I'm surprised by the overpaid-Adams thought. Every time I watch that team I think he's exactly what they need to go with those other guys; somebody who will work his butt off on D, run the floor (best he can), work hard on the boards, knock people on their *ss when needed, and never ask for the ball. Not the kind of game that's very pretty, but the kind of guy (I think) every good team needs. Could/would somebody else do it as good for less $?

Posted by toddcommish on 6/14/2018 10:47:00 AM (view original):
LOL, based on the collective wisdom and strategic value of all the moves on this board, the Warriors are winning the next five titles.

so you dont think LBJ to Boston creates a legit contender?

Posted by bds9992 on 6/14/2018 4:31:00 PM (view original):

Posted by ashamael on 6/14/2018 4:21:00 PM (view original):
I have no dog in this hunt, but it sure seems like plenty of people have given reasons why it isn't the best basketball fit; you just refuse to let anybody else have an opinion other than yourself on this issue.

I read it again. cope thought we couldn’t afford PG and LBJ, but it would be easy and I showed him the proof. People think Booker is a good stats, bad team guy, but there’s really no way to know until we see him on what is supposed to be a good team.

i made one post, cope called me a liar, and then i responded - in good faith - to every other point people made. I expected I wouldn’t have to respond after my initial post, but you guys just kept being disrespectful.

ya didn't do that at all - there's a difference between positing a bunch of pie in the sky moves that are unrealistic and 'proof' - for instance I could say we can clear 18m off the books and get another first rounder if we trade Deng, but that's not going to happen just like none of your nonsense is going to happen - people dont want your trash and LBJ doesnt want to come to Phoenix to play with 2 kids and a bunch of scrubs

to that end I also pointed out that you haven't got the talent to compete (you were the worst team in the league last year and you think you have all these assets? you have some picks which in your hypothetical you intend to throw away) and you're in the same division as the Warriors

Posted by patricije on 6/14/2018 4:34:00 PM (view original):
From basketball perspective, I don't see any difference between Lakers and Suns. They are both very young teams with players who are maybe talented, but still unproven (unlike Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who, even though young, showed they can play at really high level already). Also, both teams would have to be taken to pieces in order to acquire LBJ. Then it would probably be Booker, Jackson and the pick vs Ball, Kuzma and Ingram and I don't see considerable difference there YET.
That said I just don't see LeBron taking his talents to Phoenix, because I see better franchises basketball-wise (like San Antonio, Boston or Philly) and cities which LEBRON IS MORE ATTRACTED to (Cleveland, LA). In no way I want to say Phoenix is a bad city to live in as I've never been there.

You can also put it this way - it would be like leaving your girlfriend (Cleveland) for some random girl (Phoenix), whereas going to LA would be like dating a celebrity if you get what I mean. :)

with any luck health-wise the Lakers were a .500 team last season (they won 35 games despite two of their best players missing 20+ games each) and they have 61m clear right now without dismantling their core - that said I will be astonished if LBJ comes to LA or west at all

Posted by all3 on 6/15/2018 9:44:00 AM (view original):
I'm surprised by the overpaid-Adams thought. Every time I watch that team I think he's exactly what they need to go with those other guys; somebody who will work his butt off on D, run the floor (best he can), work hard on the boards, knock people on their *ss when needed, and never ask for the ball. Not the kind of game that's very pretty, but the kind of guy (I think) every good team needs. Could/would somebody else do it as good for less $?

That's a solid point, you probably couldn't find a player as good. I mean, for that type of player, I really like him, but why go with classic center anyway...? But let's say you have to go with him, I still don't like how "unused" he is. He gets under 10 shots per game and I think you must get him more involved...for the money you are paying him, give him the opportunity to go for at least 17 & 10. He is high % shooter, get him 15 shots a game. Also make him learn them FTs, 55% is bad.

I'd like to see Thunder sign a guy like Avery Bradley, or even KCP. Strong defenders who can make open 3s are something that OKC desperately needs if they want to build around Westbrook. I'm not even sure if they need PG13. Westbrook is still going to jack up shots whatever his previous fg% was. It's not like, "hey, I'm off tonight, it's your turn PG"...no - he is going with mindset "I missed 10 in a row, no way I miss again". I hate his IQ...But I love his motor, energy, only if he could make better decisions...

Boston

Just stay healthy

Posted by copernicus on 6/15/2018 10:27:00 AM (view original):

Posted by patricije on 6/14/2018 4:34:00 PM (view original):
From basketball perspective, I don't see any difference between Lakers and Suns. They are both very young teams with players who are maybe talented, but still unproven (unlike Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who, even though young, showed they can play at really high level already). Also, both teams would have to be taken to pieces in order to acquire LBJ. Then it would probably be Booker, Jackson and the pick vs Ball, Kuzma and Ingram and I don't see considerable difference there YET.
That said I just don't see LeBron taking his talents to Phoenix, because I see better franchises basketball-wise (like San Antonio, Boston or Philly) and cities which LEBRON IS MORE ATTRACTED to (Cleveland, LA). In no way I want to say Phoenix is a bad city to live in as I've never been there.

You can also put it this way - it would be like leaving your girlfriend (Cleveland) for some random girl (Phoenix), whereas going to LA would be like dating a celebrity if you get what I mean. :)

with any luck health-wise the Lakers were a .500 team last season (they won 35 games despite two of their best players missing 20+ games each) and they have 61m clear right now without dismantling their core - that said I will be astonished if LBJ comes to LA or west at all

They'd probably need around 65M for both LBJ and PG as I don't think they would take a paycut, so that means 1 guy from LAL core would have to go - probably Randle. That leaves you Ingram, Ball and Kuzma, although I would personally take Randle over Ball as long as Lavar screws around. Now if they manage to trade Deng and not stretch him, they might be able to keep all the players. But who would take Deng at this point?

Where do you see LBJ next season, obvously somewhere in the east - Philly, Boston, Cleveland?

Posted by copernicus on 6/15/2018 10:15:00 AM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/14/2018 10:47:00 AM (view original):
LOL, based on the collective wisdom and strategic value of all the moves on this board, the Warriors are winning the next five titles.

so you dont think LBJ to Boston creates a legit contender?

LBJ to literally ANY Eastern Conference team creates a legit contender... to win the East and get blown out in the Finals. Look at Cleveland. If you take LeBron off that team, they're a rudderless 30-40 win team, maybe even fewer. With Boston or Toronto, he'd be more disruptive than beneficial because he would change the chemistry too dramatically (can you imagine trying to re-integrate LBJ with Kyrie, or having him share with Lowry/DeRozan?)

If LBJ goes to the Lakers (or the Suns), we'll know it's for the money and the money alone, since he'll have NO CHANCE at competing with the Warriors. He'll put them into that moderate contender level with the 3-9 seeds in the West... none of whom had a prayer against the top two teams this year, although Houston is going to take a big dropoff if they don't get CP3, Capela, Ariza, etc. ALL BACK.

Remember, the Dubs are already assembled for next year... AS IS. All of the other teams have to re-tool to compete with them. LBJ's best chance to actually WIN is to stay in Cleveland and add pieces THERE. Cleveland should ship out their bad contracts tied to their draft picks to teams with tons of cap room ("Hey, we'll give you our #1 draft pick if you take JR Smith's contract"). There are TONS of players that would play with LBJ and chase the ring in Cleveland for a year or two on a MLE or cheaper deal.

Posted by patricije on 6/15/2018 10:59:00 AM (view original):

Posted by copernicus on 6/15/2018 10:27:00 AM (view original):

Posted by patricije on 6/14/2018 4:34:00 PM (view original):
From basketball perspective, I don't see any difference between Lakers and Suns. They are both very young teams with players who are maybe talented, but still unproven (unlike Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who, even though young, showed they can play at really high level already). Also, both teams would have to be taken to pieces in order to acquire LBJ. Then it would probably be Booker, Jackson and the pick vs Ball, Kuzma and Ingram and I don't see considerable difference there YET.
That said I just don't see LeBron taking his talents to Phoenix, because I see better franchises basketball-wise (like San Antonio, Boston or Philly) and cities which LEBRON IS MORE ATTRACTED to (Cleveland, LA). In no way I want to say Phoenix is a bad city to live in as I've never been there.

You can also put it this way - it would be like leaving your girlfriend (Cleveland) for some random girl (Phoenix), whereas going to LA would be like dating a celebrity if you get what I mean. :)

with any luck health-wise the Lakers were a .500 team last season (they won 35 games despite two of their best players missing 20+ games each) and they have 61m clear right now without dismantling their core - that said I will be astonished if LBJ comes to LA or west at all

They'd probably need around 65M for both LBJ and PG as I don't think they would take a paycut, so that means 1 guy from LAL core would have to go - probably Randle. That leaves you Ingram, Ball and Kuzma, although I would personally take Randle over Ball as long as Lavar screws around. Now if they manage to trade Deng and not stretch him, they might be able to keep all the players. But who would take Deng at this point?

Where do you see LBJ next season, obvously somewhere in the east - Philly, Boston, Cleveland?

maybe they could stretch Deng (maybe even try the Pincus maneuver) and probably still wouldn't be able to retain Randle but I see LBJ as an upgrade at Randle's position anyway

I still think it's going to be hard for him to leave Cleveland but I'm talking myself into Boston more and more

Posted by toddcommish on 6/15/2018 10:59:00 AM (view original):

Posted by copernicus on 6/15/2018 10:15:00 AM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/14/2018 10:47:00 AM (view original):
LOL, based on the collective wisdom and strategic value of all the moves on this board, the Warriors are winning the next five titles.

so you dont think LBJ to Boston creates a legit contender?

LBJ to literally ANY Eastern Conference team creates a legit contender... to win the East and get blown out in the Finals. Look at Cleveland. If you take LeBron off that team, they're a rudderless 30-40 win team, maybe even fewer. With Boston or Toronto, he'd be more disruptive than beneficial because he would change the chemistry too dramatically (can you imagine trying to re-integrate LBJ with Kyrie, or having him share with Lowry/DeRozan?)

If LBJ goes to the Lakers (or the Suns), we'll know it's for the money and the money alone, since he'll have NO CHANCE at competing with the Warriors. He'll put them into that moderate contender level with the 3-9 seeds in the West... none of whom had a prayer against the top two teams this year, although Houston is going to take a big dropoff if they don't get CP3, Capela, Ariza, etc. ALL BACK.

Remember, the Dubs are already assembled for next year... AS IS. All of the other teams have to re-tool to compete with them. LBJ's best chance to actually WIN is to stay in Cleveland and add pieces THERE. Cleveland should ship out their bad contracts tied to their draft picks to teams with tons of cap room ("Hey, we'll give you our #1 draft pick if you take JR Smith's contract"). There are TONS of players that would play with LBJ and chase the ring in Cleveland for a year or two on a MLE or cheaper deal.

It will never happen but Bron in Toronto makes a lot of sense basketball-wise. They would have to trade DeRozan, but, so?

LBJ to literally ANY Eastern Conference team creates a legit contender... to win the East and get blown out in the Finals. Look at Cleveland. If you take LeBron off that team, they're a rudderless 30-40 win team, maybe even fewer. With Boston or Toronto, he'd be more disruptive than beneficial because he would change the chemistry too dramatically (can you imagine trying to re-integrate LBJ with Kyrie)

I kind of assume they'd have to move Kyrie (either in a direct trade or via a third team ) to make this happen in any event but they do have the future picks to get it done and still field a team of Horford, LBJ, Heyward, Tatum, Brown, Dozier - I think that's very competitive

Posted by toddcommish on 6/15/2018 10:59:00 AM (view original):

Posted by copernicus on 6/15/2018 10:15:00 AM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/14/2018 10:47:00 AM (view original):
LOL, based on the collective wisdom and strategic value of all the moves on this board, the Warriors are winning the next five titles.

so you dont think LBJ to Boston creates a legit contender?

LBJ to literally ANY Eastern Conference team creates a legit contender... to win the East and get blown out in the Finals. Look at Cleveland. If you take LeBron off that team, they're a rudderless 30-40 win team, maybe even fewer. With Boston or Toronto, he'd be more disruptive than beneficial because he would change the chemistry too dramatically (can you imagine trying to re-integrate LBJ with Kyrie, or having him share with Lowry/DeRozan?)

If LBJ goes to the Lakers (or the Suns), we'll know it's for the money and the money alone, since he'll have NO CHANCE at competing with the Warriors. He'll put them into that moderate contender level with the 3-9 seeds in the West... none of whom had a prayer against the top two teams this year, although Houston is going to take a big dropoff if they don't get CP3, Capela, Ariza, etc. ALL BACK.

Remember, the Dubs are already assembled for next year... AS IS. All of the other teams have to re-tool to compete with them. LBJ's best chance to actually WIN is to stay in Cleveland and add pieces THERE. Cleveland should ship out their bad contracts tied to their draft picks to teams with tons of cap room ("Hey, we'll give you our #1 draft pick if you take JR Smith's contract"). There are TONS of players that would play with LBJ and chase the ring in Cleveland for a year or two on a MLE or cheaper deal.

If lebron comes to philly that will be two teams(Boston) that golden state could lose to in the finals. Both those teams will have way more depth than the warriors and legit defense to match up with them.

No one on golden state can handle embiid. Green is too small

Philly has a clear path to the cap room but it probably involves stretching Covington and not being able to bring back JJ (I was wrong about that earlier)

Toronto has -27m in practical cap space and no picks to work with

Just have to clear Bayless(thanks colon jello) and we can afford lebron. That shouldn’t be too hard since we have 4 2nds to make that happen

then we can sign redick with the mle

in other news everyone and their mother is now tweeting that Kawhi is trying to force a trade to the Lakers