2020-21 NBA Season Discussion

[therealbig3]

Curry, Jokic, Luka, Giannis and Booker are probably my top 5 right now, in some order, but with Jokic #1.

Not a big fan of Gobert myself but understand why he’s considered highly.

[HeartBreakKid]

No Damian Lillard??

[GSP]

Man oh man, if the Clippers lose tomorrow, how bad the they **** up tanking to get away from the Lakers in round 1?

If you think about it this is the most Clippers outcome possible

[falcolombardi]

is very likely a new franchise will win its first ring this year

happened 3 times past decade (dallas, cleveland, toronto) would be the 4th in 11 years

Utah, denver, clippers, Phoenix, nets are all ringless

atlanta and dallas are very unlikely winners

that leaves milwaukee (that won in 71) and sixers (last time in 83) as the potential gatekeepers to a first time championship, both of which have old championship themselves

that is always nice, to see that there is a solid amount of parity/ rotation in winning franchises in recent years

[Dupp]

Yeah hope it comes from bucks, Suns, nuggets or Utah

[LukaTheGOAT]

.

[frica]

Jokic is a beast.

[LukaTheGOAT]

Kawhi's head got too big after winning in '19. He's quiet so it doesn't get talked about much.

I think what's interesting about Kawhi is that it really may not have been about ego at all, but I think it's really, really clear that he and his circle drastically underestimated how lucky he was to play for first Pop and then Nurse. It allow him to really believe his set of skills made everything else around him inevitable, and now it's crystal clear that they don't and he's not able to expand his game to make up for what is missed when playing with a more average coach with a less magically fitting supporting cast.

I don't think there's any doubt that if he stays in Toronto he basically goes down as a tippy top tier superstar even if the team can't ever win another title. But with him on the Clippers, if they never figure it out, Kawhi's reputation is going to continue to fade.

He left Toronto, because he wanted to go back to playing near his hometown...that's basically it. Nothing more, nonething less. Winning isn't the only thing these guys care about. They are human beings with interests outside of basketball. Lebron chose LA not because it was necessarily the best place to win, but because of Hollywood, and wanting to build a bigger brand.

[HeartBreakKid]

Kawhi's head got too big after winning in '19. He's quiet so it doesn't get talked about much.

I think what's interesting about Kawhi is that it really may not have been about ego at all, but I think it's really, really clear that he and his circle drastically underestimated how lucky he was to play for first Pop and then Nurse. It allow him to really believe his set of skills made everything else around him inevitable, and now it's crystal clear that they don't and he's not able to expand his game to make up for what is missed when playing with a more average coach with a less magically fitting supporting cast.

I don't think there's any doubt that if he stays in Toronto he basically goes down as a tippy top tier superstar even if the team can't ever win another title. But with him on the Clippers, if they never figure it out, Kawhi's reputation is going to continue to fade.

He left Toronto, because he wanted to go back to playing near his hometown...that's basically it. Nothing more, nonething less. Winning isn't the only thing these guys care about. They are human beings with interests outside of basketball. Lebron chose LA not because it was necessarily the best place to win, but because of Hollywood, and wanting to build a bigger brand.

Yup. I don't know why people say he shouldn't have left Toronto. He didn't leave Toronto because they sucked, evident by how he won a ring there.

[Yank3525]

Yeah, once you win one title everything else is gravy for most stars. Kawhi won two titles and wanted to go play near his hometown and I can't really bash him for that.

[therealbig3]

No Damian Lillard??

Damn overlooked him. Would definitely take him over Booker.

[Doctor MJ]

Kawhi's head got too big after winning in '19. He's quiet so it doesn't get talked about much.

I think what's interesting about Kawhi is that it really may not have been about ego at all, but I think it's really, really clear that he and his circle drastically underestimated how lucky he was to play for first Pop and then Nurse. It allow him to really believe his set of skills made everything else around him inevitable, and now it's crystal clear that they don't and he's not able to expand his game to make up for what is missed when playing with a more average coach with a less magically fitting supporting cast.

I don't think there's any doubt that if he stays in Toronto he basically goes down as a tippy top tier superstar even if the team can't ever win another title. But with him on the Clippers, if they never figure it out, Kawhi's reputation is going to continue to fade.

He left Toronto, because he wanted to go back to playing near his hometown...that's basically it. Nothing more, nonething less. Winning isn't the only thing these guys care about. They are human beings with interests outside of basketball. Lebron chose LA not because it was necessarily the best place to win, but because of Hollywood, and wanting to build a bigger brand.

I’m not disagreeing that he specifically chose to come play in SoCal because SoCal, but he forced his team to trade more assets than any team ever to get PG before he signed.

That means:
1. He doesn’t get to hide behind the idea that he wasn’t focused on winning.

2. We have a direct window into Kawhi’s idea of “how to win”, and it’s wrongheaded in a very “individual talents are what matter” way which reinforces what we see from Kawhi as a player and as an employee.


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[MartinToVaught]

Man oh man, if the Clippers lose tomorrow, how bad the they **** up tanking to get away from the Lakers in round 1?

We 100% would have found a way to choke to the Lakers and it would have been a million times more painful than choking to the Mavs.

[Colbinii]

I think what's interesting about Kawhi is that it really may not have been about ego at all, but I think it's really, really clear that he and his circle drastically underestimated how lucky he was to play for first Pop and then Nurse. It allow him to really believe his set of skills made everything else around him inevitable, and now it's crystal clear that they don't and he's not able to expand his game to make up for what is missed when playing with a more average coach with a less magically fitting supporting cast.

I don't think there's any doubt that if he stays in Toronto he basically goes down as a tippy top tier superstar even if the team can't ever win another title. But with him on the Clippers, if they never figure it out, Kawhi's reputation is going to continue to fade.

He left Toronto, because he wanted to go back to playing near his hometown...that's basically it. Nothing more, nonething less. Winning isn't the only thing these guys care about. They are human beings with interests outside of basketball. Lebron chose LA not because it was necessarily the best place to win, but because of Hollywood, and wanting to build a bigger brand.

I’m not disagreeing that he specifically chose to come play in SoCal because SoCal, but he forced his team to trade more assets than any team ever to get PG before he signed.

That means:
1. He doesn’t get to hide behind the idea that he wasn’t focused on winning.

2. We have a direct window into Kawhi’s idea of “how to win”, and it’s wrongheaded in a very “individual talents are what matter” way which reinforces what we see from Kawhi as a player and as an employee.


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I think individual talents matter an immense amount in winning. If Paul George was a top 5-7 player in 2020 like he was in 2019 then we may have seen a different champion in 2020 (Alright, they weren't beating the Lakers). Instead Paul George was what--a top 25 player last year? The Clippers lost to a team with 2 of the 3 best players in the series (Jokic/Murray).

I do agree in some respects to the statement. I think he looked at the 2019 Raptors and thought "Wow, Paul George is significantly better than anyone on this team I just won with. If I can land him as a teammate then we are going to steamroller the league". Kawhi was clearly ignoring the culture and sheer depth of that team, which he has also ignored when he was with the Spurs and hasn't done a good job of building culture with the Clippers either.

Kawhi reminds me of a guy who is simply out of touch with how culture can affect a work setting.

[Goudelock]

So now that my team is out of the playoffs, I guess I'm going to bandwagon a team?

Go Nuggets?

[parsnips33]

The mass freakout about the Lakers getting Andre Drummond of all people looks even funnier in retrospect

[LukaTheGOAT]

He left Toronto, because he wanted to go back to playing near his hometown...that's basically it. Nothing more, nonething less. Winning isn't the only thing these guys care about. They are human beings with interests outside of basketball. Lebron chose LA not because it was necessarily the best place to win, but because of Hollywood, and wanting to build a bigger brand.

I’m not disagreeing that he specifically chose to come play in SoCal because SoCal, but he forced his team to trade more assets than any team ever to get PG before he signed.

That means:
1. He doesn’t get to hide behind the idea that he wasn’t focused on winning.

2. We have a direct window into Kawhi’s idea of “how to win”, and it’s wrongheaded in a very “individual talents are what matter” way which reinforces what we see from Kawhi as a player and as an employee.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think individual talents matter an immense amount in winning. If Paul George was a top 5-7 player in 2020 like he was in 2019 then we may have seen a different champion in 2020 (Alright, they weren't beating the Lakers). Instead Paul George was what--a top 25 player last year? The Clippers lost to a team with 2 of the 3 best players in the series (Jokic/Murray).

I do agree in some respects to the statement. I think he looked at the 2019 Raptors and thought "Wow, Paul George is significantly better than anyone on this team I just won with. If I can land him as a teammate then we are going to steamroller the league". Kawhi was clearly ignoring the culture and sheer depth of that team, which he has also ignored when he was with the Spurs and hasn't done a good job of building culture with the Clippers either.

Kawhi reminds me of a guy who is simply out of touch with how culture can affect a work setting.

I apologize for misunderstanding. I still feel like trading for George was likely the right idea.

[Colbinii]

I’m not disagreeing that he specifically chose to come play in SoCal because SoCal, but he forced his team to trade more assets than any team ever to get PG before he signed.

That means:
1. He doesn’t get to hide behind the idea that he wasn’t focused on winning.

2. We have a direct window into Kawhi’s idea of “how to win”, and it’s wrongheaded in a very “individual talents are what matter” way which reinforces what we see from Kawhi as a player and as an employee.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think individual talents matter an immense amount in winning. If Paul George was a top 5-7 player in 2020 like he was in 2019 then we may have seen a different champion in 2020 (Alright, they weren't beating the Lakers). Instead Paul George was what--a top 25 player last year? The Clippers lost to a team with 2 of the 3 best players in the series (Jokic/Murray).

I do agree in some respects to the statement. I think he looked at the 2019 Raptors and thought "Wow, Paul George is significantly better than anyone on this team I just won with. If I can land him as a teammate then we are going to steamroller the league". Kawhi was clearly ignoring the culture and sheer depth of that team, which he has also ignored when he was with the Spurs and hasn't done a good job of building culture with the Clippers either.

Kawhi reminds me of a guy who is simply out of touch with how culture can affect a work setting.

I apologize for misunderstanding. I still feel like trading for George was likely the right idea.

Same, but not in hindsight.

[70sFan]

So now that my team is out of the playoffs, I guess I'm going to bandwagon a team?

Go Nuggets?

Go Jazz!!

[Goudelock]

So now that my team is out of the playoffs, I guess I'm going to bandwagon a team?

Go Nuggets?

Go Jazz!!

I wouldn't hate it if the Jazz won. Really I'm just going to root for the Clippers and Suns to lose.