2018-2019 NBA Regular Season Thread

[WiggyRuss]

I'm talking from the perspective that people still do not put him up in the highest tier of NBA talent. Hard to be considered an all time great when at your peak, you've not even considered there.

If given the chance how many people right now would take Kawhi over Curry? Giannis? AD? Harden? Westbrook?

I think Curry is continually underrated from the fact that people would rather have a franchise to start around some other guys than him. When he's not only a generational talent, but truly an all time great.

I take LeBron, Durant and Davis over Curry.

Giannis and Kawhi are debatable.

I give Curry, at this point at least, the edge over Harden and RW.

so- Curry somewhere between 4th and 6th.....that seems reasonable.

 

[trojanfan12]

I'm talking from the perspective that people still do not put him up in the highest tier of NBA talent. Hard to be considered an all time great when at your peak, you've not even considered there.

If given the chance how many people right now would take Kawhi over Curry? Giannis? AD? Harden? Westbrook?

I think Curry is continually underrated from the fact that people would rather have a franchise to start around some other guys than him. When he's not only a generational talent, but truly an all time great.

I think the problem for Curry is that he's kind of brittle/fragile. Hard to put the future of your franchise on a guy who may not last all that long.

On the list you put, I'd take Kawhi, Giannis or AD over him, but not Harden or Westbrook.

 

[CitySushi]

I think the problem for Curry is that he's kind of brittle/fragile. Hard to put the future of your franchise on a guy who may not last all that long.

On the list you put, I'd take Kawhi, Giannis or AD over him, but not Harden or Westbrook.

I think that's more of a stigma than it is an actual fact. Last year was the first year since his ankle injury that he sustained an injury which cost him to miss an extended period of time. This year could turn that way, but I'm hoping not.

In his 9 years (excluding this year for the time being because we don't know how much more time he'll miss), he's played in 74 games or more in 7 of those seasons. 1 year he had the ankle injury and only played 26 games. Last year I'll give you that, in that he suffered multiple injuries throughout the course of the year.

But overall in his career he hasn't missed a ton of games in the big picture. Conversely KD's only played in 74 games in a season 6 times in his career. AD only twice in 6 years. Kawhi only 1 time in his career has he reached 74 games. If you look at Kawhi he's missed a ton of games, but no one seems to think he's injury prone.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think that's more of a stigma than it is an actual fact. Last year was the first year since his ankle injury that he sustained an injury which cost him to miss an extended period of time. This year could turn that way, but I'm hoping not.

In his 9 years (excluding this year for the time being because we don't know how much more time he'll miss), he's played in 74 games or more in 7 of those seasons. 1 year he had the ankle injury and only played 26 games. Last year I'll give you that, in that he suffered multiple injuries throughout the course of the year.

But overall in his career he hasn't missed a ton of games in the big picture. Conversely KD's only played in 74 games in a season 6 times in his career. AD only twice in 6 years. Kawhi only 1 time in his career has he reached 74 games. If you look at Kawhi he's missed a ton of games, but no one seems to think he's injury prone.

The problem is though that his career got off to a slow start because of ankle issues. In the finals that the Warriors lost, him not being 100% has been given as one of the reasons they lost.

Even if it's more perception than reality, the perception is still there and is part of why he isn't given the credit that he deserves, imo.

I also think that KD winning the last 2 finals MVP's hurts him a bit too. People don't really take into consideration that KD won those largely because of Steph isn't a high maintenance guy and enjoys seeing his teammates succeed.

 

[Hambombs]

I agree sushi and people say Steph is more fragile than them, I'm sorry I take curry over KD for this team though. They wouldn't be struggling like this with him there

 

[flyerhawk]

Yep. If a trade could be worked, it almost assuredly require some combination of at least 2 of the young guys and one of them would almost assuredly have to be Ingram, who I don't think the Lakers would give up.

Even at that, there are other teams that could use him and would be willing to make a better offer than the Lakers would.

I don't see the Lakers even trying to get Beal. They have consistently shown that they want to get their superstars via FA and I an 100% certain that Magic believes he will be able to lure in a big name next offseason.

So why blow the team up and screw up their cap situation to get Beal?

There are a few teams I could see taking a serious stab at getting Beal. If we assume that the Wizards would trade to anyone and that the team theoretically has assets for the Wiz...

Milwaukee - They are playing well right now but it is hard to imagine this team going deep into the playoffs. Adding Beal would make Giannis and even bigger threat.
Houston - Seems pretty clear that they want that 3rd big star.
Clippers - They have a nice collection of talent but they are likely no better than a 2nd round exist at best. Beal may not be a big enough star for what the Clippers are looking for though.
Brooklyn - Not sure how willing they would be to get back into trading the farm for a star player but you have to think this would be a great step towards luring another superstar in FA next year.

 

[msgkings322]

I take LeBron, Durant and Davis over Curry.

Giannis and Kawhi are debatable.

I give Curry, at this point at least, the edge over Harden and RW.

so- Curry somewhere between 4th and 6th.....that seems reasonable.

I think the Warriors' current troubles show you should prefer Curry to KD. I would too. KD is the better player in terms of personal skills (barely), but Curry is the better player to lead your team to wins. Curry won a title without KD (and had a 73 win season), KD hasn't done shit without Curry. Curry changes the entire game, people can't sag off him and he makes the floor incredibly wide open having the range he does. You see how the Ws look like shit without him. Without KD last year they won like 22 in a row.

 

[Hambombs]

I don't see the Lakers even trying to get Beal. They have consistently shown that they want to get their superstars via FA and I an 100% certain that Magic believes he will be able to lure in a big name next offseason.

So why blow the team up and screw up their cap situation to get Beal?

There are a few teams I could see taking a serious stab at getting Beal. If we assume that the Wizards would trade to anyone and that the team theoretically has assets for the Wiz...

Milwaukee - They are playing well right now but it is hard to imagine this team going deep into the playoffs. Adding Beal would make Giannis and even bigger threat.
Houston - Seems pretty clear that they want that 3rd big star.
Clippers - They have a nice collection of talent but they are likely no better than a 2nd round exist at best. Beal may not be a big enough star for what the Clippers are looking for though.
Brooklyn - Not sure how willing they would be to get back into trading the farm for a star player but you have to think this would be a great step towards luring another superstar in FA next year.

I see bucks contending for the east for sure, if they add beal that would be insane

 

[msgkings322]

The problem is though that his career got off to a slow start because of ankle issues. In the finals that the Warriors lost, him not being 100% has been given as one of the reasons they lost.

Even if it's more perception than reality, the perception is still there and is part of why he isn't given the credit that he deserves, imo.

I also think that KD winning the last 2 finals MVP's hurts him a bit too. People don't really take into consideration that KD won those largely because of Steph isn't a high maintenance guy and enjoys seeing his teammates succeed.

Again, why you'd rather build your franchise around Curry (over KD)

Curry has the rep for being physically fragile (a little unfairly as @CitySushi says), but he's probably the least mentally fragile superstar in the game.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Again, why you'd rather build your franchise around Curry (over KD)

Curry has the rep for being physically fragile (a little unfairly as @CitySushi says), but he's probably the least mentally fragile superstar in the game.

 

[msgkings322]

LOL still way less of a bitch than LeBron.

 

[tlance]

LeBron James opened up about his decision to leave Cleveland, saying general manager Koby Altman's lie to him about trading Kyrie Irving was the "beginning of the end" for his second tenure with the Cavaliers.

"Everyone knows that when Kyrie got traded, it was the beginning of the end for everything. It's not a secret," James told The Athletic's Joe Vardon in an interview published Monday.

James said Altman told him that he would not trade a disgruntled Irving to the Boston Celtics, only for the deal to be completed the same day. Altman had taken over for David Griffin earlier in the summer of 2017, and James said he believed owner Dan Gilbert ordered the young general manager to complete the trade.

"You realize at that point in time, take nothing from Koby, because Koby [was just named GM], but at that point in time, you realize that Koby's not the only one running the team, as [former GM David Griffin] had done, and that's why Griff was let go pretty much," James said.

Reading between the lines here, but there was a pretty major move before the Kyrie trade that was the real beginning of the end, IMO.

Gilbert's refusal to extend David Griffin was that move. Instead of a tried and true GM capable of building a championship roster and whom LeBron respected, he chose to take back control of his team from LeBron and hire a puppet.

That move, in combination with the Kyrie trade sent a clear message to LeBron that Gilbert was no longer interested in appeasing LeBron and basically made LBJ's decision for him.

LeBron signed the 1 and 1s the first 2 year so he could exert leverage over the owner he didn't trust. As soon as he signed the 2 year pact and lost leverage, everything went to hell.

Because Dan Gilbert is a crappy owner.

 

[Black Adam]

Reading between the lines here, but there was a pretty major move before the Kyrie trade that was the real beginning of the end, IMO.

Gilbert's refusal to extend David Griffin was that move. Instead of a tried and true GM capable of building a championship roster and whom LeBron respected, he chose to take back control of his team from LeBron and hire a puppet.

That move, in combination with the Kyrie trade sent a clear message to LeBron that Gilbert was no longer interested in appeasing LeBron and basically made LBJ's decision for him.

LeBron signed the 1 and 1s the first 2 year so he could exert leverage over the owner he didn't trust. As soon as he signed the 2 year pact and lost leverage, everything went to hell.

Because Dan Gilbert is a crappy owner.

Danny deep pockets? Say it ain't so...

 

[tlance]

What do you think about Ball for Josh Jackson?

Jackson probably has more value.

But, Mikal is going to take that starting spot, long-term.

Ariza was a ill advised signing and Warren get buckets.

One or more of those Dude's needs to get dealt for a legit pg prospect.

Jackson doesn't solve any problems for LA because he can't shoot either.

 

[WiggyRuss]

The Wizards Don’t Have a Future. Can They Start Rebuilding?

@tlance
BAHAHAHAHHA

Now that Washington is reportedly open for business, it will be difficult for Wizards fans to stomach that Grunfeld will be the one charting their path forward. In 15 years as steward of Washington’s basketball operations, Grunfeld has presided over more sub-30-win seasons (six) than 45-plus-win campaigns (three). He oversaw the disastrous Gilbert Arenas-Javaris Crittenton episode that cratered the franchise’s most promising stretch in years, and the period of Andray Blatche’s leadership that gave us Lapdance Tuesday. He traded away first-round draft picks in 2009 (which became Ricky Rubio, but could have also become Stephen Curry, for a year of Randy Foye and Mike Miller), in 2013 (as part of the Marcin Gortat deal), in 2016 (as part of the Markieff Morris trade), and in 2017 (to add Bojan Bogdanovic for a stretch run). He drafted Jan Vesely with the sixth overall pick in 2011 and masterminded the calamitous summer of 2016, which saw the Wizards give Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson, and Jason Smith a combined $106 million to be backup big men in a league skewing small. Taken together, Grunfeld’s moves have put the Wizards in this no-win situation; that he continues to pull the strings in Washington remains, from the outside,

Andray Blatche hosts ‘Lapdance Tuesday’ at Miami Beach club

 

[WiggyRuss]

Reading between the lines here, but there was a pretty major move before the Kyrie trade that was the real beginning of the end, IMO.

Gilbert's refusal to extend David Griffin was that move. Instead of a tried and true GM capable of building a championship roster and whom LeBron respected, he chose to take back control of his team from LeBron and hire a puppet.

That move, in combination with the Kyrie trade sent a clear message to LeBron that Gilbert was no longer interested in appeasing LeBron and basically made LBJ's decision for him.

LeBron signed the 1 and 1s the first 2 year so he could exert leverage over the owner he didn't trust. As soon as he signed the 2 year pact and lost leverage, everything went to hell.

Because Dan Gilbert is a crappy owner.

DAn G. did enough and acquired enough talent to get hometown hero LeBron back in the fold and to go to 4 straight ships and win a title

When the Wiz tried to attract hometown guy Kevin Durant- they got laughed at and were not e ven in Durants top 3.

end of story. lol


look at those moves by the Wiz------ they make the Cavs look like the fucking New England Patriots! lol

 

[tlance]

This is like 3 years overdue.

Cmon man. That is way unfair.

It is only 2 years and 8 months overdue.

 

[Black Adam]

Now look what you did, coach...

He Deflected back to YOUR team...

 

[WiggyRuss]

Now look what you did, coach...

He Deflected back to YOUR team...

Yeah So GIF - Yeah So JimCarrey - Discover & Share GIFs

 

[tlance]

DAn G. did enough and acquired enough talent to get hometown hero LeBron back in the fold and to go to 4 straight ships and win a title

When the Wiz tried to attract hometown guy Kevin Durant- they got laughed at and were not e ven in Durants top 3.

end of story. lol


look at those moves by the Wiz------ they make the Cavs look like the fucking New England Patriots! lol

Yeah. And here you go again comparing the Cavs to the Wizards.

I believe the Wizards have been the worst managed team in the league over the last 40 years. Squandered picks, horrific trades, bad hires in coaching and GM positions, they have it all.

So yeah, Cleveland has been better.

But that is like saying the Giants are a better football team than the Raiders. While it might be true, they both still suck.

The only reason Dan G. "acquired" enough talent to bring LeBron back is because his lucky ass won the lottery 3 times in 4 years. That is literally unheard of.