What is the ideal off-season?

[Mediocre Man]

Wish people would just admit it like Mediocre Man does.

Trash.
He’ll be rule number 73236885 and not exception number 1

 

[Orion Bailey]

Probably. I’m sure they also take crypto.

And meth…

 

[Scalma]

Scotto: Jusuf Nurkic is the second-best center available on the free agent market after Deandre Ayton as reflected in our HoopsHype 2022 free agent rankings. There’s mutual interest in Nurkic remaining a Blazer past this season, I’ve heard. He wasn’t moved at the deadline even though they got rid of other veterans, which is something to note. I don’t know if he does an extension, but he’s certainly in the mix to be brought back. If he was going to do an extension, what could that look like?

Gozlan: Nurkic can get up to four years and $64.5 million. One thing I can see happening, and I’m not sure this is something Nurkic would want, maybe Portland gives him an extension that keeps his trade eligibility and doesn’t make him untradeable for six months. The Timberwolves gave Patrick Beverley a one-year, $13 million extension. There’s no trade restriction with that extension. They can trade him as soon as the offseason begins for them. Maybe they want to give Nurkic something where the extension doesn’t exceed those limits so he can be trade eligible immediately. It would have to be no more than two years and about $26 million. I think Nurkic can get a little more than that, but it’s something to keep in mind.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Yeah, the "modern" NBA where Rudy Gobert keeps running away with DPOY awards...

Then gets played off the floor in the playoffs. Gobert can't guard Reggie Jackson or Terrance Mann. In the regular season he's a beast.

 

[Scalma]

Then gets played off the floor in the playoffs. Gobert can't guard Reggie Jackson or Terrance Mann. In the regular season he's a beast.

That’s the perimeter defense’s fault, not Gobert. Doesn’t matter who you have at center if the perimeter guys can’t keep anyone in front of them. There’s not a big man alive on the planet that can keep a Ja Morant (or any NBA guard really) consistently in front of them.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Sorry man. Been burned too many times by big men in the draft. The guy looks risky as hell.

Yeah if there is a Durant or CP3 type of fairly certain elite option instead I'd go with that player that has a body to stay on the court.

However if the other options aren't elite... then Chet certainly has a lot of upside so I'd be excited to have him on the team.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

That’s the perimeter defense’s fault, not Gobert. Doesn’t matter who you have at center if the perimeter guys can’t keep anyone in front of them. There’s not a big man alive on the planet that can keep a Ja Morant (or any NBA guard really) in front of them.

But the problem is the offense puts 5 guards on the floor and there is nowhere to hide Gobert. The Rockets did it in multiple playoffs, the Clippers last year, and I'd expect we see it from the Jazz opponent this year.

Anthony Davis was a big man that could guard smalls when the Lakers won their bubble title. Thats why he was playing at a level above anything Gobert has ever done.

Gobert still has a ton of value and is a good role player. But the above is a reason why he can't be one of your main stars on a contender. He can be played off the floor. Unlike Embiid, he can't punish the opponent on the other end.

 

[Scalma]

But the problem is the offense puts 5 guards on the floor and there is nowhere to hide Gobert. The Rockets did it in multiple playoffs, the Clippers last year, and I'd expect we see it from the Jazz opponent this year.

Anthony Davis was a big man that could guard smalls when the Lakers won their bubble title. Thats why he was playing at a level above anything Gobert has ever done.

Gobert still has a ton of value and is a good role player. But the above is a reason why he can't be one of your main stars on a contender. He can be played off the floor. Unlike Embiid, he can't punish the opponent on the other end.

And Milwaukee won a championship with Brook Lopez starting at center. But unlike Gobert and the Jazz he was surrounded by plus perimeter defenders. It’s a team game, saying you can’t contend with Rudy is ridiculous.

 

[B-Roy]

We should try to get Nic Claxton this off-season.

 

[Scalma]

Portland can generate about $31 million or so, but their situation is to be determined. That projection doesn’t include the return of Anfernee Simons orJusuf Nurkic. If they want to bring both of them back in free agency, they basically wouldn’t be a cap space team anymore. They can still have artificial cap space with their trade exceptions. They’ve got a big $21 million exception and a $6.5 million exception. They’d also still have the mid-level exception left over. They could still sign Simons and Nurkic as well.

 

[wizenheimer]

Then gets played off the floor in the playoffs. Gobert can't guard Reggie Jackson or Terrance Mann. In the regular season he's a beast.

is that just urban myth? (highlights on last season):









I heard that said a lot after last season. But I didn't watch many, if any, Utah games and never checked it. The narrative sure seemed like one that fit the evolving NBA. But looking at the numbers his minutes have actually gone up in the playoffs the last 2 seasons, and in 3 out of the last 4 playoffs. He scores 1.3 pts. more while grabbing 0.5 less rebounds. His production and efficiency metrics fall off a bit but that makes sense since the overall competition is much better and Utah has a lower winning percentage in the playoffs

the biggest drop-offs I see are in defensive rebounding and blocks. Which I guess goes to the point as I'd imagine teams are running offensive plays designed to drag Gobert out of the paint more often. He can't be grabbing rebound and swatting shots if's he's switched out on a perimeter player

 

[SharpesTriumph]

And Milwaukee won a championship with Brook Lopez starting at center. But unlike Gobert and the Jazz he was surrounded by plus perimeter defenders. It’s a team game, saying you can’t contend with Rudy is ridiculous.

So the DPOY first needs offensive players to help him create because he lacks that dimension, but he secondly needs a roster surrounding him with plus perimeter defenders in the postseason? Then I question just how great his defense is.

Sure you could win with Gobert if he is surrounded with many amazing teammates, just like the Blazers could win with CJ. But the question is can you win with these guys as one of your best players? Its hard to have a roster surround those guys with plus defenders who provide some value on offense when Rudy or CJ are taking $30-40million of your cap.

Postseason opponents have exploited a consistent strategy of going small and putting Rudy in space or on the perimeter. Its been a huge factor in multiple playoff series losses. Rudy has been great in the regular season, but his teams have totally failed in the playoffs for 5+ years. Sound familiar?

 

[Scalma]

So the DPOY first needs offensive players to help him create because he lacks that dimension, but he secondly needs a roster surrounding him with plus perimeter defenders in the postseason? Then I question just how great his defense is.

Sure you could win with Gobert if he is surrounded with many amazing teammates, just like the Blazers could win with CJ. But the question is can you win with these guys as one of your best players? Its hard to have a roster surround those guys with plus defenders who provide some value on offense when Rudy or CJ are taking $30-40million of your cap.

Postseason opponents have exploited a consistent strategy of going small and putting Rudy in space or on the perimeter. Its been a huge factor in multiple playoff series losses. Rudy has been great in the regular season, but his teams have totally failed in the playoffs for 5+ years. Sound familiar?

sounds too simple to actually be true. If all you had to do to beat the Jazz is put 5 guards on the court, why don’t teams just do it in the regular season? There’s probably more to it than that. Like who was guarding Kawhi and George when they both averaged nearly 30 a night? Bojan Bogdanovic? Or was that Rudy’s fault too?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Portland can generate about $31 million or so, but their situation is to be determined. That projection doesn’t include the return of Anfernee Simons orJusuf Nurkic. If they want to bring both of them back in free agency, they basically wouldn’t be a cap space team anymore. They can still have artificial cap space with their trade exceptions. They’ve got a big $21 million exception and a $6.5 million exception. They’d also still have the mid-level exception left over. They could still sign Simons and Nurkic as well.

The Blazers could also trade way Bledsoe, Hart, Winslow, rookie contracts, or others to get additional cap space. Who knows maybe Nurk agrees with another team, which would be unfortunate, but it would clear out his cap hold or allow a sign and trade.

But I think most likely the team just resigns Simons+Nurk, stay above the cap, keeps their TPE, keeps Ingels cap hold. Probably the best free agent available is TJ Warren, and I wouldn't want to give him more than MLE.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

sounds too simple to actually be true. If all you had to do to beat the Jazz is put 5 guards on the court, why don’t teams just do it in the regular season? There’s probably more to it than that. Like who was guarding Kawhi and George when they both averaged nearly 30 a night? Bojan Bogdanovic? Or was that Rudy’s fault too?

Teams don't have time to prepare in the regular season.

Teams don't want to change their offensive schemes for 1 regular season game.

Kawhi was out with an injury when the Clippers beat the Jazz in the playoffs.

 

[Scalma]

Teams don't have time to prepare in the regular season.

Teams don't want to change their offensive schemes for 1 regular season game.

Kawhi was out with an injury when the Clippers beat the Jazz in the playoffs.

he played four games. And who gave up 40 points to Mann? That was Rudy’s assignment?

 

[illmatic99]

We should try to get Nic Claxton this off-season.

Zach Lowe on one of these deadline recap pods this week said there was apparently a deal in place to send Claxton to Toronto, with Covington going to BK, and a first rounder going to either POR or LAC (timeline wasn't mentioned, nor were salary fillers). But it fell through last minute.

 

[B-Roy]

Zach Lowe on one of these deadline recap pods this week said there was apparently a deal in place to send Claxton to Toronto, with Covington going to BK, and a first rounder going to either POR or LAC (timeline wasn't mentioned, nor were salary fillers). But it fell through last minute.

Which one?

 

[illmatic99]

Which one?

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiret...g-Nic-Claxton-To-Raptors-For-First-Round-Pick

 

[SharpesTriumph]

he played four games. And who gave up 40 points to Mann? That was Rudy’s assignment?

Yes Kawhi played when the Clips lost games and the Jazz got a lead in the series. Then Kawhi was injured with the Jazz up 20 points in game 6, somehow losing the series. How does Kawhi being on the court prevent Rudy from playing well the last two games when Kawhi sat, as you previously posted?

Mann was Rudy assignment, because the Clippers would play all guards and force Rudy to guard Mann or another one of them. Rudy couldn't defend mediocre talents like Mann, and the entire Jazz defense broke down because now the rim protector was one of their guards. Opponents never try strategies like this in the regular season, so the Jazz rack up wins, but as the Clippers did last year, and Rockets two other postseasons prior, they can be exploited when the games matter most.

It sounds like you didn't watch any of those playoff last year.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Zach Lowe on one of these deadline recap pods this week said there was apparently a deal in place to send Claxton to Toronto, with Covington going to BK, and a first rounder going to either POR or LAC (timeline wasn't mentioned, nor were salary fillers). But it fell through last minute.

Well it certainly falls through when the week before the deadline we trade Roco for scrubs.

 

[Scalma]

Mann was Rudy assignment, because the Clippers would play all guards and force Rudy to guard Mann or another one of them. Rudy couldn't defend mediocre talents like Mann,.

complete bullshit, Marcus Morris averaged 33 minutes a game in that series and you want me to believe Rudy’s assignment was Terrence Mann?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

complete bullshit, Marcus Morris averaged 33 minutes a game in that series and you want me to believe Rudy’s assignment was Terrence Mann?

I don't care what you believe.

Bottom line is Rudy gets exposed when the opponent goes small and forces him to move in space. That was a huge reason Utah has lost in multiple years of playoffs. Thats why you can't build a contending team around Rudy, he can get played off the floor.

 

[blazerkor]

Maybe my new ideal off season has us making the playoffs and Ant's value skyrocketing. The Pelicans pick conveying and being like between 5th and 8th. Us engaging in talks with Boston and Ant's people and agreeing in principal to a sign and trade of Ant and the Pelicans pick (that we would choose for Boston) for Jaylen Brown.

Having made the playoffs and our pick going to the Bulls, all of our future firsts would be freed up. So we trade our 2023 and 2025 first rounders to Detroit for Jerami Grant whose salary is absorbed by the TPE... that would need to be done draft night or before because as of the new NBA fiscal year Grant's salary will no longer fit into our TPE. We re-sign Nurk and our RFAs. We sign a good backup PG with the full MLE. We would draft a backup big with our second rounder. We would pick up Hart's option for next season.

Dame, MLE PG
Hart, Keon, Elijah
Brown, Nas, Elleby, Dido
Grant, Trendon, GB3
Nurk, Second Rounder

I think that group is a contender.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Maybe my new ideal off season has us making the playoffs and Ant's value skyrocketing. The Pelicans pick conveying and being like between 5th and 8th. Us engaging in talks with Boston and Ant's people and agreeing in principal to a sign and trade of Ant and the Pelicans pick (that we would choose for Boston) for Jaylen Brown.

Having made the playoffs and our pick going to the Bulls, all of our future firsts would be freed up. So we trade our 2023 and 2025 first rounders to Detroit for Jerami Grant whose salary is absorbed by the TPE... that would need to be done draft night or before because as of the new NBA fiscal year Grant's salary will no longer fit into our TPE. We re-sign Nurk and our RFAs. We sign a good backup PG with the full MLE. We would draft a backup big with our second rounder. We would pick up Hart's option for next season.

Dame, MLE PG
Hart, Keon, Elijah
Brown, Nas, Elleby, Dido
Grant, Trendon, GB3
Nurk, Second Rounder

I think that group is a contender.

Per Spotrac, Grant's 22-23 salary is less than 100K more than the TPE, so he could fit into it even after July 1st.

In that plan (which I like, BTW), I think I'd rather use the MLE on someone like Boucher. Also, I'd want to keep Winslow around.

 

[wizenheimer]

I don't care what you believe.

Bottom line is Rudy gets exposed when the opponent goes small and forces him to move in space. That was a huge reason Utah has lost in multiple years of playoffs. Thats why you can't build a contending team around Rudy, he can get played off the floor.

"played off the floor"....

last season, Gobert averaged 2.0 more minutes in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. Against the Clippers he averaged 3.5 more minutes than the regular season

the season before that, he averaged 7.8 more minute in the playoffs than in the regular season

 

[PtldPlatypus]

"played off the floor"....

last season, Gobert averaged 2.0 more minutes in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. Against the Clippers he averaged 3.5 more minutes than the regular season

the season before that, he averaged 7.8 more minute in the playoffs than in the regular season

True enough-- he played over 40 min in each of their two final games. Of course, he was -24 in a 12-point loss to end the series, so perhaps he should have come off the floor...

 

[blazerkor]

Per Spotrac, Grant's 22-23 salary is less than 100K more than the TPE, so he could fit into it even after July 1st.

In that plan (which I like, BTW), I think I'd rather use the MLE on someone like Boucher. Also, I'd want to keep Winslow around.

Totally forgot about Justise, so we'd probably just let Elijah walk. Justise is under contract so I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be on the roster. We would still need a backup PG though but I'm a Boucher fan.

 

[wizenheimer]

True enough-- he played over 40 min in each of their two final games. Of course, he was -24 in a 12-point loss to end the series, so perhaps he should have come off the floor...

maybe...that's another debate though that pivots on how much you gauge plus/minus for individual games

for that series, Gobert led the Jazz in TS% and eFG%; he was 2nd on the team in both defensive rating & offensive rating. He was 2nd on the team in net differential at +11. Royce O'Neal was +5; Donovan Mitchell was -9; Bogdanovic was -12; Clarkson was -13

sure looks like the failure was on the perimeter, except for Ingles. Oh, and Favors was -31

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Billups wants more length and athleticism at center

I’m throwing everything outside Simons to land Jaren Jackson Jr — both top-10 picks+