NBA 2018-2019

[Horn88]

I actually like Zo over either of those guys.

I think Zo has a much higher ceiling than most of the guys in this draft. He just isn't going to get his shot with the Lakers as long as Bron is there.

Just my 0.02.

I agree with Cusefan0307 about JJ, wouldn't touch him.

I think between people hating Lavar and then rooting for Lakers/LeBron disfunction Lonzo has become rather underrated. He's great defensively and in the open floor and is still really young so can keep developing as a playmaker or spot up shooter. He'd be a really good piece to pair with Book and Ayton too and would help them play to their strengths more as well.

Suns must be giving up their 6th pick in this I'd think. So does NO try to rebuild with picks 1, 4 and 6 or do they try to package 4 and 6 to move up to number 2 for Ja and see if Memphis wants to pick at 4 & 6?

 

[OrangeDW]

I get Phoenix needs a PG but there will a good player available at 6.

I would take Culver, Hunter, or Garland at 6. Ball is Rajon Rondo without the defense until he develops a jumpshot.

Thing is, Ball is actually a pretty promising defender though.

So maybe he’s Rajon Rondo but not as nutty(dad and brothers got all the nutty genes apparently).

 

[Melancer46]

Not sure then what Phoenix could send New Orleans.
Ayton and Booker are untouchable.
The Suns aren’t giving up the 5th pick for Lonzo Ball or their GM should be fired.

I would take Garland or White over Ball.

I don't have any other details unfortunately but I wouldn't be too shocked if it was the #6 pick for Lonzo + some minor piece.

Doubt he'd be involved in this trade, but I personally like TJ Warren from Phoenix as sort of a buy-low candidate for a team that probably isn't going to attract free agents ala New Orleans or for a team that doesn't have the cap space to sign guys. Warren is locked in for like 3 years and he's averaged a decently efficient 20+ points per 36 minutes the past couple years and pretty dramatically improved his 3 point shooting this season both in terms of efficiency as well as volume.

 

[OrangeDW]

I don't have any other details unfortunately but I wouldn't be too shocked if it was the #6 pick for Lonzo + some minor piece.

Doubt he'd be involved in this trade, but I personally like TJ Warren from Phoenix as sort of a buy-low candidate for a team that probably isn't going to attract free agents ala New Orleans or for a team that doesn't have the cap space to sign guys. Warren is locked in for like 3 years and he's averaged a decently efficient 20+ points per 36 minutes the past couple years and pretty dramatically improved his 3 point shooting this season both in terms of efficiency as well as volume.

Warren is one of those guys who I am very familiar with from fantasy basketball, but have probably never actually watched him play because as bad as the Suns have been and as late as they play home games, I can’t say I’ve tuned into any of their games in probably almost a decade.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Warren is one of those guys who I am very familiar with from fantasy basketball, but have probably never actually watched him play because as bad as the Suns have been and as late as they play home games, I can’t say I’ve tuned into any of their games in probably almost a decade.

You're making the right moves here.

 

[Alsacs]

 

[Cusefan0307]

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I know it's Twitter, but "has underwent?" Clean it up, Shams. Geez.

 

[Alsacs]

Boston is just giving New Orleans some leverage so the Lakers can’t get AD cheap.
Lonzo/Ingram/Kuzma 4th pick probably the package.

 

[chugg21]

If Ball gets dealt to Chicago for #7. Is it worth the Pels dealing AD for Ingram, Kuzma, 4 and 7? As the resident Pels fan, I think I'd take it. 3 top 7 picks with 2 good young players is a nice haul. Ingram though presents his own problems if you trade for him. What the hell do you pay him after the season?

Guess I was pretty close here but 1 pick higher.

 

[chugg21]

Boston is just giving New Orleans some leverage so the Lakers can’t get AD cheap.
Lonzo/Ingram/Kuzma 4th pick probably the package.

Doubt it's just leverage. Danny doesn't like to sit around and pretty sure he's aware if Kyrie walks out the door and he just sits on the roster then their ceiling is not championship level.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I know it's Twitter, but "has underwent?" Clean it up, Shams. Geez.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

View attachment 165639

Ha, good one OiG!

 

[Alsacs]

If the Pelicans get a second lottery pick in this package for AD I could those picks traded to New York and Barrett and Zion end up in New Orleans together.

 

[IthacaMatt]

its funny. I’m reading pissed off tweets from insufferable Knicks fans blaming the Warriors for rushing Durant back. How do we know it was then that rushed him back? The media played a big part in this IMO.

Durant is a grown man. He wanted a ring and he saw the chance slipping away. It was his chance to "save" the Warriors, repair his relationship with his teammates to an extent, and show the front office that he was deserving of a mega-deal. It was terrible luck, and yes there was a lot of outside pressure, but at the end of the day, it was his decision.

 

[IthacaMatt]

We have no idea what his original injury was. The idea it was just a strained calf was spin IMO.
The Warriors being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals rushed him back:
The guy wasn’t obviously not close to 100% when he started that game last night.
The guy is a pending FA and the Warriors owe offering him the max. He may decline it but since all it will cost the Warriors owners is luxury tax dollars.
Look at Boogie Cousins who tore his Achilles his explosiveness on the court has not been close to the same this year.
If Durant has a torn Achilles he won’t be close to what he has been till the 2020-2021 season.

Muscular injuries that are described as "strains" and "sprains" are usually actually muscle tears; small or large. That's what I've learned watching soccer for the last 10 years. An MRI on a muscle injury is usually to assess how much of a tear there is in the muscle fiber.

So, I think the injury was severe enough that nobody should have balked at him shutting it down for the rest of the playoffs, but of course sports shows are just as bad as cable news, and then social media amplifies these buffoons to the point that players feel compelled to play against their better interest, just because of social pressure.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Sources: Durant flies to New York to undergo MRI

The Warriors believe an MRI will confirm that the injury Kevin Durant suffered Monday night is an Achilles tear, league sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski.

www.espn.com

Do they not have MRI machines in the Bay Area?

It's not the machine, it's the skill of the doctor interpreting the image, and the skill of the surgeon who is going to do the surgery.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I get what you are saying, but the issue is that when you are discussing one of the 15 best players of all time, 100s of millions of salary and billions in team valuation... it has repercussions.

There is no way the NBAPA isn't involved in this now and the issue with load management and when star players play (especially for those prime time games that the Spurs got so much pressure to play stars when they were doing load management before anyone else) is going to be an issue.

At these levels of investment and financial repercussions, someone's head will be on the chopping block, for better or worse.

Independent doctors appointed by the league is one step. I already saw that mentioned in an article. And yes,the Players Association ought to negotiate to shorten the season by about a month.

 

[HOFCeluck]

It's not the machine, it's the skill of the doctor interpreting the image, and the skill of the surgeon who is going to do the surgery.

I’m sure that’s it but it’s funny because I doubt the radiologists and orthopedic surgeons in Oakland or San Francisco are that much better than the ones in New York. Not that it’s a particularly difficult diagnosis to make, or surgery to perform for that matter.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I’m sure that’s it but it’s funny because I doubt the radiologists and orthopedic surgeons in Oakland or San Francisco are that much better than the ones in New York. Not that it’s a particularly difficult diagnosis to make, or surgery to perform for that matter.

Hell, I've performed one.

 

[Alsacs]

82 games is too many.
Just reduce the season to 66 games and find a way to make up the revenue.

 

[OrangeDW]

82 games is too many.
Just reduce the season to 66 games and find a way to make up the revenue.

Yeah, when the league started and they played 66-72 games(seemed to change every season), the furthest west they had to travel was Minneapolis. That’s not nearly as demanding.

82 games with the amount of travel they have now is tough. From a fan standpoint, there’s probably a solid 20-25 game stretch where my interest fades a bit.

And no offense to our Canadian fans, but I’m going to guess that none of the players were missing that trip to Vancouver once the Grizzlies moved to Memphis.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

82 games is too many.
Just reduce the season to 66 games and find a way to make up the revenue.

OiG's radical solution...

Expand rosters to 17.

Keep 82 game season.

Cap each player at 72 regular season appearances.

 

[Alsacs]

Yeah, when the league started and they played 66-72 games(seemed to change every season), the furthest west they had to travel was Minneapolis. That’s not nearly as demanding.

82 games with the amount of travel they have now is tough. From a fan standpoint, there’s probably a solid 20-25 game stretch where my interest fades a bit.

And no offense to our Canadian fans, but I’m going to guess that none of the players were missing that trip to Vancouver once the Grizzlies moved to Memphis.

I will say this about Vancouver it is super close to the US boarder. Like 10-15 miles. It’s not far from Seattle at all but again the Seattle trip is gone as well.

The Vancouver/Portland/Seattle are all pretty close to each other but yeah you are right.

Play the other conference home/home that 30 games then your division rivals 4 times 16 games, then the other ten teams in your conference 3 times 30 games.

That is 76 games. I am sure that is the starting point to reduce games. I would go down to the 62-66 range at the end.

 

[IthacaMatt]

OiG's radical solution...

Expand rosters to 17.

Keep 82 game season.

Cap each player at 72 regular season appearances.

That's creative.
They have to pay more players. Nobody is getting that SuperMax money because it ruins a franchise's ability to compete. Maybe you pay the top players a bit less in order to fund those extra roster spots. People like John Wall or Kemba Walker DO NOT deserve $170M contracts.
This next collective bargaining agreement is going to be much different, I think.