The Official NBA Season Thread: NBA Cup Night

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Not going far without him at 100%

 

[N41D]

Yeah...but he had those limitations when they traded for him. In theory, that's supposed to be on the front office to account for those limitations in how they build the team around it's stars.

That whole thing ended UGLY for the plug to have been pulled so fast. It wasn't just they found out "this guy is injury prone and can't defend so we HAVE to pull the plug for whatever we can get right now".

Even with his limitations, he's the most talented player they've put next to Luka since they've had him. It wasn't supposed to end like that because he couldn't play drop and he's pie.

I think everyone - KP included - just realized/decided it wasn't gonna work out and they had to move on... I think there's more to the Luka/KP dynamic than we probably realize and the FO just threw their hands up and said nah we can't do this.

So it all pivoted to "how can we get ourselves the most flexibility in the shortest amount of time?" which ended up being Dinwiddie and Bertans - whose money they're effectively off entirely if they want to be in about 18 months.

 

[smedroc]

I didn't say they deserve the most credit but especially in this case there is credit in some facet seeing as this is her family business and what led to to Bron even considering to come in the first place.

Everything that made Bron want to be there happened while her dad was in charge. I'm sorry but she shouldn't get any credit for that.

Nobody out here giving Marcus credit for the success of Jordan brand.

Getting Bron and AD was a layup so Jeanie gets to earn her stripes now given the current state of affairs.

 

[Blue Mamba]

Trades about to get crazy in these next 7 weeks or so. So many teams need re-alignments and the league is wide open.

Every single team but the Celtics and the Warriors need to blow it up!

 

[lovehateself]

yall told me bron came to LA to make movies tho

 

[pmatic]

 

[ill steelo]

Why shouldn't she? Every other owner does. You hate women or something?

That title was exclusively a Klutch Sports Group production

 

[storm2006]

I think you’re completely underestimating how difficult it is to win a title. Winning 1 title in 10 years is not something to be ashamed of in the least bit . I also don’t blame him for not running it back with that roster because it took a Bron epic choke for them to even win it.

I spoke on this on here in April 2019 but updated it to reflect status as of 2022. This needs to be put into perspective. Since 1999:

Lakers have 6 chips
Spurs have 5 chips
Warriors have 4 chips
Heat have 3 chips
Celtics have 1 chip
Cavs have 1 chip
Mavs have 1 chip
Pistons have 1 chip
Raptors have 1 chip
Bucks have 1 chip

Over 24 seasons only 10 franchies have won championships and 6 of them only won one. If you go back to all the way 1984, adding 15 more seasons, you only add two teams to that list who accounted for 8 championships during that period (Rockets and Bulls). So in 39 seasons, almost four decades, only 12 different franchises have won and a mere *SEVEN franchises account for 33 of them (Lakers, Bulls, Spurs, Warriors, Heat, Celtics, Pistons).

Yet y’all talmbout “one lil chip” like winning one chip, let alone multiple is easy. There is a reason a lot of old heads don’t have rings and why they went to certain teams to get them.

 

[Blue Mamba]

 

[MVP]

Everything that made Bron want to be there happened while her dad was in charge. I'm sorry but she shouldn't get any credit for that.

Nobody out here giving Marcus credit for the success of Jordan brand.

Getting Bron and AD was a layup so Jeanie gets to earn her stripes now given the current state of affairs.

You must have missed the Jim Buss years

 

[VARNELL HILL]

At the time of that move it was almost universally considered a heist and they were cooking with gas. Very few detractors anywhere in the basketball world.

Bubble KP was a glimpse of what it could’ve been. He was legitimately high-level All Star good in that bubble stretch/first series against the Clips before he got hurt.

Then he kept getting hurt. Carlisle stopped trusting him and did petty Rick Carlisle things. KP got jaded/Luka envy, etc.

The last injury issues blew his mobility and he just can't defend in what the L has moved to - at least not at high-level playoff hoops.

Big swing - a worthy risk at the time. It bombed. But they tried and most everyone at the time thought they hit a grand slam.

Absolutely. And the only reason I bought it up is in response to the idea that Cuban has just been sitting on his hands thru the Luka experience.

I referenced Lebron/Cavs Pt.1 since that's a common comparison being made and the swing for KP was a far greater swing than anything made in Lebron's tenure.

I don't like Cuban at all...but facts are facts. He played his best hand and it failed for reasons not all in his control. Everything happening after is a domino effect. Having Luka is going to keep you out of lottery territory so you either have to strike gold with whatever draft capital you have...or continue to look for more shrewd ways to improve. (ala rolling the dice on talented red-flags like Wood).

 

[MVP]

That title was exclusively a Klutch Sports Group production

So they should be equally held responsible for the mess that is the current state of the Lakers now, correct?

 

[akajae]

If Bron didn't decide to go to the Lakers Jeanie would have no success to speak of.

LeGM got 4 rings

It's a shame he hasn't won executive of the year.

 

[nelson999]

 

[amitt5504]

LeGM got 4 rings

It's a shame he hasn't won executive of the year.

The years he won in Miami was basically the same team that lost the first one. No credit there

The one in Cleveland. More or less the same team that lost the year prior and took some shenanigans to win that one. No credit

The Lakers one yes even though the bubble isn’t real

 

[storm2006]

I don't like Cuban at all...but facts are facts.

I am glad you see it, even it’s lowkey. I feel like folks don’t like Cuban because of past comments and transgressions, and rightfully so, but they allow that to cloud their view about what he has done as an owner/for the roster and fail to put the Mavs accomplishments during his tenure in perspective.

 

[storm2006]

LeGM got 4 rings

It's a shame he hasn't won executive of the year.

I have actually come to appreciate LeGM as I have gotten older. Basketball is a sport but the NBA first and and foremost is a business. It is impressive as hell that Bron has gone to three franchises and essentially said to these billionaire owners and seasoned FO executives

He deserves a lot of credit for the Player Empowerment Era but now you got dudes like Ben Simmons and Trae Young abusing it and damn near throwing it all away. Bron didn’t go back The Land after receiving a hateful letter in Comic Sans for this

 

[kabl4z]

I thought Luka would be good, but like Manu Ginobili good at best. Now it feels disrespectful to compare them and Manu's a legend.

im from spain, and i went to watch live 16 years old luka and he murder pro players like it was nothing. Press and fans all looked Luka as the best euro prospect ever

 

[antidope]

We jumped the shark when Jae Crowder thought he could holdout.

 

[dacomeup]

You still think Bron comes with Jim Buss in charge?

Another woman hater as well smh.

If Jim Buss lets them take over the Lakers, who knows. I definitely don’t think about competence when I think of Jeanie Buss. She’s a nepotism poster child.

 

[antidope]

Its gonna be Embiid.

 

[dacomeup]

So they should be equally held responsible for the mess that is the current state of the Lakers now, correct?

No, the idiots who actually own the team and allowed for it to get to this point are the ones who sign the checks.

 

[MVP]

If Jim Buss lets them take over the Lakers, who knows. I definitely don’t think about competence when I think of Jeanie Buss. She’s a nepotism poster child.

You don't have to wonder. Jim Buss was in charge when Bron was a free agent in 2014 when all that buffoonery was going on. Additionally, dude had no idea what he was doing.

 

[Lizakers]

 

[MVP]

No, the idiots who actually own the team and allowed for it to get to this point are the ones who sign the checks.

All of the praise for good personal moves, none of the blame for the bad ones...the Klutch way.