Around The NBA : 2023-24 Season #2

[DASMACKDOWN]

I thought the Bruce Brown situation was so weird.

He has been a journeyman bounced around the league till he got Denver. Played decent in a full season and won a chip. Indy then severely overpays to get Bruce Brown 2/45 mil, then instantly regrets it. (Like everyone thought they would)

Now Toronto wants no parts of him either and are looking to trade him.

All that he has going for him, is that he is a 23 million dollar expiring. So that would create some interest in teams looking to shave salary.

[Ice Man]

He has been a journeyman bounced around the league till he got Denver. Played decent in a full season and won a chip.

As a wise man once told me, the most overrated players in the NBA are role players on championship teams. They're no different than role players on garbage teams, but people -

1) Start to believe that they are magical winners
2) Learn the strengths of their game by watching them close, during their title run

Guys on garbage teams have strengths too, but few people are watching the role players on Detroit or Charlotte.

[DuckIII]

Shame this Denver v Minny series is a semi conf final one. These two teams are the best in the NBA and think they would kill any team in for the chip.

Denver still gets this at home in game 7.

Denver is when healthy, but Jamal was critical last year and either due to injury or just coming back down to earth he's been just another inconsistent scoring PG. He was 27 ppg on 47%/43% shooting in this series last year. Aaron Gordon just can't be your 2nd best offensive player.

Hard carry by Joker so far.

Yeah, Jamal and MPJ have been underwhelming (ghosts at times). Give Minny credit, they have taken those guys out of games.

Murray is injured. He’s just not fully himself. MPJ is just overvalued by this board due to the Carter draft. He’s not capable of being an independent scorer. If you want to take him out of a game, any team can do that on any night. It’s just that they don’t make that choice due to Jokic and Murray. MPJ is an outstanding shooter but he’s a purely complimentary player.

[Ice Man]

MPJ is just overvalued by this board due to the Carter draft.

Yeah, we do that all the time. Nurkic and Harris. We could have had Nurkic and Harris instead of Doug. Yeah whatever, None of them matter.

[DuckIII]

MPJ is just overvalued by this board due to the Carter draft.

Yeah, we do that all the time. Nurkic and Harris. We could have had Nurkic and Harris instead of Doug. Yeah whatever, None of them matter.

Yeah, and plus in MPJ’s case he really just wasn’t that good of a prospect anyway. His injury basically caused him to fall to about where he belonged generally speaking. He was an all-hype marginal substance guy somewhat like OJ Mayo.

In my opinion he’s actually reached his real ceiling and is a great fit in Denver so kudos. Thats all you can hope for from any pick.

[dumbell78]

Denver is when healthy, but Jamal was critical last year and either due to injury or just coming back down to earth he's been just another inconsistent scoring PG. He was 27 ppg on 47%/43% shooting in this series last year. Aaron Gordon just can't be your 2nd best offensive player.

Hard carry by Joker so far.

Yeah, Jamal and MPJ have been underwhelming (ghosts at times). Give Minny credit, they have taken those guys out of games.

Murray is injured. He’s just not fully himself. MPJ is just overvalued by this board due to the Carter draft. He’s not capable of being an independent scorer. If you want to take him out of a game, any team can do that on any night. It’s just that they don’t make that choice due to Jokic and Murray. MPJ is an outstanding shooter but he’s a purely complimentary player.

Granted Murray is injured, and we've talked about that. We also have to acknowledge Minny has made it difficult for him getting to his spots. Swarming him and making sure he isn't comfortable. The Minny wings have done a great job.

MPJ is wing that is supposed to hit shots, especially when they are open. Rebound and play sound team defense. He is a 3rd option guy and playing like he's the 9th guy off the bench. I don't disagree with your thinking that he is overvalued here; I wasn't high on him at all out of the draft but that isn't factoring into my review of him in this series. He has proven to be valuable to Denver in their system.

Both those guys are way behind in production this series. They have a game 7 at home to change that.

[DuckIII]

Yeah, Jamal and MPJ have been underwhelming (ghosts at times). Give Minny credit, they have taken those guys out of games.

Murray is injured. He’s just not fully himself. MPJ is just overvalued by this board due to the Carter draft. He’s not capable of being an independent scorer. If you want to take him out of a game, any team can do that on any night. It’s just that they don’t make that choice due to Jokic and Murray. MPJ is an outstanding shooter but he’s a purely complimentary player.

Granted Murray is injured, and we've talked about that. We also have to acknowledge Minny has made it difficult for him getting to his spots. Swarming him and making sure he isn't comfortable. The Minny wings have done a great job.

MPJ is wing that is supposed to hit shots, especially when they are open. Rebound and play sound team defense. He is a 3rd option guy and playing like he's the 9th guy off the bench. I don't disagree with your thinking that he is overvalued here; I wasn't high on him at all out of the draft but that isn't factoring into my review of him in this series. He has proven to be valuable to Denver in their system.

Both those guys are way behind in production this series. They have a game 7 at home to change that.

Agree with all that and I think Minny has had a couple of the best team defensive games I’ve seen all season in this series. Outstanding.

[kodo]

Derrick Jones was huge in that DAL-OKC game, great to see him play on that stage.

[yifsuibfe1]

Derrick Jones was huge in that DAL-OKC game, great to see him play on that stage.

Bulls could use a guy like him

[Dan Z]

Dereck Lively with 15 rebound and 12 points. I'm sure Dallas is glad that they tanked at the end of the year to retain their pick and get him.

[Wingy]

Derrick Jones was huge in that DAL-OKC game, great to see him play on that stage.

Good enough for 40 minutes, 22 points, and being one of the guys checking SGA in a close out conference semifinal.

But not good enough for you know who!

[Chi town]

Giddey with 10 mins. I bet he gets traded. He’d be a good buy low candidate. He could be really good next to Coby and Ayo setting them up.

OKC would be in the finals had they traded a couple of their war chest of picks for a player like Caruso.

[Repeat 3-peat]

Giddey with 10 mins. I bet he gets traded. He’d be a good buy low candidate. He could be really good next to Coby and Ayo setting them up.

OKC would be in the finals had they traded a couple of their war chest of picks for a player like Caruso.

More like for a center. They have POA and perimeter defenders.

[Wingy]

Giddey with 10 mins. I bet he gets traded. He’d be a good buy low candidate. He could be really good next to Coby and Ayo setting them up.

OKC would be in the finals had they traded a couple of their war chest of picks for a player like Caruso.

More like for a center. They have POA and perimeter defenders.

Like say, Daniel Gafford, the guy they helped the Mavs get?

Your pick haul is the envy of the league though, Presti!! Keep building and holding on to it for the perfect time.

[Repeat 3-peat]

Giddey with 10 mins. I bet he gets traded. He’d be a good buy low candidate. He could be really good next to Coby and Ayo setting them up.

OKC would be in the finals had they traded a couple of their war chest of picks for a player like Caruso.

More like for a center. They have POA and perimeter defenders.

Like say, Daniel Gafford, the guy they helped the Mavs get?

Your pick haul is the envy of the league though, Presti!! Keep building and holding on to it for the perfect time.

Correct.

Presti has to make a big move sooner rather than later. They have their main core in SGA/JDub/Chet and good pieces like Dort/Wallace. Bringing in more first round picks does nothing as they won't see the PT toe develop, though they could keep moving picks for futures, which is possible.

[Wingy]

Correct.

Presti has to make a big move sooner rather than later. They have their main core in SGA/JDub/Chet and good pieces like Dort/Wallace. Bringing in more first round picks does nothing as they won't see the PT toe develop, though they could keep moving picks for futures, which is possible.

In making this point I’ve always cited guys like Rose, BRoy, Grant Hill, Penny. Tomorrow is never a given. Anything major unfortunately happens to SGA, and it’s over…or even JW/Chet - you can still compete, but you’re not winning it all.

Their only move was Heyward who got 15 total minutes over the first 3 games of this series. Then 3 DNP-CDs.

Gafford would’ve been great. Drummond’s rebounding with all their spacers would’ve been massive...how do they keep that guy off the boards. More expensive, but perhaps Clint Capela at the deadline. Might’ve taken an overpay, but you’ve got the currency needed and with any of those guys I think this series would’ve ended differently if Presti didn’t sit on his hands.

He’s got all the assets you could want. You didn’t do anything at the deadline, so this offseason…now is the time.

Doesn’t need to go all in for the overpriced star. I’d go for guys like above, short-term, reasonable money deals. Maybe ATL’s bringing in Sarr, so expiring Capela makes a ton of sense as a target.

[coldfish]

I don't think Presti thought the team would be this good, this fast. He may have been thinking the team was fool's gold even at the deadline. Regardless, playoffs have been good experience for them and its now a case that they need to maximize now before the extensions come due.

[MrSparkle]

I don't think Presti thought the team would be this good, this fast. He may have been thinking the team was fool's gold even at the deadline. Regardless, playoffs have been good experience for them and its now a case that they need to maximize now before the extensions come due.

I dunno. Shai’s been a top-5 (All-NBA 1st) player since last year. Legit MVP candidate 2y in a row. When you have such a guy, any ounce of help goes a long way (and Chet, Williams, Cason were big time boosts). I don’t think they expected a top seed, but I don’t think WCFs were that far out of mind.

The crazy thing is they’re a bumbling purgatory team without Shai. He was a crucial part of the PG trade, but obviously 1 part in a million (picks).

I’m of the mind Presti should atleast consider what patience did for him in 2014 and Ainge’s Celtics. A stacked young team with 50 FRPs isn’t all that memorable with zero chips - the one he got was an impatient build (Ray/KG).

Maybe they should just go big for the payout (add Jimmy or Bam, Lebron, Caruso). The tricky element is finding vet stars who want to move to OKC and buy into culture. They could theoretically sell Lebron and CP3 on a final ring chase, if they sign budget deals, and then pursue some trades with the picks, and have a comically stacked team ala 2017 Warriors.

[coldfish]

I don't think Presti thought the team would be this good, this fast. He may have been thinking the team was fool's gold even at the deadline. Regardless, playoffs have been good experience for them and its now a case that they need to maximize now before the extensions come due.

I dunno. Shai’s been a top-5 (All-NBA 1st) player since last year. Legit MVP candidate 2y in a row. When you have such a guy, any ounce of help goes a long way (and Chet, Williams, Cason were big time boosts). I don’t think they expected a top seed, but I don’t think WCFs were that far out of mind.

The crazy thing is they’re a bumbling purgatory team without Shai. He was a crucial part of the PG trade, but obviously 1 part in a million (picks).

I’m of the mind Presti should atleast consider what patience did for him in 2014 and Ainge’s Celtics. A stacked young team with 50 FRPs isn’t all that memorable with zero chips - the one he got was an impatient build (Ray/KG).

Maybe they should just go big for the payout (add Jimmy or Bam, Lebron, Caruso). The tricky element is finding vet stars who want to move to OKC and buy into culture. They could theoretically sell Lebron and CP3 on a final ring chase, if they sign budget deals, and then pursue some trades with the picks, and have a comically stacked team ala 2017 Warriors.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/OKC.html

From a salary perspective, it sure looks like this summer is their "go for it" window. If they don't consolidate now, Presti is a fool but man does he have the deck stacked in his favor. They should have around $40m in capspace on top of their young players and 9 incoming first rounders in addition to their own (actually 10 but they owe 1).

[prolific passer]

Giddey with 10 mins. I bet he gets traded. He’d be a good buy low candidate. He could be really good next to Coby and Ayo setting them up.

OKC would be in the finals had they traded a couple of their war chest of picks for a player like Caruso.

They can still do that in this off-season. Might get 3-4 picks if you include Drummond but it all depends on if ak is going to make any trades. He's the wildcard in all this which is sad and scary.