Around The NBA: 2019-20 RESTART

[kodo]

I don't think the Bulls were trying to get Bagley over Doncic. Greenberg/Vincent at the time reported the Bulls were trying to trade up to #3 or #4.

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Assuming Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III are the first two players off the board, the Bulls could be looking at a multitude of highly-regarded prospects at No. 3 or No. 4 if they trade up.

Jaren Jackson Jr. could be there, as well as Mo Bamba and Luka Doncic.

That could only mean they were targeting Doncic or JJJ (or possibly Trae), because Ayton & Bagley were already all-but-announced by PHO & SAC as their picks going #1 & #2.

I agree w/ Greenberg here, they were looking for Doncic or JJJ. More likely Doncic because JJJ (and Bagley) are PFs, and they were more than convinced Lauri was their permanent PF going forward. If they were really targeting Bagley, they would be talking to Sacramento instead of Atlanta or Memphis.

Regardless, it didn't happen.

[DASMACKDOWN]

Im still highly concerned about Lonzo Ball.

He is the perfect passing guy to play with Zion. But his inability to shoot or shoot free throws basically kills the teams ability to really hit a contending level in my opinion. He is really sticking out like a sour thumb.

Call my crazy but I think Lauri's stock is higher than Lonzo's right now in my opinion.

At least Lauri showed you something in his first 2 seasons. And people can throw that he is in a bad environment under Boylen.

For Lonzo he has had great situations for his 2 stops. Team to himself as a rookie, then under Lebron, then a young team with alot of heady veterans.

He just looks like a guy headed for a trade deadline deal next year. He certainly feels more like Elfrid Payton 2.0 right now.

[MrSparkle]

Im still highly concerned about Lonzo Ball.

He is the perfect passing guy to play with Zion. But his inability to shoot or shoot free throws basically kills the teams ability to really hit a contending level in my opinion. He is really sticking out like a sour thumb.

Call my crazy but I think Lauri's stock is higher than Lonzo's right now in my opinion.

At least Lauri showed you something in his first 2 seasons. And people can throw that he is in a bad environment under Boylen.

For Lonzo he has had great situations for his 2 stops. Team to himself as a rookie, then under Lebron, then a young team with alot of heady veterans.

He just looks like a guy headed for a trade deadline deal next year. He certainly feels more like Elfrid Payton 2.0 right now.

Yeah. I've thought little of Lonzo all along. I can't imagine anybody having any faith in him at this point. He clearly doesn't have star-caliber. Of the two, I prefer Rubio because he creates a more contagious team passing atmosphere with a lot of off-ball movement, whereas Lonzo is a high usage ball-handler. There are zero PGs since Rondo's prime who could dominate without a jump-shot, and he played with 3 HOF scorers. Simmons has Lebron size and athleticism so he's different.

I know they're two different guys and maybe they are destined for different careers (perhaps LaMelo is more humble coming in with Lavar's hype-train being a distant memory, the Pro NBL experience, seeing his older brothers' struggles), but wasn't Lonzo a more "sure-bet" prospect than LaMelo? He was a star at UCLA. LaMelo took a harder path with the Aussie league, but his shooting %s are putrid, whereas Lonzo's college %s were good.

Both Balls have better defensive length and vision than Elfrid. They've got the 3rd eye thing going on. I wouldn't say they're as skilled at dishing as Kidd or even Rondo. If Lonzo's value is low enough for the right (super-)team to buy him cheap, he might find his place. He'd fill that Livingston bench role in GSW.

[Red8911]

I don't think the Bulls were trying to get Bagley over Doncic. Greenberg/Vincent at the time reported the Bulls were trying to trade up to #3 or #4.

Read on Twitter

Assuming Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III are the first two players off the board, the Bulls could be looking at a multitude of highly-regarded prospects at No. 3 or No. 4 if they trade up.

Jaren Jackson Jr. could be there, as well as Mo Bamba and Luka Doncic.

That could only mean they were targeting Doncic or JJJ (or possibly Trae), because Ayton & Bagley were already all-but-announced by PHO & SAC as their picks going #1 & #2.

I agree w/ Greenberg here, they were looking for Doncic or JJJ. More likely Doncic because JJJ (and Bagley) are PFs, and they were more than convinced Lauri was their permanent PF going forward. If they were really targeting Bagley, they would be talking to Sacramento instead of Atlanta or Memphis.

Regardless, it didn't happen.

The bulls never were interested in Doncic. According to what was reported then, they were really high on Bagley and Trae Young.

[PrimzyBulls81]

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He is our Slovenian basketball Messi LoL .. boy oh boy, I still dont know how the "experts" were so wrong about him! We were saying all the time,the kid is special,the kid will rock your world, the kid will be a NBA star, but noooo.. experts were saying he will be bust, despite his over the top BB IQ, despite him playing among men at age 17,18 - despite being crucial guy in Real as a kid etc etc..

[jc23]

If the basketball gods allow it Luka will break all the records.

[Repeat 3-peat]

If the basketball gods allow it Luka will break all the records.

I truly believe it won't be that long until the comparisons to Jordan start. He's a special talent.

[Jeffster81]

If the basketball gods allow it Luka will break all the records.

I truly believe it won't be that long until the comparisons to Jordan start. He's a special talent.

Wrong MJ. I was thinking he might be compare more favorably to Magic than Michael.

[StunnerKO]

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[DASMACKDOWN]

Both Balls have better defensive length and vision than Elfrid. They've got the 3rd eye thing going on. I wouldn't say they're as skilled at dishing as Kidd or even Rondo. If Lonzo's value is low enough for the right (super-)team to buy him cheap, he might find his place. He'd fill that Livingston bench role in GSW.

Yeah I get the sense he will find himself on a team later where he doesnt have high expectations and slowly grooms his game. Like coming off the bench for a contender.

The good thing for New Orleans is that David Griffin really hasnt started to shaping the team yet around Zion. His only pressing issues are he probably has to max out Brandon Ingram. He could make a clean slate if he wanted.

Since Lonzo only needs a QO to play next season, my guess is, it will be his last real push to see if he stays in New Orleans.

[MrSparkle]

Both Balls have better defensive length and vision than Elfrid. They've got the 3rd eye thing going on. I wouldn't say they're as skilled at dishing as Kidd or even Rondo. If Lonzo's value is low enough for the right (super-)team to buy him cheap, he might find his place. He'd fill that Livingston bench role in GSW.

Yeah I get the sense he will find himself on a team later where he doesnt have high expectations and slowly grooms his game. Like coming off the bench for a contender.

The good thing for New Orleans is that David Griffin really hasnt started to shaping the team yet around Zion. His only pressing issues are he probably has to max out Brandon Ingram. He could make a clean slate if he wanted.

Since Lonzo only needs a QO to play next season, my guess is, it will be his last real push to see if he stays in New Orleans.

Yeah. NOP has a bit of the Bulls thing going on where they have no true swingmen. Ingram has perimeter skills and is considered a "SF" but at his length, there's a limit to his quickness and coordination as a wing. So then, after him, you have all these small guards playing SG/SF (Jrue, ET, JJ is not sized to kill, etc.). It was a losing recipe with a MVP-talent in Davis, didn't work with the Paul/Griffin Clippers, and it'll be a losing recipe with Zion. They need to add prototype-wing depth and shooting.

OKC been doing a good job with the concept, but Donovan has some pretty clever rotations with his role-player defensive wings, so he's not trotting out a Paul/Schroeder/Shai line-up. But it also helps that one of the best points ever, CP3 is beating father time, running that show as well as possible. Gallinari is also quite a swiss-army forward.

Speaking of which, I'm of the opinion that you can't go wrong hoarding that type of forward. I know he's not getting any younger but I'd be pretty interested in locking Gallinari up to a retirement deal ($85/4), possibly S&Ting for him with Thad and filler. I'd actually start him at SF and let Otto play off the bench in a minute restricted role.

[sco]

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A "Different Wendell Carter Jr" would be the one who could actually stay out of street clothes and actually play basketball - wearing a uni for 75 games would be a look I could get into.

[jc23]

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Wendell got a playoff mode?

[kodo]

Going to be difficult for a 6' 9" center with moderate athleticism to impress people, but I'm glad he's working hard in the offseason. And to be fair he's also limited by the Bulls not having a single true passing PG on the roster.

[HomoSapien]

Instead of duplicating all the work that the league did in Orlando, the NBA is considering using that bubble to help the teams that haven’t seen each other since mid-March.

When the playoffs start on Aug. 17, six of the 22 bubble teams will be going home. That immediately opens up some room for at least six of those eight teams to come into the bubble and start training. Another eight teams will go home after the first round of the playoffs, which means that all the non-playoff teams have enough room to stay in the bubble and train. The NBA finals aren’t scheduled to begin until Sept. 30, so those teams could get over a month of time to train and scrimmage.

It won’t completely make up for the time lost due to the COVID-19 shutdown, but it’s certainly better than waiting another three to four months for the next season to begin — if it even begins on time. With so much about the 2020-2021 season up in the air, getting those teams any training time at all is vital.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nb-as-8-nonbubble-teams-could-join-the-bubble-once-playoffs-begin-per-report-182536910.html

This is regarding the 8 teams that didn't make the bubble cut. Even though it's pointless, I sure would love to see some more Bulls basketball.

[MrSparkle]

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I've been watching a lot of Denver ball. And every time I tune into the NBA Bubble, it seems the Orlando Magic are playing.

Ya know... I know Lebron's teams and the Warriors created this anti-center perspective, but the fact is that a talented offensive center can open up the game in different ways.

I look at what Jokic, Plumlee, Vuc, Gasols do/did... and I see no reason why Wendell couldn't play a great role alongside one of those guys. He does have the body of Millsap; he doesn't move quite as fast, but at the same time when he was actually in shape in Nov 18 (the only time he's been healthy and conditioned, before the injury streaks started), he was a more mobile defender. Millsap wasn't shooting great from range in his first few years, but his game developed.

So anyway, if Wendell gets in shape, improves his shot or finds a go-to offensive move, I don't think it'd be crazy to consider a PF role. I do think Plumlee would be a nice MMLE addition to replace our bench rotation of bozos who can't play fundamental big man basketball.

I never liked Lauri/Wendell cause there isn't enough size to compensate for the lack of speed. But if there was actually a center who knew how to make a post-pass or run a successful screen and roll, along with a high-post jumpshot, Wendell could probably get away with part-time/starter PF minutes, and become twice as valuable by being a two-position player. I'm also secretly lobbying for a Vuc trade. I think he'd be a good balance to the Coby/Zach backcourt. I feel like a package around Lauri and filler might catch their attention. Lauri and Bamba might be a more compatible unit, along with Vuc and Wendell.

[Andi Obst]

Cam Payne becoming a useful rotation player in the bubble is a development I did not see coming.

Also, DeAndre Ayton needs to grow up.

[MrSparkle]

Cam Payne becoming a useful rotation player in the bubble is a development I did not see coming.

Also, DeAndre Ayton needs to grow up.

He was a poor player, but I always insisted that of the Bulls melee of trash-heep PGs, he was the one and only guy who made Hoiball look like whatever it was supposed to be. He could shoot the 3P, dribble with his head up, make a pass, and dribble past guys. I think his confidence was totally zapped from those OKC injuries and the Chicago fans; the Bulls trade was horrendously stupid. They should have never sent Taj (and Doug) out for a C-Payne return. It was infuriating sending out one of the league's better veteran role-players for such a poor return, even if he was expiring and blocking Niko's and Bobby's minutes.

[Andi Obst]

If the basketball gods allow it Luka will break all the records.

The way he's carrying the Mavs right now is incredible.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

TJ WARREN !!!!