2016-2017 NBA Thread

[Blueobelisk]

While you're riled up, Chuck also said that he wonders if signing IT for $200 mil contract is right for Boston. He wonders if that's good for Boston because if they sign him, he has to be the main guy for the next five years where they wont tank but it's unlikely that they could really win with him as the best player.

Shaq said that they just need one big name superstar and one center and then they become next level.

Kenny said that if they give up IT, then which guard in the league is better that they'd need to get to win. So Chuck listed Westbrook, Harden, Wall, Steph, etc. He's not really wrong, but since it's unrealistic to get them, it's better to just keep IT. I do think keeping IT isn't going to win a championship with him as the best player.

[ProphetFlume]

I'm taking that as "Cleveland over Golden State 4-0."

Nah I just wanted to see if I could say that in a way so dumb that no one could take such a statement seriously.

Warriors aren't the same without Kerr coaching. Durant makes them better, but not all that much better. Diminishing returns kinda thing. Maybe Kerr comes back around game 5 or so, so I'll say Warriors in 7.

[Racthoh]

kinda sad but i agree, prepare for lebron's decline in 5-10 years rather than beating him now. it sucks because that also means more easy finals appearances for him, but eh.

i'm gonna pick warriors in 5.

if somehow it goes to 6 games then lebron'll just man mode his way to a game 7 like usual.

[Vestig3]

I know the GSW are awesome and great but i predict Cavs in 7.

[ItachiZaku]

Keeping my earlier prediction, LeBron in 5.

[Jibjabb]

Warriors in 4. They never lose

[Stommped]

I'll say GSW in 5

[Blueobelisk]

We're accepting picks for the Finals.

The 73 win team + Kevin Durant vs. God James + some losers who are riding on his coat tails.
Get your picks in before next Wednesday. (Everyone before this post is up to date, I hope.)

Not sure if I should wait to tally everyone's totals from all the rounds so far, or wait.

- - - Updated - - -

Btw, NBA.com posted the full Finals schedule. It's paced mostly 2-3 days apart, as usual. I'm super hyped. I hope the viewers/ratings break NBA record amounts. (Obviously it won't be superbowl level popular, but it's a Finals Rematch III besides the best two teams in the game that each dominated their conferences.)

[Stommped]

Here's the standings heading into the finals if anyone's curious:


Demoncrash 86
PhaelixWW 82
jregz 82
Racthoh 80
Allerius 78
sheffield 78
Stommped 78
Pendulous 78
Faltemer 76
Adp 76
-aiko- 74
FobManX 72
Blueobelisk 70
SL1200 68
Packers01 68
THE Bigzoman 66
ItachiZaku 64
Rennadrel 46
Gandrake 32
Fritters154 32
Crissi 22

[Crissi]

granted, I didnt even start til the semi finals so... xD

anyways Cavs in 7

[-aiko-]

Who do I want to win? Cavs. Who do I think will win? GSW.

GSW in 6, maybe 7. Hmmm. I'll go with 7. GSW in 7.

[xskarma]

While you're riled up, Chuck also said that he wonders if signing IT for $200 mil contract is right for Boston. He wonders if that's good for Boston because if they sign him, he has to be the main guy for the next five years where they wont tank but it's unlikely that they could really win with him as the best player.

Shaq said that they just need one big name superstar and one center and then they become next level.

Kenny said that if they give up IT, then which guard in the league is better that they'd need to get to win. So Chuck listed Westbrook, Harden, Wall, Steph, etc. He's not really wrong, but since it's unrealistic to get them, it's better to just keep IT. I do think keeping IT isn't going to win a championship with him as the best player.

Oh I wasn't riled up in the least. People can have their opinions all they want far as I'm concerned.

The IT thing will be interesting. There's probably a scale: at his current contract he is one of the best bargains in the league. At the other end of the spectrum, on a max contract for 5 years for a guy that relies on speed and quickness is probably one of the least wanted contracts.

Danny Ainge will probably have to figure out some kind of deal with IT and you can bet that any kind of deal that happens will be in the best interest of the Celtics.

Reading through and following what Ainge has managed to do since taking over is nothing short of incredible so I'm just going to trust in what he does and see what happens from here.


Danny Ainge basically said today that he doesn't see his team differently now then he would have had they lost the game 7 against the Wizards. He seems to feel the Celtics are good, but not great, and that the next step is the hardest (in getting better).

Will be very interesting to follow what Ainge is going to do to hopefully help the Celtics take that next step.

[Purpleisbetter]

Hold on.

Kanter is now officially a terrorist. Which makes him automatically worse then Zaza.

Turkey -_-'.

[Blueobelisk]

I don't know who to pick. I want Cleveland to win, obviously. But that fucking GS team man...they won 73 games last season and added Kevin Durant. They lost some of their pro meshing, but they only lost it because KD is a superstar who took on some of the burden of scoring. That just leaves them fresher and fresher, they cruise controlled 66 wins in the regular season and 4 4 4 in the playoffs. Golden State legit has more star power than All Star teams. I'm not even joking.

And yet, Cleveland isn't injured and hasn't been injured. Compared to last year, they did add a few helpful pieces. I think with God Lebron on the court, imposing his will on everyone and driving into the paint like he doesn't care about playing for another 8 years, then Cleveland wins. But Lebron can't always be on the court and he will get tired. (I don't think he'll purposefully conserve energy like he does in the regular season.)

Idk. I'd have to pick GS. I think Cleveland will take a few games. But hmmm. It'd be easier to think about what happens in game 1. I think GS shook their rust off, but ??? I think Cleveland's defense predicates a lot.

I DON'T KNOW GUYS it's so hard.

[-aiko-]

Celtics fans are already talking about really wanting Hayward. If they manage that, and keep IT, they would be a formidable team.

As a Jazz fan, obviously I don't want this to happen but they would be a really good team.

[xskarma]

Celtics fans are already talking about really wanting Hayward. If they manage that, and keep IT, they would be a formidable team.

As a Jazz fan, obviously I don't want this to happen but they would be a really good team.

I'll be honest, I kinda don't want Heyward. Not cause he's not good, but cause it would mean trading several other players to make caproom for his contract.

I'd rather build with Fultz and Jaylen Brown and the 2018 picks then pick up Heyward, max IT and basically go into win now mode.


I mean, can a core of Heyward/IT/Horford/Fultz and the young players we have really stand up against Lebron/Kyrie/Love and their supersub veterans?


Much would depend on just how good Fultz is in that case, and if you are banking on Fultz being really good to make it, why not bank on him being good with other young players then, instead of maxing Heyward and IT. It just leads to a longer window of being good, I feel.

[Blueobelisk]

Btw Chuck said if Lebron wins this championship, he'll pass Kobe on All Time Great list. His list (which Kenny agreed with) is:

1. MJ
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Kareem
4. Wilt
5. Bill Russell
6. Kobe
7. Lebron

[FobManX]

Warriors in 5

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Btw Chuck said if Lebron wins this championship, he'll pass Kobe on All Time Great list. His list (which Kenny agreed with) is:

1. MJ
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Kareem
4. Wilt
5. Bill Russell
6. Kobe
7. Lebron

Ehh, its tough to compare eras. Personally I think Russell is overrated as he played on a team full of HOF-ers when there wasn't anywhere near as much talent anywhere else.

I do think Lebron has surpassed Kobe but its very close either way. Nobody is Jordan though.

[Blueobelisk]

Nobody is Jordan though.

Not even Michael Jordan is as good as Michael Jordan.

I agree though that a lot of people are overrated. I mean, I've literally never seen them play, but I'm gonna have to remove Oscar Robertson, Wilt, and Bill Russell. Kareem seems cool. Kobe is good, too.

[xskarma]

I agree though that a lot of people are overrated. I mean, I've literally never seen them play

Dude, that is textbook recency bias. With that logic kids being born now will say in 20 years that Jordan isn't the greatest ever, cause they've never even seen him play.

Comparing between eras in the NBA is silly anyway. How are you going to compare guys like Steph Curry, the 3 point shooting wonder, to a guy like Bill Russel who played when the 3 pointer didn't even exist in the NBA. It's just a ridiculous case of apples to oranges.

And it's not just rule differences, there's also a ridiculous amount of healthcare, training schemes and nutrional difference between eras, even comparing now to like 15 or 20 years ago, let alone 50 or 60 years ago.

Can't really compare players with such wildly different circumstances. (and especially not based on "I didn't see them play so they can't be as good as the players I'm watching now" )