2018 Off-Season Thread

[23]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Lonzo needs to focus and forget about the rap music stuff for awhile.

Just work hard this summer and get stronger and put up alot of shots...... develop great professional habits and be a bigger threat next season.

My man is gonna have to grow up faster in LA and all of the playing around and stuff is secondary.

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[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

According to Woj:

Cousins "very likely" to return to Pelicans, maybe a 2 year deal.

CP3 on schedule to return to Houston long term.

https://youtu.be/wznOCHQfUTE

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[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

I guess the wizards are gonna play without a center next season. Bold move, Ernie.

[cima]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Mavs are the front-runner for DeAndre

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23948902/deandre-jordan-opts-la-clippers-deal-becomes-free-agent

Mavs may quietly become a Playoff team next year. FA can change a lot of things but the WC looks like it's gonna be ultra competitive again next year and we're gonna get more talks about 1-16 seeding. At this point I don't really see any team that made the playoffs dropping out other than SA given the Kawhi situation and then maybe Portland cause they're always a weird wildcard, like who saw them being #3 last year?

[Junior Moe]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

It may be old, but I just read a story about the Cavs declining a Paul George trade last season because LeBron wouldn't commit to the team. Ok. But then why trade a young asset they had control over like Kyrie with LeBrons uncertainty. Even if Kyrie threatened to sit out with surgery, you still have control over him. A lot can change in 2 years. Why not bring in George and try to swoon him like OKC (from reports they have as good a chance as anyone else of keeping him) did.

As it stands the Cavs got got by the Celtics in the trade and could end up with nothing more than Collins Sexton and some bad contracts to show for it. It just seems like bad management.

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[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

It may be old, but I just read a story about the Cavs declining a Paul George trade last season because LeBron wouldn't commit to the team. Ok. But then why trade a young asset they had control over like Kyrie with LeBrons uncertainty. Even if Kyrie threatened to sit out with surgery, you still have control over him. A lot can change in 2 years. Why not bring in George and try to swoon him like OKC (from reports they have as good a chance as anyone else of keeping him) did.

As it stands the Cavs got got by the Celtics in the trade and could end up with nothing more than Collins Sexton and some bad contracts to show for it. It just seems like bad management.

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Thay seemed to be Griffins mentality. From his own words, that proposed trade was at the point where him and PG were on the phone together....looks like it got nixed from the top before he was let go....

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[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Mavs are the front-runner for DeAndre

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23948902/deandre-jordan-opts-la-clippers-deal-becomes-free-agent

Mavs may quietly become a Playoff team next year. FA can change a lot of things but the WC looks like it's gonna be ultra competitive again next year and we're gonna get more talks about 1-16 seeding. At this point I don't really see any team that made the playoffs dropping out other than SA given the Kawhi situation and then maybe Portland cause they're always a weird wildcard, like who saw them being #3 last year?

Not too many people thought Portland would be a 3, but they were still thought very highly as a playoff team in that 5-6 range because they always start off slow but then from Jan-April, they’re one of the best teams record wise in the league.

As much as I want to see the Spurs miss the playoffs, I wouldn’t rule them out at this point because they still have elite level coaching, which was a big factor in them getting to the playoffs this year despite their best player missing 80% of the season.

[RedSceptile]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

According to Woj:

Cousins "very likely" to return to Pelicans, maybe a 2 year deal.

CP3 on schedule to return to Houston long term.

https://youtu.be/wznOCHQfUTE

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Ah yes I can't wait to pay a 33 injury prone small Point Guard with bad knees the max for 5 years and panic when his body becomes even worse by year 2 of the contract. Existence is pain.

[cima]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Not too many people thought Portland would be a 3, but they were still thought very highly as a playoff team in that 5-6 range because they always start off slow but then from Jan-April, they’re one of the best teams record wise in the league.

As much as I want to see the Spurs miss the playoffs, I wouldn’t rule them out at this point because they still have elite level coaching, which was a big factor in them getting to the playoffs this year despite their best player missing 80% of the season.

Well Denver barely missed last year, so they're a threat. I'd be surprised even if OKC loses PG to LA that they would miss out but then again maybe they would be a likely candidate with just Westbrook and $ Melo. Lakers will be a lock if LeBron comes.

So maybe it will be another 9-10 team race this year again with a slight chance of 11 since Dallas doesn't seem to want to rebuild slowly. Either way, should be a fun race out west. And I wouldn't mind SA finally missing for once.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Yeah, not sure how anyone can think the Spurs are suddenly missing the playoffs next year because of Kawhi potentially not being there after they just made the playoffs and missed being a 4th or 5th seed by like a single game without Kawhi for damn near the entire year. Especially when you consider that if he's gone by the time next year rolls around, they likely got at least 2 pieces that that they identified as good for their system and Pop and will likely be very good.

[23]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

Yeah, not sure how anyone can think the Spurs are suddenly missing the playoffs next year because of Kawhi potentially not being there after they just made the playoffs and missed being a 4th or 5th seed by like a single game without Kawhi for damn near the entire year. Especially when you consider that if he's gone by the time next year rolls around, they likely got at least 2 pieces that that they identified as good for their system and Pop and will likely be very good.

I don't think missing the playoffs is the right phrase.

Ironically, theyve been called done for how long now and they've been competitive throughout?..... but that's the thing

Tony Parker and Manu are on the verge or retirement AARP and all of that, and that leaves you Lamarcus Aldridge and some young cats.

Their 20 year playoff run isn't necessarily in danger but the years of being a top contender likely is.



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[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

That top contender run isn’t in danger because that run already ended.

[JazzMan]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

I see people are enamored with Julius Randle again...

Played well in a contract year? Check.

Unclear position in today's league? Check.

Poor shooter? Check.

Poor defender? Check.

Why would someone give him $16M a year? He just doesn't fit with most teams. To be a big man in today's NBA IMO you need to be able to space the floor, protect the rim, or guard multiple positions - he does none of those things.

For that money you might as well find wherever Reggie Evans is at, give him a mill, and call it a day.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

I see people are enamored with Julius Randle again...

Played well in a contract year? Check.

Unclear position in today's league? Check.

Poor shooter? Check.

Poor defender? Check.

Why would someone give him $16M a year? He just doesn't fit with most teams. To be a big man in today's NBA IMO you need to be able to space the floor, protect the rim, or guard multiple positions - he does none of those things.

For that money you might as well find wherever Reggie Evans is at, give him a mill, and call it a day.

I think it really depends on the contract and the pieces around him. I've been way down on him since before he was even drafted, his offensive game isn't polished at all and he's often too out of control to make a focal point of your team. That said, I thought he was pretty great this year in that 6th man role because of how hard he comes in and plays, the energy he plays, and you get a guy who's a modern small ball 5 who can run the floor on the break just as well as your guards and wing men do. As the pace keeps climbing and lineups keep shrinking that's a valuable asset to have.

How much of that is due to his contract year is a fair question, because most games I watched he was working harder than any other player on the floor for either team. So that's a big question mark since you kinda expected that effort to be there day one and it wasn't. He closed out the season going basically 20 and 10 every night, had games were he was up around 30 and 15 as well, he could very well be chasing that money.

It's easy to say just "find Reggie Evans", but he's never going to get you 20 and 10 consistently like that. Looking at someone like Tristan Thompson who at times can barely even catch a pass without bobbling it, and Randle who has one of the best face and go games in the league and finishes well at the rim, even if it is all left handed. He has no jumper, but I do think defensively he can come along.

[23]

Re: 2018 Off-Season Thread

That top contender run isn’t in danger because that run already ended.

But once Kawhi went down there wasn't a question.

Before that they were a 60 win team with room to grow.

Without him they definitely aren't among the elite teams no matter how well Pop coaches, they'll just be over achieving.

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