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2017-18 official NBA discussion thread


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Most of the top 2018 prospects went nuts yesterday. This draft upcoming went from top heavy to DEEP all around real quick. I want Ayton so bad god f***ing damnit. And there's a pretty decent chance the Celtics could get him (or Bagley) in which case I'm done with hoops until I'm 40.

Edited by Jordan4life
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Ok, everyone acting like the FO is terrible because the players took off and two of the Butler pieces are killing it is reaching.

 

That or everyone here knew Dunn and Lauri would be playing like they are, Portis would play well and Niko would go MVP mode.

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QUOTE (Quin @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 08:23 PM)
Ok, everyone acting like the FO is terrible because the players took off and two of the Butler pieces are killing it is reaching.

 

That or everyone here knew Dunn and Lauri would be playing like they are, Portis would play well and Niko would go MVP mode.

The front office will be terrible if they do nothing and allow their draft position to be compromised. I’m greatly concerned when I see posters I respect around here get excited about this hot streak and make comments like the “talent accumulation phase should be over”. If smart, intelligent basketball fans can ignore the real threat of NBA hell, then the casuals will be completely oblivious to this risk and the front office may simply cut corners and look to build a semi competitive team as quickly as possible. We’re in year one of a rebuild and our only goal should be acquiring (or developing) potential star caliber talent or assets. Winning meaningless games because potential sidekicks & bench pieces are playing well doesn’t move the needle in the right direction. We need to get the stars first (or at least one) and then worry about the complimentary pieces later. If our front office can trade guys like Niko, Lopez, etc. for long-term assets (preferably future picks) while at the same weakening our current team then maybe this all works out fine. Just not sure I trust GarPax to actually do that or at least do it proactively enough.

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QUOTE (Quin @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 06:23 PM)
Ok, everyone acting like the FO is terrible because the players took off and two of the Butler pieces are killing it is reaching.

 

That or everyone here knew Dunn and Lauri would be playing like they are, Portis would play well and Niko would go MVP mode.

Yes yes yes

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QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 06:49 PM)
The front office will be terrible if they do nothing and allow their draft position to be compromised. I’m greatly concerned when I see posters I respect around here get excited about this hot streak and make comments like the “talent accumulation phase should be over”. If smart, intelligent basketball fans can ignore the real threat of NBA hell, then the casuals will be completely oblivious to this risk and the front office may simply cut corners and look to build a semi competitive team as quickly as possible. We’re in year one of a rebuild and our only goal should be acquiring (or developing) potential star caliber talent or assets. Winning meaningless games because potential sidekicks & bench pieces are playing well doesn’t move the needle in the right direction. We need to get the stars first (or at least one) and then worry about the complimentary pieces later. If our front office can trade guys like Niko, Lopez, etc. for long-term assets (preferably future picks) while at the same weakening our current team then maybe this all works out fine. Just not sure I trust GarPax to actually do that or at least do it proactively enough.

I agree with this largely. I would have moved Lopez but at this point I think dumping niko is a net loss. Yes we lose more but with niko this is a better team LONG TERM. Or at least he has given me reason to think that. Now if we had a solid offer, I would move him. I want one of the top guys badly but having lauri and Dunn emerge has been a great thing.

 

I’d move Portis before niko. The thinner bench and no Lopez probably gives you a good shot at high pick without taking too many more steps back.best of all worlds.

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QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 09:16 PM)
The good news is we have assets to trade for a Star if it comes up for first time in forever.

 

I actually don't think we have acquired enough assets. Teams aren't looking to trade stars for Portis, Valentine, Grant or Nwaba, or even Niko for that matter. We don't think even own anyone else's first rounder, while we have traded away our own second round picks for the next 3 years. We're actually are $7 million under salary floor and still has $15 mil TPE from the Butler trade we haven't used. We absolutely need to acquire more assets at this trade deadline.

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QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 11:19 AM)
I actually don't think we have acquired enough assets. Teams aren't looking to trade stars for Portis, Valentine, Grant or Nwaba, or even Niko for that matter. We don't think even own anyone else's first rounder, while we have traded away our own second round picks for the next 3 years. We're actually are $7 million under salary floor and still has $15 mil TPE from the Butler trade we haven't used. We absolutely need to acquire more assets at this trade deadline.

 

Also on team: Dunn, Lavine, Lauri, Markannen, Lopez.

 

Teams don’t look to trade stars to get better immediately anyhow. They trade them under duress. And as for second round picks...we can buy them when we need them.

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Contracts aren’t that long in the nba, Lavine is RFA this year, Dunn next, Lauri year after. Cheap long term control won’t be had. They’ll re sign Lavine, and he’s a guy if trade all day to upgrade. Dunn same. Obviously you don’t give em all away but Dunn is now a better asset than when we acquired him credit to Hoiberg.

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QUOTE (Quin @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 08:23 PM)
Ok, everyone acting like the FO is terrible because the players took off and two of the Butler pieces are killing it is reaching.

 

That or everyone here knew Dunn and Lauri would be playing like they are, Portis would play well and Niko would go MVP mode.

 

The same Portis and Niko that fought each other in practice and the organization did nothing to fix? Yeah, that is a symptom of their awfulness right there.

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As a GarPax basher, You can't bash them both ways. You can't complain they are now too good. If Dunn,a dn Laurie, and Levine are great, that should be a feather in their caps. If they get something for Niko, that should be a feather in their caps. I am sure no one would have been upset had Niko signed somewhere else. People are still b****ing about Bell but wouldn't he make them better? So even us bashers have to pick a lane.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 01:39 PM)
The same Portis and Niko that fought each other in practice and the organization did nothing to fix? Yeah, that is a symptom of their awfulness right there.

 

I'm saying that people are criticizing them for being too good right now.

 

There's lots to blame - culture allowing that fight, selling Jordan Bell, giving up a pick with Taj, trading for McD, etc.

 

But they clearly tried to tank. We all assumed it was a bottom feeder roster. Suddenly it's playing well.

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QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 12:15 PM)
Also on team: Dunn, Lavine, Lauri, Markannen, Lopez.

 

Teams don’t look to trade stars to get better immediately anyhow. They trade them under duress. And as for second round picks...we can buy them when we need them.

 

So that counts as two players? :unsure:

 

I made the post with the idea of keeping two or all three of Dunn, LaVine, and Lauri if we were to acquire a star. Trading for a star but tearing down the core leaves us in the same position we were in 6 months ago.

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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 12:43 PM)
As a GarPax basher, You can't bash them both ways. You can't complain they are now too good. If Dunn,a dn Laurie, and Levine are great, that should be a feather in their caps. If they get something for Niko, that should be a feather in their caps. I am sure no one would have been upset had Niko signed somewhere else. People are still b****ing about Bell but wouldn't he make them better? So even us bashers have to pick a lane.

 

Except Garpax traded Bell away for a completely different reason.

 

Also, I think people would have less issue with the team winning if it was Bell not Lopez being a key contributor.

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Bulls continue to get lucky facing a Lilliard-less blazers but I had to give a fist pump when bulls got a rebound, Dunn races up and passes to Valentine who immediately throws a behind the back pass to Lauri for a corner 3 to go up 6.

 

Valentine looks so much better last few weeks.

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So take this for what it is worth, but over the holidays I caught up with my buddy who is connected to someone in an NBA front office and he always gives me back some nuggets on the Bulls. Basically, he mentioned Lauri was mis-scouted / evaluated by a lot of people (major disconnect between what coaches saw working him out (which was, this is the best guy we've worked out) vs. what people could get on tape of him(questions about athleticism, ability to D, rebound, etc...maybe too "one dimensional"), but the chatter around the league is that if the draft were to happen again today, he probably goes #1. A lot of people think he's going to be a total star.

 

I mention this mainly because a while back someone said we don't have a star on our roster...I'd argue we might have got lucky (plus I have to give front office credit cause they took him) but we got a guy who a lot of people are raving about (and since I am not in Chicago...I also watch a lot of opposition feeds of the Bulls and dude, they all talk about how the other teams coaches rave about Lauri and usually when they watch, the announcers are all in awe at what he can do for being an athletic big).

 

If he were on another team, dare I say it, we'd all be giving J4L a hard time for calling him a generational talent.

 

The other nugget, was more general, but more on the fact that a lot of NBA people are amazed at how much Dunn has improved (year-over-year) and given how much athleticism he has, think he has a lot more upside, given how well and physical he plays, with the key to his game being the continued refinement of that shot.

 

Note: I am not calling Lauri a superstar or can't miss superstar...he's far from it and has a lot of growth that he'd have to add in his game, but he has shown some pretty darn impressive tools and skills. I really hope he stays healthy and continues to work and develop his game (especially that low post game). I have faith in Hoiberg enhancing his shot to be more consistent, which should help reduce some of that "streakiness".

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