Shams: BI extension (3 Years $120M) **Presser at 5:15pm** Link Pg. 24

[Basketball_Jones]

Hunter is playing great this season. But other than injury and cost concerns I can’t see how you’d rather have Hunter if the idea is to add top end talent. Hunter would also be healthy and helping us win games which we need to avoid at all costs if we aren’t tanking next season. This years pick will be the last lotto pick for a while.

[ill-Will03]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

[djsunyc]

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[AHCanada]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

As long as there are no bad injuries, I could really see the raps being competitive in the east next season.

[tsherkin]

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Ugh. Pierce is one of those guys who I wish would just go quietly into that good night already, lol.

[Scase]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

[Scase]

Read on Twitter

Ugh. Pierce is one of those guys who I wish would just go quietly into that good night already, lol.

Pierce saying he doesnt think they make the play in next year is just...insert word here you know lol.

If this team misses the play in next year, holy hell even the team compete folks will be rioting.

[Naysorn]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

As long as there are no bad injuries, I could really see the raps being competitive in the east next season.

its gonna happen

and its gonna be more sustainable than detroits current success cause, well, we're the toronto raptors. that's what we do. top-3 ran franchise in the league since the 2010s.

[ForeverTFC]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

[Scase]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

[YogurtProducer]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

The guy finds a way to be negative about everything. He is now deep diving other teams schedules to downplay their ability to **** on an accomplishment we haven't even achieved yet. Legendary hating.

Just a few weeks ago it was we are not good enough to be a playoff team. Now it is that 5th seed isn't an accomplishment and its "not surprising" if we make it.

[Tha Cynic]

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

So you think both of those teams will be better contenders over the next few years? This will be good to revisit.

Better foundation? What is this subjective **** lol

[ForeverTFC]

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

Who cares how you get there? Is it only real if you tanked your way there? Also, they're about to have 2 max contracts + Suggs long term and will be capped out, just like us. From an asset perspective, they have 1 more 1st from Denver this year while we have more long tail prospects than they do. It's comical that you're saying it won't be an achievement when Orlando and Us will be in rougly the same cap situation and have the same number of picks moving forward.

[YogurtProducer]

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

ORL is 29-31 and in the play-in, with Franz/Suggs set to make similar money to Barnes/Ingram, and with Paolo set to get the max and be the highest paid of the two teams within 12 months.

DET also went out and signed Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway (and traded away Grimes) then just acquired Schroder to expediate the rebuild. OH! And Cade has the same extension as Barnes due right away, have to pay Beasley this off-season, and have Harris/Hardawy owed $41M next year.

OH!!! And we are similarly aged to ORL, and are younger than DET.

DET has 4 players aged 28 or up in their top 10 minutes played.
ORL has 1 such player
TOR has 2 such players

If you wanna look from a youth standpoint:

DET has 6 guys aged 25 or under in their top 10 minutes played
ORL has 8 such players
TOR has 7 (and if you remove Davion, we have 8).

OH!!! And we have the highest income draft pick of the bunch.

Like sheesh man, is it so hard to just be objective and not lie?

[Scase]

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

So you think both of those teams will be better contenders over the next few years? This will be good to revisit.

Better foundation? What is this subjective **** lol

I dont think any of the 3 teams will be contenders as currently constructed or in the next couple of years, I would give ORL the best chance out of the 3 though.


And what exactly is this?

Better foundation? What is this subjective **** lol

Yes, it's subjective, all of this is. Show me some quantifiable and unbiased method that proves objectivity when discussing an opinion. You are quickly spiralling down the "your opinion is wrong" hole, do I need to qualify everything I said with "I think" or is that not implied?

Relax on being so antagonistic.

[YogurtProducer]

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

Who cares how you get there? Is it only real if you tanked your way there? Also, they're about to have 2 max contracts + Suggs long term and will be capped out, just like us. From an asset perspective, they have 1 more 1st from Denver this year while we have more long tail prospects than they do. It's comical that you're saying it won't be an achievement when Orlando and Us will be in rougly the same cap situation and have the same number of picks moving forward.

TLDR - the mystery box is worth more than the actual result.

IDK how you look at ORL or DET and think they have a better foundation in any way. If we were 29-31 in the play-in Scase would be losing his **** mind. Just look further up this thread and you can find him saying this

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment?

Yet he is high on DET, who are SIXTH in the east. Can't make this **** up

[MEDIC]

I can’t wait to see the responses when we end up top 5 in the East next year. Cue the Masai got lucky excuses again lol

I think 5th in the east is what most of the complainers are afraid of.

Some people have this unrealistic view of tank or contender, with nothing in between.

The goal for this team should be 6th at minimum next season. Anything less than that will have been an underachieving season.

[Mak]

Is this meant to suggest that being 5th in the east is some major accomplishment? The Bucks are 5th with 25 of their 32 wins coming from the east, and 12 of those coming from the utterly pathetic SE division. This same 5th place team is 8-14 against .500+ teams, and is just beating up on a weak conference.

No one is going to be surprised if this team makes the playoffs next year, but why are we acting like that's a high bar to pass, or that it should be praised? Hell, even the Knicks who are 3rd with 38 wins had 21 of those come from the Atlantic and SE divisions, which are by far the 2 worst in the NBA.

No one is going to be surprised when we are the best of the worst, that's exactly what everyone is worried about. The pre-emptive victory lap you are taking, is just weird tbh.

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

They signed players to “try” to artificially expedite the process. Magic team is not cheaper and core may not even be younger. Then, magic did not do a traditional tank. They were bad two seasons. So much false info here.

[Scase]

What are you even talking about here? Should Detroit and Orlando tank again then?

Both of those teams have a better foundation, have tanked to acquire assets and are on the upward trend. They didn't trade for a player of BI's calibre to artificially expedite the process. They both have cores that are younger, and cheaper than ours, they didn't panic pivot or trade assets to do so, they are doing the thing that so many anti tankers keep preaching, "internal development."

Who cares how you get there? Is it only real if you tanked your way there? Also, they're about to have 2 max contracts + Suggs long term and will be capped out, just like us. From an asset perspective, they have 1 more 1st from Denver this year while we have more long tail prospects than they do. It's comical that you're saying it won't be an achievement when Orlando and Us will be in rougly the same cap situation and have the same number of picks moving forward.

I agree, how you get there isn't important, so long as you are. This has nothing to do with tanking inherently, although it has built in benefits like a longer runway due to better contract control. But if we are talking about building a team, there is no right or wrong method, there are just some that I think are more realistic than others. Trading for players to build a team requires assets to send out, drafting a player doesn't, it requires you being bad enough, some lotto luck, and a competent FO.

FA I think we can all agree is not an option for our team, or in this context, the Magic or Pistons. So if you aren't wealthy in assets, drafting becomes your best chance of success.

ORL and us will be in "roughly" the same cap situation, but ORL also has a top 3 defence, a burgeoning and young star in Paolo, Franz seemingly taking that next step, and Suggs is an all defence player. All while having a younger and less experienced core, off the back of a 5th placed finish last year, a playoff birth, and a better record this year. Could they have a better cap situation? For sure. But they are in that situation while being a good team, with players that are young and under contract control. They actually made the playoffs.

We are going to be in a "similar" cap situation with an older more experienced team, and our success hinges on the performance of a historically constantly injured player who will be 28. Our expectation next year, is to do what ORL is doing this year, with significantly worse injury luck than we had.

They are further along in their rebuild, but theirs isn't reliant on a 28 year old who is oft injured. Their team has more room to grow than ours does currently. The upcoming draft will have a large impact on our future, but since none of us know where we will land in that draft, it's not something I'm going to throw into the equation.

As for more long tail prospects, can you give me more details? I'm assuming you mean like Mogbo etc. I just don't want to jump into that bit if I'm not sure I have all the info.

[MEDIC]

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Ugh. Pierce is one of those guys who I wish would just go quietly into that good night already, lol.

Pierce saying he doesnt think they make the play in next year is just...insert word here you know lol.

If this team misses the play in next year, holy hell even the team compete folks will be rioting.

I was confused as well. I think he was talking about this season.