https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1349463753465720836
figure we could use a separate thread for this big news

edit: added some other high line details


Sources: Full current trade:

Rockets: Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, 3 BKN first-rounders (22, 24, 26), 1 MIL first (22, unprotected), 4 BKN 1st round swaps (21, 23, 25, 27)

Nets: James Harden

Pacers: Caris LeVert, 2nd-rounder

Cavs: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince

Reporting w/ @RamonaShelburne: Brooklyn’s acquiring James Harden in a three-way deal with Cleveland. Caris LeVert, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, four 1st round picks – including Cavs’ 2022 first via Bucks -- and 4 Nets pick swaps to Rockets. Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince to Cavs.

and Taurean Prince?

Shit, Cavs might just see playoffs!!

breh stuck splitting time w/ Deandre bc of team politics. he'll flourish in cleveland.

It's Drummond insurance, and JaVale is legit happy to be here so I'm cool with these 3 being the line up.

And when everyone's back? Man.

I've been on team Allen and he lines up with the guys you have, age-wise

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1349465741347721216?s=20

.

brogdon has always seemed best as a facilitator and complementary piece to a true scorer. sabonis can't be stopped by anyone lately. IND offense looks great rn

HOU keeps collecting players coming off catastrophic leg injuries. wall, cousins, oladipo, nwaba. fertitta is a miserly fake money loser. i feel bad for silas having to coach this ragtag bunch of misfits. maybe he pulls it off and gets HOU to the play-in. i hope fertitta dies of asphyxiation as he chokes on a chicken bone at one of his shitty chain restaurants when everything opens up again

They're trying to collect every headcase superstar they can.......this shit is going to erupt in nuclear proportions....I'm not the biggest LeBron fan by any means but the way these niggas have been acting has mad my respect for him go way up.

You do it 100/100 times, no question...but...

The fact is, that team had a finals appearance, SHOULD have kept it together and made at least another 2 finals for a ring or two. Hell, it almost happened without Harden!

This...this I do not see working nearly as well.

Like, all it takes is one ill-timed Anthony Davis ankle sprain, and they'd be in great fucking position to win a title in the next 2-3 years. They certainly have the personnel to win the East for multiple years if everything clicks.

Those 2025/26 picks are going to be BEAUTIFUL for Houston. They're not gonna feel the full impact of this trade for half a decade, but boy will it pay off.

>You do it 100/100 times, no question...but...

I mean if I were them I would’ve fought as hard as possible to keep Allen, but yeah, this is a deal you kinda have to do but it also feels doomed with the personalities involved. Maybe it’s a situation where winning cures all so those personalities won’t clash, but idk. I think this will be REALLY tough for a new coach to keep it all together.

I like what the Rockets, Pacers, and Cavs got out of it though.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1349467665631490050?s=20

DJ can't guard errybody...and even he's not what he used to be

Love the trade...for the 6ers

This will not end well for BKN.

cotdayum...they gave it all

we are going to skullfuck them.

....no one beating the Lakers still

HOU lost leverage the longer he stayed in HOU

and the day after he threw the whole team under the bus

HOU got THAT!?!

BKN giving up picks for the rest of the decade

i mean the only thing that changed from our AD deal over 6 months is that we got to keep kuzma.

Seems like Cavs are in that Nuggets role of the Howard deal of getting something for almost nothing here.

This is the new thing, sell our your entire future for a star. Seven years of either not having a pick or ensuring you have a low first.

That they didn't have to trade Irving may strike some as a huge bonus but I dunno. They gut their bench and now have three guys are ball-dominant.

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I feel sorry for dude....did all that meticulous rehab and show up to see Kyrie standing in front of the stadium like this:


https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5987f33650a974598a3ccd87/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Macall%252520B.%252520Polay%252520-%252520HBO%252520(Photo%2525207).jpg

.

Brogdon-Levert-Warren-Sabonis-Turner.

That’s a squad. That’s a motherfocking squad.

A long climb up for my Bulls. The central just became even harder.

Is Warren healthy?

.

yeah houston has strip clubs but new york is on a different level with nightlife. dude is already getting fat and this is just going to accelerate the transformation into late stage shawn kemp.

these dudes are going to be able to coast through the regular season and there is no way that harden doesn't show up to work hungover at least 40% of the time.

back when they were actually poppin.

that winny chick at starlets was sending subliminals about him fucking her coworker while he was fucking her yearsss ago.

"at least the Nets jerseys are slimming" and it is spot on.

He's going to have to take a slim paycut for the Nets to extend his current contract, no?

Now WILL they? Dunno.

But he's making 41/44/47 over this + the next two if he picks up his option.

Durant is at 39/40/42 with the same player option

Kyrie is at 33/34/36 with the same.

So right today, they're paying 113 for those 3 this year, and 118 next year (125 if they all pick up their options in 2022-23) and the cap is 112 this year. I believe the luxury tax limit is 143, but with ONLY Joe Harris (16), Dinwiddie (11), DJ (10)...they're already at 150 this year.

With all those picks they gave up, they pretty much have to go all in for Durant, Kyrie, and Harden at this point in terms of re-signing them.

So wild that Brooklyn was able to salvage some relative success after those insane draft pick laden deals to get Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett just to make a similar deal. The Nets have to win at least one ring so this move doesn't blow up in their faces.

I wonder if the Nets doubting Kyrie would ever be full-time contributed to this.

Because there is such a thing as diminishing returns- especially considering what they gave up. When their skills overlap like this?

Add in the basket cases, lack of defense, etc?

Ironically, Brooklyn has become the Rockets of the east...just throwing shit at the wall.

I imagine the answer is easily no.

Shaq/Kobe/Malone

Bosh/Wade/Lebron

Baylor/West/Wilt

Harden/KD/Russ

KD/Steph/Thompson

Garnett/Allen/Pierce

Especially SHaq/Kobe/Malone True elite number 1 options
Malone 2nd in career points/ Kobe 4th in career points/ Shaq 8th in career points

Kyrie, KD, and Harden all have *career* usage rates of over 29. So...

"Bosh/Wade/Lebron

KD/Steph/Thompson

Garnett/Allen/Pierce"

Thompson's never cracked 29. Bosh never cracked 29, not even in Toronto. Allen cracked 29 once, but was well below that for his career. So these are all pretty quickly ruled out as answers to the question.

"Harden/KD/Russ"

Harden's usage barely cracked 20 when he was on this team as a young player. Unless you're arguing the OKC team should count because Harden became a high usage player later. Which, okay... but the OKC didn't play with three 29+ usage rate players. So this also doesn't apply.

"Shaq/Kobe/Malone"

This is the best contemporary example-- although I'd argue that, since Malone was 40 and was below a usage of 29 the last two seasons of his career before LA, that's a very different situation than what's going on in Brooklyn right now.

"Baylor/West/Wilt"

I mean, sure, but Baylor was scoring like 10 PPG at that point. Like the Malone example, it's pretty clear that both Baylor and Wilt were nearing the end, which is different than what's going on now.

So the last two examples I mentioned-- yes, these are teams with three players with usage rates as high as KD/Kyrie/Harden's. Different situations, but they technically check the boxes.

And you weren’t specific. Career usage, season usage, what?

And you said the answer was “easily no”, which is wrong.

If it’s career usage, which is the only thing you could be referring to,
because season usage makes zero sense

So Career Usage: Kobe/Shaq/Malone win hands down.

____________

DALLAS LAKERICKS LETS GO!!

i understand having to break the news but you aint gotta go into full commentary/opinion.

orlovsky said he hopes the news of a deshaun watson trade breaks during the jump lol.

i dont think ive ever seen them just break in the middle of a show to have the people talk about another sport

kinda strange actually it doesnt feel like theres any buzz for the nfl rn

People were prolly specifically turning on the tv bc of the trade

literally what espn has been doing for decades.

*breaking news* then cut to stephen a or woj or whoever talking about what happened. then resume the normal show.

not break it then debate it on a show that covers an entirely other sport lol.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

they cut from the program to schefty/woj/etc in remote locations all the time. its a routine occurrence.

theyve been doing this all through the pandemic. plus they have people in the studio all the time now anyway...like this show and every other one).

thats why *this* particular situation stood out (and why orlovsky took a jab at it). because it was so abnormal compared to what they have been doing.

who plays the "Chris Bosh" of this trio? That's not any kind of joke of pejorative.

If all three of those guys are on the floor at the same time KD might never see the ball.

KD came to Brooklyn to be unequivocal "Man"; he's not going to be the third option. And I don't see Harden giving up shots. Assuming Kyrie buys in, it's logical he'd take the next step and work to facilitate the other two.

Basically doing what he did in Houston

A bunch of 1-4 flat
____________

DALLAS LAKERICKS LETS GO!!

wins in the playoffs moreso than regular season.

For all the 3 point shooters Golden State had, their defense and rebounding was top level.

Can't say that for Nets.

They should make the Finals tho.

...they think they can get a Center midseason (Javale McGee?)

Otherwise, this team is going to need to average 125 points a game.

At least Harden looks like he wants to play

But how can these 2 guys co-exist on the same team given the off-court stuff...

Kyrie opted out of the bubble last year
...came in this year...
Refusing to do media
Taking 'personal' time away from the team...apparently w/o notifiying anyone in the organization as to why
and being put in the protocol for SM posts of him violating covid measures

With Harden having done alladat too...don't they have to send a message that that $hit don't play here

I think Harden and KD will work incredibly well together on the court

Does BKN move Kyrie to reup the supporting cast...that will be desperately needed?

Both Kyrie and KD will need some load management this year
Then you're putting all your eggs in that basket for the playoffs

...just some things to consider before the dust settles...

Did Kyrie make himself expendable?

Harden is the tipping point. They made him the centerpiece of the franchise, mortgaged their future at every turn to satisfy him year over year, and remained nimble in every offseason to placate his needs (CP3, no, Westbrook, no, Wall, no)

he paid them back by acting like a c*nt and brazenly and publicly partying in the days leading up to the season, with wanton disregard for any of his peers. They've got a first year coach there (a black coach mind you) who's earned his position and Harden didn't give a fuck.

How was he punished for his wildly selfish and potentially dangerous behavior? He was shipped to the very team he wanted all along.

This is like AD and Jimmy Butler on steroids. AT least those guys still always played hard. Harden disrespected everyone AND the sport itself by showing up fat and barely trying.

How did it come to this point where guys can just act like brats and get their way? These guys are insufferable man.

look at Beal he out here balling hard and not complaining, and just dying in Washington. he need to throw his temper tantrum and get to a good team.

AD faked injuries to stay off the court, and acted a fool off the court. Kawhi refused to play when he was cleared by Spurs doctors, and he broke off communication at times. He also alienated his teammates, who also questioned his injury.

All of them are guilty for throwing tantrums to get traded.

It’s quite unprofessional.

yeah

Goat of the crybaby era.

in fact...he prolly got more hate for playing until his contract expired instead of giving a heads up about his intention in advance so the team could move accordingly.

and nobody can dispute whether he went out there and actually competed to win a title instead of sabotaging a locker room.

.

- for sure. Bron paved the way for all his disciples to follow in his footsteps and take their careers into their own hands. Of course, they aren't doing it as effectively - but if you yearn for the days when franchise owners had all the power - you can always re-play the good old days on NBA TV's legendary nights.

But Bron didn't start the super-team era (this is an oft-repeated misconception) - Boston did. The diff. there was that Ainge orchestrated that move while the players were the passive beneficiaries. Pierce, Ray & KG set off the super-team trend, and Bron faced that superteam with 0 all-stars to his side, and he didn't find it prudent to wait for Dan Gilbert to be competent (particularly after 7 years).

I guess Bron could've been like KG and waited 11 years instead of 7 - but he (correctly) decided to impose his creative will on his basketball future, and rightfully so.

-->

to fire Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley told him to sit his ass down. So he went back
to Cleveland because Pat Riley wouldn’t allow him to be GM of the team.

Lebron is a sincere, standup guy, though.

Do you just not know things or do you lie to yourself or what? Its fucking weird.

Boston didn't start super teams. Owners have tried super teams for a long time...hell back to LA nabbing Wilt. Just off the top Barkley to Houston, Payton/Malone to LA, etc. It just rarely works.

What Ainge did was in no way new or ground breaking. He made some good moves and won a chip. What's rare about Ainge is it worked, and it is a credit to Doc and KG for playing his role imo.

Lebron didn't invent players taking their careers into their own hands, either. Free agency has been a big deal since at least Shaq and Alonzo. Kobe never left LA, but he certainly used his power to take control of his career.

Do you think Lebron invented free agency?

What Lebron did make popular is using free agency and friendships to squad up and build super teams to make it easier to win.

Now, the league has come a very long way in regards to player power and that is a great thing to be celebrated.

Lebron helped make it more popular/acceptable. And he never acted the way Harden just did...so again, props to Bron.


But from a b-ball perspective, its pretty fucking corny though.


We can disagree on that last point, but the rest is just facts.

Why do you think you need to lie/exaggerate/make shit up for some weird Lebron agenda?

He doesn't need you to lie for him.

Or do you just not know this shit? You seriously post like you just started watching b-ball in like 08 and never bothered to learn at all about what happened before then or think critically beyond "I heart Bron I heart Bron I heart Bron"



>- for sure. Bron paved the way for all his disciples to
>follow in his footsteps and take their careers into their own
>hands. Of course, they aren't doing it as effectively - but
>if you yearn for the days when franchise owners had all the
>power - you can always re-play the good old days on NBA TV's
>legendary nights.
>
>But Bron didn't start the super-team era (this is an
>oft-repeated misconception) - Boston did. The diff. there was
>that Ainge orchestrated that move while the players were the
>passive beneficiaries. Pierce, Ray & KG set off the super-team
>trend, and Bron faced that superteam with 0 all-stars to his
>side, and he didn't find it prudent to wait for Dan Gilbert to
>be competent (particularly after 7 years).
>
>I guess Bron could've been like KG and waited 11 years instead
>of 7 - but he (correctly) decided to impose his creative will
>on his basketball future, and rightfully so.
>
>-->

We're talking about Bron paving the way for labor rights/player mobility - and what he did was something groundbreaking in the NBA that changed the landscape and balance of power (away from owners and towards superstar players).

Were there teams that tried to compile super-teams before Boston? Sure - but they were unsuccessful and largely put superstars together after they were washed - like the Houston team w/ Chuck (although you forgot to mention that Pippen joined that squad as well) - but that team featured stars who were largely washed. When the Celtics super trio teamed up - they were still reasonably in their primes. It wasn't just an after-thought last ditch effort like Malone/GP to L.A. or Chuck/Pip to Houston.

But do continue w/ the childish hyperbole.



-->

This below is a fact. He's going down as top-5 and rightfully so but this is very much a thing. A thing that will ultimately be forgotten (it kinda already has been). But talking about this shouldn't be vilified. It's something that legitimately happened.

>What Lebron did make popular is using free agency and
>friendships to squad up and build super teams to make it
>easier to win.

I'm gonna go on record here as not anti-Bron. I respect how he's grown as a person. Seems like a genuinely good dude and at the end of the day that''s the most important thing. Also, I could care less about the GOAT debate so I gots no agenda.

>This below is a fact. But talking about
>this shouldn't be vilified. It's something that legitimately
>happened.
>
>>What Lebron did make popular is using free agency and
>>friendships to squad up and build super teams to make it
>>easier to win.

People who feel some kind of way about "The Decision" will always cite that as why they "don't like" LeBron - but it's silly (and almost always absent of context).

Had Bron been fortunate enough to have been drafted by a world-class organization (or at least been drafted by a franchise that could one day become world-class) - then he could've stayed in Cleveland and attracted a HoF caliber all-star. Cleveland couldn't do it, so he really had no choice but to take matters into his own.

He didn't get drafted by the Lakers like Magic; or the Celtics like Bird. Nor did he get drafted by an org that learned to be world-class and competently surrounded him with championship pieces (like Jordan in Chicago) -- the Cavs were an abysmal franchise during his first 7 years - and weren't much better during his second 4-year stint.

Also - it's not as if that Miami team he joined with Wade was a great team. They were far removed from the 2006 title team and were either missing the playoffs entirely or getting trounced in the 1st round.

Hating on LeBron because he went to Miami for four years is petty - and blind to the realities of his particular situation in Cleveland.



-->

Player after player after player sees the writing on the wall, decides they're done with the situation, and makes their decision known to management.

Owner after owner after owner thinks they can control the situation, watches the situation deteriorate, still tries to hold on, and then the players finally force their hand by making it untenable for everyone.

Then the trade happens, and often enough, to the originally preferred destination anyways.

For every Harden who forces his way out of a situation and causes dorks all over the country to lose their shit at his "entitlement", there's a Blake Griffin, who signs with an expectation that this is home for the next 4-5 years of his life, before getting shipped halfway across the country, and people barely blink at it

That's the nature of the business, and it goes both ways.

What man can make man can unmake. Period.

There is a way to conduct business, and there is a way to not conduct business. And teams trade players for business reasons, meaning what they feel is best for the team.

These immature players are demanding trades because they can’t have their way, or because they want to play with their friends. They want to be GMs and have a say in the business operations of the team, when they signed a contract to be a basketball player.

Now had they signed to be a player/coach, or player/gm, which has been done before, that’s different. You signed to play basketball, so be a basketball player.

>What man can make man can unmake. Period.
>
>There is a way to conduct business, and there is a way to not
>conduct business. And teams trade players for business
>reasons, meaning what they feel is best for the team.

Players requests trades for business reasons as well: moving on to a team they feel is best for themselves.

It's funny, you seem perfectly fine with the owners having this luxury.

>These immature players are demanding trades because they
>can’t have their way, or because they want to play with
>their friends.

Really? That's it? Those are the ONLY reasons?

Note how honorably you frame this from a management perspective, and how, for players, you frame it as selfishly and myopically as possible, as though you're privy to all of their inner thoughts and motivations.

>They want to be GMs and have a say in the
>business operations of the team, when they signed a contract
>to be a basketball player.

When Blake signed with the Clippers, he signed a contract with the Clippers.

Not the Detroit Pistons.

But, yet again, you frame this very neatly from the management side.

You're objectively wrong at every step of the way, due to a glaring, contextually ignorant pro-management perspective.

There must be a balance in everything in life for there to be longevity.

There must be giving from both ends of the spectrum, hence, the saying
“ a good business deal is when both sides feel as if they gave something.”

It is the balance of business, and every man should know it. You can’t have GOOD
business without it.

>There must be a balance in everything in life for there to be
>longevity.
>
>There must be giving from both ends of the spectrum, hence,
>the saying
>“ a good business deal is when both sides feel as if they
>gave something.”

This is all awfully nice sounding. Truly, great ideals.

They're just not always practical, and every business deal isn't going to work out that way.

Especially in the NBA.

Especially when you have a union, and partners thatbare far more viable and irreplaceable than any owner could ever be, and all these master-of-the-universe owners don't get to rule with the iron fist they surely love to fantasize.

>It is the balance of business, and every man should know it.
>You can’t have GOOD
>business without it.

All this business philosophy 101 shit sounds great at a seminar, or your morning motivational podcast while you jog.

This shit isn't real estate. It's not a deal on a car.

Lillard just sent you a postcard, too.


There is a way to conduct business without being a disturbance. So you’re wrong.

>Lillard just sent you a postcard, too.
>
>
>There is a way to conduct business without being a
>disturbance. So you’re wrong.

Was Giannis demanding a trade?
Was Dame demanding a trade?

Did either of those guys say they were done and wanted out?

I don't know the answer to that. But let's say they did.

Those two represent that situations that, at least up to now, worked out.

Correct?

So what was I wrong about, exactly?

Because my overarching point was....

"Every business deal doesnt work out that way"

For every Giannis, there's AD.
For every Dame, there's Paul George.

That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to do business without being a disturbance- but that's also not what I said to begin with.

But it does mean that I'm absolutely right.

Because, as I said, every business deal isn't going to work out geat for both sides. That's not even a debatable point. It's just a brte f in fact of life.

You're also presenting a very Republican, anti-labor, pro-management stance. Hey, do you.

All because I believe in being a professional and conducting business without creating
UNNECESSARY agitation.

.

I'm talking within the context of this specific discussion, about this specific subject, involving these specific parties.

But then, given the way you continually misrepresent the things I'm actually saying in order to arrive at a conclusion that doesnt match my actual words... who knows.

..LOL!




*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

>How was he punished for his wildly selfish and potentially
>dangerous behavior? He was shipped to the very team he wanted
>all along.

Punishment for the COVID shit, sure, per whatever the league rules are for that.

but the rest?

Dude gave them seven incredible seasons.
Shit wasn't working, and he wanted out.

Fuck the owners. It's unfortunate for fans and teammates, but if these guys had a better, more reasonable path out, perhaps with ownership that has a vested interest in their players in a way where they say, OK, we'll work on a way to get you out of here.

But that rarely happens, and so players have to use other methods.

Owners in these situations are in denial, and think they can control these situations.

They can't, nor should they.

Players have leverage, and they fucking exercise it.

As they should.


>This is like AD and Jimmy Butler on steroids.

What?

>guys still always played hard. Harden disrespected everyone
>AND the sport itself by showing up fat and barely trying.
>
>How did it come to this point where guys can just act like
>brats and get their way? These guys are insufferable man.

Act like brats?

You really got a way with making an extra effort to shit on successful Black men while putting that extra english on it.

You asked if TI knew he was a loser.
You called Kawhi bitch made.

Now you're asking how it is that Harden, and, apparently, "guys", can act like brats to get their way.

You're acting awfully mad that the players, who are *partners* in this motherfucking league and not merely employees, have some measure of power beyond simply waiting for a contract to run it's course.

A team can ship a team to any other team, at any time, for any reason.

You sound mad that players aren't completely boxed in, with a lack of leverage.

The brat, the bitch, the loser here is... you. Because every word you type feels like the next is about to be "these guys need to just shut up and play the game like they're told".

Death
Taxes
Cold Truth still miserable

But never anything at all to say when the problems with your loud and wrong bullshit gets broken down.

That you consistently express the dumbest, lowest common denominator perspectives on everything, at all times, with few exceptions, has nothing at all to do with how anyone else feels.

and being out partying during a pandemic.

He’s a clown and clearly fell short as a franchise player. He’s not built for it.

But you never have anything to say about what I've actually said.

Again, objective observations about the things you say have nothing to do with me.

There's nothing desperate, sensitive, condescending, or even miserable about that😘

They gave him everything he asked for, everything. They were even going to build
a restaurant for that dude.

They were going to give him a record 50 mil a year...dude they did everything
to satisfy him, everything..

And he focked them.

And how you're always clutching your pearls whenever someone gets remotely passionate when they speak to you?

Yeah, that's a facade. I see you, sunshine :)

Just be yourself, like you are now.

That aside, nah.

None of what you said makes a bit of difference.

In fact, that's a good argument to ship him out. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for it's time, and that time is up.

They did everything, right?
Got him other all stars, right?

What did that net, ultimately?

The shit didn't work out. This year was going to be no different.

Everything you're saying makes a great case not only for management to trade him, but to be eager to do so.

But they wanted to control the situation, and the narrative, and like it does pretty much every time this situation happens.... they wound up trading him anyways.

What happened when Paul George wanted out?
Did holding on for dear life result in him staying in Indy?

Did that long, drawn out ordeal with Kawhi result in him staying with the Spurs?

Did AD stay with the Pels?

Did Denver keep Melo?

Some of those situations played out better than others, but nobody really got anything notably better than they would have gotten had they made the deal earlier than they actually did.

It’s the name calling I don’t do. You can be as passionate as you want.

Attacking each other and all that stupid stuff, miss me with it.

But other than that, it’s whatever.

You get pissy over the slightest spike in temperament.

Personally, I think that's just some diversionary shit that you do to avoid having to address the details of your really, truly, deeply, terribly bad arguments.

Maybe it’s just that simple. But I really don’t expect you to comprehend that, because every conversation with you turns into some psyche evaluation.

This verbal exchange proves it. You went from discussing the Harden/Rockets
fallout to human behavioral patterns.

It’s quite alarming.

fuck you and fuck anyone who thinks like this, you're a lil bitch


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

.

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Hey man, F Tillman Fertitta always OBVIOUSLY

But he’s disrespecting teammates and playing with peoples lives , no? How is he not acting like an entitled punk? It’s gross

silas, etc.

but their problem is what it was even if harden had done everything right.

the organization is owned and led by a jackass. and harden wanting out is a direct result of jackass #1 at the top

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

but most b/c of ideology, etc.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That has to to be booze fat

I don’t get how a person can burn that many calories on a damn near daily basis and still get chubby. I’m also not a doctor.

.

Holy hell is that a good one

-->

...Tryin'

came back lookin like he off that vodka and slimfast


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Carry on.

in terms of raw fire-power - this is (on paper) the most gifted trio in the sport's history. It may not meld as well as the Splash Bros x KD - but KD/Kyrie/Harden will - on most nights - simply overwhelm teams by creating nightmare mismatches on the offensive end.

All three are not just elite play-makers/iso one-on-one marvels, but all three are elite sharp-shooters. You can't just shut down Harden now like teams had figured out through zones/schemes - because KD is just as/if not more dangerous. And then Kyrie is your third wheel? Ridiculous talent.

Their defense may be sub-standard - but it won't matter in most instances. If they remain healthy - they will be a problem.

-->

No matter how you want to incorrectly describe it. Two of those players are volume chuckers, with zero knowledge of playing defense. Basketball is a two way effort. Also take a trip down basketball history.

I still don’t put them ahead of Milwaukee, Philly or Boston, because of their lack of defense.

But go ahead and hype this shit up.

Obviously the defensive deficiencies are there. But in terms of pure offensive firepower - name a trio more deadly. GSW for sure. Who else?


-->

And you’ve anointed them as the greatest in history already

Slow down man


>Obviously the defensive deficiencies are there. But in terms
>of pure offensive firepower - name a trio more deadly. GSW
>for sure. Who else?
>
>
>-->

>And you’ve anointed them as the greatest in history
>already
>
>Slow down man
>
>
>>Obviously the defensive deficiencies are there. But in
>terms
>>of pure offensive firepower - name a trio more deadly. GSW
>>for sure. Who else?
>>
>>
>>-->
>

They SHOULD be able to cause huge problems for teams with any defensive liabilities. But if we’re being honest, we have to strongly consider that at least 1 of them isn’t above being an asshole and ruining this thing for selfish reasons.

Ie: if Harden really is out of shape, can he turn it on, evade injury, and understand that this shit isn’t gonna be Club Harden (professionalism, hard work, you’re gonna get told to do better at certain shit, you’re not gonna get to dribble in one spot like a jackass to rest 8 possessions in a row without someone cussing at you, etcetera)?

Bigger ie: is Kyrie mentally going to be willing and able to come back and do the work to make this work?

Biggest Ie: is there ANYONE there who can and will say the right cuss words in the right order and tone to get/keep this train on the tracks? Are we assuming that KD is gonna be down to babysit these dudes and convince them that they’re all bitches if they don’t at least show up and show out on the East? Is KD’s momma gonna do it? Steve Nash? Someone else?

So I'm asking - on paper - name an offensive trio as powered as this one. Please go ahead.

>So I'm asking - on paper - name an offensive trio as powered
>as this one. Please go ahead.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lakersnation.com/this-day-lakers-history-wilt-chamberlain-elgin-baylor-jerry-west-beat-suns-reach-western-conference-finals/2018/04/09/amp/

I know, they’re old and we didn’t get to know every time they were sad or every semi-famous ‘look at my booty please’-type broad they threw sausage on, but that’s 3 scoring and hooping ass sobs on a team at once. And even though they were later in their careers, they still rode on their enemiiiies pretty heavily.

Then, the 80s showtime lakers were what they were. Dudes damn near had to goon it up to stop them ever. And all of their big 3 scored like crazy. Oh, and those dudes won a lot too so there’s that.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/socalsportschronicles.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/los-angeles-lakers-memories-from-the-1980s-showtime-era/amp/

And really, any ‘paper’ written about these Brooklyn dudes has to include and consider that at least two of them are known assholes who piss off their teammates regularly. And the best of the 3 doesn’t seem like the right guy to force the other 2 to act right for long enough to win anything. I hope I’m wrong cuz it would be fun to see.

>>So I'm asking - on paper - name an offensive trio as
>powered
>>as this one. Please go ahead.
>
>https://www.google.com/amp/s/lakersnation.com/this-day-lakers-history-wilt-chamberlain-elgin-baylor-jerry-west-beat-suns-reach-western-conference-finals/2018/04/09/amp/

>I know, they’re old and we didn’t get to know every time
>they were sad or every semi-famous ‘look at my booty
>please’-type broad they threw sausage on, but that’s 3
>scoring and hooping ass sobs on a team at once. And even
>though they were later in their careers, they still rode on
>their enemiiiies pretty heavily.

Fair. Tough to argue w/ that. But if we have to go that far back then we're already conceding that this team has all-time level offensive talent, right?

>Then, the 80s showtime lakers were what they were. Dudes damn
>near had to goon it up to stop them ever. And all of their big
>3 scored like crazy. Oh, and those dudes won a lot too so
>there’s that.
>
>https://www.google.com/amp/s/socalsportschronicles.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/los-angeles-lakers-memories-from-the-1980s-showtime-era/amp/

The Showtime Lakers were far more balanced throughout than this top-heavy Brooklyn team, but in terms of just raw offensive scoring/firepower (as a trio)? I'd take this Brooklyn team. Kareem's prime was tailing off considerably at that point - Magic could score but was more of playmaker obviously - and big game James was a hell of a scorer, but not to the level of these guys.

But I don't think there's a chance this Brooklyn team can ever be as balanced and complimentary in skill-set as the Showtime 80's Lakers.

>And really, any ‘paper’ written about these Brooklyn dudes
>has to include and consider that at least two of them are
>known assholes who piss off their teammates regularly. And the
>best of the 3 doesn’t seem like the right guy to force the
>other 2 to act right for long enough to win anything. I hope
>I’m wrong cuz it would be fun to see.

It'll be fun to watch them either a. figure it out and give GSW a run in terms of outlandish offensive firepower; or b. they implode after being unable to manage personalities, and become an inexcusable bust.

Also - it's interesting that there isn't much talk about what this means for KD's legacy. It's sort of like GSW all over again (title or bust - and if you win, well you should have w/ that much talent). I think they more than enough talent (and arguably more balance) w/ the team as it was previously constructed sans Harden - and KD would've received mega props for that 'chip. This one (if he wins) - not so much.


-->

The sad thing for KD is that the average person in 2021’s earth is pretty comfy wallowing in wrongness and far less interested in adjusting to new data.

I want to believe that KD winning with Harden and whoever else shows up in Brooklyn will get him some props. Harden has clear and present warts on himself. And Kyrie is being labeled as an enigma after being on some failed teams and failing to figure out how to manage conversations with the media, relationships with teammates/coaches/organizations, and that type of stuff. It seems like this is much different than the GSW situation where KD gave that team an obvious upgrade over Harrison Barnes, the bball iq was super high, the humans involved seemed to understand what they were trying to do (WIN), and it was just a party of offensive excellence.

>>>So I'm asking - on paper - name an offensive trio as
>>powered
>>>as this one. Please go ahead.
>>
>>https://www.google.com/amp/s/lakersnation.com/this-day-lakers-history-wilt-chamberlain-elgin-baylor-jerry-west-beat-suns-reach-western-conference-finals/2018/04/09/amp/
>
>>I know, they’re old and we didn’t get to know every time
>>they were sad or every semi-famous ‘look at my booty
>>please’-type broad they threw sausage on, but that’s 3
>>scoring and hooping ass sobs on a team at once. And even
>>though they were later in their careers, they still rode on
>>their enemiiiies pretty heavily.
>
>Fair. Tough to argue w/ that. But if we have to go that far
>back then we're already conceding that this team has all-time
>level offensive talent, right?
>
>>Then, the 80s showtime lakers were what they were. Dudes
>damn
>>near had to goon it up to stop them ever. And all of their
>big
>>3 scored like crazy. Oh, and those dudes won a lot too so
>>there’s that.
>>
>>https://www.google.com/amp/s/socalsportschronicles.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/los-angeles-lakers-memories-from-the-1980s-showtime-era/amp/
>
>The Showtime Lakers were far more balanced throughout than
>this top-heavy Brooklyn team, but in terms of just raw
>offensive scoring/firepower (as a trio)? I'd take this
>Brooklyn team. Kareem's prime was tailing off considerably at
>that point - Magic could score but was more of playmaker
>obviously - and big game James was a hell of a scorer, but not
>to the level of these guys.
>
>But I don't think there's a chance this Brooklyn team can ever
>be as balanced and complimentary in skill-set as the Showtime
>80's Lakers.
>
>>And really, any ‘paper’ written about these Brooklyn
>dudes
>>has to include and consider that at least two of them are
>>known assholes who piss off their teammates regularly. And
>the
>>best of the 3 doesn’t seem like the right guy to force the
>>other 2 to act right for long enough to win anything. I hope
>>I’m wrong cuz it would be fun to see.
>
>It'll be fun to watch them either a. figure it out and give
>GSW a run in terms of outlandish offensive firepower; or b.
>they implode after being unable to manage personalities, and
>become an inexcusable bust.
>
>Also - it's interesting that there isn't much talk about what
>this means for KD's legacy. It's sort of like GSW all over
>again (title or bust - and if you win, well you should have w/
>that much talent). I think they more than enough talent (and
>arguably more balance) w/ the team as it was previously
>constructed sans Harden - and KD would've received mega props
>for that 'chip. This one (if he wins) - not so much.
>
>
>-->

>>So I'm asking - on paper - name an offensive trio as
>powered
>>as this one. Please go ahead.
>
>https://www.google.com/amp/s/lakersnation.com/this-day-lakers-history-wilt-chamberlain-elgin-baylor-jerry-west-beat-suns-reach-western-conference-finals/2018/04/09/amp/
>
>I know, they’re old and we didn’t get to know every time
>they were sad or every semi-famous ‘look at my booty
>please’-type broad they threw sausage on, but that’s 3
>scoring and hooping ass sobs on a team at once. And even
>though they were later in their careers, they still rode on
>their enemiiiies pretty heavily.
>
>Then, the 80s showtime lakers were what they were. Dudes damn
>near had to goon it up to stop them ever. And all of their big
>3 scored like crazy. Oh, and those dudes won a lot too so
>there’s that.
>
>https://www.google.com/amp/s/socalsportschronicles.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/los-angeles-lakers-memories-from-the-1980s-showtime-era/amp/
>
>And really, any ‘paper’ written about these Brooklyn dudes
>has to include and consider that at least two of them are
>known assholes who piss off their teammates regularly. And the
>best of the 3 doesn’t seem like the right guy to force the
>other 2 to act right for long enough to win anything. I hope
>I’m wrong cuz it would be fun to see.
>
>
>

and become a role player and average 18-20ppg as a 3rd option. Who's willing to do that?

Obviously there are a lot of questions they have to answer. Who's going to defend? (Though Jordan is a very effective defending big and KD has become a competent defender in his own right). Will they learn to move the ball more effectively? All three guys are among the most iso-ball dominant players in the league - so who's going to step up and be a distributor?

But do people really think they won't figure it out with *this* much talent? They very well could be the first team in NBA history to iso their way to a 'chip.

>and become a role player and average 18-20ppg as a 3rd
>option. Who's willing to do that?

You would think it has to be Kyrie or Harden - but KD is really the one who has the experience of being a killer off the ball (from his GS days) and not needing to be so ball dominant to be effective. But Harden and Kyrie have more than enough ability to distribute - so one of them will have to assume that role.

But again - is it really more likely that they don't figure it out? Too much talent not to figure it out - and they likely won't even have to figure it out to a high degree in order to get to the Finals.


-->

Like, people forget that those Harden Rockets teams rarely had real chemistry... and yet he took them to, minimum, the semis in the West annually. He woulda made (and probably won) the Finals had he not... run into Durant. Who is now on the same team as him. In the East. With Kyrie. (Theoretically.)

Most Big 3s historically have *one* non-shooter. Like, KD, Kyrie, and Harden are three of the best perimeter shooters in the NBA. Harden's numbers are lower than the other two, but it's because of how often he pulls up-- if he has an open look, it's in.

So now you have your best defender on KD, your second best defender on Harden (who can beat most teams' first best defender), and your third best defender on Kyrie (who, again, can beat probably 90% of teams' first best perimeter defender). Meanwhile, you also have Joe Harris waiting with hands open to knock down stand still 3s-- and he's one of the best in the league at that.

Unless shit dramatically implodes... they don't need defense. Which sounds fucking dumb to say. Because yes, they will play close games, and yes, they'll need defense in those. But they have three guys who can out-ISO most defenders in the league, and defenders won't be able to double any of them at all. It'd take a team with elite options on both ends (the Lakers, for instance) to beat them. I'm not convinced a team in the East can beat them in a best of 7 series, outside of maybe Philly if everything is really humming there.

That said, even though chemistry is probably being overrated by the public, the jokes about the chemistry are pretty obvious and I don't begrudge anyone for making them, lol.

And as we already saw last night v. Bucks - they are *already* figuring it out - and that's even without Kyrie. That was an offensive marvel that Harden & KD put on. They just simply outgunned the Bucks (who are one of just a few truly elite teams).

You can already hear the jokes subsiding in real-time (although we all enjoyed the comedy).


-->

Because Brooklyn is on a rampage and this original point stands: most gifted offensive trio in the sport's history, period.

Now we have facts to back that up: Brooklyn had the highest offensive rating in league history this year.

-->

4 steals and a block for good measure. 8 TO is pretty gnarly though. he's now leading the league in AST

great debut. showed he can indeed play within a different system (he was doing this in silas' system when he first came back; that's why he has so many assists this year) and he even played some decent defense too

i don't know how teams stop KD /and/ harden to close out games, never mind kyrie (if he returns.) all of them can get to the rim at will and are elite free throw shooters. i expect BKN to lead the league in FT attempts

if BKN can cobble together even a slightly below average defense they'll be unstoppable up to the playoffs and probably up to the finals. however they're unlikely to beat LAL in the finals due to poor defense. maybe they can coax LAL into a shoot out but that's probably not happening either due to LAL's great defense

interesting to see how Kyrie fits in if and when he does come back

>4 steals and a block for good measure. 8 TO is pretty gnarly
>though. he's now leading the league in AST
>
>great debut. showed he can indeed play within a different
>system (he was doing this in silas' system when he first came
>back; that's why he has so many assists this year) and he even
>played some decent defense too
>
>i don't know how teams stop KD /and/ harden to close out
>games, never mind kyrie (if he returns.) all of them can get
>to the rim at will and are elite free throw shooters. i
>expect BKN to lead the league in FT attempts
>
>if BKN can cobble together even a slightly below average
>defense they'll be unstoppable up to the playoffs and probably
>up to the finals. however they're unlikely to beat LAL in the
>finals due to poor defense. maybe they can coax LAL into a
>shoot out but that's probably not happening either due to
>LAL's great defense

definitely agree there. Lakers are the team I can't look past because of their defense. and if the pattern of "everyone else scoring so LeBron can chill" holds up? might be the best championship team LeBron has ever played on, because the way they play defense.

i think he truly tried for most of those games but that HOU team is shaky at best. wood seemed like an appealing partner for him but the rest of the team is pretty bad and/or unreliable. fertitta was more interested in dodging the luxury tax than he was in building a true contender. HOU is probably a first round exit at best with harden on it. might not make the play-in without him. no need for harden to waste another year there when he has leverage and teams that want him. AD tanked for far longer and everyone forgot about it after he got his ring. maybe we'll say the same thing about harden next year

i think folks are going to be surprised at harden's effort this year off ball and on D. he finally doesn't have to do absolutely everything in every game for his team to have a chance. i imagine he'll take fewer plays off since he'll theoretically be expending less energy not having to run the offense and fight off double teams for 95% of time he's in the game. i think he's going to work well beside kd and kyrie. he had his most efficent season last year letting westbrook get a lot of touches. i hope he continues that efficient play and people start to see him as a preternaturally skilled team player that is fun to watch now that he's divorced from iso heavy moreyball

ive never really been a fan of the style dantoni played in houston and that 4th quarter debacle vs the warriors turned me off completely to him...but tonight I saw a much more versatile Harden

the change of scenery is clearly having an effect on his game already.



>4 steals and a block for good measure. 8 TO is pretty gnarly
>though. he's now leading the league in AST
>
>great debut. showed he can indeed play within a different
>system (he was doing this in silas' system when he first came
>back; that's why he has so many assists this year) and he even
>played some decent defense too
>
>i don't know how teams stop KD /and/ harden to close out
>games, never mind kyrie (if he returns.) all of them can get
>to the rim at will and are elite free throw shooters. i
>expect BKN to lead the league in FT attempts
>
>if BKN can cobble together even a slightly below average
>defense they'll be unstoppable up to the playoffs and probably
>up to the finals. however they're unlikely to beat LAL in the
>finals due to poor defense. maybe they can coax LAL into a
>shoot out but that's probably not happening either due to
>LAL's great defense
>
>

shouldn't be surprised by Harden's numbers but things will get interesting if and when Kyrie comes back

>
>if BKN can cobble together even a slightly below average
>defense they'll be unstoppable up to the playoffs and probably
>up to the finals.

I’m sure Kyrie has sleepless nights over diet knockoff Rondo

They’re gonna have to outscore them

Unless you're assuming Kyrie never arrives. Because they have two guys that can defend Brooklyn stars, not three.

That was originally going to go to Cleveland

Not surprising, but hilarious nonetheless.

Like, my take was measured but wrong.

This dude really ranked like 4 teams above these dudes and they just beat the shit out of Mil by 40 WITHOUT an MVP

-->

I just pretend it's Skip Bayless typing away on the keyboard and I just laugh to myself instead of getting upset like I see most folks do on here.

>I just pretend it's Skip Bayless typing away on the keyboard
>and I just laugh to myself instead of getting upset like I see
>most folks do on here.

but this is basically his track record every year lol.

-->

i did not like this trade...I thought the "tougher" route of big 2 would have been more fun, i underestimated how much fun watching JAmes Harden play every day is...sheeeesh. He's good and fun to watch.

I assumed New York (like all the boroughs) was a Knicks city.

Like 80/20.

If the Nets win, who is celebrating? People out in CT?

I hated the nets but once they moved to BK, couldn't help but root for them (especially once when we got past the Deron, PP, KG era)

>If the Nets win, who is celebrating? People out in CT?


this might be the dumbest question ever.

Have you heard of the New Jersey Nets? or the State of New Jersey? People there don't resent the Nets for leaving. They resent Chris Christie for disrespecting them in favor of the NJ Devils (who admittedly have had more post season success)


https://www.espn.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7847416/new-jersey-governor-chris-christie-says-good-riddance-brooklyn-bound-nets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDvGl53ksR4

Plus Jersey and LI fans

Knicks fans are the larger group for sure, but it was only a 'rivalry' this year because they were so mad about the Nets success, and also had a good run themselves to put the wind under their wings, and when they first came to brooklyn and the rivalry was a new 'thing'

When both teams sucked or the Knicks were hopeless it was the same way NY deals with the two teams it has in every sport

Giants / Jets
Yankees / Mets
Liberty / Nets
Rangers / Islanders

dude spent the prime of his career carrying that sorry ass bunch and never once complained.

all time leader in points and blocks for the franchise.

im kind of annoyed kyrie took his 11 number.

>
>Plus Jersey and LI fans
>
>Knicks fans are the larger group for sure, but it was only a
>'rivalry' this year because they were so mad about the Nets
>success, and also had a good run themselves to put the wind
>under their wings, and when they first came to brooklyn and
>the rivalry was a new 'thing'
>
>When both teams sucked or the Knicks were hopeless it was the
>same way NY deals with the two teams it has in every sport
>
>Giants / Jets
>Yankees / Mets
>Liberty / Nets
>Rangers / Islanders
>
>
>
>

>dude spent the prime of his career carrying that sorry ass
>bunch and never once complained.
>
>all time leader in points and blocks for the franchise.
>
>im kind of annoyed kyrie took his 11 number.

season I feel was Harden / KD, followed by Harden / Kyrie. Kyrie / KD tandem has struggled during the season, but are so smooth now I'm wondering if it was a damn act lol

Harden was 100% fun as hell to watch this year. But I have so much more respect for these guys games now that I'm forced to root for them

“and dont yall Knicks fans try to cross the bridge after that shit show performance..”

lmao

which is going to hurt a ton in the long term if this incantation of the Nets with Durant, Kyrie, and Simmons don't get at least one ring, I wonder how much Caris Levert and Jarrett Allen would have helped the Nets out in the short term. Allen for sure would have help out tremendously on the defensive end.

This year, Kyrie's refusal to get the vaccine did clearly disrupt things. That's a given. And when they traded Harden for Simmons, again, that seemed pretty clearly to be a move not for this year, but for next year and forward, to help the defense and ball movement.

So next year, when (theoretically) Kyrie can play for more of the season and (theoretically) Ben can join them? They're going to be projected as a Top 5 NBA team once again. And people on Twitter will moan and scream and gnash their teeth, but the upside is still just so obvious.

Now, would I place money on a Top 5 NBA regular season finish considering the turmoil that tends to surround these guys? No, lol. They're a classic case of "if they end up winning a title, I won't be surprised, and if they end up flaming out, I won't be surprised." It'll either result in a ring or in massive disappointment... but at least they realistically have "the ring" option on the table, lol. Better to have the pieces with actual title upside than to be, say, the Utah Jazz or something.

And re: Jarrett Allen... look, Allen can't defend in space the way a playoff center needs to. He just can't. He's a good rim protector, and he's active on offense, but when you get into the playoffs, that doesn't matter. Utah's realizing they have to be able to bench Gobert on defense, the best defensive center in the league, and Denver has to bench Jokic, the best offensive center in the league, on defense too. True big men, even the best in the world, just get scorched in space against the best of the best shooting offenses in a playoff setting in today's game. And Cleveland's going to have to reconcile that fact in the coming years with Allen and Markannen on the floor.

When Giannis can play the 5, and Draymond can play the 5, and Bam can play the 5, and (the hypothetically healthy) Anthony Davis can play the 5, you have to have a guy who can defend inside and out who can switch on screens to have a real shot at winning the title. And Ben, when he was on the floor, was one of the best defenders in the NBA. Considering his defensive versatility and his passing acumen, using him in the way GSW uses Draymond makes complete and total sense. It just increases their upside so much. (Of course, Draymond is significantly tougher than Ben, goes without saying, lol. But in terms of skill on both ends, Ben definitely has it. Will be interesting to see what he chooses to do with it next season.)

Bruce Brown , Aldridge , Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton , Dragic and Patty Mills all hit the market




This year, Kyrie's refusal to get the vaccine did clearly
>disrupt things. That's a given. And when they traded Harden
>for Simmons, again, that seemed pretty clearly to be a move
>not for this year, but for next year and forward, to help the
>defense and ball movement.
>
>So next year, when (theoretically) Kyrie can play for more of
>the season and (theoretically) Ben can join them? They're
>going to be projected as a Top 5 NBA team once again. And
>people on Twitter will moan and scream and gnash their teeth,
>but the upside is still just so obvious.
>
>Now, would I place money on a Top 5 NBA regular season finish
>considering the turmoil that tends to surround these guys? No,
>lol. They're a classic case of "if they end up winning a
>title, I won't be surprised, and if they end up flaming out, I
>won't be surprised." It'll either result in a ring or in
>massive disappointment... but at least they realistically have
>"the ring" option on the table, lol. Better to have the pieces
>with actual title upside than to be, say, the Utah Jazz or
>something.
>
>And re: Jarrett Allen... look, Allen can't defend in space the
>way a playoff center needs to. He just can't. He's a good rim
>protector, and he's active on offense, but when you get into
>the playoffs, that doesn't matter. Utah's realizing they have
>to be able to bench Gobert on defense, the best defensive
>center in the league, and Denver has to bench Jokic, the best
>offensive center in the league, on defense too. True big men,
>even the best in the world, just get scorched in space against
>the best of the best shooting offenses in a playoff setting in
>today's game. And Cleveland's going to have to reconcile that
>fact in the coming years with Allen and Markannen on the
>floor.
>
>When Giannis can play the 5, and Draymond can play the 5, and
>Bam can play the 5, and (the hypothetically healthy) Anthony
>Davis can play the 5, you have to have a guy who can defend
>inside and out who can switch on screens to have a real shot
>at winning the title. And Ben, when he was on the floor, was
>one of the best defenders in the NBA. Considering his
>defensive versatility and his passing acumen, using him in the
>way GSW uses Draymond makes complete and total sense. It just
>increases their upside so much. (Of course, Draymond is
>significantly tougher than Ben, goes without saying, lol. But
>in terms of skill on both ends, Ben definitely has it. Will be
>interesting to see what he chooses to do with it next
>season.)

I imagine Patty will probably pick up his option, and I imagine some of the old players are inclined to resign. Bruce Brown leaving for another team would hurt.

The core is what gives them the upside, end of the day, but the players they choose to surround the core with is definitely critical for giving the team the chemistry and the support they need to maximize their output.

and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt he's being honest in that regard, the majority of what you typed above there depends on if Ben Simmons can return to the Ben Simmons that was on the Sixers and his back issues don't rob him of the speed and lateral quickness he'll need to be a defensive force for Brooklyn.

Time will tell if that's the case.

They'll still have a lack of depth next season though assuming they go the AARP route in terms of getting older past their prime vets to agree to one year near minimum contracts.

Mainly because he has Kevin Durant's support, for whatever reasons. Wonder if that will change before next season starts. It's pretty clear to me something has to change for the Nets to succeed.

west conf finals by 2024.