ATL - Nico gets the boot

[humanrefutation]

On a related note, I had the FDSN Live show on this morning in the background and it has DeMarcus Cousins, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams. They seem have solid chemistry for a random basketball show.

I was wondering who was the blonde sitting next to them. It's **** Michelle Beadle. How much work has she had done on that face of hers? Goodness gracious.

[MickeyDavis]

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[Licensed to Il]

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The Luka trade is on my top five list of nba moves where I said “how could anyone with a league job possibly think this was a good idea? Along with trading Ray Allen for Old A— Gary Payton, and Hammond signing Gooden to a five year deal in the opening minutes of free agency. Id probably put the Hassan Whiteside max deal up there. Im probably forgetting some big ones.

Ironically Id have the Pau for Marc Gasol trade in the top ten, and it actually ended up working out for both sides, though I don’t think the Griz knew they were getting a HOF center.

[MikeIsGood]

Unfortunately for Dallas fans, this is 10 months too late.

[Ron Swanson]

Nico landing back at Nike in some executive/advisor role would be the cherry on top here and I'm definitely rooting for it to happen. At that point would there be any doubt about how complicit and corrupt this league is?

[Serge28]

Thus ends Nico's NBA career. There is no way in hell another team gives him a shot now.

[BucksFanSD]

In Nico's defense, superstars like Harden and Luka force their way out by gaining 30 pounds and then losing 40 pounds once they've reached their Los Angeles destination. It's as much as a League problem and player problem (see Luka) as it is a Nico problem.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Nico landing back at Nike in some executive/advisor role would be the cherry on top here and I'm definitely rooting for it to happen. At that point would there be any doubt about how complicit and corrupt this league is?

Honestly it is the only thing that makes sense right? Unless Nico is a scrape goat for a crazy owner, which is what I originally assumed and why he had a job up until now.

[Iheartfootball]

Corruption has been normalized in our culture. Knowing it blatantly exists isn’t going to change anything.

[BucksFanSD]

The Luka trade is on my top five list of nba moves where I said “how could anyone with a league job possibly think this was a good idea?

The league does not wants it's star small forwards weighing 265 pounds and being pouty. That was the situation and the root of the problem. The question to me is what should the league be doing about it in support of the GM.

[Licensed to Il]

The Luka trade is on my top five list of nba moves where I said “how could anyone with a league job possibly think this was a good idea?

The league does not wants it's star small forwards weighing 265 pounds and being pouty. That was the situation and the root of the problem. The question to me is what should the league be doing about it in support of the GM.

You are insinuating that Luka was trying to force a trade. By all accounts, he wanted to stay in Dallas.

[BucksFanSD]

The Luka trade is on my top five list of nba moves where I said “how could anyone with a league job possibly think this was a good idea?

The league does not wants it's star small forwards weighing 265 pounds and being pouty. That was the situation and the root of the problem. The question to me is what should the league be doing about it in support of the GM.

You are insinuating that Luka was trying to force a trade. By all accounts, he wanted to stay in Dallas.

Absolutely, because he refused to get in shape, conditioned, and drop the 35 pounds he had gained despite his team asking him to. All of that is substantial, is it not? And in just five months after the trade all of that was resolved by this off-season. It sounds a lot like James Harden.

[Ayt]

In Nico's defense, superstars like Harden and Luka force their way out by gaining 30 pounds and then losing 40 pounds once they've reached their Los Angeles destination. It's as much as a League problem and player problem (see Luka) as it is a Nico problem.

Luka didn't force his way out.

[Ayt]

The league does not wants it's star small forwards weighing 265 pounds and being pouty. That was the situation and the root of the problem. The question to me is what should the league be doing about it in support of the GM.

You are insinuating that Luka was trying to force a trade. By all accounts, he wanted to stay in Dallas.

Absolutely, because he refused to get in shape, conditioned, and drop the 35 pounds he had gained despite his team asking him to. All of that is substantial, is it not? And in just five months after the trade all of that was resolved by this off-season. It sounds a lot like James Harden.

He had literally just taken them to the Finals and didn't want to be traded.

[BigO]

Flagg showed up in college at age 17 and dominated. I see no similarities to Arch besides the hype. Assuming after a couple weeks that an 18 year old playing in the league all of a sudden has a lower ceiling simply because he’s playing for a dumpster fire of an organization with an idiot head coach is crazy.

Comparing Flagg’s performance in a couple weeks of NBA games to Arch over half a season of COLLEGE football does not compute. If you think Flagg looks bad thus far, Arch would look worse than Tebow did on an NFL field. Significantly worse. No team would even put this version of Arch on an NFL field right now. Every NBA team would give Flagg minutes this season.

Remember how much of a bust everyone thought Cade was after half a season with the Pistons?

Sheesh. So Kuzma is playing good ball after 7 games and Flagg is semi struggling. Is Kuzma better than Flagg? These comps are atrocious.

Flagg is fine. You guys would have written off Giannis after watching him for one season, let alone 7 games.

Flagg has an all around game, including defense. He has no holes in his game, except he needs to continually work on his shot. But it will come.

He's presently weak and slow. He tried to iso in the post against 6'4" CJ McCollum, a horrid defender, and got absolutely stonewalled.

Flagg will get better when he increases his strength and explosion, but not until then. His shot is the least of his worries.

He looked pretty good last night. Pretty athletic, as Marques talked about, and high IQ. More strength? Sure. But his shot needs to be his priority. He was the only decent Mav playing yesterday, so he doesn't have a lot of guys to help his transition to the NBA.

[DingleJerry]

On a related note, I had the FDSN Live show on this morning in the background and it has DeMarcus Cousins, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams. They seem have solid chemistry for a random basketball show.

I was wondering who was the blonde sitting next to them. It's **** Michelle Beadle. How much work has she had done on that face of hers? Goodness gracious.

Good to know, thanks. with baseball over I don't really have something to toss in the background during the day since espn is complete trash and only talks about football. And NBA TV doesn't have good stuff in the day anymore like they used to, usually replay of some game or d league. I don't get why NBA tv doesn't straight copy what MLB Network does during the season which is by far the best sports network as of now. Wouldn't have thought to try that channel. Will try to remember to check that tomorrow.

Yea that Dallas trade will go down as one of the worst trades ever. I think I commented on here a few months back on how I did not get the Mavs positive hype leading up to the season, think I saw someone had them on some kind of top 5 teams list. No Kyrie, and when back he's fresh of acl. AD is always hurt, the rookie is a rookie, Klay is washed, have to play in the West. Mavs were a hard under for me.

Also, lol at trying to blame it on Luka when he just took the to the finals the year before. Work with the guy to improve, don't trade him. And then to use that excuse only to trade him for a 8 years older out of shape injury prone guy kind of puts the argument to rest. Pure stupidity if there was no corruption around it

[soxperry]

so baffling.. of course it was a mistake. it was a mistake before it happened. it was a mistake in the opening conversations. it was a mistake prior to the final trigger pull, and it's a mistake for eternity. but when something is that stupid, it's actually not a mistake. it was a decision. we just dont know the why.

the equivalent of the luka trade is a husband having sex with 4 hookers at once and then live streaming it to his family group chat... on purpose. it is such a brain dead, no upside move that it cannot be bad judgment. it can only be something else.

[engelmartin]

Thus ends Nico's NBA career. There is no way in hell another team gives him a shot now.

I’m sure the Lakers wouldn’t mind giving him an honorary position

[Jez2983]

Trading Luka is one thing.

Trading him for a bag is sand with a hole in it is another.

[Plossum]

I wonder if we’ll ever get the true story about what happened with the Luka trade.

Even your average 12 year old 2K player would’ve known it was a braindead thing to do. That Nico somehow convinced Dumont it was the right thing to do is his greatest achievement.