Conference Semifinals: Boston Celtics (2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (3)

[eaglesnut]

Yes and no.

Obviously, the Sixers did not invent tanking. But they did embrace it to the point of giving it a name and were public about it. They even appeared to keep top draft picks out with injury for longer than was required for the injury. They did this while the league was "publicly" trying to find ways to stop tanking.

Tanking is one of those things like "load management" that everyone does and the league will mostly look the other way as long as teams don't rub their nose in it.

I don't think they should have been punished to the point they were, but the Sixers brought it on themselves.

The Sixers had to get their fans to buy in. What they did publicly worked. These are 32 businesses. Not one. What's the point of the competition if the league offices are picking winners and losers?

If the leagues fix the lotteries i.e. blackawks, cavaliers, then I'm losing the plot on what their complaint is all about.

I suppose the league wants to pick where to increase revenues on a cycle that grows regions without having a league-wide plateau. Afterall, the value of these franchises is in their projected growth, not necessarily their year over year profits. So if you can grow one region and keep some of the new fans while you grow another region, then you don't just get the most hardcore basketball fans from both places. Instead, you end up with more casual fans in the winning regions and some of those casual fans turn into hardcore fans, especially young ones. For example they've grown the California basketball market with the Warriors and the "hand off" to the Nuggets will grow the Colorado market. You need a heavy amount of control to pull it off and to bring it back to the Sixers - the Sixers were seen as going their own way instead of letting the NBA offices do what they do.

 

[eaglesnut]

I feel dirty still defending the man but the media quote chop yesterday to take things out of context is real. He wasn’t throwing teammates under the bus. Here’s more context:

Thanks for putting forth the effort to share this. I wasn't reading/watching any nba coverage, but saw the chop job and was getting pissed at the big guy.

Send that to Dame please lol

 

[eaglesnut]

I feel dirty still defending the man but the media quote chop yesterday to take things out of context is real. He wasn’t throwing teammates under the bus. Here’s more context:

Also who writes the tweets for cbssports? Need a name.

 

[eaglesnut]

Knowing what I know and seeing what I see, I’d rather the Sixers sell now and hold on to Maxey. They call Harden’s bluff on the Houston shit knowing that he either has to
1) accept he will never win a ring and go to Houston to play out his hall of fame ringless career
2) Work a sign and trade to a contender looking for a PG that can get them 20 and 10.

Having him walk to Houston is a better option than running this back.

Easiest option is to run it back with another bench piece. Don't expect this front office to do anything difficult.

Now that Embiid has won MVP he can be load managed and take nights off and give us his best month of basketball in the playoffs. Same with Harden. The regular season is pointless.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Also who writes the tweets for cbssports? Need a name.

Wasn’t just them. A ton of outlets ran with that yesterday including local media. This is just what media does. Take the most shocking excerpt and sell it out of context. Been going on for decades.

 

[The Q]

Easiest option is to run it back with another bench piece. Don't expect this front office to do anything difficult.

Now that Embiid has won MVP he can be load managed and take nights off and give us his best month of basketball in the playoffs. Same with Harden. The regular season is pointless.

They don’t have many avenues to adding a bench piece thanks to the new cba rules

Harden would need to take another hair cut

 

[eaglesnut]

Wasn’t just them. A ton of outlets ran with that yesterday including local media. This is just what media does. Take the most shocking excerpt and sell it out of context. Been going on for decades.

It's the emoji that takes it over the top.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Easiest option is to run it back with another bench piece. Don't expect this front office to do anything difficult.

Now that Embiid has won MVP he can be load managed and take nights off and give us his best month of basketball in the playoffs. Same with Harden. The regular season is pointless.

My fear is that all they will do is fire Doc, keep Morey with Morey claiming he inherited Doc and that Mike Dantoni’s stuff gets the best out of James Harden and they shop Harris expiring contract to get some more role players back for him.

If that’s what they do…. I’ll say I’m out now and won’t commit to them. But I still love this shit and will likely still line up for my kick in the dick in the playoffs when they choke again.

 

[eaglesnut]

My fear is that all they will do is fire Doc, keep Morey with Morey claiming he inherited Doc and that Mike Dantoni’s stuff gets the best out of James Harden and they shop Harris expiring contract to get some more role players back for him.

If that’s what they do…. I’ll say I’m out now and won’t commit to them. But I still love this shit and will likely still line up for my kick in the dick in the playoffs when they choke again.

Harris is the only one that gets better come playoff time.

 

[fightinfunbags]

They don’t have many avenues to adding a bench piece thanks to the new cba rules

Harden would need to take another hair cut

They can trade Tobias and bring back 39 million in salary. For instance, Pistons take on more than they send out. I could see them wanting to get from under Bagley and Bogdanovic to gain 39 million coming off salary for 2024-25. They shed a year of Bagley and Bogdanovic doing that move. They clear spots for them to play their young kids and assess what they want in FA for 2024-25.

 

[The Q]

They can trade Tobias and bring back 39 million in salary. For instance, Pistons take on more than they send out. I could see them wanting to get from under Bagley and Bogdanovic to gain 39 million coming off salary for 2024-25. They shed a year of Bagley and Bogdanovic doing that move. They clear spots for them to play their young kids and assess what they want in FA for 2024-25.

Yeah that’s your play

Harris and 29 first for guys like that

 

[fightinfunbags]

Harris is the only one that gets better come playoff time.

Fair. But he doesn’t fit with Embiid Harden Maxey. You were saying run it back and if that’s what you’re doing, Harris is the only piece that can be dealt.

 

[shopson67]

Harris is the only one that gets better come playoff time.

He impressed me.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Harris is the only one that gets better come playoff time.

If Harden walks, I would think they keep Tobi for the last year of the deal. It’s really the Harden add that made Tobi not fit. But now you’re counting on him to be your third option. Is he that guy?

Honestly? None of this shit looks any good to me because it all depends on Embiid and dude just isn’t a winner.

 

[dtgold88]

Big Perk speaking truth all the way down to Doc being scapegoated.

Yep....Does he deserve some blame? Of course (as you pointed out in an earlier post) but not the majority.

what's funny is if they drop game 6, it's likely Mazulo gets all the blame and they wonder if he should be back. Man was he smart to tell Tatum to stop missing all his shots.....and then asking him if he could do even better in Game 7.

 

[bksballer89]

Miami can book their tuesday afternoon flight to boston

 

[Manster7588]

That's fine, but he was literally voted as a top 15 player. And finished 12th in the MVP, the following year.

And voters never get it wrong off name recognition alone.

 

[shopson67]

Fair. But he doesn’t fit with Embiid Harden Maxey. You were saying run it back and if that’s what you’re doing, Harris is the only piece that can be dealt.

What kind of pieces are you trying to bring in?

 

[fightinfunbags]

Yep....Does he deserve some blame? Of course (as you pointed out in an earlier post) but not the majority.

what's funny is if they drop game 6, it's likely Mazulo gets all the blame and they wonder if he should be back. Man was he smart to tell Tatum to stop missing all his shots.....and then asking him if he could do even better in Game 7.

Yep. Game 6 was the moment. You caught an off Tatum game. Celtics were feeling the pressure and the Sixers blew the last 6-7 minutes of the 4Q. Not surprised that when Tatum gets hot in the 4Q a killer was able to carry that momentum into a 50 burger in Game 7. Guys like that once they get hot they ride the wave. Wish I had a dude like that.

 

[fightinfunbags]

What kind of pieces are you trying to bring in?

A legit small forward who is a 3 and D wing that can start with Harden Maxey Tucker Embiid and a bench 4 that can rebound and defend. That’s ideal. I haven’t gone deep yet on what’s out there. It would have to be a team that’s going young with commitments to guys for next 3 seasons that want to get out from under to consolidate into 39 million in cap relief for next summer. It’s not an easy find by any means but it’s their only option to add if they want to run it back.