Around the NBA: Playoff Edition #2

[DanTown8587]

If Paul came you'd have to figure a Wade restructure (with him willing) has to be part of it.

True. But what does that look like? 2-30? Paul's max will be $35m. He ain't coming for anything less. That's still half your cap spent on two ageing guards who are in their 30s.

Paul is still great, but I wouldn't want to be paying the back end of that deal.

2/30 with 9 million guaranteed for Wade in year two. He gets the same amount of money (24 million) just takes it over slightly less time. He plays next year at 15 million, Bulls stretch waive the non-guranteed money (9 million) and Wade retires at age 36. Bulls then dump Lopez, sign Cousins. Sign Bosh with the room exception. Trade Rondo for a legit 3&D F (needs to have PF flexibility if Bosh can't go), make Wade the sixth man (which I think he'd do to get Paul). That's the goal. Money doesn't get too terrible and if you have Paul, Wade, and Butler then you really only need to find like two or three guys capable of being 9-12 PER type guys. Much easier to find than another 20+ PER to run with Jimmy.

I'm worried about Paul's durability but not his PER or level of performance. The really great mind PG (Nash, Stockton, Kidd) who weren't just scorers were able to maintain high level of play well in to their 30s. I don't think this is a Tony Parker situation.

[FecesOfDeath]

Blowouts happen in the playoffs. Usually just the perfect execution of a gameplan that just happened to work. Just like how the Raptors adjusted and essentially shut down the Bucks, the Spurs will adjust and will likely keep the series competitive.

[samwana]

This is the plan
Melo and O'Quinn for Rondo, Payne, Bulls first and the asset gained from sending Lopez to a 3rd team

NY gets a pick, Payne, another asset and moves on from Melo-while freeing up $

Wade opts out, signs for 2/$30

Bulls renounce Niko and other FA's

Paul signs

Bosh signs for an exemption

Paul/Grant
Butler/Wade/Valentine
Melo/Butler/Zipser
Bosh/Portis/Melo/Zipser
O'Quinn/Bosh/Felicio

That team is awesome

That team is the cumulative of failures we made with all our last FA acquisitions. I'd puke if we go that route. You probably enjoyed this season, because that team is gonna be worse.

We need role players more than anything. Wade should be told he needs to come of the bench next season. Maybe he'll opt out if we do. If not, please no other 2 year contract for him. Just eat the $24m next year if he doesn't opt out. He declined enough to see he is gonna fall of a cliff with another season on his belt.

If Fred stays he needs to be busy with getting players a defined role in a structure where they can succeed. And add players with roles we don't currently have. And kick players that can't play a consistent role like MCW, Mirotic, Payne.

[pipfan]

Sawana-I actually hated this year. I was pushing the "Blow it up" in Jan-when Butler's value was at an all time high.

BUT, if we are keeping Butler, adding a few role players will suck. Wade will opt in, we won't get a better PG-and we will be a .500 team (at best) again, losing another year of Butler's prime.

This plan is not what I want, but that is a good team-if they all stay relatively healthy that is the #2 team in the East, and could beat Clev. Obviously, it is a super-duper long shot, but better than "upgrading" from Rondo to Patty Mills, drafting some solid college player and rolling with another wasted year

[Red8911]

LMA has fallen off.

So has Danny Green.

Leonard is their only true star.Aldridge is just another role player

[Mech Engineer]

The Bulls need to stop signing any star who has more than 10+ years of mileage after decimating the roster on top of it. That usually means you are a getting an old star whose best days are behind him, will be injured a lot and there is no depth to help him out. And, there will be the usual cry after that there is no cap-space or assets to make trades or get required talent to help out.

The only way they need to get these overpaid old stars is through a trade where you can dump your unwanted contracts after you have got a deep team. And, that is usually a very rare opportunity like the Cousins trade or the Harden trade.

And, GarPax think they already have their CP3 on the team(Cameron Payne the 3rd stringer )

[ATRAIN53]

So remember last year when LeBron was totally snubbed in the MVP voting?

and he was like "I don't care" (he did) and went on to just torch Curry in the Finals and show the NBA who the real MVP was....

I feel like Harden is operating on that wave himself. He just took out the future MVP.

With no dog in the race anymore, I'm kinda starting to pull for the Rockets. I'm still salty about that lean on MCW that he used to steal that game a few months ago, but a call is a call.

Could those guys really take out SAS and GSW?

Beverly on Curry is a delicious matchup I'd like to see. Steph donesn;t like when guys play him physical and Bev will.
GSW took them out last year missing Curry most of that series - but HOU is rolling.

[Southpaw]

LMA has fallen off.

So has Danny Green.

Danny Green has been MIA since he got that fat contract. Part of what's amazing about this years Spurs is it's just Kawhi and a bunch of roleplayers. Their system is great. HOU exposed their slow footed bigs in game 1 tho.

[Ice Man]

I feel like Harden is operating on that wave himself. He just took out the future MVP.

No, he didn't. Harden's team didn't beat Russ's team when both players were court. The difference in that series was the players not named James or Russ. Houston has good ones, OKC has bad ones.

[ATRAIN53]

Good piece on Harden by James himself.....
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/james-harden-houston-rockets-2017-playoffs/

That's pretty cool that DanTony made him watch Steve Nash film and said "Play like THAT"
(as opposed to the films of Dragan Tarlac we've apparently we've been showing our rookies and telling them to play like...)

Eric Gordon did a piece last week too there about how James got him to come to HOU and play off the bench...
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/eric-gordon-houston-rockets-james-harden-sixth-man/

I'd like a piece from Lou Williams next, that's a stright from HS to pro kid that has been coming off the bench for 12 years to carve a decent NBA career for himself. I never realized how much he attacks the bucket. He's a 6 footer, I'd like to know what makes him tick.....

[kyrv]

I feel like Harden is operating on that wave himself. He just took out the future MVP.

No, he didn't. Harden's team didn't beat Russ's team when both players were court. The difference in that series was the players not named James or Russ. Houston has good ones, OKC has bad ones.

Right. Westbrook had an insane plus/minus. Harden took out Presti's garbage.

[Ice Man]

Right. Westbrook had an insane plus/minus. Harden took out Presti's garbage.

Yep. But he does have a point about the passed-over MVP candidate getting playoff revenge against the actual winner.

[mademan]

So remember last year when LeBron was totally snubbed in the MVP voting?

and he was like "I don't care" (he did) and went on to just torch Curry in the Finals and show the NBA who the real MVP was....

I feel like Harden is operating on that wave himself. He just took out the future MVP.

With no dog in the race anymore, I'm kinda starting to pull for the Rockets. I'm still salty about that lean on MCW that he used to steal that game a few months ago, but a call is a call.

Could those guys really take out SAS and GSW?

Beverly on Curry is a delicious matchup I'd like to see. Steph donesn;t like when guys play him physical and Bev will.
GSW took them out last year missing Curry most of that series - but HOU is rolling.

Hou was the only team I thought ever had any shot at taking out the W's. But it'd have to be a series where they just went ballistic from outside and GSW was relatively cold

[FriedRise]

Might be a result of watching us fumble 4 straight games without a competent PG, but John Wall is incredible. Bradley (and the entire Celtics team for that matter) hasn't been much of a factor tonight trying to guard him.

[Polynice4Pippen]

Wall and Isaiah both bringing it tonight.

[Polynice4Pippen]

Wall has really put in the work to become a top 10 player in the league.

[Payt10]

Wall is solidifying himself as a top 10 player. In my opinion, he's ahead of Jimmy. Dude is straight up beasting these playoffs.

[bledredwine]

Completely out of the blue but I was right about Chris Paul. Since after 2008, he's been overrated and as I stated, would never make WCF because he can't carry a team. 7 years later, I feel good about that.

Just our luck Chris Paul does get fed up and leave, comes to Chicago, then falls apart to age and injury like DWade.

And not like he's won even in his prime or been able to close playoff series.

2017 - Blake gets hurt, loses in 7.
2016 - Blake gets hurt, Paul gets hurt, loses in 6.
2015 - Beat Spurs (defending champs) in 7 when he goes for 27 + winning basket in round one, loses to Houston in round 2. Gets hurt, misses two games, goes for 21-10 on .619 TS%.
2014 - Beat Golden State (last West team to do so), loses to OKC in six averaging 22-12.

I guess my question is, how is he any worse than Jimmy Butler at closing out series or "winning" in his prime when he's lost to elite teams or had major injury issues his career?

Every year, people make excuses for Chris Paul, but time and time again, I've seen him completely disappear in series-altering moments, and his team completely collapse. He's simply not a skilled enough scorer to be a 1 option. This is just truth. Hell even Stockton wasn't, so it's not that big of a knock. But both of those guys need a true batman to lead them in those moments. And Stockton less so, btw.

[Indomitable]

Wizard need to knock IT on his ass

[kingkirk]

Every year, people make excuses for Chris Paul, but time and time again, I've seen him completely disappear in series-altering moments, and his team completely collapse. He's simply not a skilled enough scorer to be a 1 option. This is just truth. Hell even Stockton wasn't, so it's not that big of a knock. But both of those guys need a true batman to lead them in those moments. And Stockton less so, btw.

Are you aware of what Paul's numbers were in the postseason?