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NBA 2021-2022


ztejas

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1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Lakers have clawed back to make this a fun game. 

But my lord do they do a lot of posturing and preening for a team 5 games below .500.

I’m not certain most of them could accurately tell you their record right now. Of all the Laker teams I have watched in my many, many years of being a fan this would be a top three most unlikable Purple and Gold roster. The Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, Chris Mihm outfit was one I could never have imagined seeing play together, but this one takes the cake. Mihm is still the only Laker I never rooted for. I remember looking up his stats from his age 25 year and he was being outdone by Vlade in his age 35 season.

Outside of the 86-87 and 87-88 teams my favorite Laker team was the 92-93 version that had game five stolen from them against Phoenix in the final 30 seconds of regulation. That team played harder than any Laker group I have ever watched. Big Game was on his last legs and Vlade, along with a young Elden Campbell, was having to hold things together on a paper thin frontline that won 39 games that year. I have always wanted to meet Barkley to remind him he never would have gotten beaten by MJ that year in the Finals if the refs had not looked the other way on a clear offensive goaltending. I went nuts when Paxson hit the three that ended things in Game Six.

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6 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I’m not certain most of them could accurately tell you their record right now. Of all the Laker teams I have watched in my many, many years of being a fan this would be a top three most unlikable Purple and Gold roster. The Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, Chris Mihm outfit was one I could never have imagined seeing play together, but this one takes the cake. Mihm is still the only Laker I never rooted for. I remember looking up his stats from his age 25 year and he was being outdone by Vlade in his age 35 season.

Outside of the 86-87 and 87-88 teams my favorite Laker team was the 92-93 version that had game five stolen from them against Phoenix in the final 30 seconds of regulation. That team played harder than any Laker group I have ever watched. Big Game was on his last legs and Vlade, along with a young Elden Campbell, was having to hold things together on a paper thin frontline that won 39 games that year. I have always wanted to meet Barkley to remind him he never would have gotten beaten by MJ that year in the Finals if the refs had not looked the other way on a clear offensive goaltending. I went nuts when Paxson hit the three that ended things in Game Six.

That Lakers team was running on fumes, the post-Magic final remnants of Showtime. Not sure how they even made the playoffs. They still had the championship DNA, but not the horses. Still, if you blow a 2-0 lead in a 5 game series when the first two games are played on the road then you deserve to lose no matter how iffy a call you get in the fourth quarter of game 5. If you have two chances to knock out a number one seed at home, you best not miss. 

That Phoenix team crushed me too in the next round. Barkley hit a buzzer beater from the top of the key in game 6 right in David Robinson's grill to win the series and close down the Hemisfair Arena. 

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11 hours ago, ztejas said:

This looks bad.

X-ray negative apparently. Which only means it isn't broken. 

They should really think about tanking and seeing if they can get an impact player in the draft this year. 
ha. Haha. Hahaha. Get fucked Lakers. 
really what they should do is trade Lebron and Davis both. They won’t.  But they should. Let Russ have his own team next year- restock draft assets, and then have 2 or 3 max slots after Russ comes off the books in 2023. Bron and AD aren’t winning another title. Send Bron to OKC for a handful for picks and using their cap space to not have to take anything back. That would be hysterical. Or Houston for John Wall or something like that. 
I know none of that would ever happen but my goodness that would be so freaking funny. 

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53 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Well they don't own it, so...

Hahahaha, I had to verify it cause that sounds crazy. The picks and swap traded to New Orleans for AD are unprotected for the lottery, which is incredibly dumb on Rob Pelinkas part. Nola also may defer this 2024 pick to 25 if they choose, so LAL is pretty fucked. Great to hear lol...

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So I think Lebron to Cleveland next year is a real possibility, they have no future and Lebron isn't gonna stick around on a lottery team. One last ride for Lebron to win a ring with his home team and leave the NBA on a high note. Either he forces a trade next year, or goes there on a discount as a free agent in 2024. I can't see him going anywhere else, unless he re-signs with the Lakers or retires.That would make the East pretty stacked next year with 5 real contenders, which would be pretty fun. 

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8 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

They should really think about tanking and seeing if they can get an impact player in the draft this year. 
ha. Haha. Hahaha. Get fucked Lakers. 
really what they should do is trade Lebron and Davis both. They won’t.  But they should. Let Russ have his own team next year- restock draft assets, and then have 2 or 3 max slots after Russ comes off the books in 2023. Bron and AD aren’t winning another title. Send Bron to OKC for a handful for picks and using their cap space to not have to take anything back. That would be hysterical. Or Houston for John Wall or something like that. 
I know none of that would ever happen but my goodness that would be so freaking funny. 

Sending Bron to Okie City would bring the lulz.  They are about the only team with the draft capital to pull that off and if they offer to sign his son or something, maybe he'll bite.  

Hope Bron and Brony like 'Slobster and fake cowboy steak houses.

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18 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Out at least 4 weeks.  (He's only 28 years old.  This will only get worse.)

But let's focus on Westbrook.,,,,

If he came back 4 weeks from now it would be an absolute miracle of modern science.

4 weeks is the short range of a grade 2 sprain. 

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15 hours ago, Pam Cummings said:

Day-to-dayvis out again? What a surprise.

This guy just has no ability to stay healthy. Cap goes 20 years with no major injuries and Davis can’t go back-to-back games without a fall that makes you think he’s probably out again. The Westbrook Show should be entertaining for the next month for all those fans that hate the Purple and Gold.

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2 hours ago, Underdog said:

How is Slick Watts or Freddie Downtown Brown not Top-75? 

As much as I loved both of those guys, more egregious is the absence of Dennis Johnson from the 75. I never cared much for him, but he was one of the best defensive guards in the history of the game (6x first team all defense, 3x second team), was finals MVP and the best player on a championship team with Seattle, won two more titles with Boston and was one of the most clutch players, ever. He *only* played in 5 all-star games and had one first team all league and one second team all league on his resume, but he completely sacrificed his own stats and personal accolades to win after he got traded to Boston. I still can't believe that Phoenix traded him AND a first round pick to Boston for that spare Rick Robey. It has to be one of the worst trades in NBA history.

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25 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

As much as I loved both of those guys, more egregious is the absence of Dennis Johnson from the 75. I never cared much for him, but he was one of the best defensive guards in the history of the game (6x first team all defense, 3x second team), was finals MVP and the best player on a championship team with Seattle, won two more titles with Boston and was one of the most clutch players, ever. He *only* played in 5 all-star games and had one first team all league and one second team all league on his resume, but he completely sacrificed his own stats and personal accolades to win after he got traded to Boston. I still can't believe that Phoenix traded him AND a first round pick to Boston for that spare Rick Robey. It has to be one of the worst trades in NBA history.

 

It's up there, but in Celtics history, it's probably not even the worst.

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2016/06/22/bill-russell/

Rochester had the #1 pick in 1956.  Celtics wanted Bill Russell, but that wasn't a guarantee, since the Celtics had the #2 pick.  As legend has it:

Quote

Walter Brown (Celtics owner) was a prime stockholder in the Ice Capades, which was a big draw for all of these arenas. And he made a deal with Lester Harrison (Rochester owner) that if they (Rochester) didn’t take Russell, he would maneuver the Ice Capades and they would set up some dates for the Ice Capades to appear at Lester’s arena. So he’s the only player in NBA history that got traded for the Ice Capades.

So Rochester traded away (allegedly) their chance to take Bill Russell in exchange for some Ice Capades dates.  Rochester took Sihugo Green with the #1 pick.

Also, the trade with Golden State in 1980 was pretty one sided.  Boston had the #1 pick that year.  Traded it to Golden State for Robert Parish and the #3 pick..which the Celtics used to select Kevin McHale.  Golden State chose Joe Barry Caroll as the #1 that year.

 

 

Edited by Francisco 2.0
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21 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

 

It's up there, but in Celtics history, it's probably not even the worst.

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2016/06/22/bill-russell/

Rochester had the #1 pick in 1956.  Celtics wanted Bill Russell, but that wasn't a guarantee, since the Celtics had the #2 pick.  As legend has it:

So Rochester traded away (allegedly) their chance to take Bill Russell in exchange for some Ice Capades dates.  Rochester took Sihugo Green with the #1 pick.

Also, the trade with Golden State in 1980 was pretty one sided.  Boston had the #1 pick that year.  Traded it to Golden State for Robert Parish and the #3 pick..which the Celtics used to select Kevin McHale.  Golden State chose Joe Barry Caroll as the #1 that year.

 

 

Joe Barely Cares

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Bron Bron blaming everyone but himself for the Lakers roster.  

Normally, I would think Bron to Okie City would be a non starter but they're the only team with enough draft picks to make it work for the Lakers and if they somehow promised to sign Bronny, I think he might go for that.  He sees the writing on the Lakers wall and the next 2-3 years are his last shot at a title.  Assuming Okie City gets a high pick this year to go with their current 3-4 good players, getting Bron and a few other free agents puts them in the mix.

Just don't see Bron going to 'Slobster and fake cowboy steakhouses.

 

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5 hours ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Bron Bron blaming everyone but himself for the Lakers roster.  

Normally, I would think Bron to Okie City would be a non starter but they're the only team with enough draft picks to make it work for the Lakers and if they somehow promised to sign Bronny, I think he might go for that.  He sees the writing on the Lakers wall and the next 2-3 years are his last shot at a title.  Assuming Okie City gets a high pick this year to go with their current 3-4 good players, getting Bron and a few other free agents puts them in the mix.

Just don't see Bron going to 'Slobster and fake cowboy steakhouses.

 

Okay, cool LeBron. If you’re angling to get Rob Pelinka fired just say so. 

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LeBron's favorite writer from the past has an article at ESPN.  At some point, no matter how Lebron is playing this year..they need to point out he's 37, he's been injured more the past 2 years than he has the rest of his career, and they aren't going to allow him to hold the franchise hostage any longer.  

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33338796/lebron-james-used-all-star-weekend-put-los-angeles-lakers-notice

Spoiler

The Los Angeles Lakers might have to trade for LeBron James this summer.

James has clearly been offended by Lakers' management twice over the past two weeks. First when it elected not to make a deal before the Feb. 10 trade deadline after he had both publicly and privately prodded for something. More accurately, he expected it. And second when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka stepped over the line when he announced James was on board with the status quo; a source told ESPN there was no prior sign-off from James.

He has been hammering the team's knuckles with rounds of trademark passive-aggressive maneuvers since, both on social media and in news conferences. Then he went aggressive-aggressive during All-Star Weekend in an interview with The Athletic in which he dropped lighter fluid on a previously bubbling concept that he might make one last return to the Cleveland Cavaliers before he retires.

Regardless of how James, 37, might try to shape those quotes going forward -- he was careful to qualify them to a degree -- he is a master media operator who, while standing in Cleveland, was speaking to a reporter he knows well. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Same as he was doing last week, in the wake of the trade deadline inaction, when he spoke about how his recent knee injury would likely bother him the rest of the season. The knee surely is an issue, but James was also laying the groundwork to give himself options depending on how the rest of the season plays out for the Lakers (27-31).

What James is doing is likely aimed at one primary goal: Force the Lakers into major action this summer. He tried to do it nicely and now he's doing it harshly.

This isn't about leaving Los Angeles -- that is not something James wants. It's not even about playing with his son. Bronny, 17, is a minimum of two years away from the NBA, if he's even able and ready at that age. There's a lot of basketball between now and then and, as James has shown this season, there's still gas in the tank to deploy before worrying about that dream.

James has never cared about draft picks, present or future. He's had occasional interest in developing young teammates, adopting a few over the years. But he's never had a problem saying goodbye if shipping them out moves him closer to a gold trophy faster. Any young guy on his roster who thinks differently hasn't done his research.

He plays for now and always wants to win the championship in the season he's in. You don't make eight straight NBA Finals, 10 of them over a 13-year span while switching teams three times, by focusing only on the long term. James demands his teams to operate this way, he brings it every day and expects everyone else to as well. That absolutely includes management.

Now is when it would be prudent to recall the winter of 2018, when James had grown frustrated with a flawed Cavs team. He'd declined to extend his contract the summer before when a deal for Paul George was on the table. Cleveland team owner Dan Gilbert responded by acquiescing to Kyrie Irving's trade demand, working out a deal centered around a draft pick and not players as James had made it clear he wanted.

There was plausible deniability, but in mid-January James started playing under a form of protest. Everyone on the team knew it and it was evident if you watched closely enough, James' foot was off the gas. Gilbert and Cavs general manager Koby Altman were at a crossroads and knew there was a strong chance James was leaving in free agency but they still had the rest of the season.

Eventually, Gilbert and Altman realized they didn't have a choice. James was an irreplaceable resource; once he was gone there would maybe never be another. So the day before the trade deadline, they got several trades in place. That night, Altman met with James before the game and told him the following day they were trading for four new players and had decided to use their first-round pick from that year to do so. It was the seventh first-rounder they were trading in the four seasons James had been back.

That night, an energetic James ended his quasi-strike with a signature 37-point, 10-rebound, 15-assist masterpiece that included a buzzer-beater to win a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He topped it off with a move for his personal passive-aggressive Hall of Fame, turning his back on Isaiah Thomas when he charged the court to celebrate. James never wanted the Cavs to trade for Thomas and already knew he was being shipped out the next day.

The Cavs got four role players at the deadline but that wasn't the real prize. That night, members of the front office looked at each other and realized: what they'd really traded for was James.

He followed it up with one of the greatest postseason runs of his pro career, making two buzzer-beaters and winning two Game 7s -- including one on the road -- to make his eighth straight Finals.

The Lakers were involved in all that, they got in on those Cavs trades and used them to get the salary-cap space to sign James the following summer and got their first-round pick.

Now they might need to remember it.

After the Lakers won the title in 2020, James extended his contract two seasons through 2023. Because of the rules around that extension, James wasn't able to get a player option in the deal. It is the first time he hasn't had an option to end a contract early since he was on his rookie deal almost two decades ago.

It wasn't even an issue when the deal was announced, but that is a fortunate circumstance now. The Lakers will get this summer without having to worry about James hitting free agency and watching them work before deciding on re-signing.

But it isn't free. Aug. 4 is the first day James can extend his contract again. The Lakers will surely offer one. And James will have some demands before he accepts.

The Lakers have a flawed roster -- yes, James played a large role in putting it together but that doesn't mean he isn't ready to divorce it -- but they have options. If Russell Westbrook picks up his own player option, he will be on a $47 million expiring contract.

After only being able to trade their 2027 first-round pick -- which the Lakers decided not to trade at the deadline, in part because they still owe two future firsts from the Anthony Davis deal -- rules will then allow the Lakers to trade their 2029 pick.

Being aggressive and further mortgaging the future will be painful and risky. But James is making his feelings clear: He doesn't care. Do it and they get more than new players, they will keep James deeply invested.

That's something no team has been able to say no to.

 

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