ATL: DeMarcus Cousins blows out ACL, pg 89

[kid idioteque]

If I was a TOR fan I'd be mostly unfazed. It sucks and is upsetting in the moment to lose a star player, but all I want is to experience one 'ship in my life and anything after that would be a bonus. The sting would subside quickly.

It's also why I don't get the rush to troll TOR's board if Kawhi leaves. Cool, they still beat us in the ECF and eventually won a ship. They have the ultimate trump card.

The point is they had very little time to celebrate without reality slapping them in the face. It's more common than it used to be but going from champion to also-ran in one offseason is still pretty rare.

[Bucksfan28]

If I was a TOR fan I'd be mostly unfazed. It sucks and is upsetting in the moment to lose a star player, but all I want is to experience one 'ship in my life and anything after that would be a bonus. The sting would subside quickly.

It's also why I don't get the rush to troll TOR's board if Kawhi leaves. Cool, they still beat us in the ECF and eventually won a ship. They have the ultimate trump card.

We still have the better skyline.

Touche

[MiltownHawkeye]

Ben Simmons extended to 5/$170. I get it but still, yuck.

Depends how you feel about Simmons as a player. I'm not as big on him as some (tall version of Rubio with a worse jumper) but I get why they did it.

Philly is now in the same boat we are. Locked in rosters for the foreseeable future but locked in rosters that are pretty easily the top 2 teams in the conference the next couple years if Kawhi leaves

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I mean it's not even clear Embiid and Simmons should be playing together so that's one thing about giving them a combined $70m or whatever a year.

But it's not even about the decision to extend Ben in a vacuum so much as the fact that all those picks, prospects, cap space etc from a few years ago culminated in three PFs and a center all on a near max, with exactly two other NBA players (J-Rich and Mike Scott, another 4) mixed in.

[EastSideBucksFan]

I wonder if Knicks die hards will start a grassroot movement like SOB to get Dolan out. Things could not have gone worse for them this offseason and it seems like Dolan was a big reason KD chose Brooklyn over NY.

Last time I remember Knicks fans revolting with a protest, Dolan headed it off by hiring Phil Jackson the morning of the protest outside MSG.

But, it really seems like he does not care about public perception as long as Knicks remain obscenely profitable.

[WeekapaugGroove]

So Raps have Lowry, Ibaka, Gasol all expiring, if Kawhi goes to LA, will Masai blow it up?

Doubt they blow it up this summer even if he leaves. Probably ride out next year as a little good bye tour for Lowery and crew then strip it down next summer. Maybe flip a guy or two at the deadline if they are really struggling but I think even without Leonard they are still a playoff team.

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[DingleJerry]

Beal is the only one of those names that is even close to Simmons in talent. I'm not a fan of Simmons, but I wouldn't trade him straight up for any of those players.

Probably agree. Doesn't have to be straight up and with salaries and all that I'd expect it to need to be expanded. More or less, I'm just saying they need to balance that roster and he'd be a huge ticket to use for it that should get a great return. Would take a bold forward thinking GM and I highly doubt they have that there

I think there has to be lingering concerns about Embiid's future health. If Embiid goes down with a catastrophic injury (knock on wood) they would regret trading Simmons instantaneously.

Yea I bet they do have that fear. I'm generally lower on Simmons than most for the obvious reason. But, their current 4 best players play the same two positions on the floor and they're all signed on long term deals. It's debatable if Embiid/Simmons fit at all together and you'll have 70 mil locked up in them per year. Embiid is just untradeable due to talent. Simmons should get a huge return, you don't do it just to do it. You need a lot back and a true star G would have to involved. Again, it's ballsy and more forward thinking than most any GM it seems outside of maybe Jerry West would have the stomach to do, so i know it won't happen. But ultimately this is what probably holds them back. It's the same type of move we were too afraid to do with Jabari, but of course Simmons doesn't have the injury concern.

[MiltownHawkeye]

If I was a TOR fan I'd be mostly unfazed. It sucks and is upsetting in the moment to lose a star player, but all I want is to experience one 'ship in my life and anything after that would be a bonus. The sting would subside quickly.

It's also why I don't get the rush to troll TOR's board if Kawhi leaves. Cool, they still beat us in the ECF and eventually won a ship. They have the ultimate trump card.

The point is they had very little time to celebrate without reality slapping them in the face. It's more common than it used to be but going from champion to also-ran in one offseason is still pretty rare.

I remember how it felt after the Packers won in 2011. There was such an afterglow for about a week or a month or whatever, but once the offseason rolled around people didn't really care about the previous super bowl anymore. The main thing people talked about was how unstoppable the Packers would be the next year.

They reached the ultimate goal, but doing it with a one-year mercenary who dumped them at the first opportunity, getting to face a hobbled GSW team, and reverting to a 45-50 win team the next season is going to really take the luster off of that trophy. I don't know if it ever would have happened with him, but imagine them winning that ring with DeRozan instead.

[DingleJerry]

Well remember GB started the next year like 15-0 and set the all time consecutive wins record if I remember correctly. I get your point overall as generally speaking people forget quickly, but that GB example seems a bit off as we basically got to gloat non stop with no negativity to deal with for like 11 months. For example of agreeing with your point, someone to me earlier today was drawing a blank on who won the NCAA tourney this year.

[talbert]

A LeBron/AD/Kawhi trio is three guys who all have stakes on 'maybe the best player in the league.' In Miami, LeBron obviously, and Wade might have qualified as his peak, but certainly not Bosh. In GS, Steph and Durant could make that claim, but not Thompson or Draymond.

LeBron has probably fallen down a level from that now, but he's still Lebron, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs now with some meaning behind the team.

So I agree - it's hard to argue with this trio. They need guys to surround them with now, though. Kuzma is there. Sounds like Iggy might be, though he's quite old now.

The fact that we have to come up with reasons why this isn't the best team of all time proves they are a really, really, really good team. Ok, so they might not be as good as the 2 best teams in the last 20 years, but they are the 3rd.

Yep purely as a big 3 i think LeBron/AD/Kawhi is by far the greatest trio of all time. Thankfully they traded away all their other assets outside of kuzma and have Vogel/Kidd running the coaching staff

Guys who might take a 1-year prove it on a championship contender: Jabari, Morris-twins, Trey Burke, Justin Holiday, Lyles, Shumpert, Stauskas, Jerebko, Boban
Unfortunately, there are a lot of solid vets ready for the min: Rondo, Brewer, Lance, Dudley, Vince, Crawford, Dudley, W. Chandler, T Chandler, Felton, Harris are ancient but can fill a few spots. These guys aren't going to be playing 30 min a game but could play a tough couple minutes when needed

AD/Lyles/Chandler
Lebron/Jerebko
Kuzma/Jabari
Leonard/Holiday
Rondo/Burke/Chandler

Jabari winning a championship would be so annoying!

[MiltownHawkeye]

Well remember GB started the next year like 15-0 and set the all time consecutive wins record if I remember correctly. I get your point overall as generally speaking people forget quickly, but that GB example seems a bit off as we basically got to gloat non stop with no negativity to deal with for like 11 months. For example of agreeing with your point, someone to me earlier today was drawing a blank on who won the NCAA tourney this year.

I brought up the Packers as a point of contrast, not comparison. My point is that we still had the excitement of rooting for a contender and the previous Super Bowl just helped us carry that excitement into the season. Whereas the Raptors won in a way that they'll never win again and the guy primarily responsible for it will be off doing it for different teams, all while knowing their window is totally closed.

[Chuck Diesel]

I fee like Lebron and his methods would give Jabari a weekly anxiety attack.

[TroyD92]

I fee like Lebron and his methods would give Jabari a weekly anxiety attack.

Kidd/Lebron would put the guy in a mental asylum

[Ron Swanson]

Ben Simmons has always struck me as a dude who likes the lifestyle much more than he loves the game or improving his skills. And so far his career has pretty much stuck to that script.

[Chuck Diesel]

I fee like Lebron and his methods would give Jabari a weekly anxiety attack.

Kidd/Lebron would put the guy in a mental asylum

Oh man, completely forgot Jason Kidd slimmed his way onto that staff. What a bizarre group of humans.

[Frank Nova]

Ben Simmons has always struck me as a dude who likes the lifestyle much more than he loves the game or improving his skills. And so far his career has pretty much stuck to that script.

He plays with fire on the court I won't discredit him for that but I agree with your post

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[MiltownHawkeye]

Ben Simmons has always struck me as a dude who likes the lifestyle much more than he loves the game or improving his skills. And so far his career has pretty much stuck to that script.

Yeah I see Sixers fans try to compare him to Giannis, but Simmons hasn't shown that level of drive, year-to-year improvement, or acknowledgment of his weaknesses. I just don't like the guy's mental makeup. It was really telling when he suddenly turned it on against the Nets after letting Dudley get into his head.

[Bucksfan28]

Ben Simmons has always struck me as a dude who likes the lifestyle much more than he loves the game or improving his skills. And so far his career has pretty much stuck to that script.

Or why can't he just love both equally? Seems like a baseless claim to make...

[stellation]

Weeks ago;
Agent: So I'm going to chat with the Lakers today, then the Clippers, then tomorrow...
Kawhi: But they said we can't talk to them until 30th June!
Agent: Yeah, but...
Kawhi: I don't want to get in trouble.

[stellation]

Ben Simmons has always struck me as a dude who likes the lifestyle much more than he loves the game or improving his skills. And so far his career has pretty much stuck to that script.

Fun game and probably fun lifestyle, too. I'm sure he enjoys life.

[DanoMac]

I wonder if Knicks die hards will start a grassroot movement like SOB to get Dolan out. Things could not have gone worse for them this offseason and it seems like Dolan was a big reason KD chose Brooklyn over NY.

Can you imagine what Dolan would have done if he was in Herb Kohl's seat for bag night? Honestly might've caught a body or 2. Thinner skin than Al Davis.