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

saw that one. brutal.

in general, the league needs to re-think load-managing and how to do it. it's clearly not working the way teams want it to these days. i think it's strange that basically no coach has the discipline to just...not play your best player 45 minutes a game. i just feel like more consistent lower usage is probably better than intermittent high usage.

i also don't think the clippers can move off pg or kawhi. what they would get in trade doesn't replenish their assets; they're still not a FA destination (imo); and if they were, the ceiling of their new team wouldn't approach this one's. they just have to ride it out, imo; hope the timing of the annual injuries is better.

 

On that note, how f***ing lucky are the Suns? I don't think they ever faced a healthy opponent in the PO...
Time for Paul or KD to go down, just saying.

 

at least one will, almost certainly. paul hasn't really made it through a post season in years, and they're playing him 39mpg right now. i don't think phx comes out of the west.

 

We definitely have a great scenario ahead of us. Got an injured Memphis, Warriors don't look unstoppable as before, Phoenix lacks depth and may not have all stars in the WCF, Denver and/or Sacramento don't have experience in big time playoffs. It's up to us.
If LeBron and AD are healthy, we only depend on us to be in the Finals. Crazy season

 

To add, a lot of the guys out right now are the ones that were load managed through out the season. Embiid, Giannis, Kawhi, PG.

 

Everyone but the C Bags' guys were load managed

 

it's a good path, but both of our stars have had to consider foot surgery in the last couple months, and neither is at full strength (lebron, in particular, looks to be about 70% to me). also, our team is practically brand new. we have a shot, but it's basically the same shot as everyone else has (as opposed to favorite status). and i don't think we can take any of the east's top teams in the finals were we to get there.

 

Yeah, once you have bigtime stars, you kinda just have to ride it out and hope for the best injury wise. It's kinda like when AD goes down, and some people in Lakerland want to trade him... it would make the team worse to do so, unless you don't think he'll ever play in the playoffs again.

What's a team that has traded away a huge bigtime star (non-ancient) and gotten better or won a chip soon after? Even the rebuilds take a long time and often don't pan out.

 

Too pessimistic. I think people on your side call it realism and people on the optimistic side call it being a hater.

 

Well...if you call getting swept in the 2nd round or gentleman's swept in the WCF...to us...knocking at the door. I guess that's technically correct, but I ain't scared of them. Could go either way, but I like our chances at a repeat of beating them.

Their playoff results have also gotten a lot worse every year since then. I know, injuries, and all that, but they just don't inspire a lot of confidence (or fear) in me.

 

Currently Denver has all their guys and a two-time mvp in his prime. They have home court and a very good coach. It’s now or never, imo.

 

I agree with this. I just think it's Never.

 

Also, I haven't examined it, but I would guess that Denver's HCA shrinks in the playoffs. Still there, but a smaller amount. Reg season has people flying in and out of Den and the altitude adjustment. Playoffs that shrinks somewhat.

 

Jokic is good for basketball. If not us, I hope they win it all.

 

Yikes

 

I did mention "big time". I just don't think they have it when it counts. But this year it's their biggest opportunity, we shall see

 

they are the best in the West this year, but health and peaking at the right time are still a thing

They are a step ahead of everyone until proven otherwise