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Mitch Cumsteen

Burnt Ends
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Everything posted by Mitch Cumsteen

  1. The difference being that Giannis won a ring in Milwaukee. Other than the nephew, I can’t remember another star bailing on the team that drafted him if they had won a championship and was still in contention. All the other guys bailed on the team that drafted them because they failed to build a team around them. Unless I’m missing someone… KG, Shaq, Carmelo, Lebron, KD, Paul George, Chris Paul, Harden (technically drafted by okc I guess), Lillard, AD. I suppose Kyrie, but he was really Lebron’s sidekick plus he’s fucking insane.
  2. Unless Giannis demands it and is forcing their hand, Milwaukee should be forced to relocate their franchise to Las Vegas or Seattle if they trade him.
  3. On one hand, I kinda view the second round picks as the NBA's version of cryptocurrency. I do find it interesting how those second round picks are going down these days though. Agents are negotiating directly with teams and getting promises/guarantees while telling other teams to not pick their client. It's a much different dynamic than we've seen in the past, especially with certain agents having more and more pull. But there are a lot of ways to use those picks, especially for teams that have mortgaged away a good chunk of their future. The Spurs (who like OKC have a shitload of picks coming their way in the next 7 years), just traded a few second rounders and took a small one year cap hit to facilitate the Mavs signing Grant Williams. In return, they got an unprotected first round swap from Dallas way down the line that may amount to something huge, or nothing at all. It's going to be very interesting to see how the new CBA and second apron impacts all of this. Cap space seems relatively cheap right now but at the same time, low spending teams are having to get up to the floor so it makes cap room a little more scarce. I think it's smart what OKC and and the Spurs are doing. They can keep pushing those picks down the line by facilitating more deals or use them to acquire a disgruntled star or use them for cheap deals to fill out their bench once they start truly competing.
  4. So much this. I keep saying it... but the mental side is almost more impressive than the physical side. The only thing that can derail this kid is injury and he's seems to be such a freak about his preparation and training that he's going to do everything possible to minimize that risk as well.
  5. Wemby is a cheat code. It’s going to be so much fun watching him develop. I think that’s gonna be a wrap for him in summer league though. The regular session can’t get here soon enough.
  6. You also don’t typically see the number 3 pick in the draft play in summer league after their rookie year. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Smith coming out of college and he would have been my first pick in last year’s draft but he should be dominating in Vegas.
  7. I’ll never get over seeing Austin Rivers live in his summer league debut, pre-game in the layup line he goes from the shooting line, knocks down his shot and then gets back into the shooting line. What kind of psychopath thinks he can just avoid the rebounding line? I’ve hated him ever since. So that proves that you can make judgments off of one summer league game. Vic was rough last night but it’s not altogether unexpected. His defensive impact is going to be evident from day one. His skill is also evident but there’s going to be some ugly offense from him, especially early.
  8. Hopefully Victor learns his lesson from all of this -- and that lesson is, never leave the house unless you absolutely have to. It worked for Timmy for 20 years, other than sneaking into Teka Molino for a bean cup on a late afternoon every now and then. Victor should take the same approach. And definitely stay the fuck out of Vegas. Also, I'm really looking forward to his debut tonight. I know it's summer league and obviously meaningless, but his teammates in France were so incompetent that it was difficult to get a true gauge of his overall floor game. There was so much disorganized and bad, discombobulated basketball that it was hard to watch. Not that the Spurs summer league team is going to remind anybody of the 2014 beautiful game, but they at least have enough guys who have been in the system and are decently talented to put some structure around him. People want to talk about how it will be his first time facing NBA-level athletes in a game, but it's also going to be the first time he gets to play with NBA-level athletes. I want to see what he can unlock for other guys who actually have half a clue how to play off of him.
  9. 1. Ewers appeared to "digress" last year. 2. A&M is going 8-4 every season until proven otherwise. 3. I was in Vancouver a few weeks ago and the internet was blazing fast.
  10. Ah yes... let's fondly reminisce about the 11th hour bag dropping on this gaggle of mercenaries that completely flamed out at A&M. Celebrate their many accomplishments! This is a horror show of a recruiting run. It would be like us jerking it to the time Tom Herman got BJ Foster to commit. Let's go back and celebrate the Bru McCoy recruitment while we're at it! What the fuck is wrong with those people? <--- that's a rhetorical question, btw. Let's dig through the smoldering ashes of the bags they dropped: Bobby Brown was a really good player for A&M who made the NFL as a 4th round pick. He also got suspended for PEDs last season. Leon embodied the Aggie spirit in almost every hilarious and stereotypical way possible. Vernon Jackson had a career ending neck injury but apparently wasn't hurt enough to stop him from choking his girlfriend out and slamming her head into the floor. Jashaun Corbin did jack shit at A&M, then transferred back home to Florida State to become a decent player. He's on the Giants practice squad. The heir apparent at QB, James Foster transferred during the covid year to Charlotte and is a backup there. Four star Jeremiah Martin had a very meh 11 tackles in 32 career games for A&M. He then transferred to Washington where he magically became team captain and first team all Pac-12 with 41 tackles, 11 being for a loss, eight and a half sacks, and two forced fumbles. He's an UDFA on the Browns. Charles Strong drove Texas football into a ditch transferred to Troy after a redshirt season and didn't do shit. Tank Jenkins was another four star who did jack shit at A&M and then transferred to Cougar High where he's a backup guard. Glenn Beal transferred to Louisiana and fell off the face of the earth. #neverforget
  11. All I am saying is that Miami making the finals without him isn't necessarily helping his trade value vs. what you saw from Bruce Brown, for example. Be it out of sight / out of mind mentality or the fact that they played markedly better without him, the perception of him right now isn't at its peak. From what I was told, there is almost no chance the Spurs take his contract. They're keeping the books clean not only for next year, but probably the next few years. They are still in asset accumulation mode. Renting cap for picks 6 years from now? Yes. All day, apparently. Giving up some of their war chest while taking on a not great 4 year commitment for a guy who doesn't play defense and would take minutes away from Vassell and Keldon Johnson all the while not moving the needle on a ring? No way.
  12. The offensive numbers are good and he looked like a future superstar as a rookie in the bubble, but he's a poor defender and the elephant in the room is that the Heat got demonstrably better in the playoffs once he got hurt. I don't know that his value has ever been lower since he got drafted. Miami would be more than happy to give him up for Lillard's bloated contract. Portland doesn't want him. He doesn't fit their new tanking timeline, and he's probably just good enough with what else is on the roster (Simons, Grant + developing youngsters) to keep them out of the deadass bottom of the lottery. They've been there and done that for too long now. Part of the reason the Lillard trade is stalling is that no third team is willing to throw in some extra picks Portland's way to scoop him up. And Portland doesn't feel like they could flip him later. If he were on a little bit of a cheaper deal, they would probably get more takers.
  13. Williams is a nice pickup. Undersized, but he's a good two-way glue guy who has played in a lot of big games and hit big shots. I like the fit and the contract isn't horrible. Dallas is definitely improved over last season with much better depth. That's a rather small team overall, though. Not sure what you're going to get from Lively as a rookie. Might need another big body. As always, the season hinges on Kyrie, but there are some nice mix and max pieces up and down the bench.
  14. I think that was expected. Thybulle is limited offensively, but Portland wasn't going to move off of him for nothing especially when they're about to move a giant hunk of their cap. No downside to them re-signing him. Regarding Bridges , heis a fantastic young two way player who never misses games locked into a very reasonable contract through 2026. The Nets reportedly turned down some pretty crazy offers for him at the deadline. I understand what they're thinking, but I don't think that KD trade is going to age particularly well for the Suns. What's Phoenix's window with a soon to be 35 year old Durant? 2 years?
  15. Once she got into that Papa Don’t Preach phase, I tuned out.
  16. Cincinnati has a dude named Don Corleone on its defensive line? They’re definitely going to the mattresses in this conference.
  17. Kinda unusual trade but I like it. Spurs give up four second rounders for an unprotected first round swap with Dallas 6 years from now. They have so many second round picks, it’s worth taking a flyer on I suppose. What the hell else are they going to do with them? Plus they should be able to flip Bullock at the deadline for more picks. Not much downside and potential for something nice down the line.
  18. For sure they could have won more games last year and I do like most of their young guys, but they also just weren't very talented and got less talented when they traded Poeltl and Richardson at the deadline. That said, there aren't going to be any gimmes in the conference next season. The only team in the west that will be tanking outright is Portland (if/when they trade Lillard). Everybody else is either a contender or doesn't own their own pick. An early season injury to a star or a disappointing first half of the season might change the trajectory for somebody. Houston would be the most likely tanking suspect but their pick goes to OKC (top 4 protected). Utah was surprisingly good and should be better. OKC should be better. Dallas looks better on paper notwithstanding Kyrie doing Kyrie things. They owe their pick to NY unless its top 10 again, but they have got to show Luka something if they want to keep him. Minnesota somehow actually owns its own pick but that team isn't built to tank. As much as it pains me to say it, other than Portland, the Spurs probably have the most to gain by sucking next year. I don't think they tank outright, but if shit goes sideways around March there could be a contagious amount of load management.
  19. Like anybody is having sex with Helobious.
  20. So I caught up with my friend for the first time since the lottery. He didn't tell me anything earth shattering or even newsworthy, but I'm passing it along anyway. 1. I asked if Wemby was as grounded and as genuine as he comes off in interviews and the answer was so far, yes. It's not bullshit apparently. He is all about basketball, getting better, working hard and being a good teammate. Also, he's done some shit in practice with his wingspan that has them shaking their heads in disbelief. 2. The level of fame he brings with him is something they've never had to deal with. They have people trying to sneak into the practice facility to get his autograph. One of his ig posts gets like 50 million views or something ridiculous like that. Last year the Spurs were one of, if not the lowest rated NBA team in social media engagement. Now their numbers are through the roof. They are going to need a separate guy to travel with the team and his sole purpose is to attend to Wemby's schedule and media. He's turning down major endorsement deals (e.g., soft drinks) if he doesn't think they're good for people or he's not down with the product. He's not dollar or fame chasing, but this kid will probably never be able to go out in public for the rest of his life and have any sort of peace. Even on the off chance someone doesn't recognize him, people are going to be gawking at him because of his size. There's a decent chance that he plays every game of his entire career in front of a sell out crowd. I wish I could remember the dollar amount he told me, but the direct impact on the franchise so far in season ticket revenue alone was staggering -- tens of millions of dollars. 3. Sounded like they didn't even give trading for Lillard a thought, although his camp did approach them. They will not to blow through their draft assets or cap space for any sort of a quick fix. Tamper your expectations accordingly, but we're probably looking at a 35-40 win season. Fans might get a little impatient, but make no mistake they are playing the long game. 4. Believe it or not, it hasn't been easy for Wemby to find a house. They apparently don't build homes off the shelf for dudes 7'4".
  21. Lakers had a really good weekend. Reaves for that number is an absolute bargain. By far, the best signing of free agency. Vincent is also a nice signing for the contract. Prince is an underrated but still solid signing. Rui was maybe a little bit of a overpay but not backbreaking horrible. Russell, I'm not a fan of, but that was an okay deal all things considered. They get Vanderbilt back. I think Reddish is garbage and I would completely shit on Hayes if he didn't go to school here, but that's a really solid offseason. What a turnaround from where they were before the deadline last season from a team without any depth to one of the deepest in the league. And honestly, with the injury stuff always hovering over Davis and Lebron, you are going to need that depth to get you through the regular season. I thought Phoenix also did a solid job to for signing like 10 guys on minimum deals. They are a Bryn Forbes away from reuniting the end of the Spurs bench circa 2021ish, but I thought they made some serious chicken salad. Eric Gordon was a nice add at the end. I thought Indiana did nice things. Brown was an overpay but it's such a short term deal it's not a big deal. Denver losing Brown and Green hurts their depth. Both those guys had big moments in the playoffs this year. It's Braun's time to step up. The Spurs did absolutely nothing, which I guess shouldn't be a surprise. I would have liked for them to add a vet but whatever. They are going to take a patient approach, obviously. They still need to make another move to get to the floor. Maybe they get some scraps from whatever happens to Lillard or Harden. Maybe they tank-ish again for another top 10 pick? Other than Portland, every other team in the west will be all in on making the playoffs. I don't want to shit on the Rockets, and FVV's third year not being guaranteed is great for them, but I'm not a big fan overall of their moves. I don't get the Brooks deal at all, nor do I understand giving up assets to dump two first round picks with three years combined experience. I guess there's nothing catastrophic, but it just seems like they could have got more traction with all that cash. Toronto had a rough weekend. They lose VanVleet for zilch. They had to sign Poeltl for a big number after trading for him at the deadline. Siakam and Anunoby are both in the last years of their deals. They are about to overpay Gary Trent Jr. They are in purgatory and they owe the Spurs their first round pick next year, top 6 protected.
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