Thoughts in General, Rumors, etc 3.0

[zimpy27]

Play-In Tourney

Wizards (7 seed) over Celtics
Pacers over Hornets
Lakers (7 seed) over Warriors
Spurs over Grizzlies

Pacers (8 seed) over Celtics
Warriors (8 seed) over Spurs



First Round

76ers over Pacers in five
Summary: Philly take care of Pacers quite easily

Nets over Wizards in seven
Summary: Nets lose a couple games and it looks close before breaking the tie in an epic series.

Bucks over Heat in five
Summary: Giannis and Jrue lead the Bucks to a win over the Heat in five.

Knicks over Hawks in seven
Summary: Tough series but the Knicks size and physicality beats down the Hawks in the end.

Jazz over Warriors in five
Summary:Jazz take out the Warriors with an impressive start to their playoff run.

Lakers over Suns in six
Summary: CP3 wins a couple games but Davis is too much for the Suns.

Blazers over Nuggets in six
Summary: Blazers come.together and look very impressive in their first round win over the favoured Nuggets.

Clippers over Mavericks in four
Summary: Kawhi and PG13 hassle Luka each game and it ends up being too much for the Mavs to overcome. I see a sweep here.


Conference Semi-Finals

76ers over Knicks in five
Summary: Knicks get one game on grit but their size is nullified by Embiid.

Bucks over Nets in six
Summary: Defense wins out and Nets struggle with injury after intense Wizards series. Nets offense is threatening and each game is close.

Jazz over Clippers in seven
Summary: Best series of the playoffs. Gritty tough games and it comes down to a game 7 where the pressure is too much for the Clips.

Lakers over Blazers in five
Summary: LeBron hits his stride and Davis has no one to match on him here.


NBA Conference Finals

Bucks over Sixers in six
Summary: Bucks gets through Sixers and finally break through to the Finals. It's a tough series though and Embiid being nullified a little is the difference.

Lakers over Jazz in five
Summary: Lakers take care of the Jazz quite easily. Gobert is taken out of a few games with fouls.


NBA Finals

Bucks over Lakers in seven
Summary: Giannis vs LeBron, Jrue vs Davis. LeBron can't use his drive game well against Giannis, Jrue shoes lights out and the series goes the distance. Bucks ultimately prevail.

Russell winner: Giannis

[BuddyBuckets]

Do Knicks/Bulls fans want Lonzo? If so what offer sheet you realistically see happening?

[Scoot McGroot]

In things that make you go, duh…

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[parsnips33]

Just for fun

Play-In Tourney

Wizards (7 seed) over Celtics
Hornets over Pacers
Lakers (7 seed) over Warriors
Spurs over Grizzlies

Celtics (8 seed) over Hornets
Warriors (8 seed) over Spurs



First Round

76ers over Celtics in five
Summary: Tatum might steal a game, but Embiid & Co take care of business in this rematch.

Nets over Wizards in five
Summary: Wizards have the talent to win one early, but I think the Nets will lock in ultimately

Heat over Bucks in seven
Summary: Very tough because I love the Bucks, but I think the Heat have the personnel and the coaching to unseat the Bucks yet again

Knicks over Hawks in seven
Summary: I think this will be a super fun series, but I see the Knicks grinding it out in the end

Warriors over Jazz in six
Summary:Gotta respect what the Jazz have done this year, but I think the Warriors matchup well, and have the best player in the series. Wiggins will need to have a great defensive series on Mitchell, which I think he's capable of.

Lakers over Suns in five
Summary: I think everything will click into place for the Lakers and they'll be the team we all expected at the start of the year

Nuggets over Blazers in six
Summary: MPJ will have his "I have arrived" moment in this series. Will be a high-octane battle of offenses, and I just trust Denver's more

Clippers over Mavericks in five
Summary: Clippers will come out with a point to prove, but Doncic will steal at least a game.


Conference Semi-Finals

76ers over Knicks in seven
Summary: Knicks defense will force a classic series against a 76ers offense I don't have the most confidence in here, but talent advantage for 6ers will eventually decide this one.

Nets over Miami in 6
Summary: Miami will not go down easy, Bam will have a huge series, but I just don't see it being enough against Brooklyn's offense

Clippers over Warriors in 5
Summary: The Warriors Cinderella story ends. Clippers have tons of switchy perimeter defenders, and enough offense between Kawhi and PG to get it done, even against the Warriors frisky defense.

Lakers over Nuggets in 5
Summary: Lakers keep rolling, Nuggets would have a better chance with Murray but it is what it is


NBA Conference Finals

Nets over 76ers in 6
Summary: Embiid will have Shaq statlines, but I just don't think the 76ers have enough offense to hang with Brooklyn in a series.

Lakers over Clippers in 7
Summary: Should be a classic series, I think Lakers will be fully in playoff form at this point and I just trust Lebron more in a 7 game series.


NBA Finals

Lakers over Nets in 6
Summary: Lakers defense puts up a fight against Brooklyn, and Lebron should orchestrate a classic series against the weak Brooklyn defense. I think AD has a monster series on both ends as Lebron knows he can set him up for anything.

Russell winner: Anthony Davis wins his first FMVP

[gom]

Man... I'm not even going to try. This season is nuts. Good luck, all!

I'm looking forward to the postseason. It's a gift, people. A gift! We made it. Not everyone did.

[Texas Chuck]

Hey remember when Cleveland waiving Drummond so he could sign with the Lakers broke basketball?

And if you think I'm going to stop bringing this up, you would be mistaken after how much grief I took for pointing out the obvious--that buy-out players are almost never significant factors and that this specific buy-out guy was not a good NBA player.

[NYG]

Side note: Steph Curry is so fun to watch.

[cgf]

Do Knicks/Bulls fans want Lonzo? If so what offer sheet you realistically see happening?

I'd like Lonzo if we can get for something around what we got Randle for. At that price, we'll be able to open a max slot next summer and Lonzo should still have good value for salary-matching down the line.

So for me, the big questions are what it'll take to keep y'all from matching on Lonzo, and if the Pacers decide to blow it up, what Brogdan would cost.

[zimpy27]

Hey remember when Cleveland waiving Drummond so he could sign with the Lakers broke basketball?

And if you think I'm going to stop bringing this up, you would be mistaken after how much grief I took for pointing out the obvious--that buy-out players are almost never significant factors and that this specific buy-out guy was not a good NBA player.

I think Blake might be significant but we will see.

[BuddyBuckets]

Do Knicks/Bulls fans want Lonzo? If so what offer sheet you realistically see happening?

I'd like Lonzo if we can get for something around what we got Randle for. At that price, we'll be able to open a max slot next summer and Lonzo should still have good value for salary-matching down the line.

So for me, the big questions are what it'll take to keep y'all from matching on Lonzo, and if the Pacers decide to blow it up, what Brogdan would cost.

On other Pels boards 20mil per year seems to be the line fans don't want to cross. If we get anything under that as the offer he takes, fans want Griff to match.

[Smirk]

On other Pels boards 20mil per year seems to be the line fans don't want to cross. If we get anything under that as the offer he takes, fans want Griff to match.

I think this number has gone down in recent weeks with most fans. Everyone was dazzled by his February. People have seen what Lonzo is and its not that good. He had a great February, but the rest of his season was average to below average. If you take out that one hot month with 15 games, I believe it reveals a 34% 3pt shooter who doesn't take the ball to the rim and whose defense was extremely subpar for someone with a rep for being a "good" defender.

I'd say 20 million a year is when I would explore every sign and trade I could.

12-15 a year (which he's unlikely to take) I'd feel way more comfortable with.

[loserX]

Hadn't seen this before, but apparently last week Brian Windhorst said there's a "good chance" Vic Oladipo misses all next season after his surgery.

Tough break for him, hope he gets back soon. On a practical note that can sure change things for Miami's offseason.

[zimpy27]

Obi Toppin for Bagley seems like an interesting trade. Thoughts?

[Bologna Smasher]

Obi Toppin for Bagley seems like an interesting trade. Thoughts?

I wouldn't be against it. Gives extra money to retain Holmes.

I think Thibodeau would have some issues with Bagley, though.

[zimpy27]

Obi Toppin for Bagley seems like an interesting trade. Thoughts?

I wouldn't be against it. Gives extra money to retain Holmes.

I think Thibodeau would have some issues with Bagley, though.

Well Bagley would be a bit more valuable as a win now scorer next season, he's a bit more diverse than Toppin offensively as well. It also takes Toppin's salary from Knicks for 2022 offseason as Bagley's contract ends then.

I do think Kings likely need to give a pick in compensation, what would you be willing to give up?

[Bologna Smasher]

Obi Toppin for Bagley seems like an interesting trade. Thoughts?

I wouldn't be against it. Gives extra money to retain Holmes.

I think Thibodeau would have some issues with Bagley, though.

Well Bagley would be a bit more valuable as a win now scorer next season, he's a bit more diverse than Toppin offensively as well. It also takes Toppin's salary from Knicks for 2022 offseason as Bagley's contract ends then.

I do think Kings likely need to give a pick in compensation, what would you be willing to give up?

Not a whole lot. Maybe the Grizzlies' second-round pick next year? We also still have a couple Blazers seconds a few years out that I can see them trading.

I'm not all the high on Toppin myself. Main reason I'd want to do it is to save money while taking a gamble on another prospect.

[cgf]

Obi Toppin for Bagley seems like an interesting trade. Thoughts?

Don't see the point for the Knicks. Bagley would have the same issues getting PT that Obi does atm, so I'd rather keep working with the kid we already have since he is making progress and we already know that he fits into the locker room / is a Thibs-kind-of-player.

[HartfordWhalers]

Hadn't seen this before, but apparently last week Brian Windhorst said there's a "good chance" Vic Oladipo misses all next season after his surgery.

Tough break for him, hope he gets back soon. On a practical note that can sure change things for Miami's offseason.

Not to be too callous, but this has absolutely best case scenario upside for Miami. If Oladipo is indeed out for the season, they could sign him to a cheap 1 year deal, and still have full bird rights to pay him a bushel in another year, while retaining cap space for someone else in the mean time (and having a low cap hit that '22 offseason before re-signing him).
It just is a rare chance to legitimately zag your cap numbers so you can add more talent than normally feasible.

[Scoot McGroot]

Hadn't seen this before, but apparently last week Brian Windhorst said there's a "good chance" Vic Oladipo misses all next season after his surgery.

Tough break for him, hope he gets back soon. On a practical note that can sure change things for Miami's offseason.

Not to be too callous, but this has absolutely best case scenario upside for Miami. If Oladipo is indeed out for the season, they could sign him to a cheap 1 year deal, and still have full bird rights to pay him a bushel in another year, while retaining cap space for someone else in the mean time (and having a low cap hit that '22 offseason before re-signing him).
It just is a rare chance to legitimately zag your cap numbers so you can add more talent than normally feasible.

Yup. If they’re willing to basically “waste” their 15th roster spot (which they should be, especially if the 2 way roles remain super flexible going forward), this is a huge opportunity for them, in order to keep his rehab somewhat under control and in house. Hard to say just how cheap he’d sign for. Would he take a vet min for 1 year? Would he still demand something closer to $5m for his “freedom”.

[Texas Chuck]

Yup. If they’re willing to basically “waste” their 15th roster spot (which they should be, especially if the 2 way roles remain super flexible going forward),.

I'm assuming the 2-way rules revert back next year but maybe that's premature? But can they really afford Dipo and Haslem tying up roster spots?