Kind of a crazy idea, but I wonder if the Lakers would take some of the Celtics' glut of picks for the right to swap the Nets pick for the Lakers pick.
Lakers wouldn't throw away their chance at the top pick, and Ainge wouldn't take the chance of the Lakers falling out of the top 3 and having nothing to show for whatever assets he traded.Kind of a crazy idea, but I wonder if the Lakers would take some of the Celtics' glut of picks for the right to swap the Nets pick for the Lakers pick.
Last night was a good night for the draft pick watch. Gotta hope Minny stays hot and Dallas gets cold. It's early, but I don't like a lot of the teams behind Dallas. If they could fall to 8th in the West, I'd be happy.Not a bad couple days (well except for the two bad losses) on the pick front.
Wins for Minny turns the 2nds to 1st.
Nets stay 3rd.
Dallas slides.
As of today we would have:
3, 14, 15, 20, 31, 49, 56, 58
Well 4-10 (really 9 he got hurt 6 minutes into one game) with him in the lineup. It's not a great team anyway, but between AD injuries and having by far the toughest schedule in the league so far (including GS twice), it's been a rough start. Asik and Jrue Holliday both fell off a cliff, so there is reason to think they can turn it around to be a mediocre team.I've already conceded the top 2 spots to Philly and LA. The teams we need to be concerned with are the Pelicans and Nuggets so that we don't fall too much further. Have no idea how you go 4-14 with Anthony Davis.
Pelicans grab a win against Cleveland as well for their 5th win. Better days ahead for them.Nice night. Brooklyn loses. Dallas loses at home. Even Phoenix's loss has a marginal benefit to the Minnesota pick.
Not the foot injury we deserve right now, but maybe the one we need.Rondae Hollis-Jefferson missed last night's game with an ankle injury. Severity unknown but he was seen on crutches last night.
Great to see that Brooklyn is actually closer to having the worst record in the league than they are to a playoff spot (though that probably changes tonight). At the same point last season their record would probably have been only 2 or 3 games back of the 7/8 seed.Man, the East is crowded right now. 2 games separate #1 from 8.
Good night for the tankathon and C's playoff hopes last night, as the C's beat Chicago at home in a nice come from behind victory. Minny beat the Lakers by 1 in overtime and Atlanta beat Dallas.
Pick update:
4- BKL
17- DAL
20- BOS
My god, you didnt actually watch that game, did you?They won't lose because Philly has no composure (about 8 too easy and-1s given up) but Brooklyn is having a really hard time with the Sixers.
This Okafor/Bargnani matchup is one for the ages though.
I had it on my computer just to glance at. Morbid curiosity. And it was rewarded. Bargnani had his best game in probably 5 years going against Okafor. It was amazing.My god, you didnt actually watch that game, did you?
I have pretty much given up on Minnesota's top 12 protected pick.
I wouldn't bet on MIN 11th in the West, and no real incentive to win. A lot of other teams ahead of them likely to trade to improve.
Only if they are stupid. They are currently looking at a top 7 draft pick, with an 18% chance at top 3, and 5% chance at #1, and there are 2 teams within a half game of them. If they get a top 10 pick it would be good for them, a top 7 better, top 3? HUGE. The idea that an outside chance at the #7 or #8 seed and the right to be destroyed in a 4 game sweep is worth not having a first round pick this year is CRAZY. A top 10 pick is a great way to get young cheap talent locked up long term, any team willing to give that up for the negligible benefits of selling 2 games of playoff tickets and the likely non-existent value of "playoff experience" is a poorly run franchise. This isn't a case like say the Celtics of the difference between 10 and 14, this is top 10 or nothing at all.????
I'm pretty sure a team that hasn't seen the postseason since 2004 would much rather make the playoffs than end up with like the 10th pick in the lottery. Energize the fan base, give Towns/Wiggins/Lavine a taste of the playoffs. I don't think they'll make short-sighted trades in order to do so, nor should they, but there's no reason they can't stay around .500 this year and contend for a spot in a West that suddenly looks mediocre outside of San Antonio and Golden State.
Only if they are stupid. They are currently looking at a top 7 draft pick, with an 18% chance at top 3, and 5% chance at #1, and there are 2 teams within a half game of them. If they get a top 10 pick it would be good for them, a top 7 better, top 3? HUGE. The idea that an outside chance at the #7 or #8 seed and the right to be destroyed in a 4 game sweep is worth not having a first round pick this year is CRAZY. A top 10 pick is a great way to get young cheap talent locked up long term, any team willing to give that up for the negligible benefits of selling 2 games of playoff tickets and the likely non-existent value of "playoff experience" is a poorly run franchise. This isn't a case like say the Celtics of the difference between 10 and 14, this is top 10 or nothing at all.
I don't want to lead us too far astray, but I liked the Jrue Holliday trade for NO. He was a good young player who hadn't really had injury issues. Obviously it hasn't worked out, but worth noting that Nerlens Noel has taken a big step back this year, and we still haven't seen Dario Saric.Well, by that token, the Celtics have been stupid and the Sixers have been smart. I think there's something to be said about pushing for success, especially when you have an elite young talent like Towns (nevermind Wiggins and Lavine).
You don't want to commit to a Pelicans-esque path, with stupid moves like trading for Jrue Holiday and giving Eric Gordon a max contract, but there's a lot of daylight between those two paths.
They don't need to suppress their development. As high talent as those guys are that team still isn't very good. They'll probably finish 10 worst all on their own, however I do think if they can they should be looking to trade Martin (and maybe even Rubio) and getting more minutes for LaVIne and Jones. Also they should be moving Pekovic as soon as he shows he's healthy.So what are you advocating for them? Suppressing the development of KAT/Wiggins? If those guys take big steps and keep them in the hunt for the 8 seed, they're not going to hold them back. The right play is to not make any crazy, short sighted roster moves, but go all out with the team you have and try and win every game.
The Celtics pushed it for a change of a few draft places and acquiring young talent on good contracts which is very different from losing a pick entirely. Also part of the problem was that by that point the Celtics already knew they were a borderline playoff team, and no worse than 9-10 in the draft if they missed because the East was bad. MIN still is likely to finish top 7 or so in the draft, and the odds of a playoff berth without making moves is low.Well, by that token, the Celtics have been stupid and the Sixers have been smart. I think there's something to be said about pushing for success, especially when you have an elite young talent like Towns (nevermind Wiggins and Lavine).
You don't want to commit to a Pelicans-esque path, with stupid moves like trading for Jrue Holiday and giving Eric Gordon a max contract, but there's a lot of daylight between those two paths.
You have to really think highly of Jrue Holiday to defend that trade. Given his low efficiency, and high TO rate, I can't see it.