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

[Knicks411]

This is where Lebron the GM really irritates me.

They've tapped everything out. Lebron wanted his friends to get paid. Now, their resources are limited and nobody's all that motivated to help the Cavs get better in exchange for crap.

Resources are finite. Lebron doesn't believe in stars taking a cut. He wants his buddies to get coin. He wants ownership to spend above and beyond, which they have, but even then the salary cap limits things. Yet if he doesn't like his team he's gotta have moar.

It's weird, the comments seemed relatively out of nowhere, and pretty strong, and then I think his big issues were like they didn't sign a vet PG like Ray Felton and they had kept an open roster spot for a while. Which I think are pretty fair criticisms, but the whole thing was just odd.

 

[Alsacs]

I find it very hard to believe that a guy that will finish in the top 7 of MVP voting couldn't even get a max deal from a team like the Nets who desperately need a star and have no way of acquiring one. I certainly don't think Isaiah will be paid less than Otto like Chris Mannix believes.

IT will get more than Porter. I don't think teams will pay him 32 million per year. Boston would be the only team because they have his Bird rights. His next contract will be the worst since Joe Johnson's when he resigned with Atlanta in 2010.

 

[Knicks411]

IT will get more than Porter. I don't think teams will pay him 32 million per year. Boston would be the only team because they have his Bird rights. His next contract will be the worst since Joe Johnson's when he resigned with Atlanta in 2010.

Someone could offer him the max if they had the cap space, no? (thinking brooklyn or philly i guess?)

 

[Alsacs]

Someone could offer him the max if they had the cap space, no? (thinking brooklyn or philly i guess?)

Maybe I don't doubt IT will get paid I just don't think it's a lock he would get 30+ plus per year max.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It's weird, the comments seemed relatively out of nowhere, and pretty strong, and then I think his big issues were like they didn't sign a vet PG like Ray Felton and they had kept an open roster spot for a while. Which I think are pretty fair criticisms, but the whole thing was just odd.

See, what makes it even funnier is Ray Felton isn't the solution to anything.

 

[Knicks411]

See, what makes it even funnier is Ray Felton isn't the solution to anything.

trust me, i know.

 

[br801]

trust me, i know.

But he probably knows where all the shooting ranges are located.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I find it very hard to believe that a guy that will finish in the top 7 of MVP voting couldn't even get a max deal from a team like the Nets who desperately need a star and have no way of acquiring one. I certainly don't think Isaiah will be paid less than Otto like Chris Mannix believes.

Top 7? I think right now he's got to be right behind Harden and Westbrook (semantics I know).

 

[NineOneSeven]

The Phoenix Suns had Bledsoe, Dragic, and Thomas at one point.

That is ridiculous.

 

[Alsacs]

Top 7? I think right now he's got to be right behind Harden and Westbrook (semantics I know).

Isaiah Thomas should be 3rd in the MVP race now.
I would put Harden first and Westbrook second.
The real MVP is LeBron but like Jordan people don't want to vote for him every year.

 

[Melancer46]

Top 7? I think right now he's got to be right behind Harden and Westbrook (semantics I know).

NBA.com's MVP ladder currently has him 6th behind:
1. Harden
2. Westbrook
3. Durant
4. LeBron
5. Kawhi

And then they have Isaiah and Steph at 6 and 7.

My Vegas bookie has him at #5 right now in a tie with Durant for that 5th spot.

I'd personally vote:
1. Harden
2. Kawhi
3. LeBron
4. Durant
5. Westbrook
6. Isaiah

 

[Knicks411]

Top 7? I think right now he's got to be right behind Harden and Westbrook (semantics I know).

I think Lebron and Kawhi will finish ahead of him?

 

[Melancer46]

I think Lebron and Kawhi will finish ahead of him?

Yeah, I think his best case scenario at the moment is #5 and I'd guess #6 is most likely.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, Harden. He's not an MVP.

 

[Cusefan0307]

NBA.com's MVP ladder currently has him 6th behind:
1. Harden
2. Westbrook
3. Durant
4. LeBron
5. Kawhi

And then they have Isaiah and Steph at 6 and 7.

My Vegas bookie has him at #5 right now in a tie with Durant for that 5th spot.

I'd personally vote:
1. Harden
2. Kawhi
3. LeBron
4. Durant
5. Westbrook
6. Isaiah

Yeah. Westbrook is having an overrated season. He's not even in the top 10 in Win Shares. I'd put Isaiah ahead of Westbrook.

 

[Knicks411]

Isiah is a legitimately very poor defensive player. He's still having a great season, but when we're talking MVP, it's hard to be that bad defensively and win an MVP.

Yeah, Harden. He's not an MVP.

I know you don't like him, but he's having a hell of a season, and he even has the #narrative working for him with the Rockets outperforming expectations. I think he has a chance

I think Russ needs the Thunder to win some more games, or he needs to average the triple double. (Though it is worth noting that Oscar didn't win the MVP the year he averaged a triple double)

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Isiah is a legitimately very poor defensive player. He's still having a great season, but when we're talking MVP, it's hard to be that bad defensively and win an MVP.

I know you don't like him, but he's having a hell of a season, and he even has the #narrative working for him with the Rockets outperforming expectations. I think he has a chance

I think Russ needs the Thunder to win some more games, or he needs to average the triple double. (Though it is worth noting that Oscar didn't win the MVP the year he averaged a triple double)

I ding Harden for the same reason you ding Thomas.

Plus, part of the reason the Rockets are outperforming expectations is because they so massively underperformed against expectations last season. So I don't give him credit for that, because then you'd also have to ding him for the crappy team last year, so it's a wash anyway.

 

[samspann1]

Isiah is a legitimately very poor defensive player. He's still having a great season, but when we're talking MVP, it's hard to be that bad defensively and win an MVP.



I know you don't like him, but he's having a hell of a season, and he even has the #narrative working for him with the Rockets outperforming expectations. I think he has a chance

I think Russ needs the Thunder to win some more games, or he needs to average the triple double. (Though it is worth noting that Oscar didn't win the MVP the year he averaged a triple double)

Considering the bolded, that doesn't bode well for Harden, does it?

 

[Knicks411]

I ding Harden for the same reason you ding Thomas.

Plus, part of the reason the Rockets are outperforming expectations is because they so massively underperformed against expectations last season. So I don't give him credit for that, because then you'd also have to ding him for the crappy team last year, so it's a wash anyway.

That's a pretty good point I hadn't considered. Some of it is also D'Antoni and putting the ball in Harden's hands more than any other coach, but totally fair. That said, they're on pace to win 57 games. Can you look at that roster and really tell me that's a 57 win team?

I don't think Harden is as bad defensively as Thomas; ESPN real plus minus is just one method, but they have Thomas as the absolute worst PG in the league defensively, 88th out of 88, and by a mile too. Is he the worst? I don't know, but he's probably pretty bad. They have Harden 72nd out of 100 SG, so bad, but not nearly to the level of Thomas, they see Harden has about 3 points per 100 possessions better than Thomas defensively.

 

[Alsacs]

Thomas is awful defensively. He gets subbed out late game defensively.
He shouldn't win MVP. He could make a run for 2nd team all NBA.
Thomas is Iverson like offensively though his D is pathetic because of effort. He doesn't try hard on defense the Celtics are lucky they have 2 other good defensive guards in Bradley and smart who can guard.

The MVP should be LeBron or Kwahi if it went to the best player.
Harden's offense is annoying as he gets more superstar calls than probably the rest of the top 5 combined.

 

[Knicks411]

This is something I just realized; it's kind of off beat and doesn't mean anything, but whatever:

The Warriors could win 70 games this year (on pace for 69, they're gonna win high 60's for sure) without a first team all league player. Kawhi and Durant are gonna battle it out for a second forward spot

 

[Melancer46]

Considering the bolded, that doesn't bode well for Harden, does it?

Isaiah makes Harden look like Marcus Smart defensively

 

[Knicks411]

Isaiah makes Harden look like Marcus Smart defensively

If you look at the top defensive players at PG, it's amazing, Paul laps the field. he's 3 points per 100 better than second place (Pat Beverly). Last year Paul was still first, though not by as huge a margin, so I assume it's a little sample size issue.

Smart is 5th.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He's not going to win because he's on the Warriors, but Durant should be getting more love for MVP. He's averaging nearly 2 blocks and a career high in rebounds. He's having a better season than Lebron IMO.

 

[Melancer46]

He's not going to win because he's on the Warriors, but Durant should be getting more love for MVP. He's averaging nearly 2 blocks and a career high in rebounds. He's having a better season than Lebron IMO.

He won't win, but I think he'll be in the top 5 at least. I think Isaiah is the odd man out of the top 5 (along with, to a lesser degree, Curry).

By the end of the year, I think it'll come down to Harden, Kawhi, and LeBron, with Westbrook and Durant fighting over #4 and 5.