2018 Off-Season Thread

[King_B_Mack]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Yeah, but that’s pretty much every player in the league now. Nobody really plays 82 games anymore. Even LeBron takes his “maintenance” games every year.


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[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Most of the Star players aren’t really playing all 82, yes, but they’re also not missing around 10+ games just because either. I’d say 72-75 is the new 82 for those guys.

Anyway, according to Woj and Shams and ProBasketballTalk, he’ll be gone by the start of the season,

Jimmy Butler met with Tom Thibodeau Tuesday and asked for a trade, specifically to the Clippers/Nets/Knicks. Thibodeau wanted no part of that, and he along with GM Scott Layden have shot down any other team that called, and not in a “we’re not doing that.. but what would you offer?” way, but in an “I’m hanging up now” way. Part of that may be smart negotiation tactics, but the more significant factors are that right now offers the trade offers are lowball, plus Thibodeau realizes his job on the line and this team is not as good without Butler.

So owner Glen Taylor has stepped in and laid down the law — he told Thibodeau and Layden to get on with a trade, ideally done by next Tuesday before the first day of training camp, according to multiple reports. From Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

Against the displeasure of Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau, owner Glen Taylor has mandated that a deal needs to be negotiated to trade disgruntled All-Star forward Jimmy Butler in the next several days, league sources told ESPN….

Thibodeau has been willing to coach the Timberwolves through the dysfunction that has surrounded his star players, but Taylor has sided with Butler and agreed that the four-time All-Star should be away from the Wolves for the foreseeable future, sources said.

So far, few franchises, if any, are engaged in serious conversations with the Timberwolves on Butler, sources said. The list of organizations interested in talking further with Minnesota is significant, league sources said: Brooklyn, Detroit, Houston, the LA Clippers, Miami and Philadelphia are among the teams interested in probing for deals.

The problem is those initial offers will be lowball ones, in part because there are real concerns about Butler’s durability, while he is just 29 he has a lot of Thibodeau miles on him. The Timberwolves can put the offers they get in front of and his agent, see which teams he would consider re-signing with as a free agent next summer, then using that to get a better deal out of them. But to get all that done by Tuesday seems rushed and like it would lead to even a worse deal.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Per Shams, the Knicks will waive and stretch Joakim Noah.

[SPTO]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

The mystery man himself Kawhai Leonard will finally speak to the Toronto media tomorrow.

[Majingir]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

The mystery man himself Kawhai Leonard will finally speak to the Toronto media tomorrow.

Kawhis first words to the media probably ends up like:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i5p5T25sFvE?start=20" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Majingir]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

So apparently Kawhi can smile and laugh, and it's terrifying.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1044234975787274240

[3304Life]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Yeah imma need you to keep that laugh indoors chief.

Why does this dude turn up to every media day with a sleeve?

[Majingir]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

lol, even Marcus Stroman chiming in on his laugh

https://twitter.com/MStrooo6/status/1044257777625882625

[Vni]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

LBJ says he wants to play up&down bball and doesn't want to be doing it all anymore. Promising.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

LBJ says he wants to play up&down bball and doesn't want to be doing it all anymore. Promising.

He's said that for the past couple years now, I think that is what intrigued him much about Zo and what he misses about Wade in Miami. We'll see how it plays out. Kyrie's iso heavy, lack of play-making, made it very difficult for the Cavs to do much that didn't involve LeBron. He also has been since rumored to basically ignore Lue's notion of picking up the tempo because it didn't allow him to flourish as much as it did LeBron and the shooters.

We'll see. I think the pass first mindset of Zo and Rondo will help that aspect of LeBron, and he was phenomenal filling lanes when Wade wanted to push, but Rondo does have a tendency to over dribble in some of those situations rather than advance the ball with his passes. It'll be interesting to see how that works. But Zo seems fine with zipping the ball up the court without the use of the dribble. He actually seems like one of the better full court passers in the league, part of why he gets those Jason Kidd comps.

[d11king]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

He's said that for the past couple years now, I think that is what intrigued him much about Zo and what he misses about Wade in Miami. We'll see how it plays out. Kyrie's iso heavy, lack of play-making, made it very difficult for the Cavs to do much that didn't involve LeBron. He also has been since rumored to basically ignore Lue's notion of picking up the tempo because it didn't allow him to flourish as much as it did LeBron and the shooters.

We'll see. I think the pass first mindset of Zo and Rondo will help that aspect of LeBron, and he was phenomenal filling lanes when Wade wanted to push, but Rondo does have a tendency to over dribble in some of those situations rather than advance the ball with his passes. It'll be interesting to see how that works. But Zo seems fine with zipping the ball up the court without the use of the dribble. He actually seems like one of the better full court passers in the league, part of why he gets those Jason Kidd comps.

I don’t think people realize how much the ball isn’t in Lonzo’s hand. The Lakers move the ball around a lot, and are usually in some kind of pick and roll action (which ZO isn’t really able to do currently with the lack of a mid-range jumper, and finishing at the rim.. ) when in halfcourt.

The Lakers have ball-handlers ALL OVER the floor, and guys who can take it all the way to the bucket in space/transition, Josh Hart being added to that list after this summer. In order to play up and down though, they’ll need to lock down on defense which I expect them to do since last year everyone was either 12 or 5’5.

[3304Life]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread



Man I hope Klay keeps that beard it’s been annoying as hell looking at him drop 10 threes a game with that stupid little sub teacher goatee

[King_B_Mack]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

So now, according to Marc Stein, Jimmy Butler has told Minnesota Timberwolves ownership that his preferred trade destination is the Miami Heat.

[georgiafan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

So now, according to Marc Stein, Jimmy Butler has told Minnesota Timberwolves ownership that his preferred trade destination is the Miami Heat.

It would be tough for Miami to land Butler as the only 1st they can offer is this year and have so many outgoing draft picks. They also have some pretty bad contracts

[Majingir]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

So now, according to Marc Stein, Jimmy Butler has told Minnesota Timberwolves ownership that his preferred trade destination is the Miami Heat.

lol, sure, this was during the Big 3 era in Miami, but still funny.