2023-24 Around the NBA Thread

[Russ Smith]

I wouldn't ever call Dame the Western Bradley Beal. Dame >> Beal. I do like Beal but Dame is a top 10 player in the game, easily. He's arguably the #2 PG behind Steph and honestly I think if you swapped Dame with Steph, Golden State doesn't skip a beat. Dame has carried the Blazers to the WCF before and the only reason Portland has been semi competitive the last few years despite being the only quality player there since McCollum was dealt. He could retire tomorrow and be a Hall of Famer while Beal couldn't say the same. Dame was named one of the top 75 players of all time for a reason. Dude had 2 60+ point games last season and 5 in his career. He's an all time talent.

Lillard is great but no he's not replacing Steph without skipping a beat IMO. Look at the career numbers, Steph 47.5% Dame 43.9, Steph from 3 42.8, Lillard 37.2(only over 40% from 3 once in his career). Great player but the Warriors would definitely have dropped off if they replaced Steph with Lillard because Lillard isn't as good as Steph is. And that's not a knock.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Lillard is great but no he's not replacing Steph without skipping a beat IMO. Look at the career numbers, Steph 47.5% Dame 43.9, Steph from 3 42.8, Lillard 37.2(only over 40% from 3 once in his career). Great player but the Warriors would definitely have dropped off if they replaced Steph with Lillard because Lillard isn't as good as Steph is. And that's not a knock.

Yeah, it's more like Steph has been to Lillard as Lillard has been to Beal. Beal has been a borderline all star level player for much of his career. Lillard has been a borderline all pro for much of his career. Steph has been a serious MVP candidate for much of his career and an all time great.

 

[Phrazbit]

Lakers sign Christian Wood.

Good.

That dude has a wretched rep around the league and his teams always seem to play better when he is on the bench.

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[Mainstreet]

The Lakers had some good signings last season near the trade deadline, like Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt.

Now they extend Austin Reaves and add free agents Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent in free agency.

I'm taking the Lakers signings seriously.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Lakers now add Christian Woods to Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura upfront.

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[Hoop Head]

The West will be deep next year. Playoff teams will probably be similar.

Nuggets, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Kings, and Memphis are all likely to return. I think OKC will make it in place of Minnesota. I can see Minnesota blowing it up, with either KAT or Ant asking out. Dallas will have a hard time making up ground, same goes for New Orleans. Portland and San Antonio are the only teams I think don't stand a chance. Houston is a dark horse but I don't see them squeaking past all the other fringe teams.

Going to be a long season. I wouldn't be surprised to see the standings look the same as they did last year but unlike some, I think the conference is deeper than it's been in some time. The East is stronger than it was back when 6-7 teams in the West would rack up 55+ wins a season.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Lakers had some good signings last season near the trade deadline, like Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt.

Now they extend Austin Reaves and add free agents Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent in free agency.

I'm taking the Lakers signings seriously.

They had a great trade deadline, no question. But I think Wood stinks and he will be a terrible fit on that team.

They also shouldn't be doing anything to let Davis get into his head that he should get to play more minutes at the 4. He stinks at the 4 and is all NBA at the 5.

 

[AzStevenCal]

They had a great trade deadline, no question. But I think Wood stinks and he will be a terrible fit on that team.

They also shouldn't be doing anything to let Davis get into his head that he should get to play more minutes at the 4. He stinks at the 4 and is all NBA at the 5.

He might be a terrible fit on that team but I think simply saying he stinks sells him short.

He's actually pretty talented and if he had the emotional makeup of someone like Tim Duncan, he'd be a star or close to it. But he's always about himself, never about the team. If they can't reel him in and keep him focused on team goals, he'll excite the fans for a few weeks before he reverts to form and starts forcing ill-advised shots and disappearing on defense.

If he repeats his past, he'll help them win a few more games than he costs them but they'll be anxious to move on from him by the end of the season. If he undergoes an emotional metamorphosis we're going to hate to see him on that roster.

 

[Proximo]

The Lakers had some good signings last season near the trade deadline, like Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt.

Now they extend Austin Reaves and add free agents Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent in free agency.

I'm taking the Lakers signings seriously.

I'm not.

Anytime your two stars are a broken down heartless AD, and an ancient decaying Lebron you are going nowhere.

 

[Phrazbit]

He might be a terrible fit on that team but I think simply saying he stinks sells him short.

He's actually pretty talented and if he had the emotional makeup of someone like Tim Duncan, he'd be a star or close to it. But he's always about himself, never about the team. If they can't reel him in and keep him focused on team goals, he'll excite the fans for a few weeks before he reverts to form and starts forcing ill-advised shots and disappearing on defense.

If he repeats his past, he'll help them win a few more games than he costs them but they'll be anxious to move on from him by the end of the season. If he undergoes an emotional metamorphosis we're going to hate to see him on that roster.

Stinks is not the right word, I agree. He has talent in the game of basketball.

However, despite that talent, his impact is a net negative and 'repeating his past' will likely find him on the waiver wire.

He is a ball hog to the extreme, he doesn't defend, he doesn't rebound. The only time he is not doing damage to his own team is if he is on fire as a shooter. He is Gerald Green... but a "center".

He's been a net negative throughout his career, teams are worse when he is on the court, his problems are ball hogging, glory seeking and zero attention to parts of basketball that have an impact. I think playing in LA will only exacerbate those issues.

I imagine LA will either staple him to the bench early in the season because they've realized why he was totally unwanted or that he will become next season's dramatic LA pariah. Him getting benched or cut is far more likely though.

Long story short, as a Suns fan, I like this signing... I just wish they were more committed so it could screw them over worse in the long run.

 

[95pro]

Woods will be waived and stretched before the end of the season, or traded.

 

[Germz249]

I thought we should have looked at Woods.. but then again the guy is on his 8th team with like what.. 8 years in the league?? I guess that should be a red flag.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I thought we should have looked at Woods.. but then again the guy is on his 8th team with like what.. 8 years in the league?? I guess that should be a red flag.

Yeah it's 8 red flags counting UNLV. He's such a disappointment that everyone gives up on him but he's so talented that the next team in line talks themselves into believing they can help him grow up. Maybe the Lakers will be that team but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Proximo]

I thought we should have looked at Woods.. but then again the guy is on his 8th team with like what.. 8 years in the league?? I guess that should be a red flag.

It's a humongous red flag, and the fact it took teams this long to sign him is another one.

He is bad news. Apparently Lakers thought it was worth the risk, and with that low of salary, it isn't much risk.

 

[Mainstreet]

They had a great trade deadline, no question. But I think Wood stinks and he will be a terrible fit on that team.

They also shouldn't be doing anything to let Davis get into his head that he should get to play more minutes at the 4. He stinks at the 4 and is all NBA at the 5.

It's more about the Lakers adding cheap talent. Woods is playing for a new contract.

If he plays well, he can help their depth. If not, he rides the bench. It's not like the Lakers have to play him.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not.

Anytime your two stars are a broken down heartless AD, and an ancient decaying Lebron you are going nowhere.

The word of their demise may be greatly overexaggerated. They were in the Western Conference Finals last season.

 

[Ronin]

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[Proximo]

The word of their demise may be greatly overexaggerated. They were in the Western Conference Finals last season.

Yeah so was Dallas the year before.

Only the media and Laker fans actually believe they were the second best team in the West.

This is a team that was nearly beaten in the play in tournament. If they were even half way good they could have beaten Denver once. Them getting by Golden State was a total fluke, and their size advantage. I'm sorry I have never been less impressed by a Western Conference finalist than that team.

Now Lebron is one year older, and you know how fast games can go in the trash once you are in your upper 30's, it can happen over night.

I do think Reeves is a good up and coming player, but he isn't a superstar.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah so was Dallas the year before.

Only the media and Laker fans actually believe they were the second best team in the West.

This is a team that was nearly beaten in the play in tournament. If they were even half way good they could have beaten Denver once. Them getting by Golden State was a total fluke, and their size advantage. I'm sorry I have never been less impressed by a Western Conference finalist than that team.

Now Lebron is one year older, and you know how fast games can go in the trash once you are in your upper 30's, it can happen over night.

I do think Reeves is a good up and coming player, but he isn't a superstar.

I hope you are right, but I don't see Lebron falling off a cliff this season and they recently extended Anthony Davis.

Then add Reaves, Vanderbilt, Russell, Prince, Hachimura, Hayes and Vincent. That's the roster of a contender.

 

[Proximo]

I hope you are right, but I don't see Lebron falling off a cliff this season and they recently extended Anthony Davis.

Then add Reaves, Vanderbilt, Russell, Prince, Hachimura, Hayes and Vincent. That's the roster of a contender.

Agree to disagree.

That roster has no chance of competing with the Suns or Nuggets if they are healthy.

 

[Mainstreet]

Agree to disagree.

That roster has no chance of competing with the Suns or Nuggets if they are healthy.

A lot of teams could say the same thing about the health issue.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah so was Dallas the year before.

Only the media and Laker fans actually believe they were the second best team in the West.

They literally ended up the second best team in the West by end of playoffs.

Unless you think it was a fluke that they handled Memphis AND GS rather easily, without HCA in either series.

This is a team that was nearly beaten in the play in tournament. If they were even half way good they could have beaten Denver once. Them getting by Golden State was a total fluke, and their size advantage.

Lol… their size advantage isn’t a fluke. It’s a function of the team they built. That got reinforced in the off-season.

I'm sorry I have never been less impressed by a Western Conference finalist than that team.

You also thought they were going to lose in the first round so what you are and are not impressed with doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Now Lebron is one year older, and you know how fast games can go in the trash once you are in your upper 30's, it can happen over night.

I do think Reeves is a good up and coming player, but he isn't a superstar.

No one’s claiming Reeves to be a superstar.

The Lakers are about one thing and one thing only… health. If they’re healthy come playoff time, they’re a tough matchup. If not, they’re not. It’s that simple.

 

[Raindog]

Wood is the Dennis Schroeder of NBA front court players. So the Lakers are just repeating history that they should have already learned from.

But it is true they won't have to depend on playing him, so the negative effect may be muted. My point is that this doesn't move the needle for them at all. Their ceiling is still going to be the WC semis.

 

[Proximo]

They literally ended up the second best team in the West by end of playoffs.

Really - you don't think the Suns would of beat them - because I think we would have swept them.

Unless you think it was a fluke that they handled Memphis AND GS rather easily, without HCA in either series.

I do think it was a fluke. I seriously doubt they could beat GS again, I think Jordan Poole was so bad in that series he single handedly got them beat.

Lol… their size advantage isn’t a fluke. It’s a function of the team they built. That got reinforced in the off-season.

You also thought they were going to lose in the first round so what you are and are not impressed with doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Your right I did, Memphis played like crap, and I overestimated them. I shouldn't of because they are mentally fragile and had already shown that. Talent wise I like them better than the Lakers.

No one’s claiming Reeves to be a superstar.

The Lakers are about one thing and one thing only… health. If they’re healthy come playoff time, they’re a tough matchup. If not, they’re not. It’s that simple.

The reason the Lakers aren't beating anyone is they don't have anyone they can rely on to close out games. Lebron can't do it anymore, all he can do is hoist up jumpers. AD is to scared to even try.

 

[Ronin]

Welp they are really hurting at undisputed.

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