Kyrie to Boston rumors heating up. Deal nearly complete

[knowyourenemy]

Shaq drew enough fouls to make up for it (and would've drawn more if not for shamelessly corrupt NBA officiating).

But he couldn't hit free throws, diminishing the value of drawing those fouls.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Embiid may be the man to do it. Just has to stay healthy.

Embiid is flipping unreal.

He is an amazing rim protector. He can shoot 3's. Defend the perimeter and switch....dunk like a mad man....

if he stays healthy he will be the best player in the league someday.

 

[The Q]

Embiid is flipping unreal.

He is an amazing rim protector. He can shoot 3's. Defend the perimeter and switch....dunk like a mad man....

if he stays healthy he will be the best player in the league someday.

His injury changed the course of Cavs history.

No Love.

Who knows if Lebron comes, but rebuilding around Kyrie and a healthy Embiid would've been a decent start.

 

[knowyourenemy]

Embiid is flipping unreal.

He is an amazing rim protector. He can shoot 3's. Defend the perimeter and switch....dunk like a mad man....

if he stays healthy he will be the best player in the league someday.

Man, I hope so. It's hard not to get excited about the potential . . . have to hope it materializes.

 

[knowyourenemy]

His injury changed the course of Cavs history.

No Love.

Who knows if Lebron comes, but rebuilding around Kyrie and a healthy Embiid would've been a decent start.

LeBron still could have come back and they could have swapped Embiid and whatever else for Love. Unless you think no one in their right mind would trade a healthy Embiid, which might be right.

 

[The Q]

LeBron still could have come back and they could have swapped Embiid and whatever else for Love. Unless you think no one in their right mind would trade a healthy Embiid, which might be right.

That is what I was thinking. lol

 

[tlance]

Kyrie is harder to guard and a better scorer---- i guess if you are making that distinguishment between scorer and offensive player- you def. take RW and Harden above Kyrie.

Kyrie just has no weakness as a scorer- he is amazing on all 3 levels.

I agree on Kyrie as an elite scorer.

LeBron is a better offensive player though too. There is a lot more to being a good offensive player than just scoring. Jason Kidd, for example, was not even a good scorer, but he was a fantastic offensive player.

 

[tlance]

Embiid may be the man to do it. Just has to stay healthy.

Can't argue with that.

I love KAT too, but when they make the playoffs this year, how much of it will be KAT, and how much will be the addition of Butler? Hard to quantify.

 

[tlance]

I think it's really acquiring 2 stars.

The average 2nd best player on a championship team (historically) has been about 14 according to that 538 article I posted.

And if you're not a typical FA destination like Miami, Texas or California, you need to OKC or GS that shit and draft them (and then not cheap out and trade one away).

In the modern game that means surrounding them with rim protection and 3pt shooters.

You need your stars
Your rim protection
and your 3 & D guys.

All in your top 7-8 players.

I agree with all of this.

I also think that the ranking of a team's second best player may be higher in the modern era. If superstars continue to partner up, it is going to be awful tough for "normal" teams to win. That is a relatively new development in terms of NBA history.

 

[Vyle203]

Unless you think no one in their right mind would trade a healthy Embiid, which might be right.

Well, not now they wouldnt.

 

[WiggyRuss]

His injury changed the course of Cavs history.

No Love.

Who knows if Lebron comes, but rebuilding around Kyrie and a healthy Embiid would've been a decent start.

Who are the best big men in the East?

1. Embiid
2. Love
3. Porzingis
4. Drummond
5. Turner

???

 

[Black Adam]

Who are the best big men in the East?

1. Embiid
2. Love
3. Porzingis
4. Drummond
5. Turner

???

Whiteside...?

lol you can't even TYPE the guy's name...

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

 

[CitySushi]

Who are the best big men in the East?

1. Embiid
2. Love
3. Porzingis
4. Drummond
5. Turner

???

Dwight Howard and Whiteside should be on that list over Drummond and Turner. Even if you think Dwight is underachieving he's still better at least at this point than Drummond. Whiteside has a better track record also thus far than Turner.

 

[The Oldtimer]

Eh.

I agree with most of this, but Westbrook does not play great defense. He doesn't even really play good defense.

He is a capable defender for sure. But he is more interested in doing other things.

This was from two years ago, but Russell Westbrook is a very good defensive player. That was one of the reasons that (Sonics) OKC drafted him out of UCLA.

"In what has been the best year of Russell Westbrook‘s career, the Oklahoma City Guard continues to receive accolades for his accomplishments both on- and off-the-court. The NBA’s All-Defensive teams were announced on Wednesday afternoon but Westbrook was not included in either the first or second. Instead, he received 35 total points and fell just shy of being named one of the top four defensive guards in the NBA".

 

[DJ]

But he couldn't hit free throws, diminishing the value of drawing those fouls.

Not true.....it got the other team's big men in foul trouble......that matters and when Shaq is going against a 6-7 or 6-8 player (instead of a true big man) that's child's play for the Diesel.

 

[DJ]

This was from two years ago, but Russell Westbrook is a very good defensive player. That was one of the reasons that (Sonics) OKC drafted him out of UCLA.

"In what has been the best year of Russell Westbrook‘s career, the Oklahoma City Guard continues to receive accolades for his accomplishments both on- and off-the-court. The NBA’s All-Defensive teams were announced on Wednesday afternoon but Westbrook was not included in either the first or second. Instead, he received 35 total points and fell just shy of being named one of the top four defensive guards in the NBA".

But, like a lot of superstars.....they stop giving as much effort on defense.....it's taxing going both ways 100%.

 

[CitySushi]

This was from two years ago, but Russell Westbrook is a very good defensive player. That was one of the reasons that (Sonics) OKC drafted him out of UCLA.

"In what has been the best year of Russell Westbrook‘s career, the Oklahoma City Guard continues to receive accolades for his accomplishments both on- and off-the-court. The NBA’s All-Defensive teams were announced on Wednesday afternoon but Westbrook was not included in either the first or second. Instead, he received 35 total points and fell just shy of being named one of the top four defensive guards in the NBA".

He may have been previously, but his defense has eroded considerably. Just like Rondo used to be a good defender, he's fallen off too. Just because at one point you may or may not have been a good defender does not change what you currently are. Klay was a horrendous defender out of college and in his first two years in the league. He worked his ass off to get to where he's at today. Draymond wasn't known as a defender out of college either.

 

[DJ]

I still think RW is good on defense but not as good as few seasons ago, primarily because the effort isn't always there.

 

[gordontrue]

Another benefit of this Kyrie trade for the Cavs... the Cavs are now allowed to move their own 2018 pick.