The 2024 NBA playoffs thread

[Proximo]

James Jones sat on the Crowder mess for half of the season, killing any trade value he had. Jones did absolutely nothing to improve the team that off-season.

Ishbia isn't without fault but to absolve James Jones is to ignore all he's failed to do prior to the KD trade.

Yeah, and you know why - he was going to use him in the KD trade with other salary filler and not give up Mikal. Ishbia gets control of the team and immediately gave away the farm so he could make a "SPLASH". We will be feeling the effects of that splash for the next decade.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yeah, and you know why - he was going to use him in the KD trade with other salary filler and not give up Mikal. Ishbia gets control of the team and immediately gave away the farm so he could make a "SPLASH". We will be feeling the effects of that splash for the next decade.

The KD trade was dead for months. Saric made the same amount as Crowder as well, both expiring. They could have swapped them as the Nets had no interest in Crowder playing for them. Saric easily could have been used but wasn't. Instead Saric was given away in a salary dump for a bust.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

You might very well be correct - but you can't blame someone for not doing something they had no ability to do in the first place.

IF that’s true. All anyone has on here is conjecture.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yeah, and you know why - he was going to use him in the KD trade with other salary filler and not give up Mikal. Ishbia gets control of the team and immediately gave away the farm so he could make a "SPLASH". We will be feeling the effects of that splash for the next decade.

Lol. Ooooookay.

 

[Cheesebeef]

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Better.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah, and you know why - he was going to use him in the KD trade with other salary filler and not give up Mikal. Ishbia gets control of the team and immediately gave away the farm so he could make a "SPLASH". We will be feeling the effects of that splash for the next decade.

This is what many of us suspected, but then came the "Splash."

 

[Chaplin]

IF that’s true. All anyone has on here is conjecture.

Truer words have not been spoken.

 

[clyde2tw]

As clutch players go, Doncic > Irvine > Tatum = Booker = Ant = JBrown

 

[Lorenzo]

Better.

I do like Ant. I respect him on and off the court. I don't mind his confidence and his anger afterward. Good for him for making sure to congratulate dallas, regardless of whether the cameras catch it or not. He does have some maturing to do, but who doesn't at that age. Of all the young players I am most impressed with SGA. he handles himself really well, and he was balling out in the playoffs. He outplayed doncic and irving in that series.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This is what many of us suspected, but then came the "Splash."

Expecting KD to be traded for a middling, injury prone SF, expiring contracts and picks was not realistic.

We def still overpaid for KD and made a bad trade, but the trade that overwhelmingly favored the Suns just wasn’t going to happen.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would have walked away from the KD trade at the Nets asking price, but that's me. The Suns didn't have the talent to surround him the past two seasons to contend.

Why buy a Porche if one can't afford the gas.

 

[CardNots]

I would have walked away from the KD trade at the Nets asking price, but that's me. The Suns didn't have the talent to surround him the past two seasons to contend.

Why buy a Porche if one can't afford the gas.

Didn’t the NBA hamstring teams with the new capping rules after the KD trade?

Did the Suns know this was going to happen? If so shame on them. If not I don’t blame them for the acquisition of KD.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Precisely, they’ve had an easier road to the finals, but they would be favored to win the west if they were in that conference. For Dallas I think this series will be closer to what they saw vs OKC with the difference of Boston being more experienced and having higher expectations. That means lively, gafford, and Washington have to put their stamp on this series. They have to come up big for Dallas. Something small to keep an eye on also is that Dallas got kleber back. He got 2 games under his belt. He has to hit 3’s for Dallas. He can’t be a bystander on offense and Dallas need his defense. Also hardy has basically absorbed hardaway jr’s spot in the lineup. He can score.

First Lorenzo I hope both teams stay healthy and it's a well-officiated series!

But I'm jealous of the gritty, physically punishing roster DAL has put together. Even Doncic! Nobody wants to have 270 (j/k) or whatever he weighs leaning on you for seven games! It must be exhausting playing the mavericks!

So I'm hoping things don't go their way in finals! haha Celtics in four!

Hope you are otherwise well and enjoying the weekend my friend!

 

[Lorenzo]

First Lorenzo I hope both teams stay healthy and it's a well-officiated series!

But I'm jealous of the gritty, physically punishing roster DAL has put together. Even Doncic! Nobody want to have 270 (j/k) or whatever he weighs leaning on you for seven games! It must be exhausting playing the mavericks!

So I'm hoping things don't go their way in finals! haha Celtics in four!

Hope you are otherwise well and enjoying the weekend my friend!

I would be surprised if it’s Celtics in four. That would be very disappointing. just need to steal a game in Boston and this will be a series. They have overachieved beyond my expectations. But as others pointed out, I don’t think we can bank on Dallas getting back here next season. They have to take advantage of this opportunity.

 

[Mainstreet]

Didn’t the NBA hamstring teams with the new capping rules after the KD trade?

Did the Suns know this was going to happen? If so shame on them. If not I don’t blame them for the acquisition of KD.

The negotiations and content concerning the CBA rule changes were well-known before the Durant trade, even if they hadn't been finalized or published.

The owners were a party to the rule changes. There is no excuse for not knowing.

 

[Yuma]

The negotiations and content concerning the CBA rule changes were well-known before the Durant trade, even if they hadn't been finalized or published.

The owners were a party to the rule changes. There is no excuse for not knowing.

Just wondering if the cap guys we fired and replaced played into that scenario?

 

[Mainstreet]

Just wondering if the cap guys we fired and replaced played into that scenario?

Did they have a choice? The facts were on the table. I do think James Jones tried to keep Mikal Bridges out of the Durant trade.

 

[Yuma]

Did they have a choice? The facts were on the table. I do think James Jones tried to keep Mikal Bridges out of the Durant trade.

Could have been both Cam AND Bridges we didn't want to include. Obviously you want guys here to play next to KD. That would explain 4 first round picks. They just squeezed us hard. They had all the leverage.

 

[Mainstreet]

Could have been both Cam AND Bridges we didn't want to include. Obviously you want guys here to play next to KD. That would explain 4 first round picks. They just squeezed us hard. They had all the leverage.

What some don't seem to comprehend (I'm not referring to you personally) is the Suns didn't have to make the trade for Durant.

 

[Yuma]

What some don't seem to comprehend (I'm not referring to you personally) is the Suns didn't have to make the trade for Durant.

That's true. They talked themselves into KD, and were basically the only team at that moment that had assets to do so. If the season ended, then next season more teams would be in play for KD. I think they saw an opportunity, and took it. I also think they thought they could make it up on the Ayton trade. Then Beal just fell into our laps. So here we are. Hind sight is twenty/twenty.

 

[Yuma]

If we are being honest, during that time Sports radio was covering the possibilities of getting KD. It was on our local TV shows. Everywhere I worked, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, and wore my Suns shirts, people would stop me and ask if we were really getting KD? Everyone on TV and the radio, you could see on their faces, or hear in their voices, how juiced they were. I think the expectations were SO HIGH only an NBA Championship would make them OK.

 

[Hoop Head]

Could have been both Cam AND Bridges we didn't want to include. Obviously you want guys here to play next to KD. That would explain 4 first round picks. They just squeezed us hard. They had all the leverage.

Which is why I've always thought the "KD wanted to come here" narrative meant nothing. He wasn't pressuring Brooklyn to trade him or said he only wanted to be dealt to the Suns. Beal had leverage and there were some reports he wouldn't waive his NTC if the Suns included Ayton deal for him, which allowed us to flip Ayton for Nurk and Grayson. Brooklyn really had all the leverage and they were dealing with a desperate owner intent on making a splash. It couldn't have worked out better for them.

 

[Yuma]

Which is why I've always thought the "KD wanted to come here" narrative meant nothing. He wasn't pressuring Brooklyn to trade him or said he only wanted to be dealt to the Suns. Beal had leverage and there were some reports he wouldn't waive his NTC if the Suns included Ayton deal for him, which allowed us to flip Ayton for Nurk and Grayson. Brooklyn really had all the leverage and they were dealing with a desperate owner intent on making a splash. It couldn't have worked out better for them.

The trade I wonder about is not KD. He out performed my expectations. The trade I wonder about is Bradley Beal. What if we kept a declining CP3 and had to keep Shammet? Arguably it would have been harder to expose CP3 when you have KD and Booker, Nurkic, etc. on the court. It would have kept a more traditional line up on the floor.

 

[Phrazbit]

Could have been both Cam AND Bridges we didn't want to include. Obviously you want guys here to play next to KD. That would explain 4 first round picks. They just squeezed us hard. They had all the leverage.

I disagree. The Nets had zero leverage and I fully expect they would have either caved or things would have gotten even more toxic as Durant sat out the rest of the season and made it clear he'd never play for them again... forcing an even lesser deal in the summer.

But... at this point, IMO, even if Bridges is left out of the deal, it's a bad deal.

Mortgaging the future of your franchise for a toxic 35 year old is a terrible decision.

 

[clyde2tw]

The trade I wonder about is not KD. He out performed my expectations. The trade I wonder about is Bradley Beal. What if we kept a declining CP3 and had to keep Shammet? Arguably it would have been harder to expose CP3 when you have KD and Booker, Nurkic, etc. on the court. It would have kept a more traditional line up on the floor.

In hindsight, the better deal would be to sign and trade for Irvine for Ayton and Shamet, and have CP3 either coming off bench or as expiring for later teals. Without Nurk, maybe we could get Bitadze or some other min C instead of Eubanks.