Two small market teams in the finals...

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But, but, hasn't Neil repeatedly told us how hard it is for small markets to build a team?
Small market teams are almost impossible to build. Congrats to the 2 teams small market teams that made it through an injury riddled playoffs.

If anyone doesn't realize this obvious truth, they know very little about free agency.
 
To me a small market team is a city that doesn't have pro baseball and football franchises as well as an nba team...
 
To me a small market team is a city that doesn't have pro baseball and football franchises as well as an nba team...

And an NHL team...
 
Phoenix 1.7 million population — top 5 or 6 in the United States
Greater metro area nearly 4.5 million

Nielsen TV markets, which what a "market" is for these purposes, has Phoenix barely above Minneapolis, and 1/3 the size of LA or NY. It's definitely not even close to a major market:

Rank Designated Market Area

1 New York 6,824,120 6.377
2 Los Angeles 5,145,350 4.808
3 Chicago 3,256,400 3.043
4 Philadelphia 2,758,330 2.578
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth 2,563,320 2.395
6 San Francisco-Oak-San Jose 2,364,740 2.210
7 Washington, DC (Hagrstwn) 2,351,930 2.198
8 Houston 2,330,180 2.178
9 Boston (Manchester) 2,302,680 2.152
10 Atlanta 2,269,270 2.121
11 Phoenix (Prescott) 1,879,780 1.757
12 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) 1,800,600 1.683
13 Seattle-Tacoma 1,764,680 1.649
14 Detroit 1,737,170 1.623
15 Minneapolis-St. Paul 1,697,370 1.586
 
James Jones has made more great moves in 3 years than Olshey has made average moves in 9 years. Milwaukee swung for the fences, took a big risk, and traded their 3rd best player and two 1sts for a much better player and that helped get them to the finals. Suns did the same by trading for CP3. That kind of high-risk/high-reward thinking just doesn't seem to be in the Portland GM's DNA
 
Phoenix is definitely not a small market. Although there’s so many transplants down there, the amount of people who are actually Suns fans might qualify as a small market.
 
Phoenix is not a hard city to recruit NBA fee agents to. I remember when it was a top destination. That did not last long though because of the ownership.
But the weather during the season is very desirable.
 
Milwaukee:

Small market
Hasn't drafted well
Not a major player in free agency.
 
Small market teams are almost impossible to build. Congrats to the 2 teams small market teams that made it through an injury riddled playoffs.

If anyone doesn't realize this obvious truth, they know very little about free agency.

I can't wait until we are good enough to even make it through an injury riddled playoffs. I'll take a championship with an asterisk opposed to what we've been doing.
 
Alright! Enough on how awful Neil is. He's far from perfect ,Yes. But can you name the GM who passed on Charles Barkley to join the team with Clyde, Terry , and Buck? That was a greater Sports sin IMO, because hard to think, that team with Sir Charles doesn't win it all. Charles would end up in Phoenix, with a lesser team around him, and lead them to the Finals against Michael DooDad, and the Bulls. Bucky Buckwalter was the GM. That Blazer Team was built by Stu Inman and Bucky Buckwalter. Reason i posted this , is even Great GM's make really bad mistakes. Stu Inman was a fantastic GM, but drafted Sam Bowie. I still believe, the team in 2019 that Neil built has a great chance to get to the Finals if Nurk doesn't suffer that brutal injury. They had beat the Warriors with KD twice that year. A healthy Nurk might get Portland the Title. Even though the Blazers lost 4 games to 0, many forget the Blazers lead multiple games by double digits, but couldn't finish the deal. For the series, the Blazers had the lead the majority of minutes . What could have been.
 
Alright! Enough on how awful Neil is. He's far from perfect ,Yes. But can you name the GM who passed on Charles Barkley to join the team with Clyde, Terry , and Buck? That was a greater Sports sin IMO, because hard to think, that team with Sir Charles doesn't win it all. Charles would end up in Phoenix, with a lesser team around him, and lead them to the Finals against Michael DooDad, and the Bulls. Bucky Buckwalter was the GM. That Blazer Team was built by Stu Inman and Bucky Buckwalter. Reason i posted this , is even Great GM's make really bad mistakes. Stu Inman was a fantastic GM, but drafted Sam Bowie. I still believe, the team in 2019 that Neil built has a great chance to get to the Finals if Nurk doesn't suffer that brutal injury. They had beat the Warriors with KD twice that year. A healthy Nurk might get Portland the Title. Even though the Blazers lost 4 games to 0, many forget the Blazers lead multiple games by double digits, but couldn't finish the deal. For the series, the Blazers had the lead the majority of minutes . What could have been.

We got beat by a dynasty and then this year lost to a *scours notes* a murray-less Nuggets team that got demolished by a now in the finals Suns team.
 
Nielsen TV markets, which what a "market" is for these purposes, has Phoenix barely above Minneapolis, and 1/3 the size of LA or NY. It's definitely not even close to a major market:

Rank Designated Market Area

1 New York 6,824,120 6.377
2 Los Angeles 5,145,350 4.808
3 Chicago 3,256,400 3.043
4 Philadelphia 2,758,330 2.578
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth 2,563,320 2.395
6 San Francisco-Oak-San Jose 2,364,740 2.210
7 Washington, DC (Hagrstwn) 2,351,930 2.198
8 Houston 2,330,180 2.178
9 Boston (Manchester) 2,302,680 2.152
10 Atlanta 2,269,270 2.121
11 Phoenix (Prescott) 1,879,780 1.757
12 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) 1,800,600 1.683
13 Seattle-Tacoma 1,764,680 1.649
14 Detroit 1,737,170 1.623
15 Minneapolis-St. Paul 1,697,370 1.586
So NYC and LA are in a class of their own. Chicago to Twin-Cities seems fair to lump in together. 2.5 mil +/- 1mil.
 
I know i'm probably in the minority here, but i haven't watched one second of any Finals involving a "Super Team", or a Finals involving either, the LA Fakers, or Basston Celtics in the last 20 years. Boycott City. But i plan to enjoy this Finals, and hope there are many more, including the Blazers, and other small markets going forward. And if the Lakers never see another Championship in my Lifetime, it would be too soon.
 
I know i'm probably in the minority here, but i haven't watched one second of any Finals involving a "Super Team", or a Finals involving either, the LA Fakers, or Basston Celtics in the last 20 years. Boycott City. But i plan to enjoy this Finals, and hope there are many more, including the Blazers, and other small markets going forward. And if the Lakers never see another Championship in my Lifetime, it would be too soon.
Same with Boston and to a lesser extent Chicago.
 
Phoenix is at worst a mid market team. Milwaukee is a small market team

Both put themselves in a position to take advantage of super teams having injuries.

Both are TOP TEN DEFENSIVELY

In the regular season
Phoenix was 6
Milwaukee was 9

In the playoffs
Milwaukee is 1
Phoenix is 2
 
I can't wait until we are good enough to even make it through an injury riddled playoffs. I'll take a championship with an asterisk opposed to what we've been doing.
any small market team fan would.

I think my son hit it on the head - for a small market team, the conference finals should be considered the nba finals.
 
Phoenix is at worst a mid market team. Milwaukee is a small market team

Both put themselves in a position to take advantage of super teams having injuries.

Both are TOP TEN DEFENSIVELY

In the regular season
Phoenix was 6
Milwaukee was 9

In the playoffs
Milwaukee is 1
Phoenix is 2


I’ve been repeatedly informed that one cannot have someone who can’t shoot, even if they are a top 5 defender in the league because he won’t help the team in the playoffs. I’m pretty sure basketball is an offense only sport this seems like Fake News. ;)
 
I’ve been repeatedly informed that one cannot have someone who can’t shoot, even if they are a top 5 defender in the league because he won’t help the team in the playoffs. I’m pretty sure basketball is an offense only sport this seems like Fake News. ;)
It’s almost like it depends on the offense a team runs?
 
To think we could have drafted........ Chris Paul

...& Giannis Antetokounmpo
STOMP

and Jae Crowder and Draymond Green and Khris Middleton and Rudy Gobert and Caris Levert and Pascal Siakam and Malcolm Brogdon and Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo and John Collins and Jarret Allen and Dillon Brooks and Devonte Graham

it's true that all GM's will have a miss or two in the drafts. But the sheer volume and magnitude of Olshey's whiffs create hurricane wind
 

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