OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA THREAD -May 2021

[Pinwheel1]

Can’t win in playoffs if Alex Caruso is your second best player.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Can’t win in playoffs if Alex Caruso is your second best player.

Don't jinx them.

 

[JoshuaHall]

Lakers with a seriously compromised AD and LBJ, sign me up.

LBJ probably is about 80% healthy. (Still can’t turn the corner and get downhill).

AD even less so.

bring them on

 

[JDC]

Hawks have been fun.

Trae has been great and Nate has coaxed some more effort defensively as well.

Also utilizing the secondary handlers more than Pierce did. Bogdan has really flourished, and it's given Trae more opportunities to spot up and play off closeouts / tilted defenses.

Defensively that team it's playing really hard overall and scheme wise they've done a good job loading to the ball and forcing Randle to score over the top or skip it and shoot more threes that any you're player than bullock really wants to take.

Getting back to Bogdan, he's been great on D Rose. Big reason why Knicks have been slow getting into their sets.

Hawk seem like more of an execution team overall under Nate. Pierce relied heavily on spread pick and roll and double drags for Trae and while you still see a lot of that, I'm seeing a lot more horns sets for Bogdan and Kevin. Chicago action coming out of the corners. Have had a lot of success with stack pick and roll as well.

They'll have a tough time beating the Sixers and that Simmons young matchup should be fascinating, but this Atlanta team is healthy at the right time and playing with a lot of confidence.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

LeBron too old to get back on D. Ballgame.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Can’t win in playoffs if Alex Caruso is your second best player.

Yeah probably not, but you got to love his all-around game. He should probably be coming off the bench, but he does a little of everything.
Another undrafted success story.

 

[DDolla]

Montrez and DJJ the Lakers and Blazers mid season signing are both not playing in the playoffs… must be nice to those two guys, getting paid for playing practice.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Montrez and DJJ the Lakers and Blazers mid season signing are both not playing in the playoffs… must be nice to those two guys, getting paid for playing practice.

DJJ was a mid season signing?

 

[Titan]

Montrez and DJJ the Lakers and Blazers mid season signing are both not playing in the playoffs… must be nice to those two guys, getting paid for playing practice.

I think you mean full MLE (Mid Level Exception). This does stress a very important concern, when using the MLE you better get a legit rotational player instead of the flashy grab.

 

[pougie]

Porter Jr from Denver? For CJ?

Otto Porter Jr from the Magic, who will be a free agent.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Montrez and DJJ the Lakers and Blazers mid season signing are both not playing in the playoffs… must be nice to those two guys, getting paid for playing practice.

Those players weren’t signed midseason.

 

[calvin natt]

Otto Porter Jr from the Magic, who will be a free agent.

Ah ok. Makes much more sense. Not something I would do but at least is realistic

 

[calvin natt]

Otto Porter might be the most overpaid player in the NBA. It makes no sense why his name gets brought up here year over year. He’s played 440 games in 8 seasons.

 

[DDolla]

Oh boy, Chuck just jinx the Suns and guaranteed a series win

 

[ABM]

I always liked that guy. Great story getting into the NBA. Sad way to die.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...z-center-mark-eaton-dies-bicycle-crash-age-64

Former Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton dies after bicycle crash at age 64


Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year during his career with the Utah Jazz, has died, the team said Saturday. He was 64.

The Jazz said that police said Eaton was found lying in the road around 8:30 p.m. Friday after apparently crashing his bike in Summit County, Utah. According to the team, the Summit County Sheriff's Office said that Eaton was taken to a hospital, where he later died, and that there was no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the accident.

"The Utah Jazz are profoundly saddened at the unexpected passing of Mark Eaton, who was an enduring figure in our franchise history and had a significant impact in the community after his basketball career," the team said in a statement.

"... His presence continued around the organization as a friend and ambassador while giving back as a businessman and volunteer to his adopted hometown in Utah. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Teri and their extended family. Mark will be greatly missed by all of us with the Jazz."

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Hawks have been fun.

They better enjoy themselves THIS round, because the next round is going to be short.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Knicks really have trouble scoring points. They need someone like CJ. He could be the #1 guard there and make life a lot easier on Randle.

Whom do we get in return?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Oh boy, Chuck just jinx the Suns and guaranteed a series win

IF AD doesn’t play, he said. I think that’s a safe bet. LeBron couldn’t make playoffs without AD in 2018-19. Certainly can’t win a series without him. Not against a 2 seed.

 

[julius]

Oh boy, Chuck just jinx the Suns and guaranteed a series win

He said "if Anthony Davis doesn't play" though.

 

[BigGameDamian]

It would be great to see Durant go out in the first round.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

He said "if Anthony Davis doesn't play" though.

Do you think there’s any chance he plays? Didn’t LeBron miss like 2 months with the same injury a couple seasons ago?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

It would be great to see Durant go out in the first round.

Last time that happened was 2010. Also last time Suns were in playoffs.

 

[boredinsalem]

Whom do we get in return?

Quickley or drafts picks, cap relief, and a trade exemption or expand it to a three way and send a draft pick to a third team in exchange for a 2-way wing (Marcus Smart), young defender (Thybulle), additional wing depth (Boucher), or cheaper replacement that can actually run the second unit (Derozan, Rubio) and use the extra money on Powell. Lots of options.

 

[julius]

Do you think there’s any chance he plays? Didn’t LeBron miss like 2 months with the same injury a couple seasons ago?

Depends on the severity, but how he instantly grabbed it and then walked very gingerly to the locker room definitely gives one pause. Groin pulls/strains are a helluva issue. The only thing that can fix it is rest.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Woj just reported Davis will be day-to-day.

 

[tester551]

Whom do we get in return?

Knox, Obi, 2 picks.

Flip Obi, Knox, & 1 pick for Wood.

Take DJJ & 2 picks (including 1 of our future ones) to Indiana for TJ Warren.

 

[DDolla]

No one going to beat the Nets

 

[AldoTrapani]

No one going to beat the Nets

Yup. Every year there’s always a team that nobody will beat. That’s that team this year

 

[pougie]

Otto Porter might be the most overpaid player in the NBA. It makes no sense why his name gets brought up here year over year. He’s played 440 games in 8 seasons.

He probably gets brought up because we could actually use him. Saying he’s overpaid isn’t really a negative mark against him, we’d probably have to pay between $10-12m a year for him, not $20-22m a year for him. Dude is like 6’9 and can shoot the 3 and play defense. And he doesn’t need the ball. Covington/Porter Jr is as good as you can ask for (defensively) without having to give up a lot of assets.

But sure, the injury thing is a fair point.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

No one going to beat the Nets

If that team doesn’t win a Championship it would be a failure in many people’s minds.

They should win it all barring injuries.