2018 NBA offseason

[WiggyRuss]

Wow......

That's a fucking brutal price to dump a contract.

Maybe next year ala expiring Melo contract to the Hawks?


On the Lakers Nation podcast, Keith Smith of Real GM spoke about what he heard from teams about their asking price, and it was steep:


“I asked them, ‘Well what were you asking for?’ and they said, ‘Well we wanted one of Ingram, Ball, Hart, at a minimum Kuzma, and we wanted another first-round pick, or give us two kids and no pick, or two first-round picks.’ But the two first-round picks, that was a little less desirable for those teams because those are going to be late-20s picks, just any team with LeBron that’s where you’re gonna be. So it really turned into, you’re giving up at least one of the kids plus a first-round pick or two of the kids and that was just to get off Deng’s money.”

I mean it makes sense- 1 asset is not enough to unload Deng....Didn't the Nuggets just unload Faried who is owed like less than half the money Deng is and it cost them 1 first rounder?

If they want to unload Deng itll be one of the young players and a first rounder at a minimum.

It would be funny to see who was trying to defend the Mozgov/Deng deals at the time they were signed.

 

[Heatles84]

Damn...lol

Even though KD is right, CJ kinda have to fight this mofo...lol


KD: “Why are you mad about this stuff?” CM: “Bro, I’m in the league. What do you mean why am I mad about this stuff? I’m in the Western Conference. I gotta play you MFers all the time anyway as it is, over and over again. We got eliminated by y’all a few times in the first round. So I’m looking at [Cousins] — KD: “I mean… you know you guys aren’t going to win a championship.” CM: “Bro, we have the team. We have the capabilities. Anything is possible. We can win a championship, bro.”



CM: “So, what do you suggest?” KD: “I suggest you just keep playing, man, and don’t worry about what goes on at the top of things. Relax.” CM: “We were right there at the top of things. We were the third seed last year, bro. We were right there. We were just slightly below one and two.” KD: “But how’d you play?” CM: “Some unfortunate situations happened in the first round.” KD: “How’d you play?” CM: “Some unfortunate circumstances.” KD: “Like an eight seed.”

–

CJ's dopey ass should've just stopped. They got swept in the 1st round. If Portland has a shot at a championship, then half of the league does to.

 

[bksballer89]

CJ's dopey ass should've just stopped. They got swept in the 1st round. If Portland has a shot at a championship, then half of the league does to.

He's a player on a team who finished 3rd and won 49 games. Expecting him to say Portland doesn't have a shot at a title is dumb.

 

[Heatles84]

He's a player on a team who finished 3rd and won 49 games. Expecting him to say Portland doesn't have a shot at a title is dumb.

So........you think that a team that although finished 3rd in the West, but got swept in the 1st round has a realistic shot at a title? Toronto finished first in the East and won over 60 games last year. If they didn't trade Kawhi, would you have said they had a realistic shot at a title.

Portland's a good team, not a great team. There strength is the back court of Dame and CJ. Problem with them is that neither plays good defense. You can't win the title without playing a modicum of defense.

Hence, saying Portland doesn't have a shot to win a title is not exactly dumb.

 

[shopson67]

....and playing the 4 full-time....

....and playing the 5 part-time.

Which only really impacts who he will be defending, and the Lakers are trying to switch freely on defense. Positionless basketball and all that...

 

[shopson67]

NOT crazy about a 6'8" CENTER, but i guess we'll see where it goes...

Dray is only 6'7

 

[bksballer89]

So........you think that a team that although finished 3rd in the West, but got swept in the 1st round has a realistic shot at a title? Toronto finished first in the East and won over 60 games last year. If they didn't trade Kawhi, would you have said they had a realistic shot at a title.

Portland's a good team, not a great team. There strength is the back court of Dame and CJ. Problem with them is that neither plays good defense. You can't win the title without playing a modicum of defense.

Hence, saying Portland doesn't have a shot to win a title is not exactly dumb.

Once again I'm a fan. Not a player on a team. My opinion doesn't matter. He plays on a team who just finished 3rd in the west. Players don't think how fans think. You do realize this right?

I agree with the rest of your post but when you actually play on a team, you're going to think much higher of your team than anyone else.

If Victor Oladipo said he think the Pacers can make the finals and win it this season, I won't kill the guy either. Playing on a team is different than being a fan.

As for your Toronto comment, it goes back to my original point. I'm a fan and not a player. To answer your question, I wouldn't have said they have a realistic shot at a title but am I going to sit here and criticize Lowry or DeRozan if they said otherwise? Hell no. They're supposed to think that way.

I could bet you money there are several players on the Heat right now who think they can make the ECF when everyone else their ceiling at best is the 2nd round

Once again when you actually play for a team, you think much higher of your team than anyone else outside of the most biased fans.

 

[shopson67]

cats like Joel Embiid would eat him alive...

which are few and far between these days

 

[shopson67]

When I saw that him at the 5 for the so called death lineup was the plan......

Ummm, wow....

How the fuck you gonna have a death lineup without lethal players?

They are going to be newly emerging lethal players (hopefully). Ball picking apart the defense, finding Hart/Ingram/Kuzma/Lebron in an advantageous matchup or an open 3. Not sure exactly who will be in this lineup, so Hart might be out for KCP, etc.

 

[Heatles84]

Once again I'm a fan. Not a player on a team. My opinion doesn't matter. He plays on a team who just finished 3rd in the west. Players don't think how fans think. You do realize this right?

I agree with the rest of your post but when you actually play on a team, you're going to think much higher of your team than anyone else.

If Victor Oladipo said he think the Pacers can make the finals and win it this season, I won't kill the guy either. Playing on a team is different than being a fan.

As for your Toronto comment, it goes back to my original point. I'm a fan and not a player. To answer your question, I wouldn't have said they have a realistic shot at a title but am I going to sit here and criticize Lowry or DeRozan if they said otherwise? Hell no. They're supposed to think that way.

I could bet you money there are several players on the Heat right now who think they can make the ECF when everyone else their ceiling at best is the 2nd round

Once again when you actually play for a team, you think much higher of your team than anyone else outside of the most biased fans.

Fans and players have different mindsets? Color me shocked.

And I'm a fan, which makes me more realistic than the player.

But again, you just said it was dumb for me to say that Portland has no realistic shot to win a title. When that was the original debate. If Whiteside said the Heat were going to win a title, I'd criticize him the same. Especially considering where it's coming from.

 

[shopson67]

It would be funny to see who was trying to defend the Mozgov/Deng deals at the time they were signed.

It was more of a case of trying to make the best of the situation. At the time, I think the assumption was that the cap was going to continue to expand, not jump and then stick for several years, so the cost wouldn't have been as prohibitive.

I, for one, wanted Deng as a solid fit for the Lakers for a long time; it just took too long to happen and at too dear a price. Jumping on ANY center at that price (there were a bunch overpaid that summer) was a poor decision as the league was turning away from the historical center position. One of the big supposed prizes of that offseason was Whiteside, and his contract is now an albatross as well.

 

[bksballer89]

Fans and players have different mindsets? Color me shocked.

And I'm a fan, which makes me more realistic than the player.

But again, you just said it was dumb for me to say that Portland has no realistic shot to win a title. When that was the original debate. If Whiteside said the Heat were going to win a title, I'd criticize him the same. Especially considering where it's coming from.

It does make you more realistic than a player. I never said otherwise but if you really expect players to say their team don't have a shot at a title in July then you're out of your mind. Especially when he plays on a team who had a solid season.

You misunderstood my post. Never said it was dumb for you to say that.

Expecting him to say Portland doesn't have a shot at a title is dumb.

That is what I said. I will wait for you to point out where in that post where I said it was dumb for Heatles84 to say Portland doesn't have a shot at a title. In simple terms, if you expect CJ to say he doesn't think his team can win a title this year then you're crazy.

I'm pretty sure players on the Rockets, Lakers, Raptors, Thunder, Jazz, Celtics, & Sixers all think their teams can possibly win a title this year

 

[Black Adam]

Dray is only 6'7

and spends EXTREMELY limited time playing a 5...

 

[shopson67]

and spends EXTREMELY limited time playing a 5...

But does so in the Warriors "death lineup", which the story about Lebron playing the 5 alludes to.

 

[DJ Fieri]

LeBron.

It would have to be him or Kuzma.

If it's Kuzma, Ingram doesn't start

Crazy idea but start Kuzma at 5 and play there 10-12mpg? Let him take the pounding since he's a lot younger than James? And he can hit the 3.

James at 4 and Ingram at the 3.

 

[DJ Fieri]

It would be funny to see who was trying to defend the Mozgov/Deng deals at the time they were signed.

I was wrong.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I'm going to say it:

Portland over-achieved last season. I could see them falling off a bit this season in a stacked WC.

 

[flyerhawk]

I'm going to say it:

Portland over-achieved last season. I could see them falling off a bit this season in a stacked WC.

Definitely. I think they are as likely to miss the playoffs as get a home court round.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Crazy idea but start Kuzma at 5 and play there 10-12mpg? Let him take the pounding since he's a lot younger than James? And he can hit the 3.

James at 4 and Ingram at the 3.

just depends on the matchups.

Maybe you can get away with it against certain teams and matchups.

but, guys like Anthony Davis, or Rudy Gobert or Nikola Jokic, or Deandre Jordan or LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol--- or Towns or Adams --- getting covered by Kuzma or James is just not gonna happen. Luckily there are not too many dominant big men left.

 

[Black Adam]

But does so in the Warriors "death lineup", which the story about Lebron playing the 5 alludes to.

Yeah, I get that. Works for the Dubs, but not so sure it'll work for us...