Around the NBA - Conference Finals and Finals

[8516knicks]

Bane is so much better than Mikal. Superior ball handler, shooter, scorer, can attack the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. Good trade for Orlando. I’m sure they still have more picks left than we do and their core is still young so they have improvements they can make internally especially with someone like Banchero who is still very young and will keep getting better

Still, without a bonafide superstar (never heard anyone say Banchero is the new KD or LeBron), are they just the new Pacers? Let alone a Brunson, they don't have a Donovan Mitchel either. And neither the Cavs or Knicks have made the finals yet.

[GONYK]

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[spree2kawhi]

Bane is so much better than Mikal. Superior ball handler, shooter, scorer, can attack the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. Good trade for Orlando. I’m sure they still have more picks left than we do and their core is still young so they have improvements they can make internally especially with someone like Banchero who is still very young and will keep getting better

Still, without a bonafide superstar (never heard anyone say Banchero is the new KD or LeBron), are they just the new Pacers? Let alone a Brunson, they don't have a Donovan Mitchel either. And neither the Cavs or Knicks have made the finals yet.

I don’t think they’re done dealing. There are so many franchise level volume scorers out there that their teams might not want to hold on to. Just think of Boston, Cleveland, Atlanta, Phoenix and plenty more. This Orlando team is still stacked and dangerous.

[spree2kawhi]

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Uhhh, of course. Just because this board doesn’t comprehend and keeps complaining endlessly doesn’t make it a correct assertion that we overpaid. We made very good trades.

Edit: I could go on a rant now about all the nonsense about Mikalikina etc. that I’ve had to read about non-stop the entire year, but I think I’m over it.

[BKlutch]

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Uhhh, of course. Just because this board doesn’t comprehend and keeps complaining endlessly doesn’t make it a correct assertion that we overpaid. We made very good trades.

Edit: I could go on a rant now about all the stupid nonsense about Mikalikina etc. that I’ve had to read about non-stop the entire year, but I think I’m over it.

Leon was ahead of the curve in finding picks not as valuable as we thought they were, and understanding a good player is worth more now than most picks are.

[spree2kawhi]

Suggs/Bane/Durant/Banchero/Isaac

Heard it here first.

There's no way they move off Wagner for KD.

There’s plenty more fish in the sea. I wouldn’t be surprised if they really shocked the NBA with another move.

[HEZI]

Bane is so much better than Mikal. Superior ball handler, shooter, scorer, can attack the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. Good trade for Orlando. I’m sure they still have more picks left than we do and their core is still young so they have improvements they can make internally especially with someone like Banchero who is still very young and will keep getting better

Still, without a bonafide superstar (never heard anyone say Banchero is the new KD or LeBron), are they just the new Pacers? Let alone a Brunson, they don't have a Donovan Mitchel either. And neither the Cavs or Knicks have made the finals yet.

Banchero is still only like 22. He’s a consistent jumper away from being in those conversations. I think Orlando’s biggest issues last year was that as a team they just shot terrible from outside. Might have been the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. If they improve from outside then they will be really tough. Bane should help them a lot there but their core guys also have to improve and shoot better.

[spree8]

You guys gotta get over the Mikal deal lol. Guy makes like half as much as Bane and single handedly won us a playoff game in each of the first two series with his superior defense.

Once we get a new coach who knows how to use him on offense and doesn’t play him out of position on defense, or drives him into the dirt minutes wise, you’ll have to break out the apology forms once again.

Also, I think KCP, Cole Anthony, 16th pick, plus 3 more unprotected is more than we paid..

[spree2kawhi]

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Uhhh, of course. Just because this board doesn’t comprehend and keeps complaining endlessly doesn’t make it a correct assertion that we overpaid. We made very good trades.

Edit: I could go on a rant now about all the stupid nonsense about Mikalikina etc. that I’ve had to read about non-stop the entire year, but I think I’m over it.

Leon was ahead of the curve in finding picks not as valuable as we thought they were, and understanding a good player is worth more now than most picks are.

Well, there had been a trend in the NBA for some years that had teams offer picks more readily as they saw a path to re-acquiring picks as well. Posters are simply never happy.

[spree2kawhi]

You guys gotta get over the Mikal deal lol. Guy makes like half as much as Bane and single handedly won us a playoff game in each of the first two series with his superior defense.

Once we get a new coach who knows how to use him on offense and doesn’t play him out of position on defense, or drives him into the dirt minutes wise, you’ll have to break out the apology forms once again.

Also, I think KCP, Cole Anthony, 16th pick, plus 3 more unprotected is more than we paid..

Thank you for this post. I couldn’t agree more.

[SOUL]

Bane is so much better than Mikal. Superior ball handler, shooter, scorer, can attack the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. Good trade for Orlando. I’m sure they still have more picks left than we do and their core is still young so they have improvements they can make internally especially with someone like Banchero who is still very young and will keep getting better

Still, without a bonafide superstar (never heard anyone say Banchero is the new KD or LeBron), are they just the new Pacers? Let alone a Brunson, they don't have a Donovan Mitchel either. And neither the Cavs or Knicks have made the finals yet.

Banchero is still only like 22. He’s a consistent jumper away from being in those conversations. I think Orlando’s biggest issues last year was that as a team they just shot terrible from outside. Might have been the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. If they improve from outside then they will be really tough. Bane should help them a lot there but their core guys also have to improve and shoot better.

Yeah we had historically bad shooting and massive injuries to our top four scorers and still got 41 wins so I'm hoping Bane solves a lot of that and we have better injury luck.

We still need some sort of PG so maybe like a CP3/Brogdon/Tyus sort of guy off the bench can help. By all metrics Franz was playing like a top 15 guy until his injury and if he even gets an average three point shot to add to the rest of his game, we're cooking. And obviously if Paolo continues to get even better then I like our chances against most East teams. Not a perfect team but people are underrating us imo.

[spree2kawhi]

Still, without a bonafide superstar (never heard anyone say Banchero is the new KD or LeBron), are they just the new Pacers? Let alone a Brunson, they don't have a Donovan Mitchel either. And neither the Cavs or Knicks have made the finals yet.

Banchero is still only like 22. He’s a consistent jumper away from being in those conversations. I think Orlando’s biggest issues last year was that as a team they just shot terrible from outside. Might have been the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. If they improve from outside then they will be really tough. Bane should help them a lot there but their core guys also have to improve and shoot better.

Yeah we had historically bad shooting and massive injuries to our top four scorers and still got 41 wins so I'm hoping Bane solves a lot of that and we have better injury luck.

We still need some sort of PG so maybe like a CP3/Brogdon/Tyus sort of guy off the bench can help. By all metrics Franz was playing like a top 15 guy until his injury and if he even gets an average three point shot to add to the rest of his game, we're cooking. And obviously if Paolo continues to get even better then I like our chances against most East teams. Not a perfect team but people are underrating us imo.

I don’t think anybody is underrating Orlando… bing bong…

[3toheadmelo]

Jesus that's a hell of a trade for the magic.

Orlando saw that the east was wide open. It’s a great move for them. Much needed shooting and shot creation for them.

[Buttah304]

The NBA has never had this much parity in their entire history. 13 teams this year won 48 games or more - that’s only the second time that has ever happened. Coincidentally, the last time it did occur was in 2018-2019 when Toronto won it all. The reason that’s a talking point is because since that Kawhi run we are now about to crown a 7th consecutive different champion. A feat that has never been done before.

From a front office standpoint, there is always going to be poor asset management. By and large trading 4 unprotected picks for Mikal, Bane or an at the time 35 year old KD is reckless. Having said all that, teams are showing that they believe they are 1-2 moves away from being a real dark horse contender. This two quasi star plus super depth model is going to have owners believing that a little bit of magic and luck can go there way.

[3toheadmelo]

Bane is so much better than Mikal. Superior ball handler, shooter, scorer, can attack the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. Good trade for Orlando. I’m sure they still have more picks left than we do and their core is still young so they have improvements they can make internally especially with someone like Banchero who is still very young and will keep getting better

Bane is significantly better than Mikal. Orlando is coming for blood next year.

[Deeeez Knicks]

Bane makes $34mil where Mikal makes $23mil. We couldn't take Bane without giving up other major pieces anyway

[8516knicks]

Jesus that's a hell of a trade for the magic.

Orlando saw that the east was wide open. It’s a great move for them. Much needed shooting and shot creation for them.

Last 5 NBA champs - 2024 Tatum & Brown
2023 Jokich
2022 Steph
2021 Giannis
2020 LeBron
2025 - prob Shai

I just don't see Banchero leading a team to a finals win.

Next year Tatum is out. But they still have Giannis, JB, DM, even Cade ahead of Banchero. And that's just the EAST.

[Buttah304]

I like Bane I really do. But he’s not as good as people want to convince themselves.

For starters, he doesn’t actually drive to the hoop as much as people initially think. He’s in a very similar ballpark in that respect to Avdija, Barnes, Powell, Randle and DeMar. He also took 2.9 FTA per game this past season and 2.5 FTA for his career.

While I also understand that Memphis has been a bit messy the last couple of years, Bane was HORRID in 4 games against OKC (I know how good they are but I don’t love excuses on the whole). Bane had 61 points on 63 FGA and shot 31% FG and 21% 3PT. Even in 2022 in 6 playoff contests he shot 32% 3PT. He’s a little streakier than people realize but I will admit his “peak levels” make you wonder how he’s not a 4x all star already. He is definitely an above average defender but he will struggle to cover players that are 6’6” or taller with a sizable wingspan.

All this to say, Orlando is going to be a team that you do not want to see in the playoffs if they are fully healthy.

[ctorres]

Orlando gave up more than we did for Mikal. Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell Pope are together worth 1 or 2 picks. People remember the picks we gave up for Mikal, but no one remembers the players...

- Bojan Bogdanović (did not play a single game for the Nets, was waived)

- Shake Milton (sent to the Lakers along with Dorian FInney Smith for D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and 3 2nd round picks)

- Mamadi Diakite (did not play a single game for the Nets, traded to Grizzlies and waived)

Also, Orlando still needs a starting point guard. Suggs and Bane are both shooting guards.

[2010]

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