2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

The complexion of the playoffs change every year. Mostly because injuries play a big role in how things shape out. Kudos to the teams that survived the bloodbath this season, but it's not some concrete blueprint of how it's going to be next season. The two teams that went to the Finals are sitting at home watching this one. Just like last season. A lot of "experts " didn't think our Championship roster held a candle to the Clippers. Hell we had a bunch of minimum players then too didn't we? I'm not as down on the roster as many people are. What's wrong with this...move Tucker/Nunn for a guy like Wood( we definitely had interest in him at the deadline, that's more likely that issue James/Davis had than frigging not getting John Wall!) Snag a MLE like Warren maybe. That transforms the whole roster doesn't it? We still have spots that can be upgraded at the minimum. I think we have more options available than is being portrayed. The smart move is to make minor deals first, and hold the biggest asset for a play later. Who knows who gets hurt somewhere else during next season? It's going to happen to somebody, I just hope we've had our run on that issue.

 

you guys are talking like this year's playoffs were more marred by injuries than last year's, but imo, last year's was the absolute bloodbath. this year was bad, but more in line with normal years. truth is that injuries have always dictated. and slim will claim victory here, but the difference between us this year and last is that we didn't even give ourselves a chance to fight. AD doesn't get hurt and we probably lose in the finals to milwaukee last year. this year, we couldn't even make the play-in.

we HAVE to upgrade the players 3-8 on our roster. they can't be vet mins, and they especially can't be max players performing like vet mins.

 

How are you going to upgrade 3-8 without including Vet mins? What's your plan again? Let's hear some actual names being floated. I named two guys, what's wrong with them? Better yet , who do you think is realistic in addressing your 3-8 upgrades?

 

I mean come one come all..let's hear some names and chop it up. Put on your Rob hat folks...what would YOU do?

 

I guess we don't need Monk anymore.

 

i've made at least 4 or 5 westbrook trade ideas, and i listed FA targets like, four posts ago.

 

Ok..Ingles/Warren MLE and vet mins. Check.

 

I know there were some big ones last year, but off the top of the head this year we've seen Smart, Horford, RW3, Butler, Lowry, Steph, GP2, Luka, Embiid, Harden(wait... is fat an injury?), Middleton (changed the entire East), CP3, Booker, Ja, Adams, Bane, Murray, Porter, Lavine, Ball, FVV. I'm sure I'm forgetting some too.

 

With some playing time and some stability from the stars. Reaves,Johnson and Gabriel can be just as impactful as Caruso, KCP and Kuz were in the bubble.

 

That's simply not reality.

 

How is that?

It depends on what we are asking them to do. I don't think we are going to lean on them for scoring as much. I think we are going to add scoring punch elsewhere. The rest of the team is going to be constructed differently than the bubble team.

 

You're comparing starters and 8 figure players to minimum guys, two of which were hanging on in the league by their finger tips. I have high hopes for where AR will get to, but if you're expecting close to what those three brought anytime soon your're going to be sorely disappointed. Stan and Gabriel are the 9th and 12th man on a championship team (and for the record Stan was one of my favorite 3 players on the team this year).

 

Caruso and Kuzma were on minimum contracts in the bubble. Reaves has the potential to be a better all around player than Alex in their 2nd year. Caruso started in the G league. Johnson can be as good as KCP on defense, Gabriel can definitely be better than Kuz in that regard. I already stated that I didn't expect any of them to be leaned on to score as much. Alex wasn't leaned on in that way in the bubble to begin with. I said impact in the bubble, that can be judged in different ways.

 

You like to jump in with your hot takes towards me, based off some preconceived idea, that you actually know what you are taking about I see. Caruso and Kuzma were used as examples in regards to Reaves, Johnson and Gabriel. What do those kids have to do with washed up vet min guys?

You are in such a hurry to jump in to "check" me, that you will fly off on some BS take, that distorted what I posted. "moderator ". You walked away months ago? I can't tell. Some people are determined that their opinions, are the only ones that somehow matter. I didn't know that was your function here. I get under your skin..that's cool with me. We can ignore each other moving forward, I couldn't care less. I'm pretty sure that I was a Lakers fan before you were even born dude.

 

Anything is possible..

@KingJames Follow back it's Larry Hughes nephew from st. Louis and Abe and Rj Lil cousin and Justin Son Follow Back http://t.co/AnOnb7E8

 

send Brick home if he cant be traded

 

yes. the russ trade made it so that that's all that's realistic. again, i've pitched a bunch of russ trades to upgrade 3-8, too. (go) check.

almost all of those guys at least played, though, with most coming back after their injuries. only middleton and ja (don't think this affected the outcome, btw) were big players fully removed from the proceedings.

last year, AD went out after 3 games, changing the result of a series. bkn lost everyone but durant, clips lost kawhi, etc. those were three of the top 4 contenders, imo. if you count denver among them, they lost murray just prior to the playoffs.

lol still on this? i know kuz and caruso being just as good or better away from lebron is inconvenient for your argument, but that's never stopped you i guess. weezy pointed out the minimums because both gabriel and johnson have had opportunities to be picked up at more than that and nobody bit.