ATL - Smart Bought Out, Signs with Lakers

[tydett]

So sick of the "he's clearly playing hurt" excuses whenever a guy plays bad in a playoff series and they need to spin the narrative somehow. They're already doing it with Haliburton because god forbid a superstar has ever had to play at anything outside of 100% health in the Finals. Luka last year? Oh, he's clearly hurt, give him a pass. Tatum whenever his efficiency inevitably plummets in the playoffs? Oh, he clearly rolled his ankle. Steph pretty much every time he had a mediocre series during that initial dynasty run? Etc., etc. It's annoying.

I watched Giannis come back from what I thought might be a career-altering injury a week after he got it and will his team to a championship. Some dude cramping up in his hammies or rolling his ankle or something and turning him invisible isn't a viable excuse for me. Sometimes guys just play poorly.

[Bernman]

So sick of the "he's clearly playing hurt" excuses whenever a guy plays bad in a playoff series and they need to spin the narrative somehow. They're already doing it with Haliburton because god forbid a superstar has ever had to play at anything outside of 100% health in the Finals. Luka last year? Oh, he's clearly hurt, give him a pass. Tatum whenever his efficiency inevitably plummets in the playoffs? Oh, he clearly rolled his ankle. Steph pretty much every time he had a mediocre series during that initial dynasty run? Etc., etc. It's annoying.

I watched Giannis come back from what I thought might be a career-altering injury a week after he got it and will his team to a championship. Some dude cramping up in his hammies or rolling his ankle or something and turning him invisible isn't a viable excuse for me. Sometimes guys just play poorly.

Then we have to apply this to each of the last 4 years in the playoffs for us too. 2 involved the superhuman that is Giannis. The reality is health plays a huge factor in who ultimately wins. Course-changing injuries to your stars during any given week of a win or you're out then comp are paramount.

Some guys play thru injuries they shouldn't, like Dame last year, figuring if they don't there's no chance of winning. I have a tough time coming up with examples of teams who've won a series w/out 1 of their top 2 guys, beyond maybe beating some 1st rd pushover.

[neiLz]

Legit question. Why is espn still hyping up a giannis trade? they dropped this today:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45526277/2025-nba-draft-san-antonio-spurs-keep-no-2-pick-options

[MickeyDavis]

Hali turning into Ben Simmons was fun. I'm not counting out Indy though.

[ReasonablySober]

Legit question. Why is espn still hyping up a giannis trade? they dropped this today:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45526277/2025-nba-draft-san-antonio-spurs-keep-no-2-pick-options

Trade offer No. 1: Giannis for a bevy of players, future picks
Milwaukee Bucks get: Forwards Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, the No. 2 pick, 2026 first-round pick (better of Atlanta and San Antonio), 2028 first-round pick (better of Boston and San Antonio), 2030 first-round pick (better of Dallas, Minnesota and San Antonio), 2031 swap (Milwaukee's for better of Sacramento's and San Antonio's)

Spurs get: Giannis Antetokounmpo

San Antonio is well-positioned to build an Antetokounmpo offer around picks based on the combination of moving up to No. 2 and having future swaps. Instead of relying on the Spurs' own picks, likely to come at the end of the round, the Bucks would be able to bet against a variety of teams bottoming out.

In particular, the 2030 first-rounder looks especially valuable because it's the best of three teams -- albeit with top-one protection on the swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Milwaukee also gets a recent lottery pick in Sochan and players who could keep the team competitive with no draft incentive for the Bucks to tank.

By giving up three rotation players plus the No. 2 pick, San Antonio would compromise its depth. But the Spurs would have time to continue reshaping the roster around a fearsome frontcourt duo of Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama with Castle and Fox in the backcourt. -- Kevin Pelton

No thanks.

[Ron Swanson]

Legit question. Why is espn still hyping up a giannis trade? they dropped this today:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45526277/2025-nba-draft-san-antonio-spurs-keep-no-2-pick-options

It's just so **** hilarious that they dropped this immediately after the Bane trade. Deranged, clueless morons.

[machu46]

Legit question. Why is espn still hyping up a giannis trade? they dropped this today:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45526277/2025-nba-draft-san-antonio-spurs-keep-no-2-pick-options

Can't remember who it was but one of the prominent NBA writers out there (maybe Vecenie) was saying it's still 50/50 on whether or not Giannis requests a trade since he hasn't given any indication one way or another yet lol

[emunney]

Legit question. Why is espn still hyping up a giannis trade? they dropped this today:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45526277/2025-nba-draft-san-antonio-spurs-keep-no-2-pick-options

Can't remember who it was but one of the prominent NBA writers out there (maybe Vecenie) was saying it's still 50/50 on whether or not Giannis requests a trade since he hasn't given any indication one way or another yet lol

Coin's Law states that any two outcomes are always equally likely

[Bernman]

The way things were going, you had to moderately favor the Pacers in this series until this:

Read on Twitter

[brewbucks]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

[MickeyDavis]

Pacers get no injury sympathy from this Bucks fan. **** 'em

[Bernman]

The Pacers have gotten some injury luck, sure. It's relative. The Celtics had it over them last year. This year the Thunder do. Could they overcome SGA incapacitated? Not against a healthy Pacers' team.

As for individuals w/ injuries in the playoffs that aren't catastrophic, you're kind of damned either way by NBA fans. Play thru it & struggle, this is who you are. Don't play & you're not tough. The main idea is at a point the injury changes who you are & it's a big part of the game.

[WeekapaugGroove]

That 4th quarter of game 4 is going to give Pacers fans nightmares for years to come. That felt like their shot.

Yeah, they will. Especially if the Pacers end up losing this in 7 games.

For us it's the double OT loss in game 3 vs the Raptors in 2019.

But game 4 for the Pacers will be 100X worse just because it's in the Finals and because the Pacers have never won an championship.

Our game 3 in 2019 sucked big time and it still stings a bit 6 years later. But had we won that game, there was no guarantee that we would have won the Finals.

Rationally even had Indi won I think OKC still could have won in 7, plus it's not like losing a 10 point lead is some rare occurrence in the NBA. BUT if I'm a fan of Indi I'd always think had they held on they would have won it all.


Its like I firmly believe had the Packers not choked the Seattle game away they would have won the SB that year.

[Bernman]

That 4th quarter of game 4 is going to give Pacers fans nightmares for years to come. That felt like their shot.

Yeah, they will. Especially if the Pacers end up losing this in 7 games.

For us it's the double OT loss in game 3 vs the Raptors in 2019.

But game 4 for the Pacers will be 100X worse just because it's in the Finals and because the Pacers have never won an championship.

Our game 3 in 2019 sucked big time and it still stings a bit 6 years later. But had we won that game, there was no guarantee that we would have won the Finals.

Rationally even had Indi won I think OKC still could have won in 7, plus it's not like losing a 10 point lead is some rare occurrence in the NBA. BUT if I'm a fan of Indi I'd always think had they held on they would have won it all.


Its like I firmly believe had the Packers not choked the Seattle game away they would have won the SB that year.

What's rational is thinking Indy would have won the series if they went up 3-1. Teams are 37-1 in the NBA finals in that situation.

[ReasonablySober]

The Indiana Pacers are trading their first-round selection in next week's NBA draft -- the No. 23 pick -- to the New Orleans Pelicans and reacquiring their own first-round pick in 2026, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday.

The Pelicans also received the rights to former Indiana G League player Mojave King, sources told Charania, while the reigning Eastern Conference champion Pacers gained additional financial flexibility entering the offseason.

The trade clears out nearly $3.2 million in salary cap space for the Pacers, who now currently possess their own first-round pick in seven consecutive drafts starting in 2026.

[jschligs]

Seems like a pretty smart move if you didn't have anyone you liked in this years draft. Gives you some financial flexibility with Turner's potential deal, and keeps your Finals core in tact for another year. Then you have all your picks if you want to make a splash next year or two on a big trade.

[th87]

That 4th quarter of game 4 is going to give Pacers fans nightmares for years to come. That felt like their shot.

Yeah, they will. Especially if the Pacers end up losing this in 7 games.

For us it's the double OT loss in game 3 vs the Raptors in 2019.

But game 4 for the Pacers will be 100X worse just because it's in the Finals and because the Pacers have never won an championship.

Our game 3 in 2019 sucked big time and it still stings a bit 6 years later. But had we won that game, there was no guarantee that we would have won the Finals.

Rationally even had Indi won I think OKC still could have won in 7, plus it's not like losing a 10 point lead is some rare occurrence in the NBA. BUT if I'm a fan of Indi I'd always think had they held on they would have won it all.


Its like I firmly believe had the Packers not choked the Seattle game away they would have won the SB that year.

No need to surprise bring that up. My stomach just jumped.

[Matches Malone]

Read on Twitter

[ReasonablySober]

Owner of the Dodgers. Stunner.

[MickeyDavis]

Owner of the Dodgers. Stunner.

I believe he owns around 25% of the Dodgers but yeah he's loaded. At least the NBA isn't MLB, he can't just outspend everyone.