Official 2013 NBA Offseason Thread

[grandtheftbike]

its a tossup IMO

KD - 20, 4 on 43% shooting
Horford - 10 and 10 on 50% shooting.

How is this a tossup?

 

[victor page]

its a tossup IMO

KD - 20, 4 on 43% shooting
Horford - 10 and 10 on 50% shooting.

Plus, lets be real.  You guys use that "empty stats on a bad team" to justify everything else, so why would it be different here?

Obviously KD has developed into the better player, but lets not act like the gap is HUGE, Horford is just coming off of a 17 and 10, 3, 1, 1 season on 53% shooting

Lol

The gap is huge. We're talking about a superstar and arguably the 2nd best player in the world vs Al Horford.

Cut it out.

 

[reggiekiller]

its a tossup IMO

KD - 20, 4 on 43% shooting
Horford - 10 and 10 on 50% shooting.

How is this a tossup?

Um what do you mean?

One dude put up 20 and 4 on a terrible team, while the other dude put up 10, and pulled down 10 rebounds, on a much better team.

Once again, NT loves the "empty stats" argument, and regardless of how history turned out, thats what KD was doing that year.  While Horford contributed to a playoff run.  KD scored more points, Horford rebounded better.  One dude helped his team to the playoff, the other was stuck on a lottery team.

And Horford is still a beast.  KD just ended up being much better

 

[shox23]

Lakers and Knicks in the finals next year

You play on hall of fame

 

[pmatic]

In trying to win now and later, Thunder's biggest foe is new CBA

It's that time of year again -- time to marvel at the Oklahoma City Thunder and all they accomplished during the offseason.

Wait, the Thunder hardly did anything this offseason? You don't say ...

It has become an annual rite of passage for Thunder GM Sam Presti to watch other executives flush with cap space go shopping on the free-agent market. Those other GMs go to the butcher and select only the finest cuts of meat. Presti doesn't make it past the check-out line, where he carefully selects a couple of packs of chewing gum and calls it a day.

It's the Thunder way, born of both philosophy and necessity. For one thing, you can't spend what you don't have. For another, unless you have the chance to get the best free agent of his generation and pair him with two other great players -- as the Heat did with LeBron James in 2010 -- don't bother trying to build a championship in July. Those teams are built 12 months out of the year.

That's Presti's approach. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Presti has signed a single free agent to more than a minimum contract since he's been running the team in Oklahoma City. This summer was no exception.

The Thunder's behavior since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement was adopted has provided a fascinating study in small-market management. With more punitive rules in place for teams that spend, Presti has traded James Harden; extended the contracts of Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook; failed to re-sign free agent Kevin Martin (acquired in the Harden traded); and generally pursued a path to championship contention through the draft and internal development. He also traded backup point guard Eric Maynor for a trade exception at the 2013 deadline, a move that came back to bite him when Westbrook went down but one that, at the time, was the only way to preserve Maynor's value beyond the expiration of his contract.

(Before the lockout hit, Presti also extended the contract of Kendrick Perkins, who was acquired in the Jeff Green trade. Though the Perkins extension came before the new luxury-tax rates and other penalties went into effect, it was done with full knowledge that serious spending restrictions were coming.)

There is no question the Thunder have been affected disproportionately by the new CBA; while teams like the Nets blow past luxury-tax penalties like they don't even exist, the Thunder proceed with caution. They have decided not to be a tax-paying team for the third straight season, a strategy that in the short term has cost them Harden, and now Martin.

In fact, the NBA's Board of Governors acknowledged the Thunder's plight last month by approving an unusual $15 million payment to OKC to account for the increase in Durant's contract based on the new 30-percent max rule in the 2011 CBA. Durant's five-year max extension was agreed to in 2010, prior to the lockout, but didn't take effect until after the lockout ended. At that point, the league and National Basketball Players Association agreed that, since Durant met the criteria for the new, 30-percent "super-max" deal in the new CBA, he should be paid accordingly. The Thunder were on the hook for approximately $3 million per year over the course of Durant's five-year that they didn't plan for when they signed him.

It should be noted that the Thunder don't regain cap or tax room as part of the reimbursement; they only get cash. The reimbursement doesn't restore any of the payroll flexibility that might -- and I stress might -- have resulted in a different outcome with Harden.

Increasing Durant's contract retroactively was odd, to say the least. No other contract in the league was treated that way. For example, Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks via an extend-and-trade provision that was wiped off the books in the new CBA. Anthony, you may have noticed, was not sent back to the Nuggets after the lockout.

But regardless of all this, it's important to make a distinction about OKC's strategy. It isn't that they can't afford to pay the tax; owner Clay Bennett is a little better off than the average guy. It's that Presti and his brain trust, including trusted assistant GM Troy Weaver, have decided that now is not the time.

The Thunder are coming off a 60-win season and have won 50-plus games in each of the past four seasons with the exception of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season (when they won 47). They have two of the top 10 players in the NBA, and both are only 24 -- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Their third-highest paid player, defensive standout Serge Ibaka, is 23. If Westbrook hadn't injured his knee last season, the Thunder arguably were the best team in the West with an excellent chance at preventing Miami from winning a second straight title.

Now Westbrook is back, and the Thunder are keeping their spending in check for now and hoping to take the next step from within. (Presti also decided to bring back 38-year-old backup Derek Fisher on a minimum deal, but that hardly qualifies as high-end free-agent shopping.) At some point during their effort to stay atop the West, the Thunder eventually will dip into the luxury tax. But they're not doing it when they have a 60-win team with a core that is 24 years old or younger; they're not starting the clock on the dreaded repeater tax before they deem the return on investment to be worth it.

That's a judgment call that Presti will have to live with. The Thunder's behavior under the NBA's new financial and competitive paradigm will be put to the test over the next three years, as the contracts of Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka approach their expiration dates. So, too, will the very different strategies being pursued in other small markets like Detroit, where the Pistons signed Josh Smith and acquired Brandon Jennings in a sign-and-trade.

Every team perceives its window for winning differently. What the Thunder are trying to do flies in the face of the CBA's goal -- which is to shrink that window for everyone. Presti is trying to find a way to have his championship shot now and keep the window open longer than the rules want to allow.

Say what you want about trading Harden and letting Martin walk in free agency. By staying under the tax line as long as they have, the Thunder will have the opportunity to push above it at some point in the next three years -- when other teams now competing with them for supremacy in the West presumably will be forced to pull back. That's the plan, anyway -- one that I have a hard time assailing.

Rather than break form and make a free-agent splash, the Thunder chose to rely on their existing core getting better. They are banking on increasing contributions from Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones and 2013 draft pick Steven Adams. They have a $6.6 million trade exception from the Martin sign-and-trade, and overseas assets including 2013 pick Alex Abrines and 2010 pick Tibor Pleiss.

Will it work? There are no guarantees. Unless you're the Knicks, Nets or Lakers, the NBA's new rules are a minefield that you have to navigate the best way you see fit. For the Thunder, winning July has little to do with what happens the following June. Summer shopping, in other words, is overrated.

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[100027]

Um what do you mean?

One dude put up 20 and 4 on a terrible team, while the other dude put up 10, and pulled down 10 rebounds, on a much better team.

Once again, NT loves the "empty stats" argument, and regardless of how history turned out, thats what KD was doing that year.  While Horford contributed to a playoff run.  KD scored more points, Horford rebounded better.  One dude helped his team to the playoff, the other was stuck on a lottery team.

And Horford is still a beast.  KD just ended up being much better

If you're comparing the rookie years of the two, what you're saying makes sense. If you're comparing the two players now, it makes absolutely no sense.

Seems like Horford has sort of disappointed. I thought he'd be a franchise level star.

 

[frshstunna]

Anybody remember when dudes on here were saying KD wasn't as good as Danny Granger after KD's 2nd season? 

Remember when KD vs. Al Horford for Rookie of the Year was an argument people were trying to make?

 Forgot about that.

Horford supposedly deserved it more because Atlanta made the playoffs 

its a tossup IMO

KD - 20, 4 on 43% shooting
Horford - 10 and 10 on 50% shooting.

Plus, lets be real.  You guys use that "empty stats on a bad team" to justify everything else, so why would it be different here?

Obviously KD has developed into the better player, but lets not act like the gap is HUGE, Horford is just coming off of a 17 and 10, 3, 1, 1 season on 53% shooting

You right about both players having a case for ROY ....wrong about the Gap thing tho...Horford is a good big man but KD is a certified superstar

 

[pmatic]

Seems like Horford has sort of disappointed. I thought he'd be a franchise level star.

I don't know about that. He's developed into one of the best two way bigs in the league and an All-Star. And he's still 27.

 

[reggiekiller]

Anybody remember when dudes on here were saying KD wasn't as good as Danny Granger after KD's 2nd season? 

Remember when KD vs. Al Horford for Rookie of the Year was an argument people were trying to make?

 Forgot about that.

Horford supposedly deserved it more because Atlanta made the playoffs 

its a tossup IMO

KD - 20, 4 on 43% shooting
Horford - 10 and 10 on 50% shooting.

Plus, lets be real.  You guys use that "empty stats on a bad team" to justify everything else, so why would it be different here?

Obviously KD has developed into the better player, but lets not act like the gap is HUGE, Horford is just coming off of a 17 and 10, 3, 1, 1 season on 53% shooting

You right about both players having a case for ROY ....wrong about the Gap thing tho...Horford is a good big man but KD is a certified superstar

Isn't that what we're talking about here? the ROY voting?

 

[100027]

I don't know about that. He's developed into one of the best two way bigs in the league and an All-Star. And he's still 27.

His stats last season were really good.  Is it just a media thing?  Why does it seem like he's so under the radar? 

 

[bigmike23]

Seems like Horford has sort of disappointed. I thought he'd be a franchise level star.

I don't know about that. He's developed into one of the best two way bigs in the league and an All-Star. And he's still 27.

this and it would do him wonders if the hawks got a true center for him so he could play his natural position which is PF

 

[toru okada]

[h3]Kobe Bryant 'Shattered' Normal Recovery Timetable[/h3]
Aug 05, 2013 2:37 PM EDT

Kobe Bryant has made it clear this summer that he has progressed rapidly from his torn Achillies.

The Los Angeles Lakers' star said recently that he has "shattered" the normal recovery time of the injury.

“The surgical procedure was different ... and because of that the recovery has been different,” Bryant said. “The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we’ve shattered that. Three-and-a-half months I can already walk just fine, I’m lifting weights with the Achilles just fine and that’s different.

"So we don’t know what that timetable is going to be. It’s kind of new territory for us all.”

What in the hell....first the german knee procedure and now this. 

Glad he'll be back soon. 

 

[dade b0y]

#HGH

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Kobe

 

[memo]

#HGH

 lol exactly what I was thinking 

funny how the media portrays athletes as having wolverine level healing and praise them on recovery time as if there's no such thing as riods and PED's 

 

[finallyfamous]

Mambaaaaaaa

 

[awwsome]

#HGH

Whatever gets Kobe back out there

As the great Mills Lane said, I'll allow it

 

[CP1708]

He's a
Great
Human


#24

 

[grandtheftbike]

Haters
Gonna
Hate

 

[CP1708]

Haters
Gonna
Hate

How the **** did I miss that? Was right there on a tee.

 

[coldcity]

JUICIN

 

[finallyfamous]

Haters
Gonna
Hate

Beautiful

 

[tommyicerocking]

Haters
Gonna
Hate

 Kobe going to put in work doe

 

[tommyicerocking]

i miss this jersey...dem new Sixers r whack yo

 

[sb]

[h3]Kobe Bryant 'Shattered' Normal Recovery Timetable[/h3]
Aug 05, 2013 2:37 PM EDT

Kobe Bryant has made it clear this summer that he has progressed rapidly from his torn Achillies.

The Los Angeles Lakers' star said recently that he has "shattered" the normal recovery time of the injury.

“The surgical procedure was different ... and because of that the recovery has been different,” Bryant said. “The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we’ve shattered that. Three-and-a-half months I can already walk just fine, I’m lifting weights with the Achilles just fine and that’s different.

"So we don’t know what that timetable is going to be. It’s kind of new territory for us all.”

What in the hell....first the german knee procedure and now this. 

Glad he'll be back soon. 

wolverine