2016-2017 Basketball Thread

ThatGuyThere

@Warma-Sheen
I don't think you need to worry about it in that extreme. though as he ages you will see him playing less and less. I mean for a normal person LeBron is still young (31) but for a basketball player he is starting to hit the cusp of old.

Ganymede

@ThatGuyThere said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

I mean for a normal person LeBron is still young (31) but for a basketball player he is starting to hit the cusp of old.

I think one should evaluate a player based on the years he's played, rather than his age.

That said, the regular season is a punishing, profit-making siege that is ultimately meaningless. It's how hockey works as well. Less so for football, because getting through 16 games on a weekly basis is hard enough. Don't even get me started on the insanity that is baseball.

ThatGuyThere

@Ganymede
That is a good point but also one that paints LeBron as older. Given that he was able to jump straight from St Vincent/ St Mary's high straight to the NBA that means this is his 12th or 13th season.

Regular seasons are devalued by the playoff but the also provide the bulk of the income. And baseball gets a bit of a pass from me since they eliminate 2/3 rds of the team in the regular season compared to less then half that the NBA and the NHL do. (14/30 fail to make the post season in both of those leagues.)

Monogram

Durant and the Warriors will not be as good as people think. At least at first. I think the Warriors this year will be much like the Heat team that lost to the Mavs in the finals.
Dremond Green needs to stop nut-checking people.
(not a Hot Take but still)Warrior and Cavs finals again, but it's not like nobody knew this wasn't happening.
If any team comes out of the west to challenge the Warriors, it'll be the Spurs, now that they're finally getting rid of the geriatric players on it. Since the Clippers are regressing, Blazers is more or less one guy playing that's worth a damn. Maybe the Thunder, since I could see Westbrook being pissed off enough to make a point.
Charles Barkley needs to shut up.

Arkandel

@Monogram said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

5. Charles Barkley needs to shut up.

I love Chuck. He's doing his job, which is being vocal. And being Chuck, he loves his job.

ThatGuyThere

Good news for Oklahoma City fans, reports are that they have signed Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams each to 4 year deals. True neither is Durant but it is a good sign that the franchise will remain competitive, or at least try to.

Arkandel

@ThatGuyThere

As long as Westbrook is their entire offense and they need him to hit trible double figures just to make the playoffs something isn't working out. They need to get this guy a second legitimate star at least - Oladipo and Adams are great support but not remotely enough.

As it stands they will struggle to not go home for the post-season. Westie is too good to flounder like that in his prime.

ThatGuyThere

@Arkandel
I agree it is not nearly enough but it is a start and a good sign that they are not going to go full on Sixers supertank.

Arkandel

@ThatGuyThere See, the problem is you can go (equally) wrong with both approaches.

You can either go the Sixers route (never win, create a horrible locker room culture with zero expectations and young players depressed and unmotivated as they tank season after season). You can also go the route where you're a marginal playoffs team, just good enough to maybe make it into the post-season - which in the West isn't a given - but not enough to go past the first round... which means no picks, either.

I don't trust the OKC front office. After the Harden fiasco and losing KD something needs to be reevaluated. They're not the Celtics or the Lakers in sexy cities with historic franchises and legends recruiting on their behalf... so their only real draw is people who want to play with Westie. And while they're doing all that they risk losing the guy when his contract comes up for nothing - and who could blame him?

IMHO they are better off blowing it up unless they have someone great committed or strongly considering signing with them this summer.

ThatGuyThere

@Arkandel
That all depends on the outlook you have, I have never been the championships are all that matter type of fan.
If I was an OKC fan I would want them to fight like hell to stay a marginal playoff team because while blowing up a team can lead to greater growth in can also lead to a decade of no playoffs wilderness.
As to faith in the front office there, I join you in have no real faith in it, but I do give it point for trying. You are right though it all depends on what Westbrook does after next season, but even if he goes Oladipo and Adams are solid starters and will keep them from being a 10 win team like the Sixers were last year.

Ganymede

@ThatGuyThere said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

If I was an OKC fan I would want them to fight like hell to stay a marginal playoff team because while blowing up a team can lead to greater growth in can also lead to a decade of no playoffs wilderness.

I think the problem is that being marginal playoff team reduces the chance of keeping Westbrook. He's probably not going to the Cavs, but I think he'd work with the Pelicans or the Timberwolves.

Arkandel

@Ganymede I keep thinking "Lakers". But I think "Lakers" in regards to any superstar because I can't think of them without one. And they're without one.

Ganymede

@Arkandel said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

I keep thinking "Lakers". But I think "Lakers" in regards to any superstar because I can't think of them without one. And they're without one.

Nick Young.

I'll be over here waiting until you get up off the floor.

Arkandel

@Ganymede Nick Young has been dumped by a superstar after another future possible one outed his cheating ways, is that close enough?

Ganymede

@Arkandel

Sheesh, I was just trying to be funny.

Arkandel

@Ganymede said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

@Arkandel

Sheesh, I was just trying to be funny.

I was too but no one cares

ThatGuyThere

@Ganymede said in 2016-2017 Basketball Thread:

I think the problem is that being marginal playoff team reduces the chance of keeping Westbrook. He's probably not going to the Cavs, but I think he'd work with the Pelicans or the Timberwolves.

From your fingers to God's ears, at least that is what the Twolves fan in me hopes.
Point guard is the weakest spot on the roster for them.

Also @Arkandel don't be hatin' on Swaggy P man. (This is also written with tounge firmly in cheek.) To be fair and mildly serious he was one of the more entertaining reasons to watch the Lakers the last couple of years, not particularly good but very entertaining.

Arkandel

@ThatGuyThere As a character I love Nick Young. As a basketball player he's average at best.

As a human being, well, I guess he's not exactly the first professional athlete to cheat on his significant other and brag about it.

ThatGuyThere

@Arkandel
Our sentiments match up pretty completely.