2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[fightinfunbags]

To be fair, us Lakers fans have some experience with having to defend, or at least justify, a bad trade.

Ducky isn’t even saying it’s a good trade though. He owns that it was a bad move. He’s pushing back on people saying it’s the worst sports trade ever.

 

[The Q]

This isnt the NFL.

1st round picks arent really that important especially on a team that isnt likely to be drafting in the lottery anytime soon. More often than not when you use a 1st round pick on a player, especially in the later round, that player instantly becomes a negative to the team. You have the guaranteed money owed to them. And then on top of it there are very, very few players that are positive basketball players in their 1st couple of seasons. And a lot of them are never positive players.

Once the teams have their core, 1st round picks are throws in here and there for role player trades of marginal value. This is why teams before the internet went crazy with draft talk just used to sell these late round picks for cash back in the day. They knew how little value the picks had.

And modern NBA teams are finally wising up to that. Once you have your core players to build around, the rest just falls into place every season. The Wolves will have their top 4 position players locked up soon for a LONG time (Gobert, Towns, Ant and McDaniels). Filling in a roster after that isnt that damn hard. Especially in the NBA where players in the league from range 150 - 300 best players in the league are literally just given away.
Again. This wasn't in any shape or form a good trade (like most trades the only thing good about it was the intentions). But calling it the worst sport trade in history is just idiotic. That's a completely different bar. You have to set the franchise back. This didnt really set the franchise back much. We are still on the same projection we were before the trade was made.....hoping that KAT and Ant can develop into something special instead of two guys that are just good at some things but not good at others. And then filling in around those 2 guys. And filling around KAT is hard. People still dont seem to understand that. He is both great and horrible all in the same breath.

I will say the wolves biggest issue was kat was horrible even when on the floor

How much of that is Rudy vs injury?

Idk

But it will be interesting to watch

Even with the trade that wolves had two of my more intruiging rookies in minott and Moore

They need to be aggressive adding picks in round 2 to give themselves a chance to find more potential role players

Also, definitely use the full mle this year to reunite the McDaniels

 

[fightinfunbags]

This isnt the NFL.

1st round picks arent really that important especially on a team that isnt likely to be drafting in the lottery anytime soon. More often than not when you use a 1st round pick on a player, especially in the later round, that player instantly becomes a negative to the team. You have the guaranteed money owed to them. And then on top of it there are very, very few players that are positive basketball players in their 1st couple of seasons. And a lot of them are never positive players.

Once the teams have their core, 1st round picks are throws in here and there for role player trades of marginal value. This is why teams before the internet went crazy with draft talk just used to sell these late round picks for cash back in the day. They knew how little value the picks had.

And modern NBA teams are finally wising up to that. Once you have your core players to build around, the rest just falls into place every season. The Wolves will have their top 4 position players locked up soon for a LONG time (Gobert, Towns, Ant and McDaniels). Filling in a roster after that isnt that damn hard. Especially in the NBA where players in the league from range 150 - 300 best players in the league are literally just given away.
Again. This wasn't in any shape or form a good trade (like most trades the only thing good about it was the intentions). But calling it the worst sport trade in history is just idiotic. That's a completely different bar. You have to set the franchise back. This didnt really set the franchise back much. We are still on the same projection we were before the trade was made.....hoping that KAT and Ant can develop into something special instead of two guys that are just good at some things but not good at others. And then filling in around those 2 guys. And filling around KAT is hard. People still dont seem to understand that. He is both great and horrible all in the same breath.

Disagree on your perspective about 1st round picks. Even if only used in other trades, they would have better value than the acquisition of an expensive player that doesn’t really fit with what they’re doing.

 

[The Q]

Not defending the trade. It was a bad trade. Just pointing it out that calling it the worst trade in sports history is ignorant.

The franchises I have followed have all made WAY worse trades unfortunately. And most franchises at some point have also made worse moves.

The twins move that’s worse than this?

We obviously know the Viking and twolves versions


I don’t follow hockey at all so the wild one might be the most fascinating of them all lol

 

[fightinfunbags]

I will say the wolves biggest issue was kat was horrible even when on the floor

How much of that is Rudy vs injury?

Idk

But it will be interesting to watch

Even with the trade that wolves had two of my more intruiging rookies in minott and Moore

They need to be aggressive adding picks in round 2 to give themselves a chance to find more potential role players

Also, definitely use the full mle this year to reunite the McDaniels

I wouldn’t say KAT was horrible last night. He had a rotten 4th Q. Some guys can’t play with 5 fouls and be effective. Additionally, Flip gave them no help. Those were some of the most unimaginative sets I think I’ve ever seen. And they seemingly ran the same set every 4th Q possession.

 

[trojanfan12]

Good on the Lakers for being able to come back and win after spending 3 quarters getting their asses kicked. Schroder came up huge.

Glad they don't play again until Sunday...this team definitely needs a few days off and some practice time. They had a lot of turnovers that looked like the result of one guy trying to get the ball to another guy who wasn't expecting it.

On defense, lack of communication led to a lot of wide open 3's. Can't have that against a team like Minny.

Has anyone heard anything about Ant maybe being sick? Dude looked gray last night and like he had no energy.

If he was right, the Lakers would be playing on Friday.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

This isnt the NFL.

1st round picks arent really that important especially on a team that isnt likely to be drafting in the lottery anytime soon. More often than not when you use a 1st round pick on a player, especially in the later round, that player instantly becomes a negative to the team. You have the guaranteed money owed to them. And then on top of it there are very, very few players that are positive basketball players in their 1st couple of seasons. And a lot of them are never positive players.

Once the teams have their core, 1st round picks are throws in here and there for role player trades of marginal value. This is why teams before the internet went crazy with draft talk just used to sell these late round picks for cash back in the day. They knew how little value the picks had.

And modern NBA teams are finally wising up to that. Once you have your core players to build around, the rest just falls into place every season. The Wolves will have their top 4 position players locked up soon for a LONG time (Gobert, Towns, Ant and McDaniels). Filling in a roster after that isnt that damn hard. Especially in the NBA where players in the league from range 150 - 300 best players in the league are literally just given away.
Again. This wasn't in any shape or form a good trade (like most trades the only thing good about it was the intentions). But calling it the worst sport trade in history is just idiotic. That's a completely different bar. You have to set the franchise back. This didnt really set the franchise back much. We are still on the same projection we were before the trade was made.....hoping that KAT and Ant can develop into something special instead of two guys that are just good at some things but not good at others. And then filling in around those 2 guys. And filling around KAT is hard. People still dont seem to understand that. He is both great and horrible all in the same breath.

I'd argue first round picks are more important than the NFL for the top 15ish teams. And Minny post this trade is not at all guaranteed to be a playoff team. Now they will be capped out with no cheap first rounder. You need those to fill your roster.

The discussion around Gobert would be somewhat muted if they were a top 3 team and clearly better on the floor with him on it. They aren't. Not by a long shot.

And to say you're locked up? How? Ant isn't even signed to an extension lol

Nor is Mcdaniels

 

[The Q]

I thankfully will miss the season finale of the heat season on Friday

The heat didn’t take this year that seriously, so you probably shouldn’t either

 

[trojanfan12]

Not defending the trade. It was a bad trade. Just pointing it out that calling it the worst trade in sports history is ignorant.

The franchises I have followed have all made WAY worse trades unfortunately. And most franchises at some point have also made worse moves.

It may not be the worst trade in history, but it's on the list as among them, imo.

It's not so much that that they traded for a one dimensional player as that player brings a dimension that they needed.

It's the combination of what they gave up to get him and how much they are paying him that makes it so bad.

It's also going to make it more difficult to keep some of their more important pieces and put quality depth around them.

 

[ducky]

I wouldn’t say KAT was horrible last night. He had a rotten 4th Q. Some guys can’t play with 5 fouls and be effective. Additionally, Flip gave them no help. Those were some of the most unimaginative sets I think I’ve ever seen. And they seemingly ran the same set every 4th Q possession.

Sadly help from beyond the grave really is what Towns needs to turn the corner from great guy with promise to legit NBA superstar it would appear.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Sadly help from beyond the grave really is what Towns needs to turn the corner from great guy with promise to legit NBA superstar it would appear.

Haha! Oh Shit. Finch. My bad. Finch.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

It may not be the worst trade in history, but it's on the list as among them, imo.

It's not so much that that they traded for a one dimensional player as that player brings a dimension that they needed.

It's the combination of what they gave up to get him and how much they are paying him that makes it so bad.

Almost no one in the league would take Gobert for Kessler alone.

Now add 4 first rounders a pick swap, 3 depth players of value and the fact they could easily signed Ant under or near the cap AND have Kessler.

 

[trojanfan12]

Ducky isn’t even saying it’s a good trade though. He owns that it was a bad move. He’s pushing back on people saying it’s the worst sports trade ever.

That's the thing though, we may not know how bad this trade was for a couple years.

It's similar to the Lakers getting Westbrook. The biggest problem wasn't so much getting Westbrook as it was what they were paying him. His salary added to Lebron and AD's made it impossible to add quality depth.

 

[bksballer89]

The heat didn’t take this year that seriously, so you probably shouldn’t either

Yeah it is mid 80s on friday in nyc. No way in hell im running home to watch them

 

[The Q]

Yeah it is mid 80s on friday in nyc. No way in hell im running home to watch them

That’s hot as all hell. Lol


It’s actually hotter Imo than if you’re not in concrete jungles

 

[Shanemansj13]

Also as I pointed out the Kareem trade didn't make the Bucks worse.

The Wolves Garnett did...but their tanking could've netted them Steph Curry. Instead they took Johnny Flynn.

Yep and in their defense not many knew Steph would be a future superstar but the Flynn pick in itself was pretty bad in that draft

 

[Mebert]

Just bc the trade makes a team worse doesn’t make it a worse trade. You have to look at the scenario. Players can force their way out of situations, nothing you can do about that. The Wolves gave up players and 5 1st’s for a one-dimensional paint clog. He is still a great defensive player but you don’t give up that many picks for that type of player, period. You give up that many picks for an elite scorer, star PG or two-way wing. It was a terrible trade…no way around it. Just think we are only in year one of the trade too.

When you trade for a great defensive player you expect results. Less wins, went from 13th to 10th DRTG. Offensive rating went from 8th to 23rd. Ouch

I don't want to make this seem like I am in any way defending that trade, but KAT played 29 total games. Any offense rating will plummet when you lose the best scorer on the team. Especially when Ant refuses to take over games like he should.

Still worst trade in Wolves history.

 

[flyerhawk]

Why is this debatable?

 

[DJ Fieri]

Not defending the trade. It was a bad trade. Just pointing it out that calling it the worst trade in sports history is ignorant.

The franchises I have followed have all made WAY worse trades unfortunately. And most franchises at some point have also made worse moves.

It can be argued it is 1 of the worst in the NBA....especially when they already had a C in Towns. And like Mecca said they have tried to turn him into Luke Kennard....LOL.

They gave up same amount of picks that Phoenix did to land KD.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Why is this debatable?

It was a travel by letter of the law