NBA Season 2016-2017

That's nuts.

Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account wrote:

Sources: In the Kyrie Irving meeting with Cavs, one of primary teams raised as a preferred trade destination for him: The San Antonio Spurs.

Seems like he'd have to completely change his style of play in order to fit in.

Cleveland is a mess.

Yeah that is ridiculous, I guess he cares more about being in charge than winning since he never even made it to the playoffs before Lebron came back. Also weird if that is his reason for wanting to be traded that he wants to go to the Spurs, since Kawhi is the lead man there, not to mention he is basically an anti-Pop player that ball stops and isos all the time.

Maybe someone like Pop has the pull to help him change. I could see why a talented young veteran would want to increase his basketball IQ from Pop.
On the other hand, Irving believes the world is flat...

I wonder how that kid who yelled "Go Cavs" in Chicago at me when I was wearing my Warriors shirt is doing right now.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

The rumor in Houston is that a local furniture mogul called Mattress Mack will lead a group to buy the Rockets. This guy has been a fixture on Houston television for pretty much my entire life, and is involved in a lot of sports projects and a visible, passionate fan of our teams.

Mattress Mack! I would have sworn he'd be dead by now.

The guy who owns Landry's would seem to be more of a fit with NBA owners. Dude's rich as hell.

Enix wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

The rumor in Houston is that a local furniture mogul called Mattress Mack will lead a group to buy the Rockets. This guy has been a fixture on Houston television for pretty much my entire life, and is involved in a lot of sports projects and a visible, passionate fan of our teams.

Mattress Mack! I would have sworn he'd be dead by now.

He was looking completely worn out and grey when I bought my couch set from him fifteen years ago. I assume he's a workaholic (not uncommon for an entrepreneur) - he was at his store after 7pm.

Still, pretty wholesome, quintessentially Houstonian guy.

I have to wonder how Gilbert's frugalness has affected the Cavs. Griffin was working on things, Gilbert didn't want to pay him, so Griffin left. Now LeBron has one foot out the door and Kyrie wants out. You have to think Love wants out too. Maybe they trade all those guys to replenish their picks and young guys and try to rebuild that way? What's LeBron worth in trade? He has a no trade clause, so he can pick his destination, but could you get 5 1st for him? More?

Frugality? What was their salary cap tax bill again?

Top_Shelf wrote:

Frugality? What was their salary cap tax bill again?

Gilbert refused to pay the going rate for a GM of Griffin's skill level. Doesn't matter that he spent money elsewhere. You won't see Bob Meyers leaving because of a contract dispute. Same with Daryl Morey.

TheCounselor wrote:

I have to wonder how Gilbert's frugalness has affected the Cavs. Griffin was working on things, Gilbert didn't want to pay him, so Griffin left. Now LeBron has one foot out the door and Kyrie wants out. You have to think Love wants out too. Maybe they trade all those guys to replenish their picks and young guys and try to rebuild that way? What's LeBron worth in trade? He has a no trade clause, so he can pick his destination, but could you get 5 1st for him? More?

I think you could get 5 1sts. If Cleveland called Boston and said LeBron for Hayward and 5 1sts they absolutely consider that. You trade every other year (because of the Nets rule) of picks for the next 10 years for the chance to win 2 or 3 titles. Definitely do that.

Evergreen mediocrity is overrated in the NBA.

Melo + picks + etc for Irving?

Hope he stays in the East.

Not sure if we are learning more about Irving or what it's like to play with LeBron.

The Cavs would be better off doing a 3 for 1 trade for Irving. They need wings that's can defend against the Warriors.

Cavs best strategy probably goes something like this:

Sign d-rose to veteran's minimum.

Do a 3 team trade with the Knicks and Suns to try to win now.

Irving + Shumpert to Knicks
Melo + Bledsoe to Cavs
Ntilikina + Knicks 1st rounder + Crap Cavs player to make the money work (Frye, Jefferson)

If they're truly worried LeBron will bail, then they should try to get Minnesota involved since they've expressed interest. Can still win now, but keep wiggins for the future.

Melo+Wiggins to Cavs
Irving to Timberwolves
Dieng + Shumpert + 1st rounder to Knicks

Listening to the latest Lowe Post yesterday, it seems the Cavs were very close to getting Paul George for Love. When they didn't get him, their plans fell apart.

They could have tried to sign better guys for the minimum, Casspi, Mbah a Moute, or Troy Williams are the type of players the Cavs needed, not Calderon and Rose. Jeff Green fits in theory, but he isn't good.

bandit0013 wrote:

Cavs best strategy probably goes something like this:

Sign d-rose to veteran's minimum.

Do a 3 team trade with the Knicks and Suns to try to win now.

Irving + Shumpert to Knicks
Melo + Bledsoe to Cavs
Ntilikina + Knicks 1st rounder + Crap Cavs player to make the money work (Frye, Jefferson)

If they're truly worried LeBron will bail, then they should try to get Minnesota involved since they've expressed interest. Can still win now, but keep wiggins for the future.

Melo+Wiggins to Cavs
Irving to Timberwolves
Dieng + Shumpert + 1st rounder to Knicks

Simmons posted something similar except he had the Knicks sending a 2018 1st round pick as well. Either way, I hope the Knicks stick with what they've got now and quit delaying the rebuild thats already long overdue.

I think the Cavs need more bodies, rather than less. I'm not sure trading Irving, Shumpert, and Frye for Melo and Bledsoe makes them better. If you did Irving and Frye for Melo and Bledsoe, that's better, as Shumpert is one of the few good defenders the Cavs have.

Some interesting trade ideas in Zach Lowe's column today. Irving to Denver for Wilson Chandler, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and a pick seems to check all of the boxes for the Cavs.

Supposedly the Suns will offer Bledsoe, Josh Jackson and a first round pick.

As a Cavs fan, I haven't felt this bad for my team since the decision.

Seriously, eff LeBron for all this "I'm going to not say I'm going to the Lakers after this season, but..." which has caused Irving to not want to be the last man in CLE.

And eff Kyrie, for blowing up the best team I have rooted for since I was a kid and liked the Bulls.

And eff Dan GIlbert, for somehow having the best team I have ever rooted for and blowing it up.

Now that I have said that, I would trade him to the Knicks straight up for the Unicorn, and otherwise I am going to be sad watching GSW destroy the league.

mindset.threat wrote:

Supposedly the Suns will offer Bledsoe, Josh Jackson and a first round pick.

That was Zach Lowe spitballing what it would take for the Suns to get Irving.

An Irving trade is probably the Cavs's best shot at competing with Golden State. They need more bodies, not better players. They were terrible with LeBron out and Irving and Love in last year. That'll probably be true again this year. Might as well get more guys so that the other four players on the floor can match up better with the Warriors. LeBron and shooters will score enough. LeBron and four good defenders can stop enough.

It's time to get a John Wall jersey.

I'm not the biggest NBA fan, due mostly to never living n a city with an NBA franchise, save for last three seasons the Kings were in KC. I made a few games, but I was not invested, at all.

Going to Kansas made me a pretty decent college basketball fan, but it never really translated to loving the NBA, again, except for a few years in the 90's when I had roommate that was a massive Knicks fan. We watched a decent amount of basketball, but mostly the playoffs. But we did play massive amounts of NBA Jam and NBA Live on the SNES. He was always the Knicks, and I was anyone that would annoy him to lose to (except the Bulls, only cheesers used the Bulls). Mostly I took the Pacers, Magic, Suns, and Jazz. Charlotte with Mourning and Larry Johnson was pretty good, too.

So the last few years I've watched off and on, sometimes getting interested in the playoffs, but still not really getting ll that invested.

Oddly, that may change this year, and it's due to have really gotten into watching and listening to Jalen and Jacoby on ESPN. It's not an NBA show, but it is what they talk about 95% of the time. Jalen Rose does a really nice job of explaining all the factors going into different moves by teams and players, and I'm starting to enjoy the soap opera of the NBA, even though I have not watched that much.

So what I wonder is, how do other NBA fans view Jalen and Jacoby? Good analysis? Terrible? I enjoy their show a lot. Just wondering what spin I'm getting, since that is also about 90% of my NBA news.

I don't really like Jalen and Jacoby. I have followed the game since I was like 5 so I prefer the analysis of someone like Zach Lowe. There are plenty of great reporters that cover the gossip side of the NBA that I like. I can see why people would like Jalen and Jacoby, though. I can see they fill a niche. It's just not for me.

DSGamer wrote:

I don't really like Jalen and Jacoby. I have followed the game since I was like 5 so I prefer the analysis of someone like Zach Lowe. There are plenty of great reporters that cover the gossip side of the NBA that I like. I can see why people would like Jalen and Jacoby, though. I can see they fill a niche. It's just not for me.

I agree. Never really liked Jalen and much prefer the Zach Lowe and Grantland style analysis for NBA coverage. On that note, is The Ringer any good?

mindset.threat wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

I don't really like Jalen and Jacoby. I have followed the game since I was like 5 so I prefer the analysis of someone like Zach Lowe. There are plenty of great reporters that cover the gossip side of the NBA that I like. I can see why people would like Jalen and Jacoby, though. I can see they fill a niche. It's just not for me.

I agree. Never really liked Jalen and much prefer the Zach Lowe and Grantland style analysis for NBA coverage. On that note, is The Ringer any good?

I never converted. The chemistry they had with Juliet Litman, Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan, Andrew Sharp seemed impossible to recreate. And I've gotten bored of Bill Simmons voice since he falls back on the same tired ideas too often.

The heyday for me was The Triangle and the NBA Overnight. I tried listening to the Ringer crew's podcasts and it didn't do much for me. And nothing they've written topped the overnight for pure, over the top fun. I haven't read The Ringer in a while, though. I may be missing something.

Mostly I fell back on following an constellation of smart people on Twitter. I'm open to suggestions, though.

I think Jonathan Tjarks and Kevin O'Conner do a good job covering the NBA for The Ringer, and I like their NBA Podcast with Chris Vernon.

Jayhawker, I followed the NBA for years (2004 ish until 2014ish) and rarely watched games. I was in it for the draft and transactions only. Players were basically chess pieces.

I can't speak to Jalen and Jacoby.

Well, I started hearing J&J on the local radio station from time to time. The current morning guy can be annoying, so I will switch to the HD2 version of the station, and they broadcast podcasts and rebroadcasts of TV shows.

I think the pop culture stuff is fun. They are surprisingly progressive in their views. But I've found myself really getting into their NBA talk and wanting to know more.

So I added Zach Lowe to my twitter feed. As much as I started to dislike ESPN, I'm also starting to find people I like to watch and read there. And their push to add more women to their network, in roles better than just the host of the two men arguing, has helped.

I don't catch Jemele and Micheal as much in their new time slot, but I also liked their take on sports. And at least they do more NFL talk.