A new NBA thread (HYPER HYPED DRAFT SUPER EDITION)

[badfo]

We aren't allowed to trade picks, I thought. I don't know why we should be giving up a pick in this trade unless we're getting one from Detroit, too.

[badfo]

So the Thunder are giving up a pick. This is absolutely bizarre. And you get Jerrett so whatever. Have fun waiving him.

How we managed to give up picks in this trade is beyond me.

[fallenchicken]

Are there restrictions on the pick?

[fallenchicken]

Jazz fans seem a little pissed but I don't think it was a terrible trade for us. We don't want any business in having to pay Kanter whatever his contract is going to be next year. Someone could come in and overpay him. He has some elite skills and he could wind up being a good player but...he's just not a good player.



Kanter's shooting the last 20 games. It'll be interesting to see how he fits on a team with Durant and Westbrook. He's effective under the rim but has no interest in passing out. He only started playing basketball like four years before he was drafted. Has very little knowledge and is always in the wrong place on defense. He's a good dude and I think he'll get along with everyone on the team, but he's got bad management and is very immature. I doubt he's playing tonight for OKC but I'm interested to see how he's going to fit.

[badfo]

I imagine the pick has heavy protections. The one we sent out for Waiters can never be better than pick 16 (pick 19 this season) and eventually turns into two second rounders. I'm guessing it's similar for the one we sent you though I have no idea.

That's basically Waiter's shot chart this season.

I'm not enthused about giving up a pick for him. There aren't minutes to keep him happy and it will just be another excuse for Brooks to refuse to go small. I don't think they'll sign him and I'm not sure he'll want to either.

As far as using people offensively, you get the 8ish minutes a game Westbrook and Durant aren't on the floor. Once every few games they will involve somebody else but other than that you need to be content to stand in the corner (which Kanter will, they will make him shoot 3s).

I'd feel fine now if I believed the bench would be Augustin, Morrow and SIngler + bigs but I know this just means 30+ minutes for Waiters every night.

[fallenchicken]

Well, you will like Kanter better than Waiters. And this way you avoid seeing Brook Lopez in a suit on your bench for the next season and a half (poor Billy King)...even if picking Kanter over Lopez might have only been for salary cap reasons. Sounds like the Reggie situation was pretty toxic though, with Westbrook throwing major shade (and Reggie literally thanked God for letting the trade happen on twitter).DJ Augistin is probably better. Or a better fit for you guys. I like that pickup.

[badfo]

Nothing wrong with Augustin, he's just not the (cliche incoming) x-factor Reggie is. Reggie creates a ton of offense, which is very important when Russ and KD get defended better in the playoffs. They need a third dude. Augustin is a good complementary player but that's just not his game. I'm glad the Thunder got him, but they just aren't getting the same presence.

It took Westbrook and Durant three years to trust Harden. Never trusted Martin. Getting them to trust Reggie was like pulling teeth. They still don't trust Ibaka in the second half of games. Even when Reggie saved their asses against Memphis last season it came after eight minutes of not touching the ball and watching Durant and Westbrook shit away a 10 point lead.

I don't think it's their fault. I think how the Thunder play encourages it. I think Brooks encourages it. They are taught to view the other players as replaceable (and for the most part, they are). But it alienated Harden, Martin and Reggie, and it will alienate the next dude, too. Just how it is. If that's the price of having Durant and Westbrook, then it's well worth paying.

[Sobchak]

BLACK BOY FLY

[fallenchicken]

chak definitely had the best trade deadline.

[Sobchak]

chak definitely had the best trade deadline.

I edited it. You guys posted 40 times?

[fallenchicken]

blame woj

[fallenchicken]

also, would the greatest thing in the history of time be MIami knocking Cleveland out of the playoffs?

[Sobchak]

also, would the greatest thing in the history of time be MIami knocking Cleveland out of the playoffs?

For my ill-informed money, I would have liked Dragic somehow but that would have likely been a horrible defensive back court.

Some stream-of-consciousness thoughts on Afflalo:
I can already hear the blazer blogs saying he's an "elite" defender when they compare him to Barton, but he lacks the length. He is bigger, though, and Wes and Batum will be good grindstones.

He was nearly an All-Star on the shitty Magic a year ago and poorly used by Shaw, it seems. I really just don't think Shaw is a good coach. I think Stotts will get a lot out of him (homer alert) offensively.

He'll probably take minutes away from Batum late in game which will likely blow up in our face when Batum throws a tantrum and Afflalo leaves when his contract is up.

[badfo]

Its not our fault.

I think Miami did best but they obviously paid more than the scraps Portland paid. Dragic is a PG who shoots 50 percent from the floor and is a good 3 point shooter. And is a good passer. And Miami had the worst PG rotation in the league this season and the worst guard rotation of any team trying. It's the best win now move anybody made.

Portland did really well too to get a quality insurance guy for nothing. Nobody in the west made a better move.

[Sobchak]

Hell yeah. Hell yeah.

[badfo]

Also Chak what's with Meyers Leonard being competent for a month or so?

[Sobchak]

No clue. I haven't been able to watch any Blazer games in about a month since I moved to Roseburg. Fuck Roseburg you guys. Probably the Stillwater/Queensland/SLC of Oregon.

[Sobchak]

But I would guess Meyers really is too big and too coordinated to not be competent eventually. He's had plenty of the tools, he's just a big dumb baby. He always looked like a kid who lost his parents at the supermarket. Sounds like he's found a place for himself somewhere.

[fallenchicken]

you should move to Wilsonville.

[badfo]

Roseburg is basically the Azkaban of Oregon.

[fallenchicken]

Gobert had 5 blocks and 2 assists, which feels like more assists than Kanter has had all year, in his first game as a starter. Lamarcus Aldridge left the game early to receive treatment for PTSD.

[fallenchicken]

The Kanter trade seems to be working out for both teams. Really happy to see him playing so hard in his first few games as a Thunder... (as a thunder bolt? How am I supposed to say that?). I think he had as many assists in his first game as he had had with the Jazz all season. He just wasn't playing for us. But if he buys in to what the Thunder do he could be really good.

[Sobchak]

A thundy.

[badfo]

If Derrick Rose Never Had A Knee Could It Really Tear His Meniscus

[fallenchicken]

Conspiracy theory: Adidas tore Rose's meniscus for the insurance money.