camp starts in like a week, right?

here's mine (not really that hot tbh):

the rockets will be fine. won't miss a beat. ariza and mbah a moute were important pieces, sure, but it's gotten to the point where ppl are waaaay overstating their value.

i watched a ton of houston games last season, prolly 30 in full plus all the playoff games. LRM was a complete non factor after the shoulder injury, and trevor's shooting fell off a cliff in the second half. i want to say he shot something like 33% from 3 after the break and under 30 in the postseason. on pretty much exclusively wide open looks. his defense has also declined significantly from what it was 2-3 yrs ago. and they still took the monstars to the fucking wire.

james ennis and corey brewer will fill those minutes with no problem whatsoever. may even end up being an upgrade.

oh and melo will ball for them. mike d already pulled his coat out in Vegas and let him know the deal before he even signed on. he'll mostly come off the bench, play exclusively @ the 4 and not on the wing, end up playing prolly 90% of his minutes w/ chris on the floor with him, and won't be closing close games. and in certain matchups (i.e. GSW) he won't be playable. they'll use him correctly.

also wouldn't be shocked if they get something out of chriss and caboclo. their player dev is no joke (see: capela, c.)

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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

And we'll re-sign Klay and KD without an issue. Then win again next season.

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www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

They'll either lose this year and win next year or win this year and win next year.

edit:. i thought this was the 2nd of two separate replies but the first one is gone lol. i said Ennis will help Houston and that he was pretty good in Detroit last year

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

hes way overpaid, and the healthy is a big IF

not to mention his whiny surly attitude...i cant wait till hes gone.

i wanted us to pursue kemba so bad.

>edit:. i thought this was the 2nd of two separate replies but
>the first one is gone lol. i said Ennis will help Houston and
>that he was pretty good in Detroit last year

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I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

we are like 25 games over .500 in his starts

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

>edit:. i thought this was the 2nd of two separate replies but
>the first one is gone lol. i said Ennis will help Houston and
>that he was pretty good in Detroit last year

i could see reggie doing poor man's kyle lowry numbers for coach casey.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

Whole lotta folks had a whole lot to say

DD shuts em up.

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If you can't understand it without an explanation

you can't understand it with an explanation

Boston is the one team in the East I think could beat anybody out West...including the Warriors.

Health is always the biggest adversary.

i hate that they would be the young team in the finals against the warriors, though.it never works out for the young team in that situation.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

If they give him 25+ minutes a game (and they will, either by trading Lopez or benching him), then he'll be efficient enough and make a difference on the team enough that he'll win over someone who puts up slightly gaudier but inefficient numbers on a 20 win team.

There's my hot take.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

and a challenge for a lower seed.

I think he may even out-perform Bagley long-term.

The other two guys I like as ROY candidates are Doncic and Knox, maybe JJJ and a surprise guard to round out the all-rookie first team.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

Smell that? That smells like a fire burning trees in this post.

LA media tears down Bron by January. Rondo might snuff him by Thanksgiving. Let them start losing and the media finds out Bron pushes for shootarounds instead of practices like normal teams. The shadow of GOAT hangs over Bron's every move. We're getting a you not Kobe chant at some point. Otherwise we get the seventh seed and convince one of Klay/KD to come to LA next year.

Cavs getting within 10 games of the eighth seed.

John Wall getting traded.

Suns might surprise some people.

Jazz over Thunder once again.

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O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

https://youtu.be/yE2HgcN18O0?t=4m33s

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

https://twitter.com/KofieYeboah/status/1044972750329327617

;)

he aint a PG.

my hot take is the Suns will be the SECOND WORST nba team.

-----------------------------------------

Anything less than the following, guys can and should get fried.

embiid: 26/12/3/less than 3 TOs per game in 70 games. he's finally had his healthy offseason, and he should be enterring his prime. it's time for him to dominate every night and make a run at top 5 mvp

simmons: 6 FT attempts per game and 65% FT percentage. the counting stats will be there and will be insane, probably something like 19/9/9 or 16/11/10 or something. we will understand if ben gets it by whether the FT thing has gotten better.

fultz: 30mpg, 14ppg on 45 percent shooting, 30 percent on 3s on 2 attempts per game. i feel stupid even trying to set expectations for this kid, but this line is the minimum i personally would need to see to convince me he can recover to be more than a third guard.

covington: don't choke during the playoffs.

dario: 17/8/3, aka his playoff numbers, on 60 percent true shooting. and he'll do it, too. dario is good.

zhaire: get back fully healthy and establish yourself as a solid 15-20 mpg contributor during the regular season. i don't think he'll be playable in the playoffs this season. it's gonna take a minute.

the sixers: 55+ wins and a competitive L in the Eastern Conference Finals. i think Jo's going to get to the level we need to win the East this year, but Ben's going to need one more. That said, there's too much talent to be satisfied with anything less than a clear step forward. the ecf would mean we've beaten toronto or boston, and i expect last year's seasoning to make sure guys are ready for real playoff intensity. that said, i just think this is boston's year.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

LeBronZo turns out to be a match made in heaven.

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____________________________________________________


Steph: I was just fooling about

Kyrie: I wasn't.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8OWNspU_yE

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

at the very longest.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

<--- Big Baller World Order

When he went to Miami - they started that first season playing basically .500 ball throughout the first 10-15 games. When he returned to Cleveland - they looked real ugly for the first few months.

Same will happen here - except I don't anticipate that the Lakers will just stand around and wait for 'Bron to dominate like the last several years w/ Cleveland (and even a couple of years in Miami). This team is ready to hit the ground running so I don't think his arrival will be as chaotic to system.

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In Cleveland there were 1 or 2 who could do something with the ball in their hands.

Lakers will often have 4.

LeBron’s smart and has one of the most versatile skill sets in league history. They’re certainly not putting Ball and Rondo out there to be spot up shooters, and they’ve put a lot into Ingram developing as a ball handler and playmaker. Even Lance....they wouldn’t sign him to be solely a spot up shooter.

it's always been the case on LeBron teams that if you move well away from the ball - you will get the ball. Cleveland relied on LeBron so heavily that it become dependent on him - and J.R., Love and the other guys never moved well without the ball anyway. Bron, Rondo & Zo are pass-first guys who will always make the right basketball play.

This means a lot of easy buckets.

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JR demanded attention 25 feet from the rim whether he was moving or not

Lonzo off-ball will be sag city

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

and he'll do it in L.A.

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https://www.facebook.com/kingkeraun/videos/1214798618632092/?hc_ref=ARRw3HBzkHIQbvHbdmI-4zpxXO6HjTP6xf4elsKqiwNbIJT3SyKMuy9dydbkPuuyYzE&__xts__=68.ARBb5_CCCmML_tf-yTzgvOHuzjjqHTmQFNxd_iexpdrs7CKS4mP0_1NSUDowIw_ImKEqlIN5t0qfJQRQxIUWbp1fQT3AgGyBqQFso7D81fZ4NxGrqOC0m0biJ9d6CzzMMWGMcDcCcV5us6L84HhWNkau2g_Ik19m1cUAbnJ-qVzXqmqrwdQTFkOPUbCdlHE2-PNxGh7c1Iw0Mpva-AdXmYXX1KHwjxWtQn5IngVOVQ&__tn__=FC-R
______________________________________________________________________________

"To Each His Reach"

but.....

Fuck aliens.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24792438/what-does-success-look-lebron-lakers-nba

In the moments after the Game 1 loss in the NBA Finals in May, a combination of rage, frustration and disappointment led LeBron James to explode in the visitors' locker room in Oakland and punch a whiteboard, cracking a bone in his hand.

James' teammates and coaches had never seen James quite in that state. It was an extreme example of his intense competitive spirit. Even though his Cleveland Cavaliers were heavy underdogs to the Golden State Warriors, James very much believed that he could lead the team to an upset.

This is James' personality, it's who he is. He plays to win and he competes at the highest level regardless of the circumstance. As he has said on numerous occasions: "Any team that has me has a chance."

EDITOR'S PICKS

LeBron: Lakers 'long way' from Warriors' level
LeBron James said the Lakers have "a long way to go" to reach the Warriors' level, but if they put in the work, results will come.


Walton told 'don't worry' if Lakers have bad start
With several new players, Magic Johnson said he understands the Lakers might struggle initially, "but eventually we are going to get it, and we are going to be a really good team."

When he doesn't win, it can devastate him. Some of the darkest times in his career have been after Finals losses. His euphoria in 2012, when he got his first title after several Finals defeats, and then in 2016, when he won in Cleveland, were a result of shedding the pain as much as victory.

In the weeks after this past NBA Finals, James and his friends and family had deep discussions on how he'd psychologically manage a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are on a different timeline toward a championship than any team James had been on for more than a decade. Even before his eight straight NBA Finals appearances, he was on back-to-back 60-win teams that were upset before the Finals. For the 2018-19 season, Vegas has the Lakers' win total pegged at 48.

"Ad nauseum" was how one of the people involved in the decision-making described the frequency of the talks about how different this journey would feel. James' goals, definition of success and management of failure have to evolve. And those who know him best know it's going to be an ongoing challenge to accept his new circumstances. After all, the Lakers now have him.

"I'm not a very patient guy, but I understand that I have to be," James said this week. "I've got to be patient with myself too because this is a new start for me."

James was answering a question about Lakers' expectations but also repeating a mantra in some respects. Known for posting quotes in his locker and writing reminders on his shoes, perhaps his own quote on the matter would be useful for him to refer to as the next six months unfold.


Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
For those who really know James, one issue is this: The way James feels about his situation in July is often different than the way he feels in December. This has played out over and over in his career as teammates, coaches and friends can verify. His nature sometimes makes it hard for him to accept anything else than excellence, especially when it's outside his control.

In 2014, as an example, James wrote in his July letter in Sports Illustrated: "Of course, I want to win next year, but I'm realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I'm going into a situation with a young team and a new coach."

By that December, James had grown frustrated with his young teammates and his new coach and he ached for changes to the roster to make the team immediately more competitive. The changes came and the Cavs made the Finals and nearly pulled off an upset. After all, the Cavs had him.

This is not meant to be a gotcha point on James talking again about patience with a new team as he now is wearing purple and gold. It's just to show that James' inner fire burns bright and it typically grows only hotter as each season unfolds.

"I'm not a very patient guy but I understand that I have to be."
LeBron James
James knows this all, of course. He knows there are going to be times this season with the Lakers when he'll feel like punching another whiteboard. Especially with five players on the roster who are rookies or in their second seasons and a number of veterans who have reputations for volatile play.

"We have to take our bumps and our bruises," James said. "There's going to be good times and there's going to be bad times."

When James made up his mind on the Lakers, he and his team decided to accept a four-year contract (the final year is his option). This is the longest contract he has signed since 2010 when he went to Miami. He signed three shorter deals in Cleveland.

According to sources close to James, one of the reasons he decided to commit long-term was to set the tone -- for himself as much as the organization -- that he was going to embrace a process he knew the Lakers were going to have to undergo. Even at age 33, James also believed he had multiple years left in his prime and believed it was a calculated risk that the Lakers could construct a contending team. Whether or not he'll be able to stick to that plan is to be seen. But he went into it with eyes wide open.

Several times this week, James has been challenged to try to set parameters for the Lakers' season. James has declined to do so, knowing his words could be used against him later. A week before training camp at a season-ticket holders event, Lakers coach Luke Walton tried to be measured in a response about the Lakers' expectations this season and ending up talking himself into saying he believed the Lakers would be a championship contender by the end of the season.

James is going to try to avoid putting himself in the same corner. But what he says and what he feels are two different things. He will try as hard as he can to focus on the process and manage perhaps the most challenging season he has had since he reached NBA adulthood.

But whatever drama takes place inside the Lakers team during this season, the one within James could be most interesting of all.

"I don't expect anything. The unknown is what to expect," James said. "You work for what you want."

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

It's the natural progression for him. He had to work very hard for all those buckets in Cleveland, drawing doubles and zones and still scoring under duress.

These Lakers can play and several guys can create their own shot or playmake - which will be a welcome dynamic for James. Sure, there will be times when he's ball dominant (particularly in high leverage moments) - but we will see a system begin to materialize this year that will be perfected in year 3 and year 4 - where Bron plays more on the block, gets easier buckets, and becomes a must-double guy in the post as opposed to living on the wing for most of the game.
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