NBA 2017-2018 thread

[Eric15]

If you had to put your life savings today on either the Cavs or "the field" making the Finals out of the East, who do you take?

 

[Alsacs]

If you had to put your life savings today on either the Cavs or "the field" making the Finals out of the East, who do you take?

This current Cavs roster won’t win the East.
They have lineup problems.
They can’t play D with IT and Love on the court together in crunch time.

If they don’t upgrade the roster I would take the field.

 

[MikeSU02]

If you had to put your life savings today on either the Cavs or "the field" making the Finals out of the East, who do you take?

Really tough to take the Cavs after the last few weeks.

The Spurs were playing without Kawhi, Pau, Manu and Rudy Gay. There was a play where Kyle Anderson went coast to coast without anyone stopping him.

I'd honestly be nervous with the Cavs against the Bucks, if they stabilized, in the first round.

 

[Knicks411]

Watching Cleveland/SA... I've never been a fan of IT's game. No idea why anyone would want a 5 foot tall volume shooter but wow, he looks rough out there.

Kevin Love needs to Kyrie his way out of there so he doesn't have to put up with getting called out by the two new bums, IT and Crowder.

It's early, and he's coming off a major injury, but the Cavs are like -18 per 100 when IT plays. That's real bad.

As an aside, remember his situation the next time someone in the media bashes players for not being loyal. Dude played through an injury in the playoffs last year, almost certainly made it worse, got traded the first chance Boston thought they could get a better player, and is now heading into free agency with his market value seemingly tanking.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

It's early, and he's coming off a major injury, but the Cavs are like -18 per 100 when IT plays. That's real bad.

As an aside, remember his situation the next time someone in the media bashes players for not being loyal. Dude played through an injury in the playoffs last year, almost certainly made it worse, got traded the first chance Boston thought they could get a better player, and is now heading into free agency with his market value seemingly tanking.

And, in the middle of all that, his sister died in a car crash. Loyalty, schmalaty.

 

[Alsacs]

It's early, and he's coming off a major injury, but the Cavs are like -18 per 100 when IT plays. That's real bad.

As an aside, remember his situation the next time someone in the media bashes players for not being loyal. Dude played through an injury in the playoffs last year, almost certainly made it worse, got traded the first chance Boston thought they could get a better player, and is now heading into free agency with his market value seemingly tanking.

IT wanted max money from Boston caused Ainge a lot of apprehension.
They also hid IT’s defense better because of the effort levels of the entire team.
Look at Kyrie’s defensive numbers being a lot better with the team around him.
Isaiah will get a nice contract but he was never a 25 million a year guy. He will get money from somebody.

Brad Stevens makes players better.
Kyrie fell into the Celtics lap if he wasn’t moved Isaiah would have been okay.
What I am seeing is Crowder and IT are used to playing every game hard because that is what Stevens strives for while LeBron plays the long game because he knows he will play into June and that is causing internal discord.

Wade, LeBron, Love went at IT last week and IT knew he couldn’t go after LeBron in the media as retaliation so he went after Kevin Love cause he isn’t the other 2.

Cavs problems are JR Smith and Thompson have been bad and Crowder and IT haven’t meshed.
Thus Kevin Love’s D can’t be protected.

 

[Knicks411]

I have no problem with what the Celtics did. They need to look out for their best interests.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

IT wanted max money from Boston caused Ainge a lot of apprehension.
They also hid IT’s defense better because of the effort levels of the entire team.
Look at Kyrie’s defensive numbers being a lot better with the team around him.
Isaiah will get a nice contract but he was never a 25 million a year guy. He will get money from somebody.

Brad Stevens makes players better.
Kyrie fell into the Celtics lap if he wasn’t moved Isaiah would have been okay.
What I am seeing is Crowder and IT are used to playing every game hard because that is what Stevens strives for while LeBron plays the long game because he knows he will play into June and that is causing internal discord.

Wade, LeBron, Love went at IT last week and IT knew he couldn’t go after LeBron in the media as retaliation so he went after Kevin Love cause he isn’t the other 2.

Cavs problems are JR Smith and Thompson have been bad and Crowder and IT haven’t meshed.
Thus Kevin Love’s D can’t be protected.

It's just always something with the Cavs.

I stay on brand - it's because LeBron is a crappy GM.

LeBron the player was able to erase LeBron the GM's sins when they got that one 'ship.

But he's a crappy GM.

 

[KaiserUEO]

It's just always something with the Cavs.

I stay on brand - it's because LeBron is a crappy GM.

LeBron the player was able to erase LeBron the GM's sins when they got that one 'ship.

But he's a crappy GM.

I thought he was coaching the team and only the Asst GM.

Didn’t realize he’d promoted himself.

Should’ve known...

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I thought he was coaching the team and only the Asst GM.

Didn’t realize he’d promoted himself.

Should’ve known...

That's exactly why talk of Bron going to play for pop are hysterical.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

That's exactly why talk of Bron going to play for pop are hysterical.

Oh, man. Match made in heaven.

 

[Knicks411]

It seems pretty clear to me that Lebron has great respect for Pop. Certainly, easier to say that when you aren't playing for him, but I don't think there'd be any problems with Pop and Lebron.

It's just always something with the Cavs.

I stay on brand - it's because LeBron is a crappy GM.

LeBron the player was able to erase LeBron the GM's sins when they got that one 'ship.

But he's a crappy GM.

I think the biggest knock you can make on the cavs the last few years is they haven't been able to really develop any young players, or really even give them a chance. Some of the bad contracts; look, when you're capped out and you have one of the greatest players in his prime on your roster and the choice is between overpaying a role player or doing nothing; sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

 

[Knicks411]

I'm so damn excited for the all star draft. Needs to be televised though

 

[Alsacs]

I'm so damn excited for the all star draft. Needs to be televised though

Does LeBron troll Steph and take Durant first?


My order would be
LeBron: Durant
Steph: Giannis
LeBron: Davis
Steph: Harden
LeBron: DeRozen
Steph: Embiid
LeBron :Kyrie
Steph: Boogie
LeBron doesn’t want Kyrie and if LeBron takes Durant then Steph should take Harden 2nd if LeBron doesn’t to force Kyrie on him.

 

[Knicks411]

Does LeBron troll Steph and take Durant first?


My order would be
LeBron: Durant
Steph: Giannis
LeBron: Davis
Steph: Harden
LeBron: DeRozen
Steph: Embiid
LeBron :Kyrie
Steph: Boogie
LeBron doesn’t want Kyrie and if LeBron takes Durant then Steph should take Harden 2nd if LeBron doesn’t to force Kyrie on him.

It wouldn;t even be a troll job, Durant is the best available, but including that, he has to take KD first. And he should take at least one of Klay/Dray. (Steph has the first pick of the reserves, so I assume he takes one of them first)

 

[kirbivore]

If LeBron leaves Cleveland, I love the idea of him hooking up with Pop. Team up with Pop, win a title or two, then ride off into the sunset together.

Don't know how that would work. Bron has gotten so used to being the coach and GM.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

It wouldn;t even be a troll job, Durant is the best available, but including that, he has to take KD first. And he should take at least one of Klay/Dray. (Steph has the first pick of the reserves, so I assume he takes one of them first)

Please, Dray all day. Would love to see him and LeBron together, even in a game that's for kicks and giggles.

 

[Knicks411]

I also just realized i used the phrase "best available" in regards to the nba all star draft.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It seems pretty clear to me that Lebron has great respect for Pop. Certainly, easier to say that when you aren't playing for him, but I don't think there'd be any problems with Pop and Lebron.



I think the biggest knock you can make on the cavs the last few years is they haven't been able to really develop any young players, or really even give them a chance. Some of the bad contracts; look, when you're capped out and you have one of the greatest players in his prime on your roster and the choice is between overpaying a role player or doing nothing; sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

Eh, nobody was giving the contracts they gave to Thompson and J.R. Smith.

 

[Knicks411]

Eh, nobody was giving the contracts they gave to Thompson and J.R. Smith.

I don't know how true that is; the free agent market was out of control for a few summers. Joakim Noah got $72 million! Ian Mahimi got 4/60. Mozgov 4/64. Evan Turner 4/70. I'll stop now, but in t hat context, 4/57 for Jr smith seems crazy? (I also just double checked, the Jr contract isn't even really 4/57, it's more like 3/41 with $3.8 million in the 4th year guaranteed. So, makes my point a little more)

 

[Knicks411]

further reading

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/07/nba-free-agency-contracts-craziest-evan-turner-mozgov-list

 

[Alsacs]

The East reserves suck.
They should select the 24 best.

Steph does get to pick first for reserves.

 

[Alsacs]

Bill Simmons is saying Jason Kidd is maneuvering behind the scenes to get the Phoenix Suns job.

 

[Trueblue25]

Lol IT told Ainge to bring the Brinks Truck, Ainge told IT see ya

 

[Knicks411]

Bill Simmons is saying Jason Kidd is maneuvering behind the scenes to get the Phoenix Suns job.

I would believe anything that happens after the phrase "Jason Kidd is maneuvering behind the scenes"