NBA 2017-2018 Season Thread

You're right, Jozu , I misread that paragraph thinking the Clippers sentence was tied into the small market one, my bad.

You have Kuzma in that four, but he's not even playing ahead of Randle any longer. I don't really get it, to be honest. Seems like Walton should find a way to get him 30 minutes a night on the regular.

Brandon Ingram is perhaps a more valuable asset than Kuzma as well, so you mentioning Randle is a good point, but Kuzma has the size and shooting ability to develop into a hybrid type player who can get to the rim and hit 2.3 triples a game if he works on his stroke.( he makes 2 a game now)

He is far and away a better perimeter shooter than both Ingram and Randle, as neither average a single 3 pointer made per contest. His defensive efficiency is comparable to both of those players.

So it's a good problem to have. It's just Lonzo Ball was drafted 2 overall, and came into the league with such hype, with a ton of expectations, and Magic Johnson basically lamenting he should become an all time Laker.....

That is a different dynamic, and him being injured just makes the entire situation even harder to figure out. Either way the Lakers with a couple of more moves, could bring LeBron and George in and instantly become 1c with the Warriors and Rockets.

LeBron is perhaps having the greatest season of his career, despite all of the bullshit and poor team chemistry. The guy just recorded 19 assists at the SF position whilst standing 6'9. He is averaging 26 points 9 assists and 8 rebounds a game to go along with almost 2 steals and a block per.

That's fucking ridiculous. He just made a huge defensive play against an elite scorer in Jimmy Butler in crunch time only to end up catching the rock with 1 second left and draining it over the same guy he just demoralized on the other end to win possession.

So you figure next year he will still play at an MVP level, and perhaps start to slow down when he hits 36, as by that time he will have played more minutes than anyone in NBA history. That's not until 2020, which means he has a 3 year window to win championships in LA.

Drakurii said:

What advantage in chasing rings is there going from the 1 or 2 in the east to the 4th in the west? I find it hard to believe that in year 17 LeBron is interested in building a championship team in the west.

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Yeah, if it's not one of Warriors, Spurs or Rockets I don't see it unless someone else also goes to one of the other teams as well and even then it just makes the west a giant clusterfuck.

Cavs improved their shot this year for sure, I think they'll again be the favorite to make it out of the East after we see how they all play together.

That said, I think Lebron staying will hinge on where that Brooklyn pick lands. If it lands top 3 and Lebron could be playing with an immediate impact rookie of either Bagley, Ayton, or Porter (maybe), he'll give leaving a second thought. If not, I think he's gone.

My fear on the Lakers would not be so much the possibility of George going there to play with him, it would be Lebron trying to recruit Durant to go there with him. That would be a shrewd move by Lebron, because he wouldn't just get that other star to play with in LA but would detract from his biggest competitor. He knows that wherever he goes KD + Curry + Draymond + Steph is going to be a mountain to get past. He gives nothing but praise to KD, picked him first for his All-star team, I could see him pitching it to KD. And I'm not so sure KD would pass it up without some deep thoughts; I could see LA with Laker gold on a great team being alluring to him. It'd be a f'ing circus with Lebron+KD+Lavar lol. Lonzo is going to be fine, he makes players around him better, and his shooting will improve. I think in any situation where the Lakers got Lebron + another star, they might think about dealing Ingram + Deng's contract for a more established star, although there is also talk of them just stretching out Deng's deal. He's the only player under contract next year for more than 10M, they are in such a good spot with salaries.

I see the Rockets as unlikely, also have a hard time seeing Lebron wanting to play with Harden.

Philly is a possibility due to the talent and allow him to extend his Finals streak for another 5+ years, but would he really want to play in Philly?

Loul Dengs contract is one of the saddest things in sporrs.

Jozu said:

Loul Dengs contract is one of the saddest things in sporrs.

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The fact that this man can't escape the limbo he's in is even sadder. No one will trade for him, Lakers want to get younger, and he's got too much left on his contract for a buyout.

Must be bored out of his fucking mind.

Yeah, must be terrible living in Los Angeles while making 18M/year for doing nothing.

I don’t want to overreact after two games but the Cavs might never lose again.

Crown em. Why are we even bothering to a play the rest of the games. Can we get a mod to change the title of the thread?

I dunno. What if the Kerr lets the Warriors coach themselves from here on out? 40 point blowouts rest of season confirmed.

Pharazon2 said:

Yeah, must be terrible living in Los Angeles while making 18M/year for doing nothing.

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I knew someone would have this sarcastic remark. Doesn't mean he's not bored and wants to actually play the game he's been playing all his life. He's held hostage right now wasting a year of his career.

Itlan said:

I knew someone would have this sarcastic remark. Doesn't mean he's not bored and wants to actually play the game he's been playing all his life. He's held hostage right now wasting a year of his career.

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If he really wanted out, I'm sure he could negotiate a buyout for less than that 18M. So, clearly, that 18M is more important than playing. He's not playing at all so no reason the Lakers wouldn't want to pay less real money and maybe less on the cap if someone did sign him for a veteran's minimum or something like that.

DickTrickle said:

If he really wanted out, I'm sure he could negotiate a buyout for less than that 18M. So, clearly, that 18M is more important than playing. He's not playing at all so no reason the Lakers wouldn't want to pay less real money and maybe less on the cap if someone did sign him for a veteran's minimum or something like that.

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He's owed the next 2 years as well, though. So it's not a matter of negotiating 18m, it's a matter of negotiating the remaining 36 as well.

Just a retarded situation for both parties.

Obviously one we all wish we were in, but still... must suck to just sit in that locker room while everyone else goes and plays lmao.

Dude isn't an NBA player anymore, he's a tweener that's lost his youth. Can't defend anyone, isn't a great shooter. He's very unlikely to get minutes anywhere. He cashed in bigly, if the guy had NBA talent still the Lakers would have him out on the floor to prove to other teams he can still play when they try to jettison his contract with 2 first round picks.

If they were able to get out of that contract, they could sign what... 3 max contracts?

Sheesh.

Thats why I said its one of the saddest thing in sports. Its not a particularly good situation for Deng, as the guy is a consummate professional and probably would enjoy 20 minutes a night. Whatsfucking insane is the guy is only 32 years old. LeBron James is 33 years old and has played some of the heaviest minutes in NBA history and is having his greatest season. Yet this guy got shut down by Magic Johnson who was willing to swallow 70 million dollars to tell him to go quietly into the night.

Whats nuts is the Buss family signed him in 2016! He was brought in after Kobe retired as a panic FA move I guess, bu that guy either has one hell of an agent, or he is literally the reason Jeanie Buss fired her own brother.

Well, it was in the crazy free agent summer when everyone thought the cap would balloon for years but it really only ended up doing so for one year. Lot of terrible contracts that summer.

Last time the guy was getting minutes he was shooting 39% from the floor and 31% from 3, this is in addition to not being able to defend the 3 anymore. So he's an undersized stretch 4 that can't shoot and can't defend.

He got that contract because Jim Buss had a self imposed deadline to make the playoffs and those morons thought that bringing in a couple vets like Mozgov and Deng would help them get there. The thing no one could ever figure out is why they gave them ridiculous 4 year contracts when both of these guys were already on the downside of their careers. I think they thought there would be another amnesty but that never materialized.

I don't really find it sad, the guy got way fucking more money than anyone would have ever dreamt of giving him. If he REALLY wanted to play he could negotiate a buyout and recoup some of that money on another team. I just don't think there is a team out there desperate enough to play him.

Spurs have lost 5 of 6 which really sucks. The loses include Golden State, Houston and the Jazz twice, but still.

Kawhi Leanord has to be now considered injury prone.

He is an elite defender, and scorer, and maybe a top 3 talent when he is at 100%, but he just cant stay healthy.