2018 NBA offseason

[Mecca]

Uh....Leonard and Green are gone. The 2 best defenders and they add DeRozan. He is a nice improvement for SA's offense but he plays very little to no defense.

Kawhi was gone last year too and they won 50.

They are basically swapping Demar for Green.

Downgrade defensively, upgrade on the other end of the court.

 

[LAD]

Uh....Leonard and Green are gone. The 2 best defenders and they add DeRozan. He is a nice improvement for SA's offense but he plays very little to no defense.

That's right, forgot about Danny Green leaving. Kawhi hasn't really played so I didn't really consider that since they managed an entire season & got to the playoffs without him.

 

[Mecca]

Then we are saying the same thing. I've already said if they can seed at 5 or better I give them a good chance at making it to the 2nd round.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Lakers beat every team out West, sans the Dubs and Rockets.

It also wouldn't surprise me if they lost to the Thunder, Nuggets, Jazz in the first round.

All those teams are close...imo

Depends on whose Stars step up the most.

I think the Lakers win 47-50 games and are a 2nd round out.

LeBron is capable of winning a series by himself against lower seeds.

 

[Mecca]

That's right, forgot about Danny Green leaving. Kawhi hasn't really played so I didn't really consider that since they managed an entire season & got to the playoffs without him.

We already know what the Spurs look like without Kawhi.

They aren't strong title contenders.

But, they aren't cannon fodder either.

 

[LAD]

It wouldn't surprise me if the Lakers beat every team out West, sans the Dubs and Rockets.

It also wouldn't surprise me if they lost to the Thunder, Nuggets, Jazz in the first round.

All those teams are close...imo

Depends on whose Stars step up the most.

I think the Lakers win 47-50 games and are a 2nd round out.

LeBron is capable of winning a series by himself against lower seeds.

I don't think he'll be successful at beating teams by himself in the WC - in the post season.

 

[Mecca]

I don't think he'll be successful at beating teams by himself in the WC - in the post season.

Not the top 2.

But, LeBron is the best player in the NBA.

Davis was able to carry the Pelicans for one series.

LeBron could too depending on the matchup.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

The match ups for 6, 7 & 8 seeds in the WC are usually pretty tough. If this season is anything like the last few seasons they could draw either GS, Hou or SA, OKC, Utah. I'm not liking their chances against those teams in a 7 game series.

Why not? The Lakers are pretty much a completely different team. I just don't see how people can say the Lakers couldn't win a 7 game series against (enter team here). They lost some key players, gained the best player in the world, drafted some good shooters and invited the circus to town.

I mean heck, you could be right. But it's far too early to tell.

 

[flyerhawk]

And that's the thing. People want to act like the Lakers signed these guys long term and/or were expecting a title this year.

These guys are fillers brought in to challenge the youngsters, shore up the defense, hopefully get the kids some playoff experience and get them to next summer. If a couple of them hit...awesome. Maybe 1 or 2 even get invited back.

Any of them who prove to be more trouble than they are worth, won't be back and may even be released during the season.

The one thing I will say about the Lakers plan is that it essentially puts all their chips in next year when about half the league is going to have a lot of cap space. If the Lakers don't get a couple of players that fit this year, it's going to be pretty tough to build a contender in one offseason especially one with so many times with cap space.

 

[flyerhawk]

Why not? The Lakers are pretty much a completely different team. I just don't see how people can say the Lakers couldn't win a 7 game series against (enter team here). They lost some key players, gained the best player in the world, drafted some good shooters and invited the circus to town.

I mean heck, you could be right. But it's far too early to tell.

This Lakers team is not beating the Warriors. Zero chance. Or the Rockets for that matter.

 

[Gman]

They are basically swapping Demar for Green.

Downgrade defensively, upgrade on the other end of the court.

Not just an upgrade... it's a huge, huge upgrade offensively.

When it comes to defense... I suspect a lot of DeRozen's probelms are with regards to effort.

Not unlike Kyrie Irving... these guys may never be All-NBA defenders... but we already saw how Irving going to a better organization lit a bit of a fire, and there was definite improvement on that end.

So I wouldn't be surprised if we saw improvement with DeRozen's defense in San Antonio, either. He has to prove it, of course.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

This Lakers team is not beating the Warriors. Zero chance. Or the Rockets for that matter.

Nobody is beating the Warriors.

Rockets aren't untouchable. They matched up quite well with them last season, even beating them in Houston with a couple of key players out. Not to mention they got weaker defensively this offseason. So why not?

 

[flyerhawk]

Nobody is beating the Warriors.

Rockets aren't untouchable. They matched up quite well with them last season, even beating them in Houston with a couple of key players out. Not to mention they got weaker defensively this offseason. So why not?

Because the playoffs are not random regular season games.

The Sixers should have beat the Rockets both times they played them if not for a last second 3 by Gordon. That doesn't mean the Sixers would beat them in the playoffs. The Rockets are worse, right now, but they still have a ton of talent. If Capela leaves I might change my view on them.

 

[bksballer89]

Nobody is beating the Warriors.

Rockets aren't untouchable. They matched up quite well with them last season, even beating them in Houston with a couple of key players out. Not to mention they got weaker defensively this offseason. So why not?

Just because you matched up with one team well in a previous season doesn't mean the same will happen the following season especially when you have at least 5-7 new rotation players

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Because the playoffs are not random regular season games.

The Sixers should have beat the Rockets both times they played them if not for a last second 3 by Gordon. That doesn't mean the Sixers would beat them in the playoffs. The Rockets are worse, right now, but they still have a ton of talent. If Capela leaves I might change my view on them.

Lakers got better, Houston got worse. Not saying a playoff series victory is guaranteed, but it's not impossible.

 

[flyerhawk]

Lakers got better, Houston got worse. Not saying a playoff series victory is guaranteed, but it's not impossible.

The Rockets won 30 more games than the Lakers last year.

 

[DJ]

Not the top 2.

But, LeBron is the best player in the NBA.

Davis was able to carry the Pelicans for one series.

LeBron could too depending on the matchup.

Exactly, beautiful.

 

[DJ]

I don't think he'll be successful at beating teams by himself in the WC - in the post season.

That Boston team they beat in the ECF is better than every team in the WC.....except for GS & Houston.

 

[bksballer89]

That Boston team they beat in the ECF is better than every team in the WC.....except for GS & Houston.

Boston without Kyrie and Hayward were better than every team in the Western playoffs last year except GSW and Houston?

Are you on drugs?

 

[LAD]

Not the top 2.

But, LeBron is the best player in the NBA.

Davis was able to carry the Pelicans for one series.

LeBron could too depending on the matchup.

Yea, if I think about it from that aspect maybe you're right.

 

[bksballer89]

That Boston team from the playoffs would have an extremely difficult time beating 5 of the other 6 teams. They also are not be better than the Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans, or Nuggets without those 2 guys