2014 Off-Season Thread

[JJJones135]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

What do you guys feel like the timberwolves best option is?

I mean if the rumors about Kevin Love wanting to ONLY resign in Cleveland are set in stone true. Then I think it's blasphemy that Cleveland would even try and trade for him when they know they could get him next summer for nothing. I think even with The love trade in the first year. they still wouldn't win the championship. I think they would definitely come out of the east tho. But they would be overpowered by an OKC or Spurs squad.

But then I heard a rumor on here about him saying he's not sure if he's resigning with any team. Then do the timberwolves even have an option?

I thought from the start if the wolves woulda pulled the trigger on a warriors trade and get Barnes and Klay and lee woulda been the best solution for Minnesota. That would honestly be a decent team to watch.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Overpowered by OKC? Nahhhh.. I'd be much more worried about LAC, GS, Mem, Dal, than I would OKC.

I have no idea why the Minny/GS trade didn't happen though. The Warriors have plenty of depth at the SG/SF spot, especially after adding Livingston and the fact that they would have probably taken Martin in as a trade piece, he could give them pretty much everything Klay did.

Curry, Martin, Iggy, Love, Bogut is better than Curry, Klay, Iggy, Lee, Bogut.. Better while also allowing them to basically use the same game plan because of how well Martin and Love would fit.

[cavsfan2]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Poor wiggy haha

https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/s...18420371292161

No matter happens I feel bad for Wiggins. Kid is gonna have a mountain of pressure on him, even moreso than a normal number 1 pick. IMO the best outcome for him is if the Cavs trade for Lov without giving him up

[DJ_Solis]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Overpowered by OKC? Nahhhh.. I'd be much more worried about LAC, GS, Mem, Dal, than I would OKC.

I have no idea why the Minny/GS trade didn't happen though. The Warriors have plenty of depth at the SG/SF spot, especially after adding Livingston and the fact that they would have probably taken Martin in as a trade piece, he could give them pretty much everything Klay did.

Curry, Martin, Iggy, Love, Bogut is better than Curry, Klay, Iggy, Lee, Bogut.. Better while also allowing them to basically use the same game plan because of how well Martin and Love would fit.

You really think a Curry/Martin backcourt would be successful? Who would be guarding anyone back there? You can't just look at numbers and say they won't be losing anything from switching Klay with Martin. Come on, man.

[OkayC]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Overpowered by OKC? Nahhhh.. I'd be much more worried about LAC, GS, Mem, Dal, than I would OKC.

I have no idea why the Minny/GS trade didn't happen though. The Warriors have plenty of depth at the SG/SF spot, especially after adding Livingston and the fact that they would have probably taken Martin in as a trade piece, he could give them pretty much everything Klay did.

Curry, Martin, Iggy, Love, Bogut is better than Curry, Klay, Iggy, Lee, Bogut.. Better while also allowing them to basically use the same game plan because of how well Martin and Love would fit.

Okc can overpower them, mainly cuz the cavs would be to incompetent defensively to slow down a durant and westbrook combo. You might think that with love lebron and irving the same would hold true for okc. But okc has proven that they have the ability to defend at a high level when it counts, im not sure how good of a defensive team cleveland would be(somewhere between 10 and 12 i presume). So i agree with the notion that okc is a team that could overpower them, unless cleveland proves to be a top 5 defensive team.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Defense doesn't worry me all that much. You'll have those nights when both Durant and Westbrook both catch fire, but that doesn't happen every night. They don't get enough people involved offensively once the playoffs start, and I don't believe you can win a championship playing 2 on 5.

[ojandpizza]

2014 Off-Season Thread

You really think a Curry/Martin backcourt would be successful? Who would be guarding anyone back there? You can't just look at numbers and say they won't be losing anything from switching Klay with Martin. Come on, man.

Basically I don't think Martin is all that bad defensively, or Klay all that great. Yes Klay is a very solid defender, but you would think from reading some people's posts that he's the DPOY. He's not, he's not even close, he'll likely never get consideration for the award nor make an All-Defensive team..

He's by no means a bad defender, that's not what I'm trying to say, I think he's a good defender.. But he alone isn't going to elevate a defense to some whole new level. I think Livingston is actually a better defender than him, and I think Martin has more strengths offensively.. He doesn't give the lights out shooting but he gets himself to the line well and can shoot a very high percentage from outside.

Basically, even if Martin were a small regression, offensively and defensively, I think Love creates a much larger gap for how much better he is than Lee. And neither of them a great defenders so that cancels out, IMO.

Livingston, Iggy, Green can all provide the defense Klay does if for some reason Martin did prove to be a liability, which I don't think he is.

[OkayC]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Defense doesn't worry me all that much. You'll have those nights when both Durant and Westbrook both catch fire, but that doesn't happen every night. They don't get enough people involved offensively once the playoffs start, and I don't believe you can win a championship playing 2 on 5.

durant and westbrook don't catch fire lol, they play like that every night. And if cleveland can't show the ability to defend on an elite level, both those guys will be torching them for a whole series. The only thing holding okc back is will scott brooks adjust IF cleveland does something thats beating them. And speaking of 2on5 didn't kobe win 2 extra championships playing basically 1.5(he had to get pau involved a little) on 5 lol he had a better team around him sure, but still. If im cleveland okc is definitely a team that worries me. Maybe not on the same level as the spurs, or maybe the clipper(they gotta show me something outside the second round first) but okc is one of the teams on the top of clevelands list to worry about.

I see your point oj about the 2 on 5 thing, but imo defense wins championships, okc can play that. Idk how high of a level cleveland can, play it. If cleveland proves to be no further than no. 7 defensively, than i might agree with you, But if they can't...

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

LeBron hasn't spoke to Wiggins all summer? That's just strange. I'm assuming LeBron has been in contact with the other Cav players... writing's on the wall

[The 24th Letter]

2014 Off-Season Thread

LeBron hasn't spoke to Wiggins all summer? That's just strange. I'm assuming LeBron has been in contact with the other Cav players... writing's on the wall

I don't think the fact Bron hasn't spoken to him in itself is really an odd thing though...

[DJ_Solis]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

Basically I don't think Martin is all that bad defensively, or Klay all that great. Yes Klay is a very solid defender, but you would think from reading some people's posts that he's the DPOY. He's not, he's not even close, he'll likely never get consideration for the award nor make an All-Defensive team..

He's by no means a bad defender, that's not what I'm trying to say, I think he's a good defender.. But he alone isn't going to elevate a defense to some whole new level. I think Livingston is actually a better defender than him, and I think Martin has more strengths offensively.. He doesn't give the lights out shooting but he gets himself to the line well and can shoot a very high percentage from outside.

I'm not gonna disagree with you on your Love opinion, but this is where I'm getting lost man. I've seen you post on here multiple times about how many players aren't actually as bad defensively as others think. I've seen you say that Curry, Love, McDermott and others are actually decent defenders, but then Klay is just solid?
I'm not trying to say Klay is DPOY or any of that nonsense, but it kind of sounds like you're underselling him.
Also, I've watched plenty of Martin from his days in Sac and his defensive liabilities are real. Placing him next to Curry would be asking a whole lot of the often injured Andrew Bogut.

[Majingir]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

http://www.tsn.ca/VideoHub/?collection=72&show=410977


Interesting interview from Wiggins. Don't know if this was really talked about on other sites. He's never spoken to Lebron once(something I think would've happened had Cavs wanted Wiggins to stay). Doesn't seem like he cares about the whole NBAStore discontinued jersey stuff.

This has to be craziest offseason for a 1st overall pick before his 1st game.

[KSOR24]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

They could bring Martin off the bench and sign a guy like Ronnie Brewer to start.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

I'm not gonna disagree with you on your Love opinion, but this is where I'm getting lost man. I've seen you post on here multiple times about how many players aren't actually as bad defensively as others think. I've seen you say that Curry, Love, McDermott and others are actually decent defenders, but then Klay is just solid?
I'm not trying to say Klay is DPOY or any of that nonsense, but it kind of sounds like you're underselling him.
Also, I've watched plenty of Martin from his days in Sac and his defensive liabilities are real. Placing him next to Curry would be asking a whole lot of the often injured Andrew Bogut.

I use the term "decent" because I don't feel that guys who actually understand proper defense, understand help rotations, and give max effort defensively are "bad defenders" or play "no defense"...

Just using Love as an example, he doesn't have great length, he can't jump all that high, he isn't overly quick, therefor he isn't going to be blocking a lot of shots, he's not a shot blocking threat to alter lots of shots, he doesn't have the ridiculous wing span to cause problems in passing lanes or hedging on screens.. But he does play smart defense, gives effort on defense, he knows his rotation and when to help, he gets to his spot to contest shots without fouling, and 9/10 misses he probably snags the rebound.. I don't consider that a bad defender.. Bad defenders don't know what they are doing and don't care either. JR Smith is a bad defender, Amar'e outside of athleticism to block a few shots is a bad defender.. Harden (other than the rare moments he actually cares) is a bad defender.

I would never use the word "good" to describe someone like Love's defense, but I'm not labeling it bad either, because he's not one of those guys who's incompetent defensively or not giving the effort defensively.

But likewise I'm not going to act like Klay is a great defender or try and justify that he's a game changer at that end. He plays good defense but he's not at some elite level that other guys can't fill IMO. As long as Martin is giving effort, or even if they started Iggy and Green I think they would be fine at that end. Bogut being hurt or healthy is going to play a big factor regardless of who they are starting really.

[redsrule]

Re: 2014 Off-Season Thread

I completely forgot Livingston signed with Golden State. That was a very good, under the radar signing for them.