***2021-2022 NBA Season Thread***

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

Mitch Richmond sighting.  Dude was a straight baller.

[Going Commando]

1 minute ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

Houston with Paul probably beats them too

 

I doubt it.  And it's not like Golden State hasn't had injury issues to overcome either.  Curry missed a lot of time and Iggy missed most of the series.  This was hardly their best shot and it was still enough to beat a 65 win Houston team by a substantial differential.

 

But I think we're going to see this again next year, so we'll see if CP3 is enough to put them over Golden State.  I've been looking at Houston's cap, and my expectation is that they'll resign Paul, Capela, and Ariza this summer and try and bring this exact same group back.  It's about all they can hope to do .  They can use the MLE to get someone pretty good, but they're going to have to compete with the other teams for good ring chasers, so the impact of that tool might not be huge.  That's about the only tool they've got other than the BAE, because they won't have cap space if they keep Paul and Capela and they don't have their first round pick.

[Renegade7]

3 minutes ago, PeterMP said:

 

Lebron to Philly is an issue because Simmons can't shoot (unless he learns this off season).  Lebron is best with a PG that can shoot.

Mario Chalmers could shoot?  

[Momma There Goes That Man]

Happy for Chris Paul. Couldn’t have happened to a bigger ass

[Dr. Do Itch Big]

Nick Young is an idiot 

[PeterMP]

3 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

Mario Chalmers could shoot?  

 

High 30s/low 40% from 3 the years they were competing for a championship.

 

Which is a lot more than Simmons has shown.

Edited May 29, 2018 by PeterMP

[Renegade7]

1 minute ago, PeterMP said:

 

High 30/low 40% from 3 the years they were competing for a championship.

And less then 10ppg every year LeBron was there.  I don't understand.

[CRobi21]

19 minutes ago, Mr. Sinister said:

Go home, ****es. Enough brick laying laying to send Dorothy's gump ass all the way to the Emerald City

 

Damn.

 

But why the Dorothy ??

 

[Going Commando]

9 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

Healthy Boston or LeBron to Philly, maybe.

 

Boston is nowhere near ready to beat Golden State.

 

LeBron's decision is the key to beating Golden State.

 

Cleveland is a dead end team.  They can't make any major signings this summer and their only two trade-worthy assets are the Brooklyn pick and Kevin Love.  Unless they can unexpectedly pull off a super advantageous trade using those two things, there is zero chance that LeBron can challenge Golden State in Cleveland.

 

So he's probably going to leave this summer.  Yes, Philly is an option.  Not to toot my own horn too hard, but I believe I mentioned this as a possibility months ago, before anyone else brought it up.  It's on the table because Philly is one of the only teams that LeBron can go to where he'd be playing with an All Star starter.  But I just don't really see it happening.  Simmons would get neutered by LeBron's addition and Embiid isn't a totally reliable running mate.  Philly isn't ready to run with him yet.  Their time is coming, but it's several seasons down the road.

 

I think LeBron's decision will come down to finding a place where he can play with either Chris Paul or Paul George.  If CP3 decides to stay in Houston, then I think LeBron is going to team up with Paul George on the Lakers.  It could also happen on the Bulls I suppose, but I have an easier time seeing it happen in LA.

[CRobi21]

For real tho, HOU presented itself beautifully to LeBron for his next squad. Team of deadly shooters. Good role players. Good young big man. LeBron on HOU is a PROBLEM for EVERYONE.

[PeterMP]

2 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

And less then 10ppg every year LeBron was there.  I don't understand.

 

Just because he didn't shoot a lot doesn't mean he wasn't a reasonable floor spacer.  

 

Per a 100 possessions, he was scoring more than Iguodala has in GS.  Iguodala's offense isn't a key for GS, but nobody would argue it is irrelevant.

 

 

[CRobi21]

 

EJ is all of us....

[Going Commando]

2 minutes ago, CRobi21 said:

For real tho, HOU presented itself beautifully to LeBron for his next squad. Team of deadly shooters. Good role players. Good young big man. LeBron on HOU is a PROBLEM for EVERYONE.

 

Just to have a chance to sign LeBron, they'd have to relinquish Chris Paul's cap hold.

 

And someone could completely destroy their cap space by offering Capela a max and forcing Houston to match or else let him walk for nothing.

 

LeBron to Houston is great on paper but the cap situation doesn't work.

[PeterMP]

3 minutes ago, CRobi21 said:

For real tho, HOU presented itself beautifully to LeBron for his next squad. Team of deadly shooters. Good role players. Good young big man. LeBron on HOU is a PROBLEM for EVERYONE.

 

But how does Houston get him?

 

Is Lebron going to sign for an MLE?  Since he's never taken less than a max, that seems unlikely.

[Going Commando]

1 minute ago, CRobi21 said:

EJ is all of us....

 

It's a god damn crime against the sport that this moron is going to get a ring.

[PeterMP]

Could you do a sign and trade of Harden for Lebron?

 

The Rockets aren't as good as with both, but I think Lebron is better than Harden.

 

(Though you may as well fire D'antoni then because I can't see Lebron running that offense.)

[CRobi21]

4 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

It's a god damn crime against the sport that this moron is going to get a ring.

 

As JaVale takes a selfie as it happens...

 

 

SoWarriors....

[Renegade7]

@stevemcqueen1  I agree with you about LeBron leaving, been calling it for a while now.  I'm suprised in your support of LeBron coming to the Wizards then saying if he goes to Philly he'll neuter Simmons.  If he came to Washington (which we agree won't happen, but for this convo we'll talk about it), no way we just take the ball out of Wall's hand and just give it to LeBron.  I feel the same way about Simmons, they'll let them share that ball distribution, they have to to challenge GS.

 

And I disagree with your assessment of Boston being nowhere close.  If anyone can commit to not allowing nonstop open threes and going inside when the opportunity presents itself, Boston will not stick to a retard philosophy and die by it like Houston did.  Even with Houston trying to beat GS at their own game, they took them to 7.  I get we won't agree on the Boston thing, you've been hard on them for a while, but Stevens has proven he can maxamize what he has and we have to expect the Baby Cloves will improve over the offseason.  Only time will tell, I don't like the odds either, but their best in the East until someone proves otherwise.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Renegade7

[Renegade7]

11 minutes ago, PeterMP said:

 

Just because he didn't shoot a lot doesn't mean he wasn't a reasonable floor spacer.  

 

Per a 100 possessions, he was scoring more than Iguodala has in GS.  Iguodala's offense isn't a key for GS, but nobody would argue it is irrelevant.

 

 

I mean, IDK, Mario was arguably the most irrelevant starter on the team.  JJ wouldn't make up for that over Simmons?  This doesn't seem like a deal breaker, and on the assumption Simmons will stay a horrible shooter.  Problem I have with LeBron leaving is who has the space to take him?  Have to expect this not to be perfect no matter where he goes, what really are his options since we all agree it can't be Cleveland?

[Momma There Goes That Man]

31 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

And less then 10ppg every year LeBron was there.  I don't understand.

 

He was still a viable threat to shoot and make a basket so he had to be accounted for. Simmons can’t and doesn’t want to shoot 

[Mr. Sinister]

3 minutes ago, CRobi21 said:

 

Damn.

 

But why the Dorothy ??

 

 

Dunno... After every miss, I just kept saying "Brick, brick, brick " and that song started playing in my head for some damn reason.

 

Then I imagined all of them running to that city, and Harden and co. firing stepback yellow brick fadeaways and **** to aid them on their journey.

 

Probably bust her in the head and knock them red shoes off

[Going Commando]

Just now, PeterMP said:

Could you do a sign and trade of Harden for Lebron?

 

The Rockets aren't as good as with both, but I think Lebron is better than Harden.

 

(Though you may as well fire D'antoni then because I can't see Lebron running that offense.)

 

It's possible.  Maybe.  But unlikely.  The first issue is that LeBron's potential max contract would be limited by the S&T rules.  Maybe he doesn't care about that since he can command a max deal during any offseason and thus is able to repeatedly sign short term deals without negative consequence, but it's there as a potential issue.

 

I'm not totally sure what the S&T rules are for teams over the Apron, but Cleveland is over the Apron next year.  There could easily be a rule that says no S&Ts at all for teams over the Apron.

 

But if not, then yes, Houston and Cleveland could probably salary match a LeBron for Harden swap in a S&T.

 

Worth pointing out that LeBron has a player option for next season, and he could simply pick it up and the Cleveland wouldn't have to S&T him, they could just deal him to Houston for Harden straight up.

 

I actually proposed two Cleveland/Houston deals at the beginning of this season, the one that you thought was terrible (Love & Brooklyn pick for CP3) and a straight up LeBron for Harden swap.  I think that's a tough pill for both Cleveland and Houston to swallow though.  Cleveland would catch all kinds of Hell for trading their Michael Jordan and Houston would be taking on the risk of trading an MVP caliber player for a much older one on on a short term deal.

[hail2skins]

Was out at a bar watching the Caps game but nothing broke up the tension of that more than LMAO at the brickfest that was being undertaken by the Rockets on the other screen.

[Going Commando]

16 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

Only time will tell, I don't like the odds either, but their best in the East until someone proves otherwise.

 

They didn't even beat a dead dog Cleveland team.  They aren't ready to hang with Golden State.

[PeterMP]

14 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

I mean, IDK, Mario was arguably the most irrelevant starter on the team.  JJ wouldn't make up for that over Simmons?  This doesn't seem like a deal breaker, and on the assumption Simmons will stay a horrible shooter.  Problem I have with LeBron leaving is who has the space to take him?  Have to expect this not to be perfect no matter where he goes, what really are his options since we all agree it can't be Cleveland?

Somebody has to be the most irrelevant starter.  That doesn't mean that he couldn't shoot.  Mario wasn't a great shooter, but he certainly showed himself to be a competent shooter, much above with Simmons does.

 

And no JJ doesn't make up for it because you still have to account for Simmons' man.  On defense, Simmons' man is going to be free to help w/o having to worry about giving up the 3.

 

If Lebron moves to beat GS, he doesn't really have any good options as long as GS stays healthy, but Philly isn't a particularly attractive one as is (now, if you get Lebron are you willing to trade Simmons for a shooter.  That changes things.)

 

(Now, I will say, I think Iggy is coming to the end and pretty quickly.  He's been injured a lot through the years, and even more this year and didn't even shoot 30% from 3 this year.  I don't think Igudola even now is nearly the player he as 2 years ago, and I don't think him missing was really that big of a deal.  And it least in these playoffs, it looks like Green might not be too far behind him.)

Edited May 29, 2018 by PeterMP