NBA Thread 2018/2019: That’s a Rap

[Mister J]

Good riddance. Whiteside needed to go.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Good riddance. Whiteside needed to go.

Good luck with Harkless and Leonard. Both solid character guys but Harkless is a wing who shoots like a center and Leonard is a center who can shoot like a wing every so often.

 

[Mister J]

Good luck with Harkless and Leonard. Both solid character guys but Harkless is a wing who shoots like a center and Leonard is a center who can shoot like a wing every so often.

Cool. I believe Harkless is heading to the Clippers when all this gets sorted to complete the Butler trade.

Whiteside is talented, but believes he's better than he actually is and tends to revert to a pouty, angst-ridden teenager when things don't go is way. He complains about PT, but will drag ass on defensive rotations (unless he's chasing blocks). He seemed overly excited about the number of shooters Portland has, but never passes the ball. He's a legit rebounder and rim deterrent though and, as on an expiring deal, should be motivated to perform for the next contract. Looks like a win on both sides.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

It does seem he performs best in contract years so with Portland needing him to play big minutes until February, he should be happy with the PT he'll be getting.

 

[Mister J]

Yeah, should be a good stop-gap for Nurkic. Plus, I think he's cool with CJ (and maybe Dame), going back to when he was going into free agency. Every little bit helps.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Knicks' fans have reason for optimism. Randle, Knox, and Barrett are a solid foundation. If Robinson can continue to improve, the team could be good for years.

 

[Kaleb]

 

[Kaleb]

 

[Mister J]

Clippers were allegedly out of the running... and now PG too?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Russell Westbrook, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Doc Samson]

Smh...dude stayed in OKC an extra year because of Westbrook, but ok.

Clippers are officially in play now, they got a great team for once, not something fraudulent...

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Smh...dude stayed in OKC an extra year because of Westbrook, but ok.

Clippers are officially in play now, they got a great team for once, not something fraudulent...

Why did the Thunder make the trade, if they thought they could win a title with Westbrook?

 

[Doc Samson]

Because George told them he wanted to be traded. Back in March it came out that they were talking about free agency. He, like Kawhi, wanted to be in LA for awhile now, that guy you're trying to **** on is what convinced him to try it another year in OKC.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Because George told them he wanted to be traded. Back in March it came out that they were talking about free agency. He, like Kawhi, wanted to be in LA for awhile now, that guy you're trying to **** on is what convinced him to try it another year in OKC.

And it worked out so well.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

So I guess that earthquake down in CA was caused by Kawhi and PG13 headed to the Clippers. Main takeaways from the off-season so far for me:
-The West is as deep as ever and it's going to be a battle for playoff spots. Don't think there's any clear cut favorite but Utah, LAC, Houston, Portland, Golden State, Denver, and possibly LAL will be fighting for the top with New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas and OKC looking to sneak in for the final spot.
-The East is still weaker in comparison to the West. Philly and Milwaukee are the favorites but they lost a bit in free agency. After those two, it's probably the Celtics and Nets but then it drops off rather precipitously to the Pacers and Raptors.
-Clips and Lakers are going to be one heckuva rivalry.
-Having now chased away 3 superstar teammates, I'd say Westbrook is the problem in OKC.

 

[Doc Samson]

-Having now chased away 3 superstar teammates, I'd say Westbrook is the problem in OKC.

So did Curry/Draymond chase away Durant too? Dude is the most sensitive player of his generation, how is he still unhappy in GS of all places? The narrative about this is already getting ridiculous, I just want some clarity. I could've swore GS was supposed to be everything Durant wanted, they play so well and everyone shares and it's Basketball bliss. So what happened? Sounds like he was the main issue in the locker room, with no Westbrook in sight.

Also, if reports are true that Durant told Westbrook personally he was coming back only to dip the next day, how is that ok? Durant bails again, are we not holding anyone accountable for that? I barely see it as any kind of story, his reasons for leaving, how come? Or is it just not sexy enough if it's not Westbrook's fault? And who's the 3rd superstar??? If you're referring to Harden, OKC simply didn't want to pay him, they chose Ibaka over him, how is that on Westbrook? Oladipo also had nothing but praise and credits Westbrook with his improvement. I'm not coming at you, I'm legit confused.

George came back for a second season and sang Russell's praises, right? Not only that but he had the best season of his career, does Russell get any credit for that? The fact that PG and Kawhi are both from LA (and PG mentioned them speaking back in March) and both made it clear before they were initially traded that LA is where they wanted to be, does that not play into this at all? Isn't that how they wound up in TOR and OKC to begin with, or is this just Westbrook affecting all this?

 

[Mister J]

Almost exactly one year later...

 

[Dr. Evil]

The upcoming NBA season is now unpredictable due to the Warriors sudden mortality, since Klay Thompson won't be back until April. There is no guarantee Steph wins his 4th championship this upcoming season, especially if most of the season he's going to be without Klay.

Sadly, we cannot say the same about the NFL, because we all know what happens in the Super Bowl: Tom Brady wins his 7th.

In conclusion:

Upcoming NBA Season > Upcoming NFL Season

 

[Dr. Evil]

So did Curry/Draymond chase away Durant too? Dude is the most sensitive player of his generation, how is he still unhappy in GS of all places? The narrative about this is already getting ridiculous, I just want some clarity. I could've swore GS was supposed to be everything Durant wanted, they play so well and everyone shares and it's Basketball bliss. So what happened? Sounds like he was the main issue in the locker room, with no Westbrook in sight.

Also, if reports are true that Durant told Westbrook personally he was coming back only to dip the next day, how is that ok? Durant bails again, are we not holding anyone accountable for that? I barely see it as any kind of story, his reasons for leaving, how come? Or is it just not sexy enough if it's not Westbrook's fault? And who's the 3rd superstar??? If you're referring to Harden, OKC simply didn't want to pay him, they chose Ibaka over him, how is that on Westbrook? Oladipo also had nothing but praise and credits Westbrook with his improvement. I'm not coming at you, I'm legit confused.

George came back for a second season and sang Russell's praises, right? Not only that but he had the best season of his career, does Russell get any credit for that? The fact that PG and Kawhi are both from LA (and PG mentioned them speaking back in March) and both made it clear before they were initially traded that LA is where they wanted to be, does that not play into this at all? Isn't that how they wound up in TOR and OKC to begin with, or is this just Westbrook affecting all this?

Durant made me like Golden State less. My thoughts were before he got there were: I always liked Steve Kerr and I like Steph and Klay (still do), but adding KD made them less likeable.

 

[Dr. Evil]

NFL Fans in February: Sigh.....of course Tom Brady wins another Super Bowl
NBA Fans in February: This season has been awesome so far! It's hard to determine who's going to the NBA Finals.

NFL Fans who are also NBA Fans in February: Ugh......New England wins another Super Bowl. Thank god I am also an NBA fan and it has been a fun season so far.

 

[TheGuy]

Everyone in the NBA is becoming unlikable with all these team ups. KD has always been unlikable even when the media was proclaiming him as "humble" during the Miami Big 3 Era. His move to Brooklyn only solidifies that belief. I do not respect this guy one bit and his two championships does not make him greater or rank higher in the all-time list.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Everyone in the NBA is becoming unlikable with all these team ups. KD has always been unlikable even when the media was proclaiming him as "humble" during the Miami Big 3 Era. His move to Brooklyn only solidifies that belief. I do not respect this guy one bit and his two championships does not make him greater or rank higher in the all-time list.

These team ups though make the NBA much more unpredictable and less likely to have a boring outcome, unlike the upcoming NFL season.

 

[TheGuy]

These team ups though make the NBA much more unpredictable and less likely to have a boring outcome, unlike the upcoming NFL season.

Yes definitely.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

I still think we're going to see some monster trades, either this summer or right before the trade deadline. It sounds like OKC may trade Westbrook and/or Adams sometime this season should decide they need to tear things down to the bare bones. Toronto, without Kawhi, may eventually jettison Lowry, Ibaka, and Gasol to gain assets and cap flexibility so they can do a quick rebuild around Siakim, VanVleet, and Anunoby. Cleveland may look to rid themselves of JR Smith and Kevin Love to do a proper rebuild.

 

[Bobber]

I don't really follow the NBA that closely. Can someone explain to me why Kevin Durant is so disliked?