NBA 2021/2022

[Deleted User 863]

It was a sign and trade with the Bulls from Spurs but the Bulls actually had picks to trade. Did the Lakers? Or had they already wasted their picks in other transactions? Were the spurs willing to send Derozan to the Lakers even though they're in the same conference?

Is Buddy Hield even any better than Kuzma?

What they should have done is not trade away all those good young players when LeBron got there. They were in a bad spot coming into this season regardless imo.

Plenty of blame rightfully falls on westbrook sucking. But there is enough blame to go around to AD and LeBron as well. They've been out off and on all season.

But if the sole point is that DeRozan is better than Westbrook, then that's a no brainer.

[Deleted User 863]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcA-7fkLtZu ... MyMTA2M2Y=

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Unfortunately in the eyes (and minds and hearts) of the voters, this may earn him the MVP over Embiid.
If so, it truly sucks for Joel who is more than deserving of the award.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/stat ... 8578511874

[hoopla]

Unfortunately in the eyes (and minds and hearts) of the voters, this may earn him the MVP over Embiid.
If so, it truly sucks for Joel who is more than deserving of the award.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/stat ... 8578511874

Joel certainly thinks so. Do nba guys normally go on a media tour to lobby for an award?

[pdub]

It'll be tough.

If Jokic wasn't a good defender, you'd have that to lean on, but he is a good defender.
Not Embiid good - but he's shooting 58% from the field, averaging more rebounds and far more assists than Joel.

If it goes to Joker again, there's legitimate reason.

[Deleted User 863]

Is this the toughest 5-10 year span to win an MVP?

Jokic Embiid Giannis all 3 are elite on BOTH ends of the court. And you've still got KD Steph etc out there who are all time elite offensive players.

MVP, race aside, they need to adjust the 1st team All NBA breakdown. It is a crime that both Embiid and Jokic can't be 1st team all NBA because it's 2 guards 2 forwards and a C.

[Cascadia]

Sucks for Joel, but I don't see how you can vote for him over Jokic.

[NDballer13]

MVP, race aside, they need to adjust the 1st team All NBA breakdown. It is a crime that both Embiid and Jokic can't be 1st team all NBA because it's 2 guards 2 forwards and a C.

Thought I saw somewhere that they did adjust that this year.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Someone please help me out. Memphis had the #2 seed locked up.
Why is Ja (coming off a knee injury) playing at least 27 minutes tonight?

[pdub]

Bc Morant is a badass.

[pdub]

Cheering for Celtics, Warriors, 6ers, Suns, Bulls in that order.

If I were the Celts, I’d play my bench to avoid a possible matchup with Durant.

[pdub]

Vogel out.

“With the contracts of Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Talen Horton-Tucker alone, L.A. will be shelling out roughly $139.8 million, which is already $17 million over the expected salary cap and just $10 million under the projected luxury tax, but sure, Vogel was likely the problem here. Perhaps the next head coach can get Russ to stop chucking up so many airballs, or maybe, just maybe, Westbrook will naturally lose his affinity for throwing the ball out of bounds.”

Damn.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/

[Deleted User 863]

Ouch.

Vogel and Westbrook have been scapegoats all year. Not sure they deserve quite as much blame as they are getting. You can't expect to win with ONLY 3 players. Look at Milwaukee or the Suns. You don't need 3 "superstars". You need a good and balanced team (imo).

[pdub]

A day after the trade:

“ I disagree Russ will be better for the team then Buddy otherwise I wouldn't have posted, "that woulda made sense".

Do the Lakers need an assist rebounding machine when they have Bron and Davis?

I'd rather Hield or Fournier for them.
Stat stuffing 28 percent three point shooting gotta have the ball in his hands Russ ain't it.”

Damn.

“ If Westbrook can’t defer, to two better players ( I’d say quite a bit better in the Lakers case ) like he hasn’t been able to with PG13 or Harden, and still takes shitty shots, then it’ll go as it has his entire career.”

“ Now you have a player in his prime, who was 2nd in the NBA in 3's made last season yet has been on one of the worst teams in the NBA his entire career -- instead of a guy who has ( I think caused ) been around drama with some of the biggest stars in the league ( KD, PGIII, Harden ), has the worst 3 point percentage in NBA history for players with over 2,500 attempts and is costing you on average 46 million a year.”

DAMN.

[Deleted User 863]

You pretty much called how this would work out. I was much more optimistic simply because of the versatility of Lebron and AD. But they couldn't stay healthy enough to ever find a rhythm, if there ever was even a rhythm to be found.

They started making roster mistakes when LeBron got there. Sold out for 1 title. Now their roster is decimated.

Although even with buddy and fournier this team wouldn't be a contender. No bench. This is kind of what happens when you try to build solely through free agent acquisition and keep almost none of the young prospects from the draft.

[Deleted User 863]

Apparently Calipari is one of the guys the Lakers are considering.

Not sure why. There is no recruiting in NBA.

[pdub]

"Although even with buddy and fournier this team wouldn't be a contender. No bench."

Perhaps not a contender with the health of the LeBron and Davis but most certainly a playoff team. And maybe they'd have gotten healthy enough late to make a run.

Fournier was a free agent. So didn't have to give up assets.
Buddy for Kuzma.

Lakers keep Caldwell-Pope, Harrell, Caruso and have the 22nd pick in draft ( Isaiah Jackson ). You could probably still tacked on Melo and Dwight Howard since they were cheap options.
Plenty of bench.

[Deleted User 863]

"Although even with buddy and fournier this team wouldn't be a contender. No bench."

Perhaps not a contender with the health of the LeBron and Davis but most certainly a playoff team. And maybe they'd have gotten healthy enough late to make a run.

Fournier was a free agent. So didn't have to give up assets.
Buddy for Kuzma.

Lakers keep Caldwell-Pope, Harrell, Caruso and have the 22nd pick in draft ( Isaiah Jackson ). You could probably still tacked on Melo and Dwight Howard since they were cheap options.
Plenty of bench.

I think I read their offer to Caruso was so low that he wasn't staying regardless. But I could be misremembering that.

But looking back, definitely better if they didn't go after Russ....but it's the Lakers and they got sucked into wanting the big name star.

Oops.

But in the end, they got 1 title out of LeBron, which is about all they can really ask for. So many other good teams out there who have been building teams without major roster mistakes for 5+ years. I simply don't think the team building by acquisition works for more than a few years at a time. Couple good years, then several bad ones, then maybe rinse and repeat if you're lucky. But the good GMs don't do it that way long term.

[twocoach]

You pretty much called how this would work out. I was much more optimistic simply because of the versatility of Lebron and AD. But they couldn't stay healthy enough to ever find a rhythm, if there ever was even a rhythm to be found.

They started making roster mistakes when LeBron got there. Sold out for 1 title. Now their roster is decimated.

Although even with buddy and fournier this team wouldn't be a contender. No bench. This is kind of what happens when you try to build solely through free agent acquisition and keep almost none of the young prospects from the draft.

LeBron, Davis and Westbrook played a total of 21 games together, going 11-10. Neither James nor Davis can keep themselves healthy any more. Hard to get in a rhythm together when you barely play more than a game or two in a row together. It is a terribly constructed team and what's worse is that they might be stuck with it again next season. Any GM who would trade for Westbrook at this point should lose his job unless they are a team with zero stars that just needs some gate receipts.

[pdub]

Westbrook is great on bad teams that won't go anywhere.
Can be very fun to watch every third night.
Back to DC!