Around the NBA (4.0) *Non-Celtics Talk*

[Floody100]

The Russ stuff is getting too real. I always thought he would be a lifer on OKC.

Not sure there's such a thing in the modern NBA any more.

Yabu is gonna retire a Celtic. Just you watch!

Yabu ain’t going to make the retirement ceremony if he doesn’t start watch his weight.

[Green89]

Rondo-Bradley reunion in LA. Ugh.
AB for room exception.

The Lakers are just Anthony Davis, Kuzma, plus a bunch of guys whose prime years were 5-10 years ago.

[ZeroTolerance]

Avery Bradley to the Lakers?? Ewww.

I'm convinced that Pelinka and his scouting staff just watch YouTube highlight videos when they do their research, rather than watching recent games. Green and Bradley are both kind of washed.

Those guys could play though....But you are right...the Lakers are starting to look like an old folks home for NBA types....

Still you gotta wonder what the old Celtic back court could do if they were to find their fountain of youth there?

I know they will play us tough...that's for sure!

[Theocy]

Rondo-Bradley reunion in LA. Ugh.
AB for room exception.

The Lakers are just Anthony Davis, Kuzma, plus a bunch of guys whose prime years were 5-10 years ago.

No LEBRONTO love?

They're not a bad team

[greenpierce]

Cousins injury was worse to recover from and he at least showed some heart in the playoffs

Hayward had to have surgery in May or June. People don’t realize what a setback that was. Hayward basically began his rehab all over again in July. Not fair to compare him to George or others who had injury and 1 surgery.

The second surgery is a bit of a lame excuse to me. It wasn't repairing anything, it wasn't doing anything structurally. It was just removing some hardware in his leg. It's like a 4-6 week setback. It doesnt explain his lack luster season.

Broken ankles aren't like a broken leg, you can't equate the two. It's a joint injury that you can't immobilize. As soon as you can use it, you do, but it hurts like hell. The whole weight of your body stresses the joint itself. His playing last year was one in which he probably was in pain the whole time. We don't get to see him in the trainers room with a big, fat, swollen ankle after each game or practice. However that's the reality. He probably is finally getting to the point in which the pain happens only after the compression on the ankle is removed. IE the ankle swells up after removing tape, brace, ect... After having a similar injury myself, I expect big things from Hayward this season.

[soxfan2003]

Hayward had to have surgery in May or June. People don’t realize what a setback that was. Hayward basically began his rehab all over again in July. Not fair to compare him to George or others who had injury and 1 surgery.

The second surgery is a bit of a lame excuse to me. It wasn't repairing anything, it wasn't doing anything structurally. It was just removing some hardware in his leg. It's like a 4-6 week setback. It doesnt explain his lack luster season.

Broken ankles aren't like a broken leg, you can't equate the two. It's a joint injury that you can't immobilize. As soon as you can use it, you do, but it hurts like hell. The whole weight of your body stresses the joint itself. His playing last year was one in which he probably was in pain the whole time. We don't get to see him in the trainers room with a big, fat, swollen ankle after each game or practice. However that's the reality. He probably is finally getting to the point in which the pain happens only after the compression on the ankle is removed. IE the ankle swells up after removing tape, brace, ect... After having a similar injury myself, I expect big things from Hayward this season.

Hayward played very well after the all-star break on the offensive end at least. Put him on the warriors in playoffs last year, he averages 18 PPG IMO in a rather efficient manner. I don't expect him to do that much better than that this year.

I am not concerned about him too much at all but I also don't think he is a big time answer to the Celtics PF/C problems either.

As for his injury, even after the season it was clearly still bothering him at least a moderate amount if not a hell of a lot more than that. If his ankle was 100%, he probably wouldn't be having to do any exercises/treatment for it that he wasn't doing before the injury but that by Hayward's own admission isn't the case.

Lastly, with Hayward or any 30ish year old wing player we are talking a little bit about the unknown. Some of them age better than others. Having extra length probably helps. But even with his length, K Leonard possibly due to injury/age/offensive load really didn't play the same calibre of defense he did when he was younger. Still a good to very good defender but most Toronto fans well before his departure acknowledged that he was never really elite defensively this year. It was more of a team effort on defense with nearly everyone contributing. I point this out to make the simply point that decent chance that Hayward even if his offensive load isn't as large as his Utah days, may not be same defensively as his last year in Utah because of age/injury. Offensively, you can kind of make up for a decline in athleticism from becoming a better shooter but tougher for a 30 year old to make up for losing a half a step on the defensive end. Defense is where the Celtics really need as much as possible out of Brown/Tatum/Hayward since Horford is gone and Kemba is not a good defender and Kanter is not a good defender either.

[3D Chess]

Pellies should have insisted that Kuzma be included in the deal. LA gonna nix the whole situation for Kuzma? Hell naw.

[sam_I_am]

Cousins injury was worse to recover from and he at least showed some heart in the playoffs

Hayward had to have surgery in May or June. People don’t realize what a setback that was. Hayward basically began his rehab all over again in July. Not fair to compare him to George or others who had injury and 1 surgery.

The second surgery is a bit of a lame excuse to me. It wasn't repairing anything, it wasn't doing anything structurally. It was just removing some hardware in his leg. It's like a 4-6 week setback. It doesnt explain his lack luster season.

The surgery by itself might be a 4-6 setback if it occurred 2 years later like Kyrie’s knee surgery which caused him to miss second 1/2 of his first season here. But Kyrie then had whole summer to get back in playing shape.

Hayward missed a whole season and was finally getting ready for 5 on 5 and having the whole summer to get into game shape when this happened. Instead of having a whole summer to get into playing shape, he showed up at training camp a defensive liability and without his normal hops.

I’m not trying to make excuses for him....in fact I want to trade his contract because he will opt out and we don’t need him anymore with Brown/Tatum/Smart and our roster has a big hole to fill with loss of a Horford.

[amory87]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

[Andrew McCeltic]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

Westbrook isn’t being a diva here - the Thunder were a borderline contender and just traded their best player and MVP candidate - they’re either rebuilding or resetting, and they’re working with Russ - may have approached him first.

[3D Chess]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

Westbrook isn’t being a diva here - the Thunder were a borderline contender and just traded their best player and MVP candidate - they’re either rebuilding or resetting, and they’re working with Russ - may have approached him first.

Yeah it's a mutual agreement. The Thunder even let guys they 'signed' in FA back out of their deals if they wanted to, given the teams situation changed so dramatically. One went elsewhere, one stayed.

[sam_I_am]

Rondo-Bradley reunion in LA. Ugh.
AB for room exception.

The Lakers are just Anthony Davis, Kuzma, plus a bunch of guys whose prime years were 5-10 years ago.

Watch out....Amare Stoudemire and Monta Ellis are next!

[mbsnmisc]

I just heard on the Dunc'd On pod that the final year of Horford's contract in Philly is only partially guaranteed. I don't begrudge him leaving (if it was only about money), but I was surprised.

[24SecondRule]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

If Westbrook is traded to Miami, might Wade sign up for one more year?

[Disinformation]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

If Westbrook is traded to Miami, might Wade sign up for one more year?

Better question: If he does come back, can we sign some hardcore thugs -- I mean big men -- who can just beat the **** out of him every time he comes into the paint?

[amory87]

"Russell Westbrook, Heat have mutual interest"

Well Russell Westbrook is under contract for another 3 seasons. So where he wants to go play basketball matters about as much as what superpower he'd choose if he could pick one.

This is really getting ridiculous now. I'm all for player empowerment to a degree, but we're getting to the point where guys aren't even waiting until their contract is half over before starting to float soft trade requests.

If Westbrook is traded to Miami, might Wade sign up for one more year?

Better question: If he does come back, can we sign some hardcore thugs -- I mean big men -- who can just beat the **** out of him every time he comes into the paint?

I'd imagine if Tacko got a running start he could hit him with the force of at least a strong breeze

[3D Chess]

Kawhi signs a 2+1 with the Clippers. Lines him up for the 10 year max, and lines him up with PG becoming a UFA.

[scootch]

Kawhi signs a 2+1 with the Clippers. Lines him up for the 10 year max, and lines him up with PG becoming a UFA.

Does anyone else feel like Kawhi and only Kawhi is doing all of this right lol?

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Risky move by Kawhi, IMO. He might not even he healthy before the end of that contract.

[3D Chess]

Risky move by Kawhi, IMO. He might not even he healthy before the end of that contract.

There will always be the Knicks.