Around the NBA streets Vol. 7: It's not like I like you or anything! Ibaka!

[Bishop45]

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another bish fav player out of the league early and swift

wooosh

The conspiracy against Mion; shame.

Dude's like Bruno, Harkless, SJ, the Detroit Pistons can sustain jobs because of respectability politics but not talented hacks like Mion or Lance unless Bron's greed comes into play SMH

[IggieCC]

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[AirP.]

but his passive personality (back in the OKC days) got him playing off-ball too much due to RW's cancer selfish behavior. That OKC team should have been KD's, built for him, around him, and just let him shine. I think it was Sam Presti? the guy in charge of OKC that should have sent Westbrook packing a LONG time ago, so Durant didn't have to deal with that ****. That guy is dumb.

Presti has been a great GM for a small market team. I too hated watching Westbrook making horrific decisions on the court and having his athletic ability bail him out but I think they expected KD to mature to the point where he'd take control of the team and never did. He probably should have asked for Westbrook to be traded during his time there but his passive personality just never allowed him to do that.

The year KD left OKC, they had Horford ready to sign and a couple of trades set up to clear the room for that signing(Kanter being moved for cap space was going to happen as 1 of the moves), which if you remember is when they moved Ibaka to Orlando for Oladipo and Sabonis and the starting lineup would have been Westbrook, Oladipo, KD, Horford and Adams but he walked.

I am really surprised that a large market team hasn't gotten Presti yet, Knicks could have used him.

He's a great scout, but a glorified one. A glorified scout. And you can't even give him credit for drafting KD, because it was KD and Greg Oden going in the first 2 picks, regardless of who was making the selections.

Aside from that, his pride got in the way too much, and it stopped him from winning some rings. He wanted to win with the guys he drafted, instead of seeing that it's not working, and trading and signing to build around KD to win rings.

I would hire him as head of my scouting department. But I would need someone else to run things for me, someone who doesn't fall in love with his draft babies and will do what needs to be done to win.

Wait...
Him trading Ibaka for Oladipo and Sabonis?
Oladipo and Sabonis for P.George?
P.George for four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps in addition to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari.
Drafting Westbrook, even if I don't like him he's an incredible player.
Drafting Harden, trading Harden before his transformation, that trade happened because as a small market team they needed to not be a tax team which was created by the NBA screwing up the Westbrook contract which they apologized for later but the damage was done.
Trading a late first for Thabo Sefelosha.
Drafting Ibaka with a late 1st round pick.
Drafting Adams at 12.
Trading Westbrook for CP3 AND 2FRPs?
Trading CP3 for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a protected 2022 first-round pick.
Moving Oubre Jr for a protected 1st.. probably 2 2nds.

I think he's one of the top GMs in the league, even with KD leaving for nothing he kept OKC a playoff team.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

Wait...
Him trading Ibaka for Oladipo and Sabonis?
Oladipo and Sabonis for P.George?
P.George for four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps in addition to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari.
Drafting Westbrook, even if I don't like him he's an incredible player.
Drafting Harden, trading Harden before his transformation, that trade happened because as a small market team they needed to not be a tax team which was created by the NBA screwing up the Westbrook contract which they apologized for later but the damage was done.
Trading a late first for Thabo Sefelosha.
Drafting Ibaka with a late 1st round pick.
Drafting Adams at 12.
Trading Westbrook for CP3 AND 2FRPs?
Trading CP3 for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a protected 2022 first-round pick.
Moving Oubre Jr for a protected 1st.. probably 2 2nds.

I think he's one of the top GMs in the league, even with KD leaving for nothing he kept OKC a playoff team.

Okay, two things. I completely understand your viewpoint, and I think your viewpoint is 100% legitimate. Your view of Presti is not unfounded.


But here is my problem.

Of the 11 things you listed, 5 of them are drafting related. Hence why he'd be head of my scouting dept.


Trading Ibaka for the rights to Sabonis is a scouting thing. He's an elite scout, so he traded away a proven veteran to take a gamble on a guy who he thought would be good in the NBA (he was right). A young Oladipo was a nice acquisition in the trade too. Overall, this trade was a success because of his scouting talent, in my opinion (Sabonis).

Trading away Oladipo and Sabonis for the trash known as Playoff P was a huge mistake. Oladipo and Sabonis are a better duo than Playoff P, and I will argue that all day. Sabonis was traded after his rookie year, and in his first season with his new team on an expanded role, he was scoring double digits on efficient shooting. Today, Sabonis is an 18ppg, 12 rebs, 5 assts guy on 54% shooting. Same with Oladipo, who has also flourished. Meanwhile, the trash player known as Playoff P once again gets paid max money to underperform and choke in the playoffs and give people false championship hopes. The guy is a terrible player in the playoffs. Even the Clippers fans are dealing with this now. That was a very bad trade in my eyes. I'd rather have Oladipo/Sabonis than Playoff P.


Next, the Playoff P to LAC trade was not a credit to Presti. He was gifted that trade, because of the Kawhi Leonard situation. For some strange reason, Kawhi Leonard told the Clippers he would only sign with them if they could get Playoff P. The LAC were handcuffed. It was either make the trade happen, or get nothing. This isn't some genius GM'img on Presti's part. All Presti had to do was sit back and say "nah" everytime the desperate LAC's called.... until finally the visions of Kawhi Leonard in a LAC jersey caused Steve Balmer to say "F it, give them the farm, just make it happen"...... for this, I give little credit.


The CP3 trade results are fine.


So I don't see the genius in his GMing. In fact, I can now start to criticize all of his very poor decisions, starting with having Kevin Durant and never building the right team around him. Having a player with GOAT-level talent and only making 1 finals appearance and then losing him in free agency. His greatest successes come from drafting. Hence why I would hire him as head of my scouting dept, but that's it. And after all that said, OKC has only 1 finals appearance and won 0 rings.

[AirP.]

Of the 11 things you listed, 4 of them are drafting related. Hence why he'd be head of my scouting dept.

Sure, that's part of his job.

Trading away Oladipo and Sabonis for the trash known as Playoff P was a huge mistake. Oladipo and Sabonis are a better duo than Playoff P, and I will argue that all day. Sabonis was traded after his rookie year, and in his first season with his new team on an expanded role, he was scoring double digits on efficient shooting. Today, Sabonis is an 18ppg, 12 rebs, 5 assts guy on 54% shooting. Same with Oladipo, who has also flourished. Meanwhile, the trash player known as Playoff P once again gets paid max money to underperform and choke in the playoffs and give people false championship hopes. The guy is a terrible player in the playoffs. Even the Clippers fans are dealing with this now. That was a very bad trade in my eyes. I'd rather have Oladipo/Sabonis than Playoff P.

They traded for George because they needed a second star to go with Westbrook because if you had watched Oladipo in OKC, he wasn't all that good. Oladipo didn't transform into a star until the summer he was traded to Indiana where he cut his weight down, in OKC he averaged under 16 ppg. There's a reason OKC was able to extend him for only 21mil a year for 4 years. Sabonis was a lottery pick by Orlando but didn't show all that much in the role he had to play in OKC since they already had Adams. At the time of the trade all the national media thought Presti pulled off a great trade and he did, especially since he was able to not only extend George(who everyone had going to LA), but turn George into a ton of assets including SGA who averaged 19 a game at age 21, and is currently averaging 23 at age 22.

Also at this time George was seen as a better player than Butler which I thought was ridiculous and although George was a more talented scorer, he just doesn't have the determination and heart Butler has.

Next, the Playoff P to LAC trade was not a credit to Presti. He was gifted that trade, because of the Kawhi Leonard situation. For some strange reason, Kawhi Leonard told the Clippers he would only sign with them if they could get Playoff P. The LAC were handcuffed. It was either make the trade happen, or get nothing. This isn't some genius GM'img on Presti's part. All Presti had to do was sit back and say "nah" everytime the desperate LAC's called.... until finally the visions of Kawhi Leonard in a LAC jersey caused them to say "F it, give them the farm, just make it happen"...... for this, I give little credit.

Kawhi was going to the Clippers the whole time, it was really his only option, he wasn't going to play with LeBron. The Clippers jumped the gun thinking it was a requirement and it really wasn't, more than likely they got suckered in on... you're not just trading for George, but you're trading for Kawhi also. It was a horrific move by the Clippers and most small market teams wouldn't have had the guts to push the trade to being that big.

The CP3 trade results are fine.


So I don't see the genius in his GMing. His greatest successes come from drafting. Hence why I would hire him as head of my scouting dept, but that's it. And after all that said, OKC has only 1 finals appearance and won 0 rings.

He's had success drafting, but he's had a lot of success in trades.

Yes, only 1 finals and no rings, it would seem that really bad injuries to KD and to Russ ended certain year runs and then came GS as one of the greatest teams of all time that OKC SHOULD HAVE BEAT but KD couldn't get it done in game 6 at home, losing in 7 and then leaving for the team that beat him. It was such a bad move for KD where he was seen as a mercenary instead of a beloved championship player that he desperately wanted and now seeks to become in Brooklyn.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

It was such a bad move for KD where he was seen as a mercenary instead of a beloved championship player that he desperately wanted and now seeks to become in Brooklyn.

He out Lebron'd Lebron.

If Lebron is going to win easy rings by creating superteams, why can't KD? *shrug*


BTW, off topic, but I hate how Lebum gets the credit for starting this trend. It wasn't him who started it. It was Dwyane Wade + Pat Riley who were the brainchild of 2010's Big 3.

[AirP.]

It was such a bad move for KD where he was seen as a mercenary instead of a beloved championship player that he desperately wanted and now seeks to become in Brooklyn.

He out Lebron'd Lebron.

If Lebron is going to win easy rings by creating superteams, why can't KD? *shrug*


BTW, off topic, but I hate how Lebum gets the credit for starting this trend. It wasn't him who started it. It was Dwyane Wade + Pat Riley who were the brainchild of 2010's Big 3.

Yeah, he out LeBron'd him but it hasn't exactly worked well for him so far and it cost his new team a ton of talent, if only he could have gotten Butler to sign in LA instead... and the Clips were one of the destinations Butler had been looking at for multiple years.

It wasn't Wade, it was all Riley. Bosh has talked about this explaining why he selected Miami over Chicago to Chicago reporters. Chicago had the ability to add 2 max players to go along with Rose, Noah, and Deng which Bosh thought would have been a great situation for him and Wade(who is from Chicago), they're exactly the right positions to add to Chicago's trio(Rose hadn't truly broken out as a star at that point). Then came Riley saying he could add 3 guys near/at the max and win championships and that was it. Riley has really done a great job in Miami ever since he got there.

What LeBron can take credit for changing is basically the player empowerment era of the short contracts of top tier players, not being worried about long money and keeping franchises hostage where they have to keep the stars happy to not lose them. He's worked the system under it's rules but I think in the long term it will hurt the league.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

It was such a bad move for KD where he was seen as a mercenary instead of a beloved championship player that he desperately wanted and now seeks to become in Brooklyn.

He out Lebron'd Lebron.

If Lebron is going to win easy rings by creating superteams, why can't KD? *shrug*


BTW, off topic, but I hate how Lebum gets the credit for starting this trend. It wasn't him who started it. It was Dwyane Wade + Pat Riley who were the brainchild of 2010's Big 3.

Yeah, he out LeBron'd him but it hasn't exactly worked well for him so far and it cost his new team a ton of talent.

It wasn't Wade, it was all Riley. Bosh has talked about this explaining why he selected Miami over Chicago to Chicago reporters. Chicago had the ability to add 2 max players to go along with Rose, Noah, and Deng which Bosh thought would have been a great situation for him and Wade(who is from Chicago), they're exactly the right positions to add to Chicago's trio(Rose hadn't truly broken out as a star at that point). Then came Riley saying he could add 3 guys near/at the max and win championships and that was it. Riley has really done a great job in Miami ever since he got there.

What LeBron can take credit for changing is basically the player empowerment era of the short contracts of top tier players, not being worried about long money and keeping franchises hostage where they have to keep the stars happy to not lose them. He's worked the system under it's rules but I think in the long term it will hurt the league.

I think it was both of them. Wade and Riley were scheming together for years before the 2010 summer.

If you remember, Wade floated the idea of "playing together" to Lebron, Melo, CP3, Bosh... during the 2008 Beijing Team USA olympics. Wade planting the idea in their heads... meanwhile, Riley was clearing cap space and trading away any contract that went past 2010. He got rid of Shaq when he became a malcontent, for Shawn Marion who's contract was much kinder to the 2010 plan. Then he flipped that for Jermaine O'Neal, whose large contract expired at the right time.

I think they were both talking about it and scheming in the 2 years prior to 2010. Back before 2010, Wade and Riles were really close. They had a strong relationship. Which is why Pat was so hurt when Wade took Lebrons side during the Big 3 fallout. Wade got used up by lebron, so lebron could stand on Wades shoulders and collect all the finals MVP glory and credit, until wade's knees gave out, and then lebron dumped him like a used condom and fled to CLE. If I was Pat, I'd have been angry at Wade too.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

Off topic, but I can't express how annoyed I am at all the Lebum James love on the GB. I have to be polite and respectful so I don't come off as a troll, but I want to so badly call him out. The guy is a ring chasing bum who has hopped from franchise to franchise to carry him with superteams, and even then he has a losing record in the Finals. But people pile on Kevin Durant for doing the same thing??

If you hate KD, you gotta hate Lebron. They did the same damn thing, and in fact Lebron has done it 3 separate times now. How is that respectable.

[puppa bear]

Off topic, but I can't express how annoyed I am at all the Lebum James love on the GB. I have to be polite and respectful so I don't come off as a troll, but I want to so badly call him out. The guy is a ring chasing bum who has hopped from franchise to franchise to carry him with superteams, and even then he has a losing record in the Finals. But people pile on Kevin Durant for doing the same thing??

If you hate KD, you gotta hate Lebron. They did the same damn thing, and in fact Lebron has done it 3 separate times now. How is that respectable.

Lebron is that person who is almost-perfect as a partner, but is afraid of commitment & being in a balanced relationship. Every time things get a bit too long-termy they freak out. Every time they feel like they don’t have full control, they manipulate the relationship to make it so, or bail.

It’s a pity, because the dude is a generational talent. I don’t like Gilbert as an owner, but he should have really been a 1 or 2 team player. After the Miami stint he should have stayed at home for the long run and seen it out (even if he never got another ring).

If he wanted to do something that actually impacts his legacy (these Lakers rings will be bought, not earned), he should have gone to the Knicks and tried to bring them a title. If he could drag that dumpster fire of a franchise to the flag (even a bought championship) then he’d be deserving of the GOAT title!

I don’t hate either him or KD, but I do get sick of media being on their nutsacks and not calling their **** when it should be called. I dislike some of the rhetoric around the player empowerment movement, and especially dislike much of what Rich Paul does and says. We all know James can’t say all that he thinks, and instead Rich is empowered to be his unofficial voice.

[Dr_Heat]

John Collins , oof

[IggieCC]

John Collins , oof

he must be confident in getting the max (I doubt it but I respect that he's betting on himself)

[IggieCC]

can't believe how well KD is playing tbh

he's defying the odds, Dominique Wilkins 2.0

[AirP.]

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[IggieCC]

Luka ready to give OP second butthole

[KingDavid]

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Jesus he can barely read.

[Bishop45]

Wanted to watch this, but op said no

Watch on YouTube

[IggieCC]

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LoMelo beat Luka. no excuses OP

[IggieCC]

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surely Kawhi didn't have less psycho killer mask options

[RexBoyWonder]

[quote="AirP."]

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Too late, we're not giving up Herro for him.