Around the NBA, 2017-18 Season thread

[bud29]

I was kind of shocked by that contract. If you're the Cavs you're in for a long rebuild why commit all that money?

Love gets to be a #1 option again, I wonder how his body will hold up after the last few years of standing in a corner watching lebron pound the ball until it went flat

Insane. Tanks his trade value as well, nobody's going to want to pay him $30MM/year through his age 34 season.

[MrDollarBills]

I was kind of shocked by that contract. If you're the Cavs you're in for a long rebuild why commit all that money?

Love gets to be a #1 option again, I wonder how his body will hold up after the last few years of standing in a corner watching lebron pound the ball until it went flat

Insane. Tanks his trade value as well, nobody's going to want to pay him $30MM/year through his age 34 season.

Love was probably stunned when that offer was made. He had to have been, I mean the guy is a damn good player but Cleveland is about to be in rebuilding hell

but looking at their cap situation, their books look pretty clean after 19-20. so they can afford to have an albatross contract on the books while they build through the draft.

[MrDollarBills]

I was kind of shocked by that contract. If you're the Cavs you're in for a long rebuild why commit all that money?

Love gets to be a #1 option again, I wonder how his body will hold up after the last few years of standing in a corner watching lebron pound the ball until it went flat

Idk, but he's gonna be a hella value pick in fantasy drafts if he doesn't go too high.

He's on my radar for sure for fantasy bball. points, rebs, 3's on good efficiency sign me up. he will probably get to the line more too now that he's the alpha dog again. that also might mean he will be absorbing a lot of punishment

[MrDollarBills]

I would be stunned if we are a bottom 3 team this year. if we are, something really bad has happened:

-catastrophic injuries

-No improvement from the young players.

I would be shocked if we don't see improvement from the young guys and we play too hard to actually be worse than last year, plus this team has added some pieces that imo makes our roster better overall despite the lack of superstar/all star talent.

id be much more surprised if werent top 3.

the hawks and maybe bulls if levin struggles are the only teams i can find with arguably less talent.

Idk, still think 5th to 8th worst record is likely, even including a big chunk of games missed to injury to a couple significant guys.

Atlanta, Orlando, Sacto and sadly the Knix are very likely to be worse than us record wise imho. I think this is a year where the team with the 5th worst record could have 30 wins though, meaning even if we have a relatively successful year development wise, with a 2 or 3 game improvement in the W/L column, we could easily still have the 5th or 6xth worse record. Prime spot to get lucky and make a top 3 jump.

I'll say this though, this will be a year I watch a lot of college basketball again and try and catch tape on the top couple international guys whenever it's out there.

I think if that the Nets regress towards a bottom 3 team that means something has gone terribly wrong.

Vegas seems to believe that this is going to happen (pretty sure 24-25 wins is a surefire top 3 pick).

i think at worst we get the 5th pick just via the new odds. either way, we have assets to move up to land a stud.

The Nets are rolling with house money right now i love this.

[vincecarter4pres]

I was kind of shocked by that contract. If you're the Cavs you're in for a long rebuild why commit all that money?

Love gets to be a #1 option again, I wonder how his body will hold up after the last few years of standing in a corner watching lebron pound the ball until it went flat

Idk, but he's gonna be a hella value pick in fantasy drafts if he doesn't go too high.

He's on my radar for sure for fantasy bball. points, rebs, 3's on good efficiency sign me up. he will probably get to the line more too now that he's the alpha dog again. that also might mean he will be absorbing a lot of punishment

Like a given he's missing 10 to 20 games lol.

[vincecarter4pres]

id be much more surprised if werent top 3.

the hawks and maybe bulls if levin struggles are the only teams i can find with arguably less talent.

Idk, still think 5th to 8th worst record is likely, even including a big chunk of games missed to injury to a couple significant guys.

Atlanta, Orlando, Sacto and sadly the Knix are very likely to be worse than us record wise imho. I think this is a year where the team with the 5th worst record could have 30 wins though, meaning even if we have a relatively successful year development wise, with a 2 or 3 game improvement in the W/L column, we could easily still have the 5th or 6xth worse record. Prime spot to get lucky and make a top 3 jump.

I'll say this though, this will be a year I watch a lot of college basketball again and try and catch tape on the top couple international guys whenever it's out there.

I think if that the Nets regress towards a bottom 3 team that means something has gone terribly wrong.

Vegas seems to believe that this is going to happen (pretty sure 24-25 wins is a surefire top 3 pick).

i think at worst we get the 5th pick just via the new odds. either way, we have assets to move up to land a stud.

The Nets are rolling with house money right now i love this.

Idk that means anything has gone terribly wrong as much as there aren't a lot of great prospects on this team and most of the really bad teams have gotten better. Combine that with the possibility(Vegas likely thinking/hearing strongly on this) that a guy like Russell, or Dinwiddie, LeVert, RHJ, etc., might be traded for a pick at the deadline and replaced with basically air and the inevitability of missed games because a lot of our top guys are injury prone... and poof.

We like to say here how Kenny has them playing hard, we could have won so many games we lost, etc., but maybe, just maybe, our team already did play way above their heads last year for win totals? Maybe we were more of a 21 win team who beasted out to the tune of 28 games, especially considering Lin going down again for the season and Russell missing like 35 games?

I mean it's not like Vegas is saying we're going to win 12 less games then last year. The line opened at either 26, 26.5, or 27 games last year, I can't remember which. I got them at 27, some got them as high as 28.5 wins. Vegas is saying we're rated as about a game and a half worse then last year, I don't think it's that wild, even though I'm probably going with the over again.

And that's the thing, this team could win 27 games and have the 3rd worst record.

There are a number of NBA players on this roster, a few of them looking like long term starters. But say Russell is the same player, LeVert only a little better, RHJ the same, Allen has a bit of a sophomore slump and is up and down, Crabbe is the same as last year, just a little more efficient, Harris the same as last year, a tad lower a shooter and finisher percentage wise, Dinwiddie is solid, but not nearly as good as his stretch run, but better than his calamity filled end to the season, etc.?

Just because a lot of these guys will eventually be good, or are already... just because Kenny is a solid overall coach... just because a lot of these guys could help a lot of good teams, even contenders as starters at a position of need... does not mean as a group they're going to win many games at all as is, even with the hole filling additions Marks made. And most of them aren't there yet. Clint Capela or Myles Turner weren't going to lead a bad team to a lot of victories his 2nd year, maybe not ever. Khris Middleton is not the kind of player you throw on last year's Hawks in his 3rd year and he takes them from 24 wins to 33. Gerald Wallace isn't a guy who in today's NBA can be a team's best player with playoff aspirations. Not really Dragic either. That doesn't mean they aren't a great group of role guys to throw around 2 stars, or to let grow with 2 stud future rookies. But for the now, I think people might be getting gassed up a little something. When you have a bunch of younger almost stars and they form a treadmill team, it usually isn't til year 3 or 4, teams like last years Heat, not year 2 or 3.

[MrDollarBills]

That Cavs roster is a mess. Lebron is like those people that checks into hotel rooms and trash them for no good reason at all

[MrDollarBills]

Idk, still think 5th to 8th worst record is likely, even including a big chunk of games missed to injury to a couple significant guys.

Atlanta, Orlando, Sacto and sadly the Knix are very likely to be worse than us record wise imho. I think this is a year where the team with the 5th worst record could have 30 wins though, meaning even if we have a relatively successful year development wise, with a 2 or 3 game improvement in the W/L column, we could easily still have the 5th or 6xth worse record. Prime spot to get lucky and make a top 3 jump.

I'll say this though, this will be a year I watch a lot of college basketball again and try and catch tape on the top couple international guys whenever it's out there.

I think if that the Nets regress towards a bottom 3 team that means something has gone terribly wrong.

Vegas seems to believe that this is going to happen (pretty sure 24-25 wins is a surefire top 3 pick).

i think at worst we get the 5th pick just via the new odds. either way, we have assets to move up to land a stud.

The Nets are rolling with house money right now i love this.

Idk that means anything has gone terribly wrong as much as there aren't a lot of great prospects on this team and most of the really bad teams have gotten better. Combine that with the possibility(Vegas likely thinking/hearing strongly on this) that a guy like Russell, or Dinwiddie, LeVert, RHJ, etc., might be traded for a pick at the deadline and replaced with basically air and the inevitability of missed games because a lot of our top guys are injury prone... and poof.

We like to say here how Kenny has them playing hard, we could have won so many games we lost, etc., but maybe, just maybe, our team already did play way above their heads last year for win totals? Maybe we were more of a 21 win team who beasted out to the tune of 28 games, especially considering Lin going down again for the season and Russell missing like 35 games?

I mean it's not like Vegas is saying we're going to win 12 less games then last year. The line opened at either 26, 26.5, or 27 games last year, I can't remember which. I got them at 27, some got them as high as 28.5 wins. Vegas is saying we're rated as about a game and a half worse then last year, I don't think it's that wild, even though I'm probably going with the over again.

And that's the thing, this team could win 27 games and have the 3rd worst record.

There are a number of NBA players on this roster, a few of them looking like long term starters. But say Russell is the same player, LeVert only a little better, RHJ the same, Allen has a bit of a sophomore slump and is up and down, Crabbe is the same as last year, just a little more efficient, Harris the same as last year, a tad lower a shooter and finisher percentage wise, Dinwiddie is solid, but not nearly as good as his stretch run, but better than his calamity filled end to the season, etc.?

Just because a lot of these guys will eventually be good, or are already... just because Kenny is a solid overall coach... just because a lot of these guys could help a lot of good teams, even contenders as starters at a position of need... does not mean as a group they're going to win many games at all as is, even with the hole filling additions Marks made. And most of them aren't there yet. Clint Capela or Myles Turner weren't going to lead a bad team to a lot of victories his 2nd year, maybe not ever. Khris Middleton is not the kind of player you throw on last year's Hawks in his 3rd year and he takes them from 24 wins to 33. Gerald Wallace isn't a guy who in today's NBA can be a team's best player with playoff aspirations. Not really Dragic either. That doesn't mean they aren't a great group of role guys to throw around 2 stars, or to let grow with 2 stud future rookies. But for the now, I think people might be getting gassed up a little something. When you have a bunch of younger almost stars and they form a treadmill team, it usually isn't til year 3 or 4, teams like last years Heat, not year 2 or 3.

So you believe that the worst case scenario happens?

Also, I believe if we didn't get hit with that rash of injuries from Oct-Dec the Nets record would have been way better last season.

[vincecarter4pres]

I think if that the Nets regress towards a bottom 3 team that means something has gone terribly wrong.

Vegas seems to believe that this is going to happen (pretty sure 24-25 wins is a surefire top 3 pick).

i think at worst we get the 5th pick just via the new odds. either way, we have assets to move up to land a stud.

The Nets are rolling with house money right now i love this.

Idk that means anything has gone terribly wrong as much as there aren't a lot of great prospects on this team and most of the really bad teams have gotten better. Combine that with the possibility(Vegas likely thinking/hearing strongly on this) that a guy like Russell, or Dinwiddie, LeVert, RHJ, etc., might be traded for a pick at the deadline and replaced with basically air and the inevitability of missed games because a lot of our top guys are injury prone... and poof.

We like to say here how Kenny has them playing hard, we could have won so many games we lost, etc., but maybe, just maybe, our team already did play way above their heads last year for win totals? Maybe we were more of a 21 win team who beasted out to the tune of 28 games, especially considering Lin going down again for the season and Russell missing like 35 games?

I mean it's not like Vegas is saying we're going to win 12 less games then last year. The line opened at either 26, 26.5, or 27 games last year, I can't remember which. I got them at 27, some got them as high as 28.5 wins. Vegas is saying we're rated as about a game and a half worse then last year, I don't think it's that wild, even though I'm probably going with the over again.

And that's the thing, this team could win 27 games and have the 3rd worst record.

There are a number of NBA players on this roster, a few of them looking like long term starters. But say Russell is the same player, LeVert only a little better, RHJ the same, Allen has a bit of a sophomore slump and is up and down, Crabbe is the same as last year, just a little more efficient, Harris the same as last year, a tad lower a shooter and finisher percentage wise, Dinwiddie is solid, but not nearly as good as his stretch run, but better than his calamity filled end to the season, etc.?

Just because a lot of these guys will eventually be good, or are already... just because Kenny is a solid overall coach... just because a lot of these guys could help a lot of good teams, even contenders as starters at a position of need... does not mean as a group they're going to win many games at all as is, even with the hole filling additions Marks made. And most of them aren't there yet. Clint Capela or Myles Turner weren't going to lead a bad team to a lot of victories his 2nd year, maybe not ever. Khris Middleton is not the kind of player you throw on last year's Hawks in his 3rd year and he takes them from 24 wins to 33. Gerald Wallace isn't a guy who in today's NBA can be a team's best player with playoff aspirations. Not really Dragic either. That doesn't mean they aren't a great group of role guys to throw around 2 stars, or to let grow with 2 stud future rookies. But for the now, I think people might be getting gassed up a little something. When you have a bunch of younger almost stars and they form a treadmill team, it usually isn't til year 3 or 4, teams like last years Heat, not year 2 or 3.

So you believe that the worst case scenario happens?

Also, I believe if we didn't get hit with that rash of injuries from Oct-Dec the Nets record would have been way better last season.

Idk, it really depends on if any 1 of Russell, LeVert or RHJ has a real breakout season. But even if one of them does, I still see 34 wins or lower. My prediction remains around 30 wins this year, but I can EASILY see us winning 25.

[shakendfries]

Read on Twitter

[MrDollarBills]

damn.

He's in the league because he hits threes at nearly 40%. But some dudes aren't built for the drew league you'll get embarrassed out there if you're not on point or can't deal with dudes talking mad ****.

[shakendfries]

Watch on YouTube

On a positive note, from the clips I've seen High Noon with Boomani and Pablo is actually pretty good sports programming

[steady]

I think the team will be better than last year. That stretch of games in middle of last season where their defense was ranked in middle of pack for NBA teams, and they were playing with confidence and chemistry was real.

They got hurt by the injuries to RHJ/LeVert, and the weak front court - trading away Booker and Zeller and having to try to incorporate Okafor. Then having to re-incorporate Russell, and having Dinwiddie have his weird end of season spiral.

This year they have more depth at the front court positions (and really overall), and the Blazers players should have some built in chemistry.

The biggest question marks I have are about DAR. How much his decision making and shooting have improved. How much of a chance DAR is given if he struggles. Who they play with him. Is he played at 1 or 2, etc. How Spencer will be used?

The other question mark I have is about trades. Marks has a number of important expiring contracts on roster; will he be able to resist making significant trades during season?

[NyCeEvO]

Read on Twitter

In order to make it in the league, you need to be an above average athlete or quite good at a number of certain skills or super-elite at one skill and have great BBIQ. If you don't fit in any of those categories, you won't last too long. Maybe Valentine puts it together, but it ain't looking good.

RIP Bernie...

[Prokorov]

I think if that the Nets regress towards a bottom 3 team that means something has gone terribly wrong.

Vegas seems to believe that this is going to happen (pretty sure 24-25 wins is a surefire top 3 pick).

i think at worst we get the 5th pick just via the new odds. either way, we have assets to move up to land a stud.

The Nets are rolling with house money right now i love this.

Idk that means anything has gone terribly wrong as much as there aren't a lot of great prospects on this team and most of the really bad teams have gotten better. Combine that with the possibility(Vegas likely thinking/hearing strongly on this) that a guy like Russell, or Dinwiddie, LeVert, RHJ, etc., might be traded for a pick at the deadline and replaced with basically air and the inevitability of missed games because a lot of our top guys are injury prone... and poof.

We like to say here how Kenny has them playing hard, we could have won so many games we lost, etc., but maybe, just maybe, our team already did play way above their heads last year for win totals? Maybe we were more of a 21 win team who beasted out to the tune of 28 games, especially considering Lin going down again for the season and Russell missing like 35 games?

I mean it's not like Vegas is saying we're going to win 12 less games then last year. The line opened at either 26, 26.5, or 27 games last year, I can't remember which. I got them at 27, some got them as high as 28.5 wins. Vegas is saying we're rated as about a game and a half worse then last year, I don't think it's that wild, even though I'm probably going with the over again.

And that's the thing, this team could win 27 games and have the 3rd worst record.

There are a number of NBA players on this roster, a few of them looking like long term starters. But say Russell is the same player, LeVert only a little better, RHJ the same, Allen has a bit of a sophomore slump and is up and down, Crabbe is the same as last year, just a little more efficient, Harris the same as last year, a tad lower a shooter and finisher percentage wise, Dinwiddie is solid, but not nearly as good as his stretch run, but better than his calamity filled end to the season, etc.?

Just because a lot of these guys will eventually be good, or are already... just because Kenny is a solid overall coach... just because a lot of these guys could help a lot of good teams, even contenders as starters at a position of need... does not mean as a group they're going to win many games at all as is, even with the hole filling additions Marks made. And most of them aren't there yet. Clint Capela or Myles Turner weren't going to lead a bad team to a lot of victories his 2nd year, maybe not ever. Khris Middleton is not the kind of player you throw on last year's Hawks in his 3rd year and he takes them from 24 wins to 33. Gerald Wallace isn't a guy who in today's NBA can be a team's best player with playoff aspirations. Not really Dragic either. That doesn't mean they aren't a great group of role guys to throw around 2 stars, or to let grow with 2 stud future rookies. But for the now, I think people might be getting gassed up a little something. When you have a bunch of younger almost stars and they form a treadmill team, it usually isn't til year 3 or 4, teams like last years Heat, not year 2 or 3.

So you believe that the worst case scenario happens?

Also, I believe if we didn't get hit with that rash of injuries from Oct-Dec the Nets record would have been way better last season.

i dont think we need to have anywhere near worst case scenario to be a 25-27 win team. i think thats the likely outcome. while i love all we have done, we still arguably dont have 1 player who would be a legit started on a really good team. we have like 12 really really good role players who play hard. but like vc4p said, that takes you from a 20 win team to a 28 win team. doesnt make you any good.

as far as "rash of injuries" honestly thats a grass is greener things. most teams have quite a few injuries over 82 games, difference is those teams have more starting talent, and dont hit 8,10,12 game losing streaks because of it.

id like to think we are a 32 win team, but vegas is probably closer to being right

[MrDollarBills]

Most likely, which is great for us because that means we'll have a solid top 5 pick to package with Denver's pick to move up.

I predict our team's saving grace will come in the 2019 draft. everything seems to be lining up now, once we managed to snatch that Denver pick that blew the doors wide open for us.

[TheNetsFan]

Most likely, which is great for us because that means we'll have a solid top 5 pick to package with Denver's pick to move up.

I predict our team's saving grace will come in the 2019 draft. everything seems to be lining up now, once we managed to snatch that Denver pick that blew the doors wide open for us.

Kevin Pelton is predicting 37 wins, 10th in the East.

I don't see it, but it's nice that there's optimism among informed writers.

[MrDollarBills]

if this roster hits 37 wins that will be a success and then we can package our pick to move up.

[vincecarter4pres]

The Sixers still don't have a GM right? Yet they keep hiring people? Weird.

[MrDollarBills]

Kevin Love provided more details about his panic attack during a game on Nov. 5, 2017 against the Atlanta Hawks.

Love said he was dealing with family issues, having trouble sleeping and also feeling the weight of expectations for the start of the Cleveland Cavaliers' season. Love eventually wrote about that experience in an essay on The Players' Tribune.

Love revealed he ran from room to room in a total panic before finally collapsing on the floor of Cleveland's locker room.

"My heart was jumping out of my chest," Love says. "I couldn't get any air to my lungs. I was trying to clear my throat by sticking my hand down my throat.

"It was terrifying. I thought I was having a heart attack. I was very scared. I really felt like I was going to die in that moment."

Love says Cavs trainer Steve Spiro came in and found him splayed on the floor. "He was trying to calm me down, but he didn't know what to do," Love says. "He asked me, 'What can I do to get you some air?'"

The team transported Love to the hospital.

Love's teammates were confused and angry.

"They had no idea what was going on," Love said.

Imagine having one of these when you're driving on a highway. I know exactly what he went through. And his teammates had the nerve to attack him after this.

The public announcements from Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan on their struggles with mental health have prompted action from Adam Silver and Michele Roberts.

The National Basketball Players Association to hire Dr. William Parham as its first director of mental health and wellness.

Silver and Roberts are convinced they need to make a comprehensive mental health policy a priority.

The union insists that mental health treatment be confidential, but some NBA owners, who in some cases are paying their players hundreds of millions of dollars, want access to the files of their "investments."

Love says confidentiality has to be non-negotiable.

I applaud Adam Silver and Michele Roberts for taking the initiative here. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of players dealing with issues and getting help instead of being written off as "a headcase" can go a long way. However, I seriously hope that the Nets ownership group are not one of these owners who are sick enough to want access to something like that.