Around the League News - 2022 Offseason Edition

[Split T]

Never thought about LaVine…not sure Chicago would want Ayton with Vucevic there though…they’d need to move Vuc.

[Mori Chu]

LaVine had a good season, but I feel like we'll be taking a step back as a team if we lose Ayton and have Zach LaVine to show for it.

[ShelC]

A bigger question for me is how the FO/coaching staff views the center position. Jones didn't win in Miami or Cleveland with a dominant center (granted he had LeBron, Kyrie, Wade, Bosh, etc) so maybe he doesn't put much of a premium on a top level big. Or maybe he sees the way the league has been trending and doesn't think a classic low post big is absolutely necessary to success.

In that case, does Jones and/or Monty think they can downgrade a bit from DA or simply platoon with a few different bigs (JaVale, Biz, Saric, etc) and get more talented at other positions like PF or bench roles?

[Indy]

A bigger question for me is how the FO/coaching staff views the center position. Jones didn't win in Miami or Cleveland with a dominant center (granted he had LeBron, Kyrie, Wade, Bosh, etc) so maybe he doesn't put much of a premium on a top level big. Or maybe he sees the way the league has been trending and doesn't think a classic low post big is absolutely necessary to success.

In that case, does Jones and/or Monty think they can downgrade a bit from DA or simply platoon with a few different bigs (JaVale, Biz, Saric, etc) and get more talented at other positions like PF or bench roles?

The Pels played without a "center" for about 40% of the series and did pretty well against us. Dallas beat us and played Powell (who is really at C-PF, not even a C) for a total of 94 minutes across 7 games.

The Clippers last year played with no center for about 50% of the minutes against us last year and did well.

The Nuggets played a real center against us for over 40 minutes a game, with nearly all of those minutes coming from the MVP, and got swept.

[The Bobster]

A bigger question for me is how the FO/coaching staff views the center position. Jones didn't win in Miami or Cleveland with a dominant center (granted he had LeBron, Kyrie, Wade, Bosh, etc) so maybe he doesn't put much of a premium on a top level big. Or maybe he sees the way the league has been trending and doesn't think a classic low post big is absolutely necessary to success.

In that case, does Jones and/or Monty think they can downgrade a bit from DA or simply platoon with a few different bigs (JaVale, Biz, Saric, etc) and get more talented at other positions like PF or bench roles?

The Pels played without a "center" for about 40% of the series and did pretty well against us. Dallas beat us and played Powell (who is really at C-PF, not even a C) for a total of 94 minutes across 7 games.

The Clippers last year played with no center for about 50% of the minutes against us last year and did well.

The Nuggets played a real center against us for over 40 minutes a game, with nearly all of those minutes coming from the MVP, and got swept.

But look what happened in the matchup against Milwaukee last year when the Suns didn't have enough size.

They're not going to be a serious contender with Biyombo and Sarić playing center. I like them as players, but if you take Ayton out of this team's defense and it isn't going to scare anybody.

[Shabazz]

If we do go with the pu-pu platter instead of Ayton at C, we need a massive upgrade in terms of shot creation at the 4. It's why I like an Okongwu/Collins package. Collins can play the 5 in a pinch too.

[JeremyG]

A bigger question for me is how the FO/coaching staff views the center position. Jones didn't win in Miami or Cleveland with a dominant center (granted he had LeBron, Kyrie, Wade, Bosh, etc) so maybe he doesn't put much of a premium on a top level big. Or maybe he sees the way the league has been trending and doesn't think a classic low post big is absolutely necessary to success.

In that case, does Jones and/or Monty think they can downgrade a bit from DA or simply platoon with a few different bigs (JaVale, Biz, Saric, etc) and get more talented at other positions like PF or bench roles?

The Pels played without a "center" for about 40% of the series and did pretty well against us. Dallas beat us and played Powell (who is really at C-PF, not even a C) for a total of 94 minutes across 7 games.

The Clippers last year played with no center for about 50% of the minutes against us last year and did well.

The Nuggets played a real center against us for over 40 minutes a game, with nearly all of those minutes coming from the MVP, and got swept.

And none of those teams made it to the Finals.

[Split T]

The warriors just made it to the finals with Kevon Looney

[Split T]

This is a very interesting hire to me

[Indy]

A bigger question for me is how the FO/coaching staff views the center position. Jones didn't win in Miami or Cleveland with a dominant center (granted he had LeBron, Kyrie, Wade, Bosh, etc) so maybe he doesn't put much of a premium on a top level big. Or maybe he sees the way the league has been trending and doesn't think a classic low post big is absolutely necessary to success.

In that case, does Jones and/or Monty think they can downgrade a bit from DA or simply platoon with a few different bigs (JaVale, Biz, Saric, etc) and get more talented at other positions like PF or bench roles?

The Pels played without a "center" for about 40% of the series and did pretty well against us. Dallas beat us and played Powell (who is really at C-PF, not even a C) for a total of 94 minutes across 7 games.

The Clippers last year played with no center for about 50% of the minutes against us last year and did well.

The Nuggets played a real center against us for over 40 minutes a game, with nearly all of those minutes coming from the MVP, and got swept.

But look what happened in the matchup against Milwaukee last year when the Suns didn't have enough size.

They're not going to be a serious contender with Biyombo and Sarić playing center. I like them as players, but if you take Ayton out of this team's defense and it isn't going to scare anybody.

Giannis wasn't playing center in the Finals against us. Either Lopez or Portis were on the floor playing center for 247 of the 288 minutes in that series.

I am not saying we didn't need size to stop Giannis. We definitely did. But they also just lost to the Celts with 35 year old, 6 foot 9 Al Horford as their center.

[Split T]

LaVine would be a phenomenal #2 next to Luka

[specialsauce]

Okay okay,

Let’s sign and trade DA to Chicago for a sign and traded Lavine.

As part of a separate yet connected trade, we’ll give Chicago Cam J and Cam Payne in return for Colby White.

So in the end we’re trading DA/CamJ/CamP for Lavine/White

CP3/Book/Lavine/Bridges/???

Alternatively, we could ship DA to Det for Grant and their pick. Flip the pick with our own, + Cam J + Craig + Shamet for John Collins.

CP3/Book/Bridges/Grant/Collins

Coby White isn't that good, which is supported by you thinking he was named after a cheese.

I've also thought about a LaVine trade. His knees worry me, but I'd rather have him than many other "star" players like Jerami Grant.

The reason I include that deal is because I don’t think Chicago would go DA for Lavine straight up, they would have to get more.

[Flagrant Fowl]

This is a very interesting hire to me

I think it's a great hire considering the other guys they interviewed. He seems to be similar to Udoka as a guy who's universally respected, but I'm curious about his tactics. Not that it matters a ton when you have LeBron, but they still need help on that part of their staff.

[Flagrant Fowl]

LaVine would be a phenomenal #2 next to Luka

I have a gut feeling he won't re-sign in Chicago. At a minimum, he seems keen on being wooed as a free agent and anything can happen at that point.

[Indy]

The best business decision is probably for him to go to whomever is giving him his max and has a big market. He already has some good endorsement deals, so he probably needs a big market to keep them when it is time to re-up.

[Split T]

This is a very interesting hire to me

I think it's a great hire considering the other guys they interviewed. He seems to be similar to Udoka as a guy who's universally respected, but I'm curious about his tactics. Not that it matters a ton when you have LeBron, but they still need help on that part of their staff.

I don’t know much about his ability as a coach…just think it’s interesting they choose to go with a rookie head coach. At least I think he’s a rookie, though lots of assistant experience. Does he have any connection to LeBron? Would be good for LA to not let LeBron make all their decisions, just makes me wonder if they’re going in a different direction with LeBron.

[Flagrant Fowl]

The best business decision is probably for him to go to whomever is giving him his max and has a big market. He already has some good endorsement deals, so he probably needs a big market to keep them when it is time to re-up.

Maybe, but he's also a California guy and places like Texas have tax incentives.

[The Bobster]

"Championship pedigree" = 0.7 PPG in the playoffs on the Detroit championship team in 2004 and assistant coach for Milwaukee's championship team last year.

The definition of riding the bus, not driving it.

He may very well have head coaching ability, but he's being thrown into a viper's nest.

[Flagrant Fowl]

"Championship pedigree" = 0.7 PPG in the playoffs on the Detroit championship team in 2004 and assistant coach for Milwaukee's championship team last year.

The definition of riding the bus, not driving it.

He may very well have head coaching ability, but he's being thrown into a viper's nest.

He won a ring while on the Bucks staff last season. He also started his coaching career with the Lakers.

[The Bobster]

"Championship pedigree" = 0.7 PPG in the playoffs on the Detroit championship team in 2004 and assistant coach for Milwaukee's championship team last year.

The definition of riding the bus, not driving it.

He may very well have head coaching ability, but he's being thrown into a viper's nest.

He won a ring while on the Bucks staff last season. He also started his coaching career with the Lakers.

Like I mentioned, he was with the Bucks last year. Those Lakers teams were nothing special, both losing early in the playoffs.