It's showtime -- let the (NBA) games begin!

[Knicks411]

I think it's fair to say that a young guy (like Giannis) may be playing at the level of a top 6 or 7 player or whatever but you need to see it for longer before you put him in the true elite. Kinda like a baseball playing having a hot first half; need more evidence to know for sure it's real. (I don't have much doubt the guy is going to one of the best of the best, just saying)

 

[Alsacs]

I was looking at NBA draft boards and it insane how young these drafts are becoming.
Outside of Grayson Allen Jr. and Jared Blossomgate-Sr.
All the top 25 prospects are Fr. or Soph. with a few international kids.

The NBA has a lot of talent but man they aren't getting much young talent from the draft ready to help the bad teams.
I really wish more kids would stay in college and come into the league ready to play. However I don't blame them for wanting to get paid to develop.

 

[Alsacs]

I currently have:

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Harden
4. Westbrook
5. Steph
6. CP3
7. Giannis
8. Kawhi
9. Unibrow
10. Cousins

I don't think a majority NBA GMs would take the Greak Freak over Anthony Davis.
Davis would be on the short list for first player after Lebron/Curry.

 

[Knicks411]

I don't think a majority NBA GMs would take the Greak Freak over Anthony Davis.
Davis would be on the short list for first player after Lebron/Curry.

You'd need to be really scared of Davis getting hurt again I think to take Freak before him.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I currently have:

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Harden
4. Westbrook
5. Steph
6. CP3
7. Giannis
8. Kawhi
9. Unibrow
10. Cousins

I still would take Steph over anyone named Lebron. That guy is a winner and changes the game.

I was listening to Tom Haberstroh and the main reason for the drop in production this year is he has the ball the 35th most in the NBA. That's crazy. He's sacrificed more than Klay and Draymond for Durant.

Davis also needs to be at least 6th on that list. The team around him is awful. That's not his fault.

 

[Melancer46]

I don't think a majority NBA GMs would take the Greak Freak over Anthony Davis.
Davis would be on the short list for first player after Lebron/Curry.

I think the injury history with Davis is enough to make up for any gap there might be between the two players. IMO, Giannis is a better defender than Davis, is probably as good or slightly worse in terms of scoring ability, and unlike Davis, doesn't have to rely on others to get him the ball.

In terms of the numbers (categories where the player is better in red):

Davis:
27.5 PER
56.9% TS%
16.6% Rebound %
11.5% Assist %
1.9% STL%
5.8% BLK%
0.19 WS/48
1.5 OBPM
2.9 DBPM
109 ORtg
99 DRtg

Giannis:
28.8 PER
61.5% TS%
14.4% Rebound %
28.6% Assist %
2.7% STL%
4.8% BLK%
0.263 WS/48
6.0 OBPM
4.4 DBPM
120 ORtg
101 DRtg

I get the argument that Davis' team is worse, but it's not as if the Bucks squad is anything special right now either. They have Giannis, Jabari (whose on/off splits suggest he's a marginal player at best right now), and then nothing that New Orleans doesn't have. And despite the lack of talent around Giannis right now, he has the team playing, based on the metrics, as one of the top 10 teams in the NBA while the Pelicans are in the bottom 10.

In the very least, there's no logical argument to suggest Giannis isn't at least close to Davis right now, and his clean bill of health compared to Unibrow's injury history should be enough to make up any perceived difference IMO.

 

[OrangeDW]

Cavs get Korver without giving up anything. How do they always get somebody that can help them without giving up anything? Golden State's bench is still trash. I think this makes Cleveland the favorites.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Cavs get Korver without giving up anything. How do they always get somebody that can help them without giving up anything? Golden State's bench is still trash. I think this makes Cleveland the favorites.

David Griffin, bigger dealmaker that Trump.

The Cavs will have to give up "something," not sure who/what that may be yet. They do have a $9.6 mill trade exception. And Mo Williams and Birdman's contracts. They'd gladly toss in Dunleavy, I'm sure.

They still need a backup point guard, but in David Griffin I trust.

 

[Knicks411]

Dunleavy and a first. The first isn't nothing. But they need to maximize their team now.

 

[Alsacs]

David Griffin, bigger dealmaker that Trump.

The Cavs will have to give up "something," not sure who/what that may be yet. They do have a $9.6 mill trade exception. And Mo Williams and Birdman's contracts. They'd gladly toss in Dunleavy, I'm sure.

They still need a backup point guard, but in David Griffin I trust.

Cleveland has Rajon Rondo post buyout written all over it. With all the shooting Cleveland has he is a good fit for the 2nd unit.

 

[OrangeDW]

Dunleavy and a first. The first isn't nothing. But they need to maximize their team now.

Right...so it's nothing to them. And Dunleavy is washed up.

Not quite as bad as when they needed better rim protection, perimeter D, and shooting and got Mosgov, Shumpert, and Smith for Dion and a pack of franks. But it's close.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Cleveland has Rajon Rondo post buyout written all over it. With all the shooting Cleveland has he is a good fit for the 2nd unit.

Griffin supposedly working on a deal for pg, I'm torn on Rondo. He'd fill a need, but, man, what a handful. LeBron was high on Napier, maybe they'll go after him.

 

[Knicks411]

Griffin supposedly working on a deal for pg, I'm torn on Rondo. He'd fill a need, but, man, what a handful. LeBron was high on Napier, maybe they'll go after him.

I think Rondo would be a terrible fit for them. He can't shoot and he needs the ball in his hands.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

I think Rondo would be a terrible fit for them. He can't shoot and he needs the ball in his hands.

I'd prefer to see the Cavs pass on Rondo, no doubt. Headache and, as you say, can't shoot. Chalmers is a possibility, but while he's a better shooter than Rondo (a lot of guards are), he's been out since injuring his Achilles last year and, when I watched him with LeBron, never seemed to come up big when they needed him.

 

[Knicks411]

I'd prefer to see the Cavs pass on Rondo, no doubt. Headache and, as you say, can't shoot. Chalmers is a possibility, but while he's a better shooter than Rondo (a lot of guards are), he's been out since injuring his Achilles last year and, when I watched him with LeBron, never seemed to come up big when they needed him.

Lebron needs someone to yell at when things go wrong though. Chalmers was that guy in Miami.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Lebron needs someone to yell at when things go wrong though. Chalmers was that guy in Miami.

Funny, I was gonna mention that aspect of LeBron and Chalmers' relationship in Miami. Mario probably had it coming.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Funny, I was gonna mention that aspect of LeBron and Chalmers' relationship in Miami. Mario probably had it coming.

Kevin Love would probably welcome the acquisition of Mario Chalmers.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

 

[Briancuse]

Well it must be bball season, the knicks suck once again.

 

[OrangeDW]

Well it must be bball season, the knicks suck once again.

It's a 2 man team and KP has been out. Melo missed a game during this skid too, and got tossed from another.

They certainly do suck without one of them available. I think they'll right the ship with KP back, but ultimately this is a .500 team give or take, talent-wise.

 

[Briancuse]

It's a 2 man team and KP has been out. Melo missed a game during this skid too, and got tossed from another.

They certainly do suck without one of them available. I think they'll right the ship with KP back, but ultimately this is a .500 team give or take, talent-wise.

They are the worst defensive team I have ever seen, I was expecting them to be barely above 500, but they should not be losing at home to the Magic and Bucks.

 

[OrangeDW]

They are the worst defensive team I have ever seen, I was expecting them to be barely above 500, but they should not be losing at home to the Magic and Bucks.

Any team that starts Lance Thomas and Sasha Vucejic when someone else is hurt...no loss they have surprises me. Those guys are barely NBA players. They need Melo and KP out there, 100%, and playing at peak level to have a chance. Rose has been decent, much better than last year in Chicago. Noah can bring it about once a week at this point. Courtney Lee is the epitome of an average, mediocre NBA two guard for better or worse. Jennings is a solid backup PG. That's all they got! They should be thrilled if they make the playoffs.

 

[OrangeDW]

Melo makes the go ahead 3, and the Knicks pull it out down the stretch with KP and Noah fouled out. Melo with 26 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. Played 39 minutes and the whole 4th quarter. They knew they had to have this one.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Put Noah on the bench and play Hernangomez and O'Quinn. Baker and Kuzminskis need to play as well. No upside to throwing Noah, Lee and Thomas out there.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Kevin Love would probably welcome the acquisition of Mario Chalmers.

Durant and his teammates might welcome Mario, too.