Around the NBA: 2022-23 edition

[Scoot McGroot]

I can't believe the Magic just won a playoff game with DJ Augustin as their starting PG.

He was super hot and Toronto still didn’t give a care about him. They left him wide open at the top of the key on the game winner and didn’t ever bother running anyone at him. Lowry was super cold.

Plus, Toronto is something like 2-15 in game 1’s in their history. I still wouldn’t be surprised if they ran off 4 straight.

[Tomhomes33]

Raptors will do excatly that

[Scoot McGroot]

In other news around the NBA, the Grizzlies are interviewing Sarunas Jasikevicius for their head coaching position. He's done really well in Lithuania with BC Zalgiris, but also made international news with this interview after allowing a player to miss a semi-final matchup due to the birth of his child:

Watch on YouTube

[Wizop]

the people who sat in front of me when he was here called him "yes we have no cabbages."

[Jake0890]

Zach Collins is who we thought TJ Leaf was.

That is all.

[Scoot McGroot]

It's nice to see AD stay out West.

[Wizop]

It's nice to see AD stay out West.

yes, nice to have Boston out of the deal.

Sent from my phone.

[boomershadow]

Old news or I would have made a thread out of it, but Lance Stephenson made Shaqtin a Fool MVP?

[Grang33r]

Looks like Kemba Walker to the Celtics. Interesting. That came out of nowhere, right?

[boomershadow]

Looks like Kemba Walker to the Celtics. Interesting. That came out of nowhere, right?

Any other year and I would have thought it was a near lock if coming from Woj, but he has been posting some weird stuff lately.

I guess it was a pipe dream to think he might consider the Pacers. But if he isn't willing to consider a small market team, then who would be?

[Wizop]

Looks like Kemba Walker to the Celtics. Interesting. That came out of nowhere, right?

wiretap is saying Hornet's talks floundered. of course, no official contact until a week from Sunday. if there is more than smoke, Celts are expecting to lose Kyrie and this is a Plan B.

[Scoot McGroot]

Anybody remember former head of international scouting For us, Pete Philo? Apparently, he was a convicted statutory rapist at the time and hiding his sex offender registration. Lots of other teams listed, but the victims brother reports that he told the Pacers and was brushed off, though Philo did resign not too awful long after, though it’s hard to tell the timing in the article.

https://deadspin.com/a-scouts-honor-1835664571

[pacers33granger]

Looks like Kemba Walker to the Celtics. Interesting. That came out of nowhere, right?

Any other year and I would have thought it was a near lock if coming from Woj, but he has been posting some weird stuff lately.

I guess it was a pipe dream to think he might consider the Pacers. But if he isn't willing to consider a small market team, then who would be?

If Vic was healthy I think we may have gotten more consideration.

I'm somewhat puzzled by the Celtics talk though. I don't see it as that great a move for Kemba and think he'd be better off going to LA. Boston losing Horford will hurt them a lot more than it seems, even if they swing a deal for Capela.

[Scoot McGroot]

Looks like Kemba Walker to the Celtics. Interesting. That came out of nowhere, right?

Any other year and I would have thought it was a near lock if coming from Woj, but he has been posting some weird stuff lately.

I guess it was a pipe dream to think he might consider the Pacers. But if he isn't willing to consider a small market team, then who would be?

If Vic was healthy I think we may have gotten more consideration.

I'm somewhat puzzled by the Celtics talk though. I don't see it as that great a move for Kemba and think he'd be better off going to LA. Boston losing Horford will hurt them a lot more than it seems, even if they swing a deal for Capela.

Hard to say. If he goes to La, it’s him, Lebron, AD, and Kuzma. If he goes to Boston, he’s got a team around him. Brad Stevens be Frank Vogel. East coast, where he’s born and raised and has lived his entire career (New York, UConn, and Charlotte) vs West Coast. Makes sense to me.

[pacers33granger]

I'm somewhat puzzled by the Celtics talk though. I don't see it as that great a move for Kemba and think he'd be better off going to LA. Boston losing Horford will hurt them a lot more than it seems, even if they swing a deal for Capela.

Hard to say. If he goes to La, it’s him, Lebron, AD, and Kuzma. If he goes to Boston, he’s got a team around him. Brad Stevens be Frank Vogel. East coast, where he’s born and raised and has lived his entire career (New York, UConn, and Charlotte) vs West Coast. Makes sense to me.

What team will he have around him in Boston? They've got 4 legit NBA players (Smart, Hayward, Tatum, Brown) to LA's 3. Boston has to fill out a roster too with little to work with and LA's talent is far superior, while also being a more likely destination for ring chasing vets. Guys like Williams, Semi, and Yabs don't move the needle whatsoever, nor will their rookies be ready to contribute. You're looking at likely rolling with a room exception guy and Williams as your only bigs.

I get the staying on the East coast bit and that Brad is better than Frank (though we'll see what kind of looks his offense generates without Al), but I don't see that team being anything more than a 2nd round team at best.

[winter_mute_13]

Anybody remember former head of international scouting For us, Pete Philo? Apparently, he was a convicted statutory rapist at the time and hiding his sex offender registration. Lots of other teams listed, but the victims brother reports that he told the Pacers and was brushed off, though Philo did resign not too awful long after, though it’s hard to tell the timing in the article.

https://deadspin.com/a-scouts-honor-1835664571

Wow, that is disturbing.

[Scoot McGroot]

I'm somewhat puzzled by the Celtics talk though. I don't see it as that great a move for Kemba and think he'd be better off going to LA. Boston losing Horford will hurt them a lot more than it seems, even if they swing a deal for Capela.

Hard to say. If he goes to La, it’s him, Lebron, AD, and Kuzma. If he goes to Boston, he’s got a team around him. Brad Stevens be Frank Vogel. East coast, where he’s born and raised and has lived his entire career (New York, UConn, and Charlotte) vs West Coast. Makes sense to me.

What team will he have around him in Boston? They've got 4 legit NBA players (Smart, Hayward, Tatum, Brown) to LA's 3. Boston has to fill out a roster too with little to work with and LA's talent is far superior, while also being a more likely destination for ring chasing vets. Guys like Williams, Semi, and Yabs don't move the needle whatsoever, nor will their rookies be ready to . You're looking at likely rolling with a room exception guy and Williams as your only bigs.

I get the staying on the East coast bit and that Brad is better than Frank (though we'll see what kind of looks his offense generates without Al), but I don't see that team being anything more than a 2nd round team at best.

Is that LA team better than 2nd round though? Kemba/room exception/Lebron/Kuzma/AD with Talen Horton-Tucker and a 8-9 vet minimums?

Boston still has some youth in Romeo/Carsen/Williams coming in this year, and has the flexibility of their own picks going forward and the Memphis and Milwaukee picks too. There’s also something on playing for a coach that’s never been fired vs a 3rd go round coach.

[pacers33granger]

Is that LA team better than 2nd round though? Kemba/room exception/Lebron/Kuzma/AD with Talen Horton-Tucker and a 8-9 vet minimums?

Probably not, but it has much higher potential to be more than that than Boston does imo.

Boston still has some youth in Romeo/Carsen/Williams coming in this year, and has the flexibility of their own picks going forward and the Memphis and Milwaukee picks too. There’s also something on playing for a coach that’s never been fired vs a 3rd go round coach.

I mean, if the option is Lebron/AD versus Boston's youth (which has underperformed) and some mid firsts versus nothing, I'd bet on Lebron/AD easily. Kemba would be the third best player on LA, but far and away the best player on Boston. I'm just not sure he's in much of a different position in Boston than he is in Charlotte except for the flexibility. It's still another team without a true 2nd star and using Kemba as the first star, which just isn't enough.

To me, if the goal is winning, LA offers a better chance than Boston does right now. Again, they have just as many holes as LA does and just as little ability to fill them if they max Kemba.

[boomershadow]

Is that LA team better than 2nd round though? Kemba/room exception/Lebron/Kuzma/AD with Talen Horton-Tucker and a 8-9 vet minimums?

Probably not, but it has much higher potential to be more than that than Boston does imo.

Boston still has some youth in Romeo/Carsen/Williams coming in this year, and has the flexibility of their own picks going forward and the Memphis and Milwaukee picks too. There’s also something on playing for a coach that’s never been fired vs a 3rd go round coach.

I mean, if the option is Lebron/AD versus Boston's youth (which has underperformed) and some mid firsts versus nothing, I'd bet on Lebron/AD easily. Kemba would be the third best player on LA, but far and away the best player on Boston. I'm just not sure he's in much of a different position in Boston than he is in Charlotte except for the flexibility. It's still another team without a true 2nd star and using Kemba as the first star, which just isn't enough.

To me, if the goal is winning, LA offers a better chance than Boston does right now. Again, they have just as many holes as LA does and just as little ability to fill them if they max Kemba.

He might not wanna play third banana.

[pacers33granger]

He might not wanna play third banana.

There's still Dallas as an option, which is likely to be a better team than Boston. Doncic and KP are the two best prospects on either team and he'd be just as much a major option there as in Boston. Or Philly if Butler walks.

I just would expect Boston to be a ways down the list rather than a supposed done deal 2 days before free agency starts. They are simply not in a great position for an in his prime free agent and have made it clear they're choosing to build with their young talent. I mean, I think Kemba is better than Kyrie, but not by much, and a 2nd round exit team losing Kyrie/Al/Morris/Baynes and only adding Kemba seems to have a pretty limited upside even if Tatum/Brown improve.