The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[Mainstreet]

That's surprising. I know Drew held out when Ty Lue was fired because he wanted a guaranteed contract beyond the end of the season. If he didn't get that then he wasn't willing to take on the interim title but they worked things out. Looks like he got paid to go away, most likely. As much of a mess the Suns are and have been I don't think we're in as bad of positions as Cleveland and now Sacramento. We'll see how things shake out over the next few weeks. The Suns should be trying to make a deal with the Kings after the lottery takes place though. Our pick for Fox, perhaps even more if they'd include Bagley. See what can be done. Our pick and Jackson for Bagley and Fox? That gives them an out on last draft and if they liked Jackson more than Fox perhaps they Vlade still does? I don't know, Strike while they're confused.

I'm not sure about the Drew situation in Cleveland but I don't see anyway the Kings cough one of Fox or Bagley unless the Suns have the first or second pick in the draft. And then I would want the Suns to keep it.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm not sure about the Drew situation in Cleveland but I don't see anyway the Kings cough one of Fox or Bagley unless the Suns have the first or second pick in the draft. And then I would want the Suns to keep it.

Who knows what the Kings would do as far as making a trade. Fox didn't seem happy to learn that Joeger was being fired. Doesn't hurt to try and take advantage of a bad situation there. I'd much rather have Fox than Morant. Of course I'd prefer Zion to both Fox and Bagley but if the Kings would actually make a deal that was Fox and Bagley for the #1 pick to take Zion, that's something that would need to be considered. I don't know which way I'd go. I think I'd do the deal if it were available. That solves 2 needs in action and then we can resign Oubre and call it an offseason. All hypothetical at this point, we'll see what the Kings were thinking in the next few days and if Fox tries asking out.

 

[Mainstreet]

Who knows what the Kings would do as far as making a trade. Fox didn't seem happy to learn that Joeger was being fired. Doesn't hurt to try and take advantage of a bad situation there. I'd much rather have Fox than Morant. Of course I'd prefer Zion to both Fox and Bagley but if the Kings would actually make a deal that was Fox and Bagley for the #1 pick to take Zion, that's something that would need to be considered. I don't know which way I'd go. I think I'd do the deal if it were available. That solves 2 needs in action and then we can resign Oubre and call it an offseason. All hypothetical at this point, we'll see what the Kings were thinking in the next few days and if Fox tries asking out.

My guess is Fox and Bagley stay put but it's always good to listen to options.

 

[Russ Smith]

100% onboard with Harden as repeat MVP, absolutely amazing season. That said, I keep saying statements in the media like on ESPN today saying "arguably the greatest offensive season in NBA history". Admittedly I'm too young to have seen it but do people not know who Wilt Chamberlain was? 61-62 was his 3rd year in the NBA, 25 years old and he averaged 50.4 PPG! It's even better than that he had 45 games that year where he topped 50 points, in ONE SEASON, Harden did it 9 times. his lowest game all year was 28 against Bill Russell and Boston.

I realize the league was different then less talent but it was also different in that if you read the stories and hear the players talk teams reguarly doubled and tripled Wilt and he still averaged 50.

I'd be fine with saying Harden's season might be the best in a the last 25 years maybe longer but I don't see how you can say it was better than what Wilt did.

 

[GatorAZ]

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[elindholm]

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Peter Vecsey is still covering the NBA? I thought he burned all of his credibility bridges about 15 years ago.

 

[GatorAZ]

Peter Vecsey is still covering the NBA? I thought he burned all of his credibility bridges about 15 years ago.

I remember him on broadcasts too. He was the pre-social media Woj before Woj.

 

[Folster]

I remember him on broadcasts too. He was the pre-social media Woj before Woj.

Except Vecsey was always wrong. He was like a pre social media Alex Kennedy or Steven Kyler.

 

[Russ Smith]

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That would be interesting. I have no idea if Pitino has mellowed or not. I think he's a terrific college coach but if you ever read about his time in the NBA the younger players HATED him. Chauncey Billups admitted he nearly retired to get away from Pitino. Tyus Edney admitted he left the US to go play overseas because he hated Pitino so much(came back 3-4 years later and then back overseas). Billups said the day he got traded the vast majority of the team was screaming with joy because they all knew Billups was going to be a great player and they didn't want him to have his career sidetracked by Pitino to where he just gave up.

He's at least 20 years older now maybe he's mellowed or else he'd probably have some issues with a kid like Sexton.

 

[elindholm]

Except Vecsey was always wrong. He was like a pre social media Alex Kennedy or Steven Kyler.

I don't know who those other guys are, but I agree that Vecsey was always wrong. I became convinced that people in the know would deliberately feed him bad information, knowing that he'd be duped and run with it, and that he'd never learn to be skeptical of the same sources that kept deceiving him.

 

[Folster]

I don't know who those other guys are, but I agree that Vecsey was always wrong. I became convinced that people in the know would deliberately feed him bad information, knowing that he'd be duped and run with it, and that he'd never learn to be skeptical of the same sources that kept deceiving him.

NBA twitter hacks that seem to always be wrong yet get retweeted when they spout their nonsense. I had to stop following them because it was ridiculous.

 

[Yuma]

NBA twitter hacks that seem to always be wrong yet get retweeted when they spout their nonsense. I had to stop following them because it was ridiculous.

I know. It seems it's all about speed to quote on Twitter.

 

[Raindog]

It may turn out that firing Joerger and hiring Luke Walton might not have been the smartest move on the part of the Kings.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It may turn out that firing Joerger and hiring Luke Walton might not have been the smartest move on the part of the Kings.

Well, with Koko reportedly now out maybe we can re-visit Walton once the Kings dump him.

 

[Yuma]

Well, with Koko reportedly now out maybe we can re-visit Walton once the Kings dump him.

who do you think started the rumors about Walton?

 

[AzStevenCal]

who do you think started the rumors about Walton?

I like Luke so I hope it's pure fiction. Not sure either way though.

 

[Yuma]

I like Luke so I hope it's pure fiction. Not sure either way though.

I hope not either. His dad will be heartbroken if it's true.

 

[Russ Smith]

I like Luke so I hope it's pure fiction. Not sure either way though.

You never know but the accuser left her job VERY abruptly it was a very strange situation. One day she was on the air, the next day she was gone and she wasn't anywhere else so you knew she hadn't left for a better job. For example Ros Onwude-Gold(spelling probably wrong) was the Warriors sideline reporter and then she moved up, I think she's on ABC or TNT now I've seen her several times in the playoffs. her move made sense, this one was she's on air, she's completely vanished.


Guys on a UCLA board are attacking her, gold digger, why'd she wait so long etc but based on the little bit I've read so far I don't see anything with her story that's obviously a red flag. The overwhelming majority of women in that situation don't report or wait months or even years to do so.

I actually suspect the Lakers knew about this and it might have played a role in him being gone, now the Kings are in their hire Steve Alford moment where it's if you didn't know when you hired him why do you have your job, if you did know, why did you hire him?

 

[SunsTzu]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...opied-backstabbing-e-mail-chain.html#comments

 

[Russ Smith]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...opied-backstabbing-e-mail-chain.html#comments

There's a guy on a UCLA board I read who gets all sorts of insider info and he posted this before Bucher leaked the story. What he says is it was not an accident, Buss automatically bcced Magic on emails that was their protocol. In this case they believe Buss agreed with what Pelinka was saying but she didn't want to be the bad guy and say it to Magic so she let Pelinka do it in email, didn't agree or disagree(which apparently bothered Magic) and then Magic predictably got mad and quit.

That is he says Buss probably agrees with Pelinka and was fine with magic moving on, she just didn't want to push him out so she let Pelinka instigate it without him knowing he was being used. There's apparently now some issues with him and her.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thunder GM Sam Presti expects Billy Donovan back as head coach.


Royce Young‏Verified account @royceyoung

Sam Presti says he anticipates Billy Donovan returning as coach next season.


9:16 AM - 29 Apr 2019

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Donovan is a good coach...but if they don’t advance next year...

 

[Mainstreet]

Donovan is a good coach...but if they don’t advance next year...

It could well be the case.

I breathed a sigh of relief there was not another team out there that didn't need a head coach.

The Thunder would be a preferred destination.

 

[Russ Smith]

Donovan is a good coach...but if they don’t advance next year...

He's in a tough spot Westbrook is putting up a triple double for 3 years so it's kind of hard to make the case that he's hurting the team, but I think lots of people who watch them come away with that impression, me included. I think George is actually his best player but he's got a difficult battle to control egos.

My sincere hope for Westbrook this offseason is he loses 15-20 pounds, leans out, and hopefully improves his outside shot, 3 years ago it looked like he finally turned a corner and shot 34% from 3, but 2 straight years of 29 with the bulked up version I'm convinced if he leans out his shot will improve.

 

[Suns_fan69]

He's in a tough spot Westbrook is putting up a triple double for 3 years so it's kind of hard to make the case that he's hurting the team, but I think lots of people who watch them come away with that impression, me included. I think George is actually his best player but he's got a difficult battle to control egos.

My sincere hope for Westbrook this offseason is he loses 15-20 pounds, leans out, and hopefully improves his outside shot, 3 years ago it looked like he finally turned a corner and shot 34% from 3, but 2 straight years of 29 with the bulked up version I'm convinced if he leans out his shot will improve.

The thing that hurts the most is his shot selection. The dribble pull up 3s with 18 seconds on the shot clock hurts on a bunch of levels. Cutting down on those should immediately make an impact on his shooting percentage.