OT: NBA season has begun! [Potential Spoilers]

[Abelicoln]

Originally Posted by cadence90

Either way, leverage or not, Bledsoe is so out of there now.



PHX sent him home from today's shoot-around; he will not play tonight in the loss to the lowly Kings; and PHX is now actively shopping him. Some team is going to get a good deal.

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I bet the Cavs put something together. No way they make it all season without losing Rose and Wade.


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[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Abelicoln

I bet the Cavs put something together. No way they make it all season without losing Rose and Wade.


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Do the Cavs have anything PHX would want after the Kyrie trade? Not even sure they have a good expiring contract, though the basketball fit is nice. Bledsoe for a couple of 2nds seems like a steal. Don't think Cleveland can offer a first rounder due to Stepien rule. Maybe Bledsoe for Frye (local guy, good veteran locker room influence) and IT, knowing that IT will be shut down for the rest of the year? Salaries match, more or less.

[Abelicoln]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Do the Cavs have anything PHX would want after the Kyrie trade? Not even sure they have a good expiring contract, though the basketball fit is nice. Bledsoe for a couple of 2nds seems like a steal. Don't think Cleveland can offer a first rounder due to Stepien rule. Maybe Bledsoe for Frye (local guy, good veteran locker room influence) and IT, knowing that IT will be shut down for the rest of the year? Salaries match, more or less.

Good point. Not sure I’d give up IT even with the injury. I was thinking the first round pick but seems a lot to give up.


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[FlashUNC]

They have the Nets pick. But that's their insurance policy for when/if LeBron leaves for LA.

[Jaybee]

The Cavs are in "how do we beat the Warriors?" mode, so from that perspective, having another really good perimeter defender who is also an offensive threat helps. IT would get abused on the defensive end in a hypothetical (OK, 90% certain) GSW-Cleveland Finals. There's no where to hide, especially if you are already trying to keep Love out of bad matchups.

Rolling something like Bledsoe-ghost of DWade- JR- LeBron-Love out there might work. 4 of the 5 are perimeter threats, 4 of the 5 are (at least if they are trying, which you presume is the case in the Finals) above average on defense. Sub in Crowder or Thompson for Wade if you need a little more size/Defense, and you can maybe exploit the W's one average area, defensive rebounding.

If Cleveland traded a pick, I think it would have to be the 2018 Brooklyn first rounder, which is overpay for Bledsoe, IMO. I know you can't trade your own first rounder in consecutive years, not sure what Cleveland's status is on that. Not sure that the 27th or whatever pick moves the needle much anyway, especially compared to a likely top 5.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

The Cavs are in "how do we beat the Warriors?" mode, so from that perspective, having another really good perimeter defender who is also an offensive threat helps. IT would get abused on the defensive end in a hypothetical (OK, 90% certain) GSW-Cleveland Finals. There's no where to hide, especially if you are already trying to keep Love out of bad matchups.

Rolling something like Bledsoe-ghost of DWade- JR- LeBron-Love out there might work. 4 of the 5 are perimeter threats, 4 of the 5 are (at least if they are trying, which you presume is the case in the Finals) above average on defense. Sub in Crowder or Thompson for Wade if you need a little more size/Defense, and you can maybe exploit the W's one average area, defensive rebounding.

If Cleveland traded a pick, I think it would have to be the 2018 Brooklyn first rounder, which is overpay for Bledsoe, IMO. I know you can't trade your own first rounder in consecutive years, not sure what Cleveland's status is on that. Not sure that the 27th or whatever pick moves the needle much anyway, especially compared to a likely top 5.

Dubs showed last year Thompson is nigh-unplayable now with the revised Golden State Death Lineup. He's not good enough on the perimeter.

I really don't see how it moves the needle for Cleveland other than Thomas and Rose have the durability of a cheap kite in a thunderstorm. Suns want picks and young kids. Cavs have neither.

The Nuggets are a more interesting destination for him, and they've got the players and picks that it might work. And they're desperate to make the playoffs.

[sales guy]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Dubs showed last year Thompson is nigh-unplayable now with the revised Golden State Death Lineup. He's not good enough on the perimeter.

I really don't see how it moves the needle for Cleveland other than Thomas and Rose have the durability of a cheap kite in a thunderstorm. Suns want picks and young kids. Cavs have neither.

The Nuggets are a more interesting destination for him, and they've got the players and picks that it might work. And they're desperate to make the playoffs.

I disagree. He is turning into a defensive machine. AND he put up 60 in 29 minutes of play last year! Watching that was insane. My wife was pissed at me screaming in the house.

The Dubs have issues right now. But clearly the fouls/refs were against them the other night. To boot KD and Steph!?!?! That's super messed up.

But the Cavs with a big loss the other night spells more trouble for them than the Warriors who can turn it around like they did when KD was out for 20 games in 2016.

[Jaybee]

I agree - pretty much everyone is tilting at windmills against a healthy GSW. But there is a lot of luck and happenstance in any NBA season, and I can appreciate that some teams are going for it rather than putting plans on hold until the W's break up. There's no point in wasting a minute of LeBron or Kawhi or Westbrook or Harden's prime years when you could be right in it if Curry slips on a sweaty Serbian dude's floor puddle.


Odd, slightly off-topic but still on-topic (cuz Bledsoe)hypothetical: Could a team composed of the best Kentucky alums beat the Warriors, assuming a normal season to gel, etc? Starters are something like Wall-Bledsoe-Murray-Davis-Cousins. Bench is Towns-Young-Booker and I guess PatPat?

edit: here's a list, but it's a year old - doesn't include D'Aaron Fox. https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/c...58/in-the-pros

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by sales guy

I disagree. He is turning into a defensive machine. AND he put up 60 in 29 minutes of play last year! Watching that was insane. My wife was pissed at me screaming in the house.

The Dubs have issues right now. But clearly the fouls/refs were against them the other night. To boot KD and Steph!?!?! That's super messed up.

But the Cavs with a big loss the other night spells more trouble for them than the Warriors who can turn it around like they did when KD was out for 20 games in 2016.

Tristan Thompson. Not Klay.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I agree - pretty much everyone is tilting at windmills against a healthy GSW. But there is a lot of luck and happenstance in any NBA season, and I can appreciate that some teams are going for it rather than putting plans on hold until the W's break up. There's no point in wasting a minute of LeBron or Kawhi or Westbrook or Harden's prime years when you could be right in it if Curry slips on a sweaty Serbian dude's floor puddle.


Odd, slightly off-topic but still on-topic (cuz Bledsoe)hypothetical: Could a team composed of the best Kentucky alums beat the Warriors, assuming a normal season to gel, etc? Starters are something like Wall-Bledsoe-Murray-Davis-Cousins. Bench is Towns-Young-Booker and I guess PatPat?

edit: here's a list, but it's a year old - doesn't include D'Aaron Fox. https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/c...58/in-the-pros

Teams are doing what they have to, and especially in the West, having to remain competitive. I think you can only sell The Process to so many fanbases at once. Houston's got a new owner who wants to win. The Thunder have to go all-in on keeping Westbrook, cuz Lord knows they'll never sign a notable free agent there.

And you're right. Weird stuff happens. No one thought the Mavs would make the Finals, much less stand a chance against the Heat.

[cadence90]

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[boomforeal]

i was thinking the nuggets make sense as a team that could make a compelling offer for bledsoe. they've got lots of young players who are vying for playing time, most of whom are actually good prospects, one (mudiay) who would fit in with the rest of the suns young high-draft-picks-looking-like-busts crew. and having signed millsap, i'm guessing they'd like to start winning sooner rather than later. bledsoe would/should shore up their defence at the point of attack and be able to provide consistent shooting from the perimeter

[Jaybee]

Nuggets or Bucks would be the prohibitive favorites right now. The good news for PHX is that they don't care about winning, so they can sit him and wait until the right offer pops up between now and trade deadline.

I feel bad for Devin Booker.

[boomforeal]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Nuggets or Bucks would be the prohibitive favorites right now.

i'd love to see bledsoe unleashed in the bucks' blitz heavy-defence, but i don't know what they have to offer for him that they'd be willing to part with - hopefully not brogden or maker?!

Originally Posted by Jaybee

The good news for PHX is that they don't care about winning, so they can sit him and wait until the right offer pops up between now and trade deadline.

i suppose. but approaching 30 and with two years left on his deal his trade value is only declining. hopefully the suns learned from what the bulls and pacers netted last year for buttler and george and will be aggressive pursuing trades rather than dicking around until the deadline

[velotrack]

crazy buzzer beater by wiggins last weekend, and another one to win the rockets over the sixers. i'm a big harden hater, so this past victory was not something i was cheering over.

i didn't expect the suns to be the dumpster fire franchise this year. oh man.