Official NBA General Discussion 2024-25 V2.0

[bballsparkin]

Why? It's been pretty lousy weather here. He can be in MIami, LV, or LA in a few hours. The team is stacked for the foreseeable future it seems. Taxes are probably a lot lower. Less pressure.

Why? Because I’m a raptors fan and want to see the best Canadian in the league play for the home town team… what kinda question is that.

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

[bballsparkin]

I thought SGA was going to be pretty good early on. But not at the level he has become.

[Boogie!]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

[Mattatron]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Dude, mj had to deal with real og enforcers that were build like oxes. sga is flopping and flying all over the court after every single contact with white dudes.

[MiamiSPX]

Why? It's been pretty lousy weather here. He can be in MIami, LV, or LA in a few hours. The team is stacked for the foreseeable future it seems. Taxes are probably a lot lower. Less pressure.

Why? Because I’m a raptors fan and want to see the best Canadian in the league play for the home town team… what kinda question is that.

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

[mdenny]

Why? Because I’m a raptors fan and want to see the best Canadian in the league play for the home town team… what kinda question is that.

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

He's definitely not giving up 100 million to play in Toronto. He will sign the supermax for sure. Our chance is for him to request a trade after the cap catches up with them and they lose all their depth.

Can't remember how much kawhi gave up in not signing with us. Was it like 20 or 30 million?

[MiamiSPX]

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

He's definitely not giving up 100 million to play in Toronto. He will sign the supermax for sure. Our chance is for him to request a trade after the cap catches up with them and they lose all their depth.

Can't remember how much kawhi gave up in not signing with us. Was it like 20 or 30 million?

You're probably right. However, a question that needs to be asked....are we sure OKC's owner will shell out a 380M contract? There are only 3-4 teams where it's a valid question (Indy, NO, etc). I mean, I highly doubt they wouldn't do it, but its a greater than 0% chance.

I think Kawhi left 80+m in guaranteed money on the table at that time, but I think our contract would have been 5 years versus the 3 he got with LAC. But I am sure he made out okay, if not better, considering he had more lucrative endorsement opportunities in CA.

[Boogie!]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Dude, mj had to deal with real og enforcers that were build like oxes. sga is flopping and flying all over the court after every single contact with white dudes.

People say this like they watched every single game back then? Yes, there was more physicality back then… also, if you go and watch full game highlights, you’ll start to get just as irritated at the amount of ticky tack fouls star players got.

https://youtube.com/shorts/cRa3xAAQEis?si=DTpudsN0V7928LMS

You guys just get so easily swayed by what the media tells you with their “back in my day”stories. The nba has always been favouring stars.

[Raptaurus]

Why? Because I’m a raptors fan and want to see the best Canadian in the league play for the home town team… what kinda question is that.

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

Agreed. He is a GTA guy. Sometimes home is just home. He lives here. I can imagine someone from here not adjusting well to Oklahoma just as I can see someone from the good ole south not adjusting well to living in the GTA.

I would be much more pessimistic about him coming here if he seemed fully into the whole LA/Miami celebrity/socialite scene year round but SGA is not Tristan Thompson, Rick Fox, or even Steve Nash.

[ciueli]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Dude, mj had to deal with real og enforcers that were build like oxes. sga is flopping and flying all over the court after every single contact with white dudes.

Dude, MJ played in an NBA where players were literally not allowed to be outside arms length from the player they were guarding or it was a defensive violation. And that includes off ball defenders, if the offensive player being guarded runs to the corner of the court the defender has to follow them there or they are playing illegal defence and get whistled for a violation. One of the biggest differences between Jordan's era and the modern era is that the defensive rules of Jordan's era were extremely beneficial to dribble drive guards.

[Los_29]

Wow, there is a chance that Presti becomes a candidate to get to Masai, Buford and Riley’s level. You might be thinking, well he got gifted SGA and Jalen Williams. And you’d be right. But he has done a good job of building the right pieces around them. Not as good as our championship team but still a good team. Caruso, Ihart, Dort have all been great pieces.

[Los_29]

you know who I'm rooting for to win the championship

We’ll see if Kawhi can win his 3rd ring. This time as the GM of the OKC Thunder.

lol, dig in deeper. We will have fun in a new thread when this happens

I’ve been very consistent for awhile now. SGA was acquired in the George trade. To make matters worse, Jalen Williams was involved in that trade as well.

Once in a lifetime trade. Two best pieces. Take that away and you have a Chet and Giddey core. I like both players but don’t think they are a championship core.

But could be wrong. Presti never drafted a superstar which is what everyone believed would happen.

Rockets, Magic and Pistons are what you aspire to. All of them are golfing in Cancun.

[Spates]

4 of the 6 Nesmith threes came off breakdowns related to KAT. The kid can't lock-in

[Dr Positivity]

Chet playing great makes OKC hard to beat. Him being hard to play against Jokic may have been the key to having chance against them.

[Jeremy Lin 7]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Game 1 - 14 Free Throws
Game 2 - 15 Free Throws

Look no one is disputing how skilled he is outside of FTs. OKC will probably win the title. The problem is watching SGA hooking defenders arms, falling to the ground on every touch or no touch, not even looking at the basket, and relying on the refs for calls. If that's what you enjoy watching, sure all the power to you. However, as Doris Burke said there's a reason why NBA twitter calls him the free throw merchant. Fans don't enjoy watching the Harden-eques foul baiting. SGA is an Unethical Hooper in the eyes of the public. Like it or not. I don't care if he's Canadian. He's making a mockery of the game.

[tanuki1031]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Game 1 - 14 Free Throws
Game 2 - 15 Free Throws

Look no one is disputing how skilled he is outside of FTs. OKC will probably win the title. The problem is watching SGA hooking defenders arms, falling to the ground on every touch or no touch, not even looking at the basket, and relying on the refs for calls. If that's what you enjoy watching, sure all the power to you. However, as Doris Burke said there's a reason why NBA twitter calls him the free throw merchant. Fans don't enjoy watching the Harden-eques foul baiting. SGA is an Unethical Hooper in the eyes of the public. Like it or not. I don't care if he's Canadian. He's making a mockery of the game.

There's also a reason why the game before the MVP announcement RJ & Doris were openly calling SGA a foul merchant and the game after the MVP announcement RJ & Doris didn't utter the phrase once, instead applauded SGA's relentless attacking and understanding the use of angles, and finishing through contact. When the McDaniels foul on SGA was reviewed for a possible flagrant Breen didn't even dare say SGA's name. Instead he posed the question to Steve Javi as "In the recent past players like James Harden have made officiating fouls difficult, what are some things the crew tries to look for..."

I hope people who complain about SGA equally complain about Embiid, Jokic, Ant, Brunson, Pat Maholmes. Maholmes' brand of bull foul baiting on QB contact and OOB contact has made a mockery of football and the QB position. You can pre throw the flag any time Maholmes runs out of the pocket toward the sidelines because you know what's going to happen. It's such a disservice to football, to fans, and to himself. Fans pay to watch him make throws through tight windows not pretend to run out of bounds then fly OOB after stepping back into the closest defender who had already taken himself out of the play.

[OhCanada]

Not you. That's a given. Why would he want to? Maybe when he nears retirement but I don't buy it.

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

He's definitely not giving up 100 million to play in Toronto. He will sign the supermax for sure. Our chance is for him to request a trade after the cap catches up with them and they lose all their depth.

Can't remember how much kawhi gave up in not signing with us. Was it like 20 or 30 million?

Its not happening. OKC has a potential Dynasty on their hands. They have the 2nd youngest team in the NBA and the most future draft capital in the league. Being a small market team will not stop them from spending money in the luxary tax if and when they win a championship. They are about to go on a Golden State Warriors run. In 2010, the Golden State Warriors were placed 15th on Forbes's annual valuations and this year they are the most valuable NBA franchise at about $10 Billion and thats because of winning and was built around Steph Curry the same way OKC is built around SGA. They just spent a quarter billion dollars on an old Jimmy Butler just to sell the fans some hope.

Shai is not gonna leave that situation, leave $100 million dollars on the table, increase his income taxes, lose his sponsorship deals that would prefer him playing in USA which is why Kawhi played in LA (New Balance) and ruin his potential to be listed as one of the games all time goats just to play at home. Maybe after the dynasty we could see him entertain the idea but not while he is in his prime.

[tsherkin]

Normally I would agree with you, but he actually lives in the GTA in the offseason, which is extremely rare and a first. Mind you, the offseason is when the weather is not so terrible but still. Wife is local too. That is why some of us think there is a chance; albeit slim.

He's definitely not giving up 100 million to play in Toronto. He will sign the supermax for sure. Our chance is for him to request a trade after the cap catches up with them and they lose all their depth.

Can't remember how much kawhi gave up in not signing with us. Was it like 20 or 30 million?

Its not happening. OKC has a potential Dynasty on their hands. They have the 2nd youngest team in the NBA and the most future draft capital in the league. Being a small market team will not stop them from spending money in the luxary tax if and when they win a championship. They are about to go on a Golden State Warriors run. In 2010, the Golden State Warriors were placed 15th on Forbes's annual valuations and this year they are the most valuable NBA franchise at about $10 Billion and thats because of winning and was built around Steph Curry the same way OKC is built around SGA. They just spent a quarter billion dollars on an old Jimmy Butler just to sell the fans some hope.

Shai is not gonna leave that situation, leave $100 million dollars on the table, increase his income taxes, lose his sponsorship deals that would prefer him playing in USA which is why Kawhi played in LA (New Balance) and ruin his potential to be listed as one of the games all time goats just to play at home. Maybe after the dynasty we could see him entertain the idea but not while he is in his prime.

Yeah, as much as I'd love to have Shai here, he has exactly no reason at all to come here instead of remaining on an amazing team in OKC which is presently contending very seriously, and can pay him more. Doesn't make any sense at all, hometown or not.

[Ari_Emanuel]

Shai is a foul merchant. So hard to watch him play.

Michael Jordan once shot 3/18 in a playoff game scoring 22 points. He shot 16/17 from the line that game. For his career he averages more fts per game in the playoffs than this year’s foul merchant Shai. Is mj the goat considered a foul merchant? You know who else averaged a higher playoff ft/g? Kawhi in the raptors championship season.

That bull title is reserved for players that can’t get their game off otherwise. Shai will score his points efficiently even without fts. The guy is unguardsble and unstoppable just like any other superstar and therefore will get fouled. Give this man his respect. This is the same fan base that gets mad that Barnes doesn’t get enough foul calls for driving erratically to the basket and makes excuses for his inefficient offense.

Game 1 - 14 Free Throws
Game 2 - 15 Free Throws

Look no one is disputing how skilled he is outside of FTs. OKC will probably win the title. The problem is watching SGA hooking defenders arms, falling to the ground on every touch or no touch, not even looking at the basket, and relying on the refs for calls. If that's what you enjoy watching, sure all the power to you. However, as Doris Burke said there's a reason why NBA twitter calls him the free throw merchant. Fans don't enjoy watching the Harden-eques foul baiting. SGA is an Unethical Hooper in the eyes of the public. Like it or not. I don't care if he's Canadian. He's making a mockery of the game.

He's made a number of And1s this series, shot 52% from the field in the regular season, and is shooting 48% now, IN THE PLAYOFFS.

Has it ever occurred to you that if guys played him straight up, without touching (remember, he is on the slimmer side), he might get 4 or 5 more FGs per game, where he is already leading the league?

Yes, he sells calls. Every star does. I find it weird that so many people are hopping on this foul merchant train. I'd like to blame it on the 24/7 social media content and news cycle, but deep down I think people latch onto narratives like zealots because they don't have their own personality.

[sidsid]

He's definitely not giving up 100 million to play in Toronto. He will sign the supermax for sure. Our chance is for him to request a trade after the cap catches up with them and they lose all their depth.

Can't remember how much kawhi gave up in not signing with us. Was it like 20 or 30 million?

Its not happening. OKC has a potential Dynasty on their hands. They have the 2nd youngest team in the NBA and the most future draft capital in the league. Being a small market team will not stop them from spending money in the luxary tax if and when they win a championship. They are about to go on a Golden State Warriors run. In 2010, the Golden State Warriors were placed 15th on Forbes's annual valuations and this year they are the most valuable NBA franchise at about $10 Billion and thats because of winning and was built around Steph Curry the same way OKC is built around SGA. They just spent a quarter billion dollars on an old Jimmy Butler just to sell the fans some hope.

Shai is not gonna leave that situation, leave $100 million dollars on the table, increase his income taxes, lose his sponsorship deals that would prefer him playing in USA which is why Kawhi played in LA (New Balance) and ruin his potential to be listed as one of the games all time goats just to play at home. Maybe after the dynasty we could see him entertain the idea but not while he is in his prime.

Yeah, as much as I'd love to have Shai here, he has exactly no reason at all to come here instead of remaining on an amazing team in OKC which is presently contending very seriously, and can pay him more. Doesn't make any sense at all, hometown or not.

If and when they cheap out on the core like they did with Harden back in the day, that's when the door opens. But speaking at how incredible the Presti run has been, they have another year before their 2nd and 3rd best players are off their rookie contracts. Assuming they'd pay the tax for at least 2 years like most teams have, that's at minimum 4 years away for us. They may not even have to hit the tax in that 2nd year with SGAs deal re-up not hitting until 2027.

Only the Warriors with the bargain Curry contract and the exploding cap at the right time had a bigger runway. Unless your counting the old voluntary Duncan Spurs pay cuts, which I don't think is happening again in this era.