Ghost of Kleine wrote:To Fishi's above response:Spoiler:
(added numbers to the response points for more concise reference)
1- Willing to let this weak play out and see how things trend!
2- Yes! And the difference is widely known to be distinguished by a multitude of factors, But the most paramount of those being elite talent and quality depth, of which we're both lacking severely in! Now the clear solution to bridging that gulf is in a front office's ability to properly utilize their available assets to upgrade the roster, shore up positional deficiencies, and foster competitive growth. Over the last couple of seasons, How successful/ effective would you say our front office has been in those categories? What assets do we legitimately have to address those lacking qualities in our team?? And once Paul is gone how truly competitive do you really expect us to be, keeping in mind the season prior to the Paul trade we were (34-39 or 10th in the west) under Monty and Jones. So basically 5 games under .500 and at lottery team (6th) that season. Now in fairness, Booker, Ayton and Bridges have all progressed nicely. But in that same respect, Many teams have as well, they've gotten stronger, added more depth and talent, and gotten deeper through virtue of trades/ draft etc. So again, considering those factors, just how competitive do you expect us to be in a much tighter, more competitive and cutthroat western conference??
3- I'm all for that If it is even possible! But again, what assets do we honestly have to make those type of moves?? Which of our assets do you honestly believe other team's will find more desirable/ valuable than other teams with bigger asset caches and better value fillers? Do you honestly think we have the assets to outbid Atlanta with Collins, etc? Do you believe we have better value assets picks than the Lakers, Spurs, Pacers, Hornets in a trade package for Randle? What trades are we currently winning with our assets and late firsts (as is)? So I'd love to shore up our team for a decent run and have been postulating over the possibility for a couple seasons now. But I just don't see our assets returning any impactful players or value given their current perception.
4- Being a 7-10 playoff seed and a sacrificial warm up team for more elite teams that are actually relevant in the postseason and have a legitimate chance of actually making a noteworthy run is the definition of mediocrity. It's NBA purgatory in that you'll never realistically make it to the finals and win a championship. Yet you're also just good enough to land outside the top of the lottery and drastically reduce your odds of getting an elite star level talent to add to your core. Better to actually go "all in" like some teams that aren't us have done! Or bottom out quick for one or two seasons max whilst our core is entering their prime and then we add an elite talent or two to supplement our core. Teams like the Raptors, Warriors, and Pels seemed to have utilized the premise pretty well don't you think? Nobody's saying commit to long term lottery suckage as we already have a good solid core in place under contract for a number of years. Just cleverly utilize it to add legitimate high value talent assets for 1-2 seasons tops that can contribute or otherwise be flipped for higher value vet returns in trades?
5- A wealthy Billionaire isn't likely to consider the team he just invested Billions in to purchase that's a 7-10 1st round exit and mid to late lottery team at all relevant. Ask anyone or even just look to the frequent historical indicators that will illustrate that high level investors would rather switch out the front office and overhaul the roster with high end talent to push that team further into legitimate contention for a title. And if the assets aren't there to accomplish this via trade, just look to those acquisitioned teams trading off the majority of the roster and bottoming out for a top pick! or high lottery asset. Then building around their vision.
6- Again, I'm not talking about blowing it all up (not at all)! I'm talking about offloading anchor contracts such as Saric/ Shamet/ Paul for another big expiring contract or for TPES, Maybe someone like Westbrook and a flaker first. Or in a 3 team deal maybe to Brooklyn with Irving going to another interested team and us getting quality complimentary fillers or more assets. Then we let our grow play some games here and there next season, but exercise caution and generous load management and playing our bench acquisitions more minutes for development/ value escalation
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/2024/ufa/
7- I'm not talking about going back to being a perennial lottery team. That obviously won't at all happen with a legitimate owner willing to spend in contrast to our parsimonious skinflint owner. I'm talking about high level cost controlled talent acquisition through one draft (maybe two max) to replenish our sorry asset cache, Then setting the stage for our wealthy billionaire owner to spend and go big on one of those unrestricted high level free agents in free agency right after the draft to expedite the fastest ascension back to contention for the 2nd time. But this time with greater high value assets, added supplementary athleticism and cost controlled elite talent!
** For example, IF we can convince one of Siakim, Porzingis, Derozan, Jaylen Brown, Sabonis, or If Durant asks to be traded again and that team is willing to initiate a sign n trade for contractual reasons or whatever, we'll need young, promising high level lottery assets/ prospects to exchange for said elite player right?? I don't expect them to just be cool with a Shamet/ Craig/ Payne or whatever exchange.......... Do you?? It's expediting asset acquisition and depth accumulation within one or two offseasons max with our sights set on 2024 free agency as our big spending "ALL IN" move to make our team even more potent and add the talent and depth to put us over the top rather than a slow rebuild or a complete roster dissection by our new owner that won't want a low seed fringe lotto team post Paul. I'm strategizing to actually circumvent a potential extended reconstruction as early as next season!
1. Let's see. We could be at .500 or we could be better. Also who cares. Our season is not determined by our record at Christmas. If I recall, the Celtics had a 16-17 record at Xmas.
2. I think we're good enough to make a deep run. It certainly does require our team to be healthy and the margin for error is admittedly very small but we both know how well this team can play when we're on. This week sucked and we lost 4 in a row, something that hasn't happened in some time, it is what it is. But it's December and we ran into the two best teams in the two conferences and one that seems to have the mental edge over us but the season is neither made nor ends in December. We are sorely lacking in depth without Cam, without *insert player for Crowder*, without Book and CP3 has just come back. We lost convincingly in the first match up against the Pels but we did much better despite being down our best player. There is hope there.
3. I certainly think we could swing for a big player. Maybe not a home run hit like a KD but if we could get someone even like an Oubre or Randle...who knows. The giant gap right now seems to be creation outside of Book, CP3 and to a lesser extent Payne and if we can address this gap with a player who is a solid creator, that presents new challenges to other teams they haven't dealt with since we became a contender. In our playoff defeats, time and time again the biggest issue is either Book/CP3 don't show up or when they do, it's not enough. Getting that third confident creator addresses that.
4. I've said it before, bottoming out =/= drafting a superstar. Admittedly, I really like Anthony Edwards and think he could be really damn good but what about the Wolves other #1 picks? How far did KAT go? Wiggins was nothing until he was something with the Warriors. So much about the draft is the luck of timing and of course, luck of the ping pong balls. I'd rather we control our own destiny with the guys we have and build around that than try and bottom out for a season or two and hope for the best.
5. We'll have to agree to disagree. Even if they replaced the front office and coach, the hardest thing to do is bring in talent and we already have an all-NBA first teamer, we have a runner up DPOY and we have a former #1 pick who's a solid big man who perfectly adept at playing the modern NBA game. You're telling me, a billionaire owner will come in, sell off any hopes for competitiveness for....2yrs, 3yrs, 5yrs to maybe drafting a star? If I'm that billionaire, I'm buying a team with the intent to make money and have it reflect positively on my reputation, I want a team that's competitive and remain competitive.
6. I can agree with this point. I'm all for making moves around the future core 3 (Book/Mikal/DA) that keeps us competitive now and into the future, even if it's not necessarily a move that gets us significantly closer to a championship this year. Offload CP3, Crowder, Dario, all the other pieces if it sets us up to still be competitive this year and beyond.
7. I think we have a solid cache of assets. It's not elite but it's solid. We have no long term bad contracts (even Shamet is an expiring next season) unless you count Book and DA but even then, these guys are young enough that they are tradable. We don't have a broken down John Wall or a stubborn Westbrook type on the team. Everyone we have are good team guys.
