasn't actually a bad player. They were swept in first round twice of their 5 playoffs seasons (3rd series they won 1 game vs Memphis in 1st round but were almost swept). That's underperforming when you have a solid team year-after-year, getting pummeled by Memphis and Pelicans. As for the 3rd seed argument, the difference between 3rd seed and out of playoffs was 2 games so no, #3 seed doesn't mean much of anything where the difference is 2 games between 3 and 8. I believe Lillard has also been no-show too many times in playoffs where I can state he is very much overrated. ...but that's another issue altogether.  Pelicans adding Randle is big. I know you were never big on Randle but what I saw from him last season after Larry Nance got traded was spectacular. He is a solid rebounder who can also pound down low, play very good defense + switch out to the perimeter. He takes some pressure off Davis, who can now push out more to high post and maybe even shoot some 3s to open up the court. They have plenty of frontcourt depth as I mentioned to play even more inside-out. That also allows Jrue to not have to focus so much on offense. That team is solid, built like a tank. More so than Blazers. Oh and if I forgot to mention that Davis is a top 5 player, who will be making an argument on the court for why he thinks he is the best player in the nba. I'll admit that being swept by the Pelicans was embarrassing for the Blazers. They're sorely lacking a 3rd option on offense and that got exposed. The rest of their playoff losses are understandable though. '17 playoffs swept by Warriors, which really what do you expect? '16 playoffs, again, lost to the 73 win Warriors. '15 playoffs, lost to the Grizzlies because they didn't have Matthews and Batum suffered a knee contusion the week prior to the playoffs. '14 playoffs, they lost to the championship Spurs. And as for Stott's first year, he had a rookie Dame and Hickson was a terrible compliment to LMA, it didn't matter that Hickson was an okay player in a vacuum if neither he or Aldridge could protect the rim. You can clearly see how swapping Hickson for Lopezmade the vast difference in the team's winning (26th DRTG to 16th DRTG). You can't blame Stotts for missing the playoffs his first year considering McMillan missed the playoffs the previous year. The Blazers overachieved 4 seasons and underachieved 2 seasons, one being Stott's first year and the other being in 2017 when their front court was plagued by injuries trhoughout. The fact that they made the playoffs after LMA left was an overachievement. Vegas had them winning 26 games that year and they busted that by 18 wins. The Blazers had a very incomplete roster throughout the Dame-CJ era and still have a lot of holes to this day yet they had consistently been in the playoffs. With all of this context, how is it that the Blazers have underachieved under Stotts? AD is a post player who can dive to the rim and shoot the midrange. The areas he works in conflicts with Randles so unless you're just using Davis as a mild spacer, it's not like they are a great match like Mirotic and AD are. The main thing Rosez and I are concerned is the health of AD and Jrue. They have historically not been durable and if they miss time, that really affects the Pelicans' playoff chances. And they have on paper a good front court rotation, but everywhere else is shallow. Out of the wings and guards, Moore is the 2nd best player and that's really concerning. An injury to Jrue would devastate that lineup. The same doesn't apply to the Blazers because Dame and CJ are historically durable. It's not a question of whether the blame is solely on Stotts. The blame is all around. Lillard/McCollum for no show in playoffs, GM for doing a horrendous job with personnel, ownership for judgment perhaps, opponents in a tough conference, Greg Oden being a bust/Brandon Roy injuries setback going back to 2010 leading up to this, etc etc.. Fine fine, I agree it goes all around. In the end, it's a league that is performance-oriented ("What have you done for me lately?"). You are what you do over and over again. When a team is not performing to expectations, whether it is in playoffs or regular season, the coach is the one who gets fired first. It's just how it has been since forever.. Even if it's the players not showing up when the lights get bright on playoffs platform. The coach is the one who ends up on the hot-seat at some point, whether he is the issue or not. Stotts has been there 6 years with 2 stars and this is what they have done: 12-13: Missed playoffs. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, rookie Lillard, Matthews 13-14: Got to 2nd round, losing to Spurs 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 14-15: Lost 1st round to Memphis 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 15-16: Got to 2nd round, losing to Warriors 1-4. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Aminu 16-17: Lost 1st round to Warriors, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu 17-18: Lost 1st round to Pelicans, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu You are right I can't and won't blame them for losing to Warriors or Spurs. That would be unrealistic and foolish to expect. We can also excuse missing playoffs first year due to integrating in a new system and Lillard being a rookie. There is no excuse though for getting swept by Pelicans, as you mentioned, or getting bamboozled by Memphis, who should have swept Blazers. Their last playoff game win was May 7, 2016. At what point do you say “It's time for a change”? Do you keep going even though it's unlikely to work? It's been 6yrs and we are entering 7th season - when do you use the term “hot seat”? 8th season? 9th? 10th? Never? I thought Nate McMillan did a pretty good job too before Stotts, working through major injury hurtles to players like Brandon Roy. He still lost his job in 7th season because of underperforming in playoffs. At some point, you have to make a change. You can't go on forever if the results are not optimistic. We will see what happens this season, but I would start thinking “hot seat” for the sake of change. The direction of the team seems to be going in the wrong direction from management down. The GM needs to be on hot seat too. Don't be surprised to see a trade too concerning CJ or Lillard. As for Pelicans, sure health matters. I can't disagree with you there. I just refuse to count out Anthony Davis. He is top 5, maybe even top 2-3 player. He is on an absolute tear. I strongly believe Pelicans will make playoffs. |
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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 11, 2018 22:14:47 GMT
FUCK! Derrick White is out for tomorrow’s game with some type of injury. Better not be serious. I knew he was limping/running funny yesterday. That kinda explains why he looked more timid than usual, he played through that too. RIP Spurs
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Post by ballup on Oct 12, 2018 4:10:56 GMT
I'll admit that being swept by the Pelicans was embarrassing for the Blazers. They're sorely lacking a 3rd option on offense and that got exposed. The rest of their playoff losses are understandable though. '17 playoffs swept by Warriors, which really what do you expect? '16 playoffs, again, lost to the 73 win Warriors. '15 playoffs, lost to the Grizzlies because they didn't have Matthews and Batum suffered a knee contusion the week prior to the playoffs. '14 playoffs, they lost to the championship Spurs. And as for Stott's first year, he had a rookie Dame and Hickson was a terrible compliment to LMA, it didn't matter that Hickson was an okay player in a vacuum if neither he or Aldridge could protect the rim. You can clearly see how swapping Hickson for Lopezmade the vast difference in the team's winning (26th DRTG to 16th DRTG). You can't blame Stotts for missing the playoffs his first year considering McMillan missed the playoffs the previous year. The Blazers overachieved 4 seasons and underachieved 2 seasons, one being Stott's first year and the other being in 2017 when their front court was plagued by injuries trhoughout. The fact that they made the playoffs after LMA left was an overachievement. Vegas had them winning 26 games that year and they busted that by 18 wins. The Blazers had a very incomplete roster throughout the Dame-CJ era and still have a lot of holes to this day yet they had consistently been in the playoffs. With all of this context, how is it that the Blazers have underachieved under Stotts? AD is a post player who can dive to the rim and shoot the midrange. The areas he works in conflicts with Randles so unless you're just using Davis as a mild spacer, it's not like they are a great match like Mirotic and AD are. The main thing Rosez and I are concerned is the health of AD and Jrue. They have historically not been durable and if they miss time, that really affects the Pelicans' playoff chances. And they have on paper a good front court rotation, but everywhere else is shallow. Out of the wings and guards, Moore is the 2nd best player and that's really concerning. An injury to Jrue would devastate that lineup. The same doesn't apply to the Blazers because Dame and CJ are historically durable. It's not a question of whether the blame is solely on Stotts. The blame is all around. Lillard/McCollum for no show in playoffs, GM for doing a horrendous job with personnel, ownership for judgment perhaps, opponents in a tough conference, Greg Oden being a bust/Brandon Roy injuries setback going back to 2010 leading up to this, etc etc.. Fine fine, I agree it goes all around. In the end, it's a league that is performance-oriented ("What have you done for me lately?"). You are what you do over and over again. When a team is not performing to expectations, whether it is in playoffs or regular season, the coach is the one who gets fired first. It's just how it has been since forever.. Even if it's the players not showing up when the lights get bright on playoffs platform. The coach is the one who ends up on the hot-seat at some point, whether he is the issue or not. Stotts has been there 6 years with 2 stars and this is what they have done: 12-13: Missed playoffs. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, rookie Lillard, Matthews 13-14: Got to 2nd round, losing to Spurs 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 14-15: Lost 1st round to Memphis 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 15-16: Got to 2nd round, losing to Warriors 1-4. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Aminu 16-17: Lost 1st round to Warriors, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu 17-18: Lost 1st round to Pelicans, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu You are right I can't and won't blame them for losing to Warriors or Spurs. That would be unrealistic and foolish to expect. We can also excuse missing playoffs first year due to integrating in a new system and Lillard being a rookie. There is no excuse though for getting swept by Pelicans, as you mentioned, or getting bamboozled by Memphis, who should have swept Blazers. Their last playoff game win was May 7, 2016. At what point do you say “It's time for a change”? Do you keep going even though it's unlikely to work? It's been 6yrs and we are entering 7th season - when do you use the term “hot seat”? 8th season? 9th? 10th? Never? I thought Nate McMillan did a pretty good job too before Stotts, working through major injury hurtles to players like Brandon Roy. He still lost his job in 7th season because of underperforming in playoffs. At some point, you have to make a change. You can't go on forever if the results are not optimistic. We will see what happens this season, but I would start thinking “hot seat” for the sake of change. The direction of the team seems to be going in the wrong direction from management down. The GM needs to be on hot seat too. Don't be surprised to see a trade too concerning CJ or Lillard. As for Pelicans, sure health matters. I can't disagree with you there. I just refuse to count out Anthony Davis. He is top 5, maybe even top 2-3 player. He is on an absolute tear. I strongly believe Pelicans will make playoffs. Again, Matthews was out against the Grizzlies in the Memphis series plus Batum was injured his knee a week prior to that series. There's no way a top heavy team like theirs would have won against a prime Grit and Grind Grizzlies who had depth. Even if Stott's job was on the line, you think they are going to blow up their players' values by firing the coach mid season? This is a playoff team, not a mid lottery team which is an important distinction because a reboot would happen in the offseason and not midseason. None of these playoff failures affect their upcoming season's record. The problem with the Blazers is neither CJ or Lillard, the problem they have is similar to the Raptors in that they don't have a 3rd offensive option plus they have too many mediocre players tieing up their cap. KD highlighted this when he was interviewed by CJ. Trading one of them sets back the team because no team is going to offer similar value. I'm not even counting out Davis. I'm just saying that the margins matter in the west and Davis playing 65 games versus 75 games is a big difference in making the playoffs and even if he plays 75 games, Jrue has a more tattered history. The Pelicans need both to make it the playoffs. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 12, 2018 6:19:36 GMT
It's not a question of whether the blame is solely on Stotts. The blame is all around. Lillard/McCollum for no show in playoffs, GM for doing a horrendous job with personnel, ownership for judgment perhaps, opponents in a tough conference, Greg Oden being a bust/Brandon Roy injuries setback going back to 2010 leading up to this, etc etc.. Fine fine, I agree it goes all around. In the end, it's a league that is performance-oriented ("What have you done for me lately?"). You are what you do over and over again. When a team is not performing to expectations, whether it is in playoffs or regular season, the coach is the one who gets fired first. It's just how it has been since forever.. Even if it's the players not showing up when the lights get bright on playoffs platform. The coach is the one who ends up on the hot-seat at some point, whether he is the issue or not. Stotts has been there 6 years with 2 stars and this is what they have done: 12-13: Missed playoffs. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, rookie Lillard, Matthews 13-14: Got to 2nd round, losing to Spurs 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 14-15: Lost 1st round to Memphis 1-4. Notables: Aldridge, Batum, Lillard, Matthews 15-16: Got to 2nd round, losing to Warriors 1-4. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Aminu 16-17: Lost 1st round to Warriors, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu 17-18: Lost 1st round to Pelicans, swept. Notables: Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic, Aminu You are right I can't and won't blame them for losing to Warriors or Spurs. That would be unrealistic and foolish to expect. We can also excuse missing playoffs first year due to integrating in a new system and Lillard being a rookie. There is no excuse though for getting swept by Pelicans, as you mentioned, or getting bamboozled by Memphis, who should have swept Blazers. Their last playoff game win was May 7, 2016. At what point do you say “It's time for a change”? Do you keep going even though it's unlikely to work? It's been 6yrs and we are entering 7th season - when do you use the term “hot seat”? 8th season? 9th? 10th? Never? I thought Nate McMillan did a pretty good job too before Stotts, working through major injury hurtles to players like Brandon Roy. He still lost his job in 7th season because of underperforming in playoffs. At some point, you have to make a change. You can't go on forever if the results are not optimistic. We will see what happens this season, but I would start thinking “hot seat” for the sake of change. The direction of the team seems to be going in the wrong direction from management down. The GM needs to be on hot seat too. Don't be surprised to see a trade too concerning CJ or Lillard. As for Pelicans, sure health matters. I can't disagree with you there. I just refuse to count out Anthony Davis. He is top 5, maybe even top 2-3 player. He is on an absolute tear. I strongly believe Pelicans will make playoffs. Again, Matthews was out against the Grizzlies in the Memphis series plus Batum was injured his knee a week prior to that series. There's no way a top heavy team like theirs would have won against a prime Grit and Grind Grizzlies who had depth. Even if Stott's job was on the line, you think they are going to blow up their players' values by firing the coach mid season? This is a playoff team, not a mid lottery team which is an important distinction because a reboot would happen in the offseason and not midseason. None of these playoff failures affect their upcoming season's record. The problem with the Blazers is neither CJ or Lillard, the problem they have is similar to the Raptors in that they don't have a 3rd offensive option plus they have too many mediocre players tieing up their cap. KD highlighted this when he was interviewed by CJ. Trading one of them sets back the team because no team is going to offer similar value. I'm not even counting out Davis. I'm just saying that the margins matter in the west and Davis playing 65 games versus 75 games is a big difference in making the playoffs and even if he plays 75 games, Jrue has a more tattered history. The Pelicans need both to make it the playoffs. Being on hot seat =/= mid-season firing. It might, it might not. Simply means something may be on the horizon if your team unperforms again, either leading up to playoffs or in playoffs. They are a team in a precarious position. Not bad enough for high pick, not good enough to get out of first round if they do make playoffs. Outside of Lillard, CJ, and Nurkic, they lack key assets to trade for a 3rd legit scorer or to develop a 3rd consistent scorer. That is another question mark. I think they have too many issues that makes me question them making playoffs, especially with the emergence of Lakers. Someone is going to be the odd team out and my money is on Blazers. My 8 teams are: GSW Houston Utah Okc Lakers Denver Pelicans Twolves/Spurs (depends on Butler situation, White integration for Spurs.. If Butler trade gets them a horrendous deal and Spurs can't regain what they lost with Murray then I put in Blazers) |
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Post by Alamo 🏳️🌈🦄 on Oct 12, 2018 15:30:49 GMT
Our new starting PG Derrick White will be out for an extended period of time after his first start OutRosez Last StandWhat’s happening with our team? Are we really about to get RJ Barrett? |
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Post by Last Stand on Oct 12, 2018 15:35:43 GMT
Our new starting PG Derrick White will be out for an extended period of time after his first start OutRosez Last Stand What’s happening with our team? Are we really about to get RJ Barrett? Pretty sure DeMar is and always was going to be the defacto PG. He's not Harden, but he can do a good job in this role. Spurs never have really tanked, their going to ride and die with their stars. Lots of vets who will want to go out there and win too. |
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Post by OutRosez on Oct 12, 2018 16:11:46 GMT
Our new starting PG Derrick White will be out for an extended period of time after his first start OutRosez Last Stand What’s happening with our team? Are we really about to get RJ Barrett? Preseason from hell lol. Better hope the middle of the lottery is nice I think. |
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Post by OutRosez on Oct 12, 2018 16:32:26 GMT
I'm not sure I buy this "KD TO THE KNICKS!!!!" thing. It just seems weird that he'd do it for "legacy reasons". I mean he's a guy who obviously cares about his legacy. It's why he tried hard to win MVP in the LeBron era, why he left the Thunder to go win multiple titles with the Warriors, it's why he tried his ass off for DPOY last year until it was obvious he wasn't gonna get even close to it. I get that, I 100% get that. But why in the fuck would he leave a dynasty that's got a chance to maybe extend depending on if Bell is really Draygod 2.0, for....the Knicks? his agent is a Knicks guy, Durant has a media company and he wants to be loved, etc. All those emotional reasons that seem to dominate him, I get that. But....New York? Really? We've heard this before with LeBron in 2010 a bit. we've heard it with Durant last go around. It happens with a lot of the top 3-5 guys. He turns 31 next year, unless someone else is going with him he's got next to no chance of being the leader of ANY Knicks title team and even if he brings Kyrie with him (lol), is that really enough to win the east and then the Finals? I'm not sure. If players really care about winning (and Durant seems to by all accounts), why would you go to the Knicks? Same owner, the new GM is just....kind of alright. He hasn't goofed bad but hasn't made a good deal yet. It just seems weird even on that front. You'd trust Dolan and some random GM to get you over the top when you're trying to make a huge ass legacy move? Not the best bet imo. A lot of teams are gonna have money, so I think everyone is overlooking some options. Especially if he talks with Kawhi, Jimmy, Kyrie, etc. |
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Post by ballup on Oct 12, 2018 20:25:19 GMT
Again, Matthews was out against the Grizzlies in the Memphis series plus Batum was injured his knee a week prior to that series. There's no way a top heavy team like theirs would have won against a prime Grit and Grind Grizzlies who had depth. Even if Stott's job was on the line, you think they are going to blow up their players' values by firing the coach mid season? This is a playoff team, not a mid lottery team which is an important distinction because a reboot would happen in the offseason and not midseason. None of these playoff failures affect their upcoming season's record. The problem with the Blazers is neither CJ or Lillard, the problem they have is similar to the Raptors in that they don't have a 3rd offensive option plus they have too many mediocre players tieing up their cap. KD highlighted this when he was interviewed by CJ. Trading one of them sets back the team because no team is going to offer similar value. I'm not even counting out Davis. I'm just saying that the margins matter in the west and Davis playing 65 games versus 75 games is a big difference in making the playoffs and even if he plays 75 games, Jrue has a more tattered history. The Pelicans need both to make it the playoffs. Being on hot seat =/= mid-season firing. It might, it might not. Simply means something may be on the horizon if your team unperforms again, either leading up to playoffs or in playoffs. They are a team in a precarious position. Not bad enough for high pick, not good enough to get out of first round if they do make playoffs. Outside of Lillard, CJ, and Nurkic, they lack key assets to trade for a 3rd legit scorer or to develop a 3rd consistent scorer. That is another question mark. I think they have too many issues that makes me question them making playoffs, especially with the emergence of Lakers. Someone is going to be the odd team out and my money is on Blazers. My 8 teams are: GSW Houston Utah Okc Lakers Denver Pelicans Twolves/Spurs (depends on Butler situation, White integration for Spurs.. If Butler trade gets them a horrendous deal and Spurs can't regain what they lost with Murray then I put in Blazers) I don‘t see what these issues are. The Blazers have gone to the playoffs every season in this Dame-CJ era and they weren‘t firing at all cylinders last season. They have the most overall durability of the bubble teams and outside of the Pelicans, the best combination of offense and defense. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 12, 2018 20:31:22 GMT
I'm not sure I buy this "KD TO THE KNICKS!!!!" thing. It just seems weird that he'd do it for "legacy reasons". I mean he's a guy who obviously cares about his legacy. It's why he tried hard to win MVP in the LeBron era, why he left the Thunder to go win multiple titles with the Warriors, it's why he tried his ass off for DPOY last year until it was obvious he wasn't gonna get even close to it. I get that, I 100% get that. But why in the fuck would he leave a dynasty that's got a chance to maybe extend depending on if Bell is really Draygod 2.0, for....the Knicks? his agent is a Knicks guy, Durant has a media company and he wants to be loved, etc. All those emotional reasons that seem to dominate him, I get that. But....New York? Really? KD is not going anywhere. The NY rumors are nonsense tbh just like they were for Kyrie. I knew Kyrie was not leaving a legit title-contender Celtics to join a crappy Knicks team that hasn't done anything whatsoever since Patrick Ewing was taking them to Eastern Conference finals in 90s. Kyrie confirmed last week he is staying in Boston long term. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 12, 2018 20:43:18 GMT
Apparently Pat Riley hung up the phone on Thibodeau after calling him a "motherfucker" lol. Thibs wanted more picks after Miami essentially agreed to a deal of Richardson, Dion Waiters and a 1st round pick.
Thibs must be trying to get himself fired.. I understand he wants to maximize trade value but Butler will opt-out next summer.. You will not get full value for Butler on potentially a 1yr rental. It's Kawhi situation all over again..
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Post by Last Stand on Oct 13, 2018 12:59:02 GMT
Apparently Pat Riley hung up the phone on Thibodeau after calling him a "motherfucker" lol. Thibs wanted more picks after Miami essentially agreed to a deal of Richardson, Dion Waiters and a 1st round pick. Thibs must be trying to get himself fired.. I understand he wants to maximize trade value but Butler will opt-out next summer.. You will not get full value for Butler on potentially a 1yr rental. It's Kawhi situation all over again.. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 16, 2018 22:09:07 GMT
Let the season commence, boys and girls!  |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 16, 2018 22:32:16 GMT
I'm confused by what Twolves are doing with Butler.. I was sure they would trade him before season began.. Does that mean he will back down from his "I won't play here" stance & play if they don't trade him??
Twolves would be FOOLISH to keep him.. Sure, they may make playoffs probably through the drama, but they would lose him for nothing next summer.
The longer they wait, the more his trade value plummets.. Twolves are almost all out of leverage. I blame Thibbs for trying to make this work when the guy told you couple months back he wants out.. Before feud became so public.
Thibbs is on the hot seat this season. He deserves to be.
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Post by bladefd on Oct 20, 2018 5:58:33 GMT
Such great games today! SugarHill @boogiewoogiewam Scottie4Hottie I forget who else is Raptors fan Those Raptors.. HOLY SHIT!! They played awesome on both ends of the court. Kawhi started off slow but got better as game progressed. They are definitely a better team without DeFrozen. Ibaka also had his prick out as he tore apart (pun intended, kekeke) the Celtics. Raptors had me yelling at my tv in joy. What Ra game, what a game.. Raptors fans have something going here potentially if they stay healthy.. You guys have dealt with mediocrity since the very beginning of the organization and so you guys do need this. Even if it's just for 1 season As for the second game. Argh... Jazz played A+ game and still lost. Warriors are too damn stacked. Nba kind of sucks when you see a team play so damn good but still lose.. FUCK THE WARRIORS. I will be rooting for them to lose every damn game.. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 20, 2018 21:08:41 GMT
Random thought..
Raptors just upgraded DeFrozen to Kawhi.. That's the end of the era of the trash brothers.
Who takes that title of 'trash brothers' next? Maybe Cavs with Hill and Jr Smith?? Magic with Augustin/Fournier? Who else?
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Post by ballup on Oct 21, 2018 15:28:56 GMT
Blazers 2-0 while Lakers 0-2. Tell me more about team stability.
My prediction of the Blazer‘s bench being solid has been spot on
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Post by bladefd on Oct 21, 2018 20:50:17 GMT
Blazers 2-0 while Lakers 0-2. Tell me more about team stability. My prediction of the Blazer‘s bench being solid has been spot on Too early to call. Pelicans/Denver are both 2-0, tearing it up. Davis/Randle look fine playing together as I predicted, and I can go down the list. But 2 game sample size is a drop in the bucket, a mosquito bite, a speck of dust.. 20-25 game point is when we can truly consider things. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 21, 2018 22:11:08 GMT
In other news.. it was satisfying to see cp0 get his face smashed.. not once but twice  I typically do not condone violence, but cp0 had it coming sooner or later. I would have preferred it be Harden for the antics he pulls every single game, flopping like a dodo and crying after almost every single play for free-throws. He probably deserves to be decked more than anyone. I can definitely understand why Ingram lost his cool at Harden. Suspensions will hurt us though :/  |
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Post by ballup on Oct 22, 2018 14:03:47 GMT
Blazers 2-0 while Lakers 0-2. Tell me more about team stability. My prediction of the Blazer‘s bench being solid has been spot on Too early to call. Pelicans/Denver are both 2-0, tearing it up. Davis/Randle look fine playing together as I predicted, and I can go down the list. But 2 game sample size is a drop in the bucket, a mosquito bite, a speck of dust.. 20-25 game point is when we can truly consider things. Each game matters in the west, especially when 3 teams are fighting for that last PO spot. Lakers need time to gel and that‘s even being set back by this slew of suspensions. Fit and execution are things still to be answered for them. The Blazers are on the opposite end. They have an established rotation and identity. It would take a team blowup, which won‘t happen with Allen‘s recent passing, or unusual injury to fall out of the playoff picture. They are the most consistent team of the non lock western playoff teams. |
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Post by OutRosez on Oct 23, 2018 16:15:49 GMT
The Blazers are on the opposite end. They have an established rotation and identity. It would take a team blowup, which won‘t happen with Allen‘s recent passing, or unusual injury to fall out of the playoff picture. They are the most consistent team of the non lock western playoff teams. Even better: Nurkic is kind of showing out early this season. I feel like all 16 of his points came in that one quarter against the Lakers, but his stats so far are nice. |
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Post by bladefd on Oct 23, 2018 21:00:14 GMT
Too early to call. Pelicans/Denver are both 2-0, tearing it up. Davis/Randle look fine playing together as I predicted, and I can go down the list. But 2 game sample size is a drop in the bucket, a mosquito bite, a speck of dust.. 20-25 game point is when we can truly consider things. Each game matters in the west, especially when 3 teams are fighting for that last PO spot. Lakers need time to gel and that‘s even being set back by this slew of suspensions. Fit and execution are things still to be answered for them. The Blazers are on the opposite end. They have an established rotation and identity. It would take a team blowup, which won‘t happen with Allen‘s recent passing, or unusual injury to fall out of the playoff picture. They are the most consistent team of the non lock western playoff teams. The way things stand now, these are the trajectories of various teams: -Denver top seed in West -Raptors as the #1 overall team in all of nba -Grizzlies, Clippers and Dallas all making playoffs. Hornets and Magic in the East making playoffs -Twolves with Jimmy, Utah, Rockets, Lakers, Thunder all missing playoffs. -Pelicans with the highest points differential in nba history with one of the highest scoring averages ever -Bulls, Cavs, Lakers and Thunder are on pace for the first 0-82 season in history. Raptors, Bucks, Pistons, Denver and Pelicans on pace for the first 82-0 season in history In fact, Thunder would be at the very bottom of the league-wide standings. Can you see that happening to a team bringing back most of the same roster? That's what I mean. every game matters. Absolutely 100% true. But it's a 82-game season, broski. So much can and will change. Teams are finding themselves, gelling and players finding their feet under them after 5 months of off-season. All 82 games matter not just the 3 games played so far. Teams fight for playoff berth at the 11th hour of the last day of the regular season and some teams get locked for playoffs in March. That's the magic of sports. We have to stay calm, let things come back down to earth because they will sooner or later, and enjoy what is in front of us. It's the name of the game. Miami Heat were around .500 until early December with LeBron, Wade and Bosh all in their primes. Not saying any team this year will be like them, but my point is we have to relax. |
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or no?
