The Cavs did addition by subtraction. There were too many veteran guys with egos and playing time issues to balance and placate. I give Gilbert and Altman credit for doing the "impossible" to move some of these guys and recognizing that IT and Crowder were square pegs in round holes - let alone that IT was becoming a drama creating mouthpiece on camera and in the locker room. Cut your losses now and get younger, better on DEE overall and they still have two open roster spots. The key for me was retaining the Nets' first rounder. They also will get K Love back in time for the playoffs.

(02-08-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  The Cavs did addition by subtraction. There were too many veteran guys with egos and playing time issues to balance and placate. I give Gilbert and Altman credit for doing the "impossible" to move some of these guys and recognizing that IT and Crowder were square pegs in round holes - let alone that IT was becoming a drama creating mouthpiece on camera and in the locker room. Cut your losses now and get younger, better on DEE overall and they still have two open roster spots. The key for me was retaining the Nets' first rounder. They also will get K Love back in time for the playoffs.

Or maybe that is why the Cavs have been sucking is exactly what IT was talking about and the Celtics didn't have those kinds of issues. Lebron's lack of saying will he stay or go casts a shadow over that entire franchises future and the players under contract there... I, for one, am enjoying the meltdown.

(02-08-2018 09:05 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  The Cavs did addition by subtraction. There were too many veteran guys with egos and playing time issues to balance and placate. I give Gilbert and Altman credit for doing the "impossible" to move some of these guys and recognizing that IT and Crowder were square pegs in round holes - let alone that IT was becoming a drama creating mouthpiece on camera and in the locker room. Cut your losses now and get younger, better on DEE overall and they still have two open roster spots. The key for me was retaining the Nets' first rounder. They also will get K Love back in time for the playoffs.

Or maybe that is why the Cavs have been sucking is exactly what IT was talking about and the Celtics didn't have those kinds of issues. Lebron's lack of saying will he stay or go casts a shadow over that entire franchises future and the players under contract there... I, for one, am enjoying the meltdown.

Well the Celts seem to be doing better without IT and Crowder. The Cavs won 18 of 19 earlier in the year without IT on the floor. I'm not saying the Cavs don't have other issues but they had to do something with this impossible roster. I think they did the best they could possibly do.

(02-08-2018 10:14 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 09:05 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  The Cavs did addition by subtraction. There were too many veteran guys with egos and playing time issues to balance and placate. I give Gilbert and Altman credit for doing the "impossible" to move some of these guys and recognizing that IT and Crowder were square pegs in round holes - let alone that IT was becoming a drama creating mouthpiece on camera and in the locker room. Cut your losses now and get younger, better on DEE overall and they still have two open roster spots. The key for me was retaining the Nets' first rounder. They also will get K Love back in time for the playoffs.

Or maybe that is why the Cavs have been sucking is exactly what IT was talking about and the Celtics didn't have those kinds of issues. Lebron's lack of saying will he stay or go casts a shadow over that entire franchises future and the players under contract there... I, for one, am enjoying the meltdown.

Well the Celts seem to be doing better without IT and Crowder. The Cavs won 18 of 19 earlier in the year without IT on the floor. I'm not saying the Cavs don't have other issues but they had to do something with this impossible roster. I think they did the best they could possibly do.

Somehow I missed they also dumped D Wade.... I wonder if that puts Lebron on the I'm leaving camp now lulz.

(02-08-2018 11:09 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 10:14 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 09:05 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  The Cavs did addition by subtraction. There were too many veteran guys with egos and playing time issues to balance and placate. I give Gilbert and Altman credit for doing the "impossible" to move some of these guys and recognizing that IT and Crowder were square pegs in round holes - let alone that IT was becoming a drama creating mouthpiece on camera and in the locker room. Cut your losses now and get younger, better on DEE overall and they still have two open roster spots. The key for me was retaining the Nets' first rounder. They also will get K Love back in time for the playoffs.

Or maybe that is why the Cavs have been sucking is exactly what IT was talking about and the Celtics didn't have those kinds of issues. Lebron's lack of saying will he stay or go casts a shadow over that entire franchises future and the players under contract there... I, for one, am enjoying the meltdown.

Well the Celts seem to be doing better without IT and Crowder. The Cavs won 18 of 19 earlier in the year without IT on the floor. I'm not saying the Cavs don't have other issues but they had to do something with this impossible roster. I think they did the best they could possibly do.

Somehow I missed they also dumped D Wade.... I wonder if that puts Lebron on the I'm leaving camp now lulz.

LeBron and Wade were "consulted" about this trade and both supported the move.

(02-08-2018 04:53 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  Talk radio guys here are going nuts for this trade, thinking the Lakers hit a home run and are now front and center for LeBron and Paul George this offseason.

OK, I'm just not sure it's THOSE free agents (although George is probably a reasonable bet).

PG-13 is an obvious one. I don't think Lakers fans ought to be thrilled about the idea of signing LeBron as a free agent -- that has too much of a Jordan-to-the-Wizards feel to it.

Another possibility is that, with so much cap room, the Lakers can trade for a player with a big contract whose team might want to move him for salary cap purposes (Klay Thompson) or other reasons (Kawhi Leonard).

(02-09-2018 11:46 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Another possibility is that, with so much cap room, the Lakers can trade for a player with a big contract whose team might want to move him for salary cap purposes (Klay Thompson) or other reasons (Kawhi Leonard).

Both those guys will be FAs in 2019, right? They (along with Jimmy Butler) have been called out as guys the Lakers might chase after deciding that LeBron and George won't come to LA. Trade for 'em now or wait and try to keep your young talent?

Sidebar re Thompson: as much as I like to watch the guy play I really struggle to think of him as a superstar player. If you had a team with one superstar (e.g. LeBron or Leonard) and some mildly talented journeymen, would you think Klay is that second superstar to put you over the top? Is adding elite 3 and D enough to get you to a conference finals or better? Esp in the West?

Another sidebar: It's really hard to follow what the hell the Lakers are doing/thinking. I struggle weekly trying to figure if Magic and Pelinka are supreme deal makers or just throwing darts and occasionally hitting something good. Throw in the Ball family crap and, well, it feels pretty chaotic.

Klay will be a free agent in 2019; Kawhi and Butler can be free agents in 2019 but have player options for 2019-20. And they're all roughly at the same salary level now.

If the Lakers actually have a plan to compete for free agents next summer rather than this summer, they could bring in a player or two for 2018-19 on a high salary as long as it's a contract that ends in 2019. That would at least put them back in the playoffs while they make their fans wait one more year for the kind of superstar signings they want.

(02-09-2018 01:30 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Klay will be a free agent in 2019; Kawhi and Butler can be free agents in 2019 but have player options for 2019-20. And they're all roughly at the same salary level now.

If the Lakers actually have a plan to compete for free agents next summer rather than this summer, they could bring in a player or two for 2018-19 on a high salary as long as it's a contract that ends in 2019. That would at least put them back in the playoffs while they make their fans wait one more year for the kind of superstar signings they want.

I think most are assuming that Leonard and Butler will opt out. I guess Leonard's injury issues could change that if he can't get/stay healthy.

There have been rumors about Randle being available but otherwise the sense around here is that Lakers are protecting their young talent. Randle (with or without a handful of scrubs) is not going to bring back superstar talent and I'm not sure they'll send multiple guys (two or more of Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, Ball [] for one or two one year players, even elite ones).

(02-09-2018 01:57 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  Ball []

Could be worse. They could have drafted Fultz.

It's only two games in since the trade but Cavs are 2-0. Today was the first time they had the infusion of four younger guys on the floor and they smacked the Celtics in the mouth in Boston 121-99. This game was over early in the third quarter. I watched guys hustling, flying around, playing defense, showing enthusiasm, moving the ball around, etc. A lot of basketball to go but what a statement thus far.

Ok, I'll admit, the Cavs post trade dominated the Celtics, who, along with the Raptors are probably the only serious challengers to the Cavs in terms of the Easter Conference rep in the finals. That said, I just don't put much into the NBA regular season any more.

I'm not going to ride the hype train off game 1 after the trade till I see the Cavs and these guys play more.

**************
**************

All I am trying to figure out is who poisoned the water in the Hornets organization to where the team, with the talent they have, and arguably a pretty solid coach can suck as bad as they have the last two seasons after showing a glimpse of hope with that play off run that is now bordering on 3 years ago.

(02-12-2018 09:09 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  Ok, I'll admit, the Cavs post trade dominated the Celtics, who, along with the Raptors are probably the only serious challengers to the Cavs in terms of the Easter Conference rep in the finals. That said, I just don't put much into the NBA regular season any more.

I'm not going to ride the hype train off game 1 after the trade till I see the Cavs and these guys play more.

**************
**************

All I am trying to figure out is who poisoned the water in the Hornets organization to where the team, with the talent they have, and arguably a pretty solid coach can suck as bad as they have the last two seasons after showing a glimpse of hope with that play off run that is now bordering on 3 years ago.

You can judge the Cavs on the fact that they seem to be more of a team and not a collection of players with different agendas on the court. The the CLE don't guarantee they make to the Finals, but I think the are better equipment to win a 6-7 series ECF.

As for your CLT comments, I think the NBA has a problem in that money alone is no longer a sufficient enticement. A similar situation exists in ATL. Both have the cash to pay top players but none want to play in those cities for a host of reasons.

Absolutely agree that the jury remains out on the Cavs. I'm just surprised how different they looked and how well they played in Boston.

Agree also that beating Golden State (or even Houston) remains a tall order for anyone coming out of the East.

(02-13-2018 08:46 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  As for your CLT comments, I think the NBA has a problem in that money alone is no longer a sufficient enticement. A similar situation exists in ATL. Both have the cash to pay top players but none want to play in those cities for a host of reasons.

I think Charlotte's problems are more complex than money.

Overall, poor GM'ing. Bad money and years to players that as soon as they got paid seemed to have slacked off from what got them to get paid in the first place. On top of that the GM, the owner, and the scouts must not really do their homework right in that during their period of insufferable suckitude none of the draft picks turned out to be worth much once they got here. Not bad players per se' but basically they drafted bench players instead of NBA starters.

As far as ownership, I am sorry but Michael Jordan has not shown to be a great owner. I don't know if it is because he was so great as a player that he can't relate to players "lesser" than he was or what it is... but some of the stuff that gets signed off on by this franchise is curious at best. As much as great as he was, his name alone can't attract players here like it was envisioned it would when he took over.

Coaching? I'm going to say this, Coach Clifford led this trash to a playoff bid for the 2015-16 season and had some good effort in the series they eventually lost to the Heat. Injuries and player effort have kind of showed up over the last two seasons as well as curious personnel decisions by management to kind of put us in the spot we are. That said, last season we started off super strong and were looking good and then tanked out from January on. Never really been consistently good this season. I don't know if a coaching change is the answer, I think the true answer is more complex than that.

3-0 since the trade. Cavs continue to impress with the new blood - get the win at OKC.

After LaVar Ball's latest delusional comments, don't the Lakers need to start formulating a Lonzo Ball exit strategy?

(02-14-2018 12:26 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  After LaVar Ball's latest delusional comments, don't the Lakers need to start formulating a Lonzo Ball exit strategy?

I would think they already have one. With the rapid flow of information today, though, you can't start discussing possible Ball trades with other teams until you're ready to do it, because those discussions will leak out.

LaVar Ball is as bad as some of the terrible helicopter parents of pro tennis players. But pro tennis is an individual sport, and pro basketball is not.

Wow. I did not hear this until you guys posted.



Trouble In Ball Land

(02-14-2018 12:29 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 12:26 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  After LaVar Ball's latest delusional comments, don't the Lakers need to start formulating a Lonzo Ball exit strategy?

I would think they already have one. With the rapid flow of information today, though, you can't start discussing possible Ball trades with other teams until you're ready to do it, because those discussions will leak out.

LaVar Ball is as bad as some of the terrible helicopter parents of pro tennis players. But pro tennis is an individual sport, and pro basketball is not.

My impression is the Lakers generally ignore LaVar, and that's the right thing to do. He's basically a Kardashian and should be treated as such. I don't know if there is or should be an exit strategy for Lonzo, but if they have one (or develop one) I've got to imagine it'll be more because of his terrible shot than his clown of a dad. This is not the right time in the NBA for point guards who can't score.