NBA 2018-2019

[Briancuse]

Lakers really don’t need a traditional PG. just make 3’s and play D.

LeBron is going to have to play defense again this year for the Lakers to be really good. I have my doubts.

You don't really need a pg LeBron is going to run the offense you need shooters.

 

[Cusefan0307]

You are burying the lede. IGGY!!!

Looks like Manu

 

[two3zone]

Off the top of my head, Giannis and Kawhi were both 15 picks! Steph Curry was a 7... Klay was like a 10...

The list is so long of even 2nd round picks at this point.

Of course its ideal to be top 3 but its insane to say picks are worthless. 2 guys you mentioned and lets not forget Draymond led the warriors to the best record in NBA history. Their highest pick i think was Livingston and that was before his injury and was by the Clippers at 4th.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The list is so long of even 2nd round picks at this point.

Of course its ideal to be top 3 but its insane to say picks are worthless. 2 guys you mentioned and lets not forget Draymond led the warriors to the best record in NBA history. Their highest pick i think was Livingston and that was before his injury and was by the Clippers at 4th.

Bogut at #1.

 

[two3zone]

Bogut at #1.

Forgot about him haha

 

[Cusefan0307]

Boston might have something there with Tacko Fall. I’m intrigued.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Boston might have something there with Tacko Fall. I’m intrigued.

He's got surprisingly soft touch around the basket.

Also his dunks are hilarious. I swear sometimes his feet hit the ground before he dunks it in.

 

[chugg21]

Offensively that's for sure gonna work out fine. I wouldn't love the idea of Lebron full time on the ball, but he's an unbelievable passer; you put shooting around him and Davis crashing on the pick and roll; that team is going to score for days. But the defense. I just don't know.

I'm real curious to see what happens with Russ; on that contract, I kinda think he may be negative value. He's been below 30% from 3 each of the last 2 years. And he takes a ton! Barely cracked 50% true shooting.

I think he has to negative value too but can see a team like Minnesota or Detroit talking themselves into giving up an asset or 2. Who loses a Russ for Wiggins deal? Had to go with loses since no one wins.

 

[Knicks411]

Boston might have something there with Tacko Fall. I’m intrigued.

Guy is destined to be, at the very least, a cult hero.

I think he has to negative value too but can see a team like Minnesota or Detroit talking themselves into giving up an asset or 2. Who loses a Russ for Wiggins deal? Had to go with loses since no one wins.

Yes I can totally see Detroit/Orlando/Charlotte/Minnesota talking themselves into it. Sounds like he'd prefer Miami. Who as far as I can tell has exactly zero assets to give?

 

[MikeSU02]

Boston might have something there with Tacko Fall. I’m intrigued.

As Draymond Green says, there are 82 game players and 16 game players. I think Tacko can work as an 82 game player here and there (like a better version of Boban), but there is no way you can play him in the playoffs.

 

[Cusefan0307]

More projections for next year. Sizers with 60 wins. Rockets first in the West. Lakers/Warriors/Clippers about right at 54.

NBA Free Agency Diary: How Good Are Kawhi’s Clippers?

Keep track of the chaotic NBA offseason.

fivethirtyeight.com

 

[IthacaMatt]

Honestly don't see any reason that Rondo should be starting or playing crunch time minutes. If you want defense, you have Bradley. If you want shooting, you have Bradley or Cook. Rondo's only real asset is his ability to run an offense and you don't need that with Lebron on the floor.

LeBron can't play 48 minutes. Hell, at his age, he shouldn't play more than about 35 minutes a game. I'm looking for them to manage his minutes much better this year. They had him playing huge minutes before he got hurt. In contrast, Kawhi only played 60 games last year as he recovered. Which worked out better?

 

[OrangeDW]

LeBron can't play 48 minutes. Hell, at his age, he shouldn't play more than about 35 minutes a game. I'm looking for them to manage his minutes much better this year. They had him playing huge minutes before he got hurt. In contrast, Kawhi only played 60 games last year as he recovered. Which worked out better?

I want LeBron’s minutes around 32-33 in the regular season. Ramp it up to whatever is necessary in the playoffs.

A healthy AD can carry a bigger regular season load.

Think the Cousins pickup has potentially huge upside. I can see why many wouldn’t want him - but he was putting up numbers even last year. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s putting up 20-10-4 by the second half of the season.

Kuzma should be 18-20 ppg if he gets the chance. He can handle heavy minutes.

We shouldnt have a problem scoring with LeBron on the bench or not playing.

I think whether this is a 1st/2nd round team or a title contender depends on what they can come up with defensively by April.

 

[creatorsgam]

Westbrook to Miami (possibly)?

Good. Don’t want the Knicks to do something stupid and bring him in.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Westbrook to Miami (possibly)?

Good. Don’t want the Knicks to do something stupid and bring him in.

I think Knicks fans that don't want Westbrook have it all wrong.

The Knicks with Dolan have a huge problem, because he's the shadow over everything. Dolan is in charge, and we see what that has produced. Say what you will about Westbrook, he's a big personality, big enough to run things.

Who's proven to be more successful running things in the NBA, Dolan or Westbrook?

 

[creatorsgam]

I think Knicks fans that don't want Westbrook have it all wrong.

The Knicks with Dolan have a huge problem, because he's the shadow over everything. Dolan is in charge, and we see what that has produced. Say what you will about Westbrook, he's a big personality, big enough to run things.

Who's proven to be more successful running things in the NBA, Dolan or Westbrook?

They aren’t suddenly relevant with him in the squad. Adding him will knock them out of a top-5 pick and they will still be a disaster. No thanks.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

They aren’t suddenly relevant with him in the squad. Adding him will knock them out of a top-5 pick and they will still be a disaster. No thanks.

I think he could take the Knicks to the playoffs.

 

[OrangeDW]

I think Knicks fans that don't want Westbrook have it all wrong.

The Knicks with Dolan have a huge problem, because he's the shadow over everything. Dolan is in charge, and we see what that has produced. Say what you will about Westbrook, he's a big personality, big enough to run things.

Who's proven to be more successful running things in the NBA, Dolan or Westbrook?

He’s 30, and I’m not sure how well his game will age going forward. He’s not that good of a shooter, and he needs the ball all the time. As the athleticism fades, I’m not sure how the tail end of his career will go. Can easily see a sudden Iverson like ending.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think Knicks fans that don't want Westbrook have it all wrong.

The Knicks with Dolan have a huge problem, because he's the shadow over everything. Dolan is in charge, and we see what that has produced. Say what you will about Westbrook, he's a big personality, big enough to run things.

Who's proven to be more successful running things in the NBA, Dolan or Westbrook?

Yeah, how did that kind of thinking work out for Melo?

Signing Westbrook, who is 30, to a 4 year $140M contract is the Knicks' kind of stupid.

Check that, trading off all their respectable pieces to get him would be the Knicks' special kind of stupid.

 

[creatorsgam]

I think he could take the Knicks to the playoffs.

Can he? I don’t know, but that would be more of an indictment on how awful the East is rather than how viable Westbrook would be to build the future of the franchise around.

Hard pass.

 

[jncuse]

He’s 30, and I’m not sure how well his game will age going forward. He’s not that good of a shooter, and he needs the ball all the time. As the athleticism fades, I’m not sure how the tail end of his career will go. Can easily see a sudden Iverson like ending.

Well it's better than putting the ball in RJ Barrett's hands.

 

[Trueblue25]

dion played fairly well in the playoffs with Westbrook.

 

[Horn88]

I want LeBron’s minutes around 32-33 in the regular season. Ramp it up to whatever is necessary in the playoffs.

A healthy AD can carry a bigger regular season load.

Think the Cousins pickup has potentially huge upside. I can see why many wouldn’t want him - but he was putting up numbers even last year. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s putting up 20-10-4 by the second half of the season.

Kuzma should be 18-20 ppg if he gets the chance. He can handle heavy minutes.

We shouldnt have a problem scoring with LeBron on the bench or not playing.

I think whether this is a 1st/2nd round team or a title contender depends on what they can come up with defensively by April.

Cousins is a great low risk high reward signing. People remember him being immobile coming off the quad injury in the Finals but he still averaged 16 and 8 last year in the regular season coming off an Achilles. And he scored 20+ points in 8 of the 30 regular season games he played in, including 20+ in 3 of the 4 regular season April games. Giving him a full offseason to get his body right could go a really long way for him. He ate Jokic up in their big April match up as well going for 28 and 13 to Jokic's 10 and 5.

I think Lakers did a really good job filling out their roster when you look at what the realistic options were for them. Obviously there are going to be question marks, there are for every team in the league. Plenty of high level shooters, good stable of bigs, guys that can cover in the backcourt and two elite superstars to take over down the stretch. They do need to add a wing defender with size though.

Also, if Clippers weakness is on the interior if Cousins comes around he and AD could bludgeon them around the rim in a 7 game series. Clippers don’t really have an answer for AD as is so a Cousins emergence could amplify that. Lakers need to add a guy find an answer to defend Kawhi and George though.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Cousins is a great low risk high reward signing. People remember him being immobile coming off the quad injury in the Finals but he still averaged 16 and 8 last year in the regular season coming off an Achilles. And he scored 20+ points in 8 of the 30 regular season games he played in, including 20+ in 3 of the 4 regular season April games. Giving him a full offseason to get his body right could go a really long way for him. He ate Jokic up in their big April match up as well going for 28 and 13 to Jokic's 10 and 5.

I think Lakers did a really good job filling out their roster when you look at what the realistic options were for them. Obviously there are going to be question marks, there are for every team in the league. Plenty of high level shooters, good stable of bigs, guys that can cover in the backcourt and two elite superstars to take over down the stretch. They do need to add a wing defender with size though.

Also, if Clippers weakness is on the interior if Cousins comes around he and AD could bludgeon them around the rim in a 7 game series. Clippers don’t really have an answer for AD as is so a Cousins emergence could amplify that. Lakers need to add a guy find an answer to defend Kawhi and George though.

Good analysis. I agree that the Clippers need another big.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, how did that kind of thinking work out for Melo?

Signing Westbrook, who is 30, to a 4 year $140M contract is the Knicks' kind of stupid.

Check that, trading off all their respectable pieces to get him would be the Knicks' special kind of stupid.

Melo's time in NY is the most successful the franchise has been in a long time. Fact.

Can he? I don’t know, but that would be more of an indictment on how awful the East is rather than how viable Westbrook would be to build the future of the franchise around.

I think it's a little of column a and a little of column b.

But that's the reality of the Eastern Conference.

I don't get why more teams in the East don't compete instead of being content to be terrible.

Franchises make money when they get Playoff games. Go get paid, franchises.