NBA Trade Deadline Game Thread

Average Game James

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NYK would give up Zion only if they were fairly certain that KI would sign with them if they could get AD. If they keep Zion and they don't get AD, presumably KI resigns in BOS so that is one piece off the board.
I’m guessing the expectation is that Kyrie wants to play with AD because they are close, but would not come to NY to play with Durant and Zion? Or, maybe I’m just trying to suppress the idea of Kyrie, KD, and AD all on the same team...
 

DJnVa

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If that’s a recent quote (I couldn’t find it, only thing recent is a yahoo piece where the Hartford coach makes the comp while other GMs and coaches mention Barkley, Blake, LJ, ‘Nique, Kemp and Randle) then that GM should be should be fired. Unless it’s Danny, which would be funny.

Someone on this board made a Rodney Rogers comp last year, before we’d seen Zion play in the ACC. But now? I guess to the extent you can say “we don’t know what he is” in the NBA for any prospect, sure. But he’s in the conversation as the best overall college freshman since AD himself. Tatum’s the budding All-Star in hand, and he can shoot, so I can see preferring him from a team building aspect. But he’s going to sell lots of tickets and jerseys, and I’d bet a lot of money he’ll be better than Rodney Rogers.

Edit- here’s the piece I found where Rogers comp is made: https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/can-zion-williamson-live-lebron-level-hype-nba-scouts-break-duke-phenoms-game-234152148.html

The other coaches and GMs are much more bullish.

The Hartford coach also said passing is a weakness for Zion, which I haven’t seen at all. Given how he has looked distributing in a role in that offense that isn’t really designed for it, I think passing could become a strength for him.

That's all fair. And I'm not really taking a side. I'm simply reiterating that Woj was on ESPN radio yesterday, and he said Tatum is the biggest chip, including the #1 pick. Woj is plugged in, and that's his take.

I think with Zion, everyone knows he's so intriguing but his game is so unique that people want to see it at each level.
 

Average Game James

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That's all fair. And I'm not really taking a side. I'm simply reiterating that Woj was on ESPN radio yesterday, and he said Tatum is the biggest chip, including the #1 pick. Woj is plugged in, and that's his take.

I think with Zion, everyone knows he's so intriguing but his game is so unique that people want to see it at each level.
Would anyone here trade Tatum for Zion if given the option? I’d guess fairly split consensus among NBA GMs and probably somewhat dependent on team situation. To my untrained eyes, it seems Zion has unreal upside, but Tatum’s floor is much better established and his ceiling isn’t all that much lower. Two extra years of control in Zion is probably worth something too, though with the pace of change in the NBA I’m not sure how much more valuable 7 years is vs. 5. Tatum by a hair for me, I think. Just don’t let me near a Duke game on TV...
 

lexrageorge

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Kyrie is considered to be friends with Davis, but that friendship may have been strained a bit with all of the recent Klutch nonsense. The likely scenario is that Kyrie wants to be on a team that will contend for title. The Celtics as currently constructed are not true contenders. Getting Davis, and paring him with Kyrie and the supporting cast of Horford, Hayward, Brown, et al makes them contenders.

Ainge is all in on Davis because he is the one player that turns them into immediate contenders. Plan B requires patience while waiting for Tatum and Brown to continue to grow. Unclear if Kyrie would be willing to take that chance at this point in his career.
 

DannyDarwinism

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That's all fair. And I'm not really taking a side. I'm simply reiterating that Woj was on ESPN radio yesterday, and he said Tatum is the biggest chip, including the #1 pick. Woj is plugged in, and that's his take.

I think with Zion, everyone knows he's so intriguing but his game is so unique that people want to see it at each level.
That Woj quote was definitely encouraging. I had figured the marketing angle would push Zion ahead for NO, given their tepid support, but if they’re going about this from a purely on-court perspective (or simply think Tatum is has more superstar upside, and thus long-term marketing value as well) that bodes very well for the Celtics chances of getting AD without having to give up too much more than JT. Of course, I’d love to know Woj’s source...
 

DJnVa

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Kyrie is considered to be friends with Davis, but that friendship may have been strained a bit with all of the recent Klutch nonsense. The likely scenario is that Kyrie wants to be on a team that will contend for title. The Celtics as currently constructed are not true contenders.
If the Celtics aren’t true contenders it’s more because of how the Warriors are constructed.

Some online places still have them as a top 2-4 betting favorite.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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I’m guessing the expectation is that Kyrie wants to play with AD because they are close, but would not come to NY to play with Durant and Zion? Or, maybe I’m just trying to suppress the idea of Kyrie, KD, and AD all on the same team...
What I was trying to say is that it wouldn't be prudent of NY to trade Zion+ for AD without some assurances that at least one other star - i.e., KI or KD - was coming there.

I mean if NYK traded Zion+ for AD and didn't get another second star, they are basically where NOP is now. And if AD bolts, they almost literally have nothing.
 

HomeRunBaker

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If the Celtics aren’t true contenders it’s more because of how the Warriors are constructed.

Some online places still have them as a top 2-4 betting favorite.
If this is the case I wouldn’t be concerned since we match up so well with Golden State. The problem is how poorly we match up with Milwaukee and needing to tweak certain pieces on our roster. As currently constructed the overall talent level plus a closer in Kyrie absolutely makes us a contender if we can find a way to get all of those complementary pieces to buy into their role on this particular team and find a way to win playoff games on the road. Easier said than done but personnel wise of course we are at a contender level.
 

Jimbodandy

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Duerod was the 12th man on the 1981 Celtics. It's fictional, but it kind of shows how absurd the NBA has gotten that such a thing might even possibly exist.
And a good lesson in the Celtics first 3pt specialist, a very useful thing on a team that averaged about 3 attempts a game that year iirc.
 

mcpickl

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If Davis doesn't commit to re-signing long term with Boston, I don't trade for him. It has to be Kyrie signing on July 1, then Davis agreeing to buy in to the Celtics long term. If Kyrie is linking to Davis, and AD truly wants to be a Laker only, Kyrie might be gone. The nightmare scenario is Kyrie signing with the Lakers and NO taking the Lakers' package. Second nightmare is both ending up on the Knicks, but at least that won't threaten the Celtics' position of having the most NBA titles.

This situation will put a cloud over the Celtics, Kyrie, and especially Tatum for the rest of this season, especially if the players feel that Kyrie is doing any orchestrating.
I would be stunned if Kyrie ended up on the Lakers. In your scenario, they'd basically have Lebron, AD, Kyrie, one guy signed with the room exception and 11 dudes making the minimum. I'd be shocked if Kyrie pivoted from wanting to lead his own team to reuniting with Lebron to be a third fiddle on that squad. Dude made one phone call and everyone thinks he's dying to be back with Lebron.
 

bigq

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Duerod was the 12th man on the 1981 Celtics. It's fictional, but it kind of shows how absurd the NBA has gotten that such a thing might even possibly exist.
Was about to suggest that it was a play on Chris Ford’s role but then noticed that he started 53 games and averaged 21 minutes per game that year.
 

HomeRunBaker

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And a good lesson in the Celtics first 3pt specialist, a very useful thing on a team that averaged about 3 attempts a game that year iirc.
Did Duerod ever play any meaningful minutes in Boston though? I don't recall him ever being close to a rotation player or utilized in any type of specialist role but rather in a similar manner as Rick Carlisle, Wayne Kreklow, and others as a pure 12th man who only saw action in the 4th quarter of 20-point games.
 

BigSoxFan

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Embid was 4-17 for the game and Simmons had 9 TO's. And they beat Denver by 7. Simmons isn't a shooter, but everyone in the starting 5 around him is. Kind of exactly what he needs. Sixers are for real.
Yup. That team is damn good. Could easily see them winning the East.
 

Jimbodandy

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Did Duerod ever play any meaningful minutes in Boston though? I don't recall him ever being close to a rotation player or utilized in any type of specialist role but rather in a similar manner as Rick Carlisle, Wayne Kreklow, and others as a pure 12th man who only saw action in the 4th quarter of 20-point games.
My sarcasm wasn't as clear as I intended, sorry. Nobody took 3s back then, so having a 3pt specialist was kind of a joke. I remember him entering about 3 games that weren't pure garbage time appearances, and he was never a factor.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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My sarcasm wasn't as clear as I intended, sorry. Nobody took 3s back then, so having a 3pt specialist was kind of a joke. I remember him entering about 3 games that weren't pure garbage time appearances, and he was never a factor.
Yeah but on a per 36 basis, when Duerod was in BOS, he averaged 20.9 pts/game, on 8.9/20.8 shots and shooting .545% from 3P land!

If only he played more than 260 minutes.
 

Jimbodandy

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Yeah but on a per 36 basis, when Duerod was in BOS, he averaged 20.9 pts/game, on 8.9/20.8 shots and shooting .545% from 3P land!

If only he played more than 260 minutes.
It's hilarious that he was BY FAR the best 3pt shooter on that team and took ten attempts that year. Of course, he could do nothing else whatsoever.

It's also fascinating that the 1981 team had one of the great 3pt shooters of the first decade of the shot and took 241 regular season attempts as a team. It's hard to imagine the difference in the game. Someone probably posted about this, but they showed something a couple of weeks back about the 50pt first quarter that the Warriors eclipsed this year with a 51pt first quarter of their own. Final store of that 1982 season Celtics game was like 144-140, with exactly one 3pt attempt taken. We old men have had to adapt a lot.