Hawks: Mike Muscala (2yr/$10m), Dewayne Dedmon (2yr/$14m)
These aren't terribly exciting deals for Hawks fans but they're not bad pick-ups. Muscala is a nice player off the deep bench. I like Dedmon, though I think he's more useful on a good team (like the Spurs) than for a rebuilding team that doesn't know who they are. I expect Dedmon to get plenty of minutes but a limited role would be more exciting.
Grizzlies: Tyreke Evans (1yr/$3.3m)
The Grizzlies have needed an unconscious scorer off the bench for years, not sure Evans is that guy any more but at this price tag, it's a reasonable risk.
Pacers: Bojan Bogdanovic (2yr/$21m)
This guy can really shoot. Unfortunately, I don't think he can do much else. Oh well, he'll give them some corner 3's and that is a thing that everyone needs nowadays.
Thunder: Ray Felton (1yr/min)
Nice bench player, think he'll mesh well with PG/Patterson/Adams.
Warriors: Zaza Pachulia (1yr/$3.5m)
Warriors still keeping the band together. To me the weirdest part of the Warriors last year was not seeing Andrew Bogut out there. Zaza isn't Bogut but he's a reasonable facsimile.
Magic: Shelvin Mack (2yr/$12m)
I like Mack, a top tier 2nd string PG. But I'm not sure what he does for the Magic next year. I would've preferred to see Mack coming off the bench for a better team.
Cavs: Jeff Green (1yr/$2.3m)
Yes, Green is the perhaps the most frsutrating player of the last 20 years. But the Cavs are the one team in the league that can actually use him. They only need him to be good every 5th or 6th game and that's what he'll give them.
Wolves: Jamal Crawford (2yr/$9m)
I was into this signing when I first heard it: a solid veteran PG to keep the youth movement in line while adding some scoring off the bench. I dunno....re-thinking it, he was not good last year with the Clippers (and pretty overrated the previous year), not sure he has much left to give. Feels like he might be fighting for time with Tyus Jones.
Raptors: CJ Miles (3yr/$25m (sign and trade))
A guy that give them some Patrick Patterson-ish all over the place help, he'll get big minute if DeRozan or Lowry get hurt. The money is affordable too, good move.
Pistons: Anthony Tolliver (1yr/$3m), Reggie Bullock (2yr/$5m)
These are two end of the bench moves that add/subtract little to what the Pistons have right now.
Spurs: Joffrey Lauvergne (unknown)
I like Lauvergne, I think he can be a better Plumlee type of guy, if he can do what he's supposed to do, I feel like he can be really good for the Spurs.
Celtics: Aaron Baynes (1yr/$4.3m)
Bench guy, veteran, old time Popovich soldier, he'll be fine for 5-10 minutes per game.
Suns: Alan Williams (3yr/$17m)
I dunno Williams. I have no idea if he's useful for the Suns.
Lakers: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (1yr/$18m)
Overpaying for a one-year contract, just biding time til PG (and Lebron? Westbrook? K Love?) arrive next year.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Monday, July 17, 2017
2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 6)
Clippers: Milos Teodosic (2yr/$12.3m)
Hey, man, Teodosic can play. I've watched him in the EuroBasket and World Cup and dude can ball out (in the national team game anyway). I suspect the Clippers are the absolutely worst place for him to go: Doc will be prejudiced against the unorthodox foreigner, the fans will heap the blame (and there may well be plenty to go around with the Clipeprs) on him, his game may not mesh and he looks like a big nothing. Too bad, Pelicans would've been a good place for him.
Kings: Bogdan Bogdanovic (3yr/$27m), Vince Carter (1yr/$8m)
Vince says he ain't ring-hunting and signing in Sacramento proves that! Not a bad pick up, the Kings need everything, Coach Joerge picks up another old Grizzly soldier. I like the signing. This is the other Bogdanovic, don't know much about this one (except that he's not the other one). They kinda stole him from the Suns, if they get anything of him, they'll look brilliant. What is up with the Kings doing everything right?
Heat: Kelly Olynyk (4yr/$50m), James Johnson (4yr/$60m)
I like Olynyk and Johnson as much as the next guy but $110m for the next years seems kinda steep to me. Oh well, they're both fun players when they're rolling and the Heat is probably a good spot for them.
Spurs: Rudy Gay (2yr/$17m)
If they re-sign Pau, they'll have a lot of long lean veteran savvy around the rim. The Spurs are still good, if this team grinds they win. Gay is probably a pretty good pickup for them.
Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki (2yr/$10m)
I think Dirk has two more years left in him. Sure, he's only getting slower and his D will just be brutal at times; but he still has one of the sweetest most un-guardable jumpers in the history of the game. He can still do that for two more years.
Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr (4yr/$71m).
Yup, this is easily the most head-scratching-est deal of the summer. Why is New York a place that no one wants to go? A place that has to overpay to lure people in? When did NYC become SLC? Hardaway's a nice player and he's been with the Knicks before but, man, who else was gonna give him $15m a year? What are the Knicks doing? They're trying to suck, right?
Hey, man, Teodosic can play. I've watched him in the EuroBasket and World Cup and dude can ball out (in the national team game anyway). I suspect the Clippers are the absolutely worst place for him to go: Doc will be prejudiced against the unorthodox foreigner, the fans will heap the blame (and there may well be plenty to go around with the Clipeprs) on him, his game may not mesh and he looks like a big nothing. Too bad, Pelicans would've been a good place for him.
Kings: Bogdan Bogdanovic (3yr/$27m), Vince Carter (1yr/$8m)
Vince says he ain't ring-hunting and signing in Sacramento proves that! Not a bad pick up, the Kings need everything, Coach Joerge picks up another old Grizzly soldier. I like the signing. This is the other Bogdanovic, don't know much about this one (except that he's not the other one). They kinda stole him from the Suns, if they get anything of him, they'll look brilliant. What is up with the Kings doing everything right?
Heat: Kelly Olynyk (4yr/$50m), James Johnson (4yr/$60m)
I like Olynyk and Johnson as much as the next guy but $110m for the next years seems kinda steep to me. Oh well, they're both fun players when they're rolling and the Heat is probably a good spot for them.
Spurs: Rudy Gay (2yr/$17m)
If they re-sign Pau, they'll have a lot of long lean veteran savvy around the rim. The Spurs are still good, if this team grinds they win. Gay is probably a pretty good pickup for them.
Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki (2yr/$10m)
I think Dirk has two more years left in him. Sure, he's only getting slower and his D will just be brutal at times; but he still has one of the sweetest most un-guardable jumpers in the history of the game. He can still do that for two more years.
Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr (4yr/$71m).
Yup, this is easily the most head-scratching-est deal of the summer. Why is New York a place that no one wants to go? A place that has to overpay to lure people in? When did NYC become SLC? Hardaway's a nice player and he's been with the Knicks before but, man, who else was gonna give him $15m a year? What are the Knicks doing? They're trying to suck, right?
2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Days 3-5)
Warriors: Kevin Durant (2yrs/$53m), Omri Casspi (1yr/min)), Nick Young (1yr/5.2m)
Durant is officially the biggest bargain in the NBA. I think Casspi is one of most underappreciated players of the last few years, they're gonna love him in Golden State. I think Young is one of the most over-appreciated players of the last few years, but w/GSW he'll get plenty of chances to look good. Great moves, all three of them. I expect the Warriors to be pretty pretty pret-ty good next year.
Pacers: Darren Collison (2yr/$20m)
Collison is perhaps the best 2nd string PG in the league, which might make his price tag worth it. But with Indy he'll be expected to carry a lot of the load (and no one's quaking at that Collison/Oladipo back court). On second thought: I kinda like Collison and given the upheaval they've gone through, the Pacers could be one of those nice surprise teams in the sorry ass East next year.
Wizards: Mike Scott (1yr/min)
I hate to be that guy but wasn't Scott busted in a big time marijuana sting a coupla years ago? Am I remembering that wrong? (Also, another thing I'd normally never point out: Scott has the weirdest looking tats in the league, like a kindergarten class went hognutty with some Sharpies)
Kings: George Hill (3yr/$57m), Zach Randolph (2yr/$24m)
I don't remember the last time I thought this, but I kinda like everything the Kings have done this summer. Hill is a bit injury-prone and he's an unorthodox PG but I'm in the camp that thinks he's underrated. And Zebo kinda looks like DeMarcus, Kings fans will appreciate that. Two nice veteran moves, not terribly contracts (a little rich but not bad for Sacto).
Celtics: Gordon Hayward (4yr/$128m).
The pitch is this: 'Gordo, sign a 4 year deal and we will beat Lebron in that time and rule the East'. I kinda wanted Hayward to stay in Utah, this is not as big as Durant going to the Warriors but not dissimilar: the Jazz were a good team getting better and the West needs all of those teams it can get to throw at the Warriors. But going to Boston was in the cards the whole time. Good get for the Celtics, they're ready to challenge Lebron and in 2018-19 they may well be ready to make a for-real run at a title. (*)
Thunder: Patrick Patterson (3yr/$16.4m), Andre Roberson (3yr/$30m).
I love what the Thunder got going on, I think PG and Russ are gonna be great together and Patterson is the perfect pick-up to throw in that rotation. He'll work hard without needing the ball or the spotlight, a dirty work guy that's guy a bit more offensive skill than you realize. Roberson's role is now clearly defined and they got both these guys on reasonable deals. I think OKC has a puncher's chance of getting the #1 seed.
Heat: Dion Waiters (4yr/$52m)
Waiters was really good last year and the Heat kinda cooked up some magic there once they got rolling. Can they run back? Ehhh, we'll see.
(*) I always thought there was a weird twist to the Stevens-Hayward mentorship that people ignored. Imagine this scenario: the Celtics bring Hayward in, give him the pitch, retire his jersey, take lots of pictures, that kinda crap; then everyone leaves and Stevens and Hayward sit down to chat. And Hayward says, 'Coach, Utah wants to give me a shit ton of money to build around me and I kinda like what we're building out there and I like the town and my wife is happy and they're gonna give me a SHIT TON of money...I kinda wanna stay in Utah.' If the coach-player relationship is truly as strong as we think it is then Stevens has to say: 'That sounds great, kid! You should do that! I love you and I want you to be happy and if you like the team and your wife is happy, then go get that fucking money and kick some ass!' And Hayward would've stayed.
Durant is officially the biggest bargain in the NBA. I think Casspi is one of most underappreciated players of the last few years, they're gonna love him in Golden State. I think Young is one of the most over-appreciated players of the last few years, but w/GSW he'll get plenty of chances to look good. Great moves, all three of them. I expect the Warriors to be pretty pretty pret-ty good next year.
Pacers: Darren Collison (2yr/$20m)
Collison is perhaps the best 2nd string PG in the league, which might make his price tag worth it. But with Indy he'll be expected to carry a lot of the load (and no one's quaking at that Collison/Oladipo back court). On second thought: I kinda like Collison and given the upheaval they've gone through, the Pacers could be one of those nice surprise teams in the sorry ass East next year.
Wizards: Mike Scott (1yr/min)
I hate to be that guy but wasn't Scott busted in a big time marijuana sting a coupla years ago? Am I remembering that wrong? (Also, another thing I'd normally never point out: Scott has the weirdest looking tats in the league, like a kindergarten class went hognutty with some Sharpies)
Kings: George Hill (3yr/$57m), Zach Randolph (2yr/$24m)
I don't remember the last time I thought this, but I kinda like everything the Kings have done this summer. Hill is a bit injury-prone and he's an unorthodox PG but I'm in the camp that thinks he's underrated. And Zebo kinda looks like DeMarcus, Kings fans will appreciate that. Two nice veteran moves, not terribly contracts (a little rich but not bad for Sacto).
Celtics: Gordon Hayward (4yr/$128m).
The pitch is this: 'Gordo, sign a 4 year deal and we will beat Lebron in that time and rule the East'. I kinda wanted Hayward to stay in Utah, this is not as big as Durant going to the Warriors but not dissimilar: the Jazz were a good team getting better and the West needs all of those teams it can get to throw at the Warriors. But going to Boston was in the cards the whole time. Good get for the Celtics, they're ready to challenge Lebron and in 2018-19 they may well be ready to make a for-real run at a title. (*)
Thunder: Patrick Patterson (3yr/$16.4m), Andre Roberson (3yr/$30m).
I love what the Thunder got going on, I think PG and Russ are gonna be great together and Patterson is the perfect pick-up to throw in that rotation. He'll work hard without needing the ball or the spotlight, a dirty work guy that's guy a bit more offensive skill than you realize. Roberson's role is now clearly defined and they got both these guys on reasonable deals. I think OKC has a puncher's chance of getting the #1 seed.
Heat: Dion Waiters (4yr/$52m)
Waiters was really good last year and the Heat kinda cooked up some magic there once they got rolling. Can they run back? Ehhh, we'll see.
(*) I always thought there was a weird twist to the Stevens-Hayward mentorship that people ignored. Imagine this scenario: the Celtics bring Hayward in, give him the pitch, retire his jersey, take lots of pictures, that kinda crap; then everyone leaves and Stevens and Hayward sit down to chat. And Hayward says, 'Coach, Utah wants to give me a shit ton of money to build around me and I kinda like what we're building out there and I like the town and my wife is happy and they're gonna give me a SHIT TON of money...I kinda wanna stay in Utah.' If the coach-player relationship is truly as strong as we think it is then Stevens has to say: 'That sounds great, kid! You should do that! I love you and I want you to be happy and if you like the team and your wife is happy, then go get that fucking money and kick some ass!' And Hayward would've stayed.
Monday, July 10, 2017
2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 2)
Rockets: PJ Tucker (4yrs/$32m). Good player on a good deal, he'll either be a cornerstone of for the next half-decade or he'll be traded off when the Rockets unexpectedly implode. (Ehh,could happen)
Raptors: Serge Ibaka (3yrs/$65m), Kyle Lowry (3yrs/$100m). The beatdown Lebron laid on the Raptors last year is one of the all-time gut-punches. Raptors put it all together, consistent play, bold moves at the deadline, everyone took a step forward, the team really gelled...and could got pummeled hard and fast by the Cavs. Breathtaking that beatdown was. Where do the Raptors go from that? They did everything right and still never came close to even coming close. The modern fan wants to blow it up but who's coming if Lowry's going? Who's better out there than Serge? I dunno, it feels like they've already lost but maybe running this squad back one more time makes some magic.
Wolves: Taj Gibson (2yrs/$28m). Taj gives them great depth off the bench, gives Thibs his guy on the inside, a consummate pro to coach up the youth. Love the move. Very affordable deal for the Wolves.
Wizards: Jodie Meeks (2yrs/$7m). This is a pretty minimal investment and as much as I love Meeks (the original Malik Monk), he's been off the court for so long, its hard to imagine that he do anything at this point. When he was younger and healthier, he was a helluva filler-upper, I just can't see him doing that any more. (I dunno, he may be an all-world practice player or something)
Cavs: Kyle Korver (3yrs/$22m). Feels a little rich for a guy that did absolutely nothing in the Finals. Will a full year of Korver next year be better than a half of Korver thisyear? (Uhhh, I honestly don't know)
Bulls: Justin Holiday (2yrs/$9m). Seems like Holiday should've stuck with the Knicks (they just gave Tim Hardaway $400billion! Tim Hardaway JR!). I guess he's a nice end of the roster guy for the Bulls.
Grizzlies: Ben McLemore (2yrs/$10m). Well, McLemore plays hard, that will endear him to the Grizzlie faithful. He was such an exciting athlete (and that was such a bland draft) that he was ranked out of his depth. Doesn't seem to be much of a ball player but still an exciting athlete and hard worker. Good gamble for Memphis.
Nuggets: Paul Millsap (3yrs/$90m). Bit of an overpay at his age, but good for him, he's been underpaid pretty much his whole career, good for him, go get some. And its worth it for the Nuggets. He's agood player, a good anchor for their rotation going forward, he really gives them something to build around, to build toward and if he's good $90m is a bargain. Good move for the Nuggets.
Raptors: Serge Ibaka (3yrs/$65m), Kyle Lowry (3yrs/$100m). The beatdown Lebron laid on the Raptors last year is one of the all-time gut-punches. Raptors put it all together, consistent play, bold moves at the deadline, everyone took a step forward, the team really gelled...and could got pummeled hard and fast by the Cavs. Breathtaking that beatdown was. Where do the Raptors go from that? They did everything right and still never came close to even coming close. The modern fan wants to blow it up but who's coming if Lowry's going? Who's better out there than Serge? I dunno, it feels like they've already lost but maybe running this squad back one more time makes some magic.
Wolves: Taj Gibson (2yrs/$28m). Taj gives them great depth off the bench, gives Thibs his guy on the inside, a consummate pro to coach up the youth. Love the move. Very affordable deal for the Wolves.
Wizards: Jodie Meeks (2yrs/$7m). This is a pretty minimal investment and as much as I love Meeks (the original Malik Monk), he's been off the court for so long, its hard to imagine that he do anything at this point. When he was younger and healthier, he was a helluva filler-upper, I just can't see him doing that any more. (I dunno, he may be an all-world practice player or something)
Cavs: Kyle Korver (3yrs/$22m). Feels a little rich for a guy that did absolutely nothing in the Finals. Will a full year of Korver next year be better than a half of Korver thisyear? (Uhhh, I honestly don't know)
Bulls: Justin Holiday (2yrs/$9m). Seems like Holiday should've stuck with the Knicks (they just gave Tim Hardaway $400billion! Tim Hardaway JR!). I guess he's a nice end of the roster guy for the Bulls.
Grizzlies: Ben McLemore (2yrs/$10m). Well, McLemore plays hard, that will endear him to the Grizzlie faithful. He was such an exciting athlete (and that was such a bland draft) that he was ranked out of his depth. Doesn't seem to be much of a ball player but still an exciting athlete and hard worker. Good gamble for Memphis.
Nuggets: Paul Millsap (3yrs/$90m). Bit of an overpay at his age, but good for him, he's been underpaid pretty much his whole career, good for him, go get some. And its worth it for the Nuggets. He's agood player, a good anchor for their rotation going forward, he really gives them something to build around, to build toward and if he's good $90m is a bargain. Good move for the Nuggets.
2017-18 NBA Free Agency (Day 1)
Clippers: Blake Griffin (5yrs/$170m). Yeah, I thought the Clips would keep CP3, they did not. Paul and Crawford are out, Reddick walked, wouldn't be surprised to see Deandre out too (send him to Dallas for Nerlens?). This team now belongs to Blake (and Austin Rivers) til kingdom come. The Clippers are a mediocre big market team with a lot of money: it'd be nice if they could develop young talent and make the most of draft picks, but they'll probably Knicks their way out of problems, piecemealing ever mediocre-er talent around Blake, hoping he avoids injury enough to have a badass playoff run in him. I dunno, I'm not feeling it. I would've bet on CP bringing the banana boat crowd around, if I was the Clippers, I'd rather do that for the next 3-5 years.
Warriors: Steph Curry (5yrs/$201m), Shaun Livingston (3yrs/$24m), David West (1yr/min), Andre Iguodala (3yrs/$48). Lebron's right: Steph is worth way more than that. Warriors are serious about keeping the band together and I applaud them. Paying a crazy tax on this team would be the greatest pleasure of my life, if you've got the money to buy the Mona Lisa, just buy it, don't worry if you can't afford it, it'll still be the Mona Lisa next year too. I'd love to go broke owning this team--might even more fun than being on the team! Love that the Warriors are smart enough to keep this thing going.
Spurs: Patty Mills (4yrs/$50m). I thought he would've been a 2nd strong PG for the Wolves (Wolves did okay though). Wasn't sure the Spurs would bring the big coin for Mills, I think its a pretty good move for them. He fits what they want, he's already there, get him paid and back on the court.
Wolves: Jeff Teague (3yrs/$57m). Personally I like Ricky Rubio, thought he was a pretty good fit for the new look Wolves. But Teague will go well with Butler and Towns, he'll do all right for Wiggins, Dieng and Bjelica too. I like what Wolves have done this summer,Teague/Butler/Crawford gives them a whole new look and feel. Thibs now has the horses and the depth, if the Wolves don't take a big step forward, it'll be eye-opening.
Pelicans: Jrue Holiday (5yrs/$126m). Wow, $126m for Jrue Holiday? I like him as much as the next guy and the family vibe the Pels have with him is transcendent they say, but, man, that's a lot. The Pelicans have roughly 3 months to make it work with Boogie, by Feb he's either staying or going, that seems like a lot to tie into an oft-injured thoroughly okay PG. But the Pelicans have to do it their own way. (They've been snakebit ever since drafting Anthony Davis, every move they've made is to try to get something going with him as soon as possible, but their moves have just been impatient)
Bucks: Tony Snell (4yrs/$46m). I always thought Snell could be a nice player and last year he finally had a breakthrough. This seems like a reasonable deal, perhaps a little rich but someone would've paid him, it might as well be the Bucks. They're stockpiling a lot of 'nice' players there, they're just one free agent away from being the beast of the East. Snell isn't it but the groundwork is being laid expertly by Kidd and co.
Rockets: Nene Hilario (3yr/$11m), Zhou Qi (undisclosed). Nene played well for the Rockets off the bench last year, I think CP will do right by Nene, the money seems reasonable to me. I was intrigued by Zhou in the 2016 draft, he ran up and then back down the mocks leading up to the draft, settled at the Rockets in middle 2nd rd. You never know, he might be awesome. What happens if Zhou is the next Lativian Gangbanger and Harden and Paul go Melo/DRose on him? (I'm totally talking myself into that! smh)
Pistons: Langston Galloway (3yrs/$21m). I don't see what Stan Van is doing in Detroit. Last year Reggie Jax/KCP, this year Langston and Avery Bradley. I dunno, I guess that's better.
Knicks: Ron Baker (undisclosed). Everybody loves the plucky underdog in the Big Apple, right? Hey, for better or worse Baker was one of the brighter pieces of news the Knicks had all last year. And he's still cheap as hell, ride him out, see if it turns into Ron-sanity.
Sixers: JJ Redick (1yr/$23m), Amir Johnson (1yr/$11m). I like both these pick ups. Redick is still a helluva shooter, good enough defender and accomplished podcaster (that counts, man, you fuckin' A right it matters) and Johnson is a reliable hard working/good guy veteran. Yes, they're overpaying but the Sixers got nothing but money to spend and 1-year deals are worth their weight in gold.
Hornets: Michael Carter-Williams (1yr/$2.7m). That's not much to see if the former ROY (remember? He won ROY!) can get it back.
Cavs: Jose Calderon (1yr/min). Is Calderon gonna be better next year than Deron Williams was this year? I think I'm gonna go with a strong 'probably not'.
Bulls: Cristiano Felicio (4yrs/$32m). I kinda like Felicio and I that's pretty good deal for the Bulls, that's a moveable contract on a nice young big man.
Jazz: Joe Ingles (4yrs/$52m). I like watching Ingles. He's one of the most amazingly slow players, I've ever seen. He's so tall for his position, he's always trying to be active but he takes so long to do whatever he's gonna do, he kinda unfolds across the floor. Anyway, I like his game, I think he can play with Rubio.
Warriors: Steph Curry (5yrs/$201m), Shaun Livingston (3yrs/$24m), David West (1yr/min), Andre Iguodala (3yrs/$48). Lebron's right: Steph is worth way more than that. Warriors are serious about keeping the band together and I applaud them. Paying a crazy tax on this team would be the greatest pleasure of my life, if you've got the money to buy the Mona Lisa, just buy it, don't worry if you can't afford it, it'll still be the Mona Lisa next year too. I'd love to go broke owning this team--might even more fun than being on the team! Love that the Warriors are smart enough to keep this thing going.
Spurs: Patty Mills (4yrs/$50m). I thought he would've been a 2nd strong PG for the Wolves (Wolves did okay though). Wasn't sure the Spurs would bring the big coin for Mills, I think its a pretty good move for them. He fits what they want, he's already there, get him paid and back on the court.
Wolves: Jeff Teague (3yrs/$57m). Personally I like Ricky Rubio, thought he was a pretty good fit for the new look Wolves. But Teague will go well with Butler and Towns, he'll do all right for Wiggins, Dieng and Bjelica too. I like what Wolves have done this summer,Teague/Butler/Crawford gives them a whole new look and feel. Thibs now has the horses and the depth, if the Wolves don't take a big step forward, it'll be eye-opening.
Pelicans: Jrue Holiday (5yrs/$126m). Wow, $126m for Jrue Holiday? I like him as much as the next guy and the family vibe the Pels have with him is transcendent they say, but, man, that's a lot. The Pelicans have roughly 3 months to make it work with Boogie, by Feb he's either staying or going, that seems like a lot to tie into an oft-injured thoroughly okay PG. But the Pelicans have to do it their own way. (They've been snakebit ever since drafting Anthony Davis, every move they've made is to try to get something going with him as soon as possible, but their moves have just been impatient)
Bucks: Tony Snell (4yrs/$46m). I always thought Snell could be a nice player and last year he finally had a breakthrough. This seems like a reasonable deal, perhaps a little rich but someone would've paid him, it might as well be the Bucks. They're stockpiling a lot of 'nice' players there, they're just one free agent away from being the beast of the East. Snell isn't it but the groundwork is being laid expertly by Kidd and co.
Rockets: Nene Hilario (3yr/$11m), Zhou Qi (undisclosed). Nene played well for the Rockets off the bench last year, I think CP will do right by Nene, the money seems reasonable to me. I was intrigued by Zhou in the 2016 draft, he ran up and then back down the mocks leading up to the draft, settled at the Rockets in middle 2nd rd. You never know, he might be awesome. What happens if Zhou is the next Lativian Gangbanger and Harden and Paul go Melo/DRose on him? (I'm totally talking myself into that! smh)
Pistons: Langston Galloway (3yrs/$21m). I don't see what Stan Van is doing in Detroit. Last year Reggie Jax/KCP, this year Langston and Avery Bradley. I dunno, I guess that's better.
Knicks: Ron Baker (undisclosed). Everybody loves the plucky underdog in the Big Apple, right? Hey, for better or worse Baker was one of the brighter pieces of news the Knicks had all last year. And he's still cheap as hell, ride him out, see if it turns into Ron-sanity.
Sixers: JJ Redick (1yr/$23m), Amir Johnson (1yr/$11m). I like both these pick ups. Redick is still a helluva shooter, good enough defender and accomplished podcaster (that counts, man, you fuckin' A right it matters) and Johnson is a reliable hard working/good guy veteran. Yes, they're overpaying but the Sixers got nothing but money to spend and 1-year deals are worth their weight in gold.
Hornets: Michael Carter-Williams (1yr/$2.7m). That's not much to see if the former ROY (remember? He won ROY!) can get it back.
Cavs: Jose Calderon (1yr/min). Is Calderon gonna be better next year than Deron Williams was this year? I think I'm gonna go with a strong 'probably not'.
Bulls: Cristiano Felicio (4yrs/$32m). I kinda like Felicio and I that's pretty good deal for the Bulls, that's a moveable contract on a nice young big man.
Jazz: Joe Ingles (4yrs/$52m). I like watching Ingles. He's one of the most amazingly slow players, I've ever seen. He's so tall for his position, he's always trying to be active but he takes so long to do whatever he's gonna do, he kinda unfolds across the floor. Anyway, I like his game, I think he can play with Rubio.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
NBA Trades (post-draft)
On Draft Day
Wolves: Jimmy Butler
Thibs is reunited with his most successful protege. The buzz is Butler is a bit of a negative Nancy in the locker room but the Wolves vibe should be good for him and his influence will be good on the youngsters. I think this is a big time pick up for the Wolves.
Bulls: Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn
Bulls need everything. LaVine is an exciting scorer (when his leg isn't in a cast...) and Dunn was the #5 pick just one year ago. They've got two exciting young players to develop, not the Bulls strong suit (Elton Brand, Tyson Chandler, Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Jimmy Butler all moved). It wasn't a good trade but it could turn out brutally awful.
Nuggets: Trey Lyles
At Kentucky, I liked Lyles more than Towns. I see how mistaken I was but I still believe in Lyle, I think he could a better scoring version of Jokic (good hands, good feet, good instincts). Decent chance he gets moved again soon, decent chance he gets lost on Denver's intriguingly talented bench, but decent chance he becomes the poor man's Kevin Love and fits right into that rotation.
Post-Draft Day
Rockets get Chris Paul; Clippers get Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, Sam Dekkar, 2018 Rockets 1st rd pick
Getting some assets back instead of letting Chris Paul (*) walk is an un-Clipper-ish stroke of good luck. Beverly can ball (they'll probably trade him); I was way more impressed with Dekker last year than I expected to be, kinda the poor man's Blake, I expect him to get some time while Blake nurses various injuries; Lou Williams is a Jamal Crawford replacement and a trade-able contract; the draft pick will be late 20's (Clippers have already traded it). Not a bad haul actually.
Rockets get a rock solid superstar badass OG PG to pair with Harden. Personally, I think Harden is the most un-stoppable player in the League but also kind of a moody brat that checks out when the trouble starts. Paul is one of the great ball handlers of our time, fine scorer on the good nights, great passer, no-nonsense clampdown guy. They're both great players but I don't think they fit together. They both need the ball a lot, they both need to be the main playmaker, and Paul's military hardass attitude probably won't mesh with Harden, one of the flakiest superstars of recent memory. I guess I like the team, they are professionals so I reckon they'll figure it out, they are two of the most efficient players around now. Upside is still not as good as the Warriors, downside is they get run by the new-look Wolves.
Rockets get Tim Quarterman; Blazers get cash
Rockets get Ryan Kelly; Hawks get cash
In addition to picking up Chris Paul, the PG of their dreams, the Rockets also fired off a sequence of weird trades (I swear I saw another deal like this with the Bucks...) for no-name backup PGs. I don't know, this could be roster maneuvers
Jazz get Ricky Rubio; Wolves get 2018 Thunder 1st rd pick
I dunno, I kinda like Rubio with this new-look Wolves team. But Jeff Teague instead...well...uh...
...okay, I guess I can see that too. I dunno, they've been trying to get rid of him forever and they finally got a situation that's perfect for him and they ship him out. Feels like a bad karma move to me. And that Thunder 1st rd pick don't look so good after OKC got PG. They wanted to dump salary and they dumped it.
Jazz get a George Hill replacement who fits great with Gordon...oh....well, still I like Rubio to go with what the Jazz got going.
Thunder get Paul George; Pacers get Victor Oladipo, Damontas Sabonis
Weird trade, not a good one for the Pacers but somehow feels like the move they wanted to make. Instead of giving Paul George the send-off he deserved, the Pacers soured on him on the way out I think. Oladipo could be good for the Pacers and I liked Sabonis out of college, maybe he fits better in the East. Seems like they've could've gotten more (but maybe that talk you hear in the talk places about talk going on is just talk, maybe there was no worthwhile deal for PG).
OKC has now turned Serge Ibaka into 1 year of Paul George. Not bad. I think PG and Russell will be great together, I think they go great with the Adams-Kanter platoon, I think OKC can be really fucking good next year. I think they're right there with the Spurs, Rockets in the fight for 2nd place.
Clippers get Danilo Gallinari; Hawks get Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, 2018 Rockets 1st rd pick; Nuggets get $20m trade exception, 2019 2nd rd pick
Clippers have turned Paul and Crawford into Beverly, Dekker, Lou Will, and Gallinari. Ehh, not bad.
The Hawks have already bought out Crawford (Lakers? Cavs? Celtics?) and get to keep a nice young prospect in Stone and 1st rd pick in the 20's next June. They didn't give up much of anything, so seems like they made out pretty good here.
Nuggets move on from Gallinari and get gi-normous trade exception to hold onto for another year (dubious: could be the greatest thing in the history of the franchise or be forgotten forever). (Hmmmm......Package that trade exception with Faried and you're in Lebron range; you like Lebron getting the Mile High home advantage with Jokic, Millsap, Murray, Hernangomez, Mudiay, Lyles? Oh well, Kevin Love is more likely, I guess)
Pistons get Avery Bradley, 2019 Celtics 2nd rd pick; Celtics get Marcus Morris
Hmmm...one of those sideways moves for both teams. The Celtics get another Crowder (albeit a better scoring Crowder), the Pistons get another KCP (but not as good a scorer). I like both players, I expect they'll fit in with their new teams (and be trade bait in January), but I don't see either team being fantastically better by swapping these guys.
Heat get AJ Hammons; Mavs get Josh McRoberts, 2023 Heat 2nd rd pick
I liked Hammons as a mid-2nd rd pick last year for the Mavs. Either the Heat see something in him or he'll get cut soon, because the Heat are just dumping salary here.
If McRoberts is healthy he's actually a pretty good SF facilitator. With Dirk, Nerlens and Dennis Smith, he might be pretty good. If he's healthy. I suspect they're dumping salary too and McRoberts won't be on the roster in November.
(*) I thought the Clippers would keep Paul and let Blake walk, I thought CP was the real cornerstone of the Clippers' recent success (worth remembering this is the only success the Clips have ever had) and the true fan favorite and irreplaceable superstar. Nope. Blake is younger and more LA, I guess. Okay
Wolves: Jimmy Butler
Thibs is reunited with his most successful protege. The buzz is Butler is a bit of a negative Nancy in the locker room but the Wolves vibe should be good for him and his influence will be good on the youngsters. I think this is a big time pick up for the Wolves.
Bulls: Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn
Bulls need everything. LaVine is an exciting scorer (when his leg isn't in a cast...) and Dunn was the #5 pick just one year ago. They've got two exciting young players to develop, not the Bulls strong suit (Elton Brand, Tyson Chandler, Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Jimmy Butler all moved). It wasn't a good trade but it could turn out brutally awful.
Nuggets: Trey Lyles
At Kentucky, I liked Lyles more than Towns. I see how mistaken I was but I still believe in Lyle, I think he could a better scoring version of Jokic (good hands, good feet, good instincts). Decent chance he gets moved again soon, decent chance he gets lost on Denver's intriguingly talented bench, but decent chance he becomes the poor man's Kevin Love and fits right into that rotation.
Post-Draft Day
Rockets get Chris Paul; Clippers get Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, Sam Dekkar, 2018 Rockets 1st rd pick
Getting some assets back instead of letting Chris Paul (*) walk is an un-Clipper-ish stroke of good luck. Beverly can ball (they'll probably trade him); I was way more impressed with Dekker last year than I expected to be, kinda the poor man's Blake, I expect him to get some time while Blake nurses various injuries; Lou Williams is a Jamal Crawford replacement and a trade-able contract; the draft pick will be late 20's (Clippers have already traded it). Not a bad haul actually.
Rockets get a rock solid superstar badass OG PG to pair with Harden. Personally, I think Harden is the most un-stoppable player in the League but also kind of a moody brat that checks out when the trouble starts. Paul is one of the great ball handlers of our time, fine scorer on the good nights, great passer, no-nonsense clampdown guy. They're both great players but I don't think they fit together. They both need the ball a lot, they both need to be the main playmaker, and Paul's military hardass attitude probably won't mesh with Harden, one of the flakiest superstars of recent memory. I guess I like the team, they are professionals so I reckon they'll figure it out, they are two of the most efficient players around now. Upside is still not as good as the Warriors, downside is they get run by the new-look Wolves.
Rockets get Tim Quarterman; Blazers get cash
Rockets get Ryan Kelly; Hawks get cash
In addition to picking up Chris Paul, the PG of their dreams, the Rockets also fired off a sequence of weird trades (I swear I saw another deal like this with the Bucks...) for no-name backup PGs. I don't know, this could be roster maneuvers
Jazz get Ricky Rubio; Wolves get 2018 Thunder 1st rd pick
I dunno, I kinda like Rubio with this new-look Wolves team. But Jeff Teague instead...well...uh...
...okay, I guess I can see that too. I dunno, they've been trying to get rid of him forever and they finally got a situation that's perfect for him and they ship him out. Feels like a bad karma move to me. And that Thunder 1st rd pick don't look so good after OKC got PG. They wanted to dump salary and they dumped it.
Jazz get a George Hill replacement who fits great with Gordon...oh....well, still I like Rubio to go with what the Jazz got going.
Thunder get Paul George; Pacers get Victor Oladipo, Damontas Sabonis
Weird trade, not a good one for the Pacers but somehow feels like the move they wanted to make. Instead of giving Paul George the send-off he deserved, the Pacers soured on him on the way out I think. Oladipo could be good for the Pacers and I liked Sabonis out of college, maybe he fits better in the East. Seems like they've could've gotten more (but maybe that talk you hear in the talk places about talk going on is just talk, maybe there was no worthwhile deal for PG).
OKC has now turned Serge Ibaka into 1 year of Paul George. Not bad. I think PG and Russell will be great together, I think they go great with the Adams-Kanter platoon, I think OKC can be really fucking good next year. I think they're right there with the Spurs, Rockets in the fight for 2nd place.
Clippers get Danilo Gallinari; Hawks get Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, 2018 Rockets 1st rd pick; Nuggets get $20m trade exception, 2019 2nd rd pick
Clippers have turned Paul and Crawford into Beverly, Dekker, Lou Will, and Gallinari. Ehh, not bad.
The Hawks have already bought out Crawford (Lakers? Cavs? Celtics?) and get to keep a nice young prospect in Stone and 1st rd pick in the 20's next June. They didn't give up much of anything, so seems like they made out pretty good here.
Nuggets move on from Gallinari and get gi-normous trade exception to hold onto for another year (dubious: could be the greatest thing in the history of the franchise or be forgotten forever). (Hmmmm......Package that trade exception with Faried and you're in Lebron range; you like Lebron getting the Mile High home advantage with Jokic, Millsap, Murray, Hernangomez, Mudiay, Lyles? Oh well, Kevin Love is more likely, I guess)
Pistons get Avery Bradley, 2019 Celtics 2nd rd pick; Celtics get Marcus Morris
Hmmm...one of those sideways moves for both teams. The Celtics get another Crowder (albeit a better scoring Crowder), the Pistons get another KCP (but not as good a scorer). I like both players, I expect they'll fit in with their new teams (and be trade bait in January), but I don't see either team being fantastically better by swapping these guys.
Heat get AJ Hammons; Mavs get Josh McRoberts, 2023 Heat 2nd rd pick
I liked Hammons as a mid-2nd rd pick last year for the Mavs. Either the Heat see something in him or he'll get cut soon, because the Heat are just dumping salary here.
If McRoberts is healthy he's actually a pretty good SF facilitator. With Dirk, Nerlens and Dennis Smith, he might be pretty good. If he's healthy. I suspect they're dumping salary too and McRoberts won't be on the roster in November.
(*) I thought the Clippers would keep Paul and let Blake walk, I thought CP was the real cornerstone of the Clippers' recent success (worth remembering this is the only success the Clips have ever had) and the true fan favorite and irreplaceable superstar. Nope. Blake is younger and more LA, I guess. Okay
NBA Draft (the 2nd rd teams)
Okay, I don't watch a lot of NCAA b-ball and I didn't give the mocks as much time as usual this year. This won't take long.
Pelicans: #31 Frank Jackon (Duke)
Combo guard, if he can score, he can play big minutes as a Rook in New Orleans. Probably D-Leaguer but seriously, if he can score, they'll play him.
Suns: #4 Josh Jackson (Kansas),#32 Davon Reed (Miami), #54 Alec Peters (Valparaiso)
I thought Josh Jackson was the best prospect in the entire draft, the Suns are already winners. As for Reed and Peters, they both seem like swing forward-types, which is pretty much the entire Suns roster (hmmm, kinda reminds me of the Pitino Celtics); if they can score or be killer wing defenders, they'll get some run.
Magic: #6 Jonathon Isaac (Florida St),#33 Wesley Iwundu (Kansas St)
Isaac has great upside, sounds like Iwundu is the poor man's Jonathon Isaac. I kinda like the move, I like the thought of taking two similar prospects and seeing if you can develop both. Orlando is a bit of grease fire for the foreseeable future, minutes is all they have to offer, so I expect to see a fair amount of Isaac, wouldn't be surprised to see Iwundu.
Grizzlies: #35 Ivan Rabb (Cal)
Good get for the Grizz. Rabb has grit and grind all over him, too bad he doesn't get to apprentice with Zebo, but he'll be taking his spot. I watched Rabb with the U-17 USA team and thought he was a stone cold badass (good with the ball, strong, smart) kinda shocked to see him now as #35 as a Sophomore! Hey, man, he was at the top of his class not that long ago, if Coach Fiz can reach him, he may well be the next Draymond Green.
Celtics: #3 Jaysun Tatum (Duke), #37 Semi Ojeleye (SMU),#53 Kadeem Allen (Arizona)
The Celtics have well-stocked their D League affiliations over the years, I expect Ojeleye and Allen to get some run in the minor leagues (not a bad spot for them probably) .
Warriors: #38 Jordan Bell (Oregon)
Apparently the Warriors loved this game, think he's the next Draymond Green. Good luck with that. (If he could be the next Klay Thompson, he'll spend more time in a Warrior uniform)
Clippers: #39 Jawun Evans (Oklahoma St),#48 Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia)
Don't know either of these guys, but I suspect Evans gets no run with Doc's Clippers no matter how good he is or how bad they need him. As for Cancar I assume he's a Euro stash....that also won't get run with Doc's Clippers next year.
Hornets: #12 Malik Monk (Kentucky), #40 Dwayne Bacon (Florida St)
Monk will have great nights (crowd favorite, mad filler-upper, I fully expect him to break a single game record for 3PM or 3PA at least in his rookie year) and off nights (1-3, 1 assist, 1 turnover in 28 minutes); he'll get ROY consideration but he'll also drive Hornets fans crazy. Bacon was projected into the 1st round earlier in the year, not sure why he fell off. Could be a steal at #40. If he can play the Josh McRoberts role MJ has long coveted, he'll get some minutes.
Rockets: #43 Isaiah Hartenstein (Germany),#45 Dillon Brooks (Oregon)
Germany and Oregon are probably strangely similar producers of basketball talent. I suspect Brooks is a D League lifer and Hartenstein gets traded before ever suiting up for the Rockets.
Knicks: #8 Frank Nkilitina (France), #44 Damyean Dotson (Houston), #58 Ognjen Jaramaz (Serbia)
Pelicans: #31 Frank Jackon (Duke)
Combo guard, if he can score, he can play big minutes as a Rook in New Orleans. Probably D-Leaguer but seriously, if he can score, they'll play him.
Suns: #4 Josh Jackson (Kansas),#32 Davon Reed (Miami), #54 Alec Peters (Valparaiso)
I thought Josh Jackson was the best prospect in the entire draft, the Suns are already winners. As for Reed and Peters, they both seem like swing forward-types, which is pretty much the entire Suns roster (hmmm, kinda reminds me of the Pitino Celtics); if they can score or be killer wing defenders, they'll get some run.
Magic: #6 Jonathon Isaac (Florida St),#33 Wesley Iwundu (Kansas St)
Isaac has great upside, sounds like Iwundu is the poor man's Jonathon Isaac. I kinda like the move, I like the thought of taking two similar prospects and seeing if you can develop both. Orlando is a bit of grease fire for the foreseeable future, minutes is all they have to offer, so I expect to see a fair amount of Isaac, wouldn't be surprised to see Iwundu.
Grizzlies: #35 Ivan Rabb (Cal)
Good get for the Grizz. Rabb has grit and grind all over him, too bad he doesn't get to apprentice with Zebo, but he'll be taking his spot. I watched Rabb with the U-17 USA team and thought he was a stone cold badass (good with the ball, strong, smart) kinda shocked to see him now as #35 as a Sophomore! Hey, man, he was at the top of his class not that long ago, if Coach Fiz can reach him, he may well be the next Draymond Green.
Celtics: #3 Jaysun Tatum (Duke), #37 Semi Ojeleye (SMU),#53 Kadeem Allen (Arizona)
The Celtics have well-stocked their D League affiliations over the years, I expect Ojeleye and Allen to get some run in the minor leagues (not a bad spot for them probably) .
Warriors: #38 Jordan Bell (Oregon)
Apparently the Warriors loved this game, think he's the next Draymond Green. Good luck with that. (If he could be the next Klay Thompson, he'll spend more time in a Warrior uniform)
Clippers: #39 Jawun Evans (Oklahoma St),#48 Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia)
Don't know either of these guys, but I suspect Evans gets no run with Doc's Clippers no matter how good he is or how bad they need him. As for Cancar I assume he's a Euro stash....that also won't get run with Doc's Clippers next year.
Hornets: #12 Malik Monk (Kentucky), #40 Dwayne Bacon (Florida St)
Monk will have great nights (crowd favorite, mad filler-upper, I fully expect him to break a single game record for 3PM or 3PA at least in his rookie year) and off nights (1-3, 1 assist, 1 turnover in 28 minutes); he'll get ROY consideration but he'll also drive Hornets fans crazy. Bacon was projected into the 1st round earlier in the year, not sure why he fell off. Could be a steal at #40. If he can play the Josh McRoberts role MJ has long coveted, he'll get some minutes.
Rockets: #43 Isaiah Hartenstein (Germany),#45 Dillon Brooks (Oregon)
Germany and Oregon are probably strangely similar producers of basketball talent. I suspect Brooks is a D League lifer and Hartenstein gets traded before ever suiting up for the Rockets.
Knicks: #8 Frank Nkilitina (France), #44 Damyean Dotson (Houston), #58 Ognjen Jaramaz (Serbia)
NYK is in need of athletes that don't speak English, I expect Nikitlina to be pretty good but woefully underappreciated at the same time. Dotson might play just because the Knicks are so thin for now. Jaramaz will be along a few years with Nikilitine either washes out or moves on.
Nets: #57 Aleksander Vezenia (Bulgaria)
One of those I remember more from last year's mocks than this year's. Big kid, right? Down low scorer. Hey, the Nets need anything and everything, I assume he's stashed for 2-3 years (wouldn't be surprised seeing him kicking ass in a Spurs uniform about a year after you've forgotten he exists).
Nets: #57 Aleksander Vezenia (Bulgaria)
Friday, July 7, 2017
NBA Trades & Transactions (pre-draft)
I thought Summer 2016 would feature a lot of player movement and bold moves. Ehhh, pretty normal amount of stuff last summer, so I figured Summer 2017 would again be pretty mellow, the Celtics would be looking to make moves but for the most part figured everyone else would chill, content to get their books in order while the Warriors dominate the league for a few more years. Nope. Craziness right off the bat.
Trade: Sixers get #1 pick; Celtics get #3 pick, another 1st rd pick (either 2018 Lakers or 2019 Kings)
Typically the price for a top player is three 1st rd picks, so I was a little surprised that the Celtics were content to take only two 1st rd picks for the #1 overall pick. When I first heard the deal I thought they got both future picks and I thought that was a great deal (especially since I figured they were looking to trade #3 anyway). But getting only one of those picks and not cherry picking a body off the Sixers (seems like the Sixers would've been happy to throw in Jahlil Okafor), was a little surprising. Not a terrible deal for the Celtics, I think both of those future picks will be really good ones, they still got the guy they wanted at #3 and without adding salary, so can't complain (though I thought another #1 could've been had).
Thought the Sixers got the better end of the deal, willing to give a future 1st rounder to ensure they got Fultz. They're ready to start playing ball instead of playing the lottery (though they've still got a little of that left). If they'd paid more I wouldn't have been surprised, therefore they got a good deal.
NBA: Cavs fire GM David Griffin
First the #1 picks gets traded, then the 3-time defending Eastern Conference champs fire their GM out of the blue, though he just had a pretty good year (the Cavs bench was much better than in years past) and was apparently the choice of the Chosen One himself. An odd move, a sudden move, a surprising move, and one that indicates that the Cavs house is not in order. Chauncey Billups turning down the chance to take the job further indicates that things aren't right in Cleveland (or else that 3-on-3 League is gonna be the shiz). Either Lebron isn't committing to the future or the roster already has future bizarre shake ups built in or cliques are developing with everyone choosing sides instead of coming together. Feels like Lebron is on his way out which is mind blowing to me--how do you not give Lebron everything he wants? What could Lebron possibly want that you wouldn't want him to have? I don't get it but the talk of Lebron moving on is starting to make a lot more sense to me. I always thought Lebron was quite capable of doing the hired-gun thing, always thought he was cool with a situation where he didn't have to be the man. (My conspiracy theory is Lebron wanted to make big big moves, Griffin was on board, owner Gilbert was not; Lebron and Griffin are in win-now mode, no cares for the future while Gilbert was afraid losing his current stars would lead to years in the desert (he may not be wrong). Griffin took the fall but laid the path for Lebron to move on. When Lebron went back, I just assumed the team would be his toybox to play with as he liked, I just assumed he would be there forever because why would he leave his personal pleasure palace? But I guess ownership is not so eager to let the star run the show and Lebron waiting for the inevitably better deal to appear)
Trade: Hawks get Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, 2nd rd pick; Hornets get Dwight Howard, 2nd rd pick
Hawks get two more dudes they don't really need (and the rights to a third). Seriously I have no idea what the Hawks are or what they want, I can't really tell if this helps them or not. I was never the biggest fan of Dwight so moving on from him doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. But Plumlee? Not a bad player but does Plumlee serve any purpose for the Hawks? Belinelli is a nice streak shooter, plays hard, not afraid of a tough shot, but not particularly gifted, is Belinelli the replacement for Korver? I dunno. I dunno if that's even what they're trying to do. I don't really get this deal but I wouldn't have gotten the alternative either, so its just a Hawks deal to me.
As I said earlier I've never been a big fan of Dwight (*). Furthermore I have my doubts about Kemba, MKG, Coach Cliffy and GM Jordan (and draft pick Malik Monk, for good measure), and never had no faith in Marvin Williams or Zeller. So my gut feeling is Dwight to the Hornets is a disaster waiting to happen. But on second thought, I think I kinda love this team. If Kemba and Dwight can get a rhythm going, they could make each other better. Ideally that opens room for Malik to slide in (he'll score right away, I think his D will be passable right away too), which allows MKG to focus on being defensive stopper guy and gives Coach room to get something out of Zeller, Marvin and whoever they're bringing off the bench. You know what? I think it'll work, at least for a little while. The Hornets have been listing lazily for a coupla years now, not sure Dwight in his twilight is the big transaction you've been banking on, but if he and Kemba can play together, I think they can be a playoff team in the East (that is to say: there's a fair amount of squads in the East that suck worse).
Trade: Nets get D'angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov; Lakers get #27 pick, Brook Lopez
Nets get themselves a young rookie-contract PG to lead them, which is pretty ideal for them. The brutal price for this is taking on Mozgov (I believe his deal becomes workable next summer; you know it wasn't that long ago that Mozgov was a masterful rebounder and decent scorer around the rim; he's injury prone and may well be slow as Xmas by now, but if he plays he can be good for a low-expectations kinda squad like the Nets). They give up on Lopez but he wasn't the guy for the future, so no real loss. Frankly the #27 pick is the kind of asset the Nets need, too bad they couldn't lower the price on D'angelo just a smidge.
The Lakers get low post veteran like Lopez (I think it's a good match, he can be a Laker) on an expiring contract and a late 1st rounder as a throw-in. Personally I like those picks btw 25-35: I'm a sucker for the finding the diamond in the rough. They give up on a good young prospect (Lonzo is the man in LA, has been for a while now) but they rid themselves of the ruinous Mozgov deal. If they think they're getting Paul George next summer (I don't buy that the deal is done), they need to collect up the dimes and quarters. Not the ideal close to the D'angelo Russell period in LA, but its closed and he took Mozgov with him, pretty good deal for the Lakers.
(*) I've written this before: Hedo Turkoglu was the only one that understood what to do with Dwight. Turkoglu understand the soccer concept of 'service', he made sure big man got the ball in the right place at the right time. Led him all the way to the Final, the peak of Dwight's career.
Trade: Sixers get #1 pick; Celtics get #3 pick, another 1st rd pick (either 2018 Lakers or 2019 Kings)
Typically the price for a top player is three 1st rd picks, so I was a little surprised that the Celtics were content to take only two 1st rd picks for the #1 overall pick. When I first heard the deal I thought they got both future picks and I thought that was a great deal (especially since I figured they were looking to trade #3 anyway). But getting only one of those picks and not cherry picking a body off the Sixers (seems like the Sixers would've been happy to throw in Jahlil Okafor), was a little surprising. Not a terrible deal for the Celtics, I think both of those future picks will be really good ones, they still got the guy they wanted at #3 and without adding salary, so can't complain (though I thought another #1 could've been had).
Thought the Sixers got the better end of the deal, willing to give a future 1st rounder to ensure they got Fultz. They're ready to start playing ball instead of playing the lottery (though they've still got a little of that left). If they'd paid more I wouldn't have been surprised, therefore they got a good deal.
NBA: Cavs fire GM David Griffin
First the #1 picks gets traded, then the 3-time defending Eastern Conference champs fire their GM out of the blue, though he just had a pretty good year (the Cavs bench was much better than in years past) and was apparently the choice of the Chosen One himself. An odd move, a sudden move, a surprising move, and one that indicates that the Cavs house is not in order. Chauncey Billups turning down the chance to take the job further indicates that things aren't right in Cleveland (or else that 3-on-3 League is gonna be the shiz). Either Lebron isn't committing to the future or the roster already has future bizarre shake ups built in or cliques are developing with everyone choosing sides instead of coming together. Feels like Lebron is on his way out which is mind blowing to me--how do you not give Lebron everything he wants? What could Lebron possibly want that you wouldn't want him to have? I don't get it but the talk of Lebron moving on is starting to make a lot more sense to me. I always thought Lebron was quite capable of doing the hired-gun thing, always thought he was cool with a situation where he didn't have to be the man. (My conspiracy theory is Lebron wanted to make big big moves, Griffin was on board, owner Gilbert was not; Lebron and Griffin are in win-now mode, no cares for the future while Gilbert was afraid losing his current stars would lead to years in the desert (he may not be wrong). Griffin took the fall but laid the path for Lebron to move on. When Lebron went back, I just assumed the team would be his toybox to play with as he liked, I just assumed he would be there forever because why would he leave his personal pleasure palace? But I guess ownership is not so eager to let the star run the show and Lebron waiting for the inevitably better deal to appear)
Trade: Hawks get Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, 2nd rd pick; Hornets get Dwight Howard, 2nd rd pick
Hawks get two more dudes they don't really need (and the rights to a third). Seriously I have no idea what the Hawks are or what they want, I can't really tell if this helps them or not. I was never the biggest fan of Dwight so moving on from him doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. But Plumlee? Not a bad player but does Plumlee serve any purpose for the Hawks? Belinelli is a nice streak shooter, plays hard, not afraid of a tough shot, but not particularly gifted, is Belinelli the replacement for Korver? I dunno. I dunno if that's even what they're trying to do. I don't really get this deal but I wouldn't have gotten the alternative either, so its just a Hawks deal to me.
As I said earlier I've never been a big fan of Dwight (*). Furthermore I have my doubts about Kemba, MKG, Coach Cliffy and GM Jordan (and draft pick Malik Monk, for good measure), and never had no faith in Marvin Williams or Zeller. So my gut feeling is Dwight to the Hornets is a disaster waiting to happen. But on second thought, I think I kinda love this team. If Kemba and Dwight can get a rhythm going, they could make each other better. Ideally that opens room for Malik to slide in (he'll score right away, I think his D will be passable right away too), which allows MKG to focus on being defensive stopper guy and gives Coach room to get something out of Zeller, Marvin and whoever they're bringing off the bench. You know what? I think it'll work, at least for a little while. The Hornets have been listing lazily for a coupla years now, not sure Dwight in his twilight is the big transaction you've been banking on, but if he and Kemba can play together, I think they can be a playoff team in the East (that is to say: there's a fair amount of squads in the East that suck worse).
Trade: Nets get D'angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov; Lakers get #27 pick, Brook Lopez
Nets get themselves a young rookie-contract PG to lead them, which is pretty ideal for them. The brutal price for this is taking on Mozgov (I believe his deal becomes workable next summer; you know it wasn't that long ago that Mozgov was a masterful rebounder and decent scorer around the rim; he's injury prone and may well be slow as Xmas by now, but if he plays he can be good for a low-expectations kinda squad like the Nets). They give up on Lopez but he wasn't the guy for the future, so no real loss. Frankly the #27 pick is the kind of asset the Nets need, too bad they couldn't lower the price on D'angelo just a smidge.
The Lakers get low post veteran like Lopez (I think it's a good match, he can be a Laker) on an expiring contract and a late 1st rounder as a throw-in. Personally I like those picks btw 25-35: I'm a sucker for the finding the diamond in the rough. They give up on a good young prospect (Lonzo is the man in LA, has been for a while now) but they rid themselves of the ruinous Mozgov deal. If they think they're getting Paul George next summer (I don't buy that the deal is done), they need to collect up the dimes and quarters. Not the ideal close to the D'angelo Russell period in LA, but its closed and he took Mozgov with him, pretty good deal for the Lakers.
(*) I've written this before: Hedo Turkoglu was the only one that understood what to do with Dwight. Turkoglu understand the soccer concept of 'service', he made sure big man got the ball in the right place at the right time. Led him all the way to the Final, the peak of Dwight's career.
Monday, July 3, 2017
NBA Draft (the 1st round teams)
I did the first 14 picks in the previous post. This time I'll look at the next 15 teams that had 1st round picks. Then I'll do 2nd round in a future post.
Kings: #5 De'Aaron Fox, #15 Justin Jackson (North Carolina), #20 Harry Giles (Duke), #34 Frank Mason (Kansas)
I thought Jackson was one of the underappreciated gems of NCAA basketball last year, thought he would've slid right into a Brad Stevens team (thought #3 might've been used for a calculated move back in the draft). And Harry Giles on some boards was the #1 prospect going into NCAA just last year; are we to assume that Giles is washed up because he had a so-so year at Duke? To quote Homer Simpson: he could be bigger than curly fries! I think at #20 Giles is an excellent choice. Would Malik Monk at #10 have been better than getting the 2 best values of the back of the 1st round? Maybe. We'll never know but we will know this: they're the Kings so whatever move they make its the wrong one. As for Frank Mason, normally I'm a big fan of those bust-ass NCAA PG's, guys that gut it out because they love the game, but I dunno, I never really cared Mason's game. He was a winner, I respect that and the Kings are probably doing themselves a favor by just sticking the Blue Chip programs (I mean UK, UNC, Duke, Kansas, not really going out a limb with these any of these picks) solely because they came from programs expected to win. Mason may well be a regular in the Kings D-League rotation. If they came out with 2 really good young players, 1 intriguing prospect, and 1 potential for a long career as a 4A player in the Kings organization then they'd do pretty well. Obviously they're the Kings so all these picks could go horribly wrong and none are really going into the best of environments, but I like these 4 kids, I like their chances of being professional basketball players and if the Kings can pull four good picks in one draft, that could be a huge step for a team that is desperate to be good.
Wolves: #16 Justin Patton (Creighton)
I dunno this kid at all. 6'11'' C from Creighton. No idea. If Thibs takes a liking to him then maybe he becomes one of the all-time greats, he could be McHale. Or he flops at Summer League and we never hear his name again. I dunno.
Bucks: #17 DJ Wilson (Michigan), #46 Sterling Brown (Oregon)
I don't know these guys specifically but Michigan and Oregon have had moments of really good in the last few years. So cherry picking their athletes doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. My guess is they're looking for swing men who either score or play D off the bench. I don't know these guys but if they can move quick, Coach Kidd will use them.
Pacers: #18 TJ Leaf (UCLA), #47 Ike Anigbogu (UCLA), #52 Edmond Sumner (Xavier)
Pacers go with Lonzo's supporting cast in Westwood and a kid off an overachieving tourney team. If you squint Leaf looks like Austin Croshere, Anigbogu is Dale Davis and Sumner is Rodney Stuckey? If that's how it works out that'd be fine. We'll see.
Hawks: #19 John Collins (Wake Forest), #41 Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), #60 Alpha Kaba (France)
Just watching from mock drafts my sense is Collins went a little high, Dorsey dropped a little far, and Kaba is a name I remember from 2015-16 mocks but I hadn't seen much this year, sounds like he's the ultimate flyer on a Euro. Hawks are a team that are going in the opposite direction of their previous trajectories, that I just have no idea what they're trying to get with any of these picks. I assume they need swing men who can score, as they're more of a high offense...well, I mean, wait....wtf are they now? You used to be able to set your watch by Coach Bud's Hawks, now I just don't know who they are any more. I honestly don't know if these are good picks or not.
Thunder: #21 Terrance Ferguson (USA)
Highest upside is he's the next Russell Westbrook. Yeah, I doubt that'll happen but being next to Westbrook may be amazing for his development of his game. But I doubt we'll see much of it (unless Russ walks to LA with PG next summer). I can totally see him being an amazing practice player and then years from now ending up with the Heat or somebody and turning into Gilbert Arenas (good Gilbert) out of nowhere. OKC may be a great fit long term for him but I just don't see him playing much in the next coupla years.
Nets: #22 Jarrett Allen (Texas), #57 Aleksander Vezenia (Bulgaria)
Allen is a hoss down low, with Brook Lopez moving on and Mozgov moving in, I wouldn't be surprised to Allen get some serious playing time next year. The Nets won't be good and he may well get his teeth kicked in there, I still wouldn't be surprised to see him play. The Nets have plenty of room for people to play, if Allen gets time, he might develop, frankly there's nothing better to do on the Nets. Vezenia is another name I remember from last year more than this. 6'9" F, I dunno, I assume he's a stash, maybe we see him in a coupla years.
Raptors: #23 OG Anunoby (Indiana)
I kinda see him being like Patrick Patterson: savvy on D, reliable in the structure, good teammate, will knock down shots every once in a while, sometimes a crowd favorite. Which I guess isn't good for Patrick Patterson re-signing in Toronto. Raptors are looking to shake things up and Patterson is probably the guy the goes overboard (he'll hook on somewhere, he's a good player). Anunoby feels like a post-Patterson pickup.
Nuggets: #24 Tyler Lydon (Syracuse), #49 Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia), #51 Monte Morris (Iowa St)
They also got Trey Lyles in the trade that netted them Lydon (so the Jazz could get Donovan Mitchell). Lydon and Lyles might be fighting for time off that bench, which is increasingly filled with interesting talents. I don't know Cancar, I suspect we won't see him for a coupla years, but they've had success lately with Euro talent. I don't know Morris, if he can dish the ball at high altitude maybe he can get some bench minutes (or be a D-League cornerstone). The Nuggets may have too much intriguing young talent for anyone to ever see these guys.
Sixers: #1 Markelle Fultz (Washington), #25 Anzejs Pasecniks (Latvia), #36 Jonah Bolden (Australia), #50 Matthias Lessort (France)
Obviously the focus of the draft for the Sixers was properly exercising that #1 pick. But picking up two Euro stashes could work for them down the road. I love the Euro stash job: sometimes they turn into interesting players (one of these days I'll write about how I'd love to see more interaction btw NBA and Europe and China as well), sometimes they linger forever as weird trade throw-ins. Pasecniks is someone who rocketed up the mock drafts pretty late. The Sixers have a ton of Euro assets right now, Bolden and Lessort are now on the list, as well.
Blazers: #10 Zach Collins (Gonzaga), #26 Caleb Swanigan (Purdue)
The Blazers are just such an expensive roster that I can't really figure out what they're doing, I don't see any options other than cutting as much salary as quickly as possible (and hopefully still have 5 guys in uniform). That said, I loved Swanigan's game, not sure I love his body type at the next level but I thought he was a really great passer, I loved his instincts. Ideally he's Boris Diaw-ish, but he could be Stanley Roberts. I can't tell if he'll get to play in Portland because...again...I don't see what Portland is going for at all. I don't see the strategy because they are so far from the luxury of strategy.
Lakers: #2 Lonzo Ball (UCLA), #27 Kyle Kuzma (Utah), #30 Josh Hart (Villanova), #42 Thomas Bryant (Indiana)
If Ball is a star then this is a great draft. But if Kuzma, Hart and Bryant give them anything, that'd be good too. If Kuzma, Hart, Bryant work hard and get lucky, maybe they'll get some minutes because the Lakers should still be rebuilding for 2 more years.
Jazz: #13 Donovan Mitchell (Louisville), #28 Tony Bradley (North Carolina), #55 Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga)
I thought all three were nice looking college players that might be nice NBA players in the proper environment. Utah is probably the proper environment. I like all of these picks.
Spurs: #29 Derrick White (Colorado), #57 Jaron Blossongame (Clemson)
Blossongame is another one of those names that seemed bigger to me last year than this. But there he is being all undervalued and perfectly designed for a Spurs makeover project. He and White both can probably play if Pop thinks they can play. Wouldn't be surprised if either/both of those dudes are regular rotation guys in two years.
That wraps the 1st round, I'll do the 2nd round in a later post.
Kings: #5 De'Aaron Fox, #15 Justin Jackson (North Carolina), #20 Harry Giles (Duke), #34 Frank Mason (Kansas)
I thought Jackson was one of the underappreciated gems of NCAA basketball last year, thought he would've slid right into a Brad Stevens team (thought #3 might've been used for a calculated move back in the draft). And Harry Giles on some boards was the #1 prospect going into NCAA just last year; are we to assume that Giles is washed up because he had a so-so year at Duke? To quote Homer Simpson: he could be bigger than curly fries! I think at #20 Giles is an excellent choice. Would Malik Monk at #10 have been better than getting the 2 best values of the back of the 1st round? Maybe. We'll never know but we will know this: they're the Kings so whatever move they make its the wrong one. As for Frank Mason, normally I'm a big fan of those bust-ass NCAA PG's, guys that gut it out because they love the game, but I dunno, I never really cared Mason's game. He was a winner, I respect that and the Kings are probably doing themselves a favor by just sticking the Blue Chip programs (I mean UK, UNC, Duke, Kansas, not really going out a limb with these any of these picks) solely because they came from programs expected to win. Mason may well be a regular in the Kings D-League rotation. If they came out with 2 really good young players, 1 intriguing prospect, and 1 potential for a long career as a 4A player in the Kings organization then they'd do pretty well. Obviously they're the Kings so all these picks could go horribly wrong and none are really going into the best of environments, but I like these 4 kids, I like their chances of being professional basketball players and if the Kings can pull four good picks in one draft, that could be a huge step for a team that is desperate to be good.
Wolves: #16 Justin Patton (Creighton)
I dunno this kid at all. 6'11'' C from Creighton. No idea. If Thibs takes a liking to him then maybe he becomes one of the all-time greats, he could be McHale. Or he flops at Summer League and we never hear his name again. I dunno.
Bucks: #17 DJ Wilson (Michigan), #46 Sterling Brown (Oregon)
I don't know these guys specifically but Michigan and Oregon have had moments of really good in the last few years. So cherry picking their athletes doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. My guess is they're looking for swing men who either score or play D off the bench. I don't know these guys but if they can move quick, Coach Kidd will use them.
Pacers: #18 TJ Leaf (UCLA), #47 Ike Anigbogu (UCLA), #52 Edmond Sumner (Xavier)
Pacers go with Lonzo's supporting cast in Westwood and a kid off an overachieving tourney team. If you squint Leaf looks like Austin Croshere, Anigbogu is Dale Davis and Sumner is Rodney Stuckey? If that's how it works out that'd be fine. We'll see.
Hawks: #19 John Collins (Wake Forest), #41 Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), #60 Alpha Kaba (France)
Just watching from mock drafts my sense is Collins went a little high, Dorsey dropped a little far, and Kaba is a name I remember from 2015-16 mocks but I hadn't seen much this year, sounds like he's the ultimate flyer on a Euro. Hawks are a team that are going in the opposite direction of their previous trajectories, that I just have no idea what they're trying to get with any of these picks. I assume they need swing men who can score, as they're more of a high offense...well, I mean, wait....wtf are they now? You used to be able to set your watch by Coach Bud's Hawks, now I just don't know who they are any more. I honestly don't know if these are good picks or not.
Thunder: #21 Terrance Ferguson (USA)
Highest upside is he's the next Russell Westbrook. Yeah, I doubt that'll happen but being next to Westbrook may be amazing for his development of his game. But I doubt we'll see much of it (unless Russ walks to LA with PG next summer). I can totally see him being an amazing practice player and then years from now ending up with the Heat or somebody and turning into Gilbert Arenas (good Gilbert) out of nowhere. OKC may be a great fit long term for him but I just don't see him playing much in the next coupla years.
Nets: #22 Jarrett Allen (Texas), #57 Aleksander Vezenia (Bulgaria)
Allen is a hoss down low, with Brook Lopez moving on and Mozgov moving in, I wouldn't be surprised to Allen get some serious playing time next year. The Nets won't be good and he may well get his teeth kicked in there, I still wouldn't be surprised to see him play. The Nets have plenty of room for people to play, if Allen gets time, he might develop, frankly there's nothing better to do on the Nets. Vezenia is another name I remember from last year more than this. 6'9" F, I dunno, I assume he's a stash, maybe we see him in a coupla years.
Raptors: #23 OG Anunoby (Indiana)
I kinda see him being like Patrick Patterson: savvy on D, reliable in the structure, good teammate, will knock down shots every once in a while, sometimes a crowd favorite. Which I guess isn't good for Patrick Patterson re-signing in Toronto. Raptors are looking to shake things up and Patterson is probably the guy the goes overboard (he'll hook on somewhere, he's a good player). Anunoby feels like a post-Patterson pickup.
Nuggets: #24 Tyler Lydon (Syracuse), #49 Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia), #51 Monte Morris (Iowa St)
They also got Trey Lyles in the trade that netted them Lydon (so the Jazz could get Donovan Mitchell). Lydon and Lyles might be fighting for time off that bench, which is increasingly filled with interesting talents. I don't know Cancar, I suspect we won't see him for a coupla years, but they've had success lately with Euro talent. I don't know Morris, if he can dish the ball at high altitude maybe he can get some bench minutes (or be a D-League cornerstone). The Nuggets may have too much intriguing young talent for anyone to ever see these guys.
Sixers: #1 Markelle Fultz (Washington), #25 Anzejs Pasecniks (Latvia), #36 Jonah Bolden (Australia), #50 Matthias Lessort (France)
Obviously the focus of the draft for the Sixers was properly exercising that #1 pick. But picking up two Euro stashes could work for them down the road. I love the Euro stash job: sometimes they turn into interesting players (one of these days I'll write about how I'd love to see more interaction btw NBA and Europe and China as well), sometimes they linger forever as weird trade throw-ins. Pasecniks is someone who rocketed up the mock drafts pretty late. The Sixers have a ton of Euro assets right now, Bolden and Lessort are now on the list, as well.
Blazers: #10 Zach Collins (Gonzaga), #26 Caleb Swanigan (Purdue)
The Blazers are just such an expensive roster that I can't really figure out what they're doing, I don't see any options other than cutting as much salary as quickly as possible (and hopefully still have 5 guys in uniform). That said, I loved Swanigan's game, not sure I love his body type at the next level but I thought he was a really great passer, I loved his instincts. Ideally he's Boris Diaw-ish, but he could be Stanley Roberts. I can't tell if he'll get to play in Portland because...again...I don't see what Portland is going for at all. I don't see the strategy because they are so far from the luxury of strategy.
Lakers: #2 Lonzo Ball (UCLA), #27 Kyle Kuzma (Utah), #30 Josh Hart (Villanova), #42 Thomas Bryant (Indiana)
If Ball is a star then this is a great draft. But if Kuzma, Hart and Bryant give them anything, that'd be good too. If Kuzma, Hart, Bryant work hard and get lucky, maybe they'll get some minutes because the Lakers should still be rebuilding for 2 more years.
Jazz: #13 Donovan Mitchell (Louisville), #28 Tony Bradley (North Carolina), #55 Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga)
I thought all three were nice looking college players that might be nice NBA players in the proper environment. Utah is probably the proper environment. I like all of these picks.
Spurs: #29 Derrick White (Colorado), #57 Jaron Blossongame (Clemson)
Blossongame is another one of those names that seemed bigger to me last year than this. But there he is being all undervalued and perfectly designed for a Spurs makeover project. He and White both can probably play if Pop thinks they can play. Wouldn't be surprised if either/both of those dudes are regular rotation guys in two years.
That wraps the 1st round, I'll do the 2nd round in a later post.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
2017 NBA Draft (the Lottery)
As usual, I'm late to the party. I was at the party, I just had to split for a while. But I'm back now and I'm ready to throw in my two cents on the highlight of the post-Finals social season: the Draft. I'll start with the first 14 picks, then go team by team after that.
1 Sixers -- Markelle Fultz (Washington)
The most rock solid #1 pick since Anthony Davis? Fultz emerged fairly early in the NCAA season as the best player and stayed that way all through the workout phase before the Draft. The buzz is Danny Ainge had some question about whether Fultz was the man but I doubt that. I was among those a little surprised that the Celtics only got a single extra 1st round pick to go with #3, but Ainge was probably not willing to absorb salary and a choice btw Lakers 2018 or Sac 2019 is pretty appealing, those are both gonna pretty sorry squads, and with Nets 2018 in the back pocket, no need to be greedy, foregoing a bigger haul is a prudent avoidance of gluttony, dead salary can kill the growth. And for the Sixers, they gave up a good pick but its a reasonable price to get the guy everybody wanted (and get the last piece in that sterling silver starting rotation they've been saving up for all these years). Fultz, Covington, Simmons, Saric, Okafor (why does everyone leave him out?) and Embiid is a pretty exciting nucleus. Oh, they'll still suck next year but the East is getting East-ier with each free agent heading for the sunset, the Sixers are not that far from challenging for a playoff spot.
2 Lakers -- Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
Personally I'm not as high on Lonzo as the general consensus. He's got a good feel for the game, loves to pass the ball and isn't afraid to fill it up when need be; but I think his jumper is suspect and that won't get better against NBA defenders (I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the notion that my #2 cornerstone PG of the future could easily get his ass handed to him by KJ McDaniels but I ain't a Laker fan). If he's good, he could be really great, though, his upside is pretty up there so I guess I don't fault the choice.
3 Celtics -- Jaysun Tatum (Duke)
I was pretty sure the Celtics would trade this pick, either for more future picks or maybe as a piece in a blockbuster. I thought more people would want to take a chance on Josh Jackson (thought Jonathon Isaac had a chance to be the guy that jumps at the last second maybe here at #4), and if they had selected Jackson I think that would've signaled a trade to come. I didn't think much about Tatum here but once they selected him, yeah, he makes perfect sense, don't know why I didn't see it earlier. He's kinda the perfect bookend to Jaylen Brown, a good scorer in the mid-range, something the Celtics could use a little of. And while he doesn't look to be a great defender perhaps his presence allows Jaylen to bust out as a smothering D guy, they are a tantalizing combo. I think this is a good pick and if the Celtics swing and miss on all their big game hunts and return pretty much the same core, just adding Tatum and getting Jaylen deeper into the main rotation, they should still be sturdy enough to allow Isiah and Horford to continue aging like fine wines. They still look one big move away from really challenging Lebron/Kyrie/Love but in 2 years they gap should shrink a bit and with only the most minimal roster filling, this will look like a successful summer.
4 Suns -- Josh Jackson (Kansas)
I thought he was the best prospect in the draft. A little surprised there wasn't more buzz at the top of the draft about him. I think he's an insane athlete, good instincts, reminds me of Marcus Smart but probably a better player, that sounds pretty good to me. In the right environment, he becomes the next Iguodala or Jimmy Butler. Phoenix is probably a good place for him to churn some minutes and get some exposure without having the pressure of winning. The Suns play fun basketball (that generally comes up short in the end) and he'll be an entertaining player, I think he could have a Blake Griffin-ish highlight reel rookie season and be a big star over night.
5 Kings -- De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)
Fox is a fascinating PG prospect (personally I see him as Denis Shroeder but a better mid-range scorer, maybe a better passer, more reliable scorer than Shroeder) and I think this is a solid pick. But the Kings are still the Kings and won't be good any time soon no matter who they picked.
6 Magic -- Jonathon Isaac (Florida State)
I think Isaac is the intriguing talent that could be great or nothing at all. I suspect its all about the environment he finds himself in and there the Magic could either be awful or great. I don't think the Magic will be any good at all next year, but if they use the anonymity to just play ball and develop, then Orlando may be perfect for Isaac. I don't see the Magic even trying to be good any time soon. I don't understand any of their moves for the last 2 years or so but this seems like a good pick for them. He might be really good or he may be another wasted Magic draft pick. We'll see by the time that rookie contract is up.
7 Bulls -- Lauri Markannen (Arizona)
The Sixers-Celtics #1 pick deal was a few days before the draft (and the pick itself was a fait accompli) so it wasn't a draft day surprise. The #7 pick is the first big draft day move: Wolves swapping #7, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler and #16; I was surprised by the move but absolutely stunned by the inclusion of #16, too. I thought the Bulls could've done better anyway but giving a 1st round pick in a good draft when they should be trying to get cheaper made no sense to me. But then again, like the Magic, I have no idea what their plan is. So I should not have been shocked when they took Markannen (a kid who utterly disappeared in the NCAA tourney this year). I guess the upside of Markennen is pretty good, but what are the chances he gets there with the Bulls? At best isn't Markennen maybe the next Mirotic? I like Mirotic as much as the next guy but not in this draft. Suddenly his upside doesn't look good and without Jimmy Butler the Bulls' upside doesn't either. Weird move all the way around: could've gotten more in the deal, could've taken a higher prospect with the pick, and gave away a shot another young cheap talent to develop. Didn't get this at all.
8 Knicks -- Frank Ntilikina (France)
Knicks conspiracy theory: the Knicks really wanted the French PG but knew he would get booed, so they concocted a plan for Phil Jackson to sign an extension, make the pick, make a ass of himself by pumping up the Lativian Gangbanger and then splitting? I mean, that's basically what happened, but I'm suggesting it was pre-meditated. Phil Jax was paid a huge ass bonus to be the lightning rod for questionable choices when, in the end, Dolan got the exact team he wanted (well as soon as he hires David Griffin and ditches Carmelo). So the Knicks have a legit star to build around with a non-English speaking PG to be an exciting athlete who doesn't talk much. Once D Rose and Carmelo have left town, there will be money to spend, 2 stars to build around, and a coupla years of top 10 picks to find another gangbanger. Man, its the expensive way to go but New Yorkers are just like that I guess.
9 Mavs -- Dennis Smith (NC State)
Smith and Rick Carlyle are either get along famously or they're gonna hate each other; either way it should be fun to watch. Mavs need everything, a good, athletic, chip-on-his-shoulder PG is nice thing to go with Dirk and Nerlens. Like Isaac at #7: this is either a steal or the thing that destroys the Mavs for a decade....you know....one or the other.
10 Blazers -- Zach Collins (Gonzaga)
Rather than taking Malik Monk at #10 to go with De'Aaron Fox, the Kings instead trade #10 for #15 and #20; obviously I love putting Fox and Monk together (w/ Cauley-Stein, too), but the Kings need everything and I kinda like getting Justin Jackson at #15 and Harry Giles at #20, can't complain too much though they may well have out-thought themselves on this deal. Blazers get a big white guy down low just to thwart the Hornets getting him at #11. (OMG, do you realize how far over the cap the Blazers are? Fuck, man, they need to be selling not buying, giving not taking, breathing up every available smidge of oxygen) I have no sense for what Collins can do or how he benefits the Blazers. Can he be 3 people for 1/10 the cost of 1 person? Then he's got a future in Portland!
11 Hornets -- Malik Monk (Kentucky)
At this point its easy to call this the steal of the draft. Monk probably should've gone #7 to Bulls (or Wolves) or #8 to Knicks so he's a gift for the Hornets at #11. I've never been the biggest fan of Dwight Howard (after all these years he's still a project on offense) or Kemba (electrifying but not enough of a scorer or playmaker to really lift a team) or MKG (I love the kid but I never really knew what his game was, great motor guy but I'm not sure his role) or even Monk (he'll been unbelievable on some nights but just as often you'll forget he's on the court). I've also never been as enamored of Coach Cliff as everyone else and I think MJ's ego makes it pretty well impossible for him to properly judge talent, so I think the Hornets have a very good chance of being straight awful next year. But all that said, I actually kinda like the combo of all these guys, if they come out like The Expendables. then lure in Boogie at the deadline, they might just come out of nowhere. And Monk might be Rookie of the Year. More likely none of this works and they'll be back here in the #10 range next year but this could turn out kinda fun.
12 Pistons -- Luke Kennard (Duke)
Sure, why not? Personally I would've gone with either Terrence Ferguson or Harry Giles (I just think the upside on both is higher) but Kennard is a reasonable pick here. I think ultimately he's somewhere between TJ McConnell and Joe Ingles: better scorer than TJ, quicker the Ingles. A decent scorer, decent playmaker, decent handle, decent feel for the game, thoroughly decent player. Put the plant in the right soil and it grows big and tall; wrong pot and its dead before you cash the next paycheck. I'm not a big fan of what Stan Van has going on in Detroit so this pick was always gonna be a wild crap shoot.
13 Jazz -- Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)
The Jazz have a good run of draft success lately, I think Mitchell could give them relief if Rodney Hood leaves (or becomes trade bait). I like their coach and the environment, Mitchell should fit well with Rubio and (fingers crossed) Gordon Hayward. Maybe he turns to nothing (they uncharacteristically gave up on Trey Lyles, though I generally kinda liked what I saw), but I can see him fitting right in over the next 3-4 years.
14 Heat -- Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
As a regular UK basketball watcher, sometimes I see prospects that are tentative at the college game that I think will be more uninhibited and intuitive at the next level. I think Bam could be one of those guys. He reminded me of Dwight Howard, both good and bad: should be a helluva shotblocker, rebounder and down low defender and while he had better offensive moves and instincts than Dwight, Bam played tentative, didn't trust instincts enough and in the end may be similarly stiff to Dwight. But I think he'll bust out and find himself more comfortable at the next level. I think in a platoon with Whiteside, he'll be just fine for 10-15 minutes of being a tough load down low. He's a big kid, won't get moved around too easily, should score a little bit too. I don't think he'll reinvent basketball but I think in a coupla years he could be a pretty reliable guy down low and Miami is probably a good place for him.
1 Sixers -- Markelle Fultz (Washington)
The most rock solid #1 pick since Anthony Davis? Fultz emerged fairly early in the NCAA season as the best player and stayed that way all through the workout phase before the Draft. The buzz is Danny Ainge had some question about whether Fultz was the man but I doubt that. I was among those a little surprised that the Celtics only got a single extra 1st round pick to go with #3, but Ainge was probably not willing to absorb salary and a choice btw Lakers 2018 or Sac 2019 is pretty appealing, those are both gonna pretty sorry squads, and with Nets 2018 in the back pocket, no need to be greedy, foregoing a bigger haul is a prudent avoidance of gluttony, dead salary can kill the growth. And for the Sixers, they gave up a good pick but its a reasonable price to get the guy everybody wanted (and get the last piece in that sterling silver starting rotation they've been saving up for all these years). Fultz, Covington, Simmons, Saric, Okafor (why does everyone leave him out?) and Embiid is a pretty exciting nucleus. Oh, they'll still suck next year but the East is getting East-ier with each free agent heading for the sunset, the Sixers are not that far from challenging for a playoff spot.
2 Lakers -- Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
Personally I'm not as high on Lonzo as the general consensus. He's got a good feel for the game, loves to pass the ball and isn't afraid to fill it up when need be; but I think his jumper is suspect and that won't get better against NBA defenders (I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the notion that my #2 cornerstone PG of the future could easily get his ass handed to him by KJ McDaniels but I ain't a Laker fan). If he's good, he could be really great, though, his upside is pretty up there so I guess I don't fault the choice.
3 Celtics -- Jaysun Tatum (Duke)
I was pretty sure the Celtics would trade this pick, either for more future picks or maybe as a piece in a blockbuster. I thought more people would want to take a chance on Josh Jackson (thought Jonathon Isaac had a chance to be the guy that jumps at the last second maybe here at #4), and if they had selected Jackson I think that would've signaled a trade to come. I didn't think much about Tatum here but once they selected him, yeah, he makes perfect sense, don't know why I didn't see it earlier. He's kinda the perfect bookend to Jaylen Brown, a good scorer in the mid-range, something the Celtics could use a little of. And while he doesn't look to be a great defender perhaps his presence allows Jaylen to bust out as a smothering D guy, they are a tantalizing combo. I think this is a good pick and if the Celtics swing and miss on all their big game hunts and return pretty much the same core, just adding Tatum and getting Jaylen deeper into the main rotation, they should still be sturdy enough to allow Isiah and Horford to continue aging like fine wines. They still look one big move away from really challenging Lebron/Kyrie/Love but in 2 years they gap should shrink a bit and with only the most minimal roster filling, this will look like a successful summer.
4 Suns -- Josh Jackson (Kansas)
I thought he was the best prospect in the draft. A little surprised there wasn't more buzz at the top of the draft about him. I think he's an insane athlete, good instincts, reminds me of Marcus Smart but probably a better player, that sounds pretty good to me. In the right environment, he becomes the next Iguodala or Jimmy Butler. Phoenix is probably a good place for him to churn some minutes and get some exposure without having the pressure of winning. The Suns play fun basketball (that generally comes up short in the end) and he'll be an entertaining player, I think he could have a Blake Griffin-ish highlight reel rookie season and be a big star over night.
5 Kings -- De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)
Fox is a fascinating PG prospect (personally I see him as Denis Shroeder but a better mid-range scorer, maybe a better passer, more reliable scorer than Shroeder) and I think this is a solid pick. But the Kings are still the Kings and won't be good any time soon no matter who they picked.
6 Magic -- Jonathon Isaac (Florida State)
I think Isaac is the intriguing talent that could be great or nothing at all. I suspect its all about the environment he finds himself in and there the Magic could either be awful or great. I don't think the Magic will be any good at all next year, but if they use the anonymity to just play ball and develop, then Orlando may be perfect for Isaac. I don't see the Magic even trying to be good any time soon. I don't understand any of their moves for the last 2 years or so but this seems like a good pick for them. He might be really good or he may be another wasted Magic draft pick. We'll see by the time that rookie contract is up.
7 Bulls -- Lauri Markannen (Arizona)
The Sixers-Celtics #1 pick deal was a few days before the draft (and the pick itself was a fait accompli) so it wasn't a draft day surprise. The #7 pick is the first big draft day move: Wolves swapping #7, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler and #16; I was surprised by the move but absolutely stunned by the inclusion of #16, too. I thought the Bulls could've done better anyway but giving a 1st round pick in a good draft when they should be trying to get cheaper made no sense to me. But then again, like the Magic, I have no idea what their plan is. So I should not have been shocked when they took Markannen (a kid who utterly disappeared in the NCAA tourney this year). I guess the upside of Markennen is pretty good, but what are the chances he gets there with the Bulls? At best isn't Markennen maybe the next Mirotic? I like Mirotic as much as the next guy but not in this draft. Suddenly his upside doesn't look good and without Jimmy Butler the Bulls' upside doesn't either. Weird move all the way around: could've gotten more in the deal, could've taken a higher prospect with the pick, and gave away a shot another young cheap talent to develop. Didn't get this at all.
8 Knicks -- Frank Ntilikina (France)
Knicks conspiracy theory: the Knicks really wanted the French PG but knew he would get booed, so they concocted a plan for Phil Jackson to sign an extension, make the pick, make a ass of himself by pumping up the Lativian Gangbanger and then splitting? I mean, that's basically what happened, but I'm suggesting it was pre-meditated. Phil Jax was paid a huge ass bonus to be the lightning rod for questionable choices when, in the end, Dolan got the exact team he wanted (well as soon as he hires David Griffin and ditches Carmelo). So the Knicks have a legit star to build around with a non-English speaking PG to be an exciting athlete who doesn't talk much. Once D Rose and Carmelo have left town, there will be money to spend, 2 stars to build around, and a coupla years of top 10 picks to find another gangbanger. Man, its the expensive way to go but New Yorkers are just like that I guess.
9 Mavs -- Dennis Smith (NC State)
Smith and Rick Carlyle are either get along famously or they're gonna hate each other; either way it should be fun to watch. Mavs need everything, a good, athletic, chip-on-his-shoulder PG is nice thing to go with Dirk and Nerlens. Like Isaac at #7: this is either a steal or the thing that destroys the Mavs for a decade....you know....one or the other.
10 Blazers -- Zach Collins (Gonzaga)
Rather than taking Malik Monk at #10 to go with De'Aaron Fox, the Kings instead trade #10 for #15 and #20; obviously I love putting Fox and Monk together (w/ Cauley-Stein, too), but the Kings need everything and I kinda like getting Justin Jackson at #15 and Harry Giles at #20, can't complain too much though they may well have out-thought themselves on this deal. Blazers get a big white guy down low just to thwart the Hornets getting him at #11. (OMG, do you realize how far over the cap the Blazers are? Fuck, man, they need to be selling not buying, giving not taking, breathing up every available smidge of oxygen) I have no sense for what Collins can do or how he benefits the Blazers. Can he be 3 people for 1/10 the cost of 1 person? Then he's got a future in Portland!
11 Hornets -- Malik Monk (Kentucky)
At this point its easy to call this the steal of the draft. Monk probably should've gone #7 to Bulls (or Wolves) or #8 to Knicks so he's a gift for the Hornets at #11. I've never been the biggest fan of Dwight Howard (after all these years he's still a project on offense) or Kemba (electrifying but not enough of a scorer or playmaker to really lift a team) or MKG (I love the kid but I never really knew what his game was, great motor guy but I'm not sure his role) or even Monk (he'll been unbelievable on some nights but just as often you'll forget he's on the court). I've also never been as enamored of Coach Cliff as everyone else and I think MJ's ego makes it pretty well impossible for him to properly judge talent, so I think the Hornets have a very good chance of being straight awful next year. But all that said, I actually kinda like the combo of all these guys, if they come out like The Expendables. then lure in Boogie at the deadline, they might just come out of nowhere. And Monk might be Rookie of the Year. More likely none of this works and they'll be back here in the #10 range next year but this could turn out kinda fun.
12 Pistons -- Luke Kennard (Duke)
Sure, why not? Personally I would've gone with either Terrence Ferguson or Harry Giles (I just think the upside on both is higher) but Kennard is a reasonable pick here. I think ultimately he's somewhere between TJ McConnell and Joe Ingles: better scorer than TJ, quicker the Ingles. A decent scorer, decent playmaker, decent handle, decent feel for the game, thoroughly decent player. Put the plant in the right soil and it grows big and tall; wrong pot and its dead before you cash the next paycheck. I'm not a big fan of what Stan Van has going on in Detroit so this pick was always gonna be a wild crap shoot.
13 Jazz -- Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)
The Jazz have a good run of draft success lately, I think Mitchell could give them relief if Rodney Hood leaves (or becomes trade bait). I like their coach and the environment, Mitchell should fit well with Rubio and (fingers crossed) Gordon Hayward. Maybe he turns to nothing (they uncharacteristically gave up on Trey Lyles, though I generally kinda liked what I saw), but I can see him fitting right in over the next 3-4 years.
14 Heat -- Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
As a regular UK basketball watcher, sometimes I see prospects that are tentative at the college game that I think will be more uninhibited and intuitive at the next level. I think Bam could be one of those guys. He reminded me of Dwight Howard, both good and bad: should be a helluva shotblocker, rebounder and down low defender and while he had better offensive moves and instincts than Dwight, Bam played tentative, didn't trust instincts enough and in the end may be similarly stiff to Dwight. But I think he'll bust out and find himself more comfortable at the next level. I think in a platoon with Whiteside, he'll be just fine for 10-15 minutes of being a tough load down low. He's a big kid, won't get moved around too easily, should score a little bit too. I don't think he'll reinvent basketball but I think in a coupla years he could be a pretty reliable guy down low and Miami is probably a good place for him.
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