The Biggest Losers of a (likely) Nixed NBA Season

[Heatles84]

Lakers, Clippers and Bucks all huge losers.

1 would have likely won a title. All 3 have limited windows and now if this season doesn’t get played, it is possible none of them get a title.

I think the Clippers have a shot after this season going forward. But you have to feel for the Lakers as Lebron's going to be 36 next season, and the Lakers looked like the favorites to win prior to the season being suspended (potentially getting shut down). PG and Kawhi are young enough to where they'll have plenty of chances down the road.

 

[CaptainStubing]

Don't forget the Clippers

Yep. They finally become relevant and then this happens

 

[trojanfan12]

I think the Clippers have a shot after this season going forward. But you have to feel for the Lakers as Lebron's going to be 36 next season, and the Lakers looked like the favorites to win prior to the season being suspended (potentially getting shut down). PG and Kawhi are young enough to where they'll have plenty of chances down the road.

It'll be interesting going forward for both the Lakers and Clippers.

Assuming Kawhi and PG stay, I agree that the Clips look good going forward. But neither are exactly signed to long term deals. I think they'll stay, but I think it would be a mistake to assume they will.

Also, I don't think they can bring back all of their role players. So things are going to change for them. Having Kawhi and PG will help smooth that transition though.

For the Lakers, Lebron has to start that decline some time, doesn't he? lol

If they can re-sign AD (I think they will) then their future looks good too. He's only 26, is a guy that other guys want to play with and would have the LA market.

The fly in the ointment and part of why I think both teams would definitely want to try to finish this season no matter what is....the Warriors.

Next year, they will have Steph and Klay back. If Wiggins fits in well or they can move him and get someone even better, they are going to be more than a handful and could be the faves again.

 

[Robotech]

It'll be interesting going forward for both the Lakers and Clippers.

Assuming Kawhi and PG stay, I agree that the Clips look good going forward. But neither are exactly signed to long term deals. I think they'll stay, but I think it would be a mistake to assume they will.

Also, I don't think they can bring back all of their role players. So things are going to change for them. Having Kawhi and PG will help smooth that transition though.

For the Lakers, Lebron has to start that decline some time, doesn't he? lol

If they can re-sign AD (I think they will) then their future looks good too. He's only 26, is a guy that other guys want to play with and would have the LA market.

The fly in the ointment and part of why I think both teams would definitely want to try to finish this season no matter what is....the Warriors.

Next year, they will have Steph and Klay back. If Wiggins fits in well or they can move him and get someone even better, they are going to be more than a handful and could be the faves again.

I'm not optimistic on the Warriors being favorites again with this group. If that ever happens, it would be Wiggins as the prime driver. Steph and Klay are in their 30's, have won 3 titles already, and are coming back from injuries. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's natural for them to not play as hard as before. Warriors will have to hope that Wiggins really steps up his game, that they hit it big with this upcoming lottery pick, and that some other young guys provide contributions.

 

[msgkings322]

I'm not optimistic on the Warriors being favorites again with this group. If that ever happens, it would be Wiggins as the prime driver. Steph and Klay are in their 30's, have won 3 titles already, and are coming back from injuries. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's natural for them to not play as hard as before. Warriors will have to hope that Wiggins really steps up his game, that they hit it big with this upcoming lottery pick, and that some other young guys provide contributions.

That's not how it works.

 

[Robotech]

That's not how it works.

I hope I'm wrong. I do. But these guys are at least older now. If nothing else, they won't play as hard as before in the sense that they will likely play less minutes than they played before. Physically, they might not be able to give as much effort as they did before when they were younger. Fortunately, Steph and Klay's game is a lot about skill, so maybe we won't see much difference. However, I think it would be unrealistic to think that Klay can be the defender that he was before.

Finally, and maybe this is wrong, too, but I'm a big believer in the motivation factor in sports. Other star players who haven't won as many times as Steph and Klay should play hungrier.

 

[msgkings322]

I hope I'm wrong. I do. But these guys are at least older now. If nothing else, they won't play as hard as before in the sense that they will likely play less minutes than they played before. Physically, they might not be able to give as much effort as they did before when they were younger. Fortunately, Steph and Klay's game is a lot about skill, so maybe we won't see much difference. However, I think it would be unrealistic to think that Klay can be the defender that he was before.

Finally, and maybe this is wrong, too, but I'm a big believer in the motivation factor in sports. Other star players who haven't won as many times as Steph and Klay should play hungrier.

I mean, I guess. But these guys played hard even in year 5 of their run. The rest might actually help them as opposed to hurting them. Obviously, we'll see. They won't be like the KD team, which was one of the greatest teams in NBA history and obvious massive favorites. They will be like that first champion team, one of a few contenders and not the big favorites. So yeah they may not win another title but they are in the mix for sure.

 

[wildturkey]

Houston.

They went all in on "micro" but if they scrap the season, they'll have no idea if its really viable or not. Their sample size is too small to really get an idea to make an informed decision. They're going to have a tough decision to make to either keep going in that general direction in how they construct their roster and risk throwing away another season if it doesn't work or try to build some other way with different types of bigs than they've had previously.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Don't forget the Clippers

Id like too

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I'd put them as 2A and 2B.

Number 1 has to be the Clippers.

How many decades were they the joke of the league?

Now, for the first time in their history, they not only have a contending team, they are the favorites to win it all.

If this season gets canceled (I don't think it will), it just proves they're cursed.

I was hoping that curse would kick in and screw them in the playoffs

 

[raptorlife4]

Tony Snell

 

[tlance]

I'm not optimistic on the Warriors being favorites again with this group. If that ever happens, it would be Wiggins as the prime driver. Steph and Klay are in their 30's, have won 3 titles already, and are coming back from injuries. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's natural for them to not play as hard as before. Warriors will have to hope that Wiggins really steps up his game, that they hit it big with this upcoming lottery pick, and that some other young guys provide contributions.

Wiggins as they prime driver?

Steph is 30 and coming off a broken wrist. He is not an invalid.

Also, these guys are adding a high lottery pick and they get Klay back.

I have always said that they need all 3 of Curry, Klay and Dray to be great. I honestly expect them to be back on the short list of elite teams next season. IF a they can stay healthy.

 

[packerzrule]

Milwaukee. Possibly a world championship roster.

 

[WiggyRuss]

In search of the 2020 edition of the '94 Montreal Expos:

- LeBron James: Perhaps no one loses more with this pandemic than one LeBron James, likely the biggest media hog in the history of the sports industry. You just know that the fat cats at the NBA Corporate Office Headquarters are stewing over the idea of LeBron entering his age-36 season with still half as many rings as Michael Jordan, and that the league will continue to search for a creative excuse to play games in July as a result - One of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard in recent history, in that.

- Oklahoma City Thunder: This is a team that for about the last year has held the dubious distinction of being a "good" team albeit without a clear-cut direction or future. At last month's trade deadline, Sam Presti & Co. elected to stand pat for the purpose of seeing how far this group could advance this year. With a potential cancellation of the 2019-20 season, however, the outlook here is more murky now than ever. Perhaps a complete roster teardown of everyone except for SGA is now in the works? So yeah, it turns out that fans in OKC will have more to lose than the wasted gas money used to attend that cancelled game against Utah.

Anyone else one would like to add?

Easily LeBron is #1 by a MILE. He was having a great season. When you combine his age, and last years humiliation, its easily LeBron.

bucks as #2 because its just one less chance to prove to Giannis that he should stay.

anyone else is a DISTANT #3

 

[WiggyRuss]

I'd put them as 2A and 2B.

Number 1 has to be the Clippers.

How many decades were they the joke of the league?

Now, for the first time in their history, they not only have a contending team, they are the favorites to win it all.

If this season gets canceled (I don't think it will), it just proves they're cursed.

oh this season is done

i just hope they have a baseball season. If they can start a baseball season by Mid-June i think they will have it....starting a baseball season on July 1 seems a little late, but we shall seee

stick a big ole fork in this NBA season. Its done. the only SLIVER of a chance is if they play games with no fans in say mid-june-through july.


from what i have seen they think all of this stuff will not even peak until May, and then there will be a slow resolution, and then a time period to wait.

i dont think we are oging to see sports until mid-june at the earliest.

 

[tlance]

oh this season is done

i just hope they have a baseball season. If they can start a baseball season by Mid-June i think they will have it....starting a baseball season on July 1 seems a little late, but we shall seee

stick a big ole fork in this NBA season. Its done. the only SLIVER of a chance is if they play games with no fans in say mid-june-through july.


from what i have seen they think all of this stuff will not even peak until May, and then there will be a slow resolution, and then a time period to wait.

i dont think we are oging to see sports until mid-june at the earliest.

I fear you are correct, but I really hope you are wrong.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I feel like my SPURS were winners somehow

They get to keep the 30 year playoff streak alive

And they will get a high draft pick as well

I would rather see them go 0-82 though if it meant none of this horrible tragedy.

 

[bksballer89]

Its done. the only SLIVER of a chance is if they play games with no fans in say mid-june-through july.

They already said they'll do this which is why there's still a good chance the season isn't done imo

 

[OregonDucks]

Wonder how this season, if canceled, works for players contracts? Such as the Bucks, who may have precious time with Giannis.

But easy biggest losers here are Lakers/LeBron and the Bucks.

LeBron is only getting older, we saw last year that he can be injured and isn't immortal. This year he was actually healthy and the Lakers were on pace to be a real contender for the title. They are running out of LeBron years and I don't know how many years are left on AD's contract, but this is just a giant blow to them as a franchise given they probably only have a window of 3-4 years to win a title or two and a year could now be lost.

Bucks for the obvious reasons of Giannis' clock on his contract is running out and they were true title contenders this year.

The biggest winners if the NBA season starts up in July? Brooklyn Nets. Could Kyrie and Durant come back? Especially if the Nets get into the playoffs and they start in August? Imagine that.

 

[trojanfan12]

Wonder how this season, if canceled, works for players contracts? Such as the Bucks, who may have precious time with Giannis.

But easy biggest losers here are Lakers/LeBron and the Bucks.

LeBron is only getting older, we saw last year that he can be injured and isn't immortal. This year he was actually healthy and the Lakers were on pace to be a real contender for the title. They are running out of LeBron years and I don't know how many years are left on AD's contract, but this is just a giant blow to them as a franchise given they probably only have a window of 3-4 years to win a title or two and a year could now be lost.

Bucks for the obvious reasons of Giannis' clock on his contract is running out and they were true title contenders this year.

The biggest winners if the NBA season starts up in July? Brooklyn Nets. Could Kyrie and Durant come back? Especially if the Nets get into the playoffs and they start in August? Imagine that.

I'll be surprised if the season gets canceled. There seems to be a good deal of momentum to try and finish it.

In fact, some are saying it's actually a great opportunity for the NBA to get their scheduling set up better.

Right now, the season starts in October and ends up getting lost behind the NFL and College Football.

Folks are suggesting that if they set it up so that the finals end in August, they could start next season on Christmas Day and end in August.

They'd only be competing with baseball after February and the NBA season would end just as MLB is gearing up for the playoffs.

As for Kyrie and KD. Kyrie might be able to come back. It would be stupid for KD to even try.