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  1. #1
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    Default NBA 2019 Off-Season Thread

    Basketball doesn't really have an off-season. It never turns off at any point in the year.

    It's more like an "out-season".

    Whatever you call it, it's here.

    The Toronto Raptors are the newly coronated NBA champions, with their championship parade being held today.

    The Off-Season is a time for 5 main things:

    1. NBA Draft
    2. NBA trades
    3. NBA free agency
    4. NBA hiring/firing of coaches and executives
    5. NBA legacies
    6. NBA rule changes

    The Draft is always important and is coming up very soon.

    We already had our first blockbuster trade of the off- season between the Lakers and the Pelicans. Anthony Davis for the Lakers current core plus a slew of draft picks: LeBron gets his ideal Pippen, while the Pels get a much better supporting cast for Zion Williamson.

    NBA Free Agency is a complete toss-up, due to KD's injury, Klay's injury, and Kawhi as a (potentially) one-year rental that won it all. These 3 things change the mindset of most potential bidders.

    Coaches and executives in the NBA are hired to be fired, as the saying goes. Sure the carousel will continue as it always does.

    Legacies should really only ever be seriously discussed in the off-season, because so much changes in-season and during the post-season. I'll have my annually updated Top 20 Basketball Players of All Time list ready to go soon.

    Rule changes in the NBA are rare but worth discussing.

    So, let's have at it! Bring on the NBA off-season and all its chaos!

  2. #2
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    The Lakers are now said to be pursuing a top-flight guard to assist (literally & figuratively) LeBron James and his new sidekick Anthony Davis.

    It could come down to Hornets PG Kemba Walker, Celrics G Kyrie Irving, and Rockets G Chris Paul.

    Walker seems like their first choice, but Walker may be going for the guaranteed max deal (from the Hornets) over a better chance at a ring (for a much smaller payday from the Lakers).

    Irving is intriguing, but virtually everyone has him already inked to go to the Brooklyn Nets. No doubt he has shown he can play at a high level with LeBron, but he also is due for a bigger payday than the Lakers can offer.

    Then there's Chris Paul. He's one of Lebron's closest friends off the court, and is still one of the best pure point guards out there, but he is still under contract with the Rockets. Unless he forces a buyout and then signs with LA for whatever they can afford to pay him.

    Kemba, Kyrie, or Chris?

    Which (if any) of these guards are going to join The King and The he Brow in La-La Land?

  3. #3
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by daBronzeBomma View Post
    The Lakers are now said to be pursuing a top-flight guard to assist (literally & figuratively) LeBron James and his new sidekick Anthony Davis.

    It could come down to Hornets PG Kemba Walker, Celrics G Kyrie Irving, and Rockets G Chris Paul.

    Walker seems like their first choice, but Walker may be going for the guaranteed max deal (from the Hornets) over a better chance at a ring (for a much smaller payday from the Lakers).

    Irving is intriguing, but virtually everyone has him already inked to go to the Brooklyn Nets. No doubt he has shown he can play at a high level with LeBron, but he also is due for a bigger payday than the Lakers can offer.

    Then there's Chris Paul. He's one of Lebron's closest friends off the court, and is still one of the best pure point guards out there, but he is still under contract with the Rockets. Unless he forces a buyout and then signs with LA for whatever they can afford to pay him.

    Kemba, Kyrie, or Chris?

    Which (if any) of these guards are going to join The King and The he Brow in La-La Land?
    Depends on who's willing to put their ego on the shelf and become Robin to Lebron's Batman. Kyrie left James while in Cleveland because he didn't want to be a sidekick, and, friendship or not, I can't see Paul playing second fiddle either. That leaves Walker who might be willing to head west unless Charlotte blows him away with a new offer.
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  4. #4
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    First Kyrie, now Al Horford is not opting in and will become an unrestricted free agent.

    Chris Paul reportedly wants out of Houston but his massive contract renders him pretty untradeable, barring an unlikely buyout.

    Mike Conley just got traded to the Jazz.

    And the Draft is tomorrow.

    What off-season?

  5. #5
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    The entire makeup of the Eastern Conference could come down to where Kawhi Leonard ends up. If he stays in Toronto, they figure to be top dog in the East for years, but, if he leaves and heads west, the Raptors would go from championship contender to also-ran struggling to make the playoffs as a low rung seed overnight, maybe even a lottery team. The Bucks have Giannis and could rule the East if Leonard leaves; my Sixers need to sign Jimmy Butler and/or Tobias Harris to stay competitive, not to mention building up their bench as that roster is hideously top heavy. As for the Celtics, they look to be imploding, meanwhile, the Nets look to be an up and comer.
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  6. #6
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    So how did everyone's team do on Draft Night?

    My Pistons drafted a hyped-up 18-year-old from Europe with no American collegiate experience.

    His name is Sekou Doumbouya. He may not be a bust, but for now I'm just going to call him the "French Darko Milicic".

    Or just "Farko".

  7. #7
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    My Sixers traded the 24th and 33rd picks to Boston for the rights to Washington defensive wizard Matisse Thybulle in a pick that was clearly about bench depth as we have perhaps THE most top heavy team in the league, having thinned said bench to the bone in trading for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris in a "win now" stratagem last season. While Thybulle was one of the NCAA's top defenders, his offense was mediocre as he averaged just 9.1 points, but had 3.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. We also added C Bruno Fernando from Maryland with the 34th pick and SG Marial Shayok from Iowa State with the 54th pick. Fernando looks to be the big man the Sixers desperately need to spell Joel Embiid and keep him fresh as the backups from last season were, to put it mildly, trash. As for Shayok, having averaged almost 19 points per game for the Terrapins last year, perhaps he'll provide much needed scoring off the bench for Philly.

    To give a grade, I'll make it a solid B
    Last edited by WestPhillyPunisher; 06-22-2019 at 06:31 AM.
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  8. #8
    Extraordinary Member Hiromi's Avatar
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    I don't think I've seen that much wheeling and dealing in a draft in a long while


    interestingly I think the Hawks did surprisingly well and might have an interesting team in a few years

  9. #9

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    Phoenix puzzled a lot of people on draft night. Their big need was a PG, and they could use a PF as well. With some quality point guards on the board, they traded TJ Warren to Indiana, presumably to open up more cash for free agency... but then rather than draft Coby White, they traded the #6 pick to Minnesota for the #11 pick and Dario Saric, who is at least a PF, but only has one year left on his rookie deal. So it's not like they control the player for enough time to make the move worthwhile. When #11 came up, the Suns then drafted Cam Johnson, a SHOOTING guard out of North Carolina. Cam Johnson's scouting reports had him at best, a late 1st round pick, and some expected him not to go until the 2nd round. He's the oldest player in the draft at 23, and led the NCAA in NBA range 3-point FG%, at 46%. However, he's also had injuries to both his hips that limits his lateral movement and makes him a suspect defender.

    Effectively, the Suns GM James Jones got 1 year of a PF and then drafted a player who will perhaps go on one day to be as good of an NBA player as... James Jones.

    Phoenix then also traded again in the first round with Boston and picked up backup center Aron Baynes (negating the TJ Warren trade to open up cap space), to finally select a PG, Ty Jerome.

    No one seems to be able to figure out what the hell this team is doing.
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  10. #10
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    My Sixers were said to have targeted Cam Johnson, but had to fall back on the contingency plan that was Thybulle after Phoenix took Johnson.
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  11. #11
    Lin Kuei Grandmaster Sub-Zero MKA's Avatar
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    I wasn't even aware James Jones had retired. Imagine my absolute shock when I find out today that he's the GM for my Suns. I don't even know what this team is aiming for.
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  12. #12
    Ultimate Member Deathstroke's Avatar
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    The Celtics offseason so far has pretty much been a disaster.
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  13. #13
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deathstroke View Post
    The Celtics offseason so far has pretty much been a disaster.
    In terms of players staying (Kyrie & Horford), well, yes.

    But they just signed undrafted UCF center Tacko Fall on a one- year contract. That's the 7'6" 310 lb mobile pivot who gave Zion all he could handle in the NCAA tourney.

    Props to Ainge for taking a chance on the guy.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deathstroke View Post
    The Celtics offseason so far has pretty much been a disaster.
    Kyrie was a complete mistake. A player like Garnett who actually gives a shot can but into team culture and the tradition of the Celtics. Kyrie is a bit alternative let’s say and a guy who runs off a team that’s been to 3 straight finals and has the best player in the world isn’t a sure bet. He was all about the Celtics and then overnight went rogue.

    Horford is understandable. He’s older and without Kyrie this team isn’t contending. He wants a ring and has limited time. All the best to him

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by KNIGHT OF THE LAKE View Post
    Kyrie was a complete mistake. A player like Garnett who actually gives a shot can but into team culture and the tradition of the Celtics. Kyrie is a bit alternative let’s say and a guy who runs off a team that’s been to 3 straight finals and has the best player in the world isn’t a sure bet. He was all about the Celtics and then overnight went rogue.

    Horford is understandable. He’s older and without Kyrie this team isn’t contending. He wants a ring and has limited time. All the best to him
    Kyrie got a nasty reality check when the Celtics were good without him. I think that got him more than anything.

    He could have stopped all those rumors to New York but didn't. Now he has his shot to go there.

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