2016-2017 NBA Thread

[Jordan4life_2007]

There are a lot of good players, but the league as a whole sucks a lot right now. A lot of horrible teams. Many mediocre teams, only a couple of teams you could call elite, and even they are except for the Warriors, a twisted ankle from being mediocre.

 

You're not paying attention then. The super team, pace and space era is the greatest era of basketball we've ever seen. They're plenty of good teams in the league. 20 years ago the Rockets (let alone the warriors spurs and cavs) are breaking records against the watered down, best international player in the game at that time might've been Toni Kukoc 90's era. lol. But even the bad ones, say Philly and Denver, have great upside. Really, other than the Nets, Knicks (until they trade Melo), Bulls and Kings, every other team in the league has upside.

 

add the pelicans to the list of teams with no upside. poor anthony davis.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Jordan4life

[Dick Allen]

You're not paying attention then. The super team, pace and space era is the greatest era of basketball we've ever seen. They're plenty of good teams in the league. 20 years ago the Rockets (let alone the warriors spurs and cavs) are breaking records against the watered down, best international player in the game at that time might've been Toni Kukoc 90's era. lol. But even the bad ones, say Philly and Denver, have great upside. Really, other than the Nets, Knicks (until they trade Melo), Bulls and Kings, every other team in the league has upside.

 

add the pelicans to the list of teams with no upside. poor anthony davis.

More than half the league isn't even .500. I'd hold off on Orlando Magic championship swag any time soon. Hornets? Kings? Nuggets? Pistons? Bucks?

 

Upside? Really?

[Steve9347]

More than half the league isn't even .500. I'd hold off on Orlando Magic championship swag any time soon. Hornets? Kings? Nuggets? Pistons? Bucks?

 

Upside? Really?

Dude DID YOU JUST INCLUDE THE F*CKING BUCKS ON A LIST WITHOUT UPSIDE?

 

Also, the Nuggets are on the rise. Jesus, Jokic is a f***ing monster.

 

The Kings have a superstar so that helps them.

 

Pistons suck. Hornets are basically the Bulls, so they are no good.

 

BUT JESUS MAN THE BUCKS ARE REALLY RISING. If not for Jabari's knee exploding again, they'd have been the team with the biggest upside imo over the next 5 years. The Nuggets are also just a complete joy as already stated.

 

So, Dick Allen, here's your goals for today.

 

1) get a clue

2) then talk NBA

 

Thanks!

[Dick Allen]

Dude DID YOU JUST INCLUDE THE F*CKING BUCKS ON A LIST WITHOUT UPSIDE?

 

Also, the Nuggets are on the rise. Jesus, Jokic is a f***ing monster.

 

The Kings have a superstar so that helps them.

 

Pistons suck. Hornets are basically the Bulls, so they are no good.

 

BUT JESUS MAN THE BUCKS ARE REALLY RISING. If not for Jabari's knee exploding again, they'd have been the team with the biggest upside imo over the next 5 years. The Nuggets are also just a complete joy as already stated.

 

So, Dick Allen, here's your goals for today.

 

1) get a clue

2) then talk NBA

 

Thanks!

Guess what? Jabari's knee did explode. Seem familiar? It should. Another team geographically closer that was "rising" had the same issue, and look what happened. Would you trade Butler straight up for Cousins? That idiot will never win a title. The 25-31 Nuggets might be a complete joy to you, but they have no shot at a title anytime soon unless the next Lebron or Michael somehow falls into their lap. The way the new NBA works, it is going to be harder to sign the premium free agents. For the majority of the NBA, they need a miracle draft pick to really be a contender in the next 5 years.

 

Reality.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Dick Allen

[Rowand44]

The Nuggets are going to be pretty good, pretty soon. And even if Jabari is completely broken once Middleton gets back to full health they still have a very nice young core to work with.

 

EDIT: And I'm not saying either is going to win a championship any time soon because they aren't but including them into a category of teams that suck or have no upside is just wrong.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Rowand44

[ChiSoxFanMike]

Dude DID YOU JUST INCLUDE THE F*CKING BUCKS ON A LIST WITHOUT UPSIDE?

 

Also, the Nuggets are on the rise. Jesus, Jokic is a f***ing monster.

 

The Kings have a superstar so that helps them.

 

Pistons suck. Hornets are basically the Bulls, so they are no good.

 

BUT JESUS MAN THE BUCKS ARE REALLY RISING. If not for Jabari's knee exploding again, they'd have been the team with the biggest upside imo over the next 5 years. The Nuggets are also just a complete joy as already stated.

 

So, Dick Allen, here's your goals for today.

 

1) get a clue

2) then talk NBA

 

Thanks!

 

Why are you so hostile this morning? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

 

[Dick Allen]

The Nuggets are going to be pretty good, pretty soon. And even if Jabari is completely broken once Middleton gets back to full health they still have a very nice young core to work with.

 

EDIT: And I'm not saying either is going to win a championship any time soon because they aren't but including them into a category of teams that suck or have no upside is just wrong.

What's upside? Win 50 games with no chance at a title? Upside to me is a true shot. It used to be being good enough not to draft high, but not good enough to win was NBA hell. Now it's upside? IMO today's NBA sucks because there are very few teams with a legit chance to win it all. I will admit there are a lot more better players than there were in the early 2000s, and the games are far more interesting.

 

It's really the only pro team sport that is like this, and that is an issue. The regular season is basically an 82 game exhibition. Fans even praising coaches for not playing their stars so they can rest and be ready for the playoffs in a few months. Most games don't matter. Unless there are major injuries GS vs. Cleveland can be put on the DirectTv viewing guide for June before the season starts.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Dick Allen

[Steve9347]

Guess what? Jabari's knee did explode. Seem familiar? It should. Another team geographically closer that was "rising" had the same issue, and look what happened. Would you trade Butler straight up for Cousins? That idiot will never win a title. The 25-31 Nuggets might be a complete joy to you, but they have no shot at a title anytime soon unless the next Lebron or Michael somehow falls into their lap. The way the new NBA works, it is going to be harder to sign the premium free agents. For the majority of the NBA, they need a miracle draft pick to really be a contender in the next 5 years.

 

Reality.

That "other" team was completely built around the player whose knee exploded. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a 22 year old monster and has the highest upside of anyone in the entire NBA. How do you ignore him in your reponse?

 

You know how the NBA works? ELITE f***ING TALENT. The Bucks have it. The next KD has already fallen in their laps.

 

Now please, go educate yourself and then begin responding. K thanks.

[Steve9347]

Ok, ignoring DA who's just off his rocker and providing nothing to the thread.

 

Let's Make The Bulls Fun Again. They can't win a title, but they might as well go balls out and get wild and wacky.

 

Let's make a move for Robin's brother. Send off a 1st rounder and some of those lost assets like Douggie McNoBuckets, Bobby Portis, etc. Since the Bulls' guards can't shoot for s***, letting Brook roam and drop threes while locking things down on the defensive end would add an interesting dynamic.

 

Let's just lose their minds and deal for Lopez and Melo. While Melo doesn't want to waive his no trade clause, we all know he loves Jimmy.

 

B Lopez

T Gibson

J Butler

C Anthony

D Wade

 

That's a hell of a fun to watch 2nd round out there! Both Lopez and Melo are good for 2 3's per game. Let's get GarPax on the phone! TV ratings will go right back up!

 

MTBFA

Edited February 16, 2017 by Steve9347

[Dick Allen]

That "other" team was completely built around the player whose knee exploded. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a 22 year old monster and has the highest upside of anyone in the entire NBA. How do you ignore him in your reponse?

 

You know how the NBA works? ELITE f***ING TALENT. The Bucks have it. The next KD has already fallen in their laps.

 

Now please, go educate yourself and then begin responding. K thanks.

So you ignore Jimmy Butler and tell someone else to educate themselves. The Bulls were 45-37 the season Rose played 0 games. It doesn't appear he was all they had.

 

And how many titles has KD won before joining a team I mentioned while still playing with Westbrook and Harden, 2 guys I am sure you would consider ELITE f***ING TALENT?

Edited February 16, 2017 by Dick Allen

[SoxAce]

My god.. I know Ben Simmons hasn't played yet, but I find it hilarious people are forgetting about him. If there is a kid who has a chance to be generational (cough.. J4L.. ) it's that kid. Sucks that his development got off to a slow start though.

[GGajewski18]

That "other" team was completely built around the player whose knee exploded. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a 22 year old monster and has the highest upside of anyone in the entire NBA. How do you ignore him in your reponse?

 

You know how the NBA works? ELITE f***ING TALENT. The Bucks have it. The next KD has already fallen in their laps.

 

Now please, go educate yourself and then begin responding. K thanks.

 

Let me know when Giannis develops a jump shot, then you can compare him to KD.

[Rowand44]

What's upside? Win 50 games with no chance at a title? Upside to me is a true shot. It used to be being good enough not to draft high, but not good enough to win was NBA hell. Now it's upside? IMO today's NBA sucks because there are very few teams with a legit chance to win it all. I will admit there are a lot more better players than there were in the early 2000s, and the games are far more interesting.

 

It's really the only pro team sport that is like this, and that is an issue. The regular season is basically an 82 game exhibition. Fans even praising coaches for not playing their stars so they can rest and be ready for the playoffs in a few months. Most games don't matter. Unless there are major injuries GS vs. Cleveland can be put on the DirectTv viewing guide for June before the season starts.

That's an NBA problem, not a this era problem. I've made it pretty clear here that as a fan I only care about having a chance to win a title but to say this era sucks because only a few teams have a chance to win the championship then every era of the NBA sucks.

[Steve9347]

So you ignore Jimmy Butler and tell someone else to educate themselves. The Bulls were 45-37 the season Rose played 0 games. It doesn't appear he was all they had.

 

And how many titles has KD won before joining a team I mentioned while still playing with Westbrook and Harden, 2 guys I am sure you would consider ELITE f***ING TALENT?

Jimmy Butler is an All-Star. Giannis can be the league's best player.

 

Stop. Just stop digging. It's embarassing for you.

[Dick Allen]

Jimmy Butler is an All-Star. Giannis can be the league's best player.

 

Stop. Just stop digging. It's embarassing for you.

You embarrassed yourself when you mentioned Boogie Cousins as a great reason for the Kings "upside" . 7th year in the league, 0 playoff games. But hey, they finally got over the 30 win mark last year. Barely. Then you mention GarPax trading for guys on the teams you lump with the Bulls so they can be a "fun" second round exit. Seriously? The Bulls are hopeless. The problem with the NBA is that there are at least 20 teams pretty much in the same boat.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Dick Allen

[Steve9347]

Let me know when Giannis develops a jump shot, then you can compare him to KD.

Oh, it's already there. He's just not uncorking it yet.

 

 

At age 22, KD shot 46%. At age 22, Giannis is shooting 53%.

 

At age 22, Giannis is currently 8th in the league in PER (26.71). At age 28, with 3 other all-stars on his roster, KD is 5th in PER at 27.62.

 

An argument can be easily made that Giannis is already playing at the level of KD despite being 6 years younger.

[bmags]

I'm not a fan of the NBA this year. But I think part of that is being a bit surprised at how long it has taken some of the younger loaded teams to actually gel.

 

I'd have expected Utah to be better. I'd have expected the 76ers to be better. I'd have expected the TWolves to be better. I'd have expected the Bucks to be better. The pelicans.

 

Meanwhile these teams with much less talent at a CW level keep beating them. Can someone explain how the Atlanta Hawks are 5.5 games better than the Bucks? Maybe next year we'll see the leap. Bulls took 2 years after Rose to make a legit jump. OKC had a sudden rise.

 

But, this is why I'm not looking forward to a rebuild. It takes so much longer than you think.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

I've been a somewhat big fan of the NBA since the 04-05 season...and this is by far the least interested I've ever been. Golden State and Cleveland in the Finals...again. Mark it down.

 

It just isn't exciting anymore.

Edited February 16, 2017 by ChiSoxFanMike

[ZoomSlowik]

Oh, it's already there. He's just not uncorking it yet.

 

 

At age 22, KD shot 46%. At age 22, Giannis is shooting 53%.

 

At age 22, Giannis is currently 8th in the league in PER (26.71). At age 28, with 3 other all-stars on his roster, KD is 5th in PER at 27.62.

 

An argument can be easily made that Giannis is already playing at the level of KD despite being 6 years younger.

He's shooting 53% because he's at almost 68% within 5 feet of the rim (which is pretty absurd) and 482 of his 869 shots are in that range. The jumper really isn't there yet. He's at 38% from 5-9 feet, 33% from 9-14, 36% from 15-19, 28% from 19-24, and 34% from 25-29 (0-6 from 30+). Those range from average to bad.

 

He's very good but totally different from KD as an offensive player.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Off-topic. Melo replacing Love on the east squad over Bradley Beal is so shameful. Carmelo makes me want to throw up. I hate him and his wife. Beal has been the second best player on a must-see Wizards team (26-8 in their last 34). All Melo is doing is putting up numbers are a terrible Knicks team and holding back unicorn.

[Boogua]

Let me know when Giannis develops a jump shot, then you can compare him to KD.

I honestly thought he was referring to Thon Maker, who while isn't producing yet, is getting pretty rave reviews and was talked about a good amount on the most recent Lowe post. I agree that Giannis has a very different game than KD.

[Jordan4life_2007]

My god.. I know Ben Simmons hasn't played yet, but I find it hilarious people are forgetting about him. If there is a kid who has a chance to be generational (cough.. J4L.. ) it's that kid. Sucks that his development got off to a slow start though.

 

I didn't forget about im. But like you said, he hasn't played yet. That's why I didn't mention him. I hope we get at least 10-15 games from him after the break.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

Anyone else think Cristiano Felicio has the potential to be a generational talent?

[southsider2k5]

Anyone else think Cristiano Felicio has the potential to be a generational talent?

 

[ZoomSlowik]

You're not paying attention then. The super team, pace and space era is the greatest era of basketball we've ever seen. They're plenty of good teams in the league. 20 years ago the Rockets (let alone the warriors spurs and cavs) are breaking records against the watered down, best international player in the game at that time might've been Toni Kukoc 90's era. lol. But even the bad ones, say Philly and Denver, have great upside. Really, other than the Nets, Knicks (until they trade Melo), Bulls and Kings, every other team in the league has upside.

 

add the pelicans to the list of teams with no upside. poor anthony davis.

 

I just noticed the Rockets part now. Come on, that team is completely pedestrian other than Harden. Who's their second best player, Eric Gordon? There are a ton of similar situations right now, one great player and a lot of role guys.

 

There are also way more teams that are uninteresting with no chance to win anything like Atlanta, Charlotte or Memphis on the high end and Detroit, the Lakers, Orlando and Phoenix on the low end. Add Dallas and Miami too even though they're hot lately, and teams like Indiana and Minnesota still have a lot of work to do before they realize any "upside."

 

OKC and Portland aren't winning anything either, but at least they have fun players.

Edited February 16, 2017 by ZoomSlowik