Around the NBA: 2022 Offseason

I don’t really think Ayton’s reached his full potential at just 22 years old. I’d say he’s played just as good basketball as Nurkic at their peaks of play and Nurk has what 6 years older?

I’m also curious to see how Ayton would play without Chris Paul who the ability to make players around him look a lot better than they normally would in other situations.

 

Ayton > Nurkic, and Nurkic is a good center when healthy.

Not far, far better … but, yes, significantly better.
In the high-priced landscape of Durant, Mitchell, et.al., I hope Portland can slip in for a less expensive player prior to the season. Players like Jarred Vanderbilt (PF) … other players of size … not that the Blazers need guys who are 6’8 and above … especially > 6’8”

I hope that Mitchell goes to the Knicks and that KD and Kyrie remain with BRK at least until January 15. While that opens up possibilities for other teams, too, the Blazers can take another swing for re-working the line-up and will have seen what works for better and worse. With Toronto and Masai Ujiri cornering the market on forwards, there’s opportunity up North.

 

Wow, Vegas thinks we’ll only win 41 games this year.

 

9th in the west.

bleh.

 

If we end up back in the lottery, we have to trade Dame..... or Ant.

To me, if we're not in the top 8, that means the Dame/Ant experiment didn't work.

 

Could be a good year to bet on the Blazers.

 

i didn't even notice that!

 

Where's a good place to do so?

 

Isn't this more a prediction/reaction to bets than trying to predict actual wins/losses (though they could be similar in the end)?

By the way, the Blazers were 3-point underdogs yesterday even though they had already beaten the Knicks.
Was that what "Vegas was thinking" or or a reaction to stupid Knicks fans betting on their team?

 

I don't know. Let me know if you find out!

I know we're seen this 41-game line before in the past (I won't call it a prediction) and the Blazers easily exceeded it.

 

I think a lot of gamblers believe it is harder to beat a team twice in a tournament than it is to sweep them. (Unless one team is clearly better.)

 

The Blazers turned out to be clearly better.

 

Vegas overrating PHX IMO
Think they will drop off a bit this season

I think that’s easy money on the over for us

 

Why is Chicago at 41.5 ? That seems wrong. Is someone still injured or not coming back?

 

their best ones were during LeBron’s first stint there. I never understood why they went away from those. They’ve looked more and more like summer league jerseys since.

 

Why do you say PHX is overrated? They won 64 games last year. They return all 8 of their top players (by minutes played). Saric should also be ready to return to action. If he can be healthy & effective - he can add a dangerous dynamic to that team.
IMO the over for PHX (+52.5) is easy money.

 

Rest of the league wasn’t 100% and they prospered more than any other team from it.