The Around The NBA Thread

[MrFortune3]

The Knicks need for Barrett to make a big leap in his development next season and they have to find a FA or trade for a top star level guy to help continue to elevate that team.

[Dan Z]

Seriously, it's ridiculous. He got Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for next to nothing and still had Horford, Tatum, Brown, and Smart. That's incredible. How the hell is a GM supposed to predict THAT happening to Gordon Hayward, or Kyrie becoming that lady who keeps telling you about how essential oils will change your life?

Too many people simply judge the result, and not the play.

Not really unfair though. He pulled off one of the greatest asset acquisitions in NBA history and for the most part squandered it.
He was far too focused on trying to win every damn trade instead of making his team better overall.
People judge the result because given the positioning that the Celtics had over raking the Nets over the coals, the expectation was at least 1 title.

While he did manage to end up with Tatum and Brown as the 2 primary core pieces of the Celtics for the next 10+ years if healthy.
That's why I am not the biggest fan of just gathering a ton of assets and trying to form them into a massive war chest, at some point you have to turn that chest of assets into tangible championship level players.

I mean he did have a roster of Kyrie, Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Hortford, Morris, Bynes. Not his fault Kyrie is flakey and Hayward broke. They did make 3 ECFs in the last 5 years.

You're acting like they sat around with just Tatum and Brown and a bunch of picks. He signed Hayward, Hortford and Kemba as big time FA's. Traded for Kyrie, IT, Fournier and made a ton of good picks.

This isn't GarPax. They traded and signed for stars.

I agree. I'll add that Ainge also couldn't get Anthony Davis the year he was available because of the Rose Rule.

[Repeat 3-peat]

The Knicks had a few players on cheap expiring deals that helped them win this year(Noel/Burks/Bullock/Gibson/Rose), wouldn't shock me at all they struggle to repeat their success they had this season if they don't retain them. Barrett/Quickly will need to take a big step forward next season.

[Repeat 3-peat]

Watch on YouTube

Trae is cold for this.

[MalagaBulls]

Rondo busting Kawhi's chops.

Read on Twitter

[Andi Obst]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

[MalagaBulls]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

Need to sign Luka outright in 22/23 as a UFA.

[DuckIII]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

I watched the first half of the game last night. It was basically 1 v 5 and there was absolutely nothing the Clippers could do about it.

It’s amazing. If he ever gets to play on a team that isn’t full of scrubs there’s no limit to what he can do. And the crazy thing is he does it all in slow motion. He’s one of the most unique players in NBA history.

[Michael Jackson]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

I watched the first half of the game last night. It was basically 1 v 5 and there was absolutely nothing the Clippers could do about it.

It’s amazing. If he ever gets to play on a team that isn’t full of scrubs there’s no limit to what he can do. And the crazy thing is he does it all in slow motion. He’s one of the most unique players in NBA history.

Both Luka and Jokic prove its not all athleticism. Knowing how and when to move is as important. To a big part of it late stage MJ proved that too as does Lebron, he uses size and position more than speed. Athleticism keeps you competitive when you don’t have the skill set of these guys though.

[Michael Jackson]

This is an unfair criticism. He put assets together for Kyrie. I understand why he didn't trade his war chest for a rental of Kawhi or PG. AD's people told him he'd walk. Would he have been a better GM if he had Kawhi for a year but no Brown?

You're being way to critical. He's got two young 2 way all stars. Had Kemba worked out, they'd be serious contenders. Stevens doesn't need to rebuild the team. He just needs to get that missing piece.

Seriously, it's ridiculous. He got Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for next to nothing and still had Horford, Tatum, Brown, and Smart. That's incredible. How the hell is a GM supposed to predict THAT happening to Gordon Hayward, or Kyrie becoming that lady who keeps telling you about how essential oils will change your life?

Too many people simply judge the result, and not the play.

I heard the rumors that Danny was maybe on the hot seat, but I was still fairly surprised today. Exactly for the reasons you two have stated. Drafted two stars, and then tried to put max-worthy vets around them. Who was highly critical of those moves at the time? Basically no one.

If he is going to Utah I wonder if Ainge wanted to go because of the LDS maybe he wanted closer involvement with the church and didn’t want to be a GM? It didn’t feel like he was on the hit seat exactly.

[DuckIII]

I would assume the Utah thing is LDS. He went to BYU.

On his success as a GM, count me as someone who thinks he’s a very good GM but who was also in real time very critical of his blind spot when it came to winning trades. I believed then and even predicted that he would end up regretting his obsession with winning individual transactions rather than looking at the greater good for his own team regardless of how it might benefit the other team. And it’s what happened.

That said, still one of the better careers I’ve seen from an NBA GM in my lifetime. One of the best, but he could have been even better and my criticism of him is hardly uncommon. It had been noted by many along the way in real time.

[Slick Randi]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

media would h@te? What’re you talking about?

[MissileMike]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

I watched the first half of the game last night. It was basically 1 v 5 and there was absolutely nothing the Clippers could do about it.

It’s amazing. If he ever gets to play on a team that isn’t full of scrubs there’s no limit to what he can do. And the crazy thing is he does it all in slow motion. He’s one of the most unique players in NBA history.

Both Luka and Jokic prove its not all athleticism. Knowing how and when to move is as important. To a big part of it late stage MJ proved that too as does Lebron, he uses size and position more than speed. Athleticism keeps you competitive when you don’t have the skill set of these guys though.

I think Trae belongs on that list too- what physical traits does he have?

[Slick Randi]

Ainge is headed to Utah because they’re a better franchise, bigger stage, massive future. Everyone knew Utah was going to be the next big dog out west back in 2018 or thereabout. They have the best coach in the NBA & insane star talent & depth. Boston is a franchise that is on the downswing, and they’ve also got cheap ownership.

[Slick Randi]

Maybe another early playoff exit may get him thinking about forcing a trade. Would be unbelievable to have a backcourt of him and LaVine.

Wouldn't it be just another version of him and CJ in Portland?

I think LaVine is a better and more talented player than CJ. LaVine’s athleticism and potential is far superior to CJ in my opinion. Also the road in the East is easier than in the West. The East has gotten better but there are still a lot more better teams out west and getting to the Finals in the West would be much harder to do than in the East.

Did you seriously say that Zach LaVine was more athletic than CJ McCollum “in your opinion”? Lol!

[Slick Randi]

[streamable][/streamable]

Read on Twitter

That's going to be a tough coaching replacement.

And FO work is a lot of networking with agents and player's people, does Stevens have any skill or talent in this? Boston isn't realistically going to be a bottom 3 team to get the next star via draft, adding talent is going to be through FA. Really successful new FO people have been agency guys like Bob Myers, Leon Rose, and Rob Pelinka...not basketball Xs & Os guys like Stevens.

Meh, I’d guess you overrate the agency component. Rose/Pelinka = NY/LA. My dog could steer key pieces to those markets.

Not saying it doesn’t matter (see ME here), just that it’s not necessarily the agency experience that’s getting it done. I think Brad will do just fine.

Steer pieces to a “market”? What?

[DuckIII]

Luka is unreal, man. Scored or assisted on 31 of Dallas‘ 37 made field goals last night. He IS their offense and there’s just no way to stop it.

Would love to see all of Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver in the second round. The media would hate it, the NBA too probably, but that Finals spot in the West would be so wide open. Plus there are exciting young guys on every team.

The future of the league is in good hands.

media would h@te? What’re you talking about?

The bigger the market, the bigger the interest from the public, the more clicks, the bigger the TV audience.

Just how it is. Both LA teams - especially LeBron and the Lakers - being eliminated would be a bad outcome for the media.

Though perhaps less so with the Clippers because Luka is such a big draw. Utah/Memphis and Denver/Portland is kind of a wash though.

[Slick Randi]

Read on Twitter

That's going to be a tough coaching replacement.

And FO work is a lot of networking with agents and player's people, does Stevens have any skill or talent in this? Boston isn't realistically going to be a bottom 3 team to get the next star via draft, adding talent is going to be through FA. Really successful new FO people have been agency guys like Bob Myers, Leon Rose, and Rob Pelinka...not basketball Xs & Os guys like Stevens.

Alright, so upon perusing through these very strange & baffling comments in this thread, I (and I’m assuming everyone else) had to stop & do a double take when I read this one.

Leon Rose is the person that works for the New York knicks front office, correct? Did you seriously, coherently place him within the same sentence as Bob Myers, and did you seriously imply that he’s been some great executive in the NBA? Seriously?

Do you work for the Knicks franchise..? Because that is literally the one & only way anyone would ever in a billion years imply anything of the sort

[DuckIII]

Slick, I don’t know what your deal is but you’ve got like 5 posts and every one of them is an attempt to insult another post. Word of advice: try to be constructive.

[GetBuLLish]

Slick Randi coming in hot!