NBA 2021-22: Ben Simmons and Kyrie Walk Into A Bar While Talking About The Lakers

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Ha!

We actually don’t need Simmons. Rudy Gay was the missing piece. :lol:

Let the Jazz dynasty BEGIN!
 
Happy 75th Anniversary, Hewson

FCFtc2XVIAEsz7g
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
namkcuR is quieter than Laz during a lakers losing streak.

what gives, man?
Click to expand...

Sheesh, I'm here. Apologies for the delay, I was doing other things. And you're one of, like, only two or three people that answers the questions every year, so I wasn't even sure anyone would care if I didn't do it. But here you go, twenty-one questions, have fun :)

1. Will The Bucks be able to repeat as champions, or will there be too much competition this season? Will they even come out of the East?

2. Provided Durant and Harden stay healthy - a considerable if - will the Nets still be a big threat to win it all even if they're without Kyrie all season long? And will the Nets trade Kyrie if he doesn't cave by a certain point?

3. Will the Lakers' new supporting cast with Westbrook, Melo, Nunn, etc, be enough to help LeBron and AD get back to the promised land, or will it be a disaster?

4. How will the Ben Simmons situation resolve? Will he play any meaningful minutes for Philly? If they trade him, will they get anything of value back? Will the Sixers be able to find a way, in any scenario, to remain in contention?

5. Will The Clippers be at all relevant without Kawhi this season? Any chance Kawhi makes it back late in the season?

6. With Kyle Lowry in town and Oladipo suiting up on a 'prove it' minimum deal, will the 2020 Finalist Miami Heat be a serious threat to come out of the East again?

7. Were the 2021 Hawks a fluke, or will they be one of the top teams in the East again?

8. With Klay Thompson coming off two straight serious injuries, and having not played in two years, and with a bunch of youngins, will the Warriors be able to find a way to contend?

9. With Jamal Murray hopefully returning sooner rather than later, will the Nuggets be able to return to the WCF as they did in 2020? Will MPJ live up to his big extension?

10. The Knicks have added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, and will hopefully get Mitchell Robinson back from injury during the season; have they really improved in any significant way? Will they make it to the second round or further? Or is Kemba's tank close to empty? Is Thibs going to run them down too quickly?

11. The Suns and Jazz surprised people last year, finishing with the top two seeds in the West, with Phoenix making it to the Finals. Will these teams still be that good, or were they one-season wonders?

12. The Celtics have a new coach and a new executive, with Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge. Still, they didn't do a whole lot with their roster. Will they be able to remain relevant, or could we see a Jayson Tatum trade request on the horizon?

13. The new-look Bulls are perhaps the most made-over team coming into the season - having added Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, among others to join Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Could they be good enough to be one of the top four seeds in the East? Or will they be an overhyped team that only squeaks into the playoffs, if at all?

14. Will the Pacers of Sabonis/Turner/Brogdon/Warren/LaVert et al remain a factor in the East? Or will they be squeezed out by the increased competition?

15. Will Dame make it to the end of the season without Portland trading him?

16. How will the Raptors fare in the first season of the post-Lowry era? Will Siakam, VanVleet, OG, Boucher, rookie Scottie Barnes, etc miss the playoffs for the second straight season, or will they surprise people?

17. The Mavs have replaced head coach Rick Carlisle with Jason Kidd, while doing little with their roster. Is there any way this season doesn't end with Luka getting even more frustrated than he is? Will Jason Kidd be able to do any better with this team than Carlisle?

18. Is Zion finally going show some consistent health this season? Is his attitude going to improve? Or are we on a collision course with him either having his career derailed by injury or demanding out of New Orleans?

19. Is this going to be Pops' final season? There are some reports that this could be it for him, especially since the Spurs are in a full rebuild now.

20. How will the top rookies perform? Cunningham, Mobley, Suggs, Green? Who has the most immediate impact? Who improves their team the most/quickest?

21. Will the vaccine mandates become an issue for anyone else besides Kyrie?
 
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namkcuR said:
Sheesh, I'm here. Apologies for the delay, I was doing other things. And you're one of, like, only two or three people that answers the questions every year, so I wasn't even sure anyone would care if I didn't do it. But here you go, twenty-one questions, have fun :)

1. Will The Bucks be able to repeat as champions, or will there be too much competition this season? Will they even come out of the East?

2. Provided Durant and Harden stay healthy - a considerable if - will the Nets still be a big threat to win it all even if they're without Kyrie all season long? And will the Nets trade Kyrie if he doesn't cave by a certain point?

3. Will the Lakers' new supporting cast with Westbrook, Melo, Nunn, etc, be enough to help LeBron and AD get back to the promised land, or will it be a disaster?

4. How will the Ben Simmons situation resolve? Will he play any meaningful minutes for Philly? If they trade him, will they get anything of value back? Will the Sixers be able to find a way, in any scenario, to remain in contention?

5. Will The Clippers be at all relevant without Kawhi this season? Any chance Kawhi makes it back late in the season?

6. With Kyle Lowry in town and Oladipo suiting up on a 'prove it' minimum deal, will the 2020 Finalist Miami Heat be a serious threat to come out of the East again?

7. Were the 2021 Hawks a fluke, or will they be one of the top teams in the East again?

8. With Klay Thompson coming off two straight serious injuries, and having not played in two years, and with a bunch of youngins, will the Warriors be able to find a way to contend?

9. With Jamal Murray hopefully returning sooner rather than later, will the Nuggets be able to return to the WCF as they did in 2020? Will MPJ live up to his big extension?

10. The Knicks have added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, and will hopefully get Mitchell Robinson back from injury during the season; have they really improved in any significant way? Will they make it to the second round or further? Or is Kemba's tank close to empty? Is Thibs going to run them down too quickly?

11. The Suns and Jazz surprised people last year, finishing with the top two seeds in the West, with Phoenix making it to the Finals. Will these teams still be that good, or were they one-season wonders?

12. The Celtics have a new coach and a new executive, with Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge. Still, they didn't do a whole lot with their roster. Will they be able to remain relevant, or could we see a Jayson Tatum trade request on the horizon?

13. The new-look Bulls are perhaps the most made-over team coming into the season - having added Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, among others to join Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Could they be good enough to be one of the top four seeds in the East? Or will they be an overhyped team that only squeaks into the playoffs, if at all?

14. Will the Pacers of Sabonis/Turner/Brogdon/Warren/LaVert et al remain a factor in the East? Or will they be squeezed out by the increased competition?

15. Will Dame make it to the end of the season without Portland trading him?

16. How will the Raptors fare in the first season of the post-Lowry era? Will Siakam, VanVleet, OG, Boucher, rookie Scottie Barnes, etc miss the playoffs for the second straight season, or will they surprise people?

17. The Mavs have replaced head coach Rick Carlisle with Jason Kidd, while doing little with their roster. Is there any way this season doesn't end with Luka getting even more frustrated than he is? Will Jason Kidd be able to do any better with this team than Carlisle?

18. Is Zion finally going show some consistent health this season? Is his attitude going to improve? Or are we on a collision course with him either having his career derailed by injury or demanding out of New Orleans?

19. Is this going to be Pops' final season? There are some reports that this could be it for him, especially since the Spurs are in a full rebuild now.

20. How will the top rookies perform? Cunningham, Mobley, Suggs, Green? Who has the most immediate impact? Who improves their team the most/quickest?

21. Will the vaccine mandates become an issue for anyone else besides Kyrie?
Click to expand...

namkcuR said:
Sheesh, I'm here. Apologies for the delay, I was doing other things. And you're one of, like, only two or three people that answers the questions every year, so I wasn't even sure anyone would care if I didn't do it. But here you go, twenty-one questions, have fun :)
Click to expand...

You are forgiven ;)



1. Will The Bucks be able to repeat as champions, or will there be too much competition this season? Will they even come out of the East?

Probably not, because it's pretty damn hard to repeat in the NBA. But it's certainly possible - they're very deep, have that title winning swag, and have the best player in basketball.

2. Provided Durant and Harden stay healthy - a considerable if - will the Nets still be a big threat to win it all even if they're without Kyrie all season long? And will the Nets trade Kyrie if he doesn't cave by a certain point?

Without Kyrie and with Harden on one leg they were an inch away from beating the Bucks last year. We'll see what Nash can actually do as a HC without d'Antoni on the bench next to him.

They're also a self combustion candidate - something went on with them and Kyrie beyond what's been reported. The Nets went out and petitioned the city of New York to get Kyrie eligible to practice... and won. Then 5 days later, after a trip to Philly where the team gave a complete non effort (even for a preseason game) they said Kyrie would not practice or play until he's vaccinated. Why persue the right to have the practice facility declared a private offo e building and all the legal fees that went with it if you were never going to have Kyrie practice at all?

I suspect something happened with Kyrie somewhat along the lines of what happened today with Simmons.

And notice - Harden didn't sign his extension. He's eligible to be a free agent at the end of the year now.

I think they have to trade Kyrie - and that they know they have to trade Kyrie - buy also know they'll get .25 on the dollar for him. I think they're hoping Philly gets desperate and is willing to swap him for Simmons.

They have the talent, but the questions about Kyrie every night is going to get real old real fast.

3. Will the Lakers' new supporting cast with Westbrook, Melo, Nunn, etc, be enough to help LeBron and AD get back to the promised land, or will it be a disaster?

we're finally talking Lakers.

Can they? Yes. Will they? Depends on two things. Health, and whether or not LeBron is willing to defer to Russ.

I would guess no to both.

I got to witness Russ up close and personal last season. He's electric. His energy is infectious. His shot selection was better. But he absolutely needs the ball in his hands. For half a season last year Brooks split the primary ball handling duties between Beal and Westbrook. Beal Les the league in scoring - and the Wizards sucked.

After the break he gave Russ full reign, and the team went on a crazy run to sneak into the playoffs.

Russ is not capable of playing off the ball. He can't shoot for shit. He's a dynamic force when he's the primary decision maker - and next to useless when he's off the ball. He also can't guard anyone - which will be a huge problem come spring.

LeBron has shown he can play off the ball when he was with Miami - and he was at his most dominant. How they're able to balance that - and whether LeBron is willing to defer - will decide how good they are.

LeBron is better than Russ, so it seems silly to ask the better player to defer - but Bron is still useful off the ball, Russ is useless. It's going to be fascinating.

One huge red flag about their winless preseason is just how damn slow they looked on defense. I mean they're starting DeAndre Jordan, who couldn't get off the bench for a Brooklyn team riddled with injuries last year.

They could be good, or they could be the Nash/Kobe/Howard Lakers... which is the correct washed Lakers comparison (not the Karl Malone Lakers, who would have won a title if not for Kobe's rape trial season ending with him jacking crazy triple teamed shots when Shaq was destroying "hall of famer" Ben Wallace. But I digress)

4. How will the Ben Simmons situation resolve? Will he play any meaningful minutes for Philly? If they trade him, will they get anything of value back? Will the Sixers be able to find a way, in any scenario, to remain in contention?

he will never play again for Philly.

Morey wants Beal or Dame. It ain't happening. There's rumors of McCollum and Covington - he should jump at that. They're not as good as Simmons - but they fit better. Philly could be a more dangerous team.

But, of course, Embiid could do what he often does and go and get hurt.

James Buckets was right to bounce.

5. Will The Clippers be at all relevant without Kawhi this season? Any chance Kawhi makes it back late in the season?

We'll see Kawhi in October 22.

Clippers could be a low seed because the west has gotten a little softer. But they're not contenders without Kawhi, and Kawhi isn't playing.

6. With Kyle Lowry in town and Oladipo suiting up on a 'prove it' minimum deal, will the 2020 Finalist Miami Heat be a serious threat to come out of the East again?

7. Were the 2021 Hawks a fluke, or will they be one of the top teams in the East again?

combining these two.

The east is better than it's been in a long long time. I think both teams could be better than last year and still have no chance at coming out of the east. I can't see either of them beating a healthy Bucks team.

8. With Klay Thompson coming off two straight serious injuries, and having not played in two years, and with a bunch of youngins, will the Warriors be able to find a way to contend?

they have a trade on them. Maybe it's Simmons. Maybe it's Beal at the deadline. Maybe it's someone else. Curry is also still an MVP caliber player. Poole is a sleeper for most improves player.

Contender? If they can swing that trade? Yes. If they can't? Probably not, but nobody will want to play them in the playoffs.

9. With Jamal Murray hopefully returning sooner rather than later, will the Nuggets be able to return to the WCF as they did in 2020? Will MPJ live up to his big extension?

ehhh... Porter Jr. is the key. If he makes the jump that Denver thinks he can (and he certainly has the talent to) them absolutely yes. They could be a sleeper title contender. But MPJ has rubbed his teammates the wrong way early in his career - so it's not just about his making the jump, but whether he can mature.

10. The Knicks have added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, and will hopefully get Mitchell Robinson back from injury during the season; have they really improved in any significant way? Will they make it to the second round or further? Or is Kemba's tank close to empty? Is Thibs going to run them down too quickly?

Thibs running players into the ground is the most overrated bullshit storyline in the NBA over the last 10 years.

Derrick Rose had structural issues with his legs. He was a ticking time bomb. It didn't matter what Thibs did.

Kawhi Leonard is the most load managed player in history. Anthony Davis is on the list as well. Yet they both keep getting hurt - because they're injury prone.

Rose, meanwhile, has changed his game to adapt and is look who he's playing for again.

They'll be good. But so is the rest of the east. Can they beat Milwaukee or Brooklyn (if Brooklyn survives Kyrie)? I don't think so.

11. The Suns and Jazz surprised people last year, finishing with the top two seeds in the West, with Phoenix making it to the Finals. Will these teams still be that good, or were they one-season wonders?

Utah will be right there - but are the heir to the Raptors/Bucks "I'll believe they'll win in the playoffs when I see it" throne.

What Phoenix has done with Ayton is baffling. How he responds will probably decide what they do. He could be angry and have a monster year, or he could play soft, tentative and air out any time he has split ends in order to protect himself for free agency.

12. The Celtics have a new coach and a new executive, with Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge. Still, they didn't do a whole lot with their roster. Will they be able to remain relevant, or could we see a Jayson Tatum trade request on the horizon?

I think you'd say a Jaylen Brown trade request before a Tatum request. I think Boston is a playoff team. But not much more.

13. The new-look Bulls are perhaps the most made-over team coming into the season - having added Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, among others to join Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Could they be good enough to be one of the top four seeds in the East? Or will they be an overhyped team that only squeaks into the playoffs, if at all?

they are my favorite sleeper team of the east. I could absolutely see them in the top 4, and could see them make a run at the finals if the top three (Bucks/76ers/Nets) falter, get hurt and/or can't solve their Simmons/Kyrie dilemmas.

14. Will the Pacers of Sabonis/Turner/Brogdon/Warren/LaVert et al remain a factor in the East? Or will they be squeezed out by the increased competition?

the repeating theme here - the east is better. I think the east might be better than the west now. At the very least deeper.

15. Will Dame make it to the end of the season without Portland trading him?

yes. CJ, however...

16. How will the Raptors fare in the first season of the post-Lowry era? Will Siakam, VanVleet, OG, Boucher, rookie Scottie Barnes, etc miss the playoffs for the second straight season, or will they surprise people?

do they have tanks in Canada?

17. The Mavs have replaced head coach Rick Carlisle with Jason Kidd, while doing little with their roster. Is there any way this season doesn't end with Luka getting even more frustrated than he is? Will Jason Kidd be able to do any better with this team than Carlisle?

Man... I think they're going to disappoint. I don't think Kidd is a good coach. They absolutely downgraded at that position. But they do have Luka, so there's that.

18. Is Zion finally going show some consistent health this season? Is his attitude going to improve? Or are we on a collision course with him either having his career derailed by injury or demanding out of New Orleans?

he's already hurt.

He may stick around so that he can play for the Las Vegas Pelicans in a few years, though.

I predict that David Griffen will either be fired or quit by season's end.

19. Is this going to be Pops' final season? There are some reports that this could be it for him, especially since the Spurs are in a full rebuild now.

yes. coach Manu should make former shit posters happy

20. How will the top rookies perform? Cunningham, Mobley, Suggs, Green? Who has the most immediate impact? Who improves their team the most/quickest?

I think Green will win rookie of the year because he'll put up a ton of shots on that god awful team - but I think Suggs will ultimately be the best player in this class.

21. Will the vaccine mandates become an issue for anyone else besides Kyrie?

it secretly already is.

Ben Simmons (allegedly) isn't vaccinated. That cuts out two potential trade partners in Brooklyn and Golden State.


NBA - we're back, baby!
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
12. The Celtics have a new coach and a new executive, with Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge. Still, they didn't do a whole lot with their roster. Will they be able to remain relevant, or could we see a Jayson Tatum trade request on the horizon?

I think you'd say a Jaylen Brown trade request before a Tatum request. I think Boston is a playoff team. But not much more.
Click to expand...

I'm not even sure if they are good enough for that. They made no significant moves to help Tatum out. This just seems like a team that isn't sure what to do past Tatum and Brown. Maybe Williams has a breakout year, but that's a big if.
 
phanan said:
I'm not even sure if they are good enough for that. They made no significant moves to help Tatum out. This just seems like a team that isn't sure what to do past Tatum and Brown. Maybe Williams has a breakout year, but that's a big if.
Click to expand...

Counterpoint.
The addition of Dennis Schroeder will be a sneaky good one and give them some needed production from the point.
If Josh Richardson gain regain some of his form, they have some decent depth.

But the team is still going to succeed or fail on the backs of Tatum and Brown, if they play at their best it will be a good season.

If healthy they can be a 3 or 4 seed, with a couple of the projected top teams in the East starting the season with serious issues with a star player (BKN & PHI).
 
namkcuR said:
Sheesh, I'm here. Apologies for the delay, I was doing other things. And you're one of, like, only two or three people that answers the questions every year, so I wasn't even sure anyone would care if I didn't do it. But here you go, twenty-one questions, have fun :)

1. Will The Bucks be able to repeat as champions, or will there be too much competition this season? Will they even come out of the East?
Probably a 1 or 2 seed in the east, should be in the mix, but as Headache said above, repeating is tough. I think they have the makeup that they won't rest on their laurels though and will be a definite contender.

2. Provided Durant and Harden stay healthy - a considerable if - will the Nets still be a big threat to win it all even if they're without Kyrie all season long? And will the Nets trade Kyrie if he doesn't cave by a certain point?
No Kyrie they are at best an Eastern conference runner up. Trading Kyrie will be difficult.
3. Will the Lakers' new supporting cast with Westbrook, Melo, Nunn, etc, be enough to help LeBron and AD get back to the promised land, or will it be a disaster?
Disaster. No question.

4. How will the Ben Simmons situation resolve? Will he play any meaningful minutes for Philly? If they trade him, will they get anything of value back? Will the Sixers be able to find a way, in any scenario, to remain in contention?
He'll never see the floor again in Philly. If Morey doesn't lower his asking price, this will drag out for a loooong time.
5. Will The Clippers be at all relevant without Kawhi this season? Any chance Kawhi makes it back late in the season?
Probably borderline play-in team unless Kawhi returns early enough.
6. With Kyle Lowry in town and Oladipo suiting up on a 'prove it' minimum deal, will the 2020 Finalist Miami Heat be a serious threat to come out of the East again?
4 or 5 seed. Win one round in playoffs at best.
7. Were the 2021 Hawks a fluke, or will they be one of the top teams in the East again?
Also 4 or 5 seed range, good not yet top of conference.
8. With Klay Thompson coming off two straight serious injuries, and having not played in two years, and with a bunch of youngins, will the Warriors be able to find a way to contend?
Steph Curry, enough said.
9. With Jamal Murray hopefully returning sooner rather than later, will the Nuggets be able to return to the WCF as they did in 2020? Will MPJ live up to his big extension?
Porter's extension was too much, but that's today's NBA. He'll never fully live up to it. Denver will be top half of the bracket, but will need a lot to break right to reach the finals.
10. The Knicks have added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, and will hopefully get Mitchell Robinson back from injury during the season; have they really improved in any significant way? Will they make it to the second round or further? Or is Kemba's tank close to empty? Is Thibs going to run them down too quickly?
Kemba's knee is shot, tough to witness, cause he was a great talent, but he's lost a lot of his trademark explosiveness and juke-ability. 6-8 seed due to Thibs factor.

11. The Suns and Jazz surprised people last year, finishing with the top two seeds in the West, with Phoenix making it to the Finals. Will these teams still be that good, or were they one-season wonders?
Suns will be the better of the 2, should be a finalist in the west, Jazz will be about a 4 seed.
12. The Celtics have a new coach and a new executive, with Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge. Still, they didn't do a whole lot with their roster. Will they be able to remain relevant, or could we see a Jayson Tatum trade request on the horizon?
Banner 17 baby !!!(actually see my post above about the Cs.)

13. The new-look Bulls are perhaps the most made-over team coming into the season - having added Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, among others to join Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Could they be good enough to be one of the top four seeds in the East? Or will they be an overhyped team that only squeaks into the playoffs, if at all?
Bottom half of bracket, won't gel enough to contend.

14. Will the Pacers of Sabonis/Turner/Brogdon/Warren/LaVert et al remain a factor in the East? Or will they be squeezed out by the increased competition?
Play in team

15. Will Dame make it to the end of the season without Portland trading him?
Yes, but bye bye in the offseason.

16. How will the Raptors fare in the first season of the post-Lowry era? Will Siakam, VanVleet, OG, Boucher, rookie Scottie Barnes, etc miss the playoffs for the second straight season, or will they surprise people?
Play in team.
17. The Mavs have replaced head coach Rick Carlisle with Jason Kidd, while doing little with their roster. Is there any way this season doesn't end with Luka getting even more frustrated than he is? Will Jason Kidd be able to do any better with this team than Carlisle?
Kidd will be canned by January, new coach will take them back to the playoffs.
18. Is Zion finally going show some consistent health this season? Is his attitude going to improve? Or are we on a collision course with him either having his career derailed by injury or demanding out of New Orleans?
He'll miss at least 40 games.

19. Is this going to be Pops' final season? There are some reports that this could be it for him, especially since the Spurs are in a full rebuild now.
Probably

20. How will the top rookies perform? Cunningham, Mobley, Suggs, Green? Who has the most immediate impact? Who improves their team the most/quickest?
None have huge impacts, all need some time to develop.

21. Will the vaccine mandates become an issue for anyone else besides Kyrie?
Nah, just the flat earther.
Click to expand...
.
 
Hewson said:
Russ was an eyepopping -23.
Only one game, but sure doesn't instill confidence that this was the right 3rd piece.
Click to expand...

i mean - if last night wasn't proof that this is going to be a struggle i don't know what was.

LeBron did what LeBron did. AD did what AD did. (LeBron played 37 minutes last night btw - alert the minutes police).

Russ? Man... if this is how it's going to be, the Lakers will be a disaster.

Russ can not play that way. Full stop. There's only one good Russ, and it's the Russ where he has the ball in his hands and makes all of the decisions, plays fast and plays with a ton of energy. That Russ is good and can carry a team. But in order to get to that Russ you're going to have to put LeBron - who is better - to step back and let Russ be Russ. I, uh, don't see that happening.

Playing slow? Playing off the ball? He can't play that way. He can't shoot. This is going to get very interesting.
 
Headache and Hewson, mad respect that neither of you flat out picked a team to get to the Finals in your responses.
 
Hewson said:
Counterpoint.

The addition of Dennis Schroeder will be a sneaky good one and give them some needed production from the point.

If Josh Richardson gain regain some of his form, they have some decent depth.



But the team is still going to succeed or fail on the backs of Tatum and Brown, if they play at their best it will be a good season.



If healthy they can be a 3 or 4 seed, with a couple of the projected top teams in the East starting the season with serious issues with a star player (BKN & PHI).
Click to expand...


I agree with this for the most part, but it really comes down to Tatum and Brown. They just don’t have great depth. And if something happens to one of them, then no chance.
 
mikal said:
Headache and Hewson, mad respect that neither of you flat out picked a team to get to the Finals in your responses.
Click to expand...

welp - the clear best team on paper - Brooklyn - has a very obvious HUGE issue standing in their way. they need to solve that issue - and likely need to make Kyrie go away. Honestly just trade him for parts. They don't need a third start when they have KD and Harden. They need some 3 and D guys, some role players. i'm also not sold on Nic Claxton as the answer at the 5. Maybe it's a stop gap until Aldridge gets back into NBA game shape - but i they're going to need an answer there.

give me a sec and i'll come up with my playoff teams and award winners.
 
East
1 Bucks
2 Nets
3 Bulls
4 76ers
5 Knicks
6 Heat
7 Hawks
8 Celtics
9 Pacers
10 Wizards
11 Hornets
12 Raptors
13 Magic
14 Pistons
15 Cavs

Man the bottom of the East is as good as it's been in a long time. Other than the Magic, Pistons and Cavs - any of the other 12 could be a legitimate playoff team if we were still only letting 8 teams in. That play in game battle down the stretch is going to be crazy. Would it shock me if the Raptors finished 7th and the Wizards or Pacers finished out? Not in the least. Am I over-rating the Bulls and the pieces just don't fit the way i think they will? Entirely possible.

West
1 Jazz
2 Suns
3 Lakers
4 Nuggets
5 Warriors
6 Grizzlies
7 Mavericks
8 Blazers
9 Clippers
10 Spurs
11 Timberwolves
12 Pelicans
13 Kings
14 Thunder
15 Rockets

West is just not as good as it's been in the past - especially with the Kawhi's injury. Top 5 are still very good - but after that it's kind of a crap shoot - 11 to 15 are all in a race to the bottom. This may be the year that we can finally say that the Eats has passed the West.


MVP Antentokounmpo
ROY Green
MIP Poole
6th Man Mills
DPOY Gobert

Champs TBD

Ask me on December 15 - the day players who signed as free agents are eligible to be traded.

Brooklyn should be an easy choice - but without Kyrie? They're not better than Brooklyn. How quickly they resolve that issue will decide where they finish. With the right trade they catapult right back to the top of the list as the clear favorite - but this Kyrie thing could drag them down the entire season. Same goes with Philly. If they swing the right deal they could conceivably get significantly better - but with both Brooklyn and Philly, every team knows they have no leverage and aren't willing to give up big parts.

Would it stun me if the Bucks won again? Absolutely not. Until the Nets and 76ers figure this out, the Bucks are the favorites.

But so much can change.

If the Wizards get off to a bad start and Brad doesn't sign his extension (breaking news - he's not signing it) - do the Wizards trade him? And to who?

Can the Blazers make a move for Simmons without giving up Dame?

Do the Nets move Kyrie? Is there an option to send him back to Cleveland in a package for Sexton and Allen?

What about John Wall and Kevin Love? Does anyone bite on their awful contracts or do they ultimately get bought out? Love is more likely - but Wall - he'd have to give up close to $50 million on a buyout this year.

If the Wolves get off to a bad start (likely) is there a KAT trade?

The Kings were about 5 minutes away from trading Buddy Heild to the Lakers before the Wizards jumped in with Russ. Is there another deal for Heild somewhere? Can he be involved in a Simmons or Kyrie deal? What about the Warriors?

And speaking of Golden State - how long do they wait before they try and move some of their young pieces for that third star to give Steph one more shot at another ring?

The season is WIDE open as far as title contenders go. Going to be crazy town.
 
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