Around the NBA - July 2017 Edition

Minnesota defense >>>> Portland defense

 

Every player wants 1. money, 2. fame and 3. rings, and probably in that order if you got an honest answer from them. Kyrie probably feels he's maxed out on money. He's won a ring. But in a lot of ways he hasn't ticked box number 2 nearly as much as he feels he could. Not everybody is happy being Scottie Pippen. I don't blame him, really.

I really wish LeBron would just take a series of one year contracts on various championship-caliber teams. This year Portland, next year Boston, the year after that Houston. Just announce he was the ultimate NBA hired gun. He'd make just as much money, and he'd have his jersey retired everywhere. It'd be awesome every year speculating how his current team matches up against Golden State. GS would be a yardstick for his greatness.

Eh, I can dream.

 

The Timberwolves were one of the worst defensive team in the league, significantly worse than the Blazers. The Blazers were 21st in defensive rating, the Timberwolves were 26th. The Wolves were about as close to the last-place Lakers as they were to the Blazers. Getting Butler is a defensive upgrade, but Teague is a defensive downgrade from Rubio. They might be a bit better, but they'd need to improve quite a bit just to catch the Blazers, let alone be >>>>. And the Blazers will likely have Nurkic for a lot more than 20 games, even if he doesn't play a full season.

 

That's an interesting idea, but I actually don't think teams would be that interested in the scheme. Most teams (including all three that you named) would have to drastically rearrange their teams to fit in a James max (for some teams, it might not even be possible). If it meant a guaranteed title, maybe it's worth dumping a bunch of players and picks (to grease deals for unattractive contracts) for one year of James, but Golden State ensures that it's not a guarantee, it's just a chance. And then if you don't win, James leaves, all you're left with is a husk of the team you were building previously.

 

KAT has more talent than Steph Curry - I wouldn't trade steph for KAT.

At some point you need players that have certain characteristics and make winning plays. Hell, Rasheed Wallace was arguably the most talented player in the league at one point - but was not a winner.

Simply put, big dudes are reliant upon others around them where guards are not; thus, they have more control when it comes to elevating the level of play around them, as they have the ball in their hands more.

If they offered KAT for Dame straight up I'd laugh them off the phone. Much less Dame + Nurk, lmao

 

That's not bunk. That's the corrupt councilman.

 

This is an example of a well written, insightful, informative article.

This isn't. Typical FanSided content farm pablum. Please don't link articles from the FanSided click bait network. I have yet to read one that contains any real content.

BNM

 

This is fallacy. Dude is cold and you don't have one metric to prove it.

 

woof

 

Lebron has accomplished about everything he could accomplish in hoops except winning in the west....anybody else think he'd rather face the Warriors in the Western Conf finals than the Finals? Lebron has gushed about Dame and CJ .....let's start the buzz now....Dame, CJ, Lebron, Nurk......dynasty right there....

 

Blazers ranked #9 and #10 in this podcast:
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/246999/RealGM-Radio-Western-Conference-Tiers-With-Adi-Joseph

 

That would be awesome to watch! I'm surprised no one has tried that. If you have a family it'd suck but if you were a bachelor why not!

 

Would do more for his legacy than losing to GS every year as a Cav

 

Right now? How?

Wiggins and Teague are worse defenders than Lillard and McCollum. They were just as bad as is defensively last year and downgraded from Rubio to Teague, while upgrading from Lavine to Butler. That's an even wash, they didn't improve defensively.

 

Rose to the Cavs

 

yeah and of course they got him for nothing. Rich get richer. Yes it's not mvp rose but the dude can still play, they got him cheap.

 

He's missed more games (262) than he's played (230) in the last 6 years. Last year was his best since his injury, but he's never developed a 3-point shot, which makes him a bit of a dinosaur in today's NBA. Early in his career, he relied on his athleticism to get to the rim to compensate for the lack of an outside shot. He'd be a great back up PG at $2 million a year at this point in his career, but of he is CLE's starting PG this season they are going to struggle to get back to the finals and if they do, they will be slaughtered by the Warriors.

Of course, they will get something of value for Kyrie, but it won't be equal value. He's made sure of that.

BNM

 

Not sure why they can't get equal value or close to it for Kyrie. He's locked in for 3 years guaranteed. He has no outs. What is he going to do, sit out games?

 

I mean...


Great around the rim, shitty shooting but still. Wont fill Kyries spot well if they end up trading him before the season but that's pretty cheap for a guy like that. Other pg's are gonna get more who aren't as good