NBA Basketball

[pignash]

Any NBA fans here? I am a lifelong Indiana Pacers fan. Just got back from watching them whip the Bucks. Paul George is a monster but he didn't even need to play a great game.

Who's your favorite team/player?

[Panzerjager]

I enjoy watching basketball and betting on it on darftkings. Porkchops Bazingas tore it up today. Dude is WAY better than anyone thought he was gonna be. Towns still RotY tho. I think Monte Ellis should get more credit for Indiana being p good this year. Rondo is back with a fury and for whatever reason people think he's waaay older and waaay more done than he is. People talking about "Vintage Rondo" like he's 33 years old or something. Dude 29.

[Untrod Tripod]

As someone who named his dog Rondo before the acl injury, this season has been great for me

[Panzerjager]

I was always a fan of him, I'm kind of a man without a team being a Seattle sports fan so I just kind of follow the game in general. I heard a bunch of rumors about Milwaukee being bought and moved up there, so I've been paying extra attention to them(and Greek Freak obv) But yeah but my pops in from back east and is a big Boston fan so I've seen a lot of Rondo and I always really like watching the guy, and I love anytime a guy has a signature move and gets guys with it over and over and over again with it for 9 years. That ball fake is nasty, but like...you KNOW it's coming back. It always comes back. And dudes bite on that shit everytime.



Like, look at that shit. Dude look like he watching the game on delay.

[Kmd4390]

My Lakers suck right now. And Drafkings and Fanduel are illegal in my state now. Not a good basketball year already.

[inte]

lebron james is the greatest player who has ever lived

discuss

[Panzerjager]

True, but it's more to size/speed than basketball skill a lot of times. The Games 2 and 3 2014-15 NBA finals would be a really good example of this.

[pignash]

That was fun! Pacers shot 73% from 3 and hit 19!

[Ythan]

lebron james is the greatest player who has ever lived

discuss

Until Space Jam 2 drops and is judged this is false.

[Panzerjager]

Jahlil Okafor knocked some dude out 2 nights ago in boston. Some action may be taken by the league or the sixers, but boston police are not going to pursue a case and he will be playing tonight. TMZ video shows him in a p bad light to be honest, but you can only assume that the guy other guy started.

[theelkspeaks]

Grew up a Bulls fan despite living in Cleveland because Jordan/Pippen was a dream to watch, but Cavs fan first and foremost ever since Jordan and Pippen retired.

Nowadays I root for the Cavs first and the Thunder second because I've always liked watching Durant play.

[Panzerjager]

Must be nice rooting for the guy that killed your home town franchise.

[theelkspeaks]

It was pretty sucky when he left, everyone was definitely pretty upset and a lot of people still don't really like him that much. Varejao is probably still the most popular player among a significant percentage of Cleveland fans.

[Panzerjager]

I meant liking Jordan.

I have literally no problem with a cavs fan liking Lebron

[Ythan]

Who could not like Jordan. UNC/unapologetic-Space-Jam fan here though.

[Panzerjager]

Yo, we back friends. 2 year necro after talking with papa ziti, Vert, and sleepo troll about basketball in site chat tonight.

Important things: Kevin Durant is the worst, Giannis is the best, let's all root for LeBron!!, Kevin Love not an all-star, Kelly Olynyk Best Player in Boston, IT being shipped after Fultz gets there (time for the MF Era), also everyone beside washington, boston, cle SA, and GS should blow it up (if they have something to blow up).

Really important thing: I do like Portland's base roster but they got negative cap space, so they gotta she'd some of their homegrown guys they resigned, preferably Leonard and Crabbe. If they keep CJ and Dame (who are the best backcourt in basketball), and keep nurkic at least until they have to re-sign him, dealing crabbe, Leonard and Harkness this year is probably absolutely necessary(which could be difficult given that everyone is trying to tank). They have a lot of assets and probably should part with those too in order to get bad teams to take on bad contracts 6ers style.

A start could be going to Brooklyn and trying to get rid of Leonard and Harkness bad contracts and Shabazz Napier for Booker, and a pile of bad guys who's contracts are all not guaranteed then cutting all of them for cap relief. Giving up some assets to Brooklyn would go such as one of there three first rounders this year and a second or 2. After that the go to the Pacers, give Crabbe and a pick swap in 2019 + a second rounder for Jefferson contract and the Lavoy Allen contract.

The experiment in 2017 to see who makes the 2018-2019 squad and which forwards they the like, which they hate.

Starting 2018 portland would have 3 first picks (2 in 2017 and 1 in 2018), Cj, Dame, Turner, Nurkic(restricted), Vonleh(restricted], and Aminu along with whichever cheap deep bench players the keep to fill the roster like the guys the traded for in the Brooklyn deal or pat connaughton and roughly 30m before the tax and an additional 6 if the billionaire owner doesn't mind dipping into the tax). Only issue is the 2018 free agency looks slimish in the 3 and 4 spot, so they might have to try to pick someone up in THIS free agency unless they are gonna make a big crazy run at Paul George or a restricted guy like Wiggins(barring of course the hit on someone in this draft in the front court). And signing a 2017 free agent will give then less wiggle room with re-signing nurkic in 2018 as a restricted FA(and would probably mean good bye vonleh). I think an option or 2 in 2017 would be Gallinari, Millsap, or Hayward but they can't even dream about that until they start moving Harkless, Leonard and definitely Crabbe who is making the 3rd most on the team to be McCollum's back up. But like I said, all of this is moot if Portland A) doesn't open cap space and opts to go with what they got and what they ate getting in these next two drafts, B) decides to blow it up on lue of having 3 top caliber players, or C) hits it big and immediately in this draft with like TJ Leaf and Semi Ojeleye becoming solid to better than solid contributors.

In short, I still think that portland shouldn't blow it up but I think they should do some work outside of their best 3 players. I'm hoping that they don't opt to both not free up space AND use their 3 first rounders this year to move up and take an "impact player" unless it's like...Jayson tatum or Jackson.

[Lil Uzi Vert]

Boston Celtics fan here

People need to stop whining about KD and the Warriors and learn to appreciate good basketball like a sensible adult. We're witnessing arguably the greatest team of all-time. I'm really tired of the constant crying about KD making the best decision for him and his team being levels better than their favorite team.

As for Portland, I'm not entirely sure what they need to do but I lean to blowing it up. As great as CJ and Dame are offensively, you just can't afford to have such negatives on the defensive end. You need two-way players in this league to be a serious contender and those two just aren't it. If they could somehow swing one of the two for say Anthony Davis, they might be in business. If they can't, just rebuild through the draft and aim to win in like 2025

[Panzerjager]

Yeah, That's definitely the other option. CJ and Dame are the same guy. Which is great, but it's really really hard to hid 2 guys on defense. It's hard enough to hide 1. Them looking to the Warriors might actually be a good idea in that when GS had 2 undersized, defensive-minus guards they flipped one into assets and now they can be a dynasty.

Idk, I took a lot of time coming up with a "Portland Plan", but honestly, I'm still not sure that's the best course of action. Evan Turner is the oldest player on that team at 28. 12 of the 15 players on the roster have been in the league 4 years or less. This is a team of players that are still getting better. Even Dame and CJ. And both those guys are locked up for 5 years! They are a team that has time to develop. Do I think clearing space and trying to compete sooner rather than later is a totally viable plan? Yes, I still think them utilizing Brooklyn massive cap space and necessity or assets in lue of the big 3 fleecing in 2012 or w/e to float some bad contracts while they wait for 2 more seasons to be able to rebuild is a completely viable plan, but it could be totally unnecessary due to the youth factor AND the up to 4!!! incoming first round picks they could potentially have. It's a team with a whole pile of versatility as far as they can choose to try to FIGHT THE SUPER POWER that is the Warriors or they can totally opt to try to wait it out by getting rid of Dame for assets and some veteran leadership to coach up the host of young guys they can get/retain over the next few years. It's hard to predict what they will do cause Crabbe, Leonard, Moe Harkless, Dame, and CJ all recently got extended and Nurkic is obviously a guy they want to retain after restricted free agency but they are already paying well into the tax for a team that best case scenario has to grow into a title contender, not already existing as one. It's just so bizarre that the team seemingly has some many options and so little options at the same time. Free Agency is only an option if they clear space, but if they just swing for the fences on all 5(4 in round 1) of these picks over the next 2 years while cutting bait on the non-contributors that have non-guaranteed contracts and not renewing their least important restricted free agents(which could include letting Vonleh AND Napier walk for cheap), that still reads a completely sane plan when compared to either keeping core pieces and shipping overpaid role players or getting rid of Dame or McCollum and trying to build around the team at that angle.

Honestly...I just want to see my boy TJ in a trailblazer jersey doing his grittier Ryan Anderson impression. That's part of why I'd rather see Portland take 3 shots at role players or better this year then trading them for a shot at a top guy cause if they get guys and at least 1 that turns into Jae Crowder/Demarre Carroll level guys, it'll be pretty exciting and if they get Draymond/Butler level guy I think everyone will be thinking title.

IDK, I mentioned Portland kind of in passing and now I'm neck deep intrigued by them. Their future is as bright as Boston's in my eyes and neither team had to tank which makes it all the more exciting. IDK, I find basketball way more exciting on that level and just pretending the Warriors just don't really exist then anything going on in the Finals.

[Panzerjager]

Also @KD, beside that he has made this finals a predestined snooze fest and is coasting a ring while a player that he could not beat on equal ground is ballin out 110% effort being some of the most infuriating stuff I have witnessed in sport, him being the catalyst for the CBA changes to "help keep star players with their teams" is a fairly terrible situation for the state of basketball for anyone not a fan of a major market team is a pretty real reason to dislike the guy. I'm not saying he's the one that made the changes, but he's definitely the catalyst that allowed the NBA to get such a garbage bylaw into the CBA to protect their product in it's biggest markets and has given very real power over NBA franchises to sportswriters who have little accountability.

[Lil Uzi Vert]

I think they'll most likely try to get under the luxury tax at this point which probably means giving away some of those picks. They have one of the highest paid benches in the league if I'm doing the math correctly and have zero on the stat sheet to show for it. It's tricky though because I love Turner and I still think he has potential. Crabbe has those stretches where he can just bury a team from 3. Leonard isn't too bad either, just is a bit of a hothead. I can easily see a front office willing to give them a little more time.

However, let's see they keep these guys together for next year and hope that an injury or two happens to GS. Can this team as it's currently constructed really match up with the size of the Grizzlies or the Jazz or somehow compete with the well oiled machine that is the Spurs? If they even get out of the West, who is their answer for LeBron? I just don't see it but I definitely see the different paths they can take to remain competitive while also building for the future.

I just think if you aren't Boston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Philly, you should blow it up or tell your all-star or superstar player the reality of the situation and somehow convince them to waste their prime years rebuilding. We are seeing now that it is just impossible to match-up with all the talent that GS has on the roster. We also have known that no one bar them and the Spurs has a legitimate chance of beating LeBron.

I would put LA in that group but I really feel that Ingram is a bust and Russel is their only good piece. I also think they are just gonna blow it all on Paul George.

[Psyche]

think lebron is a better man than jordan

[Panzerjager]

I think getting under the tax is smart because chances are that they are gonna have to go over the tax to keep Nurkic(which they definitely should do). But yeah, the problem is between Harkless, Leonard, Turner, and Crabbe they are spending 56 million or 55.4% of the soft cap. That is 1 million less than 2 Russell Westbrooks, which I know is kinda of a stupid thing to say, but I think it shows a little bit of the worth of that money. That's 2 7-9 year vet max players. Allan Crabbe is making Paul George money! Which is why I'm in favor of going all in and aiming for 2018-2019 after dumping as much of that expensive bench as possible, making a crack at a 2018 FA and taking 3 shots at role players in this draft. It also makes sense given they just extended both Dame and CJ and if they were thinking of dumping either of those guys they probably would of dumped them in February. The biggest problem in my eyes with dumping CJ is that Crabbe is just as bad at defense on paper despite having the better physical tools, and CJ can do far more to create his own offense instead of having Dame do it all. Unless Crabbe makes a commitment to becoming an above average defender, I just don't see a reason to keep him over CJ and dumping both seems impractical if they are trying to win with Dame.

Also, can I say that I'm not fully convinced that GS is going to be the dynasty they look like they are becoming? They essentially have a 10 man rotation(11 if you count McGee), which is pretty good but 6(7 if you count McGee) of those guys are free agents. One of which is named Stephen Curry. So unless the 2-time MVP takes a home town discount(he is qualified for the KD Rule super max, btw), it's gonna be awfully hard to come anywhere close to finder bench contributors like Livingston and Iggy(kinda a bench guy but not really). KD also has his player option. Just a thing to note, because he's def a basketball super villain if he uses his option after he gets a title, but that is a thing that exists. If Steph demands the supermax Warriors will be at a crisp 98m with only about 30 million under the luxury apron. Extending Iggy could easily run about half that. So they could very easily be looking at an 8 man roster with only 15m to work with. That is "yikes!" territory. It puts Curry in a tough spot too, as a 29 year-old point guard with bad ankles. Either take significantly under market value in some Tom Brady shit, or cash out because you're not Lebron James and you probably aren't gonna play until you're 40, and give your management significant less to work with financially. The Warrriors can be going from an 11ish man rotation to a 7 man one on the whims of a guy who deserves super max.

[Aronis]

Will someone do an avatar bet on the finals with me? I'm picking the cavs

[Kmd4390]

Will someone do an avatar bet on the finals with me? I'm picking the cavs

I will.

Also, I don't think the Warriors are the best ever. I just think the gap between them and the rest of the league is the biggest we've ever seen. The best old school teams would beat them in a best of seven series.

[Psyche]

that one guy man is he so cute