NBA 2019-20: Fresh Champs, Fresh Faces, Fresh Places!

stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Great conclusion to a fabulous season but the intrigue surrounding this next season is unprecedented. This offseason will dwarf The Decision 1.0 and 2.0 combined!

Can Toronto resign The Claw and keep ahead of young and improving Eastern squads?

Will the GSW Mash Squad band together in adversity and stay in contention in the West?

Where will all the FAs galore wind up?:

Some of that shine was dulled by the KD injury. It might be further dulled by the unknown extent of KT’s knee tonight.

Kyrie Irving tried to one-up The Finals today by firing his longtime agent, perhaps tipping his hand that he’s leaving Boston for perhaps Brooklyn and Jay-Z’s cadre.

Can The Process proceed with a lineup deep in talent but two spokes free to spin elsewhere in ‘19-20.

Where does The Unibrow look for everyday manscaping? Even with NOP grabbing the Zion powerball in the draft, he seems headed outta Nola and ex-Cavs GM is driving a hard bargain in an attempt to make The Process seem rather cheesy in comparison.

Injury recoveries...where do we start? KD, KT(?), LBJ, Oladipo, Nurkic, the twin trading chips for the LaBronkers Ball and Ingram???

Gonna be a crazy year and it all begins with The Draft a week from tonight (Thursday, June 20).
 
Last edited:
F

FRV

Guest
Finally, you made the thread. Now to start discussing the Celtics....

It's over folks. The rebuild failed. Time to start tanking.
 
Federer and Del Potro

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
FRV said:
Face the facts! The team is done. We are terrible now.
Click to expand...

I'd counter with opinions are not facts but we are on TTW.

The Celtics will be contending for the long haul. Tatum/Brown will re-blossom now that Kyrie Irving will no longer be there to belittle them publicly every other day in the media.

Their current roster is going to be upgraded with all the draft picks they still have stocked. I expect them to be in contention for a lot of high profile free agents next summer to boot.

For as many tough questions as the Celtics have to answer, the Sixers/Bucks/Raptors/Warriors have to answer an equal amount if not more.
 
F

FRV

Guest
Federer and Del Potro said:
I'd counter with opinions are not facts but we are on TTW.

The Celtics will be contending for the long haul. Tatum/Brown will re-blossom now that Kyrie Irving will no longer be there to belittle them publicly every other day in the media.

Their current roster is going to be upgraded with all the draft picks they still have stocked. I expect them to be in contention for a lot of high profile free agents next summer to boot.

For as many tough questions as the Celtics have to answer, the Sixers/Bucks/Raptors/Warriors have to answer an equal amount if not more.
Click to expand...
I was just joking lol. Most of the dumb sounding people on these boards are trolling, and many others are pseudointellectuals. Not so with most of the people on the NBA threads, but I was getting a bit carried away.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Federer and Del Potro

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
Okay good @FRV .

Let's take an honest look at our C's though:


Tatum - 21 yrs old
Brown - 22 yrs old
Scary Terry - 25 yrs old
Semi Ojeleye - 24 yrs old
Gordon Hayward - 29 yrs old
Marcus Morris - 29 yrs old
Marcus Smart- 25 yrs old

They are so young. And I personally believe Hayward will continue to improve after his gruesome injury. Add in the bevy of draft picks, big market status (alluring destination for free agent prospects no matter what their record is), and yeah..I expect the Celtics to be competing for a long time. Patience is key. Look at what OKC did. Destroyed a potential dynasty with its impatience. Are we on as good a trajectory as they were? No. Not currently. Hard to have a core that good.

But that is a lesson that everyone should learn from OKC's failures.

I'd rather not trade a large amount of our roster for a probable rental of Anthony Davis. For Kawhi it would have made sense. Big men are almost superfluous in this day and age but I guess the Raptors proved sometimes you have to be willing to risk it for the biscuit. I'd rather risk it in free agency where we can build on top of what we already have.

I am actually HOPING Kyrie Irving leaves. I do not like how he meshes with the team at all and I'm so tired of his boring cringeworthy diatribes at his OWN teammates. Nor do I think the Nets are any real threat even with him going there.
 
Tennease

Tennease

Legend
Congrats Toronto Raptors. One more reason Canada is the best country in the universe :-D

raptor_mascot_gal.jpg
 
Federer and Del Potro

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
@FRV here's my bold take: Whether a Celtic for life or not, Jayson Tatum will have a better career than Paul Pierce. Called it on draft night after watching his year at Duke and sticking to it. Sophomore growing pains in the NBA but he WILL be a problem for 15 years. Fedpo approved
 
T

Technology Ruined Tennis

Hall of Fame
The NBA has to address the fact that there are way too many games played. Ideally only 8 teams would make the playoffs, but money. So an easier fix is shortening the regular season to about 50 games.

(or start enforcing positive drug tests)
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Federer and Del Potro said:
Okay good @FRV .

Let's take an honest look at our C's though:


Tatum - 21 yrs old
Brown - 22 yrs old
Scary Terry - 25 yrs old
Semi Ojeleye - 24 yrs old
Gordon Hayward - 29 yrs old
Marcus Morris - 29 yrs old
Marcus Smart- 25 yrs old

They are so young. And I personally believe Hayward will continue to improve after his gruesome injury. Add in the bevy of draft picks, big market status (alluring destination for free agent prospects no matter what their record is), and yeah..I expect the Celtics to be competing for a long time. Patience is key. Look at what OKC did. Destroyed a potential dynasty with its impatience. Are we on as good a trajectory as they were? No. Not currently. Hard to have a core that good.

But that is a lesson that everyone should learn from OKC's failures.

I'd rather not trade a large amount of our roster for a probable rental of Anthony Davis. For Kawhi it would have made sense. Big men are almost superfluous in this day and age but I guess the Raptors proved sometimes you have to be willing to risk it for the biscuit. I'd rather risk it in free agency where we can build on top of what we already have.

I am actually HOPING Kyrie Irving leaves. I do not like how he meshes with the team at all and I'm so tired of his boring cringeworthy diatribes at his OWN teammates. Nor do I think the Nets are any real threat even with him going there.
Click to expand...
D’Angelo Russell has to wind up somewhere if Brooklyn is indeed the Kyrie landing spot. How would he mesh at the point now that he has toned down secretly recording teammates’ love confessions?
 
hollywood9826

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Technology Ruined Tennis said:
The NBA has to address the fact that there are way too many games played. Ideally only 8 teams would make the playoffs, but money. So an easier fix is shortening the regular season to about 50 games.

(or start enforcing positive drug tests)
Click to expand...

One of the best years in NBA was when they season was delayed and opening night was like XMAS instead of just random night during football season. But you and everyone else knows it will never actually happen, because as you said. Money.

GSW has made what was that 5 straight finals? Not many teams do that or even 4. I mentioned this in the other thread but the Heat were washed after that little run they had. How many extra games has Klay, Steph and Draymond played then than the rest of the league in the past 6 years? It adds up.
 
hollywood9826

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Nets and Hawks trade to get BK cap space for two max guys and ATL to load up on picks. Trade cant be finalized until July but its starting already.
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
hollywood9826 said:
One of the best years in NBA was when they season was delayed and opening night was like XMAS instead of just random night during football season. But you and everyone else knows it will never actually happen, because as you said. Money.

GSW has made what was that 5 straight finals? Not many teams do that or even 4. I mentioned this in the other thread but the Heat were washed after that little run they had. How many extra games has Klay, Steph and Draymond played then than the rest of the league in the past 6 years? It adds up.
Click to expand...
I was right there in Long Island when the Islanders won their 4 Cups and then got wiped out in their fifth Final vs Gretzky & Co. It does add up. Unsurprisingly, the dynasty that avoids that burnout is in the NFL, where the top four teams get a 1R bye and the mastermind behind that dynasty constantly moves contributors a year or two before they reach burnout level. That can happen when rosters are larger and the underling coaching staff is first rate at their positional teaching. No days off though.
 
hollywood9826

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Wizards are apparently erady offer Ujiri 10 mill a year and ownership percentage top come to DC and be the GM.

Trades Wall, some other bumb and pick to Pels for AD :)
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
hollywood9826 said:
Nets and Hawks trade to get BK cap space for two max guys and ATL to load up on picks. Trade cant be finalized until July but its starting already.
Click to expand...
The Hawks could field a full lineup of draft picks but they have their eyes on Texas Tech’s star Culver so they’ll need to move up from #8.

As to FA/trade, look for Denver to be a big player in The Unibrow sweepstakes. His best streak as a Pelican was alongside Boogie playing facilitator from the high post until the Achilles ruptured. The assistant coach under Gentry responsible for devising that twin tower offense is Chris Finch, who was there in Denver during Facilitator-in-Chief’s Nikola Jokic’s development from a 2R pick to a starter good enough to allow shipping Nurkic off to Portland. There’s a host of legitimate young Nugget talent to send to Nola to surround Zion and holdovers like Holiday and The Unibrow would be a fool not to agree to a sign-and-trade with that opportunity in the Mile High City to play alongside Jokic and Murray.
 
Vcore89

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis join LBJ in LA, Jeanie takes care of the luxury [monetize the trio's PotentialAppreciationGain] tax and they live happily ever after. Well, perhaps a three-peat for a proper Lebron sendoff.
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Vcore89 said:
Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis join LBJ in LA, Jeanie takes care of the luxury [monetize the trio's PotentialAppreciationGain] tax and they live happily ever after. Well, perhaps a three-peat for a proper Lebron sendoff.
Click to expand...
The LABronkers don’t have the chips Griffin is looking to receive. Guess again.
 
donquijote

donquijote

G.O.A.T.
Raptors will have only 4 guaranteed contracts after next season and can sign another star to go with Leonard and Siakam. Leonard will be a fool to go elsewhere. This can be the beginning of a new dynasty.
 
hollywood9826

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
stringertom said:
The LABronkers don’t have the chips Griffin is looking to receive. Guess again.
Click to expand...

Maybe he is saying AD doesn't agree to an extension and LA tries to straight FA sign him next season or they trade mid year when its clear AD ain't gonna stay. Then Ball and Ingram are probably enough for a 3 month rental.
 
flyinghippos101

flyinghippos101

Legend
If there's anything that the finals proved, it's that managing players' health should be paramount. People were getting worked up when Kawhi took 20+ games off during the season to focus on his health and look where it got him.

Meanwhile the Warriors ran their players into the ground, and it showed in the finals. KD and KT with serious injuries that will likely impact their next season due to serious short-sightedness on the part of GS management
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
flyinghippos101 said:
If there's anything that the finals proved, it's that managing players' health should be paramount. People were getting worked up when Kawhi took 20+ games off during the season to focus on his health and look where it got him.

Meanwhile the Warriors ran their players into the ground, and it showed in the finals. KD and KT with serious injuries that will likely impact their next season due to serious short-sightedness on the part of GS management
Click to expand...
I don’t buy overuse as a reason for either initial injury. KD and KT were at average or lower usage minutes per game this season (34) and neither played a full 82 games. KD’s first “calf strain” was non-contact induced and just a freak occurrence. Rushing back was wrong but I think his competitive impulse was as much to blame as a team decision. KT’s initial hamstring strain may very well had some bearing on his knee being less stable upon landing after his attempted dunk/layup. Again, he’s such a gamer he was not going to miss an elimination game.

When you have won as much as either of them has, you often go when you know you’re at risk. Nobody in that organization held a gun to their heads. It’s also not surprising given that the letters “FA” follow their names on the team roster for 2019-20.
 
Harry_Wild

Harry_Wild

G.O.A.T.
Raptor deserve the championship after cause so many injuries to the elite Warriors players! I this one team took out like 3 elite Warriors players that require surgery! LOL! But still the games were close!
 
hollywood9826

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Harry_Wild said:
Raptor deserve the championship after cause so many injuries to the elite Warriors players! I this one team took out like 3 elite Warriors players that require surgery! LOL! But still the games were close!
Click to expand...

Some people want to put an asterisk on the raptors title because of GSWs issues. Those same people will not give GSW an asterisk for that one series they beat the Cavs when everyone was hurt or last year winning two against the Rockets when Paul went down.
 
T1000

T1000

Legend
hollywood9826 said:
Some people want to put an asterisk on the raptors title because of GSWs issues. Those same people will not give GSW an asterisk for that one series they beat the Cavs when everyone was hurt or last year winning two against the Rockets when Paul went down.
Click to expand...

Not just an unhealthy cavs team, it was lebron and scrubs like mozgov and dellavadova and shumpert playing 45 mins a game with a 6 man rotation. And they still needed 6 games to win that. They also didn’t play a single healthy team that entire run. Every championship team has a little bit of luck on their side

For this series I’d still give a healthy raptors like a 65% chance of beating a healthy GS team without KD. They’re just a terrible matchup for curry and Thompson. With kd id give the warriors like a 55% chance to win the series
 
donquijote

donquijote

G.O.A.T.
Harry_Wild said:
Raptor deserve the championship after cause so many injuries to the elite Warriors players! I this one team took out like 3 elite Warriors players that require surgery! LOL! But still the games were close!
Click to expand...
They beat GSW in both regular season games and overall won 6 of 8 matchups. Those 2 that GSW won were very close. Raptors also eliminated the team with the best record and beat them 4 straight games. Enuff said.
 
Steve0904

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
About the Warriors injuries, it's a real shame. You never like to see any injuries let alone ones as serious as the ones to KD and KT, but the Raptors deserve full credit. Do I think the Warriors would've beaten them if they were 100% KD and all, actually yes I do, but the Warriors have had injury help from other teams during their run too. As great as they are, they've had a lot of help with other teams injuries.

Chris Paul, Kawhi in SA, Boogie before he came to the Warriors and a few more.

As far as the offseason goes it should be interesting to see if Kawhi leaves or stays. If he leaves now, Toronto couldn't have made a better impression on him so there shouldn't be any regrets there. If I was him I don't know why I'd leave tbh. He was taken care of meticulously, and it worked out beautifully to absolute perfection. Can't see why he'd leave, but I have a nagging feeling he will.
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Steve0904 said:
About the Warriors injuries, it's a real shame. You never like to see any injuries let alone ones as serious as the ones to KD and KT, but the Raptors deserve full credit. Do I think the Warriors would've beaten them if they were 100% KD and all, actually yes I do, but the Warriors have had injury help from other teams during their run too. As great as they are, they've had a lot of help with other teams injuries.

Chris Paul, Kawhi in SA, Boogie before he came to the Warriors and a few more.

As far as the offseason goes it should be interesting to see if Kawhi leaves or stays. If he leaves now, Toronto couldn't have made a better impression on him so there shouldn't be any regrets there. If I was him I don't know why I'd leave tbh. He was taken care of meticulously, and it worked out beautifully to absolute perfection. Can't see why he'd leave, but I have a nagging feeling he will.
Click to expand...
What if Ujiri, the architect of the House of Kawhi-Toronto, leaves first? If that happens, Kawhi could become the first 3-team Finals MVP as a LAClipper.
 
victorcruz

victorcruz

Hall of Fame
Got the feeling Curry and Kerr sold their souls to the devil... and he came to collect in the last month/last night.

Knicks still gonna suck sigh. Just rebuild the right way, surround RJ with another high pick and build around him and Mitchell Robinson. I guess Knox as well, if he improves any next season.

Happy for the Raptors and their fans. They got Lebron'd the last few years but I knew that was changing once they got Kawhi...plus Lebron bolted West lol.
 
Raul_SJ

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
donquijote said:
Raptors will have only 4 guaranteed contracts after next season and can sign another star to go with Leonard and Siakam. Leonard will be a fool to go elsewhere. This can be the beginning of a new dynasty.
Click to expand...

Does Kawhi like it in Toronto? He must be a God there.
Can we get a straight answer from him or is Kawhi some type of humanoid?

Leonard has made no public comments about his long-term commitment to the Raptors organization or the city of Toronto. There was a report he had purchased a home out north. He responded, “Didn’t happen yet. No.” When he was asked what winning a championship could mean for the city of Toronto, Leonard replied: “I’m really not sure. I guess you’ve gotta ask somebody on the street or one of our fans ... or somebody that’s been living in Canada for awhile.”​
​
:rolleyes:​
 
Last edited:
Raul_SJ

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
It would be interesting to see Kawhi and LeBron play together, but this article claims Kawhi does not want to be second fiddle to anyone.

Disagree. I think Kawhi would be fine with it.

The persistent belief is that the L.A. native wants to play at home, but is not interested in being option No. 2 to anyone, including LeBron James. When Leonard first requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs last summer, one team topped his list of preferred destinations: the Los Angeles Clippers.​
​
“He wants to go to the Clippers,” ESPN Spurs reporter Michael C. Wright said on a July 5, 2018 episode of the Back to Back Podcast with Tom Haberstroh. “He doesn’t want to go and be second fiddle to LeBron.”​
​
 
Raul_SJ

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
Warriors leaving the rickety rackety Oracle Arena for proper settings at Chase Center.

Courtside Lounge Seats
\


 
Ronaldo

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Raul_SJ said:
First year with Toronto. Brings a championship to a city for its first time.
Has any player ever left in that type of Cinderella scenario? Even LeBron stuck around Cleveland after 2016.
Click to expand...
Moses led the 76ers to The Promised Land but stuck around to play with The Round Mound of Rebound
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
San Antonio Spurs fan myself, since Ginóbili joined them.
This Kawhi-led Toronto championship left the Spurs forums and fans in shambles.
Half of the fans arguing bitterly with the other about who was right, Popovich or Kawhi? Kawhi’s treason or Pop and front office ineptitude?
It’s easier to say that I lean on Kawhi’s side after the trophy, but that’s my take.
Yours?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NonP
The 2023–24 NBA Season
28 29 30
Replies
1K
Views
18K
InsuranceMan
InsuranceMan
Top