NBA 2020-2021, Let the Season Begin

[Adolf Allerbush]

In a sport where 1 out of 30 teams wins a title every year, and you have to be lucky enough to have landed one (or likely more) of the top 5-10 players in the league to even have a chance at being that 1 team, defining "success" as being that one lucky team is a recipe for your team to be unhappy with whoever runs it.

Adolf, I agree that Ainge isn't much of an upgrade, but for different reasons. I think the Blazers have done pretty damn well under Olshey. And FWIW, Ainge did more than just build a title team 15 years ago. He also had the guts to tear that team apart and rebuild, and then drafted well to rebuild the team. Traded away the #1 pick in 2017 -- a move that takes balls -- and still drafted the best player in that draft at #3. Drafted arguably the best player in the 2016 draft at #3 (at worst he's the second best, IMO), while the top 10 of that draft is littered with guys who turned out to be scrubs. Drafted a solid player at #16 in 2015, a player good enough to be used in a sign and trade to get Kemba (admittedly, the Kemba transaction now looks questionable, but he still deserves credit for being able to pull it off). Drafting Smart in 2014 also looks pretty good, as only two guys drafted later are even arguably better than him (Randle is definitely better looking at this year, but before this year?).

They had 3 top guys leave for pretty much nothing (Kyrie, Horford, Hayward), and if you put those departures on Ainge so be it, but to me that seems like bad luck. They also had some top draft capital -- the Kings pick -- turn out not so good because the Kings decided to be competitive that year.

I could criticize Danny for all sorts of things, but on balance I think he's done a phenomenal job.

Good points sir. Not being a Celts fan I will go with your take as being correct.

Ok, so lets say we could trade what went down with the Blazers with what has transpired with the Sonics/OKC. Meaning, if I'm an OKC fan do I like seeing that the decision to offload Harden in lieu of Westbrook in all likelihood meant they blew their chances at a title, or multiple? Does KD ever leave if Harden is there? Then you see Harden and KD playing together definitely works really fucking well in Brooklyn...doesn't hurt they have Kyrie there too. Anyhow, I guess say what I will about the Blazers they paid to keep the dudes they got in the draft that are excellent players and rolled the dice.

[54-46]

In a sport where 1 out of 30 teams wins a title every year, and you have to be lucky enough to have landed one (or likely more) of the top 5-10 players in the league to even have a chance at being that 1 team, defining "success" as being that one lucky team is a recipe for your team to be unhappy with whoever runs it.

Adolf, I agree that Ainge isn't much of an upgrade, but for different reasons. I think the Blazers have done pretty damn well under Olshey. And FWIW, Ainge did more than just build a title team 15 years ago. He also had the guts to tear that team apart and rebuild, and then drafted well to rebuild the team. Traded away the #1 pick in 2017 -- a move that takes balls -- and still drafted the best player in that draft at #3. Drafted arguably the best player in the 2016 draft at #3 (at worst he's the second best, IMO), while the top 10 of that draft is littered with guys who turned out to be scrubs. Drafted a solid player at #16 in 2015, a player good enough to be used in a sign and trade to get Kemba (admittedly, the Kemba transaction now looks questionable, but he still deserves credit for being able to pull it off). Drafting Smart in 2014 also looks pretty good, as only two guys drafted later are even arguably better than him (Randle is definitely better looking at this year, but before this year?).

They had 3 top guys leave for pretty much nothing (Kyrie, Horford, Hayward), and if you put those departures on Ainge so be it, but to me that seems like bad luck. They also had some top draft capital -- the Kings pick -- turn out not so good because the Kings decided to be competitive that year.

I could criticize Danny for all sorts of things, but on balance I think he's done a phenomenal job.

^^^this is why I asked an open ended question. You have lived through the team’s ups and downs...

[Danno]

Good points sir. Not being a Celts fan I will go with your take as being correct.

Ok, so lets say we could trade what went down with the Blazers with what has transpired with the Sonics/OKC. Meaning, if I'm an OKC fan do I like seeing that the decision to offload Harden in lieu of Westbrook in all likelihood meant they blew their chances at a title, or multiple? Does KD ever leave if Harden is there? Then you see Harden and KD playing together definitely works really fucking well in Brooklyn...doesn't hurt they have Kyrie there too. Anyhow, I guess say what I will about the Blazers they paid to keep the dudes they got in the draft that are excellent players and rolled the dice.

OKC is a strange case, and in many ways proves how difficult it is to win a title. Yeah, they traded Harden and that's an obviously huge blunder, but they still had KD, Russ, and Ibaka who looked like he was developing into the perfect modern big. And who is to say whether Harden would have evolved into the same player had he stayed? Who is to say whether Brooks was a good enough coach to get them there? Does KD leave? Who knows? Maybe they win titles and he stays. Maybe Harden wants to be a ball hog and KD still leaves. Drafting well and rolling with who you drafted -- with judicious signings and trades -- is generally the only chance small market teams really have at a title. The Lakers or Heat can attract the top free agents, the Blazers and OKC and whoever, not so much.

Do y'all really think the Blazers would be better had they let CJ leave in free agency? Was there a point where they could have traded him for anyone as good as him? Or are you thinking that they should have just traded him and hoped that a draft pick or whatever turned out to be better than him? What options did they really have there? I get why they are a flawed team with him and Dame in the backcourt, but what are the alternatives?

[Woodsy]

In other news, D mitch is doing Brooks dirty.
He might quit the game...

[El Chupacabra]

GO JAZZ GO!

[BmillsSkier]

Nice job Hawks. Now if only the Cavs would follow your blueprint.

[riser4]

In a sport where 1 out of 30 teams wins a title every year, and you have to be lucky enough to have landed one (or likely more) of the top 5-10 players in the league to even have a chance at being that 1 team, defining "success" as being that one lucky team is a recipe for your team to be unhappy with whoever runs it.

Adolf, I agree that Ainge isn't much of an upgrade, but for different reasons. I think the Blazers have done pretty damn well under Olshey. And FWIW, Ainge did more than just build a title team 15 years ago. He also had the guts to tear that team apart and rebuild, and then drafted well to rebuild the team. Traded away the #1 pick in 2017 -- a move that takes balls -- and still drafted the best player in that draft at #3. Drafted arguably the best player in the 2016 draft at #3 (at worst he's the second best, IMO), while the top 10 of that draft is littered with guys who turned out to be scrubs. Drafted a solid player at #16 in 2015, a player good enough to be used in a sign and trade to get Kemba (admittedly, the Kemba transaction now looks questionable, but he still deserves credit for being able to pull it off). Drafting Smart in 2014 also looks pretty good, as only two guys drafted later are even arguably better than him (Randle is definitely better looking at this year, but before this year?).

They had 3 top guys leave for pretty much nothing (Kyrie, Horford, Hayward), and if you put those departures on Ainge so be it, but to me that seems like bad luck. They also had some top draft capital -- the Kings pick -- turn out not so good because the Kings decided to be competitive that year.

I could criticize Danny for all sorts of things, but on balance I think he's done a phenomenal job.

Kyrie leaving was a good thing.

[TahoeJ]

Re: OKC, I'm going to say that drafting three straight eventual MVP's in three years and not winning a title is an abject failure. KD likely left because the owners cheaped out and that was the main reason they traded Harden. Who wants to play for an organization that doesn't go all in to win?

[54-46]

Screw OKC. Owners took team out of Seattle. Maybe they’re cursed...

[Woodsy]

in today's HOLY SHIT news: an injured Luka Doncic just scored or assisted 31 of Dallas' 37 total field goals made in a 105-100 win.

[Woodsy]

[infomercial announcer] BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE: Luka Doncic has the same number of 40-point playoff games as Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Tim Duncan in just 11 career playoff games so far[/infomercial announcer]
thats a 5 time NBA Champion 3x MVP & 3x Finals MVP, the second leading scorer of all time & MVP, & 5x champ, 2 x MVP, 3x finals MVP who all lived in the playoffs for the majority of their long careers

Amazing

[TahoeJ]

Not taking anything away from Doncic, but stats like that can be a little misleading due to the significantly faster pace of play in the modern NBA. Way more possessions.

[54-46]

Clips have Kawhi and PG13, and only the injury slowed him?

Clips don’t have a heart; there’s nowhere they can go when the chips are down. We’ll see if Kawhi steps up.

[Woodsy]

Not taking anything away from Doncic, but stats like that can be a little misleading due to the significantly faster pace of play in the modern NBA. Way more possessions.

I can see that, but no current players in top 10 for 40+ games in the playoffs aside from Durant & LeBron

[TahoeJ]

Hang on, a little confused by how this is being tallied. Just looked and Harden has nine 40+ post season games.

[altasnob]

Batum makes that lay in and Clips likely win and they are in control. I still expect Clips to pull it off.

Maybe because he's a white euro, but Doncic looks like in a few years he will be a puffy marshmellow. Lets see how he ages. Lots of the Euros look this way, kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from Zion Williamson. Nurkic came back from his injury this year (broken wrist) fat and out of shape and it may cost the Blazers a deep run in the playoffs.

Contrast with my man-crush Lillard. He went vegan a few years back to maintain his rookie weight. Lillard seems one of the more in shape, durable, players in the NBA. He's back eating meat now but how many black guys who grew up in the ghetto do you know who went vegan to stay light and fit?

[Danno]

Batum makes that lay in and Clips likely win and they are in control. I still expect Clips to pull it off.

Maybe because he's a white euro, but Doncic looks like in a few years he will be a puffy marshmellow. Lets see how he ages. Lots of the Euros look this way, kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from Zion Williamson. Nurkic came back from his injury this year (broken wrist) fat and out of shape and it may cost the Blazers a deep run in the playoffs.

Contrast with my man-crush Lillard. He went vegan a few years back to maintain his rookie weight. Lillard seems one of the more in shape, durable, players in the NBA. He's back eating meat now but how many black guys who grew up in the ghetto do you know who went vegan to stay light and fit?

you're just full of bad hot takes in thread after thread.

[concretejungle]

you're just full of bad hot takes in thread after thread.

It’s amazing.

Nurk’s game is being physical and he’s never been that skilled. Luka and Jokic are skilled and should be fine as they age.

[Danno]

Kyrie leaving was a good thing.

Yes and no. I didn't like him and from that standpoint I was glad that he was no longer on my team. He also seemed like a problem for team chemistry, but we're outsiders and don't really know if that was the case. Regardless, losing a player of his caliber for nothing hurts a team. And to the extent the Kemba contract is an albatross, that contract is a direct result of Kyrie leaving.

[altasnob]

Nurk's passing and defense is what he brings to the Blazers. And he's the second most important player on the team after Lillard, so I wouldn't call him unskilled.

Who is the best Euro in NBA history under 6 foot 10 in other than Doncic? Durk is widely considered the best euro ever, but he's 7 ft. There is not a great track record of Euro small forwards having elite careers in the NBA. Need more athleticism in that position. Maybe Doncic will prove me wrong.

[altasnob]

you're just full of bad hot takes in thread after thread.

If it was up to Danno TGR would be the same ten 10,000+ post users taking amongst themselves, saying the same damn thing over and over. No controversy, no new thought. Dude must be boring as hell.

[TahoeJ]

Tony Parker and Manu were pretty good.

[Woodsy]

Hang on, a little confused by how this is being tallied. Just looked and Harden has nine 40+ post season games.

putting him in 11th, just behind:
Jordan
James
West
Baylor
Bryant
Chamberlain
Durant
O'Neal
Olajuwon
Iverson
and just ahead of Jabbar & Barry from what I could find. Not a statistician, but a googler

[Danno]

Nurk's passing and defense is what he brings to the Blazers. And he's the second most important player on the team after Lillard, so I wouldn't call him unskilled.

Who is the best Euro in NBA history under 6 foot 10 in other than Doncic? Durk is widely considered the best euro ever, but he's 7 ft. There is not a great track record of Euro small forwards having elite careers in the NBA. Need more athleticism in that position. Maybe Doncic will prove me wrong.

"Need more athleticism"? Is there something about Europeans that are less athletic? Or is this the subtle racism because you assume that they are white, and you assume that whites are less athletic?

Here's an incomplete list of great euro basketball players that aren't named Dirk or Luka, some are bigs and some aren't. I don't see any common thread of "lacks athleticism".

Giannis
Tony Parker
Ginobli
Gasol Brother
Jokic
Petrovic
Stojakovic
Kukoc
Porzingis
Gobert
Divac
Dragic
Schrempf
Bogdanovic (both of them)
Kirilenko
Gallinari
Rubio
Turkoglu
Fournier
Schroder

[Woodsy]

Maybe because he's a white euro, but Doncic looks like in a few years he will be a puffy marshmellow. Lets see how he ages. Lots of the Euros look this way, kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from Zion Williamson. Nurkic came back from his injury this year (broken wrist) fat and out of shape and it may cost the Blazers a deep run in the playoffs.

Contrast with my man-crush Lillard. He went vegan a few years back to maintain his rookie weight. Lillard seems one of the more in shape, durable, players in the NBA. He's back eating meat now but how many black guys who grew up in the ghetto do you know who went vegan to stay light and fit?

not sure your sample man. White Euros....
Dirk Nowitzki much? didnt track his BMI but his 19th season in the Association and he was still avg 20 pts and 7 rebounds a game