NBA Regular Season & Playoffs 2017-18

Osmosis Jones

He's only gotten to play 15 games on a Cavs team that's been bad all over

me89

All kicking off now.Dwayne Wade traded back to Miami.

George hill and Rodney hood to cavs

rushfan

Jar Crowder to Utah

LuckyLloyd

Well no messing by the Cavs! I prefer the pieces they now have. It’s asking a lot to make it all gel of course, but they’ve aggressively reconstructed obviously on the basis that LeBron and Lue didn’t think they could win as is.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.google.ie/amp/amp.si.com/nba/2018/02/08/nba-trade-deadline-winners-and-losers-cavaliers-lakers-heat-isaiah-thomas-dwyane-wade

Good overview here

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well no messing by the Cavs! I prefer the pieces they now have. It’s asking a lot to make it all gel of course, but they’ve aggressively reconstructed obviously on the basis that LeBron and Lue didn’t think they could win as is.

You and I had as much say in those trades as Lue did. He was odds on to be fired last week per several reports.

One big element of this trade that doesn’t seem to be getting much news is the Cavs just gave the Lakers enough cap space to sign you know who this summer. No issue with it from a personnel perspective but it’s a very strange move when you think of it through that lens.

NufcNavan

Heat waived AJ Hammons to make a roster spot for Wade. Riley continues to be an idiot and proves the game has passed him by.

K.O.Kiki

https://twitter.com/elfrid/status/961105074436046848

^- subsequently traded for a 2nd-round Phoenix pick.

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

You and I had as much say in those trades as Lue did. He was odds on to be fired last week per several reports.

One big element of this trade that doesn’t seem to be getting much news is the Cavs just gave the Lakers enough cap space to sign you know who this summer. No issue with it from a personnel perspective but it’s a very strange move when you think of it through that lens.

Well, from the Cav's perspective they need to be focussing on a Championship while they have LeBron. In that context, Lebron / the GM have effectively unwound their summer moves and gone in a completely different direction. That takes balls as often it would be tempting to double down and throw good money after bad trying to make your decisions from the summer work. IT is done, and didn't seem happy to be a complimentary piece without the ball even if it gave him a chance at a championship. Crowder was highly rated but hasn't looked like it. The Wade and Rose pickups might have been something or another but weren't.

It also gives Cleveland a better shot at making a pitch to keep LeBron in the summer as the roster now looks a bit more robust. And maybe you can do something with Love. So win win really. Cleared lots of dead wood really for four decent pieces while retaining the Nets pick. I like it.

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well, from the Cav's perspective they need to be focussing on a Championship while they have LeBron. In that context, Lebron / the GM have effectively unwound their summer moves and gone in a completely different direction. That takes balls as often it would be tempting to double down and throw good money after bad trying to make your decisions from the summer work. IT is done, and didn't seem happy to be a complimentary piece without the ball even if it gave him a chance at a championship. Crowder was highly rated but hasn't looked like it. The Wade and Rose pickups might have been something or another but weren't.

It also gives Cleveland a better shot at making a pitch to keep LeBron in the summer as the roster now looks a bit more robust. And maybe you can do something with Love. So win win really. Cleared lots of dead wood really for four decent pieces while retaining the Nets pick. I like it.

Not disagreeing. They had to do something and they did way better than I thought they could and would do. The biggest positive thing for me is they got much, much younger to the point where even if HE does leave, they're not as screwed as they would have been if it was the current roster -LeBron.

The worst parts though are they gave LA the cash room they needed to land him AND they gave away their own first rounder AND they got no picks back - getting picks in the current salray cap climate are like gold. I can't see how they needed to give away their own pick let alone not get one back.

If I was doing the Trade Grades like most US media do for these things I'd give the Cavs an A for sure; but you'd be giving LA an A++++++:eek::eek::eek:. LA can and likely will ditch Thomas in the summer, they got a pick back AND they shed 30+million in salary (not incl. what they''ll shed with IT).

IT looking at a max last summer now prob. going for $3-5M per next year.......how the world changes.

But my original point was on Lue. He's Mike Brown light - all smile and no substance. Very little there coaching IQ-wise IMO. Word as I said earlier is he was going to be fired last week. When asked about him a few weeks ago LBJ himself pretty much threw him under the bus. When you hear people talk about the best coaches in the NBA, do you ever hear anyone mention Lue? He'll be gone in the summer if LBJ moves and he will struggle to find an NBA job again unless he goes the assistant route.

But what on the lakers team would appeal to lebron they are not really better than the cavs

Gregk961

Marcel Delightful Viewfinder wrote: »

But what on the lakers team would appeal to lebron they are not really better than the cavs

I dont see him landing there personally but if you add Lebron and George to a decent young team like the Lakers you are in pretty good shape to make a run at the playoffs. Maybe they could land Davis and Lebron, even better again.

LuckyLloyd

Marcel Delightful Viewfinder wrote: »

But what on the lakers team would appeal to lebron they are not really better than the cavs

It's in LA
He could be going there with Paul George or some other max player that compliments him
It's not Cleveland

I think he's done his time in Cleveland and he'll play savagely hard in the offseason but that will be it.

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It's in LA
He could be going there with Paul George or some other max player that compliments him
It's not Cleveland

I think he's done his time in Cleveland and he'll play savagely hard in the offseason but that will be it.

+1
That's the key point in all of this.
It's also:

• the biggest market in the US (along with NY)
• the Lakers
• he lives there
• expectation would be fairly low - even if they land him and George

I think they're the favourites to get him, but I'd not be surprised if he ends up in Houston or SA either. Maybe even Philly. There's not many teams with cap space and/or the ability to create it.



The only place I'd be truly surprised to see him next year would be Cleveland.

JoshRosen

Personally think LeBron will end up in Houston! They could be the next force to be reckoned with if they can find a way to pay all 3 (CP3 Harden & LeBron) in he leaves.

Odds are now that he stays in Cleveland now? Is there even the slightest chance that KD could end up there? Unlikely I know, but impossible?

ButtersSuki

JoshRosen wrote: »

Personally think LeBron will end up in Houston! They could be the next force to be reckoned with if they can find a way to pay all 3 (CP3 Harden & LeBron) in he leaves.

Odds are now that he stays in Cleveland now? Is there even the slightest chance that KD could end up there? Unlikely I know, but impossible?

I think the Houston thing is a very real possibility with Morey in Houston willing to do what it takes.

KD in Cleveland? Lol. No chance.

ButtersSuki

For those of you that have Netflix, there's an interesting(ish) documentary on AAU Basketball on it at the moment called At All Costs. The Compton Magic (yes, that Compton) feature heavily.....and it shows things like the Ball Is Life channel in its infancy and how the two brands have grown hand in hand. For those who don't know the Compton Magic AAU team have sent more players to D1 teams and more players to the pros than anyone else in the last 15 years - Compton High often gets the credit but it's really the AAU team that's driving it. It's worth a look if you're interested in the business of sport as much as basketball. Lots of familiar faces throughout.

Paully D

Despite generally hoping we lose every game to help with the tank, that was a sweet win for the Bulls against Minnesota last night

Gregk961

Ive seen Simmons as a sure thing for ROY since early in the year but im having my doubts since the new year. Its getting harder and harder to dismiss Mitchell as the best Rookie, especially if the Jazz make the playoffs

ButtersSuki

Gregk961 wrote: »

Ive seen Simmons as a sure thing for ROY since early in the year but im having my doubts since the new year. Its getting harder and harder to dismiss Mitchell as the best Rookie, especially if the Jazz make the playoffs

Depends how you define "best" I guess. Simmons is right now and will be long term IMO the better player; but you could argue Mitchell is having a better season on some levels and therefore the race is more open than it was in Oct/Nov/Dec. In a nutshell, Simmons is very good at a lot of aspects of the game, Mitchell is good at some.

Mitchell is coring more sure, but Simmons does more, and when you go into the advanced stats, Simmons is significantly better. The eye test for me also has Simmons ahead. Mitchell is very flashy and spectacular, Simmons more solid

Put it this way - if you asked every coach in the league who they'd rather have:

• In a straight pick, one or the other
• To start a team with

I'd say you'd get 95%+ in the first category and 100% of the second for Simmons.


Not dismissing Mitchell by any means, he's been very good and a steal where he went in the draft; but I don't see how you can take him over Simmons given the skillset.

Carcharodon

Was at the warriors game last night and despite the win, they are just sloppy, very frustrating to watch, had to get really drunk to deal with it 😂

Osmosis Jones

Carcharodon wrote: »

Was at the warriors game last night and despite the win, they are just sloppy, very frustrating to watch, had to get really drunk to deal with it ��

Warriors don't have to care yet, just coasting until All Star break, and probably beyond. They'll still cruise to the WCF before having to try.

ButtersSuki

Only going on the box score as I didn't see the game but new look Cleveland laid down a bit of a beating on the C's tonight.

Also - and again purely box score judgements on this - but IT seemed to have a relatively good night last night in his LA debut.

NufcNavan

Oladipo is simply amazing man.

A lock for MIP.

rushfan

ButtersSuki wrote:

Only going on the box score as I didn't see the game but new look Cleveland laid down a bit of a beating on the C's tonight.

They spoiled the party somewhat . Celtics retiring no 34 tonight. It's the Truth. Garnett, Rondo and Doc all courtside.

ButtersSuki

rushfan wrote: »

They spoiled the party somewhat . Celtics retiring no 34 tonight. It's the Truth. Garnett, Rondo and Doc all courtside.

I'm a Celtics fan, and good and all as he was.....I don't hold Pierce as highly as he holds himself.

Carcharodon

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Carcharodon wrote: »

Was at the warriors game last night and despite the win, they are just sloppy, very frustrating to watch, had to get really drunk to deal with it ��

Warriors don't have to care yet, just coasting until All Star break, and probably beyond. They'll still cruise to the WCF before having to try.

That’s true to a certain extent and I am all for conserving the best for playoffs but I honestly don’t think it’s as simple as it sounds. Turnovers and Draymond being an idiot are the Warriors Achilles heel, they can be so sloppy with the ball at times, infuriating to watch.
Teams like Houston and Okc believe they can beat the Warriors now and that is half the battle, before teams were already beaten when they entered the building, not any more
Iam still confident they will repeat but they will need to focus

2smiggy

bit worried for the celtics. as good as the Jaylen and Jayson are, there is too much pressure on them I think . outside of of Kyrie they don't have much of a scoring threat. I know next year when hayward is back it will be different.

i was also optimistic of the lakers pick landing 2-5 , but they seem to be playing a bit better than that

ButtersSuki

2smiggy wrote: »

bit worried for the celtics. as good as the Jaylen and Jayson are, there is too much pressure on them I think . outside of of Kyrie they don't have much of a scoring threat. I know next year when hayward is back it will be different.

i was also optimistic of the lakers pick landing 2-5 , but they seem to be playing a bit better than that

I'd agree they're short offensively which makes the decision not to go for Evans a little puzzling. But maybe they're doing what Danny does and playing the long game and if whatever was required to land Evans was a piece they needed for Anthony Davis then they're right not to ship it. Likewise, they could just have looked at the Cavs and said we're still not ready even with Evans so what's the point.

I'd say there's a 50/50 chance that Hayward is back on court this year btw. Lots of rumours about it. He'll be on seriously restricted minutes, but I think there's a chance we see him in April.