I don't think you give them enough credit. Teams that wrack up more than 60 wins and have a 10+ points differential didn't get their ring with luck.
Not saying luck and they do get credit from me, but I am saying if all the west teams had as good of team health as GS did going into the playoffs. I'm not positive they come out on the championship end.
Id love to get Skal Labissiere at the 5 or Ben Simmons at the 4. Not just because they're great players, but because both would allow you to trade other young bigs for a borderline star. We get Labissiere and we could trade Davis, Plumlee and a 1st rounder for someone like Derozen, or in a sign and trade where we offer Harrison Barnes for the Warriors to let him go. Golden State could use a big like Plumlee to go with Ezeli so they don't have to pay Plumlee, and Davis to backup Green. This might actually open up cap space for them to get a star SF (maybe even Durant) Imagine Vonleh/Labissiere as your front court combo. Within 3 or 4 years that could be the best frontcourt in the league, and youd also have Meyers coming off the bench, with Aminu playing backup 3 and 4 behind the wing acquired. If we got lucky and got Simmons I think it allows you to trade Vonleh, Davis, and a future pick for someone maybe a little more valueable than Derozen or Barnes. Simmons and Leonard would be a versatile and deadly combo at the 4 and 5, and Simmons would allow us to play small ball offensively without giving up anything on defense. I like Labissiere and Vonleh though. Vonleh has a chance to be as good as LMA was, but Labissiere has Anthony Davis upside as an offensive and defensive stud. Both can shoot 3s, both can run the court and handle the ball. It'd be like playing with 5 perimeter players offensively with 2 bigs that are actually 6'10 (7'4 wingspan) and 7'0 (7'2 wingspan). They have the perimeter quickness to gaurd SFs in case teams try to go small, while each has the ability to make tears pay inside. It'd be the perfect counter to the new NBA "trend". You get Barnes and another young high potential wing through free agency or the 2017 draft and youre golden (maybe Ben McLemore or Terrence Ross? High upside guys that have yet to prove themselves.. good shooters and amazing athletes). You'd still have tons of cap space to build a dominant bench, too. Throughout this post I just realized we need to tank HARD. Lillard (36) / Augustin (12) Ross (25) / McCollum (26) Barnes (34) / Aminu (17) Vonleh (32) / Speights? Labissiere (34) / Leonard (24) You've added a bunch of shooters whIle staying athletic and young. And it could happen in 2 years...
I believe any draft or trade scenario (or series of such) has merit and I can see the possibilities. The moment a big name free agent enters the picture it kills any chance of happening. It is literally like saying the Easter Bunny will play for the Blazers.
it just depends on the situation. If we somehow traded for DeMarcus Cousins, I think we could get anyone outside of Lebron. Of course no one wanted to come here this year... all the signs were LMA was leaving
I think we sign a max level free agent next summer; Dame CJ Batam Aminu Meyers 6th man: Vonleh Vonleh can come in for a big or for CJ if we want a huge lineup. We barely make the playoffs but the Hornets fall short so Nic comes back as him and Dame discussed in France a couple weeks ago. We need a SG and some more backups; maybe Pat, Plumlee or some other players on our roster do that. Projecting two or more years from now is about impossible; half the allstars from now will be shells of their old selves and half the new Allstate are nobodies now. We don't have one player who was playing here over three years ago.
WRONG! You can get a free agent if you have a core and cap space that reaches the second round of the playoffs. Example... If our team as it currently stands makes the playoffs, our chances are much greater to land a free agent. We lost out because our marquee player and core that won the 54 games was not there. The Free Agents saw it as very uncertain, which is why Monroe went to an already existing playoff team in Milwaukee.
I would really love just a single change. If we could somehow get McLemore while keeping Dame, CJ, Leonard, Vonleh, Plume and Aminu, we would have one helluva starting 5 and 2 very decent back-ups. Dame, McLemore, Aminu, Leonard or Vonleh, Plumlee starting core. Leonard or Vonleh, CJ and fill in the gaps for the rest is a dame good foundation to work on.
If we use our potential stars in CJ, Vonleh and Leonard in a trade for a true All star, we are right back where we were before with a great starting unit, and no bench. That doesn't win either, so I agree. I want to see the guys not fitting in used with cap space to get a trade for a disgruntled DMC or something.
like I've said before... send Kaman and Crabbe to LAC, they send Crawford to SAC, they send us McLemore. Or something like that
If Sacremento or the Clippers want extra filler we take on Haywood and have Cleveland send picks or a player out to whoever LAC Get: Chris Kaman, Allen Crabbe, POR future 2nd SAC Get: Jamal Crawford, Rakeem Christmas, CLE future 2nd POR Get: Ben McLemore, Brendan Haywood CLE Get: Rights to Daniel Diez We don't need Kaman, so it'd practically be turning Crabbe into McLemore, and its feasible from all sides. It'd be a total Neil Olshey trade.
Perhaps the Clippers want Henderson to replace Crawford, in which case we'll need to wait another 5 weeks before that can happen.
