Official Offseason News and Rumors

[LAD]

Wow you call LeBron going back home his "next convenient situation"? The Cavs have sucked since he left & what if the Love trade doesn't happen after all of the speculation? Even w/ the addition of Love w/o a decent bench the LeBron led Cavs Part II aren't winning anything but maybe Central Division banners. Although I still say it's a gamble for the Cavs to give up Wiggins not knowing for sure if Love would want to sign a long term contract in Cleveland.

Love wants 2 sign long term in Cleveland...only because LBJ is there. But I still think it's stupid of the Cavs 2 give up Wiggins just 2 get Love this season. If Love was smart & really wanted 2 play with LBJ he would tell the Cavs NOT 2 give up Wiggins & that he will sign with them next year when he's a free agent. No matter what Minny decides 2 do this season they can't force Love 2 sign an extension anywhere he doesn't want 2 play.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Irving's about to start his 4th year in the league. I definitely can start judging.

Wade was the most efficient 2-guard in the league last year. You make it sound like his jump shot is shit. Wade knows he's not a 3-point shooter and that's why he picks his shots instead of chucking it up like Kyrie does.

Also, Lebron is doing the same thing he did with the Heat in some way. Cleveland has enjoyed much lottery success while Lebron was in Miami. Now that their roster looks favorable and they have a chance at Kevin Love, Lebron proceeded to hop to the next convenient situation.

I just said he is a better shooter and he is.

It isn't the same thing when he got to Miami with two superstars he knew what he had and it was like it was too easy. He will have to work much harder for this one even if they land Love.

Ohh next favorable situation, the team that hasn't made the playoffs since he left.

With Lebron any situation is the next most favorable/convenient situation for himself.

 

[Wamu]

Love wants 2 sign long term in Cleveland...only because LBJ is there. But I still think it's stupid of the Cavs 2 give up Wiggins just 2 get Love this season. If Love was smart & really wanted 2 play with LBJ he would tell the Cavs NOT 2 give up Wiggins & that he will sign with them next year when he's a free agent. No matter what Minny decides 2 do this season they can't force Love 2 sign an extension anywhere he doesn't want 2 play.

I agree w/ you. And no disrespect to Love, he's a damn good player. Bad luck just follows Cleveland teams & I just fear whatever they decide to do will end up being the wrong decision. Especially if there's any truth that LeBron's calling the roster shots. Because we all know how well that worked out the first time...Mo Williams, Delonte West, and old Shaq & so on.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

He's played in just under 1,000 games (including playoffs) and never had a major injury. He came into the NBA out of HS and has logged a lot of mileage. At some point that will catch up to him. He has a few years left before he starts to decline, but a serious injury could accelerate that. And I'm far from a hater, but the amount of games and minutes played is something you have to consider with a player who plays like LeBron.

Last year I started a thread about who will be the best NBA player projecting 5 years ahead.

I said Anthony Davis.

Nobody said LeBron.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

What will crack me up is if the Cavs do pull off a title run in the next couple years... a lot of the same posters who are now painting Kyrie as an inept NBA player will be be criticizing LeBron for running away from failure and teaming up with two more superstars.

Just remember, you can't have it both ways. Rag on the Cavs roster now, but be prepared to heap praise upon LeBron if they do well. Or praise the roster now and you'll have some ammo to attack LeBron if they don't do well.

Why?

James left a team who provided him an opportunity to play in 4 straight Finals.

Unless he wins the Finals next year, the best he can do is stay lateral or go downhill.

He gets no free passes when he is dictating every single move.

 

[bksballer89]

LeBron will not be the best player at 34 or 35. Let's all get real

 

[logic]

Why?

James left a team who provided him an opportunity to play in 4 straight Finals.

Unless he wins the Finals next year, the best he can do is stay lateral or go downhill.

He gets no free passes when he is dictating every single move.

He left a team with diminishing returns. First year, while team still gelling, should have won finals, choked away to Mavs. Second year, won Finals, dominated Thunder. Third year, barely won Finals, should have lost in 6 to Spurs if not for a Pop brain fart and a nice Allen shot. Fourth year, dominated by Spurs in the Finals. And if he stayed they had no room to improve with the Big 3 salaries. The Heat had peaked and were starting their way down. He went to a team with a bunch of young talent and assets to build around him in the short term. It is an improvement over the trajectory of the Heat.

 

[bksballer89]

The entire heat team except cole were free agents. As I said during the finals no matter what happened in the offseason, the heat supporting cast was going to look much different than it has the previous 4 years

 

[DJ Fieri]

Morning! The Logo of course!

Morning.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Wow you call LeBron going back home his "next convenient situation"? The Cavs have sucked since he left & what if the Love trade doesn't happen after all of the speculation? Even w/ the addition of Love w/o a decent bench the LeBron led Cavs Part II aren't winning anything but maybe Central Division banners. Although I still say it's a gamble for the Cavs to give up Wiggins not knowing for sure if Love would want to sign a long term contract in Cleveland.

James has a few years left at a high level because he has logged a lot mileage. They can't afford t wait 2-3 years to see Wiggins develop, they have to swing for the fences and try and win now.

I agree with the bench comment.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Love wants 2 sign long term in Cleveland...only because LBJ is there. But I still think it's stupid of the Cavs 2 give up Wiggins just 2 get Love this season. If Love was smart & really wanted 2 play with LBJ he would tell the Cavs NOT 2 give up Wiggins & that he will sign with them next year when he's a free agent. No matter what Minny decides 2 do this season they can't force Love 2 sign an extension anywhere he doesn't want 2 play.

From what I have read recently he doesn't want to sign long term anywhere, he wants to be a FA....like Melo this offseason.

 

[DJ Fieri]

LeBron will not be the best player at 34 or 35. Let's all get real

Maybe not even at 31 or 32...

 

[LAD]

He left a team with diminishing returns. First year, while team still gelling, should have won finals, choked away to Mavs. Second year, won Finals, dominated Thunder. Third year, barely won Finals, should have lost in 6 to Spurs if not for a Pop brain fart and a nice Allen shot. Fourth year, dominated by Spurs in the Finals. And if he stayed they had no room to improve with the Big 3 salaries. The Heat had peaked and were starting their way down. He went to a team with a bunch of young talent and assets to build around him in the short term. It is an improvement over the trajectory of the Heat.

Yep, totally

 

[LAD]

Morning.

Morning my friend!

 

[gordontrue]

The team slowly stockpiled trade assets and stuff while he was busy elsewhere.

Lebron came back to Cleveland and essentially "forced" them to trade away all their future assets for one "WIN NOW" star player season.

Taking all those young players and growing together over time is earning it.


Mortgaging the future for a small window of "hired gun" help for ONE YEAR of all NBA Kevin Love is closer to being the exact opposite of earning it.


Miami (to their credit) accepts the narrative that they were a purposely built short cut super team.
Cleveland needs to quit deluding themselves that they are any different.

If you win the championship you earned it. End of story.

The Spurs earned their championship this year. The Heat earned it the year before. The notion that there is a right or wrong way to do it is complete BS.

If the Spurs hold the grand masterplan to the "right way", well then here's the first few steps...

1) Finish last place in your division, acquire #1 draft pick
2) Use #1 draft pick to acquire one of the greatest NBA players in his time, among 50 greatest all-time.
3) Once that player has developed into a superstar... have him and your 2nd best player both miss a season due to injury... thus finishing with one of the worst records in the league
4) Have your GM abruptly fire your new coach who just finished 2 highly successful seasons including achieving the league-best record in his final full year.
5) Have said GM take over as coach and turn out to be one of the best coaches of all time.
6) Use the year of injury to your advantage by winning the lottery in a year when one of the best NBA players of all time is available and draft him.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

He left a team with diminishing returns. First year, while team still gelling, should have won finals, choked away to Mavs. Second year, won Finals, dominated Thunder. Third year, barely won Finals, should have lost in 6 to Spurs if not for a Pop brain fart and a nice Allen shot. Fourth year, dominated by Spurs in the Finals. And if he stayed they had no room to improve with the Big 3 salaries. The Heat had peaked and were starting their way down. He went to a team with a bunch of young talent and assets to build around him in the short term. It is an improvement over the trajectory of the Heat.

We all know the story.

The Heat would have improved somewhat this summer because Wade/Bosh/UD were willing to sacrifice.
They already had McRoberts and Granger, and who knows what else Riley was thinking?

James basically traded Wade/Bosh for Irving/Love (highly likely).

While he did gain some youth, he lost a ton of experience.

The Cavs gutted most of their other younger assets, so moving forward that wont be that big of a deal.

The only way it can be an improvement would be if he has more success then he did in Miami.
That bar is set pretty high.
Im guessing the Cavs go a bit limbo on us and walk under that bar.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Why?

James left a team who provided him an opportunity to play in 4 straight Finals.

Unless he wins the Finals next year, the best he can do is stay lateral or go downhill.

He gets no free passes when he is dictating every single move.

The Heat weren't getting better and the rest of the league was. They couldn't even sign any other players and most likely losing some, it was spiraling downhill. Not much, but still there nothing left in Miami for him.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Love wants 2 sign long term in Cleveland...only because LBJ is there. But I still think it's stupid of the Cavs 2 give up Wiggins just 2 get Love this season. If Love was smart & really wanted 2 play with LBJ he would tell the Cavs NOT 2 give up Wiggins & that he will sign with them next year when he's a free agent. No matter what Minny decides 2 do this season they can't force Love 2 sign an extension anywhere he doesn't want 2 play.

I think Lebron could convince him, but could is iffy. They would give up a potential great player. IMO they would have to get to the Finals or win the Finals for Love to sign long-term after the season.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

The Heat weren't getting better and the rest of the league was. They couldn't even sign any other players and most likely losing some, it was spiraling downhill. Not much, but still there nothing left in Miami for him.

yeah...
He def bolted for a better crop of players.
You know, the ones that couldn't win 35 games last year.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Maybe not even at 31 or 32...

Until we start to see him decline It wouldn't be anytime soon, especially when he is still getting better and losing the weight. I said 3-4 years, so when he is about 32 (about to turn 33 in December) he wouldn't be the best. After 3 years with the Cavs. But still playing at an elite level, I think he could be another Kpbe and maybe more durable. He will adjust his game to his age, he has shown he can do whatever it takes to change up his game in the past.