2014-2015 NBA Season

[codizzle]

I saw that pic Ridiculous..

I can Palm a ball pretty easily but my hands look half his size

[Inqui]

Unless lakers make some serious moves with multiple players they're still gonna be awful

Yeah, for the time being. They've still got some pretty heavy pull with FAs so it's still a matter of when they're relevant again, and I think it'll be sooner rather than later.

 

All the more reason to enjoy them being woeful right now though.

[Inqui]

Russell's the right pick here imo. He was my favourite prospect this year too.

[Inqui]

The Magic get Mario Hezonja. I'm really happy with that. Really talented kid with top-shelf shooting, really nice athleticism and defensive upside. Overall he's a solid piece who should also bring out a lot from our guards.

[redrum52]

Every year I hate basketball just a little more...

[Inqui]

Every year I hate basketball just a little more...

Not a fan of Kristaps?

[redrum52]

Not a fan of Kristaps?

No. I'd love to know what Jackson is trying to build, but I guess we'll see.

[Inqui]

No. I'd love to know what Jackson is trying to build, but I guess we'll see.

I'm not really a fan of him either. He feels like this year's Exum with a lot of hype and too many questions about whether his skillset actually translates to the NBA. And like I said yesterday, it's one thing to show pics of a young Jordan/Dirk/Dwight but Kristaps' shoulders are built like mine.

[DomMcRaven]

Welp....my team is gonna look..........................different. Wow.

[codizzle]

Grizzlies with another terrible draft

[Inqui]

I'm happy with how that draft went. Obviously I was on the Hezonja bandwagon for a while so no complaints (though I wanted Exum last year, so I'm not sure if I should be excited to get the guy I wanted or concerned that we just picked a dud), and this guy Tyler Harvey led the NCAA in scoring last year so at best he could be a bit-part guy who rotates on and scores a few. Probably destined for D-League stardom, but it wouldn't hurt to give him a shot.

 

The draft classes that interested me most were Philly (pretty much all PFs and Cs) and Boston (pretty much all SGs and PGs).

[beanfigger]

The draft classes that interested me most were Philly (pretty much all PFs and Cs) and Boston (pretty much all SGs and PGs).

They should just swap classes.

[Inqui]

They should just swap classes.

Haha, I was thinking something like that. What did you think of the 76ers draft?

 

Apparently the Hornets turned down an offer to swap pick #9 with the Celtics (who wanted Winslow) for four first-rounders. With that pick they took the next college-superstar-turned-roleplayer-in-the-pros Frank Kaminsky, who could well have been there at the Celtics pick. Crazy stuff from Jordan.

[beanfigger]

Haha, I was thinking something like that. What did you think of the 76ers draft?

Apparently the Hornets turned down an offer to swap pick #9 with the Celtics (who wanted Winslow) for four first-rounders. With that pick they took the next college-superstar-turned-roleplayer-in-the-pros Frank Kaminsky, who could well have been there at the Celtics pick. Crazy stuff from Jordan.

Word was they had a wild package to offer for our pick at 3, too. I don't know if this draft went according to the Sixers "plan". Otherwise, they would have taken a deal like that from Boston. I feel as though we threw our hands up after LA took Russell and just said "screw it, let's just do whatever." Good players, but how can we get them all on the court? Like we gave up on trying for players who can actually make shots, so let's just hope we have guys to get every single offensive rebound. I foresee one of our recent early big men, at least, getting shopped hard. Either that or we have a bunch of two-minute long possessions this year and a ton of games in the 70s for both sides.

[Sons_of_Eli]

Word was they had a wild package to offer for our pick at 3, too. I don't know if this draft went according to the Sixers "plan". Otherwise, they would have taken a deal like that from Boston. I feel as though we threw our hands up after LA took Russell and just said "screw it, let's just do whatever." Good players, but how can we get them all on the court? Like we gave up on trying for players who can actually make shots, so let's just hope we have guys to get every single offensive rebound. I foresee one of our recent early big men, at least, getting shopped hard. Either that or we have a bunch of two-minute long possessions this year and a ton of games in the 70s for both sides.

Maybe the Embiid injury is scarier than everyone thought

 

There's been a lot of chatter about it recently, and the Okafor draft ain't quieting anything down. But then he was easily the best player available so it could be innocuous. 

[beanfigger]

Maybe the Embiid injury is scarier than everyone thought

 

There's been a lot of chatter about it recently, and the Okafor draft ain't quieting anything down. But then he was easily the best player available so it could be innocuous. 

 

Three years in a row, we've "settled" for a big who was considered the number one prospect in their respective drafts at some point in time but slipped due to injury or other prospects shooting up the boards late. If we hit on two of them, that's great. I just hope we manage to trade the third before it becomes clear he's a miss. I doubt all three will be studs. Noel looks pretty good for his role; Embiid is a huge question mark for obvious reasons; Okafor seems to have a superior offensive skillset for a big. If we end up with two towers for the remainder of the rebuild and beyond, I'll be happy. For now, I think it wouldn't hurt to just play all three if they are healthy and still with the team this season and see what happens. GS won with no centers; maybe we can surprise with three. It's not like we have a lot to lose.

[Sons_of_Eli]

Three years in a row, we've "settled" for a big who was considered the number one prospect in their respective drafts at some point in time but slipped due to injury or other prospects shooting up the boards late. If we hit on two of them, that's great. I just hope we manage to trade the third before it becomes clear he's a miss. I doubt all three will be studs. Noel looks pretty good for his role; Embiid is a huge question mark for obvious reasons; Okafor seems to have a superior offensive skillset for a big. If we end up with two towers for the remainder of the rebuild and beyond, I'll be happy. For now, I think it wouldn't hurt to just play all three if they are healthy and still with the team this season and see what happens. GS won with no centers; maybe we can surprise with three. It's not like we have a lot to lose.

Oh man triple towers on court at the same time would be the most Sam Hinkie thing in the history of the sport. Just straight up trolling the league.

 

Hitting on 2/3 of those guys would be a great outcome really. And even if it doesn't happen, can't fault the process philosophically. No lose situation really (since losing is the goal anyway).

[DomMcRaven]

Dear Mr. LaMarcus Aldridge, 

 

I know you're leaving us. Can you please move to the Eastern Conference? I heard it's easier there. If you so want to stay in the West, could you go to Phoenix? Thanks.

 

Sincerely, 

  This Blazers fan

[beanfigger]

Sixers with the best move they have made in this whole rebuilding process. Here's the most insane scenario possible for next year now:

-Sixers make the playoffs (always one or two terrible teams from the East sneak in)

-Still end up with picks 1, 4, 11, 16 in the first round.

If that happens, find whatever bar I'm in because I'm buying.

Edited July 2, 2015 by beanfigger

[Inqui]

Paul Pierce to the Clippers on a three-year deal. I like that move for them.

[Inqui]

Oh man triple towers on court at the same time would be the most Sam Hinkie thing in the history of the sport. Just straight up trolling the league.

Hitting on 2/3 of those guys would be a great outcome really. And even if it doesn't happen, can't fault the process philosophically. No lose situation really (since losing is the goal anyway).

My problem with the process, but also why I'm so fascinated by it, is that at some point you have to start converting those assets into something that'll win games. It looks like the Sixers are in for another disappointing season and this upcoming draft class is apparently pretty dire outside Ben Simmons (another reason the Tall Blacks are in trouble). Assuming they're not happy with the outcome of that draft, you'd expect them to tank for yet another season and suddenly Nerlens is off contract.

At face value you can't really argue with any of those trades or moves, but in the bigger picture I can't really see where it starts translating to wins. You need veterans to help develop your younger guys (that's an area I'm concerned about for my Magic actually), and at the moment it's a tough sell.

You'd think it will start to work eventually, and that's why I find the rebuild so interesting, but assets are only as good as what they tangibly get (like how an Ethiopian kid would take a loaf of bread over a handful of money) and so far those assets haven't done an awful lot.

[Sons_of_Eli]

My problem with the process, but also why I'm so fascinated by it, is that at some point you have to start converting those assets into something that'll win games. It looks like the Sixers are in for another disappointing season and this upcoming draft class is apparently pretty dire outside Ben Simmons (another reason the Tall Blacks are in trouble). Assuming they're not happy with the outcome of that draft, you'd expect them to tank for yet another season and suddenly Nerlens is off contract.

At face value you can't really argue with any of those trades or moves, but in the bigger picture I can't really see where it starts translating to wins. You need veterans to help develop your younger guys (that's an area I'm concerned about for my Magic actually), and at the moment it's a tough sell.

You'd think it will start to work eventually, and that's why I find the rebuild so interesting, but assets are only as good as what they tangibly get (like how an Ethiopian kid would take a loaf of bread over a handful of money) and so far those assets haven't done an awful lot.

I think it's consistent in the sense that, well, they could have started to build towards, I don't know, 30 to 40 wins by now, but... what's the point of that? The whole point of the process is to avoid being stuck in that exact position. If they get impatient now then all they've done is waste these years to build a "hey we win some games and maybe make the playoffs" crappy East team and anyone can do that. That's the mid tier hell they're trying to avoid. Better to stay patient and keep bottoming out and wait until you finally get some real lottery luck with a top two pick in a stacked year.

 

Getting cold feet when you're in the middle of fording the river seems like the worst idea to me. Gotta have the stones to keep going.

 

But then the sunk cost fallacy could be tricking them and me, so who knows.

[beanfigger]

My problem with the process, but also why I'm so fascinated by it, is that at some point you have to start converting those assets into something that'll win games. It looks like the Sixers are in for another disappointing season and this upcoming draft class is apparently pretty dire outside Ben Simmons (another reason the Tall Blacks are in trouble). Assuming they're not happy with the outcome of that draft, you'd expect them to tank for yet another season and suddenly Nerlens is off contract.

At face value you can't really argue with any of those trades or moves, but in the bigger picture I can't really see where it starts translating to wins. You need veterans to help develop your younger guys (that's an area I'm concerned about for my Magic actually), and at the moment it's a tough sell.

You'd think it will start to work eventually, and that's why I find the rebuild so interesting, but assets are only as good as what they tangibly get (like how an Ethiopian kid would take a loaf of bread over a handful of money) and so far those assets haven't done an awful lot.

2016-17 season is when I'll be looking for signs of the light at the end of the tunnel. European assets and a boatload of first round picks all start to come together then. If after the All-Star break that season I don't see any hope of winning meaningful games in the years to follow, my faith will begin to diminish. Why waste things going all in too early, especially with LeBron running the show in the East right now? When he starts to decline, that should coincide with my Sixers beginning to rise up and contend in the conference. Optimistic fan? Maybe, but that's how I see it.

[-Truth-]

Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan at the 3, 4 and 5. Look out.

[Gordo52]

Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan at the 3, 4 and 5. Look out.

Scary

[DomMcRaven]

If Wes doesn't get hurt against the Mavs (curse you Mavs), I wonder if LMA would have stayed. I'm inclined to believe so, but whatever.

[redrum52]

Spurs in 5...

[Inqui]

2016-17 season is when I'll be looking for signs of the light at the end of the tunnel. European assets and a boatload of first round picks all start to come together then. If after the All-Star break that season I don't see any hope of winning meaningful games in the years to follow, my faith will begin to diminish. Why waste things going all in too early, especially with LeBron running the show in the East right now? When he starts to decline, that should coincide with my Sixers beginning to rise up and contend in the conference. Optimistic fan? Maybe, but that's how I see it.

I understand not trying to be a serious competitor in the east yet, and a lot of teams are in the same boat there, but longer-term I feel like the model of hoping some talented rookies come right on their own without trying to win any meaningful games over the first three or four years of their career may not be the best way for them to pan out.

 

Assuming the Magic, Bucks and Sixers all come good at similar points, I feel like the Bucks would be most dangerous in the playoffs because they've had that postseason experience and they will already have been geared towards trying to win. From the Magic's end, I feel like we've more or less got the core for the future now and it's now a case of letting them grow together. And while the process is going on, I still expect us to be irrelevant for the duration of LeBron's career and then some. It took the Spurs, Warriors and Hawks years to build the kind of chemistry they're thriving on now.

 

With all that said, I know posts like mine tend to look really short-sighted a year or two later on so I'm mentally preparing for the Sixers to get it all together and make me look silly. And it did occur to me afterwards that Hinkie is probably preparing to use some of those assets on veteran players in the next two or three seasons too (I think he'll need to).

 

Like I say, I'm a bit dubious of the process, but either way it'll be fun to watch over the next few years - especially when contrasted against other rebuilding sides (the Lakers don't count. I don't think those fans would know a rough patch if you beat them over the head with it). And people like you deserve props for sticking around when things are *ahem* tough.

[Inqui]

Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan at the 3, 4 and 5. Look out.

The rich get richer. If they can fit LMA into their system, the Spurs are going to be a terror this season. And tbh I wouldn't mind seeing Duncan bow out with another ring.

[-Truth-]

The rich get richer. If they can fit LMA into their system, the Spurs are going to be a terror this season. And tbh I wouldn't mind seeing Duncan bow out with another ring.

 

Agree on all accounts.