Around the NBA - April 2018

[Sarni]

Utah are so freaking good. Beating Lakers is not a huge feat but their consistency over the last three months has been something else. They've gone from 19-27 to 47-33 and have literally suffocated teams with their defence. On their night they are completely unplayable.

I think it's teams like them and Philadelphia that are the biggest threat to the big boys in the playoffs. Once you are on the run, it's hard to stop you, and both of them have been rocking for the last two months. It brings the confidence to the players and it also creates a massive buzz around the team ahead of the playoffs. This is something teams that have been at a similar level over the course of year, like Miami, Indiana, OKC etc. won't have. I like both of them a lot so I'll try to catch as many playoffs games they are in as possible but I can already sense the atmosphere in their arenas during the first playoffs games will be absolutely spectacular - especially in Philadelphia who seem to have the entire city living and breathing Sixers currently.

 

[Lukee]

Mitchell > Hayward

I know it's early, but am I wrong about this?

 

[BonesJones]

Yeah I know, it was just wishful thinking that they do something dumb. Although, could they resist this?

Batum for Turner and Layman
then
MKG or Zeller plus the 11th pick for cash considerations using the TPE

I cringe at the thought of bringing Batum back BUT this is how bad I want a top 12 pick in this draft. Charlotte could cut Layman. This would save them about $19 million next year and get rid of the extra year Batum has compared to Turner at over $27 million. I agree with you that they won't want to give up the pick but that is a ton of money they would save.

Edit: The year in between the two years I mentioned they'd save about $20 million too. That knocks a total of about $66 million off their books. They'd have to at least consider it.

Why would they give up a lotto pick to save money right now?

 

[kjironman1]

Big day today around the league. Blazers vs Denver is just the tip of the ice burg. A bunch could be settled by the end of today.

 

[julius]

Big day today around the league. Blazers vs Denver is just the tip of the ice burg. A bunch could be settled by the end of today.

It's a shame that the Blazers didn't win at least 1 game on this trip so far, with Denver still possibly making the playoffs they will be feisty tonight.

 

[illmatic99]

Big day today around the league. Blazers vs Denver is just the tip of the ice burg. A bunch could be settled by the end of today.

Need the Clips to win against NOP. And the Warriors to beat Utah.

Can't count on Sac to do anything vs San Antonio.

But if a few of these go our way, we can relax a little bit.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Need the Clips to win against NOP

doesn't matter, we have the tiebreaker due to conference record so they can't pass us

 

[CupWizier]

Big day today around the league. Blazers vs Denver is just the tip of the ice burg. A bunch could be settled by the end of today.

Toss in a match up tomorrow between GS and Utah as well that has big implications. Things will definitely be on the move.

 

[Lukee]

 

[hoopsjock]

Why would they give up a lotto pick to save money right now?

They are close to being a luxury tax team next year with only 11 guys on their roster on a team that couldn't make the playoffs in the East. Those deals not only save money this year but also put them well under the cap the following two years. Batum's contract is probably the worst in the league.

I said it was wishful thinking but I could see a complete rebuild.

 

[CupWizier]

They are close to being a luxury tax team next year with only 11 guys on their roster on a team that couldn't make the playoffs in the East. Those deals not only save money this year but also put them well under the cap the following two years. Batum's contract is probably the worst in the league.

I said it was wishful thinking but I could see a complete rebuild.

That's a big price to pay for a player like Mikal Bridges as every penny we take back over what we send out will likely cost up to double with luxury tax. Keita Bates Diop seems like an intriguing prospect and can possibly be had where we will be drafting. Gary Trent Jr. could be another possibility but likely need to move up as well as Troy Brown out of Oregon.

Bates-Diop is considered a 3 and d type player with a wingspan of around 7'3" and with some work could become a good NBA shooter. He seems to be floating around late first round to early second round right now. Another prospect could be Chandler Hutchinso out of Boise. A 4 year player and played in a small conference like Lillard and is a 4 year player.

 

[tlongII]

Mitchell > Hayward

I know it's early, but am I wrong about this?

You are not wrong. I think Mitchell might be the best player of that draft.

 

[Sarni]

You are not wrong. I think Mitchell might be the best player of that draft.

He will be. It will be between him and Fultz who will also develop into a star IMO. Tatum, Fox and Jackson will become borderline great players too, and there will be a host of very good players beyond them too: Ball, Collins, Adebayo to name a few.

It will go down as one of the best draft classes of recent times.

 

[hoopsjock]

That's a big price to pay for a player like Mikal Bridges as every penny we take back over what we send out will likely cost up to double with luxury tax. Keita Bates Diop seems like an intriguing prospect and can possibly be had where we will be drafting. Gary Trent Jr. could be another possibility but likely need to move up as well as Troy Brown out of Oregon.

Bates-Diop is considered a 3 and d type player with a wingspan of around 7'3" and with some work could become a good NBA shooter. He seems to be floating around late first round to early second round right now. Another prospect could be Chandler Hutchinso out of Boise. A 4 year player and played in a small conference like Lillard and is a 4 year player.

This is probably the wrong thread for this discussion but admittedly I'm a little obsessed with finding a way to get Mikal Bridges. I just think he's quite a bit better than those guys, projects as an elite wing defender, has a silky smooth jump shot, won a championship 2 out of his 3 years, and already knows how to play with good guards as he played with both Hart and Brunson. I think he'd be ready to step into the lineup almost immediately and completely transform this team into a contender. He's everything we wish Harkless would become.

Trent and Brown didn't impress me at all this season. It seems to me like their draft position is still based on their high school ratings and not what they showed in college. Don't get me wrong they could still become good players and if they had played well this year they'd both be fringe lottery picks instead of in the discussion for our pick in the mid-20's. I'm not a fan of drafting hyped players that underachieved (in my opinion) because they sometimes (not always) have questionable work ethics and get by on their talent instead of really working hard to improve. I have no idea if that is the case with either of these guys but I would definitely be cautious with either one. I guess you could say with Trent that he was on a loaded roster and just didn't have the opportunity to dominate because of all the scorers on Duke.

Bates-Diop is definitely someone who will be in the range of where we are currently picking. There is definitely some intrigue there. I'm interested to see how he does at the combine and in work outs.

Hutchinson was shooting up draft boards to a point where we probably would have to move up to get him but then the latest nbadraft.net one has him going in the 2nd round so who knows. He should be on the radar too.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This is probably the wrong thread for this discussion but admittedly I'm a little obsessed with finding a way to get Mikal Bridges. I just think he's quite a bit better than those guys, projects as an elite wing defender, has a silky smooth jump shot, won a championship 2 out of his 3 years, and already knows how to play with good guards as he played with both Hart and Brunson. I think he'd be ready to step into the lineup almost immediately and completely transform this team into a contender. He's everything we wish Harkless would become.

Trent and Brown didn't impress me at all this season. It seems to me like their draft position is still based on their high school ratings and not what they showed in college. Don't get me wrong they could still become good players and if they had played well this year they'd both be fringe lottery picks instead of in the discussion for our pick in the mid-20's. I'm not a fan of drafting hyped players that underachieved (in my opinion) because they sometimes (not always) have questionable work ethics and get by on their talent instead of really working hard to improve. I have no idea if that is the case with either of these guys but I would definitely be cautious with either one. I guess you could say with Trent that he was on a loaded roster and just didn't have the opportunity to dominate because of all the scorers on Duke.

Bates-Diop is definitely someone who will be in the range of where we are currently picking. There is definitely some intrigue there. I'm interested to see how he does at the combine and in work outs.

Hutchinson was shooting up draft boards to a point where we probably would have to move up to get him but then the latest nbadraft.net one has him going in the 2nd round so who knows. He should be on the radar too.

Tankathon has a nice prospect comparison feature. Interesting to plug a few of the guys in this post into it and see how their numbers and measurables stack up against each other. Bridges' advanced stats blow all the others' away (no surprise there).

http://www.tankathon.com/players/co...troy-brown--chandler-hutchison--gary-trent-jr

 

[hoopsjock]

Tankathon has a nice prospect comparison feature. Interesting to plug a few of the guys in this post into it and see how their numbers and measurables stack up against each other. Bridges' advanced stats blow all the others' away (no surprise there).

http://www.tankathon.com/players/co...troy-brown--chandler-hutchison--gary-trent-jr

Thanks, I go to tankathon all the time and had never seen that feature. It's such a great site!

 

[hoopsjock]

Tankathon has a nice prospect comparison feature. Interesting to plug a few of the guys in this post into it and see how their numbers and measurables stack up against each other. Bridges' advanced stats blow all the others' away (no surprise there).

http://www.tankathon.com/players/co...troy-brown--chandler-hutchison--gary-trent-jr

If you are just looking at that page, the only real case you can make for Trent or Brown over Bridges/Diop/Hutchinson is their age and low usage rate. I didn't realize how much Hutchinson gets to the free throw line. I wonder how that translates throughout the year with other players that get to the line a lot. I'd have to imagine he wouldn't get a lot of calls initially in the NBA. His assist to turnover rate is pretty mediocre too (along with Bates-Diop). To me the big question mark for Hutchinson is how will he play off the ball in the NBA? College players who are used to having the ball in their hands all the time when they likely won't have that in the NBA can either excel because the defense is no longer solely focused on them as the main guy or they never really figure it out and just become an average guy.

 

[CupWizier]

This is probably the wrong thread for this discussion but admittedly I'm a little obsessed with finding a way to get Mikal Bridges. I just think he's quite a bit better than those guys, projects as an elite wing defender, has a silky smooth jump shot, won a championship 2 out of his 3 years, and already knows how to play with good guards as he played with both Hart and Brunson. I think he'd be ready to step into the lineup almost immediately and completely transform this team into a contender. He's everything we wish Harkless would become.

Trent and Brown didn't impress me at all this season. It seems to me like their draft position is still based on their high school ratings and not what they showed in college. Don't get me wrong they could still become good players and if they had played well this year they'd both be fringe lottery picks instead of in the discussion for our pick in the mid-20's. I'm not a fan of drafting hyped players that underachieved (in my opinion) because they sometimes (not always) have questionable work ethics and get by on their talent instead of really working hard to improve. I have no idea if that is the case with either of these guys but I would definitely be cautious with either one. I guess you could say with Trent that he was on a loaded roster and just didn't have the opportunity to dominate because of all the scorers on Duke.

Bates-Diop is definitely someone who will be in the range of where we are currently picking. There is definitely some intrigue there. I'm interested to see how he does at the combine and in work outs.

Hutchinson was shooting up draft boards to a point where we probably would have to move up to get him but then the latest nbadraft.net one has him going in the 2nd round so who knows. He should be on the radar too.

I honestly didn't watch a lot of college ball this year, but I was looking at possibilities that wouldn't put us in a bigger hole for luxury tax and get our payroll in better control and hoping to find that next Danny Granger or Kawhi Leonard type draft pick.

 

[hoopsjock]

I honestly didn't watch a lot of college ball this year, but I was looking at possibilities that wouldn't put us in a bigger hole for luxury tax and get our payroll in better control and hoping to find that next Danny Granger or Kawhi Leonard type draft pick.

Let me put it this way...

If doing so meant there was a good chance the Blazers got the next Kawhi Leonard or Paul George type player would you go deep into the luxury tax?

 

[CupWizier]

Let me put it this way...

If doing so meant there was a good chance the Blazers got the next Kawhi Leonard or Paul George type player would you go deep into the luxury tax?

I don't know as the draft is such a crap shoot now days that it is a big risk that can also backfire. I'm sure that Bridges will be a fine player, just not sure he will be that type of player and if he was, he would shoot up even higher as he has had as much exposure as any player coming into the draft. As it stands most mock drafts have him going ahead of Charlottes pick so it's likely he will be moving up if he shows well in the combine and draft workouts.

 

[hoopsjock]

I don't know as the draft is such a crap shoot now days that it is a big risk that can also backfire. I'm sure that Bridges will be a fine player, just not sure he will be that type of player and if he was, he would shoot up even higher as he has had as much exposure as any player coming into the draft. As it stands most mock drafts have him going ahead of Charlottes pick so it's likely he will be moving up if he shows well in the combine and draft workouts.

The reason he isn't going to shoot up the draft board is his age compared to all those that will go ahead of him. My thought was that if we needed to we could package our pick and the 11th pick to move up a few spots. Should be easy at that point compared to just having one mid 20's pick. Once again, this is just wishful thinking. I actually wasn't a fan of Bridges last year around this time but I'm completely sold on him now.

You know I also have been pushing the plan to just say screw it and go deep into the tax (if Allen is obviously okay with it) for awhile now. Of course it is a risk but other than money if Allen is willing what is the downside?

 

[DDolla]

Meanwhile on National TV schedule today on NBATV Cavs vs Knicks and on ESPN it’s Pelicans vs Clippers. Are you serious? Cavs again with knicks and Clippers both out. Why not Thunder vs Heat then Blazers vs Nuggets?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Keita Bates Diop seems like an intriguing prospect and can possibly be had where we will be drafting.

Because I don't watch a lot of college ball, I have no idea what Kieta Bates Diop looks like, but because I've been watching the NBA for 50 years, and I also watched American Horror Story - Freak Show, I know what DeSagana Diop and Kathy Bates look like:

And I now have an mental image stuck in my head of what their love child would look like.

So, thanks for that!

BNM

 

[BonesJones]

They are close to being a luxury tax team next year with only 11 guys on their roster on a team that couldn't make the playoffs in the East. Those deals not only save money this year but also put them well under the cap the following two years. Batum's contract is probably the worst in the league.

I said it was wishful thinking but I could see a complete rebuild.

Then they'd trade Kemba for a lotto pick and het under the tax. You don't start a complete rebuild by trading away a lottery pick.

 

[Lanny]

Hornets are kings of the super blowout. They're up 42 on the Magic right now and they beat the Grizzlies by 61.

Everyone not named Blazers, beats the Grizzlies.

 

[Chris Craig]

Everyone not named Blazers, beats the Grizzlies.

All those "injuries"

 

[Boob-No-More]

Everyone not named Blazers, beats the Grizzlies.

Not really...



The last time they played MIN, the game before they beat us.

Also, the last time they played DEN:



BNM

 

[Rastapopoulos]

This is one of those things that is so obvious once it's pointed out:

 

[hoopsjock]

Then they'd trade Kemba for a lotto pick and het under the tax. You don't start a complete rebuild by trading away a lottery pick.

C'mon Bones, I said it was wishful thinking in every post about it. You don't have to be so serious and shatter my dreams!

 

[BonesJones]

C'mon Bones, I said it was wishful thinking in every post about it. You don't have to be so serious and shatter my dreams!

I don't read it that carefully. I just analyze. Lmao.