2021-2022 NBA Season

[DJ Fieri]

That was embarrassing last night.

Having said that......if they meet in the playoffs.....and have a healthy AD and James expect 'Bron to go for 45-50 when we face off vs the Wolves.

 

[DJ Fieri]

As bad as RW is playing.....I don't think he's cooked. I think the pressure is getting to him and effecting his play.

Trade him in the offseason and let him go somewhere he can be the #1 guy and his play will bounce back. Not saying he'll start making his treys but he'll be back to being the electrifying player we're used to seeing. Seriously think his game is being effected by playing with LeBron and he's just wilting under the pressure.

Some players can handle it and some can't.

 

[tlance]

As bad as RW is playing.....I don't think he's cooked. I think the pressure is getting to him and effecting his play.

Trade him in the offseason and let him go somewhere he can be the #1 guy and his play will bounce back. Not saying he'll start making his treys but he'll be back to being the electrifying player we're used to seeing. Too young to have just lost it all the sudden. Seriously think his game is being effected by playing with LeBron and he's just wilting under the pressure.

Some players can handle it and some can't.

It isn’t pressure man.

His game has always been built on explosiveness.

He isn’t as explosive as he was in the past because he is getting older. And he doesn’t have the skills to make up for it in other ways.

Will he be better on another team?

I mean, sure. He can’t be worse. But the days of electrifying Russ are a distant memory.

 

[fightinfunbags]

@fightinfunbags

good game last night......Cavs are close--- they really are-- but between injuries and youth they just are not there yet.

Embiid, Harden, Harris, Maxey, is a pretty damn solid top 4. I am not sure about Philly's depth- but that is a helluva top 4.

As for the Cavs- Garland is awesome. Mobley is going to be awesome---- but as you said the other day- Okoro is really starting to show something. He hit a handful of corner 3's. If he can do that- and continue to improve - he is going to be a helluva player for the Cavs--- and considering they have Allen, Garland, Mobley-- and hopefully Sexton, LeVert, etc...Okoro doesnt even have the pressure to be a top 3 guy on a team.

I hope the Cavs keep Okoro long term. They would have to get bowled over to deal him I think. He is not Thybulle on defense- barely anyone is- but he has high level potential and a much better offensive game.

I think I take Okoro over Thybulle long term

I also would take Okoro over Thybulle. He projects to being a better two way player.

 

[fightinfunbags]

It isn’t pressure man.

His game has always been built on explosiveness.

He isn’t as explosive as he was in the past because he is getting older. And he doesn’t have the skills to make up for it in other ways.

Will he be better on another team?

I mean, sure. He can’t be worse. But the days of electrifying Russ are a distant memory.

This. When a player loses a step he has to go in his bag for something else and Russ never really developed that “something else”. Can he potentially get that in the off season? I’ll never say never but it’s not likely for most players.

 

[DJ Fieri]

It isn’t pressure man.

His game has always been built on explosiveness.

He isn’t as explosive as he was in the past because he is getting older. And he doesn’t have the skills to make up for it in other ways.

Will he be better on another team?

I mean, sure. He can’t be worse. But the days of electrifying Russ are a distant memory.

Sure, he has lost some explosiveness but not enough to where he can't rebound on another team. He's making poorer decisions because of the pressure of playing with LeBron and AD. Just my opinion, we're not going to see eye to eye on this.

 

[flyerhawk]

Sure, he has lost some explosiveness but not enough to where he can't rebound on another team. He's making poorer decisions because of the pressure of playing with LeBron and AD. Just my opinion, we're not going to see eye to eye on this.

40 mil a year is an awful lot of money to take on in hopes that he can rebound.

 

[DJ Fieri]

40 mil a year is an awful lot of money to take on in hopes that he can rebound.

Expiring contract.

 

[trojanfan12]

Sure, he has lost some explosiveness but not enough to where he can't rebound on another team. He's making poorer decisions because of the pressure of playing with LeBron and AD. Just my opinion, we're not going to see eye to eye on this.

The problem isn't that he's not still quick and explosive, he is. But he no longer has that, for lack of a better term, ''turbo-charger'' that used to separate him. Now, when he needs that extra burst, it's not there much of the time and unlike guys like Kobe, MJ, Lebron, etc...he's done nothing to adjust his game.

So guys who used to not be able to stay with him, now can and shots that used to be uncontested layups or dunks are now contested.

You're not completely wrong, some of it is the pressure of trying to change his game to fit with Lebron and he'd likely be better if he could go ''full Russ'', but he still wouldn't be what we're used to because Father Time has caught up and he wasn't prepared for it.

Like Kobe, he's never been an efficient scorer. But unlike Kobe, he hasn't adjusted his game or become a smarter player to hang on to whatever efficiency he used to have. So what used to be a constant attack of explosive athleticism, now just looks like flailing.

 

[trojanfan12]

40 mil a year is an awful lot of money to take on in hopes that he can rebound.

Uh, that would be $47 million. lol

Supposedly, both Russ and the Lakers are motivated to move him in the off-season. But when he opts in, that contract is going to be very difficult to move, even as an expiring contract. Especially now that teams have seen that he can't be ''that Russ'' anymore.

Imo, about the only way he gets moved and the Lakers get anything back that's worth a damn, is if he opts out and they can work out a sign and trade for him. But since it's unlikely that he would get anything close to $47 million...he'd be crazy to opt out.

 

[flyerhawk]

Uh, that would be $47 million. lol

Supposedly, both Russ and the Lakers are motivated to move him in the off-season. But when he opts in, that contract is going to be very difficult to move, even as an expiring contract. Especially now that teams have seen that he can't be ''that Russ'' anymore.

Imo, about the only way he gets moved and the Lakers get anything back that's worth a damn, is if he opts out and they can work out a sign and trade for him. But since it's unlikely that he would get anything close to $47 million...he'd be crazy to opt out.

Yeah. The problem is the other team needs to come up with 40 something million in matching salary. You would need to find a very specific team that would A) want Russ and B) have matching salaries that the Lakers would want.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Yeah. The problem is the other team needs to come up with 40 something million in matching salary. You would need to find a very specific team that would A) want Russ and B) have matching salaries that the Lakers would want.

Only 80 percent of matching salaries.

So 37.6 mill

 

[flyerhawk]

Only 80 percent of matching salaries.

So 37.6 mill

Well sure. Dare to dream!!

Can you think of a team that might can/would make that trade?

I guess the Knicks make the trade. But the Lakers would need to be willing to take back guys like Kemba, Derrick Rose, and maybe Fournier?

 

[DJ Fieri]

Well sure. Dare to dream!!

Can you think of a team that might can/would make that trade?

I guess the Knicks make the trade. But the Lakers would need to be willing to take back guys like Kemba, Derrick Rose, and maybe Fournier?

Small market looking to sell tickets. Say what you want about him but RW is a name. And he can sell tickets plus like I said he is expiring. Not sure what team but when I have more time I can look it up and get back on where.

 

[ChrisperJ10]

 

[trojanfan12]

Well sure. Dare to dream!!

Can you think of a team that might can/would make that trade?

I guess the Knicks make the trade. But the Lakers would need to be willing to take back guys like Kemba, Derrick Rose, and maybe Fournier?

Which presents a whole other problem. If they do nothing with Westbrook and just decide stand pat and get through next season as best they can, they will have around $92 million in cap space to put pieces around AD for 2023-24..

Fournier is signed through 2024-25 and Rose is signed through 2023-24 which eats up about $36 million of that cap space.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Which presents a whole other problem. If they do nothing with Westbrook and just decide stand pat and get through next season as best they can, they will have around $92 million in cap space to put pieces around AD for 2023-24..

Fournier is signed through 2024-25 and Rose is signed through 2023-24 which eats up about $36 million of that cap space.

Rose wouldn't be included. Think the deal was Fournier, Burks and Walker with Walker being released.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Which presents a whole other problem. If they do nothing with Westbrook and just decide stand pat and get through next season as best they can, they will have around $92 million in cap space to put pieces around AD for 2023-24..

Fournier is signed through 2024-25 and Rose is signed through 2023-24 which eats up about $36 million of that cap space.

And that is an option. Keeping him and playing him off the bench....if he doesn't like it....he can sit out.

That 92 mill is appealing....LOL.

 

[trojanfan12]

Rose wouldn't be included. Think the deal was Fournier, Burks and Walker with Walker being released.

That deal still eats up $31 million in cap space. I guess Burks wouldn't be too bad at $10 million, but Fournier at $20 million seems like an overpay.

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

It isn’t pressure man.

His game has always been built on explosiveness.

He isn’t as explosive as he was in the past because he is getting older. And he doesn’t have the skills to make up for it in other ways.

Will he be better on another team?

I mean, sure. He can’t be worse. But the days of electrifying Russ are a distant memory.

People have been saying this since he first came into the league. He will not age gracefully, and it's coming true.