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2018 NBA offseason

shopson67

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Obviously the winning formula has been small ball, but not every team can have a roster like the Warriors formed.

Agree about the system.
Why invest in Whiteside, then go away from his strengths the majority of the time?

It's the same line of thinking that calls for automatic switching on defense, even when there is time to avoid it (or to switch back). Allow the players you have at your disposal to do what they do best. Seems pretty simple, but apparently only "great coaches" figure that one out; instead they shoehorn players into the one system the coach is comfortable with.
 

Mecca

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What is going on in Philly?

Are they going to eat Gasol to get Kawhi?
 

Mecca

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Orlando had a top 6 pick and took Jonathan Isaac in the 2017 NBA draft.





I bet they wish they had a do-over.
He looks like he will be pretty good after 250,000 cheeseburgers.

He reminds me a lot of Ingram.

Physically and his playing style.

But, Brandon has much better handles.
 

bksballer89

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Orlando had a top 6 pick and took Jonathan Isaac in the 2017 NBA draft.





I bet they wish they had a do-over.

Why?

He was injured most of last season. Doesn't mean he is a bad player. He didn't play the equivalent of a full college season last year with Orlando.
 

WiggyRuss

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He looks like he will be pretty good after 250,000 cheeseburgers.

He reminds me a lot of Ingram.

Physically and his playing style.

But, Brandon has much better handles.
Ingram does have better handles but Isaac is a much better athlete.
 

Mecca

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Ingram does have better handles but Isaac is a much better athlete.
That fade away jumper has been money this Summer too.

He needs another Season to get stronger. But, his shot has come along nicely and his handles have gotten better.

Banana, Isaacs and Gordon are really nice building blocks.

Looks like the Magic finally found a competent GM.

 

LAD

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What are you insinuating? That Lebron is going to be goofing off for the season? Maybe make a trip to Disneyland in between games?

Perhaps you're simply confusing 'win now' with 'championship contenders'.
lol
Don't be so ridiculous.
Win now is pretty self explanatory. Not sure why that's so hard to understand.

The Lakers being constructed as they currently are do NOT have the expectation to win a title NOW. LBJ understands they are a player or two away from that.

So no, I don't expect him to be taking days off to go to Disneyland, however, he probably isn't going to be playing balls to the walls for all 82 games in the reg season like we've seen him do in Cle.
 

Mecca

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Pau Gasol is currently under contract with the San Antonio Spurs. If what I am hearing comes to fruition, that contract will be relocated to Philadelphia and the 7-foot Spaniard will be teaming up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons next season. When you are having simultaneous conversations with people all around the world and not a single person is telling you “That is untrue,” you have a smoke/fire situation. And what I am hearing is that a trade scenario that would send Gasol to the 76ers is very much in play as one of the various Kawhi Leonard deals being pondered by the San Antonio Spurs
 

LAD

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Lebron hasn't publicly said anything since he made the decision to sign for the Lakers so I don't know where you got that from.
Clearly he spoke to someone - per the quote below:

Jeff Zilgitt reported James remains comfortable with the roster and knows they’ll continue to get better (via USA TODAY):

“James believes the Lakers are in position – with some of the players they have now – to build a team that can contend for a championship soon. Also, James was not adamant that another All-Star, such as Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, had to join the Lakers for him to sign with the Lakers. He understands they can build and create a contender with him there.”
 
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LAD

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Where in my quote do I use the words TAKING THE SEASON OFF?

Girl, stop trying to interpret what people say and actually READ what is in print.
 

LAD

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The Lakers aren't done building their roster yet.
I would say they're pretty close to being done for this season given the pool of options that'll be avail next summer. It's also precisely why they're NOT in win now mode.
 

LAD

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So does that mean that 28 teams in the league aren't playing to 'win now'?
Are you suggesting the teams that are rebuilding are in win now mode AND rebuild mode??? Sounds pretty ridiculous.
 

LAD

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Listen, all that " different type of team " stuff is just lipstick on a pig.

This is essentially a development year for your young guys.

Lance, Rondo, Mcgee, KCP are one year placeholders for capspace.

The reason the Lakers aren't going all in on Kawhi is because they know that, even if they get him, he and LeBron are not enough to win a championship.

Might as well keep your assets and try to sign him outright.

But, it's a development year because one of the young guys needs to turn into that 3 rd guy or the lot of them will get traded for one.

No, you aren't taking.

But, you are not a legit contender either as currently constructed.
Maybe we should try explaining this in another language??
 

LAD

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you dont remember the team the Celtics lost to in Game 7 at "TD BankNorth"?
Is that the same team the Dubs chewed up & spit out??
 

WiggyRuss

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When LeBron James left Cleveland for the Miami Heat, he formed a 'big three' with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Then, when he returned to Cleveland in 2014, he formed a new big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

"There was a promise made to LeBron that they could work a deal for Kevin Love," Pluto says. The Cavs traded their No. 1 draft pick that year, Andrew Wiggins, to Minnesota for Love.

'I wonder if LeBron really will be able to take the pain of what this team could look like early'
Lackluster Lakers
Pluto says the Lakers have solid players in Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram.

But so far, he says they haven't added much to their roster to help James.
In the offseason they've signed Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. Pluto says those two, along with current Laker Lonzo Ball, aren't good outside shooters.

"LeBron likes to drive to rim; people collapse on him and he'll throw it out to somebody to make a three-pointers."

In Cleveland the past two seasons, for example, he recruited shooters like Kyle Korver. And, going back much further, he had a similar player at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

"In his freshman year, the first state title he won, he had a little 5'2" little guard named Dru Joyce III. He would shoot the ball from down around his waist somewhere. They were like big rainbows. And they would go in. They played together for four years."

"I look at the Lakers, and they're signing a bunch of role players who don't even particularly fit."

In addition to a lack of All-Stars, the Lakers have an inexperienced coach in Luke Walton.

"He was a marginal player who played against LeBron. He's basically is just a first-time coach. He has no championship rings as a coach. He's not going to have a lot of credibility with LeBron if things go bad."

Pluto acknowledges that James was mostly driven by allure of the Los Angeles and Hollywood market.

"It shows that LeBron's mind was in a different spot this time. When he went to Miami, it was about winning championships. He won two. When he came back to Cleveland in 2014, it was about winning one title. His former coach, Mike Brown, said LeBron wanted to make things right because he knew he left the wrong way."

Still, Pluto says, "LeBron doesn't want to lose."

"Unless [the Lakers] find a way to add another star between now and opening day, they'll start out slow; things won't go well. And, as we know, even when things are going well, LeBron gets cranky around January. By then he's ready for the playoffs to start. And if they're not winning, he's going to be pounding on Magic Johnson's door and asking for players.

The Lakers could still make some moves and add some players, but getting star quality could be a challenge.

"I don't think anybody is real anxious about helping LeBron right now. If you're in the Western Conference, why would you want to trade anybody to the Lakers and make your life harder?"

Dealing with adversity
"I wonder if LeBron really will be able to take the pain of what this team could look like early," Pluto says. "I never underestimate LeBron james. he can go through all this turmoil and drama and turn the roster upaisde down like the Cavaliers did a couple times when he was here and still go deep into the playoffs.

But this time he clearly didn't have the same assurances when he switched teams like he did the previous two."
 

Wamu

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When LeBron James left Cleveland for the Miami Heat, he formed a 'big three' with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Then, when he returned to Cleveland in 2014, he formed a new big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

"There was a promise made to LeBron that they could work a deal for Kevin Love," Pluto says. The Cavs traded their No. 1 draft pick that year, Andrew Wiggins, to Minnesota for Love.

'I wonder if LeBron really will be able to take the pain of what this team could look like early'
Lackluster Lakers
Pluto says the Lakers have solid players in Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram.

But so far, he says they haven't added much to their roster to help James.
In the offseason they've signed Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. Pluto says those two, along with current Laker Lonzo Ball, aren't good outside shooters.

"LeBron likes to drive to rim; people collapse on him and he'll throw it out to somebody to make a three-pointers."

In Cleveland the past two seasons, for example, he recruited shooters like Kyle Korver. And, going back much further, he had a similar player at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

"In his freshman year, the first state title he won, he had a little 5'2" little guard named Dru Joyce III. He would shoot the ball from down around his waist somewhere. They were like big rainbows. And they would go in. They played together for four years."

"I look at the Lakers, and they're signing a bunch of role players who don't even particularly fit."

In addition to a lack of All-Stars, the Lakers have an inexperienced coach in Luke Walton.

"He was a marginal player who played against LeBron. He's basically is just a first-time coach. He has no championship rings as a coach. He's not going to have a lot of credibility with LeBron if things go bad."

Pluto acknowledges that James was mostly driven by allure of the Los Angeles and Hollywood market.

"It shows that LeBron's mind was in a different spot this time. When he went to Miami, it was about winning championships. He won two. When he came back to Cleveland in 2014, it was about winning one title. His former coach, Mike Brown, said LeBron wanted to make things right because he knew he left the wrong way."

Still, Pluto says, "LeBron doesn't want to lose."

"Unless [the Lakers] find a way to add another star between now and opening day, they'll start out slow; things won't go well. And, as we know, even when things are going well, LeBron gets cranky around January. By then he's ready for the playoffs to start. And if they're not winning, he's going to be pounding on Magic Johnson's door and asking for players.

The Lakers could still make some moves and add some players, but getting star quality could be a challenge.

"I don't think anybody is real anxious about helping LeBron right now. If you're in the Western Conference, why would you want to trade anybody to the Lakers and make your life harder?"

Dealing with adversity
"I wonder if LeBron really will be able to take the pain of what this team could look like early," Pluto says. "I never underestimate LeBron james. he can go through all this turmoil and drama and turn the roster upaisde down like the Cavaliers did a couple times when he was here and still go deep into the playoffs.

But this time he clearly didn't have the same assurances when he switched teams like he did the previous two."

Holy crap! Are you writing a damn book?:heh:
 

Wamu

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that was a Terry Pluto article derived from an interview he did.

You know who Terry Pluto is right?

Well I didn't bother reading it because I thought it was more of your long winded mumbo-jumbo. You actually asked if I know who Terry Pluto is?:pound: Wiggy you're even more wack than I thought.
 

Battlelyon

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Terrible time now in the offseason, we get too much where is Melo going talk. Who really gives a shit
 
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