Around the NBA: Week 8 (12/9 - 12/15)

[wpmiller42]

Nationally televised games this week (all times MST)

Monday, December 9
New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors 5:30 PM NBATV

Tuesday, December 10 (Emirates Cup Quarterfinals)
Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks 5:00 PM TNT
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder 7:30 PM TNT

Wednesday, December 11 (Emirates Cup Quarterfinals)
Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks 5:00 PM ESPN
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets 7:30 PM TNT

Saturday, December 14 (Emirates Cup Semifinals)
TBD 2:30 PM TNT in Las Vegas
TBD 6:30 PM ABC in Las Vegas

News from Around the League:
The Jazz are Victims of Overcoaching: https://substack.com/app-link/post?publ ... r8FknyWRfg

NBA 25 Under 25: https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/ ... -potential

The NBA's 3-point craze is only getting crazier: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-ce ... -craze-nba

Evaluating the early returns on the top 2024 free-agent signings: https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles ... 2_41333779

Top Remaining NBA Free Agents: https://hoopswire.com/top-remaining-nba ... ents-news/

Is the NBA Cup Exciting?: https://substack.com/app-link/post?publ ... YmohIIJRhw

Cons outweighing pros with NBA Cup: https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/08/ ... th-nba-cup

WNBA bonus news - Valkyries Expansion Draft Results: https://substack.com/app-link/post?publ ... 12pVnPG84A

[Superbone]

Could be worse. I'd take this guy off their hands.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for the threads wp!!

[Wally_West]

[Kryptonic]

Walking a fine line after the lemello fine.

[Split T]

Kevin Young is doing good for himself at BYU, just landed the #1 highschool player in the nation, AJ Dybantsa

[Charlie Smithy!]

Kevin Young is doing good for himself at BYU, just landed the #1 highschool player in the nation, AJ Dybantsa

Let us Capture the Flagg or die for Dybansta.

Throughout our franchises history, I feel like we've never been truly bad enough to draft a franchise changing player, with apologies to booker, at least to some extent.

I have to think that both of those collegiate, aforementioned, individuals may just find it within themselves, to not just get to that second contract, but to play through that contract, leaving a lasting legacy on the league, as well as to themselves

[Split T]

Unfortunately Washington, Memphis, and Orlando can all swap our 2026 pick, so even if we blow it up, we’d need to get swap rights back to get Dybantsa

[Charlie Smithy!]

Unfortunately Washington, Memphis, and Orlando can all swap our 2026 pick, so even if we blow it up, we’d need to get swap rights back to get Dybantsa

Split, do you ever get the feeling that our team may have, just may have, made some pretty horrific long-term decisions?

[Split T]

Unfortunately Washington, Memphis, and Orlando can all swap our 2026 pick, so even if we blow it up, we’d need to get swap rights back to get Dybantsa

Split, do you ever get the feeling that our team may have, just may have, made some pretty horrific long-term decisions?

The thing is I think you can justify just about every move we made…at least the big ones. I think hindsight tells us we probably should’ve held firm and not offered up what we did for KD. The Beal move hasn’t worked, but I don’t think the alternative was better either…though it would have saved us financially. The worst move we made was not moving Ayton before the max contract. Even still, we didn’t do bad in that trade.

I still think this is a good team…Booker is having a weird season though and I’m not exactly sure why he hasn’t been able to step up with KD out. I’m still in wait and see mode. I don’t think this team can win a title as presently constituted, but there’s also really not a team in the west that scares me all that much. If we can get healthy and make an extended run before the deadline, I could envision an opportunity presenting itself where we could make this team good enough to have a chance.

We are just small and it’s especially apparent when KD is out. My dream trade is still to get Tari Eason from Houston.

[TOO]

Unfortunately Washington, Memphis, and Orlando can all swap our 2026 pick, so even if we blow it up, we’d need to get swap rights back to get Dybantsa

Split, do you ever get the feeling that our team may have, just may have, made some pretty horrific long-term decisions?

The thing is I think you can justify just about every move we made…at least the big ones. I think hindsight tells us we probably should’ve held firm and not offered up what we did for KD. The Beal move hasn’t worked, but I don’t think the alternative was better either…though it would have saved us financially. The worst move we made was not moving Ayton before the max contract. Even still, we didn’t do bad in that trade.

I still think this is a good team…Booker is having a weird season though and I’m not exactly sure why he hasn’t been able to step up with KD out. I’m still in wait and see mode. I don’t think this team can win a title as presently constituted, but there’s also really not a team in the west that scares me all that much. If we can get healthy and make an extended run before the deadline, I could envision an opportunity presenting itself where we could make this team good enough to have a chance.

We are just small and it’s especially apparent when KD is out. My dream trade is still to get Tari Eason from Houston.

Houston is the one team who would benefit from Booker the most, Green/Brooks are ok, but I can definitely see why they went and got our picks.

[Superbone]

Poor Warriors got jobbed.

[BKinSJC]

Poor Warriors got jobbed.

Looks like a pretty bad call, but don't let Curry off the hook. Why is he taking a mediocre to bad shot with nine seconds still left on the shot clock? If Houston's not going to foul, you can bleed it down to about four seconds in the game before you take a shot, and then you're in a great position to win whether it goes in or not. This was dumb.

[Wally_West]

Lmao. Thought this was Centel

[ShelC]

If he could play in the NBA, he'd be there. Lonnie Walker said the same thing a few days ago about playing in Lithuania - "these guys play real basketball".

[The Bobster]

**20/20 hindsight - 2020 through 2025 edition**

I think there's a general consensus that the Suns.....

Should have traded Ayton earlier
Should have drafted Haliburton instead of Smith
Should not have given up so much in Durant trade
Should not have made Beal trade

Now they really don't have many assets to offer (outside of Durant, Booker and Beal) - Allen, O'Neal, Nurkic, Okogie, Suns 2031 #1, Nuggets 2026 #2, Nuggets 2031 #2, Suns 2031 #2

So they have three options -
- wait it out and hope everyone is healthy for the playoffs
- trade more future assets and/or role players to add to the roster
- blow it up

[specialsauce]

It was obvious at the time that the Suns should have traded DA before being forced to match Indiana's offer. They could have gotten a much better package at that time than Allen and Nurk.

I was yelling it at the rooftops. Instead they continued to mess around and then at that point they had no choice; they were never going to lose him for nothing. Then when it came to trading him, he had shown how he had plateaued and his value tanked. Ironically, Portland may be willing to lose him for nothing just to get off that contract now.

[Wally_West]

[ShelC]

I like Bryant's game but he has a hard time staying healthy.

[Mori Chu]

Does that Bryant move help them at all in being more able to make a Butler/Beal trade with us? Or is it mostly unrelated? Perhaps if nothing else, it's a sign that they are "selling" talent and not trying to contend?