2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Gafford and AD are the key injuries..But the games are going to be played regardless. So we're going to see what happens by April 13th.

 

Hopefully they stay hurt.

 

I see your point about their bigs presenting a problem for us though. Dealing with AD, Gafford and Lively would be a nightmare. I just don't see them as contenders this year. We know how much of a toll it takes to fight through March and April as the 8th to 10th seed. And they have zero chemistry with AD. It sucks for them but it's just not their year, imho.

 

yeah, i think next year the mavs will be a bigger concern. even if they get healthy this year, they'll be constructing an identity and scheme on the fly with guys coming off substantial injuries. it's just not likely.

i do like their roster on paper, though.

 

I get it..but folks are acting like their whole team is injured right now or something. They still have 6 guys avg double digits, and Exum avg 9pts a game. Gafford is only out a couple of weeks. It depends on what's up with AD IMO. Not an early round matchup I'd want to see. It doesn't mean they are going to win the West. I still think we're getting to the WCF, I'd be worried about playing Dallas early if they get in though. If AD is healthy, I'd be extremely worried.

 

AD is out a month from what I’m hearing and there is even some concern they could shut him down for the season. By the time he gets back they’re going to be struggling to get into the playoffs through the play in. Right now they’re the 8th seed. Their front court is decimated with injuries.

They don’t know that Gafford is only out a couple of weeks only that he is going to be reevaluated in a few weeks could be out longer. Derrick Lively has already been out for awhile and they’re not sure when he’s coming back he has a stress fracture and is out at least another month.

I just think they’re too banged up this year even if AD comes back if Gafford and Lively are out he still is in the same position where he has to play out of position. I don’t see them being a threat this year.

 

Let me put it this way then...If Anthony Davis is healthy, they are a threat to US. I don't care if they were the 11th seed, going into the playin. They still have Kyrie, they still have Washington, Max, Dinwiddie, Thompson. Gafford isn't feared to be a serious injury, lets forget about Lively.

If AD really can't come back, no problem. If that's not the case though, that is a problem, for US. So I'd rather avoid that particular team, if Anthony Davis is a go.

 

I want to beat teams at their best and not hear anymore bubble chip crap type of stuff

 

you shouldn't. he's their third most important player, and stats might suggest he's actually the second ahead of kyrie (!). those numbers were calculated when luka was there, though, so possible slight inflation (though they account for other players' impacts). in other words, lively is VERY important to their team, so this would be like saying, memphis is trouble, forget jaren jackson/ja morant for a minute...

ironically...teams were at their best in the bubble? boston's the team that just played every single opponent with one or more key players either totally absent for severely limited by injury.

 

Honestly I'm not even worried about Jokic at this point. We'll play to our strengths. If Joker drops 30/15/15 on us Bron and Luka will drop 60/20/20 on them.

 

the bigger problem is how to contain murray, gordon, and MPJ

 

Rebounding will be key with our small ball lineups. Gordon was a real problem for us and unintelligent Ham couldn’t solve it.
With healthy Vando, DFS, Gabe and hopefully The Masked Man, Murray will have a much more difficult time against us.

 

yeah, i think denver will have a harder time stopping us now, but our issues containing jokic and murray will remain.

 

The problem with Denver is Jokic is capable of going 47/16/11 on 70% at any moment. Then you have Murray who isn't going to average 30 but likes to go for 15 in the 4th against us for two separate games.

 

We didn’t have DFS last year, a healthy Vando, a healthy Gabe … all good defenders with Rui working harder and better at it too now PLUS we didn’t have Luka and we had Darvin Ham instead of JJ and this staff and AR playing at an all star level now.

 

And we no longer have Tinker Bell

 

I'm not as worried about the Nuggets after this AD trade but mostly after getting rid of D'Lo.

Every time D'Lo played the Nuggets, he played afraid and provided zero value defensively. If the Nuggets played big, D'Lo was useless out there.

Now with DFS, the Lakers have someone who can guard guys like Gordon, MPJ, and even rotate to Murray.

You're not going to stop Jokic. AD tried his best and Jokic still dropped numbers on him. It's at a point with Jokic that it doesn't matter what you do, book him for 30/14/9 every game on good efficiency. You have to stop the others - which is what the Wolves did and why they beat the Nuggets.

Also, because you now have Luka, the empty minutes where LeBron isn't out there, you're bringing in a guy who is just as good, if not better than LeBron. So the Lakers are ALWAYS a threat the entire 48 minutes.

If it comes down to it, I believe the C Bags are going to be the toughest challenge for the Lakers. They have the shooting, size, and versatility to match the Lakers. But Luka+Bron+Reaves > Tatum+Brown+Jrue.

 

Vando, DFS, and GOODWIN.

 

It's a completely different matchup with the Nuggets on both ends of the court. Offensively we now have Luka and Reaves to hunt Jokic and Murray every time down the court (Reaves hasn't quite been ready for that the last two years, I think he is now). Defensively, if we're switching and swarming a lot more I think that takes away some of the Jokic/Murray two-man game stuff and instead forces each to be iso players. Jokic can and will still destroy you doing that, I'm not as sure about Murray.