NBA Thread

[Dr. Dinger]

Demarcus Cousins to the Lakers.

 

DeMarcus Cousins is f***ing terrible. He’s fat, he never defends, and his offensive game is outmoded. He was actually one of the biggest reasons the Raptors won (after KD and Klay) because the Warriors got annihilated whenever he was on the floor. His best role at this point is probably a second unit scorer, his days of being an impact player are over.

[Terminator]

So the Lakers brought back Javale McGee and Caldwell-Pope and then signed Danny Green, Quinn Cook and Demarcus Cousins. The also got Jared Dudley and that Daniels guy earlier this offseason to go along with Lebron, AD and Kuzma. PG is a dumpster fire but I suppose Lebron can play that position a fair amount. Absolutely stacked team and so are the Clippers.

 

EDIT: Signed Rondo just now too. He kind of sucks though.

Edited July 6, 2019 by Terminator

[Terminator]

DeMarcus Cousins is f***ing terrible. He’s fat, he never defends, and his offensive game is outmoded. He was actually one of the biggest reasons the Raptors won (after KD and Klay) because the Warriors got annihilated whenever he was on the floor. His best role at this point is probably a second unit scorer, his days of being an impact player are over.

 

No way! He was coming off an achilles injury and put up good advanced stats last year, including on defense. In the finals he struggled because he was coming off a pretty big injury that everyone expected to keep him out for the year and his fitness wasn't very good. If he can get healthy I'd expect him to be even better another year removed from the achilles injury.

 

I don't think his offensive game is outmoded at all either. He can handle the ball, pass and shoot threes. I agree with you that he's not a star anymore but he's definitely a good player still.

[connorp]

I was going to say they should bring back Rondo for PG depth and they did

[Terminator]

Rondo is kind of terrible at this point but there weren't many options.

[connorp]

Rondo is kind of terrible at this point but there weren't many options.

 

Well I think their money is done by now so it’s just vet mins. I actually think he played alright last year, I watched a lot of games. He can’t stay healthy though

[Bobthe4th]

I always though he’d end up in LA after he quit on the Spurs to try to force a trade there, but the media has been ridiculous in their Lakers love in. Great that he choose the Clippers (like Durant with the Nets over the Knicks in New York).

 

IMO there’s a good chance the Lakers are not even going to be a contender next year. I think the Warriors with Curry and Draymond wanting to prove themselves will have a better record than the Lakers.

[Terminator]

The Lakers are stacked. LeBron and AD is nuts. Cousins, Kuzma and Green are solid role players. The rest of the guys are kind of scrubby but between them all I think they have enough to fill out the rotation. The only problem is PG but Lebron can cover them there.

[Bobthe4th]

The Lakers are stacked. LeBron and AD is nuts. Cousins, Kuzma and Green are solid role players. The rest of the guys are kind of scrubby but between them all I think they have enough to fill out the rotation. The only problem is PG but Lebron can cover them there.

 

I see them more as an OKC (stars and scrubs) than as a pre Durant Warriors (a cohesive team but with stars).

 

AD is also injury prone - if he gets injured and misses any significant time I think they will be a low playoff seed in the West.

[dineke]

Clippers are better than the lakers. I'm rooting against the clippers though, I'm petty like that.

[Terminator]

Clippers are better than the lakers. I'm rooting against the clippers though, I'm petty like that.

 

I think the Clippers are better too but they are both stacked. A Western Conference finals between the two would be fun. What would the crowd be like for that? Probably more Laker fans each game?

[glory]

Yeah we all knew this was possible if not inevitable (re: Kawhi). The options were either keep DeRozan, lose in the 2nd round, and contemplate blowing it up, or make the trade, win a title, and lose Kawhi after a year. I'll take the latter any day of the week.

 

But I won't lie, I hope Kawhi doesn't win with the Clippers. I think he will, they are very deep, but I can be appreciative and salty at the same time.

[Terminator]

Yeah we all knew this was possible if not inevitable (re: Kawhi). The options were either keep DeRozan, lose in the 2nd round, and contemplate blowing it up, or make the trade, win a title, and lose Kawhi after a year. I'll take the latter any day of the week.

 

But I won't lie, I hope Kawhi doesn't win with the Clippers. I think he will, they are very deep, but I can be appreciative and salty at the same time.

 

Everyone is underrating the Lakers. They are going to give the Clippers a damn good series.

[Carlos Danger]

Am I the only one suffering from PKDS (Post Kawhi Depression Syndrome). I have been in the blues all day after reading the news this AM...

 

Seriously bummed... Doesn't help our baseball team sucks also...

[Fearthedoc]

It's rare you see a championship team's odds of repeating drop as much as ours did heading into the next year. It's depressing but I look at our championship to feel better.

[Abomination]

Am I the only one suffering from PKDS (Post Kawhi Depression Syndrome). I have been in the blues all day after reading the news this AM...

 

Seriously bummed... Doesn't help our baseball team sucks also...

 

I'm disappointed, but I still think we have a playoff team. Hopefully we'll see OG take a big step forward.

[Terminator]

I'm disappointed, but I still think we have a playoff team. Hopefully we'll see OG take a big step forward.

 

Yeah the Raps should still make the playoffs. Lowry, Siakim, Gasol, FVV is a good enough core for that.

[Carlos Danger]

Yeah the Raps should still make the playoffs. Lowry, Siakim, Gasol, FVV is a good enough core for that.

 

I don't know.. It is one thing to rally together for a few games during "load management" off days, it is another to do it all season long, with some of the competition in the East arguably getting better..

 

Where are you going to get that avg 20 points min per night, All- NBA Defense and rebounding and assists?

 

Not to mention, guys like Siakam and FVV were able to thrive in the playoffs because everyone is concentrating on Kawi. What happens when you have the other teams best defenders on Siakam and you are left with Lowry and who is more of a play maker and supporting cast.

 

Do we really think FVV will shoot 50% plus threes for the season??

[43211234]

Clippers are better than the lakers. I'm rooting against the clippers though, I'm petty like that.

 

Agreed. Thanks for the title but I'd rather cheer for someone like the Nuggets to come out of the West.

[Boxcar]

I don't know.. It is one thing to rally together for a few games during "load management" off days, it is another to do it all season long, with some of the competition in the East arguably getting better..

 

Where are you going to get that avg 20 points min per night, All- NBA Defense and rebounding and assists?

 

Not to mention, guys like Siakam and FVV were able to thrive in the playoffs because everyone is concentrating on Kawi. What happens when you have the other teams best defenders on Siakam and you are left with Lowry and who is more of a play maker and supporting cast.

 

Do we really think FVV will shoot 50% plus threes for the season??

 

*Shits pants*

[Carlos Danger]

*Shits pants*

 

Basically, yea.....

[Spanky99]

I don't know.. It is one thing to rally together for a few games during "load management" off days, it is another to do it all season long, with some of the competition in the East arguably getting better..

 

Where are you going to get that avg 20 points min per night, All- NBA Defense and rebounding and assists?

 

Not to mention, guys like Siakam and FVV were able to thrive in the playoffs because everyone is concentrating on Kawi. What happens when you have the other teams best defenders on Siakam and you are left with Lowry and who is more of a play maker and supporting cast.

 

Do we really think FVV will shoot 50% plus threes for the season??

 

13-3 without Kawhi.

[Dick_Pole]

LMAO. Even if the Raptors trade Lowry this is still a playoff team in the east. The east is absolutely trash and somehow managed to get even worse. Raptors drop to 25-1 to win the Championship. Ouch, but still tied for 10th best in the league with the Nets and Pacers.

 

GSW has a ton of value here. If you're the type to make a bet that's going to take 11 months to pay off.

[Dick_Pole]

FVV's value was on his defense, not on his lucky 3's streak. I do agree that Siakam might have a harder path to stardom this year over last. He's basically the #1 guy next year and unquestionably the #1 guy after that unless another big move is made.

[Boxcar]

FVV's value was on his defense, not on his lucky 3's streak. I do agree that Siakam might have a harder path to stardom this year over last. He's basically the #1 guy next year and unquestionably the #1 guy after that unless another big move is made.

 

Yeah I definitely think we need a #1 scoring option in front of Pascal, for now at least. Like, I wouldn't mind Westbrook as a scoring option if he was on a smaller contract.

[Dr. Dinger]

A couple trades I’d be exploring to shore up our nucleus post-old-core:

 

Kyle Lowry + Marc Gasol for Russell Westbrook + Steven Adams

 

OKC would listen on this offer because it allows them to get out from under both contracts sooner and initiate a rebuild with cap space (and the billion 1st rd picks they got for George). Lowry and Gasol as expiring contracts would also allow substantial trade flexibility for OKC while very few teams have the bandwidth or risk appetite to absorb Westbrook.

 

Kyle Lowry + Norm Powell + OG Anunoby for Bradley Beal + John Wall

 

Another case where the team (WAS) would dearly love to get out from under a contract, Wall. Beal has lots of value but is the necessary ballast to shed the albatross, and the Raptors for their part wouldn’t mind dumping Norm’s salary. You bet on a long-term rebound with Wall here, obviously.

 

These are the types of risks the Raptors will need to pursue if they don’t foresee many opportunities to reel in major free agents in the coming 2 offseasons. Risking it all to pursue Giannis in FA probably won’t pan out well, but these trades would allow the payroll flexibility to offer a max contract on Giannis anyway after the expiration of the Beal/Adams contract.

[dineke]

Those trades doesn't even make us noticeably better in the short term and handicaps our future.

[Bobthe4th]

A couple trades I’d be exploring to shore up our nucleus post-old-core:

 

Kyle Lowry + Marc Gasol for Russell Westbrook + Steven Adams

 

OKC would listen on this offer because it allows them to get out from under both contracts sooner and initiate a rebuild with cap space (and the billion 1st rd picks they got for George). Lowry and Gasol as expiring contracts would also allow substantial trade flexibility for OKC while very few teams have the bandwidth or risk appetite to absorb Westbrook.

 

Kyle Lowry + Norm Powell + OG Anunoby for Bradley Beal + John Wall

 

Another case where the team (WAS) would dearly love to get out from under a contract, Wall. Beal has lots of value but is the necessary ballast to shed the albatross, and the Raptors for their part wouldn’t mind dumping Norm’s salary. You bet on a long-term rebound with Wall here, obviously.

 

These are the types of risks the Raptors will need to pursue if they don’t foresee many opportunities to reel in major free agents in the coming 2 offseasons. Risking it all to pursue Giannis in FA probably won’t pan out well, but these trades would allow the payroll flexibility to offer a max contract on Giannis anyway after the expiration of the Beal/Adams contract.

 

Wall has the worst contract in the league and with his achilles injury his best attribute (speed) is unlikely to return to elite levels. Stay the hell away from Wall.

[Terminator]

I don't know.. It is one thing to rally together for a few games during "load management" off days, it is another to do it all season long, with some of the competition in the East arguably getting better..

 

Where are you going to get that avg 20 points min per night, All- NBA Defense and rebounding and assists?

 

Not to mention, guys like Siakam and FVV were able to thrive in the playoffs because everyone is concentrating on Kawi. What happens when you have the other teams best defenders on Siakam and you are left with Lowry and who is more of a play maker and supporting cast.

 

Do we really think FVV will shoot 50% plus threes for the season??

 

The East sucks. A .500 record will get you into the playoffs. Lowry is still playing at an All-Star level, Siakim was a good starter last year who is young enough to improve even more, and Gasol is a good starter. That right there is probably enough but throw in FVV who is a good rotation player, and Serge Ibaka who is a valid NBA rotation player and you've got a playoff team. Probably get bounced in the first round but they'll make the playoffs.

[jaysblue]

A couple trades I’d be exploring to shore up our nucleus post-old-core:

 

Kyle Lowry + Marc Gasol for Russell Westbrook + Steven Adams

 

OKC would listen on this offer because it allows them to get out from under both contracts sooner and initiate a rebuild with cap space (and the billion 1st rd picks they got for George). Lowry and Gasol as expiring contracts would also allow substantial trade flexibility for OKC while very few teams have the bandwidth or risk appetite to absorb Westbrook.

 

Kyle Lowry + Norm Powell + OG Anunoby for Bradley Beal + John Wall

 

Another case where the team (WAS) would dearly love to get out from under a contract, Wall. Beal has lots of value but is the necessary ballast to shed the albatross, and the Raptors for their part wouldn’t mind dumping Norm’s salary. You bet on a long-term rebound with Wall here, obviously.

 

These are the types of risks the Raptors will need to pursue if they don’t foresee many opportunities to reel in major free agents in the coming 2 offseasons. Risking it all to pursue Giannis in FA probably won’t pan out well, but these trades would allow the payroll flexibility to offer a max contract on Giannis anyway after the expiration of the Beal/Adams contract.

 

I agree, Raps need to do something and add another solid/elite player. I know people hate Westbrook, but he is one of the superstar's available and his value has likely taken a hit around the league anyways. OKC is rebuilding and will want to clear his contract. Westbrook probably now even has a bigger chip on his shoulder and would be motivated to show everyone in the NBA that he could lead a team to a championship. Raptors would be a great fit for him since he would have the pieces around him already and playing in the East as we all know is an easier path to the NBA Finals. Would suck to trade Lowry though, but his contract is expiring after this year and it's not a guarantee he re-signs with Toronto again.

 

I would rather target just Bradley Beal and not John Wall. Devin Booker would be an interesting option as well.