Around the NBA: Playoff Edition #2

[R3AL1TY]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

[RedBulls23]

Cavs and Warriors might not lose a game in the playoffs before meeting in the Finals.

The league is far too stratified right now. Making entire seasons pointless.

You have to wonder with the new cba and the fact that home teams can offer the ultra max, it might start getting guys to stay with their own teams.

The NBA would be so much more competitive if you had more teams built like the Rockets and the Spurs.

[Ice Man]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

I thought Toronto would look much, much better than it has. But yes on the other parts. LeBron would win anyway, even without the referees' help. Getting their assistance makes him damn near unstoppable.

Except ... wow, the Warriors are playing well. In principle, I don't approve of NBA Superteams, but they really are a pleasure to watch.

[RedBulls23]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

I thought Toronto would look much, much better than it has. But yes on the other parts. LeBron would win anyway, even without the referees' help. Getting their assistance makes him damn near unstoppable.

Except ... wow, the Warriors are playing well. In principle, I don't approve of NBA Superteams, but they really are a pleasure to watch.

Did I miss where Lowry got injured again? He didn't play the last game.

[Ice Man]

Did I miss where Lowry got injured again? He didn't play the last game.

Ankle. Game by game.

[TheStig]

Cavs and Warriors might not lose a game in the playoffs before meeting in the Finals.

The league is far too stratified right now. Making entire seasons pointless.

You have to wonder with the new cba and the fact that home teams can offer the ultra max, it might start getting guys to stay with their own teams.

The NBA would be so much more competitive if you had more teams built like the Rockets and the Spurs.

I think it bought bad teams an extra year or two max if they want it. But nothing stops a guy from demanding a trade a year later.

I also think you'll see teams doing what Sacramento did with Cousins. If you don't think the guys the answer but he's got great numbers, you're not going to give him 200+ mill. I think the Bulls will ultimately end up pulling that with Jimmy. If they strike out in 2018 free agency, I can't see them giving Jimmy 200+ mill for years 30-35.

[Hangtime84]

Only guy I see making 200million and being worth super Max is the Greek freak

[TheStig]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

I wonder what Toronto will do. It's hard to invest huge money in Lowry and Ibaka if you get swept. Their team has peaked.

[jc23]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

I wonder what Toronto will do. It's hard to invest huge money in Lowry and Ibaka if you get swept. Their team has peaked.

It's unfortunate for raps fans but the fact is this is the best team they have ever had, not good enough for a title but they still made a good run.

[Ice Man]

Ibaka is fading fast. He's a shadow of the player he was 5 years ago. His block % is 4, it once was almost 10. His rebound % is 12, it was 17 as a rookie and has been falling every year. Whatever team invests in him for the long term will be very sorry.

Lowry is a tougher call, but yeah at his age and size, I think that teams have also gotta pass on paying him big money.

[Dan Z]

Ibaka is fading fast. He's a shadow of the player he was 5 years ago. His block % is 4, it once was almost 10. His rebound % is 12, it was 17 as a rookie and has been falling every year. Whatever team invests in him for the long term will be very sorry.

Lowry is a tougher call, but yeah at his age and size, I think that teams have also gotta pass on paying him big money.

What do you think Toronto should do? They let Ibaka and Lowry walk and they have a weaker team, but a team that's still good enough not to get a top pick in the draft.

[Ice Man]

What do you think Toronto should do? They let Ibaka and Lowry walk and they have a weaker team, but a team that's still good enough not to get a top pick in the draft.

They would be us.

To answer your question, Lowry is 30 and has a player option available this summer. I think Toronto should try to retain him, but maybe a 3-year deal? I would hesitate to go out far for a short player who will be 31 next season. Keep the core of Lowry, DeRozan, and Valancuinas, let Ibaka walk, and keep trying with this group. Unlikely to be good enough to win the East, maybe not even ECF, but better than they were for a decade or so and the fans seem pretty happy with that.

Now, if somebody wanted to argue for a more dramatic retool, I could see that too. I post on these boards, but that doesn't make me much of a GM.

[NecessaryEvil]

I wouldn't re-sign Ibaka or Lowry either.

[R3AL1TY]

Had a feeling Toronto would look weak against the Lebrons. Lebron getting away with offensive fouls + Lebron getting 15 FTAs + Lebron hitting 3s=The Lebrons sweeping the Raptors

I wonder what Toronto will do. It's hard to invest huge money in Lowry and Ibaka if you get swept. Their team has peaked.

I agree. At best, they can keep Lowry and maybe look for a cheaper alternative to Ibaka. But if I was them, I would trade Derozan. I think they need more floor spacing and a better backup PF.

[TheSuzerain]

Ibaka is fading fast. He's a shadow of the player he was 5 years ago. His block % is 4, it once was almost 10. His rebound % is 12, it was 17 as a rookie and has been falling every year. Whatever team invests in him for the long term will be very sorry.

Lowry is a tougher call, but yeah at his age and size, I think that teams have also gotta pass on paying him big money.

I don't see how you can say he's fading fast and then cite the player he was FIVE years ago. That's fading slow.

His Rebounding Percentage has been consistent for 3 straight year, so it's certainly not falling every year.

His Block % has fallen off, yet he's still a better shot blocker than anyone we've got. On top of that, he seems to dial it up in the playoffs (4th in the playoffs this year in Block %).

If he was on our squad this year, he'd pretty definitively have been our 2nd best player. If he can maintain the 3 ball he's shown recently, he should age just fine.

It all comes down to price, but I think he'd be an excellent piece next to Jimmy. I'd pretty easily take Ibaka + Room Exception center over Niko/RoLo.

[Ice Man]

I don't see how you can say he's fading fast and then cite the player he was FIVE years ago. That's fading slow.

Ten to four is a big drop! But he did shoot 40% on 3s, there is that to be said for him. I don't think he's much of a difference maker these days; I'd rather spend my money elsewhere, for somebody with a higher ceiling who is getting better each year. But yeah, I can see how Ibaka could be useful to a good team with a specific need, to go that one step further. Not sure if that is turning out to be Toronto, and it is surely not us.

[MrSparkle]

The problem is the cap. Only 5 players in the league are worth a "max", yet every team in the league has a max player (or 2 or 3) on their roster.

So you have 25+ overpaid guys hurting their teams' chances of beating a top-5 max player's team (overpaid, relative to the cap, perhaps not in terms of salary figure -- NBA revenue and market should decide what's fair for their celebrity player).

Basketball should have no salary cap. Make somebody pay $100m salary for Lebron if they want to.

Of course, then you'd have LAL/NYK/BRK/GSW just buy up all the best talent and not think twice.

So then... The only way the league can stay interesting with 32+ teams is if they start doing a multi-tier league, where the bottom half are playing for some stakes, or they just open up the number of tournaments and completely redesign the NBA format.

They're trying to maintain the legacy of the NBA, but we're in a new age. Unlike hockey, soccer, football and baseball.... basketball is a sport that has drastically evolved in terms of rules, style and global interest.

I've shot ideas before although each has its risks and flaws. Maybe shorten the season, add teams (including international - central America, Mexico), contain divisions or conferences to just their groups for a month (limits travel), and feature inter-division matches as special tournament/light-cup games.

Let teams compete for more mid-season accomplishments, before the 8-12 BEST teams have a playoff/championship at the end.

Unrestricted cap, remove the lottery, open up the league, basically adopt a Euro Soccer format.

Competetive basketball is my favorite thing to watch, but somehow the NBA has become one of the most tiresome products in the entire landscape of sports. So many unmemorable games just pass by each week, it's a shame.

It's nice getting a chance to beat the best player in the world 4x a year (Lebron), but the novelty wears off a day later when you realize it's a semi-pointless game in an 82-game season. Then you hit the playoffs and get destroyed anyway.

[Ice Man]

Basketball should have no salary cap. Make somebody pay $100m salary for Lebron if they want to.

Of course, then you'd have LAL/NYK/BRK/GSW just buy up all the best talent and not think twice.

Team salary cap but no individual cap is the way to go. You'd still have some superteams with guys willing to take less, but only sometimes and they would break up before too long -- money talks very loudly.

[Proven_Winner]

Basketball should have no salary cap. Make somebody pay $100m salary for Lebron if they want to.

Of course, then you'd have LAL/NYK/BRK/GSW just buy up all the best talent and not think twice.

Team salary cap but no individual cap is the way to go. You'd still have some superteams with guys willing to take less, but only sometimes and they would break up before too long -- money talks very loudly.

I rathe keep it how it is. I think part of the NBA is team building and figuring out what can work. That all goes away if teams with rich owners who don't care about spending just start throwing money at every top player. It's bad enough guys are taking less to take the easy way out.

[Southpaw]

Basketball should have no salary cap. Make somebody pay $100m salary for Lebron if they want to.

Of course, then you'd have LAL/NYK/BRK/GSW just buy up all the best talent and not think twice.

Team salary cap but no individual cap is the way to go. You'd still have some superteams with guys willing to take less, but only sometimes and they would break up before too long -- money talks very loudly.

Yeah i think this is the way to go. Get a hard cap for teams but no max salaries for players. Makes it harder for superstars to team up.