The NBA Thread

E

eradicator

Crow
Agnostic
Gold Member
The warriors still don't have a starting small forward. Unless I guess it's Glenn Robinson III or some sort of committee. Losing Iguodala hurts their defense like crazy.

Rondo isn't a good starting point guard at this point in his career, he is a 14 year vet and well past his prime and it showed last year, he can't defend and can't score the way he used to.

The Lakers made some good moves in general getting Danny Green and Demarcus Cousins(but he doesn't play defense anymore and is constantly getting worked by any pick and roll).

They are still old.
 
R

Rotten

Robin
"Lebron is the point guard," is a great strategy in video games. Surround him with tall shooters and you have a really good cheesy video game strategy.

But, when the Heat asked him to run the point his first year it failed spectacularly. Lebron didn't get as many good looks, and defenses could key in on him, even with Wade as a second ball handler. He was a turnover machine as a point guard.

Ignore the press. Those guys that the Lakers just signed will run the point for the Lakers the vast majority of the time.
 
J

jcrew247

Kingfisher
Rotten said:
"Lebron is the point guard," is a great strategy in video games. Surround him with tall shooters and you have a really good cheesy video game strategy.

But, when the Heat asked him to run the point his first year it failed spectacularly. Lebron didn't get as many good looks, and defenses could key in on him, even with Wade as a second ball handler. He was a turnover machine as a point guard.

Ignore the press. Those guys that the Lakers just signed will run the point for the Lakers the vast majority of the time.
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Yeah, I can see Kawhi being scared off of entering
that nightmare with Lebron at point. Plus they have
a new coach who may not be as good as doc rivers.
I still think that the Clippers will move to SEattle in 2024
after their lease runs out at the staples center, and
they will conveniently be denied permit to build a new
stadium in inglewood. Maybe in 2024 Kawhi can signe
with the lakers then, and he can bring paul george?
 
C

crystalcastle

Sparrow
Catholic
More proof these dudes on TV have no idea what they're talking about is Russ being traded to the Rockets. All this week they were talking about him going to the Heat, which never made any sense salary cap-wise. At this point I wonder if their "sources" are trolling them with false info.

CP3 is screwed in OKC. At first I thought he could be bought out and go to the Lakers or something, but not with that monster contract is he being bought out.
 
E

eradicator

Crow
Agnostic
Gold Member
crystalcastle said:
More proof these dudes on TV have no idea what they're talking about is Russ being traded to the Rockets. All this week they were talking about him going to the Heat, which never made any sense salary cap-wise. At this point I wonder if their "sources" are trolling them with false info.

CP3 is screwed in OKC. At first I thought he could be bought out and go to the Lakers or something, but not with that monster contract is he being bought out.
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Yes because the lakers clearly need another player over the age of 35 that is past their prime.

This is not a bad trade for the Rockets.

It's not a bad trade for the Thunder as they get 2 more first round picks. They are getting 7 additional first round picks(5 from the clippers, 2 from the Rockets) to build with.
 
BigTony

BigTony

Robin
Jones said:
Knicks: Dennis Smith Jr, R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
- Bench: Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson
(DeMarcus Cousins, Vince Carter?)

.......

Durant/Irving to Knicks would have been huge for Knicks - poor fans are stuck with terrible ownership/management.
Click to expand...

I have a different take on this. I think the Knicks dodged a bullet by not signing two injury prone divas. Are they great players? Yes, but the additional baggage that comes along with them isn't worth it.

KD seems to be a bit soft and he doesn't handle criticism well. He also suffered a major injury that will require him to miss at least a full year of action. When he does return he will be 32 and his legs already have a lot of miles on them. On top of this, some reports have stated that Kyrie preferred to play for the Nets so the Knicks were never guaranteed to get the pair anyway.

Steve Mills and Scott Perry are cleaning up the mess that Phil Jackson left for them. Yes, the Knicks have been mismanaged ever since the days of Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas but this regime is making good moves. They are building the team's core through the draft. Plus they added a lot of muscle and experience to go along with the young guys. Their top FA signing, Julius Randle, is only 24 and is still getting better.

Call me crazy but if David Fizdale can push the right buttons, the Knicks can make some noise and potentially be a lower seeded playoff team.
 
E

eradicator

Crow
Agnostic
Gold Member
Randle is the one move that could pan out. The knicks essentially struck out on free agency, there aren’t any good FA in the next couple of years.

If the Bricks had kept porzingis and signed him long term and teamed him with Julius Randle and RJ Barret, then that would be building through the draft. Instead Porzingis left and they have nothing to show for it, except cap space. Cap space is only useful if you can sign top free agents or trade for a star that will stay long term.

I have no idea what the bricks are doing and neither do they
 
R

Rotten

Robin
Brooklyn was able to build a contender by opening up cap space, even when they weren't able to attract free agents.

They would take on unwanted contracts in exchange for picks and assets. They eventually got enough assets to be legitimate contenders for Durant, from a basketball sense. The Knicks, who had maybe one player capable of playing in a Championship 8 man rotation, didn't have this.

That's why the Knicks offseason looks so bad. They spent all of their excess cap space on mediocre mid level guys. Miami had to package an unprotected pick to ship Moe Harkless, who is on an expiring deal, to the Clippers. The Clippers then used this pick to get Paul George.

Good things happen to those who wait, but the Knicks just blew their wad.

Are the knicks better off with Harkless and an unprotected pick, or with Taj Gibson?

Randle was a good move, their only good move.
 
BigTony

BigTony

Robin
eradicator said:
Randle is the one move that could pan out. The knicks essentially struck out on free agency, there aren’t any good FA in the next couple of years.

If the Bricks had kept porzingis and signed him long term and teamed him with Julius Randle and RJ Barret, then that would be building through the draft. Instead Porzingis left and they have nothing to show for it, except cap space. Cap space is only useful if you can sign top free agents or trade for a star that will stay long term.

I have no idea what the bricks are doing and neither do they
Click to expand...

Once KD injured himself, the Knicks were out. No one knew that KD and Kyrie were going to be a packaged deal. As stated before, Kyrie wanted to be in Brooklyn so the Knicks really had no chance.

Kahwi wanted to go home to L.A. so the Knicks had to settle for Randle at 21 and 8 per game (not bad).

Porzingis, reportedly was tired of the losing culture and wanted to go. They got Dennis Smith Jr. and two future 1st round picks for a guy coming back from a torn ACL.

The Knicks have been burned in the past by acquiring damaged stars like Penny Hardaway and Antonio McDyess.
 
B

Brosemite

Pelican
Gold Member
BigTony said:
I have a different take on this. I think the Knicks dodged a bullet by not signing two injury prone divas. Are they great players? Yes, but the additional baggage that comes along with them isn't worth it.

KD seems to be a bit soft and he doesn't handle criticism well. He also suffered a major injury that will require him to miss at least a full year of action. When he does return he will be 32 and his legs already have a lot of miles on them. On top of this, some reports have stated that Kyrie preferred to play for the Nets so the Knicks were never guaranteed to get the pair anyway.
Click to expand...

Like you mentioned, both players come with their own unique baggage as you took the words out of my mouth regarding KD.

As for Kyrie, I think the big issue with him is..."how badly does he want it?" How much "drive" does he have left?

We all know Lebron originally went to Miami to chase a ring whereas KD did the same in Golden State.

Seems as if these players are more interested in "teaming up with another star in a big lifestyle market" for the sake of doing just that opposed to going the extra mile in putting forth the grinding work required to win another championship....I'd put a modern day Lebron & especially a current Kyrie into this category...

Of all the big time moves that were already made this offseason, seems as if Russ & Harden are the most driven of the bunch as they have the most to prove heading into 2019-2020
 
Jones

Jones

Woodpecker
LeBron changed teams in 2010, 2014, and 2018 and made the finals 8 straight years.

Kawai didn’t want to stay in Spurs system - lost trust of the organization and wanted to go home.

Paul George didn’t want to play with Westbrook, much like KD - RW being the Evil Iverson.

Anthony Davis - look, no one wants to go play for the Pelicans - I don’t even want them in the league.

It’s more odd in today’s NBA for superstars to stay in one place - like a John Wall, Russel Westbrook - and not win a championship year after year.

Kyrie is not a good leader - too moody for one - and must play the Pippen role to another’s Jordan (LeBron/KD) - he knows he made a mistake going to Boston to be the man.

I don’t think Harden cares about winning. Like all these guys, they’re all different, Harden especially (+ he’s a lefty!)
 
debeguiled

debeguiled

Crow
Gold Member
I spent most of the 80's hating Larry Bird too much to remember how good he was. Plus you just didn't get to see that many games on TV.

This passing is mind bending, particularly the slap passes, which everyone was taught in high school, but no one wanted to do because they wanted to hang on to the ball.

I am coming to love this guy.

 
S

SilentOne

Woodpecker
Slim Reaper said:
Well, the NBA got woke. They are putting all WNBA teams in 2k20. I wonder if they will be realistic, meaning the women's team loses by 50 every time.
Click to expand...

Realistically not one wnba player should be above 80 overall, but them soy boys can't help it.
 
debeguiled

debeguiled

Crow
Gold Member
In close he can shoot a scoop shot, a finger roll, a lay up, jumper, jump hook, or dunk with either hand. If they back off or can out jump him, he fades back as far as he needs to and hits the jumper. They hardly took 3's back then but he could hit them at will.

This is with people knocking the shit out of him.

He could average 40 a game today.

 
T

tomtud

Pelican
The nba men need to say stop to these leeches. That is the wnba. What is it they are losing. $10 million a year for the last few years. Putting them in a game (nba 2k) is just taking money out of yours. Splitting up the pot even more.

Where is the strong independent woman moniker? i don't need no man. GTFOH with that nonsense.
 
Jones

Jones

Woodpecker
If NBA2K wants to go woke/broke let them - now it's loot crates, the WNBA, and the same game every year.

They had good games in years past (NBA 2K, NBA 2K5, NBA 2K11/12) but 2K went and turned themselves into the next EA.

Only basketball game you need is NBA Jam.

Larry Bird is easily top ten all time player. You could put together an argument for top 5

I can see the argument for him over Magic Johnson (who played with Kareem, a top 5 all time player) who'd I'd bump out of the top 5 for Bird .

Larry Bird's best teammate was Kevin McHale, and I could name at least 40 players better than McHale.

...Magic was also (probably) a butt-pumper.
 
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