Around the League - Beasley Boogies to Detroit

[tydett]

Man, it's going to be a loooong offseason with people talking about whether the Celtics are going to repeat for the next 3 or 5 years.

[Mags FTW]

What do you do if you are the Wolves? Trade one of the towers (probably KAT) for whatever you can get? Run it back and hope Ant makes another leap?

[Ruben Quevedo]

Boston will have some rocky moments but they'll eventually cruise in 5 or 6

[jschligs]

I think many are underestimating the Mavs. They are IMO equally athletic to the Celtics and their bigs will have their hands full with KP and Horford, but they are quick and athletic enough to hang. Even though Boston has cruised through the playoffs, they haven't won in a convincing way IMO. I think this goes 6 or 7. Will be rooting for the Mavs.

[sidney lanier]

If this series were a pickup game and you're choosing sides, who do you pick first? I think the picking goes Luka, Kyrie, Tatum, Brown.

Dallas in 5. QED.

[Profound23]

If this series were a pickup game and you're choosing sides, who do you pick first? I think the picking goes Luka, Kyrie, Tatum, Brown.

Dallas in 5. QED.

I'd go Luka, Tatum, Kyrie, Brown....

But after that Jrue, Derrick White, Porzingis would be the next three picks before any other Celtics like Lively would be picked. Mavs are going to rely a lot on their two stars while Boston has the depth. But I hope you're right.

[emunney]

If this series were a pickup game and you're choosing sides, who do you pick first? I think the picking goes Luka, Kyrie, Tatum, Brown.

Dallas in 5. QED.

I think without the context, I'd put Luka and Tatum first tier, and then Kyrie, Jrue, White, Brown, and Porzingis 2nd tier. But there are a lot of guys who randomly wilt, and Luka could randomly Wilt, so I think we could get a good series.

If it's a pickup game, I agree with you: definitely Luka and Kyrie first.

[Bernman]

This isn't nearly as straight-fw as the Mavs-Wolves series was before, where it was evident Minny had nobody to match-up w/ Luka & Kyrie.

Boston has big wings, who can play pretty physically. Tatum might match up the best w/ Luka, but that would be a bold card to play, because you'd probably get worse offense, & Doncic could still just be too good right now. Though the Celtics have other ways to beat you (Brown, the collective). As for Kyrie, I think Derrick White matches up pretty well.

If the Celtics put Jrue on Kyrie or Luka, it'd be a tactical mistake. He hasn't handled those types or specific match-ups in the past. He'd be better as a roamer in the passing lanes, though everyone on Dallas can shoot, so that could be punished. I think we'll see pube Jrue offensively. He's had a low presh sesh. Has shown he can thrive in that environment.

It's around a 50-50. Should be a great series. Go Mavs.

[emunney]

Random thought. We talk a lot about the incompatible team names and locations coming out of the Jazz moving to Utah or the Lakers moving to LA, but we never talk about the bizarre kismet of the San Diego Rockets moving to Houston.

[MikeIsGood]

What do you do if you are the Wolves? Trade one of the towers (probably KAT) for whatever you can get? Run it back and hope Ant makes another leap?

I would imagine explore trading KAT, but ultimately run it back. I think it's reasonable to expect Ant to make another leap - moreso in the vein of consistency than truly finding another level beyond his current peak. He had, legitimately, a pretty rough stretch over the course of ~2 weeks in the playoffs - that's the kind of thing I imagine they hope levels out next season for him.

[raferfenix]

If Tatum / Brown choke and Boston loses their offseason freakout would be chefs kiss.

Jrue might be too much to let them ruin it though.

[Ron Swanson]

As amazing as Ant was in the first 2 rounds, he was equally bad in the Mavs series. Sure, you can expect him to improve his consistency with more experience, but I don't know how you trust Towns at this point if your a Wolves fan or member of that front office. He'll already be 29 in November. I used to think he was a perfect candidate for having a Pau Gasol like 2nd act of his career after being unfairly labelled a loser as a franchise guy, but Pau was 27 when he got traded to the Lakers. They desperately need to move him for a wing or guard. They're another team that should try and pry Garland out of Cleveland.

[BUCKnation]

I think boston wins, but I can’t really doubt the mavs ability to win it at this point

[chonestown]

Walton addendum

From Charles Pierce:

He grew up with a terrible stutter, and there were a lot of stories about how chilly he was that were the legacy of his reluctance to speak in public.

Metaphorically slapped myself for only realizing this now despite mainlining the 4-part 30-for-30, going through multiple reads of "The Breaks of the Game," owning "Bill Walton's Total Book of Bicycling" etc.

Attributing malice to misunderstanding. Been there, buddy. Been there.

[yb90]

What do you do if you are the Wolves? Trade one of the towers (probably KAT) for whatever you can get? Run it back and hope Ant makes another leap?

I would look to ATL to see who they are trading. Either player could work for them and if it is Trae he is 3 years younger on a cheaper deal. This would be their version of Luka and Kyrie only Trae needs to continue to improve as a scorer. They would have the defense around Trae to make it work and his passing could open up the offense more.

If the deal is for Murray then ATL needs to add either Capela, Hunter, or Bogdanovic to the deal. I'm not as high on Murray as some are but maybe another attack guard with defensive skills paired with Ant could work and Murray is just entering his prime years so he could take another step to become a more efficient scorer.

[Bernman]

You got to be honest w/ yourself and move on from one of Towns or Gobert. There's not a 2nd offensive creator on that team. Towns could maybe be it if he was enabled to get in the post, but Gobert makes that tough. They're never going to win 4 series', even if Ant becomes literally MJ. He had Pippen. Kobe had Shaq and Pau. A borderline all-star perimeter guy w/ Ant, and a frontcourt of Naz & Towns/Gobert is nice. I might sacrifice Gobert because of the age & cuz he's the worst perimeter defender.

[yb90]

As amazing as Ant was in the first 2 rounds, he was equally bad in the Mavs series. Sure, you can expect him to improve his consistency with more experience, but I don't know how you trust Towns at this point if your a Wolves fan or member of that front office. He'll already be 29 in November. I used to think he was a perfect candidate for having a Pau Gasol like 2nd act of his career after being unfairly labelled a loser as a franchise guy, but Pau was 27 when he got traded to the Lakers. They desperately need to move him for a wing or guard. They're another team that should try and pry Garland out of Cleveland.

I posted about Trae and Dejounte but Garland maybe the perfect medium of both players plus he is only 24. I am not sure it is a sticking point but if you bring in Towns do you ship out Mobley too? I guess they could move Mobley to Center and trade Allen? Keep the younger player is probably smarter. Maybe Allen to GSW for Wiggins and a future 1st?

[DingleJerry]

You got to be honest w/ yourself and move on from one of Towns or Gobert. There's not a 2nd offensive creator on that team. Towns could maybe be it if he was enabled to get in the post, but Gobert makes that tough. They're never going to win 4 series', even if Ant becomes literally MJ. He had Pippen. Kobe had Shaq and Pau. A borderline all-star perimeter guy w/ Ant, and a frontcourt of Naz & Towns/Gobert is nice. I might sacrifice Gobert because of the age & cuz he's the worst perimeter defender.

After the good year I'd look to trade Gobert, shift that money elsewhere and hopefully recoup the haul you gave up for him. Get out of owing him that money as he ages. I understand Gobert is good and the best at what he does, but can get poor man's versions of Gobert for like 1/5 the cost. He's aging and guys like him lose their value big time in the playoffs. I think Gobert also has only two years left on his deal, so your window to trade is closing and you do not want to be the team paying him his next contract starting at age 34.

Take the ATL trade idea above, Capela is half the cost next year and then you can like resign after next for like 10 mil per year or less after that.

[emunney]

The Wolves won 14 more games than last year and won their first two playoff series in 20 years and people want to break them up?

[paulpressey25]

The Wolves won 14 more games than last year and won their first two playoff series in 20 years and people want to break them up?

Things move fast these days. One pod I listened to last night was pushing a Trae for KAT deal. Sort of made sense to me.