NBA 2021-22 Season Catch-All

Lakers ownership saying Russ was their best player last season was.... Interesting.

Top_Shelf wrote:

Teams are revealing their city unis and the PHX one is all about the throwback to the old Barkley-era jerseys. Video starts with an NBA Jam montage showing Pip/Grant, then Payton/Kemp (!) on the screen...and then a highlight of Thunder Dan dunking wide open on the Supersonics.

It's time for a SEA franchise. Everyone wants it.

I'm surprised there isn't much expansion chatter.

Franchise values are sky-high and expanding by two teams would recoup some pandemic losses. There's so much talent in the league right now too.

Ideally the league would expand by 2 teams and go to a balanced 62-game schedule but
1) Those decision are completely independent
2) I doubt the players and owners want to give up 20 games of revenue.
3) all the massive TV contracts require at least 72 games.

I don't understand 82 becomes 62 and now we will take a 24% hit to revenue. Just charge more (better product)?

Top_Shelf wrote:

I don't understand 82 becomes 62 and now we will take a 24% hit to revenue. Just charge more (better product)?

Yeah, I think there is something to the idea the product would be better and the lost revenue would be less than expected because demand for the non-cut games would be higher.

Plus the basic 24% hit that first comes to mind doesn't account for you not touching the playoffs which bring has the highest demand and brings in the money. I'd guess 24% is more like 15% without even trying to make more money from the remaining regular season games.

No more back-to-backs and almost eliminating DNP-Rest would be better for the regular season than any Emirates Cup style midseason tournament.

Mitchell in Cleveland is more fun than he would have been with the Knicks.

Well sh*t. I guess better to be forced to cheer for Cleveland than the Knicks. Some things are a bridge too far

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FWxoBUSUEAcCjVL?format=jpg&name=900x900)

Spoiler:

Donovan Mitchell literally tweeted this image.

Eff them pics, I need a 45 jersey now.

I bet my parents didn't buy mine with American Express or whoever it is that lets you trade jerseys

Whelp, the Jazz are gonna suck the next few years. Going to be interesting to see how they rebuild.

It really makes you think how much 1sts are really worth. That feels like a haul in the abstract.

Rat Boy wrote:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FWxoBUSUEAcCjVL?format=jpg&name=900x900)

Spoiler:

Donovan Mitchell literally tweeted this image.

Windhorst talking about Cleveland's core on his podcast (when they got around to talking about Cleveland) got me pretty hyped up.

Roke wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FWxoBUSUEAcCjVL?format=jpg&name=900x900)

Spoiler:

Donovan Mitchell literally tweeted this image.

Windhorst talking about Cleveland's core on his podcast (when they got around to talking about Cleveland) got me pretty hyped up.

Thanks for reminding me he has a podcast. Nice to dilute my NBA podcast news stream from Bill Simmons.

Indifferent about Cleveland but pro this trade as it really does make the NBA more exciting.

Really really loving the younger teams just pushing out the Lebron + older star era.

Steph and the Warriors can stick around but looking forward to this decade of basketball.

I still listen to Simmons, but mostly because I hang out on r/BillSimmons and love to joke about how insane / banal his takes are.

Podcasts like Windy’s or Lowe’s are much better for actual basketball analysis.

I should say I enjoy when Simmons and Rusillo do NBA talk. At the very least Rusillo will push back on Simmons’ homerism.

Rat Boy wrote:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FWxoBUSUEAcCjVL?format=jpg&name=900x900)

Spoiler:

Donovan Mitchell literally tweeted this image.

You buried the lead on this. He posted that image as a joke, because he apparently was a Cavs fan as a kid.

https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/s...

DSGamer wrote:

It really makes you think how much 1sts are really worth. That feels like a haul in the abstract.

I agree. Basically 4 first round picks plus two starters for a mostly one way player that has never made an all NBA team and is maybe the 20th best player in the league? Definitely an upgrade for the Cavs in the immediate term, but it seems like a lot and I have to wonder who they were bidding against that was getting close to that package? Could they really not have kept one of those picks or not done one of the swaps? Should be fun next year, but in five years when they are still paying out those picks we'll see I guess.

At least Mitchell seems excited to go to the Cavs instead of mad about it. I hate all of the hold out and trade demand drama that has been happening the past few years.

but it seems like a lot and I have to wonder who they were bidding against that was getting close to that package?

Well the Knicks and Jazz were apparently talking all weekend. Is there a more dysfunctional franchise than the Knicks right now?

Stele wrote:
but it seems like a lot and I have to wonder who they were bidding against that was getting close to that package?

Well the Knicks and Jazz were apparently talking all weekend. Is there a more dysfunctional franchise than the Knicks right now?

The Nets

The Lakers?

Haha touche.

I was thinking like... the last 20 years... Knicks only made the playoffs 5 seasons. And only won 1 series out of 5 tries. 25% appearance rate and 17% win rate. Yikes.

Stele wrote:

Haha touche.

I was thinking like... the last 20 years... Knicks only made the playoffs 5 seasons. And only won 1 series out of 5 tries. 25% appearance rate and 17% win rate. Yikes.

There's only one franchise competing with them for wholesale pointlessness and dysfunction:

IMAGE(https://d2p3bygnnzw9w3.cloudfront.net/req/202208193/tlogo/bbr/SAC.png)

I actually don’t disparage NY for this; I don’t think they would have been an amazing team with Mitchell. If the ask was too high, I don’t blame them for letting it go. He’s good but not like a top-15 player.

Cleveland has the potential to be a killer though. If Mobley develops as expected he should be an all star this year. That would be four in the starting lineup and Kevin Love as an effective producer off the bench, among other guys.

Blind_Evil wrote:

I actually don’t disparage NY for this; I don’t think they would have been an amazing team with Mitchell. If the ask was too high, I don’t blame them for letting it go. He’s good but not like a top-15 player.

Cleveland has the potential to be a killer though. If Mobley develops as expected he should be an all star this year. That would be four in the starting lineup and Kevin Love as an effective producer off the bench, among other guys.

Ya I think the knock on the Knicks is they were actually trying to land Mitchell but couldn't close it out.

For them a blessing in disguise maybe as I agree Mitchell doesn't really turn the corner for them.

Kevin Love has a chance to morph into Al Horford vet contributor or very very interesting trade piece. He's on a 30m expiring contract. Cleveland could get a very good role player who is on a questionable contract.

Westbrook for Love!
I'm calling it right now! You heard it here first ;P

Kevin Love is a contract that will be traded for a passable wing.

He should join the Donald T. Sterling "I used to have a team" club.

And yet Snyder still owns the Washington Commanders...

fangblackbone wrote:

And yet Snyder still owns the Washington Commanders... :(

A good example of why I stopped watching the NFL.

Seems like new thread time sometime this month? Unless someone else really wants to do it I'll get to it later this week.