NBA Finals - The Problem with Steph Curry

[DMC]

30 minutes ago, Proudfeet said:

How well regarded are this year's prospects compared to last year? I guess last year might have been a little deeper with a top four-five instead of three, but putting that aside, are the projections for the top three this year as positive as it was for last year?

For me at least, Cunningham would still be the clear number 1 if he was in this draft.  After that though, I'd probably put the top three at the same level as the next four picks last year - Green, Mobley, Barnes, and Suggs.

3 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

I’ve had a change of heart on this one and actually might take Chet.

This is why whenever we get in protracted arguments you should realize you're eventually going to come to understand I'm right.  

I was just thinking about it, and with Smith I think the hope is he becomes KD as the obvious comparison.  Like you, and many, I am skeptical he will ever develop the skills to be closer to KD as opposed to closer to a really good 3 and D guy.  But, he is a better fit and almost certainly will be at least a really good 3 and D guy, so I understand Orlando's thinking.  Anyway, thinking about that comparison, it was obviously the Trialblazers that lived to rue the day they went Oden - the big guy with huge durability/longevity question marks - instead of Durant.  So, here's hoping that plays out again.

9 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Sounds like you got the first pick one year too soon. Everyone is drooling over the kid from France who destroyed Chet when they played in a U19 game.

Yep, as a I mentioned a couple months ago, when watching the clips from that game it's clear Wembanyama is basically a slightly taller and better Holmgren with considerably less durability concerns.

[Maithanet]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

Forcing his way out would only further damage his reputation, possibly to a point that’s beyond repair. As to where he could reasonably go, I have no idea in part because the Nets have no reason to play ball after he just effectively wrecked all their hopes and dreams.

It might further damage his reputation, but not as badly as wasting his prime playing .500 ball.  If Durant wins another championship as the #1 guy, most NBA fans aren't gonna give a shit if he screwed over the Nets. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Maithanet

[Slurktan]

35 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

It might further damage his reputation, but not as badly as wasting his prime playing .500 ball.  If Durant wins another championship as the #1 guy, most NBA fans aren't gonna give a shit if he screwed over 

If he cared about his reputation he wouldn't have went to the Warriors in the first place. So I agree he should force his way out of Brooklyn. The problem is of course any team that trades for him guts themselves and won't win anyways.

[Maithanet]

6 minutes ago, Slurktan said:

If he cared about his reputation he wouldn't have went to the Warriors in the first place. So I agree he should force his way out of Brooklyn. The problem is of course any team that trades for him guts themselves and won't win anyways.

That makes it a bit more challenging, but trading away a top 10 player almost never gets a full return.  The best offer Brooklyn is likely to get is something like 4 1st rounders and some middling players.  I saw an article that the Suns should try and trade Ayton for Durant, which would be amusing.  Paul/Booker/Durant sounds like a good idea, but they are gonna need their role players to play a lot of defense. 

[Argonath Diver]

I've always loved NBA Draft Day. When I was younger and a far more casual NBA fan, I would gleefully watch my dorm room 12" TV as David Stern get booed and wait for the couple NCAA stars I'd heard of to get called. Now, I will have six or eight browser tabs getting f5'ed, the broadcast and some live reaction stream across my dual monitors, my laptop, and my big screen.

Woj and Shams bombs galore over the next eight hours. I expect trades galore. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

Detroit has amassed an impressive amount of cap space. We're all eyes on Weavers F.A. strategy (a lot of reporting that they could offer Ayton a max). They would still have cap space available even after such a move. I believe Detroit is currently only sitting on about $60 million in payroll obligations. A shit ton of money available to them to use.

At 5th, we will possibly be after Murray or Ivey.

[Maithanet]

Everything I'm seeing is that Ivey will be the 4th pick, with some question as to whether some team puts together a trade package to get him. 

[Tywin et al.]

5 hours ago, DMC said:

This is why whenever we get in protracted arguments you should realize you're eventually going to come to understand I'm right.  

Calm down Sparky, I said might. I'm still of the belief he's more likely to be a bust than a star, let alone a superstar, but the other two are underwhelming. Smith's two selling points are that he's an outside shooter and that he's tall, but if he's not good around the rim that height loses some value. On paper PB is the guy to pick, he's big and has some guard skills, but watching him constantly fail to drive from the perimeter against smaller players who aren't good enough to be pros overseas is hard to unsee. Whoever you take I hope it works out, just no sure bets this time around.

And thinking about it Smith's ceiling comp is probably more realistically Peja.

4 hours ago, Maithanet said:

It might further damage his reputation, but not as badly as wasting his prime playing .500 ball.  If Durant wins another championship as the #1 guy, most NBA fans aren't gonna give a shit if he screwed over the Nets. 

I just think going to Brooklyn and failing will only further devalue his two championships in a lot of people's eyes. 

Also, thinking on it, where can he go? I don't think there's a big market team that makes sense. Would KD be down to go to Memphis? Idk...

ETA: Well, now it's probably a done deal:

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Tywin et al.

[DMC]

28 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Calm down Sparky, I said might.

Right, which was basically my argument months ago when we talked about this.  And don't call me Sparky.

30 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

And thinking about it Smith's ceiling comp is probably more realistically Peja.

Eh.  If you're saying Durant is too high of a BCS comp fair enough, but it should be someone that actually played defense.

[Tywin et al.]

46 minutes ago, DMC said:

And don't call me Sparky.

But Surely is cool, right? 

Quote

Eh.  If you're saying Durant is too high of a BCS comp fair enough, but it should be someone that actually played defense.

Yeah, he projects to be a much better defender. I just think his offensive game is probably going to be more like Peja's, which isn't a bad thing. And hey, sometimes the scouts are just dead wrong:

 

[DMC]

1 minute ago, Tywin et al. said:

I just think his offensive game is probably going to be more like Peja's, which isn't a bad thing.

Oh yeah I'd definitely take Peja offensively as Smith's BCS.

[DMC]

LOL, Woj just said Banchero is likely to be Orlando's pick...

[DMC]

I am not happy...

[Tywin et al.]

Does anyone think that suit looks good?

[Tywin et al.]

5 hours ago, Maithanet said:

Everything I'm seeing is that Ivey will be the 4th pick, with some question as to whether some team puts together a trade package to get him. 

So much for that.

[Argonath Diver]

Wow, congrats @DireWolfSpirit. Ivey and Cunningham are gonna be fun as hell.

Bummed out that my Hawkeye star Keegan Murray went to the Kings, in my opinion the worst run franchise in the sport. Sorry, Keegan.

[Tywin et al.]

6 minutes ago, Argonath Diver said:

Bummed out that my Hawkeye star Keegan Murray went to the Kings, in my opinion the worst run franchise in the sport. Sorry, Keegan.

What could go wrong?:

 

And I agree, great pick up for the Pistons. They and the Rockets got steals that compliment their main young building block. 

[Tywin et al.]

Nobody cares about late first round picks, but the Wolves did well here, trading back a few spots for what I'm guessing is a meaningless second round pick, but we got the college DPOY who averaged more blocks per game than Chet in a more athletic conference. And he's 50 pounds heavier. Not sure he'll ever be much use on offense, but who cares. 

ETA: NVM, that somehow netted us another first round pick and we got a 6'5 3 and D wing who shot over 40% from three last season from Duke. Cool.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Tywin et al.

[DireWolfSpirit]

Ivey and J Duren, stoked!

Cool thing about Ivey was that he actually wanted to come to Motown. His mama was a WNBA player for the Detroit Shock and Jadens uncle or somebody in the family used to be a Lion so Jadens got roots in the area. That's potentially positive on the "fit" side.

So far so good Weaver (Pistons GM), my man with the plan.

Now about that cap space, how we gonna spend it?

Am reading we still have 35-45 million depending on the various option (player/team) scenarios. A lot of buzz has now shifted towards Bridges (Hornets) who is from Detroit so there's some hope going around that angle.

[Tywin et al.]

2 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Now about that cap space, how we gonna spend it?

Am reading we still have 35-45 million depending on the various option (player/team) scenarios. A lot of buzz has now shifted towards Bridges (Hornets) who is from Detroit so there's some hope going around that angle.

Trade for Ayton.