Around the League: Week 15 1/22-1/28

[Mori Chu]

Why would Kawhi leave a high functioning organization like that to come to a dysfunctional one like ours?

[Split T]

Why would Kawhi leave a high functioning organization like that to come to a dysfunctional one like ours?

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/01/kawhi-l ... xplanation

[O_Gardino]

Kawhi is just frustrated because his body feels bad. There is literally no news here.

[Split T]

Kawhi is just frustrated because his body feels bad. There is literally no news here.

Maybe, or maybe he realizes this team will always be great, but never elite. Spurs have never been able to attract top players. Aldridge has been the only one and he was a tier 2 star at the end of his prime. Aldridge is going to start fading and perhaps Kawhi doesn't believe the Spurs can put the right guys around him.

For the record, I think the Spurs will figure something out to keep him. But I'm just not gonna assume they'll be fine because they're the Spurs. They were elite for so long because Duncan was the perfect superstar for them and everyone else fell in line. Pop runs the best system in the league and gets the most out of role players. But Duncan is gone, Pop is probably not going to be around forever and maybe Kawhi isn't Duncan.

Maybe he realizes Pop probably won't be around for the rest of his career and he doesn't want to sign a contract that keeps him in San Antonio throughout his prime when SA can't attract any stars on his level and Pop won't be around to run his system.

[Superbone]

Kawhi is just frustrated because his body feels bad. There is literally no news here.

Maybe, or maybe he realizes this team will always be great, but never elite. Spurs have never been able to attract top players. Aldridge has been the only one and he was a tier 2 star at the end of his prime. Aldridge is going to start fading and perhaps Kawhi doesn't believe the Spurs can put the right guys around him.

For the record, I think the Spurs will figure something out to keep him. But I'm just not gonna assume they'll be fine because they're the Spurs. They were elite for so long because Duncan was the perfect superstar for them and everyone else fell in line. Pop runs the best system in the league and gets the most out of role players. But Duncan is gone, Pop is probably not going to be around forever and maybe Kawhi isn't Duncan.

Maybe he realizes Pop probably won't be around for the rest of his career and he doesn't want to sign a contract that keeps him in San Antonio throughout his prime when SA can't attract any stars on his level and Pop won't be around to run his system.

Yeah, but the riverwalk!

[Mori Chu]

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2018/1/ ... urs-rumors

Squish.

[Split T]

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2018/1/ ... urs-rumors

Squish.

Nothing there definitively stomped rumors that he's unhappy and may want out. Again, I think Spurs most likely figure things out, but I'm not going to be blown away if Kawhi doesn't play his whole career in San Antonio

[Split T]

https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/956305514236928002 No Suns, but hard to find someone Bender/Chriss/Jackson should replace. Maybe Bender over Brooks. Not sure if Embiid should qualify to play anymore either.

[carey]

Lol @ Lonzo Ball making the rookie team. 35% from the field. 30% from 3 and is averaging 10 points. I probably shouldn't laugh to much because of Jackson's numbers but at least he's shooting 40% from the field. In January, JJ has almost looked like an NBA player averaging 13 points on 46/35/70.

[Cap]

Lol @ Lonzo Ball making the rookie team. 35% from the field. 30% from 3 and is averaging 10 points. I probably shouldn't laugh to much because of Jackson's numbers but at least he's shooting 40% from the field. In January, JJ has almost looked like an NBA player averaging 13 points on 46/35/70.

Lonzo's shooting numbers suck. Some of his other numbers (assists, rebounds, DRPM) are pretty awesome.

[Split T]

https://twitter.com/royceyoung/status/956379814251941889 PG13 gonna stay in OKC?

[bajanguy008]

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/956679549470699526 https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/956679394994434049

[Split T]

Here's my guess on how the draft played out

Starters(LeBron goes first)
1. Durant
2. Giannis
3. Davis
4. Harden
5. Kyrie
6. Embiid
7. Cousins
8. Derozan
Reserves(Curry goes first)
1. Draymond
2. Westbrook
3. Klay
4. Love
5. Butler
6. Porzingis
7. Horford
8. Wall
9. Towns
10. Oladipo
11. Lillard
12. Aldridge
13. Lowry
14. Beal

[Indy]

KD and Westbrook together again!

[carey]

QOTD: Can a team built to go against the modern NBA trend of small ball succeed in the playoffs? This article suggest the Pelicans could be Houston's biggest roadblock in meeting Golden State in the WCF.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2221 ... threat-nba

[O_Gardino]

In good news, Sac beat Miami last night, which might help our draft position on both picks.

[Split T]

QOTD: Can a team built to go against the modern NBA trend of small ball succeed in the playoffs? This article suggest the Pelicans could be Houston's biggest roadblock in meeting Golden State in the WCF.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2221 ... threat-nba

If new Orleans had 1 more star or at least semi star on the perimeter, I think it could work. They play Jrue at the 2 and just have bench guys starting at the 1 and 3.

They just need another ball handler that can create a little offense and spot up from 3. A guy like Lou Williams would be great there. Speaking of Lou, is he one of the most underrated players in the game? He's gotten some love with his recent hot streak, but he doesn't seem to get much credit for being one of the best pure scorers in the league.

Will Barton, Eric Gordon, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, Tyreke Evans(ironically), Avery Bradley, JJ Reddick, Evan Fournier, Tim Hardaway Jr, Kelly Oubre, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, George Hill. Those are some other guys that I think could make New Orleans dangerous.

I feel like Clarkson, Hood, Hill, Tyreke, and maybe Lou, Fournier, and Bradley could all become available at the deadline. Not sure New Orleans has the assets to go get one of them though.

[Superbone]

KD and Westbrook together again!

LeBron and Irving together again! Next!.... on NBC!

[Ring_Wanted]

Will Barton, Eric Gordon, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, Tyreke Evans(ironically), Avery Bradley, JJ Reddick, Evan Fournier, Tim Hardaway Jr, Kelly Oubre, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, George Hill. Those are some other guys that I think could make New Orleans dangerous.

I feel like Clarkson, Hood, Hill, Tyreke, and maybe Lou, Fournier, and Bradley could all become available at the deadline. Not sure New Orleans has the assets to go get one of them though.

I think they do. They have all their picks.

Since they are cap strangled they could really use Bird rights to say Bradley (Ajinca's expiring and a pick works). Asik (two extra years left) could provide cap relief to somebody trading a larger deal for another pick (Orlando for Fournier, for instance).

Bottom line, if they are willing to put their picks on the table, they'll find win-now pieces to put around Cousins-Davis-Jrue.

[Mori Chu]

New Orleans is in a tricky spot. They have superstars, but they don't have a lot of other depth on the roster. They're capped out, so it's hard to add pieces. They are a small market, so they don't have FAs clamoring to play there, and they couldn't sign them to a big contract anyway due to being capped out.

I really feel for small-market teams in the NBA. What is, say, San Antonio or Memphis or New Orleans supposed to do to win? I know the Spurs have won many titles, partly by striking gold with Duncan, partly by having a generational coach like Pop, etc. But many small market teams slowly bleed their talent over the years and are mired in mediocrity. And even having 1-2 really great players (as New Orleans does) isn't enough in a world where everybody has to try to stop the completely stacked Warriors. How do the flyover cities even compete in this environment? How does a team like New Orleans that is sort of on the cusp of being great add the pieces they need to take a next step? How does an OKC keep talent like Durant from bolting to a bigger city like LA, NY, or SF?