2012-2013 NBA thread

[ZoomSlowik]

I think they're just too damn old, even with Dwight. Kobe - 34, Gasol -32, Nash - 38, MWP - 33, Jamison - 36. Their bench is still below average. They'll be good, of course. But give me the Thunder's young legs and another year's experience over LA.

 

I agree, they have no hope of guarding Westbrook/Durant/Harden outside with the way their roster is constructed. Also, while they're not scoring threats, Ibaka and Perkins have the size to slow the Lakers down inside. At best, I think the Lakers are a push, and I'd favor OKC until LA plays together for a while.

[Jake]

Who will Ron Artest have to elbow to get a shot in this offense?

[RockRaines]

I'd say I'd cheer for hockey, but they might not even be playing then.

Oh didnt you hear, the young hawks are so good that they are standing pat with everything they have.

 

Cup finals here we come.

[2nd_city_saint787]

These are the days when I wish Derrick would recruit some of these guys.

 

Kevin Love, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, told SI.com that he has talked with both Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook about playing together at some point in their careers.

 

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/05/ano...nba-super-trio/

 

Don't know how that'd work with 2 6'3" PGs but they have all talked.

 

 

Once again, it's at least 90% certain that Noah would be involved in the trade, higher in Love's case. You have to be able to match salaries, and by the time Minnesota is forced to trade Love, Deng's deal will have expired and Boozer will probably be amnesty'd already. Unless they grossly overpay Taj, Noah would be their only option. Given that Love is a bad defender (while Dwight is a DPOY), that's pretty important.

 

Love has already started rumbling about wanting out of Minnesota, Deng may still be around.

[ZoomSlowik]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/05/ano...nba-super-trio/

 

Don't know how that'd work with 2 6'3" PGs but they have all talked.

 

 

 

 

Love has already started rumbling about wanting out of Minnesota, Deng may still be around.

 

And Dwight was already pouting 2 seasons ago about "needing more help". There's no reason for Minnesota to trade him until the 2014 off-season.

[bmags]

I think they're just too damn old, even with Dwight. Kobe - 34, Gasol -32, Nash - 38, MWP - 33, Jamison - 36. Their bench is still below average. They'll be good, of course. But give me the Thunder's young legs and another year's experience over LA.

 

But 4 players in your starting lineup are legit top 5 at their positions. That's incredible. Nash is away from phx staff, but when he gets to the playoffs? He's going to look 30 again.

[southsider2k5]

And Dwight was already pouting 2 seasons ago about "needing more help". There's no reason for Minnesota to trade him until the 2014 off-season.

 

Looking at the return Orlando got, they f***ed up by waiting so long.

[ZoomSlowik]

Looking at the return Orlando got, they f***ed up by waiting so long.

 

Meh, I think it's just bad pieces on the interested teams (the Nets giving away the #6 pick certainly didn't help). The Nuggets got way more for Melo in the same situation, the Hornets got more for Paul (who didn't opt-in for this year until after the trade). Hell, the Jazz got more for Williams, and they didn't trade him that much earlier.

[Jordan4life_2007]

But 4 players in your starting lineup are legit top 5 at their positions. That's incredible. Nash is away from phx staff, but when he gets to the playoffs? He's going to look 30 again.

 

Three of those 4 players aren't what they used to be (though all three are still very good). The other won't be ready to start the season and will need time once he's back on the court before he's back to being the MVP/DPOY force that he's been the last 4 years. Again, looks real good on paper. I just see a lot of potential issues (lack of depth, outside shooting, etc). The Thunder's core has been together for three years now and they've gotten better each year.

[Balta1701]

Three of those 4 players aren't what they used to be (though all three are still very good). The other won't be ready to start the season and will need time once he's back on the court before he's back to being the MVP/DPOY force that he's been the last 4 years. Again, looks real good on paper. I just see a lot of potential issues (lack of depth, outside shooting, etc). The Thunder's core has been together for three years now and they've gotten better each year.

How much more valuable did Kendrick Perkins just get?

[Jordan4life_2007]

How much more valuable did Kendrick Perkins just get?

 

Yeah, he's always kept Dwight in check in the past. Perkins can actually match Dwight's brute force with his own.

[Soxfest]

How much more valuable did Kendrick Perkins just get?

Good call

[Steve9347]

How much more valuable did Kendrick Perkins just get?

Someone enjoyed the Bill Simmons mailbag this morning.

[bmags]

Three of those 4 players aren't what they used to be (though all three are still very good). The other won't be ready to start the season and will need time once he's back on the court before he's back to being the MVP/DPOY force that he's been the last 4 years. Again, looks real good on paper. I just see a lot of potential issues (lack of depth, outside shooting, etc). The Thunder's core has been together for three years now and they've gotten better each year.

 

I don't really care about the season, they might be a 4-5 seed but it won't matter. They need to pace themselves, obviously, but we are still talking about a team with:

Kobe - 2nd in ppg

Nash - 2nd in apg (on an AWFUL team)

Howard - 1st in RPG

Howard - 3 in BPG

 

and then gasol.

[Chicago White Sox]

f*** the Bulls, there is no way in hell the Magic wouldn't have been interested in Mirotic and the Bobcats pick. Both are long-terms assets that would have allowed the Magic to suck for a few years and get several high draft picks before either was ready to contribute. Instead the Magic got nothing of significance to aid in their rebuilding process, unless they eventually turn Affalo into something.

 

Obviously making the cap figures would have been tricky, but picking up the options on Korver, Brewer, and Watson would have helped, plus we'd have Rip's expiring contract as well. Unfortunately, GarPax is too cheap and risk adverse to make legitimate play for Howard and now there are two super-teams to contend with in 2013 when we get Rose back healthy. Glad I dumped my season tickets.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I don't really care about the season, they might be a 4-5 seed but it won't matter. They need to pace themselves, obviously, but we are still talking about a team with:

Kobe - 2nd in ppg

Nash - 2nd in apg (on an AWFUL team)

Howard - 1st in RPG

Howard - 3 in BPG

 

and then gasol.

 

KD - 24

Westbrook - 23

Harden - 22

Ibaka - 22

Perkins - 27

Sefolosha - 28

 

Athleticism, speed and depth easily favor the Thunder. The Lakers have an obvious advantage down-low with Howard and Gasol. But like I think it was zoom said, not many teams have a 4-5 combo of Perkins/Ibaka to combat that advantage. I'm sorry. The Lakers are better. But I'm not with this penciling them into the finals noise. This isn't like the Heat in the east where there's nobody really close.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Jordan4life

[DBAHO]

Meh, I think it's just bad pieces on the interested teams (the Nets giving away the #6 pick certainly didn't help). The Nuggets got way more for Melo in the same situation, the Hornets got more for Paul (who didn't opt-in for this year until after the trade). Hell, the Jazz got more for Williams, and they didn't trade him that much earlier.

Yep think you're pretty much bang on there.

 

I don't see much point in keeping Al Harrington around, would hope we could deal him for a future 1st someshow.

 

Would have liked to get Kenneth Faried instead in the deal, but I'm not sure that would have worked salary cap wise.

 

As I said before, Houston getting Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik really screwed us big time.

 

What you have to remember as well, if Howard opted-out of his player option back in March, he walks away, and the Magic would be stuck with the likes of J-Rich and Duhon still. Would have set them back another 2-3 years. At least now, the Magic can reload for 2014.

[DBAHO]

Also I think if the Bulls wanted J.J Redick, they could probably have him for a future 1st right now.

[Balta1701]

Also I think if the Bulls wanted J.J Redick, they could probably have him for a future 1st right now.

The Bulls are literally unable to take on salary in a trade unless the Korver trade exemption works.

[DBAHO]

The Bulls are literally unable to take on salary in a trade unless the Korver trade exemption works.

How much is that trade exception, about $5M I take it?

 

Think I read somewhere, the Magic have a $17.8M trade exception to use if they wanted to now as well.

 

Also, if the Magic waiver Hedo and Al Harrington next season, they will have $42.6M used in their salary cap (Nelson $8.6, Affalo $7.75, Davis $6.4M) with Hedo counting $6M and Harrington $3.6M. That doesn't include Redick with a $9M cap hold.

 

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2012/...-magic-salaries

[ZoomSlowik]

What you have to remember as well, if Howard opted-out of his player option back in March, he walks away, and the Magic would be stuck with the likes of J-Rich and Duhon still. Would have set them back another 2-3 years. At least now, the Magic can reload for 2014.

 

It's going to be A LOT longer than 2014 before they're back. They pretty much burned this team to the ground. Cap space probably won't be that useful in the next couple of years since it's going to be a tough sell to get guys to join that roster. They're going to need to pull a Thunder and hit homers on more than one lottery pick. I suppose one could argue Florida is an attractive FA destination due to the weather, but they haven't signed a real stud (don't tell me Rashard, that was all money) since Hill and McGrady and lost every star they did have.

[DBAHO]

It's going to be A LOT longer than 2014 before they're back. They pretty much burned this team to the ground. Cap space probably won't be that useful in the next couple of years since it's going to be a tough sell to get guys to join that roster. They're going to need to pull a Thunder and hit homers on more than one lottery pick. I suppose one could argue Florida is an attractive FA destination due to the weather, but they haven't signed a real stud (don't tell me Rashard, that was all money) since Hill and McGrady and lost every star they did have.

I think Orlando is still a pretty attractive place for a free agent, mainly because of Florida having no state income tax and the good weather as you've said, but obviously it's not a Big Market team.

 

But the Magic haven't had the cap room to sign max FA players since the Rashard Lewis signing, and that just shows the ineptiude of Otis Smith as a GM, who loved forking out the MLE to the likes of Mickael Pietrus every off-season.

 

I would rather blow it up and rebuild from the ground up than be stuck in 6th - 7th place mediocrity for the next 5 years, and Magic fans pretty much agree with this scenario.

 

They want to do exactly what OKC and San Antonio do, build through the draft, and Orlando has been horrible at that for a long - time. The only good 1st round picks they've had in the last 10 years are Howard, Nelson and Redick.

[ZoomSlowik]

I think Orlando is still a pretty attractive place for a free agent, mainly because of Florida having no state income tax and the good weather as you've said, but obviously it's not a Big Market team.

 

But the Magic haven't had the cap room to sign max FA players since the Rashard Lewis signing, and that just shows the ineptiude of Otis Smith as a GM, who loved forking out the MLE to the likes of Mickael Pietrus every off-season.

 

I would rather blow it up and rebuild from the ground up than be stuck in 6th - 7th place mediocrity for the next 5 years, and Magic fans pretty much agree with this scenario.

 

They want to do exactly what OKC and San Antonio do, build through the draft, and Orlando has been horrible at that for a long - time. The only good 1st round picks they've had in the last 10 years are Howard, Nelson and Redick.

 

They wouldn't be anywhere close to 6th or 7th place with Dwight gone. They might have been worse than the Bobcats regardless.

 

Seriously, what's your best-case lineup this scenario? Nelson/Afflalo/Richardson/Davis/Ayon with Hedo on the bench? That's pretty awful.

Edited August 11, 2012 by ZoomSlowik

[DBAHO]

They wouldn't be anywhere close to 6th or 7th place with Dwight gone. They might have been worse than the Bobcats regardless.

I was referring to if the Magic just got Bynum in a deal for Howard. To me, that'd be a 6th-7th placed team in the East with the talent he'd have around him.

 

People are going to see how valuable Howard is now (which is ironic considering all the Rose vs. Howard MVP talk a year and a half ago) as Orlando will probably go from the 5th best defensive team in the NBA to the 5th worst team.

[ZoomSlowik]

I was referring to if the Magic just got Bynum in a deal for Howard. To me, that'd be a 6th-7th placed team in the East with the talent he'd have around him.

 

People are going to see how valuable Howard is now (which is ironic considering all the Rose vs. Howard MVP talk a year and a half ago) as Orlando will probably go from the 5th best defensive team in the NBA to the 5th worst team.

 

Meh, the rest of that lineup would be pretty awful, as I posted in my edit. Bynum isn't an instant 50 wins like Dwight was.