2023-24 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Yeah this "trust the process" thing is a bit out of hand. I guess the super teams made it harder for smaller markets and they can only compete if they strike a REALLY great player, like Giannis or Jokic (who were late picks but the point is that you need that kind of level to have a chance to compete)

Before I think there was more balance between the teams and the top players were mostly distributed across the league (some exceptions of course, like our Lakers with Magic/Kareem). Now the top20 is almost all paired up in the big markets so you need something else to level the field and it's only by striking in the draft. Having multiple chances increases your odds, unless you're Detroit

 

I think OKC is going to hoard these picks because they're not sure what to do when all these young guys come in for their extensions.
They tend to be a cheap team to start with but even they decide to go deep into the luxury tax into the second apron - teams are going to have a hard time once you hit 2 max contracts let along potentially 3.

If they move off one of their core like they did with Harden, they're going to either make the big move to package or just use the picks to get around the restrictions on player signings and restrictions on types of trades you can do etc. it's not a bad strategy but damn how long have they have been in a rebuild?

 

At the end of the day, they are still in Oklahoma. They aren’t going to keep any great players for long regardless.

 

but it's interesting because the teams trying to cluster lotto picks really haven't been the ones capitalizing on the draft, right? as you said, jokic and giannis were later picks. doncic was the 5th pick. SGA was what, 10th? and none of the teams that drafted them were hoarding picks, nor were they acquired in trade via pick hoarding.

the closest thing to success with that was maybe philly with embiid, but that was a miserable, long process that still hasn't really paid off, imo.

 

“After the first five picks in the draft is a total crapshoot, unless you are the Lakers”.

— Someone Wise

 

it's weird because our biggest successes have been in the late 1st or after, right? i guess the ingram pick was the right one, but lonzo was dead wrong, for example. i didn't know what to think with our mid-1st this year because we really haven't drafted there much, and never with the current regime.

 

Yeah, it just feels like everyone we draft ends up in the league with a role somewhere even if it's not here. Overall, a very good draft record in recent years. Doesn't mean they are infallible, but I certainly feel the need to give them the benefit of the doubt. On college players I never watched play, it's easy for me to say that. Others that watched both can logically have a different conclusion.

 

Harden updates from Shams, Woj, Ramona and Fischer

Latest from Shams

Woj





And a update from Fischer




Harden trying to get into a Houston strip club at 9 AM

 

Is Mann really the hold up for Harden here? He’s good but not THAT good.

 

yeah, it's wild. i still wonder if philly's trying to re-route mann and the picks for someone that can help them win now. i get why they don't want marcus morris and covington or batum or whatever. they have joel embiid in his prime. they can't just punt the year.

 

Hollinger is a damn fool. Here's his West projections for The Athletic

Not posting the article, he writes 8-12 paragraphs per team in explaining his delusions. No one is reading 40,000 words from him.

 

you know you're using a stat-based system when the gap between 1 and 7 is 5 games.

 

Projecting us at only two more wins than last year is insane to me. While it always comes down to injuries for us, I think we are in the mix for 50+ wins. Definitely top 3 in the West.

We are much more equipped to compete if AD or LeBron go down than in the past

I don't get taking the Grizzlies or Wolves so high or having the Kings drop this low as they aren't even in the top 7.

 

Who scouts horses??? This guy ! Lol … not much to do in Serbia

 

at this point it has to be more about the picks. mann is a good player, but it's hard to believe the clips would rather keep him than go all in considering kawhi and PG aren't getting any younger

 

So when they come out with strong statements like these...what do you do? SMH..That's why these type of situations can be so difficult for law enforcement to decipher what "really" happened .

Kysre Gondrezick claims Kevin Porter Jr. never hit her

“He didn’t hit me. He never balled his fists up and hit me. And he definitely didn’t punch me in the face numerous times. That is a lie. I don’t have any injuries to support that.”

(Via @nypost )

 

Was curious how some teams had been doing in pre-season so went a lookin' and found this site with the results.

https://oddspedia.com/us/basketball/usa/nba-preseason

 

I think Memphis is going to be pretty good too. Denver, Phoenix, Lakers and Memphis are my top 4 in the West.

 

West is brutal: you're going to have some very good teams miss out on the playoffs. Teams that in other years would be threats to get out of the first round may not even make the playin.

 

Adam Silver just said on ESPN that the NBA is considering going back to East vs. West at the All-Star Game. Which would mean no more player draft at All-Star weekend
Who cares .All Star game at least 7 last years not about basketball anymore