2017-18 NBA Regular Season Game/Observation Thread
- Thread starter DeJesus Built My Hotrod
- Start date
The union would never agree to it because it only benefits the top 10-15 players and screws over everyone else. It sucks from a fan perspective though, unless you like super teams.
I would be shocked if the Warriors would even consider signing James, let alone depleting their depth to get him. The Durant signing was a one off, helped immensely by the bump up in the cap. I cannot see Golden State going to the wall for a soon-to-be 34 year old player (right after the start of next season), regardless of whether he is arguably the greatest ever.
If anything, I can see the Warriors dealing someone like Thompson to restock and retool with younger players to prolong their run with a core of Curry, Green and maybe KD. That means more cost-controlled players - not a max player who will have logged the equivalent of ~18 NBA seasons when factoring in his playoff appearances.
If anything, I can see the Warriors dealing someone like Thompson to restock and retool with younger players to prolong their run with a core of Curry, Green and maybe KD. That means more cost-controlled players - not a max player who will have logged the equivalent of ~18 NBA seasons when factoring in his playoff appearances.
LeBron is going to be a top 10 player for at least another 3 years. Warriors would be crazy not to go after him if it’s an option.
I feel like this could also be LeBrons way of saying to Cleveland, oh you guys won't part with that Brooklyn pick to help me beat Golden State right now, well maybe I'll join them next year and you guys can start over.
Lebron is not going to Golden State. If he went there and the won the next five championships, it would do more to tarnish his legacy than failing anywhere else. It would piss everyone but Warrios fans off (I'm sure even some of them too) and it'd instantly make him a punchline. KD at least was trying to get his first ring. He cares way too much about his rep to give that kind of ammo to the haters.
It sounds crazy to say it, but they don't need him. There are only so many shots to go around, and using LeBron as the third scoring option after Curry and Durant would be a huge waste of talent. They could use his passing and defense, but they can get that more cost effectively out of role players.
You are right that they do not need him. However, having him means that HOU or CLE or whoever does not have him.
I don’t think Lebron to GSW happens for the reasons outlined by DJBMH. However, I really hope it does and that super team dominates for the next few years. Something ridiculous like this has to happen before there’s some reform of salary distribution in the NBA. Either the ceiling on max contracts needs to go or they need to be significantly raised.
BTW, this is another time that we can give DA accolades. He was ahead of his time in seeing that the best way to build a team is to give max money to players who are going to have above max production, and surround them with low cost talent.
The best way to make a franchise irrelevant is to give long-term money to non-elite talent.
Question:
Does the GS organization stand to make much more money—especially in the long run if it comes at the cost of younger lower cost talent to extend their run—from signing James?
It obviously depends on how teams make money in the NBA which is unfamiliar to me, but it seems that GS is in a rare position of not being able to win much more than they are. Does James bring anything to the bottom line or would it be almost a kind of vanity item—and does ownership care or not?
Is anybody really going to give a ton of young talent for a guy in Thompson who only has 1 year of control after this one? Additionally, Golden State would likely be making their team worse in the short run during the primes of Curry and Durant.
I guess we could use the Celtics as the litmus test. Would any of us trade Jaylen Brown/picks/filler to acquire Thompson and the risk of him leaving after a year? I sure as hell wouldn’t.
Prefacing this by saying I am not the world's biggest Klay Thompson fan...
Klay Thompson for one year plus Bird rights is pretty damn valuable. Were he to become available, I would expect multiple bidders for him, including the Celtics, given his skill-set. The guy just turned 27, is shooting 45.4%!!! from beyond the arc and is in the top 10 in NBA.com's defensive win shares (guess who tops that list? His name rhymes with "Baylen Jrown"). Thompson's size and strength are pretty ideal for switching on just about everyone he faces.
Would I trade Brown+ filler for him? Nope, but I would think about it for a bit. His quick release and ability to catch and shoot or spot up will age well so he will likely be worth his next contract. As for the intangibles, the guy would be a bigger star except for the fact that he plays with Curry, Durant and Green - he is essentially hidden in plain sight. Fans love him though so he would also help put/keep people in seats.
@Rev - that is an interesting and valid question. I know no more about NBA finances than you do but I suspect the Warriors would see some sort of incremental revenue from signing James. What is really unclear is how that might make actual economic sense - would the Warriors actually make an incremental profit from signing James? Like you, I am not sure he moves the needle on the actual bottom line given how stacked the Warriors already are.
What a game between the Nuggets and Thunder!
Westbrook shoved a fan who ran onto the court post game. No idea what the fan was doing.
Westbrook shoved a fan who ran onto the court post game. No idea what the fan was doing.
Disappointed the fan didn't sell the push better. He should have done a flip bump while Russ makes him famous.
Russ deserved to be shoved back for leaving Gary Harris so wide open that he only started closing out when the shot was going down.
That's why he left for Miami and went back to Cleveland? That did wonders for his legacy, right? He cares about winning above everything, and ultimately how many rings he has on his fingers will determine his legacy anyway.
I think going to CLE had as much to do with his legacy as rings. Going back home, righting the perceived wrongs of going to MIA, etc. Of course winning rings is part of it, but at this point, there is more ot his legacy than just how many rings he has. And all that together is how I can't see him going to GS. As much as winning a couple more rings would cement his status, the going to the champion to win because you can't beat them, would do nearly as much damage
Do you think he stays in Cleveland? I don't see how forming his own super team in LA or anywhere else would be any different than going to GS, really. Both will "damage" his legacy.
edit: Once he retires, the only thing that will matter is the amount of rings he has. People always forget the other crap.
I think he does stay in CLE. But obviously I am just guessing. And I also think that GS has zero chance of happening.
If other people join HIM to get their rings, then it’s completely from him hitching his wagon to someone else’s glory train.
They never used to remember crap like LeBron’s because it’s never happened before.
That’s not true. How often do you hear people outside New England talking about John Havlicek?
The 2016 title secured LBJ’s legacy — he’s the second-best player in league history. He’s not going to win another title without a lot of help, so he has no chance of eclipsing Jordan. So he might as well have fun. I doubt joining the Warriors and not being the undisputed top-dog is his idea of fun, but who the hell knows?
There's still a ways to go this season. Be just like him to troll Kyrie and put it out there that he would like to play for Brad Stevens.
I have heard talk that Lebron wants to be a billionaire. He's about halfway there and Cleveland can offer him a quarter billion dollars to re-up.
I have heard talk that Lebron wants to be a billionaire. He's about halfway there and Cleveland can offer him a quarter billion dollars to re-up.
Lebron calls the Warriors rumors nonsense, and "I never said I would sit down with Golden State or sit down with anybody."
And then there's this: "The story says James would take this hypothetical meeting out of "respect." But in the last 24 hours James has in fact confided in people close to him that he would never join the Warriors -- knowing the impact it would have on his legacy." http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2018/02/lebron_james_calls_golden_stat.html
Emphasis mine.
And then there's this: "The story says James would take this hypothetical meeting out of "respect." But in the last 24 hours James has in fact confided in people close to him that he would never join the Warriors -- knowing the impact it would have on his legacy." http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2018/02/lebron_james_calls_golden_stat.html
Emphasis mine.
Marketing. Lebron left Cleveland initially because the team had been stripmined to the point that it had no readily available path (draft picks, cap space, trade assets) to get better. So he took the easy route in joining Wade and Bosh on the Heat. He later did the same with Miami, only returning to Cleveland because the Cavs had three #1 overall picks to use in surrounding him with Kyrie and Love. I'd be surprised if he didn't make a similar leap this offseason unless he somehow manages to gain control of ownership through Maverick Carter purchasing the team from Dan Gilbert.
With nothing better to do, watched a pretty entertaining BRK-LAL game. Have resigned myself to pick not conveying so I guess LAL pulling it out is next best thing.
BRK looks to be accumulating some talent. In last 8 games, Jarrett Allen is something like 38-44 from the field.
BRK looks to be accumulating some talent. In last 8 games, Jarrett Allen is something like 38-44 from the field.
Bucks outrebounded by the Knicks by 20
Only two Bucks score in double figures.
Knicks lose.
Lakers probably catch them.
Only two Bucks score in double figures.
Knicks lose.
Lakers probably catch them.
Not ROY Donovan Mitchell goes for 40 points on 14-19 shooting including 7-9 from distance. He also added five rebounds, six assists and two steals as the Jazz beat the Suns 129-97. Much higher draftee Josh Jackson goes for 20 but on 7-18 shooting. And Devin Booker went 7-24 for 18 points.
I watched the first half. Cleveland is not even considering defense. And they are sloppy on offense. This team isn't even remotely close to contending to win the East, let alone the title.
Tuned in on the rec of you fine people.
Looks like Cavs don’t even feel like running an offense and the Rockets don’t see any reason to.
Seems like at this point, they’ve reached a tacit agreement that nobody wants to bother tiring themselves out playing defense in this farce.
Looks like Cavs don’t even feel like running an offense and the Rockets don’t see any reason to.
Seems like at this point, they’ve reached a tacit agreement that nobody wants to bother tiring themselves out playing defense in this farce.
James Harden sorta looking at his teammate quizzically for bothering to set a screen, ignoring it, and then just jacking up a shot from like eight feet behind the arc might be the most quietly insulting thing I’ve seen in a game in quite some time.
Wait, no... Gronk.
Wait, no... Gronk.
Yes!!
Cavs, it's over. Only salvation is to send us that Brooklyn pick and we'll give you Sweet Lou, DJ and an autographed picture of Corey Maggette and Quentin Richardson
Chris Paul is +40 through 3 quarters. In Cleveland. The Cavs postgame comments after this should be glorious.
Speaking of postgame comments, you guys see Marcus Morris break into Stevens conference last night? He started singing the Eagles fight song and Stevens announced he was suspended indefinitely.
EDIT: 102-72!! And Lebron is nearly a triple double. lol
Speaking of postgame comments, you guys see Marcus Morris break into Stevens conference last night? He started singing the Eagles fight song and Stevens announced he was suspended indefinitely.
EDIT: 102-72!! And Lebron is nearly a triple double. lol
Lots of boos as they went to a timeout in Cleveland.
This team is a mess. Insisting they can just “turn it on” at this point is ridiculous.
This team is a mess. Insisting they can just “turn it on” at this point is ridiculous.