NBA 2019-20

[HalfSmokes]

I think it’s a weird situation where the nets are respectable and the knicks name means nothing to anyone young enough to still be playing. I think it’s a good job-signing, but the knicks cleared the decks for max contracts and got nothing, the Carmelo trade/signing was their last ‘win’ landing a big name and that was a long time ago. Bill Simmons made and interesting point, guys like Durant who think they’re businessmen or care about their brands Nets ownership has more and better entertainment and business connections than Dolan. MSG is really all the knicks offer

[bluestreak]

this.  I guess there's some sort of cap relief under the NBA rules when a star player gets an injury, but Durant may end up being the best non-signing the Knicks have done.  I doubt Durant plays the first year of his contract, and you don't know what you are getting after that.  If it is just Kyrie and Green, are the Nets elite?

The NBA max salary system ensures superstars are paid much less than they are worth. Given that, injured Durant is probably still worth the max salary.

[imref]

I can't make heads or tails of the NBA salary system.  From what I heard last night, the Warriors are in 'worse' cap shape by losing KD.

[HalfSmokes]

I can't make heads or tails of the NBA salary system.  From what I heard last night, the Warriors are in 'worse' cap shape by losing KD.

The simple version is you can blow though the cap to resign players, but not free agents. Since it’s the NBA there are enough caveats to swamp the rule

[JCA-CrystalCity]

There's supposed to be a weird 3 way deal between the Hornets, Nets, and Celts involving the sign and trades.  Apparently, Kemba wanted out when he could not get a 5 year supermax deal from the Hornets, but because they are over the cap, they could not afford Rozier.  By signing and trading Kyrie before the Kemba deal, the Celts would get a mid-level exception (like $11MM slot) rather than a lower level, $4.7MM slot.  Brooklyn could have signed Kyrie straight out with Green and Durant being on sign and trades, so they are going to need the Celts to kick in some of their excess #1 picks to do it this way.

[bluestreak]

Kawhi to Clippers who also get Paul George for 5(!) first round picks. 😵🤯

[imref]

Kawhi to Clippers who also get Paul George for 5(!) first round picks. 😵🤯

Yikes

[HalfSmokes]

I guess Westbrook can shoot as much as he wants now.

[Natsinpwc]

Kawhi to Clippers who also get Paul George for 5(!) first round picks. 😵🤯

Not much of a return for Paul George. The picks will all likely be late first rounders.

[imref]

Not much of a return for Paul George. The picks will all likely be late first rounders.

George asked for the trade. Apparently he and Kawahi had been working together to get to LA

[rileyn]

I would still take Lebron and Unibrow over any other duo. 

[Natsinpwc]

The merry go round continues. Westbrook to Houston for Chris Paul and some draft picks.

[imref]

The merry go round continues. Westbrook to Houston for Chris Paul and some draft picks.

Just read the 538 analysis. Seems like a head scratcher as Paul is a better defender and shooter and has a shorter contract.

[Natsinpwc]

Just read the 538 analysis. Seems like a head scratcher as Paul is a better defender and shooter and has a shorter contract.

Paul has started his decline. He and Harden had friction last year. Paul will end up in Miami. Or LA.

Don’t think anyone in Houston other than Harden or Westbrook should expect to see the ball.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Don’t think anyone in Houston other than Harden or Westbrook should expect to see the ball.

That's entirely right.  For most teams, you'd expect a big guy to see the ball when he rebounds it, but Harden never misses, so that entirely cuts out all the non-Westbrook / Harden touches.  Maybe they'll have some shot blockers will touch the ball and try to knock it to Westbrook and Harden.  But as far as the old "hey look, I'm uncovered behind the 3 point line in the corner, I can either talk to the fans for 10 seconds or you can hit me with a pass for an easy shot," that's only happening if Westbrook needs some assists for a triple double.

[imref]

Radford potentially gets its first NBA player, but he may have to be beat out Tacko Fall.

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/07/19/celtics-will-reportedly-sign-guard-javonte-green-to-two-year-contract/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Radford potentially gets its first NBA player, but he may have to be beat out Tacko Fall.

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/07/19/celtics-will-reportedly-sign-guard-javonte-green-to-two-year-contract/

Tacko probably is headed to the Maine development team for the Celts.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2019/10/04/enes-kanter-mosque-harassment

Tempted to drop this in Politics.  Erdogan sympathizers harass Enes Kanter and Tacko Fall coming out of a mosque in Cambridge, MA.

Kanter is a vocal critic of Turkey’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, previously referring to him as “the Hitler of our century.’’ Erdoğan, serving as president since 2014, has been accused of increasingly authoritarian tendencies. In the Friday video, Kanter indicates the two men harassing him are fellow countrymen who support Erdoğan.

“They’re actually starting a fight outside of a mosque, pro-Erdogan people,’’ Kanter said in the video.

Later, in a phone interview, Kanter said he had never seen the two men before and that they cursed at him, called him a “traitor,’’ indicated he should not be here, and flipped him the bird. He said when he and Fall left Friday’s prayer service, known as Jumu’ah, the two men were waiting for him outside. There, the men caused a scene, yelling and screaming at him.

[Natsinpwc]

Maybe this goes in politics.

He really is a gutless POS. But we already knew that.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27847951/daryl-morey-was-misinformed-sending-tweet-china-hong-kong%3fplatform=amp

[HalfSmokes]

Maybe this goes in politics.

He really is a gutless POS. But we already knew that.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27847951/daryl-morey-was-misinformed-sending-tweet-china-hong-kong%3fplatform=amp

[Vega]

What a craphead.

[bluestreak]

(Image removed from quote.)

It’s unclear to me why he didn’t just say “no comment”

[varoadking]

It’s unclear to me why he didn’t just say “no comment”

Not just you...

[Natsinpwc]

Not just you...

Because he and some of the others were very upset they were losing money.  That matters much more than freedom for a few hong kongers. 

[imref]

Steph Curry broke his hand and is out indefinitely.