NBA GDT | 18'-19 | I Love Mod Edits

[champ11]

5 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Ya'll continue to play defense at this level then you guys are real for sure. 

I expect some regression as the season goes on and the get less locked in/Jokic gets fatigued but I think the continuity is huge. Everyone on the team has their roles and it's really clicking. I think it's going to be a special year even if Barton is out for a while. Ideally he's not out too long though.

[J-ALL-DAY]

1 minute ago, champ11 said:

I expect some regression as the season goes on and the get less locked in/Jokic gets fatigued but I think the continuity is huge. Everyone on the team has their roles and it's really clicking. I think it's going to be a special year even if Barton is out for a while. Ideally he's not out too long though.

Dubs in 5 still btw lol.

But yeah, going to be a fun season. This is the year you guys make that jump.

[seminoles1]

3 hours ago, 11sanchez11 said:

trigga trae dropped 35 (13-25) and 11 with only 1 turnover.

All 3 of their rookies killed it tonight.

[RandyMossIsBoss]

1 hour ago, champ11 said:

3-0. Played like they've never played a back to back before and held rested GS under 100. 

Nuggets shot 18% from three and missed 18 free throws.

Yes the nugs are for real 

I had to put myself into a depression recovery slumber after the Eagles blew a 17-0 lead, but definitely is nice to wake up to being a fan of the current best team in the NBA (per science).

[CWood21]

3 hours ago, NYRaider said:

We'll see what happens but nothing is guaranteed. We've heard every offseason that the Lakers are going to sign a superstar, before LeBron who was the last big name to sign with the Lakers? Kareem? Kawhi would have to leave like $50-60M on the table and he probably has a better chance of beating the Warriors in Toronto than he does in LA. The Raptors are likely the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this year and have the personnel in place to give the Warriors trouble. Davis isn't a free agent until 2020 and would have to turn down one of the biggest contracts in NBA history to play with a 35/36-year-old LeBron, it's not happening. 

Other than the Mozgov/Deng debacle, when did the Lakers really have meaningful cap space and a franchise player worth signing?  Going back to Shaq, they've really only had 4 seasons with meaningful cap space.  There was the offseason when the Lakers attempted to get LaMarcus Aldridge to leave Portland for Los Angeles, there was the ill-fated Mozgov/Deng offseason, last offseason, and the year before.  During the MozDeng FA, the best available players were Mike Conley Jr., DeMar DeRozan, Al Horford, and Nicolas Batum.  None of those players change the Lakers' fortune.  In 2017, when they punted their cap space the best available players Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, and Danilo Gallinari.  Again, none of those players change the future of the Lakers.  The notion that the Lakers aren't an appealing option for player is mind-boggling when people choose to look at a very limited viewpoint.  Lakers have historically not been a franchise with cap space, because they've usually got salary tied up.

As for Kawhi, he'd have to leave money on the table with any franchise not named Toronto.  But San Antonio clearly felt alarmed that he would leave for less money, and they dealt him to Toronto.  Let that sink in for a second.  A franchise who is one of the model in all of professional sports felt motivated to deal their franchise player because they felt he'd leave money on the table.  Kawhi has nothing tying him to Toronto other than the contract they could offer being worth more.  He's not from there, hasn't played there for a few games, and has no direct ties to the organization or city.  And no, they're not the favorites as long as Boston is healthy, and probably not giving the Warriors trouble.

But back to the Lakers, I'm guessing you were one of the ones who didn't think there was a chance LeBron would go to Los Angeles.

[NYRaider]

2 hours ago, showtime said:

Sign with Utah?  Lets be for real.  Boston has Kyrie Irving and we already know what potential issues that would represent.  He seriously considered Philadelphia, but decided that wasn't the place for him. 

Yea, we've heard the Lakers were going to get a superstar every summer and previously ownership was a garbage dump.  Now that Jeanie, Magic and Rob are running the team things are clearly turning around.  You can say all of it isn't happening all you want, but at this time last year everyone said LeBron to the Lakers wasn't going to happen.  I don't know what happens, all I'm saying is there's a chance for it to happen.  If the Lakers can get another superstar this upcoming off-season then the tide can turn pretty quickly.

Anthony Davis being under contract doesn't mean much.  In basketball guys force their way out of town almost on a yearly basis.  If the Pelicans get bounced in the first round again, Davis may look to move on and the Lakers would probably be one of his main destination wishes.

When LeBron went back to Cleveland, that was the worst team in basketball.  Obviously things changed when LeBron went back there, but it wasn't just him - it was the moves the team made to get better now.  If he wanted to win immediately, he would have went somewhere else.  His #1 priority when he want back to Cleveland was go to home, that's why he went back - not because they were the most desirable situation to win.

The Lakers have a ton of flexibility with their cap room and trades.

13

Those teams would've given him a legitimate chance to beat the Warriors, with the Lakers he has like a 5% chance of getting out of the first round in the West unless there's a major roster overhaul. 

What has Magic Johnson done that has led you to believe he can build a super team? LeBron's was determined to sign with the Lakers to grow his brand and to ensure the best life for his family and for his kids, it wasn't a basketball decision. At this time last year, everyone was saying Paul George was a lock to Los Angeles and what happened? He couldn't pass up on $50-60M in the prime of his career if it wasn't going to guarantee a title. The Lakers have had the #2 pick in the draft three years in a row and came away with two busts and an average player, that doesn't really inspire confidence that Magic can build a great team. 

The Pelicans have done everything in their power to build a team around Davis that suits his strengths and allows him to flourish. They traded for Cousins and Mirotic, signed Randle, etc. They look like they're going to be one of the better teams in the league this season and they made it to the second round last season. His agent, Rich Paul, said that he wanted to get Davis the biggest contract in NBA history with the Pelicans. Even if he tries to force his way out of New Orleans a year early there's legitimately no guarantee that he ends up in Los Angeles, you guys have a few decent trade chips but would have to surrender all of your assets to get a guy like Davis. Do you think Davis wants to come to a team with a thin roster to play with a 35-year-old LeBron James for a year or two? 

You're completely wrong about LeBron returning to Cleveland, his #1 priority wasn't to go home, it was because it was a desirable situation to win. Wade was getting older, Bosh was on the decline, and LeBron saw a legitimate chance to win in Cleveland with their young talent. When LeBron returned to Cleveland they had a rising superstar in Kyrie Irving and the assets to go get another superstar player, and they did that immediately when they traded away back to back #1 overall picks to Minnesota to acquire Kevin Love. 

Here's a video of him saying the reason he returned to the Cavaliers was to bring a championship back to the city: https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/video/lebron-james-i-came-back-bring-championship-our-city

Compare that to his move to Los Angeles, he legitimately told Magic Johnson there was no pressure to rehaul the roster or to get another star immediately. He's going to be 34 this year and doesn't have many more prime years left, yet told Magic "they didn't have to rush and should plan for the long haul." When he got to Cleveland he pressured the organization to ship away all of their assets for Kevin Love and to fill the rest of the roster with veteran guys that could contribute towards getting a title immediately. 

 

[CWood21]

3 hours ago, NYRaider said:

He could've signed with Philadelphia, Utah, or Boston if he wanted a legitimate chance at beating the Warriors this year. All three of those teams could probably beat the Warriors with LeBron. 

Two of those 3 teams didn't have the cap space to sign LeBron without gutting their roster.  And people are fussing about the Lakers lack of 3PT shooting, but realize that Philadelphia wouldn't be much better had they signed LeBron.  Remember, that would have meant not re-signing JJ Redick.

[NYRaider]

1 minute ago, CWood21 said:

As for Kawhi, he'd have to leave money on the table with any franchise not named Toronto.  But San Antonio clearly felt alarmed that he would leave for less money, and they dealt him to Toronto.  Let that sink in for a second.  A franchise who is one of the model in all of professional sports felt motivated to deal their franchise player because they felt he'd leave money on the table.  Kawhi has nothing tying him to Toronto other than the contract they could offer being worth more.  He's not from there, hasn't played there for a few games, and has no direct ties to the organization or city.  And no, they're not the favorites as long as Boston is healthy, and probably not giving the Warriors trouble.

But back to the Lakers, I'm guessing you were one of the ones who didn't think there was a chance LeBron would go to Los Angeles.

 

Kawhi's departure from San Antonio seemed to be more about him having a dislike for the organization than anything else. The Raptors look to be the best team in the East, they were the #1 seed in the East last year and got better, so... Defensively their team is built to give the Warriors trouble, they have a lot of shooting, and two guys that can get buckets in clutch situations. They're probably one of only three teams that might have a chance to beat GS in a 7 game series along with Boston and Houston. 

I heard that last summer as well, Paul George had no ties to the Thunder organization or city, wasn't from there, and hadn't played there. Hell, PG13 was vocal in the media that he wanted to be a Laker this season and what happened? He couldn't turn down a ton of money to go somewhere that he likely wasn't going to win a championship. He looked at OKC's current roster and thought they probably had just as good of a shot to compete with the Warriors as he'd have as a member of the Lakers. Why would Kawhi be any different? 

I thought LeBron would sign with the Lakers, as I've said though, it was more of a life decision now and for after basketball than it was about winning titles or beating the Warriors. 

[CWood21]

5 hours ago, NYRaider said:

The big deal is that what a lot of people thought would happen is already happening, the Lakers can't shoot to save their lives and don't play defense. Luke Walton is in over his head with this team. Although it's only two games in the Lakers are 27th in PPG allowed (126.0) and 30th in both 3-point FG made and 3-point FG %. Through the first two games, your starters are 4/24 from beyond the arc, that's not going to get it done in the Western Conference. 

Such a bad take, I don't even know where to begin.  Lakers can't shoot, yet they're averaging 117 PPG which is 8th best in the NBA and their FG% is 10th best at 48%, but they're a bad because they're not a great 3PT shooting team.  Cool.  Defense will almost assuredly come with time as they're breaking in a new core alongside their young players.  But the bigger issue is that we're using an incredibly small sample size to justify an argument.  That's crazy.

[NYRaider]

8 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Such a bad take, I don't even know where to begin.  Lakers can't shoot, yet they're averaging 117 PPG which is 8th best in the NBA and their FG% is 10th best at 48%, but they're a bad because they're not a great 3PT shooting team.  Cool.  Defense will almost assuredly come with time as they're breaking in a new core alongside their young players.  But the bigger issue is that we're using an incredibly small sample size to justify an argument.  That's crazy.

I'm not really using a small sample size though, I'm basing it off of last seasons performance as well. The Lakers lack shooting, that's cool that their FG is 10th best and they've been able to score. They're 0-2 this season and have absolutely collapsed defensively at the end of games. Your backup center is a 6'8" tweener forward that is terrible on defense. I've had my concerns about the Lakers since the offseason and I said it's only two games in... 

Unless you have a major roster overhaul I just don't see how this team will be a good 3 point shooting team or defensive team. Hell, LeBron doesn't even really try on defense anymore. 

Edited October 22, 2018 by NYRaider

[CWood21]

11 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

What has Magic Johnson done that has led you to believe he can build a super team? LeBron's was determined to sign with the Lakers to grow his brand and to ensure the best life for his family and for his kids, it wasn't a basketball decision. At this time last year, everyone was saying Paul George was a lock to Los Angeles and what happened? He couldn't pass up on $50-60M in the prime of his career if it wasn't going to guarantee a title. The Lakers have had the #2 pick in the draft three years in a row and came away with two busts and an average player, that doesn't really inspire confidence that Magic can build a great team. 

Did you miss the mess that the franchise the Lakers were when he took over?  They had their salary cap tied up in Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng, and they had their future draft pick tied up via the Steve Nash/Dwight Howard trade.  They were left with an overpriced roster with minimal young talent.  He dumped Timofey Mozgov by attaching D'Angelo Russell and bringing back Brook Lopez (and his expiring contract) and the first round pick which would become Kyle Kuzma.  And instead of spending money last offseason, he wisely punted the cap space into this offseason.  Last deadline, he dealt Jordan Clarkson and LNJ to create a second max contract.  In terms of the future of the franchise, the Lakers are light years ahead of where they were.

As for Paul George, he got to Oklahoma City and stayed there.  That's not the same as him staying in Indiana and passing on the Lakers or being dealt to the Lakers and him walking.  And I'd call Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell more than busts, and Brandon Ingram isn't just an average player.  But whatever makes you feel better I guess.

[NYRaider]

Just now, CWood21 said:

Did you miss the mess that the franchise the Lakers were when he took over?  They had their salary cap tied up in Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng, and they had their future draft pick tied up via the Steve Nash/Dwight Howard trade.  They were left with an overpriced roster with minimal young talent.  He dumped Timofey Mozgov by attaching D'Angelo Russell and bringing back Brook Lopez (and his expiring contract) and the first round pick which would become Kyle Kuzma.  And instead of spending money last offseason, he wisely punted the cap space into this offseason.  Last deadline, he dealt Jordan Clarkson and LNJ to create a second max contract.  In terms of the future of the franchise, the Lakers are light years ahead of where they were.

As for Paul George, he got to Oklahoma City and stayed there.  That's not the same as him staying in Indiana and passing on the Lakers or being dealt to the Lakers and him walking.  And I'd call Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell more than busts, and Brandon Ingram isn't just an average player.  But whatever makes you feel better I guess.

So in 3 years as the GM he has missed the playoffs twice, acquired a few decent young players, and has cleared some cap space. He has also built one of the worst rosters around LeBron that he has ever had in his career. 

You're saying Kawhi will be different, but why? Kawhi is in a much better position in Toronto than George is in with the Thunder. Randle is solid but Magic let him walk and Russell is a bust, especially considering his draft position. Unless you consider a 14 ppg on a 40% clip a good stat line for a former #2 overall pick, but whatever makes you feel better I guess. Brandon Ingram definitely has some potential but he's far from a great player. He improved from year one to year two but we'll see what happens, he was an average scorer for a meh team in year two that didn't really have any other options offensively. In the very limited sample size this year he hasn't looked much better than last season. 

[CWood21]

10 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

Kawhi's departure from San Antonio seemed to be more about him having a dislike for the organization than anything else. The Raptors look to be the best team in the East, they were the #1 seed in the East last year and got better, so... Defensively their team is built to give the Warriors trouble, they have a lot of shooting, and two guys that can get buckets in clutch situations. They're probably one of only three teams that might have a chance to beat GS in a 7 game series along with Boston and Houston. 

I heard that last summer as well, Paul George had no ties to the Thunder organization or city, wasn't from there, and hadn't played there. Hell, PG13 was vocal in the media that he wanted to be a Laker this season and what happened? He couldn't turn down a ton of money to go somewhere that he likely wasn't going to win a championship. He looked at OKC's current roster and thought they probably had just as good of a shot to compete with the Warriors as he'd have as a member of the Lakers. Why would Kawhi be any different? 

I thought LeBron would sign with the Lakers, as I've said though, it was more of a life decision now and for after basketball than it was about winning titles or beating the Warriors. 

But if you're so convinced that he isn't going to leave money on the table, why would he leave money on the table with San Antonio?  It makes no sense.  If a player is going to take the most money, they're going to take the most money.  And you conveniently ignore the fact that Gordon Hayward was out with the broken ankle, and Kyrie Irving was hurt as well. Boston finished 4 games back in East despite those injuries.  How do you think Toronto would have faired had they lost DeRozan early in the year and Lowry late?  I'd guarantee they wouldn't have had the top record in the East.  Wait, whose the second clutch scorer?  Because you can't be referring to Kyle Lowry or DeRozan.

No.  He stuck around for the money, the contract he signed proved that.  In order to maximize his long-term contract, he needed to sign a 2+1 deal so that we way he could get a 10 year max deal.  Instead, he signed a 3+1 deal.  He took the most money, not necessarily the place he had ties to, the franchise with the best chance to win, etc.  It was about the money, don't let it fool you.  Hell, he's talked enough about the Lakers since he said he was re-signing with Oklahoma City.  I wonder how long before he has buyer's remorse.

[CWood21]

6 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

I'm not really using a small sample size though, I'm basing it off of last seasons performance as well. The Lakers lack shooting, that's cool that their FG is 10th best and they've been able to score. They're 0-2 this season and have absolutely collapsed defensively at the end of games. Your backup center is a 6'8" tweener forward that is terrible on defense. I've had my concerns about the Lakers since the offseason and I said it's only two games in... 

Except you are.  In 2017, they were 11th in PPG and 14th in FG%.  But because they were 29th in 3P%, they're not a good scoring team.  Golden State put this unrealistic expectation in people's head.  They were a good offensive team last year, let's not sugarcoat it.  You can be a good offensive team, and not be a great shooting team.  Defensively, they were 25th in opponents PPG but 10th in opponents FG%.  In terms of net PPG, they were 21st.  Their defensive issues had more to do with the fact that they played with such high pace.  They were an average defensive team, not great but not awful either.  Again, we're talking about 2 damn games.  Against Portland and Houston nonetheless.  Both playoff teams.  Give this team some time before you come here making concrete statements.

[NYRaider]

6 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

But if you're so convinced that he isn't going to leave money on the table, why would he leave money on the table with San Antonio?  It makes no sense.  If a player is going to take the most money, they're going to take the most money.  And you conveniently ignore the fact that Gordon Hayward was out with the broken ankle, and Kyrie Irving was hurt as well. Boston finished 4 games back in East despite those injuries.  How do you think Toronto would have faired had they lost DeRozan early in the year and Lowry late?  I'd guarantee they wouldn't have had the top record in the East.  Wait, whose the second clutch scorer?  Because you can't be referring to Kyle Lowry or DeRozan.

No.  He stuck around for the money, the contract he signed proved that.  In order to maximize his long-term contract, he needed to sign a 2+1 deal so that we way he could get a 10 year max deal.  Instead, he signed a 3+1 deal.  He took the most money, not necessarily the place he had ties to, the franchise with the best chance to win, etc.  It was about the money, don't let it fool you.  Hell, he's talked enough about the Lakers since he said he was re-signing with Oklahoma City.  I wonder how long before he has buyer's remorse.

Do you not read my posts? Kawhi clearly had an issue with the San Antonio organization, which explains why he refused to work with their medical team and was away from the organization and living in NYC for the majority of last season. Hell, even Pop had a variety of snarky things to say about Kawhi in the media last year. It's early but did you not just see Toronto put a whoopin' on the Celtics like two days ago? Lowry is a player man and a great number two next to Kawhi.