2021 NBA regular season thread

[thunderc]

Yep. Kyrie already said he will be the 2 so Harden can be the 1. They fit together fine and they can score better than anyone in the league. The defense is the key, and it has been improving. If they play good D in the playoffs they should win the East

So nice of him to make that decision for a new coach

 

[tlance]

So nice of him to make that decision for a new coach

Regardless of what the coach wants, the players still have to buy in.

With headstrong guys like Kyrie and Harden, this was far from given.

 

[trojanfan12]

Didn't AD make it clear he wouldn't be resigning with them?

Yes and he also said that he would honor his contract. That gave the Pels fair notice and allowed them to choose whether or not to trade him before the end of his contract. That would seem to be much better than just losing him for nothing when his contract ended. Harden made it clear that he was not interested in honoring his.

After that it was in the teams best interests not to play him to avoid injury.

Exactly. That's exactly what they should do. AD never requested to sit out and played well when the Pels allowed him to play. That is much different than what Harden did.

He could have just played the season out instead of going public that he was leaving no matter what.

He didn't go public, the Pels did. He told them he wouldn't be re-signing with them which again, gave them a chance to get something for him rather than watch him walk away and they get nothing in return.

So I guess it's not exactly what Harden did to the Rockets. But I don't think it's much different.

If by not much different you mean, not at all alike, I agree.

He still forced his way outta town.

AD didn't "force" anything. He was willing to honor his contract and give full effort the remainder of his time there. The Pels could have kept things quiet, let him play out the season and then look to move him in the off-season. They could have kept him through off-season and tried to move during the season last season. Or they could have quietly started shopping him instead of playing up the drama.

 

[trojanfan12]

But again, there is a strong case to be made that what AD did actually helped the Pelicans.

They got a helluva lot more for him than they would have if he didn't say anything and just left. Even as ugly as it got, they got a really nice haul for him.

I recently read an article talking about how well the kids who were moved to make room for Lebron and AD have developed and it had a small part of me thinking "Damn, maybe the Lakers should have just kept them?"

 

[trojanfan12]

Regardless of what the coach wants, the players still have to buy in.

With headstrong guys like Kyrie and Harden, this was far from given.

Yeah, like it or not (I'm on the fence) players today have more input than back in the day. Whether that's good, bad or indifferent is another conversation (and depends largely on the player), but they definitely have more input.

 

[tlance]

They got a helluva lot more for him than they would have if he didn't say anything and just left. Even as ugly as it got, they got a really nice haul for him.

I recently read an article talking about how well the kids who were moved to nake room for Lebron and AD have developed and it had a small part of me thinking "Damn, maybe the Lakers should have just kept them?"

As long as that is a very small part.

You got a ship last year. I can comfortably say that would not have happened without the AD trade.

 

[msgkings322]

People have short memories. If the Nets win a couple of titles, people's opinions will change (except maybe Cav and Celtics fans)

That's not how thunderc rolls. His opinions on sports were locked in somewhere in the late 90s

 

[trojanfan12]

As long as that is a very small part.

You got a ship last year. I can comfortably say that would not have happened without the AD trade.

Oh, I agree. When the Lakers had all of those kids and before the Lebron talk started, I was looking forward to watching them develop. So it was more of a "I wonder what they'd be like now?" than actually thinking they should have been kept.

 

[tlance]

Oh, I agree. When the Lakers had all of those kids and before the Lebron talk started, I was looking forward to watching them develop. So it was more of a "I wonder what they'd be like now?" than actually thinking they should have been kept.

I think you would be the Pelicans.

 

[bksballer89]

But not above the actual MVPs on better teams

What makes philly a better team? Their record or your personal opinion?

 

[bksballer89]

 

[msgkings322]

What makes philly a better team? Their record or your personal opinion?

What makes them not a better team, their record or your personal opinion?

 

[bksballer89]

What makes them not a better team, their record or your personal opinion?

The conference they play in

 

[msgkings322]

The conference they play in

That's fair
It's not something either of us can scientifically prove, and picking all-star game players and especially starters is completely "unscientific". So if you are expecting rigor and consistency there you will always be disappointed

 

[bksballer89]

That's fair
It's not something either of us can scientifically prove, and picking all-star game players and especially starters is completely "unscientific". So if you are expecting rigor and consistency there you will always be disappointed

Guess i jumped in late. I was talking about the mvp race lol

 

[msgkings322]

Guess i jumped in late. I was talking about the mvp race lol

That too LOL I forgot we were talking about that

Same deal, there's always going to be arguing about it, and that's kind of the point and part of the fun of sports

 

[trojanfan12]

I think you would be the Pelicans.

Pretty much. Fun to watch. But ain't winning anything yet.

 

[thunderc]

That's not how thunderc rolls. His opinions on sports were locked in somewhere in the late 90s

When you find something that works you stick with it. Harden and Irving can never get real respect after the things they have done. Just how it is, not the end of the world they obviously don’t care.

 

[msgkings322]

When you find something that works you stick with it. Harden and Irving can never get real respect after the things they have done. Just how it is, not the end of the world they obviously don’t care.

That's how you roll, and that's perfectly fine. Others might see things differently.

 

[tlance]

Pretty much. Fun to watch. But ain't winning anything yet.

And let’s face it. They probably aren’t winning anything ever. Because most teams don’t.

And the Lakers wouldn’t have had Zion.