OT: 2019-20 NBA Discussions
 

Since the 18-19 season is in the books (congrats, Raptors and fans) and that thread is currently sitting at an unwieldy 80+ pages, I'm starting a new thread to talk upcoming draft, free agency, trades, season outlooks, whatever going forward.

Have at it.

A thought about longevity as it pertains to AD (who has been injury prone). Most of the longest tenured players (who maintained productivity late into their careers) were "grounded". Duncan, Nowitzki, Nash, etc. James is an outlier. I think the Lakers are making a big gamble. On that note, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Zion has a very unusual frame for the NBA...

Apparently over 1 million people downtown Toronto for parade today...watching some of it on TV...crazy!!


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What does this term mean to you?

Played largely below the rim.

Ah, for sure. Repeatedly jumping 36" in the air and slamming 220-250 lbs back onto the hardwood can't be awesome for your joints.

LeBron is a cyborg, physically. Last year was the first year he was really injured for any significant period despite big playoff minutes. Start of the inevitable decline, or just a blip? I do think he has the ability to play the "grounded" game for several more years - he is probably the smartest player in the league.

With Kawhi's success this year, "Load Management" is going to be the big thing next year. As pertains to the Lakers, I'm curious to see how much they can actually rest Davis and LeBron and where that leaves them in terms of playoff seeding, and whether it matters. Davis gets injured a bunch too.

I think the template for James is Malone, who came into the league 25 pounds lighter than when he was in the Finals. He adapted his game around strength and smarts rather than explosiveness.

The templates for Zion are very thin. LJ and Kemp, perhaps. Both of whom had short primes. I think he'd better slim down.

Kevin Garnett would always try to block a practice shot that someone took after a timeout, or stoppage.
I remember hearing someone saying with regard to Garnett, how badly he would really love to have all those jumps back.

I gotta admit purely for sophomoric reasons, that this is the most entertaining sports story of the past week.

I mean, I freakin' hate the Lakers, but would still love to see them grab a ring next year just to get Levar to eat crow. I can't be the first person to observe that the Ball family are the Kardashians of basketball. Feel bad for the Pelicans.

Actual Lavar: "My time in the spotlight is up and I can't stand it."


I don't like the dude either, but I can't get with you on the Lakers winning next year just to spite him. I believe in process and rational decision making, and the Lakers turning their last 3 months of actively horrible management into AD and a title would be too much. I hope they crater and AD declines his option in 2020.

Someone 6’ 10” or taller should really spend some quality time bringing the Sky Hook shot back.

The Warriors are toast for 2019 - 2020 season
 

They have to resign Durant ( if does sign elsewhere) Thomas and Green
Durant and Thomas out till end of the season
and they had no scoring from bench
That leaves Curry has lone consistent scorer left. And other teams can play the big D on him So
On to 2020 - 2021 season

For the first time in probably 6 years, the West is wide open. What a perfect time for the Rockets to implode.

I guess Harden really did blow up CP's kitchen? And maybe the insurance claim was denied?

Yeah, I was kinda joking about hoping they win. I mean, Levar is an idiot, but the Lakers are a huge organization of idiots.

This is beautiful. CP3 is also supposedly begging for a trade... guess to where.

Did anyone check on Marc Gasol yet? He was last seen chugging an entire bottle of wine, followed by a beer chaser and fighting with a tree on top of a bus.

Is he up yet? Maybe he needs an ibuprofen? Maybe an IV?

This is an exhausting July in the NBA... and it's only June 19!

Grit'n'grind officially over in Memphis as Conley gets traded to the Jazz. I love this trade for the Jazz - I think they are a top 3 seed next year.

Also, Houston has ID'd their target for a 3rd max player to add to their lame-duck, conflict avoiding head coach, passive-aggressive ball-dominant MVP candidate and notoriously cranky, aging-not-so gracefully point guard: famous chemistry-improver Jimmy Butler!

As part of his contract with Houston, Butler is demanding a starring role in the insurance commercials. He's already pissing Harden off.

This yielded quite the morning coffee snort, thanks Jaybee! Sending to my brother in H'town.

I'm still not a Jimmy Butler fan, at all. Laker fans are screaming for him and I'm like "Why?"

I was never a huge fan of the Lakers imploding the entire roster for a player who can barely last a full season, in the current NBA with resting players.

gonna be an interesting season for sure.

I guess the thinking is that they need a 3rd top tier player to really have a shot at a title? I'm no Butler fan either, but for all the jokes I made at his expense after the Philly trade, there wasn't much in the way of chemistry issues there and he was definitely their second best player in the playoffs. I see a basketball fit there, but I think the Lakers would be way better off turning their remaining 30ish M (depending on when the trade finalizes) looking for a couple 15M guys instead of one max guy. That might at least give them 5 guys who belong on the court in a playoff game, depending on your opinion of Kuzma. They are gonna have g-league players from the 8th guy on down.

You are correct that their roster will be so top heavy that they won't be able to afford to rest AD and Bron too much, even against the Phoenix and Memphis type teams.

any thoughts on where Kawhi will land next season? hoping back to the raps for back to back.

How/why did Bol Bol fall so far in the draft?

From the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/s...s-results.html

(2nd paragraph is the relevant section)

LOL lakers. They are really pushing the boundaries of “team who gets the best player wins the trade”.

Meanwhile, David Griffin in NO is building your 2023 NBA champions.

He’s enormously talented, but sooo skinny. And I don’t think he has a frame to add muscle, just like his dad.

I hope I’m wrong, but I bet he is out of the league in 4 years.

I read people are also questioning his desire to play.... which I read put on muscle.

I hate this narrative. The dude is just genetically skinny. He could do 13000 calories a day and hit the gym 3x, and he would still be skinny.

It’s not a character flaw

Sure. But let’s be real 3/4 of the draft class are irrelevant after 4 years. He fell pretty far in the draft and I’m surprised no one took the risk sooner

Same. He was productive in college, when he played. Denver did well.

Lance wasnt that fast. Character isnt the issue.

Right, I think we are in agreement here, and I’m not pushing back on you, but on the general sports talk narrative.


I dislike the idea that Bol will be called lazy because he will struggle to put on muscle.

LOL Knicks.

Don’t understand signing Horford to 4 years on a team with Ben, Tobias and JoJo.

Good riddance 35.
Your ring count stops at two.

I wonder what Charles Oakley thinks of the situation...

Is this the general sentiment among GSW fans?

I don’t get this either. Maybe they thought they could get Brogdon too? Does the money even work there?

Who are their best 5? I have real concerns about their offense without Redick’s gravity.

No, but I’m glad KD left so we can retain Klay draymond and Steph for the future but Iguodala being traded is a huge what the ......

I don’t get this move. Get a reserve all star and move Klay to SF???

Or is he a stop gap for Klay and Dlo gets traded. We got rid of one of the only defense guys on the team and a mastermind of the game. Just wow

Probably not since him staying means super team for future years if he rehabs well.

Yes my team winning is great but personally just tired of the circus he had become