Around the NBA - 2024-25 Season Continued

[Capn'O]

I think he'll make Wemby's life easier just by being a capable scorer, and I think because he's not a true PG it will eventually mean Wemby has the ball more as an offensive engine, like Sabonis. I don't like what I've seen from Wemby playing off CP3, he's much more inclined to be a jumpshooter & finisher playing off someone that can set him up. I feel like he was creating more for others last season than he is this year.

Long term you want Wemby to start creating offense and being a hub passer, I know Fox can play off someone doing that role, I don't know if LaVine can do that. I look at it like this, the best bigs in the NBA don't need superstar teammates, it's a luxury if they have one, but Jokic won with Murray and Giannis won with Middleton.

The position they're in with the Hawks picks, and almost all of their own picks this was a no brainer move to me. If you run the tankathon right now, they're ending up with the top pick like a 1/3 of the time because they currently have 2 top 10 picks. All of this is moot if they somehow end up getting Flagg too, which is in play

That was I was about to say. Wemby will ultimately make his life easier. They still need their Manu.

This kid has a lot of two way potential.

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Great size & strength for such a young guard, he's 6'5.5" without shoes, OG is 6'6.25" without shoes.

I thought of him when I made the post. He's certainly a Manu candidate.

[Montmorencie]

Spurs lowkey a fire roster. One might say they are the disappointment of the year. They are clearly better than Warriors, Kings, Mavs(now), Suns and Clippers.

[dakomish23]

Not sure if already mentioned but CHI was up 80-57 on GSW at the 9:07 mark in the 3rd. They ended up losing by 21 - 132-111. That’s 75-31 run in the final 21 mins Butler had 25 in his debut. Post adds a nice element as a stretch 5. Have to see if they can get some buyout guys, but they might make some noise this postseason

Is there a Matas Buzelis fan club here yet? B/c I would like to join.

https://youtu.be/

Watch on YouTube

?si=Zt4CwUJNlMghVzMT

[Chanel Bomber]

They're better, but that team is still a work in progress, also them starting CP3 over Castle makes no sense at all. LaMelo was killing them in the first half in large part because CP3 was starting, they went with Castle on him in the 2nd half, he quieted it all down and held him to 2-11 for the 2nd half. If I were building that team, I'd zig while everyone is expecting me to zag, I'd try my next target in FA/tade would be Jaren Jackson, putting him and Wemby together as a frontcourt would be lethal since Jaren is mobile enough to guard wing 4s, and he's too big for them to defend.


I don't see how LaVine grows with that team much, Zach turns 30 next month, Fox won't be 28 till December. Also, they gave up virtually nothing to get him, only 1 pick was good and that's the Minnesota 2031, Bulls pick wasn't going to convey, the Hornets pick is going to be 2 seconds, and the Spurs pick is 2027 which will be junk if Victor is healthy. They still have the Hawks picks, almost all their own picks and the Mavs 2030 pick.

I agree the trade wasn't destructive but I don't think it will help them reach a much higher level.

I don't expect Fox to make Wemby better or make life particularly easier for him. His skill set is not one that is most compatible let alone symbiotic with other high-usage players. One certainty however is that he'll be on the books for a significant chunk of their cap after his extension.

Lavine's two years older but he's a far better shooter and slasher than Fox imo, and I think his profile would've been more conducive to helping Wemby expand his repertoire.

The Minnesota and SA picks could've helped them land a bigger fish down the line. They have more than enough assets still, I agree, but I think patience would've been better here. We'll see, maybe he'll prove me wrong, but Fox to me is PG Randle really.

JJJ is a beast who'd elevate any team he's on. One of the most underrated players in the NBA. Him and Wemby would be insane.

I think he'll make Wemby's life easier just by being a capable scorer, and I think because he's not a true PG it will eventually mean Wemby has the ball more as an offensive engine, like Sabonis. I don't like what I've seen from Wemby playing off CP3, he's much more inclined to be a jumpshooter & finisher playing off someone that can set him up. I feel like he was creating more for others last season than he is this year.

Long term you want Wemby to start creating offense and being a hub passer, I know Fox can play off someone doing that role, I don't know if LaVine can do that. I look at it like this, the best bigs in the NBA don't need superstar teammates, it's a luxury if they have one, but Jokic won with Murray and Giannis won with Middleton.

The position they're in with the Hawks picks, and almost all of their own picks this was a no brainer move to me. If you run the tankathon right now, they're ending up with the top pick like a 1/3 of the time because they currently have 2 top 10 picks. All of this is moot if they somehow end up getting Flagg too, which is in play

I think Lavine fits the Murray/Middleton mold moreso than Fox.

Lavine, Middleton and Murray are all 38% to 39% career 3-point shooters.

Fox is far behind at 33%.

I don't think he's going to be an asset off-the-ball. The ability to play both on and off the ball is what made Murray and Middleton such valuable pieces on these championship teams with megastars like Jokic and Giannis. Fox will not really provide this for Wemby. I think Lavine might have.

[Chanel Bomber]

AD out indefinitely after one game for the Mavs

You can't make this up.

I was recently reminded by a piece in the times of the quote "Against stupidity we are defenseless".

And that's exactly where the Mavs are.

Completely defenseless in the face of Nico Harrison's incompetence. The same person who fumbled Steph for Nike.

None of the rationale for trading Luka had merit. Absolutely missing the forest for the trees.

[Montmorencie]

I think AD is done and he shouldn't be unhappy with his career. Yes, lately the injuries have had a huge impact (even tho this is the first one in the last two years) but was he really that good anyway?

I mean he was that good, but he wasn't that great at all. A sore loser, rarely carried the Pels to the playoffs only to get swept in the first round. Then he got bailed out, won a micky mouse ring with no pressure in the bubble.

Ever since that has he been spanked here and there by not only Jokic, but also Sabonis and Giannis? Yes.. no cojones for the big moments, can have one great and one terrible game.

With a micky mouse ring, Olympic golds, 10+ times all star and one of the most undeserved "what ifs" in nba history, he can hang it up proudly as a happy top 10 frauds the game has seen.

[Reign23]

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tbh I can see him being retired in 2 years.

Should have kept Ben Simmons and traded Embust back in the day.

Would you trade Mitch for Embiid 1-1 (forgetting about the salary)? I don't think I would with KAT on the Knicks.

I wouldn’t want Embiid anywhere near my team.

[Reign23]

Not sure if already mentioned but CHI was up 80-57 on GSW at the 9:07 mark in the 3rd. They ended up losing by 21 - 132-111. That’s 75-31 run in the final 21 mins Butler had 25 in his debut. Post adds a nice element as a stretch 5. Have to see if they can get some buyout guys, but they might make some noise this postseason

Is there a Matas Buzelis fan club here yet? B/c I would like to join.

https://youtu.be/

Watch on YouTube

?si=Zt4CwUJNlMghVzMT

m2. I saw him 3-4 times and he looks really good so far.

[MrDollarBills]

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[3toheadmelo]

AD out indefinitely after one game for the Mavs

You can't make this up.

I was recently reminded by a piece in the times of the quote "Against stupidity we are defenseless".

And that's exactly where the Mavs are.

Completely defenseless in the face of Nico Harrison's incompetence. The same person who fumbled Steph for Nike.

None of the rationale for trading Luka had merit. Absolutely missing the forest for the trees.

I think the issue here is getting true value for Luka, not about trading him. The conditioning and awful defense are legit reasons and it seemed like Luka didn’t care to improve on that. He had a record of being blown by in the finals and came to camp fatter than ever. So I think they had a good reason to move him, although I would’ve kept him with the hopes he eventually starts conditioning seriously at some point. What the Mavs should’ve done was create an open bidding war to get the biggest haul of all time for him.

On the other end, the Mavs definitely got better in the short term. It’s disappointing that AD got hurt though. He was absolutely dominating and the Mavs looked amazing on both ends. Healthy AD makes them title contenders and Max Christie is breaking out for them. But banking on AD’s health is incredibly risky, so it might not work out for them at all.

[Chanel Bomber]

AD out indefinitely after one game for the Mavs

You can't make this up.

I was recently reminded by a piece in the times of the quote "Against stupidity we are defenseless".

And that's exactly where the Mavs are.

Completely defenseless in the face of Nico Harrison's incompetence. The same person who fumbled Steph for Nike.

None of the rationale for trading Luka had merit. Absolutely missing the forest for the trees.

I think the issue here is getting true value for Luka, not about trading him. The conditioning and awful defense are legit reasons and it seemed like Luka didn’t care to improve on that. He had a record of being blown by in the finals and came to camp fatter than ever. So I think they had a good reason to move him, although I would’ve kept him with the hopes he eventually starts conditioning seriously at some point. What the Mavs should’ve done was create an open bidding war to get the biggest haul of all time for him.

On the other end, the Mavs definitely got better in the short term. It’s disappointing that AD got hurt though. He was absolutely dominating and the Mavs looked amazing on both ends. Healthy AD makes them title contenders and Max Christie is breaking out for them. But banking on AD’s health is incredibly risky, so it might not work out for them at all.

I mean personally I wouldn't trade Luka at this age for any player or return besides Wemby, SGA or Jokic. Maybe Chet but the list ends there.

But the process with which they traded him, and the return they got, are the most egregious part of the trade, as you said.

Luka led Dallas to the Finals last year, two years after taking them to the Conference Finals. So this notion that you can't win with him because of his flaws is just silly. He was obviously hurt against Boston, one of the main reasons why Boston hunted him (also to tire him out like the Cavs did with Curry). His defensive rating surprisingly wasn't even that bad for the series, so the Mavs defense didn't collapse with him on the court as much as the optics suggested.

Talks of culture are irrelevant when you're on the cusp of a championship. It's just meaningless talk, devoid of substance or context, and above all devoid of pragmatism. Shaq was infamously lazy, but any team would've signed him in the early 2000s.

I don't see the Mavs as contenders at all. Their window is closed, even with a healthy AD. They are first-round fodder for the foreseeable future imo. They don't have enough shot creation with AD taking Luka's place, even with a healthy Kyrie.

Luka's one of the most talented players the league has ever seen. You accept the flaws and build around that.

[HopelessKnick]

I refrained in posting anything on the trade because all points have been made already. I do agree with the notion that their current roster, even with a healthy AD wouldn't win a title. They would need a solid creator/playmaker to be a legitimate title contender.

What adds insult to injury is when the owner comes out and points at Shaq as a role model for great work ethic. Shaq was a freak of nature, that made him special--not his work ethic. Any basketball fan that has followed the NBA over the past 30 years knows that. Shaq came into camp out of shape and would use the season to get into shape. Hed had other obligations over the summer---Heck he said that himself, just a couple days ago.

It is just a scary place when you know that the guy on top of your franchise literally has not followed the league and does not know much about its recent past, players etc. We knick fans unfortunately know what we are talking about.

[HopelessKnick]

AD out indefinitely after one game for the Mavs

You can't make this up.

I was recently reminded by a piece in the times of the quote "Against stupidity we are defenseless".

And that's exactly where the Mavs are.

Completely defenseless in the face of Nico Harrison's incompetence. The same person who fumbled Steph for Nike.

None of the rationale for trading Luka had merit. Absolutely missing the forest for the trees.

I think the issue here is getting true value for Luka, not about trading him. The conditioning and awful defense are legit reasons and it seemed like Luka didn’t care to improve on that. He had a record of being blown by in the finals and came to camp fatter than ever. So I think they had a good reason to move him, although I would’ve kept him with the hopes he eventually starts conditioning seriously at some point. What the Mavs should’ve done was create an open bidding war to get the biggest haul of all time for him.

On the other end, the Mavs definitely got better in the short term. It’s disappointing that AD got hurt though. He was absolutely dominating and the Mavs looked amazing on both ends. Healthy AD makes them title contenders and Max Christie is breaking out for them. But banking on AD’s health is incredibly risky, so it might not work out for them at all.

Unfortunately I think the Mavericks went into "group think" type of modus which has historically lead to disastrous decision making. There was a rumor they contacted a second team before agreeing to the trade. I suspect that team was Milwaukee and they asked for Giannis. Essentially they likely narrowed the list down to the 2 best two way PF/C in the league---AD and Giannis. They wouldn't consider any alternatives.

[Fat Kat]

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[spree2kawhi]

AD out indefinitely after one game for the Mavs

You can't make this up.

I was recently reminded by a piece in the times of the quote "Against stupidity we are defenseless".

And that's exactly where the Mavs are.

Completely defenseless in the face of Nico Harrison's incompetence. The same person who fumbled Steph for Nike.

None of the rationale for trading Luka had merit. Absolutely missing the forest for the trees.

I think the issue here is getting true value for Luka, not about trading him. The conditioning and awful defense are legit reasons and it seemed like Luka didn’t care to improve on that. He had a record of being blown by in the finals and came to camp fatter than ever. So I think they had a good reason to move him, although I would’ve kept him with the hopes he eventually starts conditioning seriously at some point. What the Mavs should’ve done was create an open bidding war to get the biggest haul of all time for him.

On the other end, the Mavs definitely got better in the short term. It’s disappointing that AD got hurt though. He was absolutely dominating and the Mavs looked amazing on both ends. Healthy AD makes them title contenders and Max Christie is breaking out for them. But banking on AD’s health is incredibly risky, so it might not work out for them at all.

Unfortunately I think the Mavericks went into "group think" type of modus which has historically lead to disastrous decision making. There was a rumor they contacted a second team before agreeing to the trade. I suspect that team was Milwaukee and they asked for Giannis. Essentially they likely narrowed the list down to the 2 best two way PF/C in the league---AD and Giannis. They wouldn't consider any alternatives.

Edwards, Tatum, Adebayo, Banchero and others were only a phone call away… why not dial the numbers and listen?

[MrDollarBills]

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Gross.

[MrDollarBills]

Luka is 25 years old coming off of a Finals run. Giving up on him at this point is absurd and the return for him was horrible.

I'm not trading a 25 year old generational talent that isn't even in his prime for Anthony Davis. It makes no sense basketball wise or business wise regardless of "conditioning issues" which are easily fixable.

The Mavs are talking about Luka like he's Zion, who really actually is someone who can't control himself, missed a ton of time because of it, and has accomplished nothing.

[thebuzzardman]

I'm checked out. Don't give a f*ck about the Knicks, don't really care about the NBA now.

I'll still troll the f*ck out of you all though.

[Fat]

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Lamelo punching air right now

[FrozenEnvelope]

Read Nico Harrison is the genius who lost Curry to Armor when he was at Nike. How does he a) get another job and b) keep his current job?