Around the League: Week 24 3/26-4/1

[specialsauce]

I really don't see how the Jazz being eighth seed and not being able to beat Houston or Golden State is evidence that Gobert isn't valuable. The Jazz do not have a good roster. If anything, being a playoff team in the tougher of the two conferences is a testament to Gobert's value. The dude is a stud.

Not arguing that he’s not a good player. My position is that a team with Gobert occupying 1/3 of the salary cap will never win a championship in today’s league. It limits too much what else you can bring onto the roster. I don’t think he’s worth that much. IMO he is worth as much as Draymond Green.

With him occupying 1/3 of your cap that only leaves room for realistically 1 other max deal, and I don’t see any situation in which he’s one of your 2 highest paid players and you are a serious contender. He has a minimal offensive game. He’s not Duncan, Olajuwon, Shaq. He’s not Embiid. He’s incredibly ordinary on offense. So you have to run your offense through the rest of the team and when you don’t have enough money to build a legitimate offense in an ERA where offense rules and teams are scoring 110 ppg, you won’t be able to keep up.

[UglyTruth]

This is so sad and unfair to punish those that have nothing to do with the matter that’s being protested about

https://twitter.com/CarmichaelDave/status/978825177264930817

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

[Hermen]

Rudy Gobert’s enormous value, explained by stats and the Jazz themselves - https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/3/23/ ... f-the-year

CC @SpecialSauce

I’m not impressed. They’re going to go nowhere in the playoffs, I will bet anything. They will lose to the Warriors, Thunder, or Rockets. In years past I’d include the Spurs but they’re just too banged up this year.

Really going out on a limb there saying the Jazz would lose to teams loaded with all-stars.

So you love Gobert enough to build a team around him but then make excuses for him against actually talented teams?

Rockets are not loaded with all-stars. Neither are the Thunder. Melo is not playing at an all-star level any more.

Rockets have Harden and CP3. Thunder have Westbrook and PG. Jazz have Mitchell and Gobert.

Yes, I'll give you the Warriors are loaded with all stars. But the Jazz wouldn't stand a chance even with Curry being out.

It's fair to put Gobert in this company (especially in view of this discussion), but Mitchell is a rookie. Maybe in two years.

[O_Gardino]

Cleveland continues in their tough stretch, losing to Miami last night. Miami was without Whiteside, and the Cavs lost Love to a loose tooth early on.

The Cavs schedule is super easy right now, so they will probably make it to 50 wins, but they are really struggling against playoff teams down the stretch. They've only won 2 games against playoff teams in the last 5 weeks. They may get a real challenge in the first round, and I guess the second round depends on who is healthy.

[O_Gardino]

I've been thinking about the (slim) possibility that LeBron goes to the Clippers this summer. Mostly, I just like the idea of the Lakers continuing to be the worst pro franchise in LA. I also think Lebron would actually play for Doc Rivers, and that he might like playing on a team with legit big guys. I think it would be a good basketball fit.

The Clipps do not have the cap space to sign anybody, but could easily do Gallinari + Austin Rivers for Lebron.

Would the Cavs do that rather than lose LeBron outright? They have about $100 Million tied up through '19-'20, so getting one more long contract doesn't hurt them much. More importantly, do they think they can compete with Love / Gallinari / Hill / Clarkson / Rivers / Smith / Thompson / Korver / Nance?

[Mori Chu]

There's no way the Cavs would agree to that deal.

[O_Gardino]

Sure, it's unlikely. But what do you see Cleveland doing with their 7 players under contract for 100 million next year and the year after? They'll be too good to get a high draft pick, and that's a lot of money to try to unload. Why not try to stay in the playoffs for 2 more years?

[Mori Chu]

Sure, it's unlikely. But what do you see Cleveland doing with their 7 players under contract for 100 million next year and the year after? They'll be too good to get a high draft pick, and that's a lot of money to try to unload. Why not try to stay in the playoffs for 2 more years?

If Lebron leaves, I think they may try to unload some of their other high salaries like Love, Thompson, JR Smith. They will need to rebuild. I would happily take Love off their hands and give them a future 1st and other assets for the trouble.

[In2ition]

Sure, it's unlikely. But what do you see Cleveland doing with their 7 players under contract for 100 million next year and the year after? They'll be too good to get a high draft pick, and that's a lot of money to try to unload. Why not try to stay in the playoffs for 2 more years?

If Lebron leaves, I think they may try to unload some of their other high salaries like Love, Thompson, JR Smith. They will need to rebuild. I would happily take Love off their hands and give them a future 1st and other assets for the trouble.

To me it depends on who the Suns pick, but yeah I could very well see something like that.

[carey]

MarShon Brooks comes back to the league after 4 years away and drops 21 points on 7-12 shooting (5-5 from 3) helping the Grizzlies beat the Blazers.

[INFORMER]

I really don't see how the Jazz being eighth seed and not being able to beat Houston or Golden State is evidence that Gobert isn't valuable. The Jazz do not have a good roster. If anything, being a playoff team in the tougher of the two conferences is a testament to Gobert's value. The dude is a stud.

Not arguing that he’s not a good player. My position is that a team with Gobert occupying 1/3 of the salary cap will never win a championship in today’s league. It limits too much what else you can bring onto the roster. I don’t think he’s worth that much. IMO he is worth as much as Draymond Green.

With him occupying 1/3 of your cap that only leaves room for realistically 1 other max deal, and I don’t see any situation in which he’s one of your 2 highest paid players and you are a serious contender. He has a minimal offensive game. He’s not Duncan, Olajuwon, Shaq. He’s not Embiid. He’s incredibly ordinary on offense. So you have to run your offense through the rest of the team and when you don’t have enough money to build a legitimate offense in an ERA where offense rules and teams are scoring 110 ppg, you won’t be able to keep up.

That's reasonable, although I'm not sure Gobert is going to land a super-max deal, which is what 1/3 of the cap is. Right now, he's making 1/4 of the cap.

[O_Gardino]

MarShon Brooks comes back to the league after 4 years away and drops 21 points on 7-12 shooting (5-5 from 3) helping the Grizzlies beat the Blazers.

I didn't see the game, but the box score is strange.

Portland played a combo of Nurkic and Collins at center, Nukic getting 27 minutes, and Collins getting the rest. I don't know. Maybe Ed Davis was the backup center?

In any case, by the numbers, Nurkic had a great game. 5-6 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steal, 3 block. Neither Davis nor Collins had that kind of impact. It seems like they could have won by playing Nurkic a bit more.

I dunno. It just seems strange for a playoff team to just drop one in such a tight race.

[carey]

MarShon Brooks comes back to the league after 4 years away and drops 21 points on 7-12 shooting (5-5 from 3) helping the Grizzlies beat the Blazers.

I didn't see the game, but the box score is strange.

Portland played a combo of Nurkic and Collins at center, Nukic getting 27 minutes, and Collins getting the rest. I don't know. Maybe Ed Davis was the backup center?

In any case, by the numbers, Nurkic had a great game. 5-6 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steal, 3 block. Neither Davis nor Collins had that kind of impact. It seems like they could have won by playing Nurkic a bit more.

I dunno. It just seems strange for a playoff team to just drop one in such a tight race.

Lillard was away for the birth of his son and Napier was 2-11 in his place.

[O_Gardino]

MarShon Brooks comes back to the league after 4 years away and drops 21 points on 7-12 shooting (5-5 from 3) helping the Grizzlies beat the Blazers.

I didn't see the game, but the box score is strange.

Portland played a combo of Nurkic and Collins at center, Nukic getting 27 minutes, and Collins getting the rest. I don't know. Maybe Ed Davis was the backup center?

In any case, by the numbers, Nurkic had a great game. 5-6 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steal, 3 block. Neither Davis nor Collins had that kind of impact. It seems like they could have won by playing Nurkic a bit more.

I dunno. It just seems strange for a playoff team to just drop one in such a tight race.

Lillard was away for the birth of his son and Napier was 2-11 in his place.

I don't think that explains why Nurkic played less than 30 minutes when he was dominant in his time on the court.

[bajanguy008]

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/979379911399002112

[ShelC]

They should all go in as Suns players.

[TOO]

They should all go in as Suns players.

Nah, just Nash.

Hill and Kidd both definitely had their best years on other teams.

Wait, don't they go in unaffiliated anyway? Since its just the hey you played basketball we let everyone in hall of pretty ok?

[bajanguy008]

Fultz has to be feeling like he's jinxed smh

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/979510959172734976

[bajanguy008]

Didn't even seem that crazy

https://twitter.com/YahooSportsNBA/status/979145050935341056

[Mori Chu]

Sixers are snakebitten. Lot of nice young talent on that roster, but they seem to have the injury curse every year. Would be scary to be a Sixers fan with the emotional ups and downs.