Around The NBA: 2019-20 RESTART

[HomoSapien]

This appeared on my Facebook:

Chris Paul has been ballin' in OKC.
CP3 is leading the league in Total Clutch Points with 84 points this season.

Also in the top 5:

Zach Lavine: 78 PTS
Joel Embiid: 76 PTS
Donovan Mitchell: 73 PTS
James Harden: 65 PTS

[Dresden]

Rookie Comparisons:

Darius Garland: 40% fg. 37% on 3's.
DeAndre Hunter: 40% fg. 34% on 3's.
Coby White: 37% fg. 34% on 3's.
Jarret Culver: 36% fg. 24% on 3's.
NAW: 34% fg. 34% on 3's.
RJ Barrett: 39% fg. 32% on 3's.
Ja Morant: 46% fg. 40% on 3's.

[johnnyvann840]

Somebody stop the Pelicans. 4 wins in a row with wins against Denver, Indiana and Houston (and Portland). Bulls have them next week.

[dice]

Somebody stop the Pelicans. 4 wins in a row with wins against Denver, Indiana and Houston (and Portland). Bulls have them next week.

ingram having a quiet breakout year

[The Explorer]

Warriors 'monitoring' KAT. Why the hell aren't the bulls also monitoring him?

[Red Larrivee]

Warriors 'monitoring' KAT. Why the hell aren't the bulls also monitoring him?

I'm sure every team in the league is "monitoring." Not exactly something that needs to be included in a column.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[ZOMG]

Warriors 'monitoring' KAT. Why the hell aren't the bulls also monitoring him?

Towns is under contract until 23-24, but multiple executives at the G League Showcase relayed that he is unhappy. Towns signed his extension with the Wolves during the 2018 offseason.

You can't make this s**t up. Unhappy. Needs to team up with a BFF.

Not that he'd ever even consider coming to Chicago.

[Ice Man]

The Wolves yesterday had a heartening victory against a decent Nets team, only their 2nd win in their past 13 games. Not playing were ... KAT and Wiggins.

You can't make this stuff up. Honestly, I think if the Wolves traded KAT and Wiggins for a sled and six reindeer the Wolves would be better off. They'd probably win just as many games right now as with those two sluggards on the roster, and then they'd enter this summer with $60 million to spend on players who care.

The downside of getting a #1 pick is if that guy isn't right he'll take a franchise down, because everything is catered to him and built around him, even if he doesn't produce. And the Wolves have not just one but two of those guys. Yikes.

[ZOMG]

The Wolves yesterday had a heartening victory against a decent Nets team, only their 2nd win in their past 13 games. Not playing were ... KAT and Wiggins.

You can't make this stuff up. Honestly, I think if the Wolves traded KAT and Wiggins for a sled and six reindeer the Wolves would be better off. They'd probably win just as many games right now as with those two sluggards on the roster, and then they'd enter this summer with $60 million to spend on players who care.

The downside of getting a #1 pick is if that guy isn't right he'll take a franchise down, because everything is catered to him and built around him, even if he doesn't produce. And the Wolves have not just one but two of those guys. Yikes.

This.

To all the people here who keep repeating like a broken record that a "superstar" is the only way into NBA nirvana: just look at this s**tshow. The Wolves have their superstar (who's being paid actual superstar money), and where has he taken them? Straight into the basement.

And now that he has his money, he's looking for his next victim.

[Dresden]

The Wolves yesterday had a heartening victory against a decent Nets team, only their 2nd win in their past 13 games. Not playing were ... KAT and Wiggins.

You can't make this stuff up. Honestly, I think if the Wolves traded KAT and Wiggins for a sled and six reindeer the Wolves would be better off. They'd probably win just as many games right now as with those two sluggards on the roster, and then they'd enter this summer with $60 million to spend on players who care.

The downside of getting a #1 pick is if that guy isn't right he'll take a franchise down, because everything is catered to him and built around him, even if he doesn't produce. And the Wolves have not just one but two of those guys. Yikes.

This.

To all the people here who keep repeating like a broken record that a "superstar" is the only way into NBA nirvana: just look at this s**tshow. The Wolves have their superstar (who's being paid actual superstar money), and where has he taken them? Straight into the basement.

And now that he has his money, he's looking for his next victim.

Party true, partly not true. Look at the best teams in the league- MIL, LAL, LAC, DAL, TOR- they all have MVP candidates on them. The Warriors had 2 MVP type players. You don't just need a star of KAT's talent, you need the next level up- Giannis, Lebron, Doncic, Leonard, Harden. And that doesn't guarantee you'll be in the running, but without that, you almost certainly won't be.

The worst place to be is having one of those "stars" that aren't quite at that level, but who will get paid like it- the Lillards, the KAT's, the Wall's, the Griffin's of the world. You tie yourself to one of those guys, and you'll be in the playoffs (usually), but you're not going to win it all. And it will be hard to get much better.

I personally think MIA is in that place with Butler- I don't see them ever being good enough to win it all. But Riley has pulled off miracles before, and maybe he can talk someone like AD into coming there.

[Leslie Forman]

The worst place to be is having one of those "stars" that aren't quite at that level, but who will get paid like it- the Lillards, the KAT's, the Wall's, the Griffin's of the world. You tie yourself to one of those guys, and you'll be in the playoffs (usually), but you're not going to win it all. And it will be hard to get much better.

I personally think MIA is in that place with Butler- I don't see them ever being good enough to win it all. But Riley has pulled off miracles before, and maybe he can talk someone like AD into coming there.

Nah. There's no shame in being the '80 Bucks, the '90s Pacers, etc. At least then you're always just one good trade window away from going over the hump, like the Pistons or Raptors.

I mean, would you rather be like this franchise, who have a bunch of low ceiling nobodies, mediocre vets, and somehow don't even have any cap space?

[Dresden]

Speaking of Riley- his MO has always been to go out and try to get the best player he could, by hook or by crook. He tried to get Juwan Howard to join Alonzo Mourning. He got Shaq to join Wade, and won a title. He got Lebron and Bosh to join Wade, and won two more. He knows very well that you need that superstar (or two or three) to be a contender.

[TheStig]

The Wolves yesterday had a heartening victory against a decent Nets team, only their 2nd win in their past 13 games. Not playing were ... KAT and Wiggins.

You can't make this stuff up. Honestly, I think if the Wolves traded KAT and Wiggins for a sled and six reindeer the Wolves would be better off. They'd probably win just as many games right now as with those two sluggards on the roster, and then they'd enter this summer with $60 million to spend on players who care.

The downside of getting a #1 pick is if that guy isn't right he'll take a franchise down, because everything is catered to him and built around him, even if he doesn't produce. And the Wolves have not just one but two of those guys. Yikes.

The wolves could have $200 million in cap space and they won't get a star. Cap space is irrelevant to Minny. And there owner is cheap like JR. Their choices are to keep tanking and get a real superstar like they did in KG (not softies like Kat or Wiggins) or get a guy like Thibs (that ship has passed) and let him build a low end playoff team. Instead, they build around the Love's, Wiggins and Kat's of the world.

The proper move for the Wolves now is to trade Kat to the Knicks for every pick they have and will get for the next 4 years with swaps. Tank and hope Kat continues being useless.

[Ice Man]

The wolves could have $200 million in cap space and they won't get a star.

No, they won't sign a marquee name. But instead of dreaming so hard about having superstars that they build around flawed #1 picks, they could be Indiana, which made two Eastern Finals earlier this decade, and which will be plenty competitive when Oladipo returns, by doing a whole bunch of little things right. Making good draft picks in the middle of the first round, savvy trades and signings, building a culture where the guys play hard, without complaints. Or Toronto. There's nothing that Toronto did that Minnesota couldn't have done, including the Kawhi trade. So OK Kawhi wouldn't want to stay in the Twin Cities. He didn't want to stay in Toronto either.

[TheStig]

Warriors 'monitoring' KAT. Why the hell aren't the bulls also monitoring him?

I'm sure the Bulls are monitoring the situation. Remember how the monitored KG, Gasol and others? They will monitor and monitor and talk. And finally, balk when they ask us for a core piece! You mean you want Carter and Lauri and a pick? *Shriek*

But seriously, Kat is soft. He can't lead you anywhere. You need an elite wing or PG with him to lead him somewhere. Kat won't get us anywhere. This rebuild is going nowhere. They have no prospects to sign anyone. The owner and FO who are control freaks, cheap and live in the past. Nobody respects the coach. We're at rock bottom.

[Leslie Forman]

The wolves could have $200 million in cap space and they won't get a star. Cap space is irrelevant to Minny. And there owner is cheap like JR. Their choices are to keep tanking and get a real superstar like they did in KG (not softies like Kat or Wiggins) or get a guy like Thibs (that ship has passed) and let him build a low end playoff team. Instead, they build around the Love's, Wiggins and Kat's of the world.

Taylor is arguably even worse, because he's much more of a meddler.

If he had just gotten the F out of Thibs's way, I am certain they would have ended up with a Kyrie Irving/Jimmy Butler/Karl Towns trio.

[TheStig]

The wolves could have $200 million in cap space and they won't get a star. Cap space is irrelevant to Minny. And there owner is cheap like JR. Their choices are to keep tanking and get a real superstar like they did in KG (not softies like Kat or Wiggins) or get a guy like Thibs (that ship has passed) and let him build a low end playoff team. Instead, they build around the Love's, Wiggins and Kat's of the world.

Taylor is arguably even worse, because he's much more of a meddler.

If he had just gotten the F out of Thibs's way, I am certain they would have ended up with a Kyrie Irving/Jimmy Butler/Karl Towns trio.

I don't know that they had the assets or cap space to get Irving. But that team with Jimmy was playing really well before Jimmy went down. It was a shame he didn't pay Jimmy. I think they end up being a very solid playoff team.

Everyone cr@ps on Jimmy here but he got the wolves to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, took the champion raptors to the brink and has this heat team playing great. Meanwhile GarPax haven't sniffed the playoffs let alone 30 wins since heleft. Clearly we made the right choice.

[The Explorer]

Speaking of Riley- his MO has always been to go out and try to get the best player he could, by hook or by crook. He tried to get Juwan Howard to join Alonzo Mourning. He got Shaq to join Wade, and won a title. He got Lebron and Bosh to join Wade, and won two more. He knows very well that you need that superstar (or two or three) to be a contender.

He also has the mindset of a champion. In every interview I've seen of him, he mentions how he aspires towards more rings. I've never heard GarPaxDorf utter the words championship out of their mouths. The only time they did was when they blamed Thibodeau for not winning a title so they could fire him.

[Hold That]

bulls need to be monitoring the Towns situation. We have the pieces to get him. If we can pair him and Wendell together that would be amazing.. I’d package Lauri and our first rounder if it’s outside of the top 10 for him.. hell they can have Coby White too..sending them back a package extremely similar to what they sent us for Butler.

[Hangtime84]

Warriors 'monitoring' KAT. Why the hell aren't the bulls also monitoring him?

Few years ago Zach LaVine who is notorious for tweeting at in appropriate sports rumors times.

Sent a small “recruitment” tweet to KaT during the Jimmy Drama period around that same time lauri posted that #TBT image.