Firings
Tyron Lue (Cavs)
Lue is no longer in the running for Coach of the Year. The post-Lebron period got off to a rough start, apparently the upper management is ready to move on to the youth movement while Coach Lue wanted to milk the vets for W's. Well, neither strategy seems to be working so this parting is probably for the best for both parties. Lue had some health concerns last season so I wouldn't be surprised if he took the rest of the year off and re-appeared late in the playoffs jockeying for a job for next year. Larry Drew becomes the interim (I don't see him keeping the job, though, unless Collin Sexton wins ROY).
Trades
Bucks got Jodie Meeks, a 2020 2nd rd pick swap (actually an alteration of a previous swap that had already been arranged), cash; Wizards got...uh....nothing, as far as I can tell.
Meeks had a (brief) period of being a for-real filler-upper in the NBA but that was a while ago and for the last few years he's been more injured than not and relatively mediocre on the floor; that said, he looks to get some bench minutes as a wing scorer. The pick swap is probably pretty meaningless. Cash is everyone's favorite Xmas gift, so that's nice. As for the Wizards, not taking back anything is not really legal, is it? They needed the roster space to make room for Dwight Howard, I guess.
Pelicans get Wesley Matthews; Clippers get Alexis Ajinca
Pelicans need all the help they can get, Matthews will play whereas Ajinca was only an emergency time sub. The Clippers have already waived Ajinca (who, at best, is the poor-poor-poor man's Anthony Davis, which is to say he kinda looks like AD but has 1/100 of his game).
Signings
Suns -- Jamal Crawford (1yr/$?)
Well, they needed depth at PG but, man, I'm not a Crawford fan to begin with but Phoenix feels like the absolute worst spot for him. All of his bad habits will get plenty of time to develop, at best he's bait for the trade deadline and even if he's great, it'll make zero difference to the team. This is a desperate move for the Suns, which is awkward one week into the season.
Cavs -- Larry Nance Jr (4yr/$?)
This is a 4-yr extension, probably a good move. They entered into this deal with all the optimism that he's a future building block for them, but realistically he's probably more valuable as a trade candidate. Either way, good signing, I like Nance (I really think Lebron would've loved playing with him, too).
Bulls -- Shaq Harrison
Thought he was a better fit for the Suns but the Bulls have already had a ton of injuries, so immediate depth was needed and Shaw will get playing time.
2-way contracts: Pacers (Davon Reed), Lakers (Johnathon Williams), Kings (Troy Williams), Pistons (Zach Lofton)
Extensions
Ahh, it's that time of year, so which rookie contracts got prolonged?
Kings -- De'Aaron Fox, Harry Giles, Skal Labisserie, Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson
The Kings youth movement is well stocked and having good success early on. I think these were all no-brainers, but don't be surprised if some of these guys get traded.
Lakers -- Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma
Yup, all four of them are keepers or top quality trade bait. I think it's already Ingram's team.
Blazers -- Caleb Swanigan, Zach Collins
I liked Swanigan a lot in NCAA, not sure what kind of pro he'd make, but the Blazers seem ready to give him another year (I can see him being a great practice player, which is valuable). The Blazers supposedly love Collins seeing him as the cornerstone of their future; I'm not quite that high on him but extending him is the obvious move.
Hawks -- Taurean Prince, John Collins, Deandre Bembry
Collins was arguably the most under appreciated member of last year's really good rookie class. Prince and Bembry are promising youngsters. All three of these are good moves for the Hawks right now.
Knicks -- Frank Nkilitina
I liked what I saw of Frankie, he's still a project but, hey man, the Knicks got nothing but time to groom youngsters.
Mavs -- Dennis Smith Jr
Smith had his critics last year but he was all alone on that team. Now with Deandre Jordan, Luka Doncic and a healthy Wes Matthews, he'll have more opportunity to be good (and less opportunity to be bad). Good move, he's a Mav for the foreseeable future.
Nets -- Caris LaVert, Jarrett Allen
Nice players, definitely keepers for the Nets.
Pacers -- Myles Turner
Frankly he contributed not much to the Pacers' resurgence last year, if he takes a step forward he could still blossom into a legit star.
Suns -- Josh Jackson
I thought he was the best all-around athlete in the 2017 draft, still not much of a scorer but the Suns will afford him good time to hone his game. Good move.
Waivings
Bucks -- Tim Frazier
I kinda like Frazier, thought he could be useful for some deep bench minutes for them, but I guess the Bucks are deep enough.
Clippers -- Jawun Evans
Don't know much about Evans. I can see him playing for the Hawks, though.
Knicks -- Paul Watson
I don't know who that is.
Pistons -- Reggie Hearn
The rosters get pruned at this time of year and Hearn was probably never likely to make the team.
Suns -- Darrell Arthur, Shaq Harrison, Davon Reed
I thought Harrison fit the youth movement, though Arthur absolutely does not. Reed was moved to make room for Jamal Crawford, I guess.
Pelicans -- Troy Williams
Moved to make room for Tim Frazier.
Lakers -- Travis Wear
The new Mad Dog Madsen. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a Laker uni Summer League 2019.
Pacers -- CJ Wilcox
I would've thought Wilcox would've made the roster, guess the summer signings took up too much space.
Bulls -- Omer Asik
Why wasn't he waived months ago? There was no way he was gonna play for the Bulls this season regardless of his health.
Injuries
Out indefinitely: Zhaire Smith (Sixers), DeMarre Carroll (Nets), Nene Hilario (Rockets), Daniel Hamilton (Hawks), John Collins (Hawks), Dion Waiters (Heat), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings), Krystaps Porzingas (Knicks), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs), Michael Porter (Nuggets), Brandon Knight (Rockets), Lonnie Walker (Spurs), Denzel Washington (Bulls), Lauri Markkanen (Bulls), Treveon Graham (Nets), Will Barton (Nuggets), Kris Dunn (Bulls), Bobby Portis (Bulls), Luke Kennard (Pistons)
Out for the year: Dejounte Murray (Spurs)
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
2018-19 NFL (Week 8)
Games I watched (some of):
Dolphins 23-42 Texans
The Texans handled their business at home, good to see, wasn't sure they had it in them. I still (kinda) believe in the Texans: when Watson is right, he's really good and when that pass rush is working, the D is really good. They can still become a really good team in time for the playoffs (took the Jags to the final four last year), but they've still got to build on wins like this. The Dolphins are middle of the pack in just about every metric. They don't suck but they're not good either.
Bucs 34-37 Bengals
What a slopfest! The Bengals ran up a big lead by halftime then just sorta quit playing in the 2nd half. I didn't see any great change or improvement in the Bucs D in the 2nd half, the Bengals just took the foot off the gas, I guess because they thought Winston was gonna keep throwing interceptions (well, he did for a while). But when the Bucs went for Fitzpatrick, the Bengals watched it all crumble in front of them and stood there waiting for it to happen. I don't get that. The Bucs tied it up late, the Bengals got a late FG to finish it off (something they could've done at any point after halftime, but they...I dunno...chose to wait til the last second?). The Bengals have a good offense and an okay defense and when they bring their game, they're not bad; but when they don't bring their game, they not any better than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fun game for Fitz-magic but not a good showing for the Bengals (or the Bucs, for that matter).
Packers 27-29 Rams
Really thought the Packers had a shot at winning this game (and I can't say I'm shocked the fumbling kick returner got traded immediately). The Rams seemed kinda sluggish for much of this game, they won by inertia, they've become used to winning every week (which is a good place to be). But if Aaron Rodgers had had that shot at a final drive, I believe he could've gotten them the W. Bad beat for the Packers, still a good W for the Rams.
Other results (surprising):
Seahawks 28-14 Lions
The Lions seem to get it up for some teams (Pats, Packers) but not for others (Jets, Niners), so are they a good team that disappoints or a bad team that plays above themselves at times? I dunno. I'm still convinced the Seahawks are going backwards but they've got a good QB and solid head coach, so they'll continue to win games on their down.
Saints 30-20 Vikings
I caught a little of this game (I was still watching baseball), but it seemed to me that the Viking WR's made mistakes that kept the Saints in this game. I can't say the Vikings should've won but it seems like they should've shone out a little better at home. That said, the Saints are good, they are legit Super Bowl contenders and this is not a bad loss for the Vikings.
Other results (not so surprising):
Eagles 24-18 Jags
I hate the London games. I hate the Toronto games, the Mexico City games, I hate the Thursday games (outside of Thanksgiving and opening night), every team should get 8 home games and shipping the teams off to expand markets should be internally frowned upon. The NFL should be looking to expand their profits by making their product more scarce instead of less and these efforts at reaching out to new fanbases is watering down the product and creating more injuries. And, yeah, the Jags still suck.
Jets 10-24 Bears
On the one hand this is a rookie QB on the road against a top notch defense; on the other hand, it's a spunky underachiever going up against Mitchell Trubisky. This is the NFL: even though it seems like a no-brainer that the Bears are better than the Jets, this game is really a lot more even than you'd think. Or maybe not, the Bears won pretty easily.
Broncos 23-30 Chiefs
Division games, man. You'd think the Chiefs would destroy the Broncos, who are pretty terrible on the road, but when a team plays the same team over and over, they learn tendencies and they can create surprises. I'm still convinced the Chiefs are way better than the Broncos.
Redskins 20-13 Giants
I thought the Giants would take this one and it looks like the Redskins tried to give it away late. Division games, man, are unpredictable.
Browns 18-33 Steelers
I kinda thought the Browns would keep them close but it wasn't to be. The Steelers defense has the amazing ability to incite penalties on the other team and/or commit a ton of penalties at the same time. They play with such an uncontrolled ferocity that it inspires panic and creates stupidity. Not sure that'll work against every team but against a rookie QB with a fired coach (and fired OC), it worked just fine. I'm still shaky on the Steelers.
Ravens 21-36 Panthers
Ravens on the road are just not that good. Panthers are up and down, they decided to be up this week--good for them!
Colts 42-28 Raiders
The Colts are spunky, man, they play hard and they can move the ball. Their record is probably not gonna be good enough to get them to the post-season (although their division is a total mystery, so maybe they got a shot), but I'd love to see them in the playoffs just because they play hard and can be dangerous with playground plays. The Raiders, on the other hand, seem bent on stockpiling draft picks, which means more L's are way more valuable than W's.
Niners 15-18 Cards
When two bad teams get together you can count on bad football. But when they're division rivals, anything can happen. Kinda felt like the Niners were gonna pull it out but the Cards just wanted it more, I reckon.
Pats 25-6 Bills
Oh yeah, perfectly ordinary late season Pats performance in Buffalo: they kinda floundered around for a while because they're eager to show as little as possible but still comfortably covered the spread by the end of the game.
Dolphins 23-42 Texans
The Texans handled their business at home, good to see, wasn't sure they had it in them. I still (kinda) believe in the Texans: when Watson is right, he's really good and when that pass rush is working, the D is really good. They can still become a really good team in time for the playoffs (took the Jags to the final four last year), but they've still got to build on wins like this. The Dolphins are middle of the pack in just about every metric. They don't suck but they're not good either.
Bucs 34-37 Bengals
What a slopfest! The Bengals ran up a big lead by halftime then just sorta quit playing in the 2nd half. I didn't see any great change or improvement in the Bucs D in the 2nd half, the Bengals just took the foot off the gas, I guess because they thought Winston was gonna keep throwing interceptions (well, he did for a while). But when the Bucs went for Fitzpatrick, the Bengals watched it all crumble in front of them and stood there waiting for it to happen. I don't get that. The Bucs tied it up late, the Bengals got a late FG to finish it off (something they could've done at any point after halftime, but they...I dunno...chose to wait til the last second?). The Bengals have a good offense and an okay defense and when they bring their game, they're not bad; but when they don't bring their game, they not any better than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fun game for Fitz-magic but not a good showing for the Bengals (or the Bucs, for that matter).
Packers 27-29 Rams
Really thought the Packers had a shot at winning this game (and I can't say I'm shocked the fumbling kick returner got traded immediately). The Rams seemed kinda sluggish for much of this game, they won by inertia, they've become used to winning every week (which is a good place to be). But if Aaron Rodgers had had that shot at a final drive, I believe he could've gotten them the W. Bad beat for the Packers, still a good W for the Rams.
Other results (surprising):
Seahawks 28-14 Lions
The Lions seem to get it up for some teams (Pats, Packers) but not for others (Jets, Niners), so are they a good team that disappoints or a bad team that plays above themselves at times? I dunno. I'm still convinced the Seahawks are going backwards but they've got a good QB and solid head coach, so they'll continue to win games on their down.
Saints 30-20 Vikings
I caught a little of this game (I was still watching baseball), but it seemed to me that the Viking WR's made mistakes that kept the Saints in this game. I can't say the Vikings should've won but it seems like they should've shone out a little better at home. That said, the Saints are good, they are legit Super Bowl contenders and this is not a bad loss for the Vikings.
Other results (not so surprising):
Eagles 24-18 Jags
I hate the London games. I hate the Toronto games, the Mexico City games, I hate the Thursday games (outside of Thanksgiving and opening night), every team should get 8 home games and shipping the teams off to expand markets should be internally frowned upon. The NFL should be looking to expand their profits by making their product more scarce instead of less and these efforts at reaching out to new fanbases is watering down the product and creating more injuries. And, yeah, the Jags still suck.
Jets 10-24 Bears
On the one hand this is a rookie QB on the road against a top notch defense; on the other hand, it's a spunky underachiever going up against Mitchell Trubisky. This is the NFL: even though it seems like a no-brainer that the Bears are better than the Jets, this game is really a lot more even than you'd think. Or maybe not, the Bears won pretty easily.
Broncos 23-30 Chiefs
Division games, man. You'd think the Chiefs would destroy the Broncos, who are pretty terrible on the road, but when a team plays the same team over and over, they learn tendencies and they can create surprises. I'm still convinced the Chiefs are way better than the Broncos.
Redskins 20-13 Giants
I thought the Giants would take this one and it looks like the Redskins tried to give it away late. Division games, man, are unpredictable.
Browns 18-33 Steelers
I kinda thought the Browns would keep them close but it wasn't to be. The Steelers defense has the amazing ability to incite penalties on the other team and/or commit a ton of penalties at the same time. They play with such an uncontrolled ferocity that it inspires panic and creates stupidity. Not sure that'll work against every team but against a rookie QB with a fired coach (and fired OC), it worked just fine. I'm still shaky on the Steelers.
Ravens 21-36 Panthers
Ravens on the road are just not that good. Panthers are up and down, they decided to be up this week--good for them!
Colts 42-28 Raiders
The Colts are spunky, man, they play hard and they can move the ball. Their record is probably not gonna be good enough to get them to the post-season (although their division is a total mystery, so maybe they got a shot), but I'd love to see them in the playoffs just because they play hard and can be dangerous with playground plays. The Raiders, on the other hand, seem bent on stockpiling draft picks, which means more L's are way more valuable than W's.
Niners 15-18 Cards
When two bad teams get together you can count on bad football. But when they're division rivals, anything can happen. Kinda felt like the Niners were gonna pull it out but the Cards just wanted it more, I reckon.
Pats 25-6 Bills
Oh yeah, perfectly ordinary late season Pats performance in Buffalo: they kinda floundered around for a while because they're eager to show as little as possible but still comfortably covered the spread by the end of the game.
2018-19 NCAA Football (Week 9)
Games I watched (some of):
(9) Florida 17-36 (7) Georgia
Not close. Thought this was similar to Georgia's over LSU the week before: UGA's offense just kept grinding while the other side just kept spinning its wheels. Georgia broke it open in the 2nd half but realistically it never felt like Florida was in this game.
(12) Kentucky 15-14 Missouri
I didn't see any of this game but I listened to it on the radio while watching the Gamecast. The 1st half was a typical one for UK fans and most of the 2nd half was, too, with one difference: man, UK's defense is really good and they held Missouri to zero 1st downs in the 2nd half (yup, zero). UK's offense is hamfisted at best but the D kept it close enough for a special teams TD to make a huge difference. A miracle final drive pulled out the W as Missouri went down in a most Kentucky-like fashion. (Funny: the Gamecast flaked out on that last untimed down, it couldn't comprehend that even though there was no time on the clock, the game was not over--ESPN even changed the records of the teams and the SEC standings, while I'm sitting there going, 'No, dude, there's still another play left!) Does Kentucky have a chance against Georgia this week? Ehh, I'm not seeing it. They'll need a lot of UGA turnovers to keep this one alive, otherwise UK just does not have enough offense to outscore Georgia.
Top 25
Handled their business
(2) Clemson, (3) Notre Dame, (7) Georgia, (8) Oklahoma, (12) Kentucky, (13) West Virginia, (14) Washington State, (17) Penn State, (23) Utah
Bad Beat
(9) Florida (they were ranked a little high, they're not as good as Georgia)
(18) Iowa (Penn State at home is still a tough out, even when the Nittany Lions are playing wounded)
Not so good
(6) Texas (I thought they were ranked a little high but I also thought they'd get it done at Oklahoma State)
(15) Washington (the scoring dried up in Berkeley, not a good look against a down Cal side)
(16) Texas A&M (the SEC West is a meat grinder, A&M got ground)
(19) Oregon (ouch! Destroyed at Arizona, I think Oregon has been as up and as down as anyone all year long)
(20) Wisconsin (their anemic offense was not enough to sneak past Northwestern)
(21) South Florida (got rolled at Houston)
(22) North Carolina State (gave up a lot of points in Syracuse)
(24) Stanford (they should probably be better than Washington State, especially at home, but this Stanford team is hardly vintage)
(25) Appalachian State (rolled by Georgia Southern, not good)
Next week's interesting matches:
(6) Georgia @ (9) Kentucky
(13) West Virginia @ (17) Texas
(14) Penn State @ (5) Michigan
(1) Alabama @ (3) LSU
(9) Florida 17-36 (7) Georgia
Not close. Thought this was similar to Georgia's over LSU the week before: UGA's offense just kept grinding while the other side just kept spinning its wheels. Georgia broke it open in the 2nd half but realistically it never felt like Florida was in this game.
(12) Kentucky 15-14 Missouri
I didn't see any of this game but I listened to it on the radio while watching the Gamecast. The 1st half was a typical one for UK fans and most of the 2nd half was, too, with one difference: man, UK's defense is really good and they held Missouri to zero 1st downs in the 2nd half (yup, zero). UK's offense is hamfisted at best but the D kept it close enough for a special teams TD to make a huge difference. A miracle final drive pulled out the W as Missouri went down in a most Kentucky-like fashion. (Funny: the Gamecast flaked out on that last untimed down, it couldn't comprehend that even though there was no time on the clock, the game was not over--ESPN even changed the records of the teams and the SEC standings, while I'm sitting there going, 'No, dude, there's still another play left!) Does Kentucky have a chance against Georgia this week? Ehh, I'm not seeing it. They'll need a lot of UGA turnovers to keep this one alive, otherwise UK just does not have enough offense to outscore Georgia.
Top 25
Handled their business
(2) Clemson, (3) Notre Dame, (7) Georgia, (8) Oklahoma, (12) Kentucky, (13) West Virginia, (14) Washington State, (17) Penn State, (23) Utah
Bad Beat
(9) Florida (they were ranked a little high, they're not as good as Georgia)
(18) Iowa (Penn State at home is still a tough out, even when the Nittany Lions are playing wounded)
Not so good
(6) Texas (I thought they were ranked a little high but I also thought they'd get it done at Oklahoma State)
(15) Washington (the scoring dried up in Berkeley, not a good look against a down Cal side)
(16) Texas A&M (the SEC West is a meat grinder, A&M got ground)
(19) Oregon (ouch! Destroyed at Arizona, I think Oregon has been as up and as down as anyone all year long)
(20) Wisconsin (their anemic offense was not enough to sneak past Northwestern)
(21) South Florida (got rolled at Houston)
(22) North Carolina State (gave up a lot of points in Syracuse)
(24) Stanford (they should probably be better than Washington State, especially at home, but this Stanford team is hardly vintage)
(25) Appalachian State (rolled by Georgia Southern, not good)
Next week's interesting matches:
(6) Georgia @ (9) Kentucky
(13) West Virginia @ (17) Texas
(14) Penn State @ (5) Michigan
(1) Alabama @ (3) LSU
2018 World Series
Red Sox over Dodgers in 5
If you don't like baseball, you'll never get how much tension and drama the game creates--even when nothing is happening! If you don't like baseball, you just see nothing; but baseball lovers came away from this World Series with a new admiration of Nathan Eovaldi, a guy that expertly did almost nothing for 9 full innings, and it was a joy to watch (even though he ended up taking the loss).
I thought the Sox's advantage was the weird dimensions of Fenway Park and the frigid temps of New England in October. So when they took the first two games at home I didn't chalk it up to the Sox being wildly better than the Dodgers. Indeed, I was actually pretty impressed with how the Dodgers played in those first two games and thought they had a good chance to sweep the LA games and head back to Fenway looking to close out the Sox (though even then I still would've liked the Red Sox chances of taking the final two games). And when Game Three went an epic 18 innings (normally I pay little/no attention to TV commentators but on this night I kinda pitied how fucking tired they must be just sitting in the same chairs for all that time), I thought it portended well for the Dodgers. Not unlike the NLCS when an extra inning game warped the Brewer bullpen, I thought the Sox that would pay the price for the unexpected time on the field. Nope, not so much. It was the Dodger bullpen that couldn't get it together in the next coupla games.
I'm cool with Steve Pearce being the MVP, he had some big hits and was definitely a major contributor. But really I thought the Sox lineup all played pretty good but not great, including Pearce. I would've gone with David Price as MVP, I just thought his Series was great, he did everything that needed to be done despite his poor playoff history and rocky time in Boston. And given that in the clinching game, he gave up a homer on the first pitch...and then nothing after that...was something special and should've been rewarded. Also, symbolically Price was the guy that has been there the whole time and endured a lot of criticism who shook off his doubts and performed at a high level when no one thought he could, whereas Pearce is a journeyman who just joined the team, might not be back next year. Pearce is a fine choice but I think Price was the better story and I'm surprised the voters missed that.
Obviously the Red Sox were the best team in baseball this year. With 108 regular season wins and relatively easy victories over the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers (*), it seems like the discussion will soon turn to whether this team is one of the best teams ever. I'm not in on that. This team was good but their pitching was hardly one of the greats of all time and the lineup struck me as good but not great, good at getting timely hitting (dare I say 'clutch'?) but not overpowering or unbeatable. This team just had the ability to outlast their opponents. Huzzah for the Red Sox. They won it all and they deserved it. And I enjoyed it every step of the way because I love good baseball and this was good baseball.
(*) The Red Sox became the first team ever to defeat both of the prior World Series participants to win the championship. Weird, that doesn't seem like it would be that uncommon.
If you don't like baseball, you'll never get how much tension and drama the game creates--even when nothing is happening! If you don't like baseball, you just see nothing; but baseball lovers came away from this World Series with a new admiration of Nathan Eovaldi, a guy that expertly did almost nothing for 9 full innings, and it was a joy to watch (even though he ended up taking the loss).
I thought the Sox's advantage was the weird dimensions of Fenway Park and the frigid temps of New England in October. So when they took the first two games at home I didn't chalk it up to the Sox being wildly better than the Dodgers. Indeed, I was actually pretty impressed with how the Dodgers played in those first two games and thought they had a good chance to sweep the LA games and head back to Fenway looking to close out the Sox (though even then I still would've liked the Red Sox chances of taking the final two games). And when Game Three went an epic 18 innings (normally I pay little/no attention to TV commentators but on this night I kinda pitied how fucking tired they must be just sitting in the same chairs for all that time), I thought it portended well for the Dodgers. Not unlike the NLCS when an extra inning game warped the Brewer bullpen, I thought the Sox that would pay the price for the unexpected time on the field. Nope, not so much. It was the Dodger bullpen that couldn't get it together in the next coupla games.
I'm cool with Steve Pearce being the MVP, he had some big hits and was definitely a major contributor. But really I thought the Sox lineup all played pretty good but not great, including Pearce. I would've gone with David Price as MVP, I just thought his Series was great, he did everything that needed to be done despite his poor playoff history and rocky time in Boston. And given that in the clinching game, he gave up a homer on the first pitch...and then nothing after that...was something special and should've been rewarded. Also, symbolically Price was the guy that has been there the whole time and endured a lot of criticism who shook off his doubts and performed at a high level when no one thought he could, whereas Pearce is a journeyman who just joined the team, might not be back next year. Pearce is a fine choice but I think Price was the better story and I'm surprised the voters missed that.
Obviously the Red Sox were the best team in baseball this year. With 108 regular season wins and relatively easy victories over the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers (*), it seems like the discussion will soon turn to whether this team is one of the best teams ever. I'm not in on that. This team was good but their pitching was hardly one of the greats of all time and the lineup struck me as good but not great, good at getting timely hitting (dare I say 'clutch'?) but not overpowering or unbeatable. This team just had the ability to outlast their opponents. Huzzah for the Red Sox. They won it all and they deserved it. And I enjoyed it every step of the way because I love good baseball and this was good baseball.
(*) The Red Sox became the first team ever to defeat both of the prior World Series participants to win the championship. Weird, that doesn't seem like it would be that uncommon.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
2018-19 NFL (Weeks 6 & 7)
Games I watched (some of):
Texans 20-7 Jags
Other results (not so surprising):
Bills 5-37 Colts
Bills got a safety, not bad.
Vikings 37-17 Jets
Yeah, the Vikings should throttle bad teams.
Browns 23-26 (OT) Bucs
I thought the Browns had this one, but they tried to bungle it even harder than Tampa Bay did. The Browns are moving in the right direction, at least, not sure I'd say the same about the Bucs.
Saints 24-23 Ravens
The Saints live on the 2-minute offense, they're built to snatch games away from the other team. And the Ravens are kinda built to get snatched, so, yeah.
Rams 39-10 Niners
The Rams brought a little more than I thought they would but they're a much better team than the Niners.
Giants 20-23 Falcons
The Falcons don't blow people out, the Giants have enough talent and savvy to hang around. If I were a Falcons fan I'd really want them to score more against sorry squads like NYG, but realistically, this is about right.
Week 6
Games I watched (some of):
Eagles 34-13 Giants
Man, NYG is like that friend that dresses nice so you keep inviting him to events but he otherwise has nothing else to offer, so he just kinda stands around: you still wanna like him but what's to like? Saquon Barkley is one of the most exciting players in the game right now and he's stuck on this sorry team, hurts my heart. As for the Eagles, they're kinda what I thought they'd be: good one week, crappy the next, up and down with no flow. They'll still win the division, they just need to get hot at the right time and they might be defending their championship (yeah, still very possible).
Steelers 28-21 Bengals
The Bengals scored late, took the lead, but you knew the Steelers still had enough time left to get it done. Even the play itself: you saw the blitz coming, so did Roethlisberger, the middle was wide open, easy TD. The Steelers are sloppy but still have the talent to get hot and win games, the Bengals are pretty good but you never can tell whether they'll finish a game or not.
Ravens 21-0 Titans
Yeah, this was every bit as boring as that score indicates. When the Ravens 'dominate' a game, it's like watching really good paint dry.
Chiefs 40-43 Pats
Great game! Felt like Mahomes was a little nervous early on, the Chiefs kinda struggled in the 1st half. But once he settled in, the Chiefs machine just did whatever it wanted against the Pats' D. Good work by the Pats to pull out the W.
Other results (surprising):
Bears 28-31 (OT) Dolphins
Brock Osweiler pulling out the late win over one of the better defenses of the last few years? Yup, that happened.
Colts 34-42 Jets
Where did the Jets get 42 points? The Colts are one of those teams I wanna like because Andrew Luck is becoming a little Rodgers-ish these days but there's just not enough around him to give the Colts any consistency. As for the Jets, I dunno, they've got nothing to lose every time they take the field and that's occasionally dangerous.
Bills 13-20 Texans
I still can't wrap my head around the Texans: it feels like they've got plenty of offense to win games and plenty of defense to hold the leads. So why did they need a lucky play late against arguably the worst QB of the last 10 years (Nathan Peterman--even the Bills haven't had worse than him!) to snatch a late win?
Jags 7-40 Cowboys
The Cowboys let it all hang out. Good for them, though they might've wanted to save some of those points for the rest of the season. As for the Jags, they're going in the wrong direction, that D does not look so fearsome and the offense is sputtering right when it ought to be in a groove.
Other results (not so surprising):
Bucs 29-34 Falcons
Falcons at home ought to outscore most everyone but especially a goofy division foe.
Chargers 38-14 Browns
The Chargers have won me over: I finally believe these guys can win games (well, perhaps it's more realistic to say the Colts, Bengals, Jags, Texans and Dolphins have not won me over). As for the Browns, they're gonna hang with a lot of teams this year but the Chargers are one of those that can fly right by them. And that's what happened.
Seahawks 27-3 Raiders
I forgot this game was in London. Not that that matters but I would've given the Raiders a slightly better chance at home. As for the Seahawks, they're competing through inertia, I'm still convinced they're not any good (and this result doesn't change my mind).
Cards 17-27 Vikings
I thought the Vikings would struggle early but once they get going, they're gonna be just fine--and I think they're getting to that groove. Yes, they probably should've beaten a crappy team like the Cards more convincingly but veteran squads that are ready to win are not worried about style points. I think this is a solid win for the Vikings.
Panthers 17-23 Redskins
Yeah, these two teams have enough talent to be good but enough fuck-up in their DNA to keep them from getting ahead. So when this game came down to the final drive, it really could've gone either way. Fun finish but somebody had to fuck it up (it was the Panthers this week).
Rams 23-20 Broncos
The Broncos are not bad at home. The Rams are good everywhere. This looks about right.
Pats 38-31 Bears
Fun game! Pats were the better team and I never thought the Bears would pull it out but they did manage to keep things interesting. Weird play: last minute, Pats up by 7, the ball on the Bears 34-ish yard line, why not go for it on 4th down? They punted, Bears get the ball at the 20, but who cares about that 10 yards? Why not throw it at the end zone, go for either the game winning TD, the game finishing pass interference call or you give them the ball at 35 instead of the 20? Trubisky is actually much more dangerous as a runner than a passer, I like his instincts when he tucks it and takes off; as a passer he was sailing passes all day, he's got skills, but we have expectations that dudes are just gonna kick ass as soon as they take the field, I'm not sure he'll get the time to develop the way he clearly needs to. The Pats are still the class of the AFC but they're certainly not untouchable. That D is savvy but slow.
Panthers 21-17 Eagles
For the first three quarters I saw a Panthers D-line that could not hang with the Eagles O-line. Then in the 4th, the Panthers did whatever they wanted and the Eagles looked like a turtle flipped over in the sun. The Eagles are gonna be up and down all year, I think that's who they are, and that's what they looked like here (up for three quarters, down for one). The Panthers are mercurial: when they want to look good, they do, so why don't they want to look good more often? They've got the talent on both sides, they just don't have the effort. I don't see them being better than the Saints throughout the regular season, but I can see them getting hot in the post-season.
Cowboys 17-20 Redskins
Division rivalry. The Redskins were generally the better team, the Cowboys came back late to make it look close (actually just a kick off the post away from sending it to OT) and I guess that means it was a close game. But it never felt like it. Not that the Redskins are awesome but I think they're better than the Cowboys on both sides.
Bengals 10-45 Chiefs
I kinda liked the Bengals chances in this game not because I thought they'd keep the Chiefs from scoring (they did not), but that the Chiefs D is pretty sorry and would give the Bengals a chance to run up some points of their own. I do think the Chiefs can be beat--if they turn the ball over--but we've seen the flipside of that, too: if you turn the ball over to them, the game is over because you have to score pretty much every time in order to hang with the Chiefs. I was kinda shocked by the Chiefs pass rush, they made plays and kept Andy Dalton from getting going, which might've kept the Bengals in this game. Instead it got kinda chippy near the end. The Chiefs are the best team in the AFC, the Bengals are in the muddled middle (and very much in danger of falling behind the Steelers).
Other results (surprising):
Lions 32-21 Dolphins
These two strike me as kinda similar, but the Lions have an air of renewal about them suddenly whereas the Dolphins...do not. The Dolphins should've won this game at home but they didn't. The Lions are downright plucky, if the Bears have trouble scoring and the Packers can't get going, the Lions may well sneak a few unexpected W's and be in the playoff race (I wouldn't bet on it but not impossible).
Titans 19-20 Chargers
I wasn't surprised by this score until it dawned on me that this was in LA, not in Tennessee. Huh. If the Titans had a plucky performance, kept the Chargers from taking off and clawed back to make it close at home, that would've seemed reasonable to me; but at home I would think the Chargers would jump on a weaker team early, pile up points and keep the pressure up til the spread was comfortably covered. The Titans aren't bad, they're good enough to stay in games but unlucky enough to come up short more often than not, I doubt they're a playoff team, they kinda have 8-8 written all over them; but the Chargers offense is reliable and efficient and it is how they can win games, for them to sputter at home to a mediocre conference opponent is troubling. This is a game the Chargers should've won handily.
I wasn't surprised by this score until it dawned on me that this was in LA, not in Tennessee. Huh. If the Titans had a plucky performance, kept the Chargers from taking off and clawed back to make it close at home, that would've seemed reasonable to me; but at home I would think the Chargers would jump on a weaker team early, pile up points and keep the pressure up til the spread was comfortably covered. The Titans aren't bad, they're good enough to stay in games but unlucky enough to come up short more often than not, I doubt they're a playoff team, they kinda have 8-8 written all over them; but the Chargers offense is reliable and efficient and it is how they can win games, for them to sputter at home to a mediocre conference opponent is troubling. This is a game the Chargers should've won handily.
The Texans....but the Jags....yeah, typical day in the AFC South. The Jags D is crumbling, the offense has no consistency...but the Texans are not exactly firing on all cylinders. I dunno, division game. I shouldn't say I was surprised because any result would've surprised me.
Other results (not so surprising):
Broncos 45-10 Cards
The score doesn't really tell the story--this game wasn't that close! Man, I didn't watch too closely but all I saw was Broncos making plays and Cards getting unlucky. The Broncos are not good on the road but they looked like the '27 Yankees against Arizona.
Bills got a safety, not bad.
Vikings 37-17 Jets
Yeah, the Vikings should throttle bad teams.
Browns 23-26 (OT) Bucs
I thought the Browns had this one, but they tried to bungle it even harder than Tampa Bay did. The Browns are moving in the right direction, at least, not sure I'd say the same about the Bucs.
Saints 24-23 Ravens
The Saints live on the 2-minute offense, they're built to snatch games away from the other team. And the Ravens are kinda built to get snatched, so, yeah.
Rams 39-10 Niners
The Rams brought a little more than I thought they would but they're a much better team than the Niners.
Giants 20-23 Falcons
The Falcons don't blow people out, the Giants have enough talent and savvy to hang around. If I were a Falcons fan I'd really want them to score more against sorry squads like NYG, but realistically, this is about right.
Week 6
Games I watched (some of):
Eagles 34-13 Giants
Man, NYG is like that friend that dresses nice so you keep inviting him to events but he otherwise has nothing else to offer, so he just kinda stands around: you still wanna like him but what's to like? Saquon Barkley is one of the most exciting players in the game right now and he's stuck on this sorry team, hurts my heart. As for the Eagles, they're kinda what I thought they'd be: good one week, crappy the next, up and down with no flow. They'll still win the division, they just need to get hot at the right time and they might be defending their championship (yeah, still very possible).
Steelers 28-21 Bengals
The Bengals scored late, took the lead, but you knew the Steelers still had enough time left to get it done. Even the play itself: you saw the blitz coming, so did Roethlisberger, the middle was wide open, easy TD. The Steelers are sloppy but still have the talent to get hot and win games, the Bengals are pretty good but you never can tell whether they'll finish a game or not.
Ravens 21-0 Titans
Yeah, this was every bit as boring as that score indicates. When the Ravens 'dominate' a game, it's like watching really good paint dry.
Chiefs 40-43 Pats
Great game! Felt like Mahomes was a little nervous early on, the Chiefs kinda struggled in the 1st half. But once he settled in, the Chiefs machine just did whatever it wanted against the Pats' D. Good work by the Pats to pull out the W.
Other results (surprising):
Bears 28-31 (OT) Dolphins
Brock Osweiler pulling out the late win over one of the better defenses of the last few years? Yup, that happened.
Colts 34-42 Jets
Where did the Jets get 42 points? The Colts are one of those teams I wanna like because Andrew Luck is becoming a little Rodgers-ish these days but there's just not enough around him to give the Colts any consistency. As for the Jets, I dunno, they've got nothing to lose every time they take the field and that's occasionally dangerous.
Bills 13-20 Texans
I still can't wrap my head around the Texans: it feels like they've got plenty of offense to win games and plenty of defense to hold the leads. So why did they need a lucky play late against arguably the worst QB of the last 10 years (Nathan Peterman--even the Bills haven't had worse than him!) to snatch a late win?
Jags 7-40 Cowboys
The Cowboys let it all hang out. Good for them, though they might've wanted to save some of those points for the rest of the season. As for the Jags, they're going in the wrong direction, that D does not look so fearsome and the offense is sputtering right when it ought to be in a groove.
Other results (not so surprising):
Bucs 29-34 Falcons
Falcons at home ought to outscore most everyone but especially a goofy division foe.
Chargers 38-14 Browns
The Chargers have won me over: I finally believe these guys can win games (well, perhaps it's more realistic to say the Colts, Bengals, Jags, Texans and Dolphins have not won me over). As for the Browns, they're gonna hang with a lot of teams this year but the Chargers are one of those that can fly right by them. And that's what happened.
Seahawks 27-3 Raiders
I forgot this game was in London. Not that that matters but I would've given the Raiders a slightly better chance at home. As for the Seahawks, they're competing through inertia, I'm still convinced they're not any good (and this result doesn't change my mind).
Cards 17-27 Vikings
I thought the Vikings would struggle early but once they get going, they're gonna be just fine--and I think they're getting to that groove. Yes, they probably should've beaten a crappy team like the Cards more convincingly but veteran squads that are ready to win are not worried about style points. I think this is a solid win for the Vikings.
Panthers 17-23 Redskins
Yeah, these two teams have enough talent to be good but enough fuck-up in their DNA to keep them from getting ahead. So when this game came down to the final drive, it really could've gone either way. Fun finish but somebody had to fuck it up (it was the Panthers this week).
Rams 23-20 Broncos
The Broncos are not bad at home. The Rams are good everywhere. This looks about right.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
2018-19 NCAA Football (Week 8)
Games I watched (some of):
I watched more baseball than football this Saturday. But I caught a little of Michigan over Michigan State (Sparty's D was okay but they got no offense going in this game) and Oklahoma over TCU (felt like OU was gonna score every time the ball was snapped).
Top 25
Handled their business
(1) Alabama, (3) Clemson, (5) LSU, (6) Michigan, (9) Oklahoma, (10) Central Florida, (14) Kentucky, (15) Washington, (18) Penn State, (19) Iowa, (23) Wisconsin
Did not impress
(21) South Florida (I don't know, man, feels like they could've had a more decisive victory hosting UConn; they got the W, but failing to cover against a lightweight conference opponent at home is kinda soft)
Bad beat
(16) North Carolina State (I thought they had a decent shot to make some noise, but Clemson finally busted out their most impressive game of the season, so...uh...not happening for the Wolfpack)
(19) Mississippi State (they weren't gonna win at LSU, you know it, I know it, the American people know it)
(24) Michigan State (frankly, Sparty is overrated at #24 and Michigan has quietly put together a pretty good season so far, this game was about right)
Not so good
(2) Ohio State (yipes! I thought they kinda lucked out against TCU and Penn State, but they got the W's, so you can't front; but, man, getting thumped by Purdue is not good, they can still play spoiler but it's hard to imagine the Buckeyes getting into the playoff with this kind of L on their resume)
(12) Oregon (haven't been impressed with Oregon so far this season, not sure how they got up to #12, but they got pretty well throttled in Pullman; Pac-12, man, it's a blender every year)
(20) Cincinnati (I really thought they'd easily handle Temple, but not so much)
Next week's key matches:
(9) Florida @ (7) Georgia
(18) Iowa @ (17) Penn State
(12) Kentucky @ Missouri
(14) Washington State @ (24) Stanford
I watched more baseball than football this Saturday. But I caught a little of Michigan over Michigan State (Sparty's D was okay but they got no offense going in this game) and Oklahoma over TCU (felt like OU was gonna score every time the ball was snapped).
Top 25
Handled their business
(1) Alabama, (3) Clemson, (5) LSU, (6) Michigan, (9) Oklahoma, (10) Central Florida, (14) Kentucky, (15) Washington, (18) Penn State, (19) Iowa, (23) Wisconsin
Did not impress
(21) South Florida (I don't know, man, feels like they could've had a more decisive victory hosting UConn; they got the W, but failing to cover against a lightweight conference opponent at home is kinda soft)
Bad beat
(16) North Carolina State (I thought they had a decent shot to make some noise, but Clemson finally busted out their most impressive game of the season, so...uh...not happening for the Wolfpack)
(19) Mississippi State (they weren't gonna win at LSU, you know it, I know it, the American people know it)
(24) Michigan State (frankly, Sparty is overrated at #24 and Michigan has quietly put together a pretty good season so far, this game was about right)
Not so good
(2) Ohio State (yipes! I thought they kinda lucked out against TCU and Penn State, but they got the W's, so you can't front; but, man, getting thumped by Purdue is not good, they can still play spoiler but it's hard to imagine the Buckeyes getting into the playoff with this kind of L on their resume)
(12) Oregon (haven't been impressed with Oregon so far this season, not sure how they got up to #12, but they got pretty well throttled in Pullman; Pac-12, man, it's a blender every year)
(20) Cincinnati (I really thought they'd easily handle Temple, but not so much)
Next week's key matches:
(9) Florida @ (7) Georgia
(18) Iowa @ (17) Penn State
(12) Kentucky @ Missouri
(14) Washington State @ (24) Stanford
2018 World Series
I can't help thinking that the Astros were better than the Red Sox but the Red Sox bullpen held up, they got timely hitting and it felt like they got every lucky break and finished off the Astros pretty quick. Likewise, I can't help thinking that the Brewers were better than the Dodgers. But their overuse of the bullpen doomed them once Game Four went to 14 innings (or whatever), you just knew it was over the Brewers right then. It may sound like sour grapes to complain about the winners but 1) I have no rooting interest here (I'm an Indians man, myself) and 2) it's not uncommon for the lesser team to win (check out the World Series from 1987-1997, hard to say the best team won most of those matches).
I think the Red Sox home field advantage will be too much for the Dodgers to keep up with. They both have good lineups, decent starting pitching and so-so bullpens, the only real difference I see is Fenway vs. Dodger Stadium. Fenway is a weird place and it'll be freezing cold there whereas Dodger Stadium is a colossal place where cool breezes will warm the visitors as well as the home team. Otherwise they strike me as pretty similar squads (I think Sox defense and lineup are slightly deeper). I'll take Red Sox in 6.
I think the Red Sox home field advantage will be too much for the Dodgers to keep up with. They both have good lineups, decent starting pitching and so-so bullpens, the only real difference I see is Fenway vs. Dodger Stadium. Fenway is a weird place and it'll be freezing cold there whereas Dodger Stadium is a colossal place where cool breezes will warm the visitors as well as the home team. Otherwise they strike me as pretty similar squads (I think Sox defense and lineup are slightly deeper). I'll take Red Sox in 6.
Monday, October 15, 2018
2018-19 NCAA Football (Week 7)
Games I watched (some of):
(2) Georgia 16-36 (13) LSU
Thought UGA would give them the what-for but, man, they never got any offense going at all. LSU chipped away, chipped away, chipped away and before you knew it, UGA was buried. LSU's season is (and always has been) Alabama, if they get it done, they're back in business. Georgia should still come out of the East, so Alabama will decide their fate, too.
(19) Colorado 20-31 Southern Cal
USC made plays, Colorado just kept spinning their wheels. They both played hard but USC controlled this game from beginning to end.
Top 25
Handled their business
(1) Alabama, (3) Ohio State, (5) Notre Dame, (9) Texas, (12) Michigan, (13) LSU, (14) Florida, (22) Texas A&M
Got it done but did not impress
(10) Central Florida (coming from behind to steal one at Memphis? Meh)
(23) South Florida (amazing comeback late to steal a W from mighty Tulsa)
Not so good
(2) Georgia (never got any offense going against LSU, kinda ugly)
(6) West Virginia (Iowa State, man, they got the magic of scaring/beating the ranked squads)
(7) Washington (with Auburn losing, too, UW's hopes have vanished)
(8) Penn State (this surprised me, thought the Lions were gonna win out (thought Sparty sucked))
(15) Wisconsin (not like them to get blown out but they were never in this game)
(16) Miami (Hurricanes are far from their old timey dominant selves)
(19) Colorado (trouble getting the offense going on the road)
(21) Auburn (lost at home to Tennessee? That's not good)
(2) Georgia 16-36 (13) LSU
Thought UGA would give them the what-for but, man, they never got any offense going at all. LSU chipped away, chipped away, chipped away and before you knew it, UGA was buried. LSU's season is (and always has been) Alabama, if they get it done, they're back in business. Georgia should still come out of the East, so Alabama will decide their fate, too.
(19) Colorado 20-31 Southern Cal
USC made plays, Colorado just kept spinning their wheels. They both played hard but USC controlled this game from beginning to end.
Top 25
Handled their business
(1) Alabama, (3) Ohio State, (5) Notre Dame, (9) Texas, (12) Michigan, (13) LSU, (14) Florida, (22) Texas A&M
Got it done but did not impress
(10) Central Florida (coming from behind to steal one at Memphis? Meh)
(23) South Florida (amazing comeback late to steal a W from mighty Tulsa)
Not so good
(2) Georgia (never got any offense going against LSU, kinda ugly)
(6) West Virginia (Iowa State, man, they got the magic of scaring/beating the ranked squads)
(7) Washington (with Auburn losing, too, UW's hopes have vanished)
(8) Penn State (this surprised me, thought the Lions were gonna win out (thought Sparty sucked))
(15) Wisconsin (not like them to get blown out but they were never in this game)
(16) Miami (Hurricanes are far from their old timey dominant selves)
(19) Colorado (trouble getting the offense going on the road)
(21) Auburn (lost at home to Tennessee? That's not good)
2018-19 NBA Predictions
Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic (Mavs)
I got a feeling this won't even be close. Dude, the guy can already play, we know that and the fact that multiple teams passed on him in search of "upside" is absurd. The Mavs are a good place for him to be, once he and Smith get a rhythm, he'll be off to the races.
Other candidates: Deandre Ayton (Suns) has looked good in pre-season and since the Suns look pretty terrible to my eye, he'll have plenty of opportunities to shine out. Kevin Knox (Kncks) is gonna be good, he's gonna be fun, he's gonna get plenty of playing time and he'll be in New York, if anyone gets more praise than Doncic, it'll be probably be Knox. Jaren Jackson (Grizzlies) and Wendell Carter (Bulls) should both get plenty of playing time and I expect them to be solid rotation guys right away--which is a good thing--but I don't think it'll be enough to elevate either of them to the top of the class in the 1st year. Harry Giles (King) was the #1 prospect coming out of high school 3 years ago, but an injury-plagues coupla years have dropped him out of the limelight, but considering that the Kings are the Kings, he'll get plenty of chances to shine and I suspect by the end of the year he'll be balling out. Grayson Allen (Jazz) is not the top of his class but Utah is a good spot for him, he'll get time in a system where he can play his game; I can see him having a really good year. Lonnie Walker (Spurs) is, injuries aside, in a good place to learn how the NBA works, I think they'll maximize his athleticism and he'll be an important of the rotation by the end of the year. I got a weird feeling that Jacob Evans (Warriors) is gonna be really good and if that turns out to be the case, I think he'll get playing time and a lot of admirers. And keep an eye on Elie Okobo (Suns), he'll get playing time and he should have plenty of opportunity to establish himself.
MVP: Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
The West will be in flux this year and the Pelicans have the potential to make a nice jump--if Davis shows up and leads the way. I think he will. I think he'll score with efficiency, be a defensive badass and make the kind of plays that drop jaws. And if the Pelicans comfortably glide into the playoffs, that should be enough to earn him serious MVP votes. (Also throw in that the Warriors, Celtics and Raptors have such deep rosters that they won't be absorbing any of those votes)
Other candidates: Lebron James (Lakers) will definitely get attention if he balls out in a Lakers uni the way he did last year in Cleveland and that could definitely happen, but I got a feeling Lebron eases up a bit (also, of course, the Lakers will have ups and downs that taunt the media). Kawhi Leonard (Raptors) is set for a big comeback year on a good team with a deep bench and an adoring crowd, I can absolutely see him winning hearts and minds. Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks) is all set to have a breakout year especially now that he finally has a coach that will maximize his potential. Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) is the leader of a really good team and he's got nothing better to do than be a badass on the court (but I think he's too young to get the votes). Joel Embiid (Sixers) is exciting and ready to jump and even though this is really Simmons' team, I can see Embiid taking a lot of the credit. Longshots: Kemba Walker (Hornets), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), Damien Lillard (Blazers) are all leaders of their teams and if any of them can drag their teams further up the standings, I can see them getting votes.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)
I was gonna go with Davis here but I gave him MVP, so I think this will be Kawhi's prize. If Kawhi has his regular season, his defense alone will spur (*) the Raptors to a lot of wins, a lot of easy buckets on offense, a point differential that may lead the league. And they'll be fun to watch, they'll be competitive against the best teams and they should crush the shit out of the lesser squads. And Comeback won't really seem appropriate, so voters will be dying to give him this.
Other candidates: Rudy Gobert (Jazz) was, I thought kinda overrated last year but he is great and if he stays healthy he will anchor a really good team on the rise and that will earn him many votes. Paul George (Thunder) will deserve his own accolades after living in Westbrook's shadow and frankly the team is built for him to be the leader on the defensive end. Anthony Davis (Pelicans) will win MVP but if he doesn't, he'll be high over here. Ben Simmons (Sixers), Robert Covington (Sixers), Joel Embiid (Sixers) will anchor potentially the league's best D but they'll take votes from each other so hard to imagine any of them actually winning. Victor Oladipo (Pacers) led the league in Steals last year, I can see him doing it again. Andre Drummond (Pistons) has been overlooked most of his career but if the Pistons can slither into the playoffs (I had 'em 7th in the East), then he'll be deserving of some recognition.
6th Man: Isiah Thomas (Nuggets)
I'm struggling to figure who will dominate off the bench season--and Thomas may well be a starter! But it seems to me if the Nuggets use him correctly, it'll be bringing him late and giving him a green light against everyone else's 2nd string. I also kinda like Julius Randle (Pelicans) for the same reason. And, of course, Lou Williams (Clippers) will get votes, I guarantee.
Most Improved: Brandon Ingram (Lakers)
If Lebron wants it to happen, then this kid will have a monster season and everyone will see it. (That said, I probably would've gone with Dejounte Murray (Spurs) here because he was ready to take over this team but not this year)
Other candidates: Aaron Gordon (Magic) is the best player on a bad team and I can see him being a Fantasy League hoss this season. Jahlil Okafor (Pelicans) was more maligned than need be but it sets a pretty low bar for him if he finds himself off the Pelican bench. Kris Dunn (Bulls) still has, I think, a shot at being really good (though this squad is gonna be a tough one for him to stand out). Dante Exum (Jazz) is, hopefully, going to finally show us what he's got, I suspect he'll be really good off the bench. Dennis Smith (Mavs) should improve as his team improves and the Mavs should be wildly better than last year. Andrew Wiggins (Wolves) looked really good in the first coupla weeks last year, then Jimmy Butler took over and we never saw him again; well, Butler doesn't look to be too much of an impediment this year, now's the time for Wiggins to blow up. Josh Richardson (Heat) has really always been good but I think this year people will finally notice and cement his status as a defensive stopper. Cedi Osman (Cavs) is gonna have plenty of chances to show what he can do, I think he'll be pretty good. Josh Jackson (Suns) has skills but if he can add some scoring to his game, he'll be really good. Willie Cauley-Stein (Kings) is ready to settle into a DPOY-level force for the Kings. John Collins (Hawks) is good and I think he'll get better (though I'm not sure anyone will notice because the Hawks will be very bad).
Coach of the Year: Greg Popovic (Spurs)/Mike Budenholzer (Bucks)
Pop deserves the award pretty much every year but this year, as the new-look Spurs overcome injuries to claw their way into the post-season late (rather than tanking which would be the smart thing to do) and it'll be Pop that takes the lion's share of the credit. As the Bucks cement their place near the top of the East and Giannis becomes a viable MVP candidate, it'll be Coach Bud that gets the cred (and deservedly so).
Executive of the Year: Rob Pelinka (Lakers)/Danny Ainge (Celtics)
Pelinka signed Lebron and you didn't...so....there's that. Ainge has his fingerprints all over the Celtics' roster from brilliant drafts to bold trades to snagging the best coach in all of basketball, as the Celtics climb the standings it'll be Ainge that basks in the glow.
Regular Season:
East/West
Celtics/Warriors
Raptors/Rockets
Bucks/Jazz
Sixers/Thunder
Pacers/Lakers
Wizards/Pelicans
Pistons/Nuggets
Heat/Spurs
Hornets/Blazers
Cavs/Mavs
Bulls/Clippers
Knicks/Wolves
Nets/Grizzlies
Magic/Kings
Hawks/Suns
Playoffs:
Celtics over Heat (5)/Warriors over Spurs (5)
Raptors over Pistons (6)/Rockets over Nuggets (6)
Bucks over Wizards (6)/Jazz over Pelicans (7)
Sixers over Pacers (7)/Lakers over Thunder (7)
Celtics over Sixers (7)/Warriors over Lakers (7)
Raptors over Bucks (7)/Rockets over Jazz (6)
Raptors over Celtics (7)/Warriors over Rockets (6)
Warriors over Raptors (5)
There you go, don't even need the season now, really. But I'm glad it's coming just the same.
(*) Heh, you like that?
I got a feeling this won't even be close. Dude, the guy can already play, we know that and the fact that multiple teams passed on him in search of "upside" is absurd. The Mavs are a good place for him to be, once he and Smith get a rhythm, he'll be off to the races.
Other candidates: Deandre Ayton (Suns) has looked good in pre-season and since the Suns look pretty terrible to my eye, he'll have plenty of opportunities to shine out. Kevin Knox (Kncks) is gonna be good, he's gonna be fun, he's gonna get plenty of playing time and he'll be in New York, if anyone gets more praise than Doncic, it'll be probably be Knox. Jaren Jackson (Grizzlies) and Wendell Carter (Bulls) should both get plenty of playing time and I expect them to be solid rotation guys right away--which is a good thing--but I don't think it'll be enough to elevate either of them to the top of the class in the 1st year. Harry Giles (King) was the #1 prospect coming out of high school 3 years ago, but an injury-plagues coupla years have dropped him out of the limelight, but considering that the Kings are the Kings, he'll get plenty of chances to shine and I suspect by the end of the year he'll be balling out. Grayson Allen (Jazz) is not the top of his class but Utah is a good spot for him, he'll get time in a system where he can play his game; I can see him having a really good year. Lonnie Walker (Spurs) is, injuries aside, in a good place to learn how the NBA works, I think they'll maximize his athleticism and he'll be an important of the rotation by the end of the year. I got a weird feeling that Jacob Evans (Warriors) is gonna be really good and if that turns out to be the case, I think he'll get playing time and a lot of admirers. And keep an eye on Elie Okobo (Suns), he'll get playing time and he should have plenty of opportunity to establish himself.
MVP: Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
The West will be in flux this year and the Pelicans have the potential to make a nice jump--if Davis shows up and leads the way. I think he will. I think he'll score with efficiency, be a defensive badass and make the kind of plays that drop jaws. And if the Pelicans comfortably glide into the playoffs, that should be enough to earn him serious MVP votes. (Also throw in that the Warriors, Celtics and Raptors have such deep rosters that they won't be absorbing any of those votes)
Other candidates: Lebron James (Lakers) will definitely get attention if he balls out in a Lakers uni the way he did last year in Cleveland and that could definitely happen, but I got a feeling Lebron eases up a bit (also, of course, the Lakers will have ups and downs that taunt the media). Kawhi Leonard (Raptors) is set for a big comeback year on a good team with a deep bench and an adoring crowd, I can absolutely see him winning hearts and minds. Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks) is all set to have a breakout year especially now that he finally has a coach that will maximize his potential. Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) is the leader of a really good team and he's got nothing better to do than be a badass on the court (but I think he's too young to get the votes). Joel Embiid (Sixers) is exciting and ready to jump and even though this is really Simmons' team, I can see Embiid taking a lot of the credit. Longshots: Kemba Walker (Hornets), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), Damien Lillard (Blazers) are all leaders of their teams and if any of them can drag their teams further up the standings, I can see them getting votes.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)
I was gonna go with Davis here but I gave him MVP, so I think this will be Kawhi's prize. If Kawhi has his regular season, his defense alone will spur (*) the Raptors to a lot of wins, a lot of easy buckets on offense, a point differential that may lead the league. And they'll be fun to watch, they'll be competitive against the best teams and they should crush the shit out of the lesser squads. And Comeback won't really seem appropriate, so voters will be dying to give him this.
Other candidates: Rudy Gobert (Jazz) was, I thought kinda overrated last year but he is great and if he stays healthy he will anchor a really good team on the rise and that will earn him many votes. Paul George (Thunder) will deserve his own accolades after living in Westbrook's shadow and frankly the team is built for him to be the leader on the defensive end. Anthony Davis (Pelicans) will win MVP but if he doesn't, he'll be high over here. Ben Simmons (Sixers), Robert Covington (Sixers), Joel Embiid (Sixers) will anchor potentially the league's best D but they'll take votes from each other so hard to imagine any of them actually winning. Victor Oladipo (Pacers) led the league in Steals last year, I can see him doing it again. Andre Drummond (Pistons) has been overlooked most of his career but if the Pistons can slither into the playoffs (I had 'em 7th in the East), then he'll be deserving of some recognition.
6th Man: Isiah Thomas (Nuggets)
I'm struggling to figure who will dominate off the bench season--and Thomas may well be a starter! But it seems to me if the Nuggets use him correctly, it'll be bringing him late and giving him a green light against everyone else's 2nd string. I also kinda like Julius Randle (Pelicans) for the same reason. And, of course, Lou Williams (Clippers) will get votes, I guarantee.
Most Improved: Brandon Ingram (Lakers)
If Lebron wants it to happen, then this kid will have a monster season and everyone will see it. (That said, I probably would've gone with Dejounte Murray (Spurs) here because he was ready to take over this team but not this year)
Other candidates: Aaron Gordon (Magic) is the best player on a bad team and I can see him being a Fantasy League hoss this season. Jahlil Okafor (Pelicans) was more maligned than need be but it sets a pretty low bar for him if he finds himself off the Pelican bench. Kris Dunn (Bulls) still has, I think, a shot at being really good (though this squad is gonna be a tough one for him to stand out). Dante Exum (Jazz) is, hopefully, going to finally show us what he's got, I suspect he'll be really good off the bench. Dennis Smith (Mavs) should improve as his team improves and the Mavs should be wildly better than last year. Andrew Wiggins (Wolves) looked really good in the first coupla weeks last year, then Jimmy Butler took over and we never saw him again; well, Butler doesn't look to be too much of an impediment this year, now's the time for Wiggins to blow up. Josh Richardson (Heat) has really always been good but I think this year people will finally notice and cement his status as a defensive stopper. Cedi Osman (Cavs) is gonna have plenty of chances to show what he can do, I think he'll be pretty good. Josh Jackson (Suns) has skills but if he can add some scoring to his game, he'll be really good. Willie Cauley-Stein (Kings) is ready to settle into a DPOY-level force for the Kings. John Collins (Hawks) is good and I think he'll get better (though I'm not sure anyone will notice because the Hawks will be very bad).
Coach of the Year: Greg Popovic (Spurs)/Mike Budenholzer (Bucks)
Pop deserves the award pretty much every year but this year, as the new-look Spurs overcome injuries to claw their way into the post-season late (rather than tanking which would be the smart thing to do) and it'll be Pop that takes the lion's share of the credit. As the Bucks cement their place near the top of the East and Giannis becomes a viable MVP candidate, it'll be Coach Bud that gets the cred (and deservedly so).
Executive of the Year: Rob Pelinka (Lakers)/Danny Ainge (Celtics)
Pelinka signed Lebron and you didn't...so....there's that. Ainge has his fingerprints all over the Celtics' roster from brilliant drafts to bold trades to snagging the best coach in all of basketball, as the Celtics climb the standings it'll be Ainge that basks in the glow.
Regular Season:
East/West
Celtics/Warriors
Raptors/Rockets
Bucks/Jazz
Sixers/Thunder
Pacers/Lakers
Wizards/Pelicans
Pistons/Nuggets
Heat/Spurs
Hornets/Blazers
Cavs/Mavs
Bulls/Clippers
Knicks/Wolves
Nets/Grizzlies
Magic/Kings
Hawks/Suns
Playoffs:
Celtics over Heat (5)/Warriors over Spurs (5)
Raptors over Pistons (6)/Rockets over Nuggets (6)
Bucks over Wizards (6)/Jazz over Pelicans (7)
Sixers over Pacers (7)/Lakers over Thunder (7)
Celtics over Sixers (7)/Warriors over Lakers (7)
Raptors over Bucks (7)/Rockets over Jazz (6)
Raptors over Celtics (7)/Warriors over Rockets (6)
Warriors over Raptors (5)
There you go, don't even need the season now, really. But I'm glad it's coming just the same.
(*) Heh, you like that?
2018-19 NBA Pre-season (Southwest)
Grizzlies
Out: Mario Chalmers, Tyreke Evans, Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis, Myke Henry, Jarrell Martin, Kobi Simmons
The Grizzlies have been grasping at straws for at least the last year and a half, so these straws are out to make room for new straws. Chalmers is a reasonable 2nd/3rd string PG, which is not a high priority for the Grizz right now. Evans was pretty good last year but not a piece going forward (though failing to get value for him at the trade deadline was a whiff). They gave McLemore another shot and learned what we all already knew: helluva athlete, not much a baller. Davis is cheap enough to seem right for this roster but doesn't seem like a big loss (at the moment). Ditto with Henry, Martin and Simmons: they were worth a try at their price points, they may well have earned another shot, but they're probably better off getting that shot with another squad.
In: Jaren Jackson, Kyle Anderson, Omri Casspi, Jevon Carter, Garrett Temple, Yuta Watanabe, (rights to Tyler Harvey), Shelvin Mack, Doral Moore, Markel Crawfod, Brandon Goodwin, DJ Stephens
Jackson is going to be just fine in Memphis, he's got grit, he's got grind, I don't like his ROY chances but I do like his chances to be a firm part of this rotation for years to come (that said, passing on Doncic may look like the biggest mistake of all time and frankly I thought Michael Porter was a good fit for the Grizz--and they could've traded back to get him!). I like Anderson, but I don't see him as a game changer for this roster. Casspi's inability to catch on with the Warriors last year is troubling, makes one wonder if he has anything left. Carter's shooting number in NCAA stayed pretty consistent as his MPG increased, considering that the Grizz need all the scoring they can get, I'd say that's a good sign. Temple is a reasonable vet off the bench (and he allowed them to prune their payroll), he'll get minutes but hard to see him making a huge difference. Mack is another nice vet PG off the bench (the new Chalmers), their desperation for PG's last season suggest he'll get regular minutes and he should be fine in that role. Watanabe, Moore, Crawford, Goodwin and Stephens will fight over the down-the-bench roster spots or the G-League spots and at least a few of them won't last through pre-season (though I have no idea which one).
Re-signed: (none)
All in all
Healthy seasons out of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol will vastly improve this team and a healthy season out of Chandler Parsons would be nice, too. That said, it seems like all three are trade bait...except that this is Memphis, who does that 'loyalty' thing that old people assure us used to happen all the time (I'm dubious). So gotta figure those three are gonna get as many minutes as possible. The rest of the rotation will start with Jaren Jackson and Kyle Anderson, then looks like a patchwork quilt of youth (Brooks, Carter--is Ivan Rabb still on the radar? Or Andrew Harrison?) and vets (Mack, Casspi, Temple) and...uh...MarShon Brooks? (Really? Is that a thing?)
If Conley and Gasol are healthy the Grizzlies will be a lot better. Those guys are good to keep them in games and genuinely savvy enough to win them. If they're not healthy...aw, man....they're gonna wish they had Luka Doncic. (MarShon Brooks looks to actually get minutes, remember that) At best they can hang around the edge of the playoff race but the West looks pretty damn strong, the Grizzlies are gonna struggle to be better than the Wolves or Mavs.
Mavs
Out: Doug McDermott, Aaron Harrison, Nerlens Noel, Kyle Collinsworth, Seth Curry, Yogi Farrell, Johnathon Motley, Renaldas Seibutis, Terry Larrier,
They kinda had Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell stolen out from under them but none of these guys were a focus for the Mavs going forward. McDermott is nice but wasn't gonna get the payday he was looking for in Dallas. Nerlens has talent, but he clearly clashed with Coach Carlisle (and everyone else, according to the buzz) and was never gonna work in Dallas. Harrison, Collinsworth, and Motley weren't part of the future. I don't know Seibutis (well, the rights to him) or Larrier.
In: Deandre Jordan, Luka Doncic, Ryan Broekhoff, Kostas Antetokounpo, Jalen Brunson, Ray Spalding, Daryl Macon, (2020 2nd rd pick swap with Rockets), Devin Harris, Donte Ingram, Rashad Vaughn
All hail the Doncic! This is the new bell cow in town, wouldn't be surprised to see him win ROY and this year is designed to get his feet wet, so they can look to add big time free agents next summer. Deandre is finally a Mav, feels like he could be a good foil for Dennis Smith. Harris is back again with the Mavs. As for the rest, whoever can play gets to stay (Brunson should hang, not sure about any of the rest).
Re-signed: Wesley Matthews (player option), Salah Mejri, Dirk Nowitzki, Jalen Jones
With all the injury problems Matthew has endured lately, gotta figure the Mavs would've been fine with him moving on; but a veteran SF to play lockdown (-ish) D is always a good thing, he should fit in nicely next to Deandre. Mejri was kinda of a fan favorite of the last coupla years, one of those big guys that doesn't overwhelm but works hard and isn't bad. Is this Dirk's final season? (I don't think so, I'm thinking 2 more years--yeah, his defense is abysmal but he's still un-guardable). Jones was a not-bad 3-pt shooter last year and that contract is affordable, not a bad move for the Mavs.
All in all
This is Luka's team now. Not soon, not next year--now! That said, he is a rookie and no one really knows how good he'll be right away (I'm saying ROY, but that doesn't mean he carries the Mavs deep into the playoffs). But make no mistake, he is the center of everything this team will do going forward.
PG Smith, SG Matthews, SF Doncic, PF Barnes, C Jordan with Barrea/Harris, Brunson, Jones, Dirk, Finney-Smith, Powell, Mejri. Lot of unknowns here: how will Smith and Luka hit it off? Is Matthews just playing out his contract or is he back to bad-ass defender level? Can Jordan make a difference down low or is he just taking up cap space? Is Barnes actually gonna be as good as he's supposed to be? Was Powell a fluke or can he be a force off the bench? Will Jalen Brunson give good minutes? Is the Barrea/Harris platoon really good enough to keep the 2nd string effective? Do the Mavs even wanna be good this year or are they looking to all that cap space they'll have next summer?
It'll take time for Smith and Luke to work it out, they're both ball-dominant guys and since success is not imminent, hard feelings could develop in the locker room; but they're both good players, they'll figure it out. I have no idea about Matthews, Barnes, Brunson or Powell; if those guys are all good, the Mavs could vastly improve this year. As for the veterans PG's, well, Barrea is still amazingly efficient (once Brandon Knight's price point comes down, this seems like the spot for him, no?) but I suspect this won't last past next summer--and if the Mavs actually think they can win this year, I would expect to see them upgrade ball handlers off the bench first and foremost.
I dunno, man. I can actually see this team being really good but its hard to imagine that'll happen right away. I think they hang around the 8th spot most all year long--ideally, they'd make a late push and then just miss the playoffs, giving them hope for next year (Dirk's last year) on which they could invest that big ol' knot of cap space they'll have. The Mavs will be good again but I'd be surprised if was this season.
Pelicans
Out: Charles Cooke, Demarcus Cousins, Jordan Crawford, Rajon Rondo, Deandre Liggins, Emeka Okafor
Boogie Cousins was having a great season when he got hurt last year...but the team got better after he was out; tough to lose a great player but Boogie takes up a lot of oxygen, I think they're better without him. Rondo, on the other hand, I thought looked as good as he has in years with the Pelicans and I think it's a mistake for him to leave (ehh, I may be wrong about that, though I'd be surprised if he lasted more than one year in LA). Okafor and Liggins are fine practice player, Crawford and Cooke are not big losses.
In: Elfrid Payton, Julius Randle, Trevon Bluitt, Garlon Green, Kenrich Williams, Troy Williams, Jahlil Okafor, Darius Morris, Jarrett Jack, Brandon McCoy
Payton is a bit frustrating as an old timey pass-first PG but I think there's enough scoring around him to put him in the Rondo role. Randle, too, is frustrating because of his rather unorthodox style (check him out: he's a lefty that refuses to play like a lefty), but his fearlessness is kinda joyous to watch and I think he'll fit in just fine in this rotation. I liked Bluitt in NCAA, a combo guard that looks to score as well as pass, I do not if he'll make it in the League but he's worth a shot. Hey, man, I thought the criticism of Okafor was wildly overblown, kinda soft on D but I think he can be a top flight scorer (I'd aim for him as 6th man here). Jarret Jack....damn, that dude is still around....all right. I don't know Green, Williams, Williams, Morris or McCoy.
Re-signed: Ian Clark
His numbers kinda dropped off last year but the contract is reasonable (I might've preferred a run at Patrick McCaw instead, but okay).
All in all
They blasted the Blazers in the playoffs last year--looked poised to give the Warriors a run (uh, didn't happen). I think they can do that again though with Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies and Nuggets set to be better next year, there's not much room for the Pelicans, so they better hit the ground running.
PG Holiday, SG Moore, SF Mirotic, PF Okafor, C Davis with Payton/Jackson, Clark/Jack, Miller/Hill, Randle, Ajinca. It'd be nice if Diallo takes a step forward or if Troy Williams gives a little more than expected. That's a nice team, not a great one, and it's up to Anthony Davis to be an MVP to make this work. If Davis is the best he can be and Okafor and Randle have something like a renaissance then the Pelicans can maybe get up to 4th but I think fighting for 8th is probably more likely.
Rockets
Out: Joe Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tarik Black, Trevor Ariza, Aaron Jackson, Markel Brown, Chinanu Onuaku, Ryan Anderson, RJ Hunter
Ariza did an awful lot for this team over the last few years but I don't think he's irreplaceable. But I found Johnson, Mbah a Moute, and Anderson were more overpaid than useful. Black, Brown, Onuaku and Hunter were youngsters that didn't find much run in Houston because this is a roster based on vets not youngsters.
In: Gary Clark, (rights to Vince Edwards), Michael Carter-Williams, James Ennis, Isaih Hartenstein, Carmelo Anthony, (rights to Maarty Leunen), Marquesse Chriss, Brandon Knight, Bruno Caboclo
Ennis is a good pick up (and the potential replacement for Ariza) and I still like Knight, I think he can maximize their 2nd string. I'm still not a fan of Carmelo and while the price tag is right, we'll see if his game complements the vibe. MCW is a reasonable ball handler but not much of a scorer (I guess he could be paired with Knight off the bench). The brass seems to love Hartenstein and if he can give energy off the bench, that'd be great. Personally I was never much of a fan of Chriss (what is his game? What does he do?) but getting him a a throw-in could turn out to be a masterstroke for this roster. Caboclo, too, might be nothing but maybe he finally he hits his stride. Edwards and Clark may look like 'youth' but 'roster-filler' is probably more accurate.
Re-signed: (Coach D'antoni extended), Gerald Green (1yr/$2.4m), Chris Paul (4yr/$158.7), Clint Capela (5yr/$90m)
D'antoni has served them well so far, seems like a good call to pay the man. I thought Green was surprisingly effective for them in the post-season and that is a very reasonable deal. CP, on the other hand...I dunno, man...he's still good...but 4 years? At that price? This might be the deal that buries them (though letting him go would not have served them well either). Capela dangled most of the summer but they needed him back and they got him.
All in all
James Harden's Barry Bonds-like efficiency is what makes the Rockets a fearsome team. Chris Paul adds to that and the proper use of Clint Capela does, too. After that they're just another squad. So while I think they can win a ton of regular season games, I'm still dubious of their ability to outduel the Warriors (and maybe even the Lakers, who will be featuring a pretty efficient guy themselves). I wouldn't be surprised to see them finish 1st in the West, but I always surprised to see them get bounced in the 2nd round of the playoffs. We'll see.
Spurs
Out: Joffrey Lauvergne, Matt Costello, Tony Parker, Kyle Anderson, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Darrun Hilliard, Manu Ginobli,
Man, no Manu, no Parker, no Kawhi, not even Kyle Anderson or Danny Green! Massive turnover for the Spurs this year, we're gonna find out if that Popovic guy can actually coach, I guess.
In: Marco Belinelli, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poetl, (2019 Raptors 1st rd pick), Quincy Pondexter, Chimizie Metu, Drew Eubanks, Jarron Blossongame, Nick Johnson, Okaro White
Belinelli is back for his 2nd tour with the Spurs, he'll give them wing scoring off the bench. Walker looks to be a defensive specialist, which should suit Pop's style and get him regular minutes off the bench. Cunningham and Pondexter are a pair 3-and-D vets off the bench. DeRozan is now the man, how he pairs with Aldridge will determine how far the Spurs go this season. Metu had decent numbers at Southern Cal, seems like he'll fall in line behind Pau. Blossongame, Johnson and White were all guys that had draft buzz but fell, seems like exactly what the Spurs are looking for.
Re-signed: Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans, Rudy Gay, Dejounte Murray (team option), Jakob Poetl (team option), Derrick White (team option)
I thought Gay was gonna bail (wouldn't the Lakers rather have him than, say, Lance Stephenson or JaVale McGee?), but here he is, ready to shore up the bench again. I like Forbes and Bertans, they work hard and do the little things the Spurs like. Picking up the options on Murray, White and Poetl were positive moves, I'd say, good to go ahead and give the confidence vote to the rank and file.
All in all
The Spurs are brand new now and yet strangely similar to last season--but probably better. (Hmmm, that doesn't seem right, does it?) I was ready to predict a Renaissance...but then Murray blew out his knee and, man, that throws a real wrench in their rotation. He was set to take off but even if he was just average that would've been better than what awaits without him.
Starting lineup: PG Mills, SG DeRozan, SF Gay, PF Gasol, C Aldridge with Forbes, Walker, Belinelli, Pondexter, Cunningham, Poetl, Bertans off the bench (with any growth out of Blossongame and Metu being a bonus). That's not bad. This team has been seemingly steadily declining in talent but still manages to breeze into the playoffs every year because they get such good efficiency from the entire roster. And I was expecting that to continue this season. That said, I still like the Spurs to make the playoffs, coming in with a newfound underdog swagger (though I don't see them giving the Warriors much worry in the 1st round).
Out: Mario Chalmers, Tyreke Evans, Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis, Myke Henry, Jarrell Martin, Kobi Simmons
The Grizzlies have been grasping at straws for at least the last year and a half, so these straws are out to make room for new straws. Chalmers is a reasonable 2nd/3rd string PG, which is not a high priority for the Grizz right now. Evans was pretty good last year but not a piece going forward (though failing to get value for him at the trade deadline was a whiff). They gave McLemore another shot and learned what we all already knew: helluva athlete, not much a baller. Davis is cheap enough to seem right for this roster but doesn't seem like a big loss (at the moment). Ditto with Henry, Martin and Simmons: they were worth a try at their price points, they may well have earned another shot, but they're probably better off getting that shot with another squad.
In: Jaren Jackson, Kyle Anderson, Omri Casspi, Jevon Carter, Garrett Temple, Yuta Watanabe, (rights to Tyler Harvey), Shelvin Mack, Doral Moore, Markel Crawfod, Brandon Goodwin, DJ Stephens
Jackson is going to be just fine in Memphis, he's got grit, he's got grind, I don't like his ROY chances but I do like his chances to be a firm part of this rotation for years to come (that said, passing on Doncic may look like the biggest mistake of all time and frankly I thought Michael Porter was a good fit for the Grizz--and they could've traded back to get him!). I like Anderson, but I don't see him as a game changer for this roster. Casspi's inability to catch on with the Warriors last year is troubling, makes one wonder if he has anything left. Carter's shooting number in NCAA stayed pretty consistent as his MPG increased, considering that the Grizz need all the scoring they can get, I'd say that's a good sign. Temple is a reasonable vet off the bench (and he allowed them to prune their payroll), he'll get minutes but hard to see him making a huge difference. Mack is another nice vet PG off the bench (the new Chalmers), their desperation for PG's last season suggest he'll get regular minutes and he should be fine in that role. Watanabe, Moore, Crawford, Goodwin and Stephens will fight over the down-the-bench roster spots or the G-League spots and at least a few of them won't last through pre-season (though I have no idea which one).
Re-signed: (none)
All in all
Healthy seasons out of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol will vastly improve this team and a healthy season out of Chandler Parsons would be nice, too. That said, it seems like all three are trade bait...except that this is Memphis, who does that 'loyalty' thing that old people assure us used to happen all the time (I'm dubious). So gotta figure those three are gonna get as many minutes as possible. The rest of the rotation will start with Jaren Jackson and Kyle Anderson, then looks like a patchwork quilt of youth (Brooks, Carter--is Ivan Rabb still on the radar? Or Andrew Harrison?) and vets (Mack, Casspi, Temple) and...uh...MarShon Brooks? (Really? Is that a thing?)
If Conley and Gasol are healthy the Grizzlies will be a lot better. Those guys are good to keep them in games and genuinely savvy enough to win them. If they're not healthy...aw, man....they're gonna wish they had Luka Doncic. (MarShon Brooks looks to actually get minutes, remember that) At best they can hang around the edge of the playoff race but the West looks pretty damn strong, the Grizzlies are gonna struggle to be better than the Wolves or Mavs.
Mavs
Out: Doug McDermott, Aaron Harrison, Nerlens Noel, Kyle Collinsworth, Seth Curry, Yogi Farrell, Johnathon Motley, Renaldas Seibutis, Terry Larrier,
They kinda had Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell stolen out from under them but none of these guys were a focus for the Mavs going forward. McDermott is nice but wasn't gonna get the payday he was looking for in Dallas. Nerlens has talent, but he clearly clashed with Coach Carlisle (and everyone else, according to the buzz) and was never gonna work in Dallas. Harrison, Collinsworth, and Motley weren't part of the future. I don't know Seibutis (well, the rights to him) or Larrier.
In: Deandre Jordan, Luka Doncic, Ryan Broekhoff, Kostas Antetokounpo, Jalen Brunson, Ray Spalding, Daryl Macon, (2020 2nd rd pick swap with Rockets), Devin Harris, Donte Ingram, Rashad Vaughn
All hail the Doncic! This is the new bell cow in town, wouldn't be surprised to see him win ROY and this year is designed to get his feet wet, so they can look to add big time free agents next summer. Deandre is finally a Mav, feels like he could be a good foil for Dennis Smith. Harris is back again with the Mavs. As for the rest, whoever can play gets to stay (Brunson should hang, not sure about any of the rest).
Re-signed: Wesley Matthews (player option), Salah Mejri, Dirk Nowitzki, Jalen Jones
With all the injury problems Matthew has endured lately, gotta figure the Mavs would've been fine with him moving on; but a veteran SF to play lockdown (-ish) D is always a good thing, he should fit in nicely next to Deandre. Mejri was kinda of a fan favorite of the last coupla years, one of those big guys that doesn't overwhelm but works hard and isn't bad. Is this Dirk's final season? (I don't think so, I'm thinking 2 more years--yeah, his defense is abysmal but he's still un-guardable). Jones was a not-bad 3-pt shooter last year and that contract is affordable, not a bad move for the Mavs.
All in all
This is Luka's team now. Not soon, not next year--now! That said, he is a rookie and no one really knows how good he'll be right away (I'm saying ROY, but that doesn't mean he carries the Mavs deep into the playoffs). But make no mistake, he is the center of everything this team will do going forward.
PG Smith, SG Matthews, SF Doncic, PF Barnes, C Jordan with Barrea/Harris, Brunson, Jones, Dirk, Finney-Smith, Powell, Mejri. Lot of unknowns here: how will Smith and Luka hit it off? Is Matthews just playing out his contract or is he back to bad-ass defender level? Can Jordan make a difference down low or is he just taking up cap space? Is Barnes actually gonna be as good as he's supposed to be? Was Powell a fluke or can he be a force off the bench? Will Jalen Brunson give good minutes? Is the Barrea/Harris platoon really good enough to keep the 2nd string effective? Do the Mavs even wanna be good this year or are they looking to all that cap space they'll have next summer?
It'll take time for Smith and Luke to work it out, they're both ball-dominant guys and since success is not imminent, hard feelings could develop in the locker room; but they're both good players, they'll figure it out. I have no idea about Matthews, Barnes, Brunson or Powell; if those guys are all good, the Mavs could vastly improve this year. As for the veterans PG's, well, Barrea is still amazingly efficient (once Brandon Knight's price point comes down, this seems like the spot for him, no?) but I suspect this won't last past next summer--and if the Mavs actually think they can win this year, I would expect to see them upgrade ball handlers off the bench first and foremost.
I dunno, man. I can actually see this team being really good but its hard to imagine that'll happen right away. I think they hang around the 8th spot most all year long--ideally, they'd make a late push and then just miss the playoffs, giving them hope for next year (Dirk's last year) on which they could invest that big ol' knot of cap space they'll have. The Mavs will be good again but I'd be surprised if was this season.
Pelicans
Out: Charles Cooke, Demarcus Cousins, Jordan Crawford, Rajon Rondo, Deandre Liggins, Emeka Okafor
Boogie Cousins was having a great season when he got hurt last year...but the team got better after he was out; tough to lose a great player but Boogie takes up a lot of oxygen, I think they're better without him. Rondo, on the other hand, I thought looked as good as he has in years with the Pelicans and I think it's a mistake for him to leave (ehh, I may be wrong about that, though I'd be surprised if he lasted more than one year in LA). Okafor and Liggins are fine practice player, Crawford and Cooke are not big losses.
In: Elfrid Payton, Julius Randle, Trevon Bluitt, Garlon Green, Kenrich Williams, Troy Williams, Jahlil Okafor, Darius Morris, Jarrett Jack, Brandon McCoy
Payton is a bit frustrating as an old timey pass-first PG but I think there's enough scoring around him to put him in the Rondo role. Randle, too, is frustrating because of his rather unorthodox style (check him out: he's a lefty that refuses to play like a lefty), but his fearlessness is kinda joyous to watch and I think he'll fit in just fine in this rotation. I liked Bluitt in NCAA, a combo guard that looks to score as well as pass, I do not if he'll make it in the League but he's worth a shot. Hey, man, I thought the criticism of Okafor was wildly overblown, kinda soft on D but I think he can be a top flight scorer (I'd aim for him as 6th man here). Jarret Jack....damn, that dude is still around....all right. I don't know Green, Williams, Williams, Morris or McCoy.
Re-signed: Ian Clark
His numbers kinda dropped off last year but the contract is reasonable (I might've preferred a run at Patrick McCaw instead, but okay).
All in all
They blasted the Blazers in the playoffs last year--looked poised to give the Warriors a run (uh, didn't happen). I think they can do that again though with Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies and Nuggets set to be better next year, there's not much room for the Pelicans, so they better hit the ground running.
PG Holiday, SG Moore, SF Mirotic, PF Okafor, C Davis with Payton/Jackson, Clark/Jack, Miller/Hill, Randle, Ajinca. It'd be nice if Diallo takes a step forward or if Troy Williams gives a little more than expected. That's a nice team, not a great one, and it's up to Anthony Davis to be an MVP to make this work. If Davis is the best he can be and Okafor and Randle have something like a renaissance then the Pelicans can maybe get up to 4th but I think fighting for 8th is probably more likely.
Rockets
Out: Joe Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tarik Black, Trevor Ariza, Aaron Jackson, Markel Brown, Chinanu Onuaku, Ryan Anderson, RJ Hunter
Ariza did an awful lot for this team over the last few years but I don't think he's irreplaceable. But I found Johnson, Mbah a Moute, and Anderson were more overpaid than useful. Black, Brown, Onuaku and Hunter were youngsters that didn't find much run in Houston because this is a roster based on vets not youngsters.
In: Gary Clark, (rights to Vince Edwards), Michael Carter-Williams, James Ennis, Isaih Hartenstein, Carmelo Anthony, (rights to Maarty Leunen), Marquesse Chriss, Brandon Knight, Bruno Caboclo
Ennis is a good pick up (and the potential replacement for Ariza) and I still like Knight, I think he can maximize their 2nd string. I'm still not a fan of Carmelo and while the price tag is right, we'll see if his game complements the vibe. MCW is a reasonable ball handler but not much of a scorer (I guess he could be paired with Knight off the bench). The brass seems to love Hartenstein and if he can give energy off the bench, that'd be great. Personally I was never much of a fan of Chriss (what is his game? What does he do?) but getting him a a throw-in could turn out to be a masterstroke for this roster. Caboclo, too, might be nothing but maybe he finally he hits his stride. Edwards and Clark may look like 'youth' but 'roster-filler' is probably more accurate.
Re-signed: (Coach D'antoni extended), Gerald Green (1yr/$2.4m), Chris Paul (4yr/$158.7), Clint Capela (5yr/$90m)
D'antoni has served them well so far, seems like a good call to pay the man. I thought Green was surprisingly effective for them in the post-season and that is a very reasonable deal. CP, on the other hand...I dunno, man...he's still good...but 4 years? At that price? This might be the deal that buries them (though letting him go would not have served them well either). Capela dangled most of the summer but they needed him back and they got him.
All in all
James Harden's Barry Bonds-like efficiency is what makes the Rockets a fearsome team. Chris Paul adds to that and the proper use of Clint Capela does, too. After that they're just another squad. So while I think they can win a ton of regular season games, I'm still dubious of their ability to outduel the Warriors (and maybe even the Lakers, who will be featuring a pretty efficient guy themselves). I wouldn't be surprised to see them finish 1st in the West, but I always surprised to see them get bounced in the 2nd round of the playoffs. We'll see.
Spurs
Out: Joffrey Lauvergne, Matt Costello, Tony Parker, Kyle Anderson, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Darrun Hilliard, Manu Ginobli,
Man, no Manu, no Parker, no Kawhi, not even Kyle Anderson or Danny Green! Massive turnover for the Spurs this year, we're gonna find out if that Popovic guy can actually coach, I guess.
In: Marco Belinelli, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poetl, (2019 Raptors 1st rd pick), Quincy Pondexter, Chimizie Metu, Drew Eubanks, Jarron Blossongame, Nick Johnson, Okaro White
Belinelli is back for his 2nd tour with the Spurs, he'll give them wing scoring off the bench. Walker looks to be a defensive specialist, which should suit Pop's style and get him regular minutes off the bench. Cunningham and Pondexter are a pair 3-and-D vets off the bench. DeRozan is now the man, how he pairs with Aldridge will determine how far the Spurs go this season. Metu had decent numbers at Southern Cal, seems like he'll fall in line behind Pau. Blossongame, Johnson and White were all guys that had draft buzz but fell, seems like exactly what the Spurs are looking for.
Re-signed: Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans, Rudy Gay, Dejounte Murray (team option), Jakob Poetl (team option), Derrick White (team option)
I thought Gay was gonna bail (wouldn't the Lakers rather have him than, say, Lance Stephenson or JaVale McGee?), but here he is, ready to shore up the bench again. I like Forbes and Bertans, they work hard and do the little things the Spurs like. Picking up the options on Murray, White and Poetl were positive moves, I'd say, good to go ahead and give the confidence vote to the rank and file.
All in all
The Spurs are brand new now and yet strangely similar to last season--but probably better. (Hmmm, that doesn't seem right, does it?) I was ready to predict a Renaissance...but then Murray blew out his knee and, man, that throws a real wrench in their rotation. He was set to take off but even if he was just average that would've been better than what awaits without him.
Starting lineup: PG Mills, SG DeRozan, SF Gay, PF Gasol, C Aldridge with Forbes, Walker, Belinelli, Pondexter, Cunningham, Poetl, Bertans off the bench (with any growth out of Blossongame and Metu being a bonus). That's not bad. This team has been seemingly steadily declining in talent but still manages to breeze into the playoffs every year because they get such good efficiency from the entire roster. And I was expecting that to continue this season. That said, I still like the Spurs to make the playoffs, coming in with a newfound underdog swagger (though I don't see them giving the Warriors much worry in the 1st round).
2018-19 NBA Pre-season (Northwest)
Blazers
Out: Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, CJ Wilcox, Ed Davis, Georgios Pappagiannis
I kinda liked Ed Davis and unless they're expecting Nurkic to double his game, the Blazers didn't replace his rebounding or defense, I think losing him will be tougher than they think. Connaughton and Wilcox never quite developed, not bad shooters but not ones the Blazers could afford to keep waiting on. Okay I'll admit it: Napier is one of my least favorite players, at best he's a shadow of, say, Terry Rozier. Pappagiannis was a flyer they picked up late last year, gonna file that under easy come/easy go.
In: Anfernee Simmons, Nik Stauskus, Gary Trent Jr, Seth Curry
All shooting Guards? Simmons and Trent look to be an exciting combo guards for the Blazers to develop, on the one hand you don't expect too much out of a rookie, on the other they'll both probably get playing time, if they can score then they'll play. Stauskus was overrated coming out of college, screwed up his draft position and the relative expectations of his game; he's good in int'l play, but he's not the star he was thought to be, a few low pressure off the bench minutes for the Blazers ought to be just fine for him. Is Seth Cutty the poor man's Steph Curry? (No, that's still Jimmer Fredette) But Curry is a 3rd string veteran who will protect the ball and score a few points. I think the Blazers needed to get more to replace Ed Davis, but perhaps overpowering wing scoring could be their thing.
Re-signed: Jusuf Nurkic
I always liked Nurkic (4yr/$48m), toughness down low, sly scorer, I like him with Lillard and McCollum. The Blazers didn't have the money to make a big splash, felt like Nurkic was the guy they had to keep, I think it's a good deal for player and team.
All in all
This team still belongs to Lillard and McCollum, probably the two most over/underrated guys I've ever seen: just when you think they're the shit, their limitations will get put in display, but when you think they can't get it done--shit, that's when they're the most fun to watch! Evan Turner, Mo Harkless and Jusuf Nurkic round out the starting five, got #4 seed last year but I don't quite get how.
Actually I'd start Al-Farouk Aminu and bring Turner off the bench, maybe that's how they run. Letting go of Davis indicates they're expecting jumps out of Meyers Leonard and Zach Collins, thought Collins had a solid if unspectacular rookie season last year and as much as I see the promise of Leonard, I've never actually seen that promise translate to productivity, so we'll see about those two. Curry/Simmons/Stauskus/Trent/Baldwin will give them minutes off the bench, I got no idea which, if any, of them will make a difference. Caleb Swanigan and Jake Layman feel like practice players, hard to imagine big minutes for either of those guys. Blazers finished 4th last year (4th!) but as much as I like watching Lillard and McCollum, I don't see this team as one that's built to go deep in the West.
Jazz
Out: Erik McCree, Jonas Jerebko, David Stockon
Jerebko is a nice random guy off the bench, not great at anything but not bad at anything either, his minutes will go to rookie Grayson Allen, who will probably be about as good as Jerebko, maybe a better scorer, Jerebeko is a nice player (the Warriors will like him) but not irreplaceable by any means. I watched a lot of the Jazz last year and I don't even know who McCree is, I can only assume he is easily replaceable. Stockton has been up/down with them for the last coupla years, this doesn't mean he can't still be a G-League regular for them. The Jazz didn't lose much this summer.
In: Grayson Allen, Jairus Lyles, Tyler Cavanagh, Isaac Haas, Isaiah Cousins
I kinda liked Allen at Duke, decent hardworking 3-and-d guy, kind of an asshole (which is not a bad thing necessarily), his job is to pick up Jerebko's minutes, which I think he'll do nicely, he'll give them a nice 10min/gm, if he knocks down shots he could be a crowd fave, maybe even an ROY longshot (*). I have no idea who Lyles, Cavanagh (2-way), Cousins or Haas are, they may be 2-way guys or be gone by the end of pre-season, I'm sure the Jazz are rooting for all of them. The new guys aren't going to be the difference makers but the Jazz don't have great needs from any of these guys.
Re-signed: Dante Exum, Derrick Favors, Raul Neto, Naz Mitrou-Long, Georges Niang
Salt Lake City is notoriously a tough sell for NBA players, so the Jazz pretty much live on draft picks and resigning their veterans, which is what they did with their money this summer, I figured they would and I think they did right thing. Exum (3yr/$33m) is hard to figure, he's been around a while but he's played so few games that I just have no sense of his game, I think he's good enough to be Donovan Mitchell's backup even if $11m off the bench seems kinda pricey, that said, the Jazz know him better than anyone else does, perhaps they think 3/$33 is a steal, I have to assume this is a good signing (though I'm pretty sure it's not a bad one). Favors (2yrs/$37.6m) is another predictable, safe and smart signing, Favors isn't the bust out down low presence he might've been but with Gobert and Mitchell around he doesn't really need to be, the money is little pricey but a 2yr deal is good for player and team, good signing. I like Neto (2yr/$4.4m), he's a top quality 3rd string PG, he keeps the continuity which means you're winning games in October instead of just futzing around til New Year's like the star-laden teams, the price/years are very reasonable, good signing. Even Niang (3yr/$4.9m) and Mitrou-Long (2-way) are bring-backs and though I don't recall ever seeing either of them, the deals are reasonable and I have to assume that the Jazz have made the right move.
All in all
The Jazz are built for the foreseeable future around Donovan Mitchell handling the ball and Rudy Gobert DPOY-ing down low. Derrick Favors is a weird fit but he's a good player and fan favorite. Ricky Rubio, too, is not a perfect fit with Mitchell but they're both good players and play well enough together. I guess Jae Crowder rounds out the starting five; he was added late last year but seems like a good fit in that rotation.
Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Thabo Sefolosha off the bench with Raul Neto, Royce O'neal, rookie Grayson Allen getting the deep minutes. As I said, I watched a lot of the Jazz last year and I forgot that Alec Burks was even on the team til they whipped him out against OKC and he was making buckets; I have no idea what they get out of Burks or Sefolosha (who was out most of last season) who are like found money for the Jazz: if one or the other gives them really quality minutes perhaps he gives them the extra piece that gets them deep into the post-season or perhaps they're the expiring contract trade chip that brings in that guy, either way whatever they got out of those guys is pure bonus. Not sure why Ekpe Udoh or Tony Bradley are there, guess they're nice guys.
The continuity suggests that the Jazz will hit the ground running, whereas who knows what we'll get out of the Blazers or Wolves, and you know the Lakers will take a while to get it together. Their ability to start fast should give them an advantage on a top-4 seed and will give them plenty of time to build a deep roster. If they can stay fresh through the season, never know, man, they might could catch the Rockets slippin' or the Lakers still figuring it out or the Spurs shooting poorly, this could be the year that injuries catch up with the Warriors. I think the Jazz are gonna be really good, I think they've got a good squad, deep veteran squad, good coach, good star to lead them, good defense, good fans, I think they're primed to be really good this year. I don't think they beat the Warriors but I think they can hang with most everyone else (are you ready for Jazz-Raptors? Eh, I'm okay with that).
Nuggets
Out: Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson, Wilson Chandler, Darrell Arthur, Kenneth Faried, (2019 1st rd pick), (2020 2nd rd pick), (2021 2nd rd pick), (2022 2nd rd pick swap w/Sixers)
They cleared out the veterans and the future draft picks that would theoretically replace them. Chandler, Arthur and Faried had to go and there was no reason for Harris or Jefferson to stay. The Nuggets have their team of the future already in place, so giving up draft picks to prune the roster is actually a minimal cost.
In: Micheal Porter Jr, Thomas Welsh, Jarred Vanderbilt, Isaiah Thomas, (option to 2022 rd pick swap with Sixers), DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, Xavier Silas, Donald Sloan
Porter was, I thought, a top 5 talent who dropped on draft day because concerns about his back and his personality (the Grizzlies might be kicking themselves for years), but the Nuggets were well positioned to pick up what could be the steal of the draft, and I suspect we'll know fairly soon, reports are he's healthy to play and I expect he'll play. Isiah Thomas (1yr/$2.m) is arguably the most valuable signing of the summer: if he can harness that natural Denver home court advantage to get him back anywhere near his MVP-ish 2016-17 season, then $2m will be the biggest bargain since Auburn got Cam Newton for "free"; that said, I'm not sure whether he's a starter or a 6th man, not sure he fits with the rest of the squad, not sure he's got that kind of game in him, not sure he doesn't just stifle the maturation of the rest of the youth. We'll see. I have no idea who Welsh, Terry, Akoon-Purcell, Silas and Sloan are, I suspect they'll be G-Leaguers. I did see some of Jarrod Vanderbilt at Kentucky: hell of an athlete, but I wasn't convinced he was a basketball player, not sure if Calapari wanted his roster spot or if he's just better than he looked (or thinks he is), but what I saw was a G-League level talent, a guy that probably go to China and get by on pure athleticism. Porter and Thomas could be diamonds in the rough (actually Welsh and Vanderbilt could be, too) that the Nuggets got at rock bottom prices, if so the Nuggets could be really good this year. And, as for the pick swap, well the Sixers are planning on being good in 2022, so I doubt that swap does the Nuggets much good.
Re-signed: Torrey Craig, Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Monte Morris
Jokic (5yr/$147.7m) and Barton (4yr/$53m) are good players and Morris (3yr/$4.7m) and Craig (2yr/$4.1m) are reasonable youngsters to fill out the bench. All of these are good moves for the Nuggets.
All in all (**)
Last season, the Nuggets got bounced from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season when they ran out of gas in OT in Minnesota (right as the Wolves were running out of gas, too). This Nuggets roster is kinda weird but there's a lot of talent and a lot of possibility to go with their unique home court advantage. I like the Nuggets to make the playoffs.
I'm guessing they'll start Thomas (though that guy has 6th Man written all over him this year). So the lineup should look like: PG Thomas, SG Murray, SF Lyles/Hernangomez, PF Jokic, C Millsap with Beasley, Harris, Barton, Porter, Lydon, Plumlee off the bench with whatever Craig and Lydon produce being a total bonus. That's a pretty strong man rotation, good depth, and even in the crowded West (Grizzlies and Mavs look to be much better), I think there's enough potential here for the Nuggets to glide into the top 8. And with that home court, I think they'll be a dangerous matchup for the Rockets, Thunder or Spurs (though I kinda doubt they'd give the Warriors, Lakers or Jazz much of a contest).
Thunder
Out: Daniel Hamilton, PJ Dozier, Corey Brewer, Josh Huestis, Dakari Johnson, (2019 2nd rd pick), Carmelo Anthony, (2022 1st rd pick), Devon Hall, Kyle Singler, Donte Grantham
I dunno, I don't see any big losses here. I was never a fan of the Carmelo trade (but they were able to parlay him into Shroeder and Luwawu, so not bad all in all, if you're willing to overlook the year they just wasted with him). Brewer is a nice vet off the bench but hardly irreplaceable. The money/years they gave Singler were kinda mind-boggling at the time, good for the Thunder for finally moving on from him. Hamilton, Huestis, Dozier, Grantham and Dakari were youngsters that just didn't pan out, that happens. Giving up the 1st rounder may come back to bite them but they've got enough youth on the roster right now that they look pretty well built at the moment.
In: Deonte Burton, Nerlens Noel, Abdel Nader, Dennis Shroeder, Timothe Luwawu, Hamidou Diallo, Tyler Davis, Abdul Gaddy, Bryce Alford, KJ McDaniels, Richard Solomon
Nerlens is a guy that has yet to find his footing in the league but this is probably his best (last?) chance to establish himself as the premiere shot blocker/rebounder that he was meant to be. I liked Abdel Nader with the Celtics last year; clearly there was no room in that rotation for him but I think he'll give good energy and a sneaky scoring punch off the bench. I was never a huge fan of Shroeder and I don't think he's the perfect fit here but he is offensively talented and if he can embrace coming off the bench, he could be a secret weapon in the 2nd half for the Thunder all year long. Luwawu is am unknown commodity but he's still young enough to be an exciting prospect. I watched Diallo at Kentucky and he has his moments of being an effective wing-scorer, which suggests to me that the Thunder aren't really a good fit for him; I expect he'll be in the G-League a lot this year (or perhaps snagged in trade by, say, the Pelicans or Sixers?). McDaniels is a high wire athlete, had his moments of looking like a diamond in the rough but hasn't really caught on (I'm guessing he's a great practice player and in that way could be really valuable to team trying to get better).
Re-signed: Paul George (4yr/$136.9m), Jerami Grant (3yr/$27m), Ray Felton (1yr/$2.4m)
Re-signing PG was the "get" of the summer, no? Seemed a foregone conclusion that he was gonna walk but he chose to stay, good for the Thunder. Grant emerged last year as a talented playmaker at the forward spot, this is a reasonable deal for him (wouldn't be surprised to see him get traded, though). Felton is a reliable veteran PG off the bench and that's pretty much a bargain price for him.
All in all
I think they've added a lot of talent and shed a lot of dead wood to get to this point but this is a combustible mix, as well. Nerlens Noel and Dennis Shroeder in the same locker room? Is the fact that neither of them is even remotely close to being the star of the team going to be good for them or bad? Grant, Ferguson, Nader, Luwawu, Patterson and Roberson are basically jockeying for the same playing time, right? Will this be the perfect mix of offense and defense or will we see a mass exodus come the trade deadline? I'm not worried about the top of the lineup: this is Westbrook's team and I think he and George have the necessary respect for each and for Adams, who is clearly the third banana. But, on down that roster is a lot of weird personalities and a lot of grubby competition that could lead to some hard feelings in the locker room.
This is one of those teams that if they come together just right, they could be an offensive machine that plays stingy defense....or they could all fall apart and hate each other by New Year's. We'll see. Last year, I thought adding Carmelo interrupted the flow that Westrbook and PG could attain together, when really what they needed was more depth on the bench than a 3rd banana. Looking back on that...I was right. And the moves they've made this summer give them a lot more flexibility and depth without sacrificing the identity of the team (this is Westbrook's team, for better or worse, this is Westbrook's team). I'm gonna err on the side of good thinking that Coach Donovan has been there long enough to establish his own hold over the locker room. I think the problem with this team, as we saw against the Jazz last year, is that they have a tendency to think the game is won when there is still a long way to go. If this squad develops cohesion and the discipline to run through the finish line, I think they can be really good. Like really really really good. (Yeah, like beating the Warriors in the playoffs good)
Wolves
Out: Jamal Crawford, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Amile Jefferson, Cole Aldrich, Anthony Brown, Aaron Brooks, Nemanja Bjelica, (Jimmy Butler?)
Crawford played much too much for the Wolves last year, his absence is addition by subtraction. Aldrich is a fine backup big man but he didn't play a huge role for the Wolves. Personally, I love Bjelica but he's a luxury that was probably not as useful for the Wolves as for other teams out there (though his new team the Kings would not be on that list either). Georges-Hunt, Jefferson and Brown were youngsters that just got wedged out. I don't even remember Brooks even being there, so not a big loss.
In: Josh Okogie, Jared Terrell, Keita Bates-Diop, Anthony Tolliver, CJ Williams, James Nunnaly, Luol Deng, Darius Johnson-Odom, Jonathon Stark
Okogie and Bates-Diop are promising rookies, we'll see how much run they get in the Thibs rotation. Tolliver is a fine vet off the bench. Deng is the kind of vet trying to get his game back that I would normally like on a young team but with the history with Coach Thibs makes me squeamish. Williams and Nunnaly are vets capable of providing a minimal amount of minutes. Terrell, Johnson-Odom and Stark are unknowns, maybe they are Thibs kinda guys.
Re-signed: Derrick Rose, Karl-Anthony Towns (extension),
Rose doesn't get me too exceited but at this price point, he's a reasonable signing. I'm all in on Towns--and clearly they chose him over Butler (which I would agree with).
All in all
The Jimmy Butler situation is hanging over the start of the season for this team and may well be the event that helps this team get going: the fact that they all seem to hate him might bring this squad together. The Butler trade was a good move at the time but clearly hasn't worked out: even last year's "success" may well have hindered the maturation of these players and Thibs' overuse of him didn't help the team go deep in the playoffs nor did it properly revitalize the team, so what good was the Butler period in Minnesota?
But now we can go ahead and assume that Butler won't play and we can't really nail down the rotation until his replacement appears. As it is the Wolves are a pile of pieces that may or may not fit together and will only work if Wiggins details his game and Towns continues to move forward. Seems like we won't get any more of Justin Patton than we got last year, so hard to project the youth movement. I dunno, man, the Butler thing might be a great thing for this team but we won't know til they actually take the court.
(*) I don't think I'd put Grayson Allen terrribly high for ROY chances but he's in a good situation which could make a massive difference in his performance or our perception of his performance. So while he is far from looking like one of my favorite rookies, I can see him having a ROY-ish type season.
(**) A look ahead to Summer 2019 for the Nuggets. They'll have team options to pick up on Jamal Murray ($4.4m), Paul Millsap ($30m), Juan Hernangomez ($3.3m), Tyler Lydon ($2.1m), Malik Beasley ($2.7m) and Trey Lyles and Isiah Thomas will be expiring. I would suggest they'll keep Murray and likely sign him to an extension regardless of how he plays this year. So the choice is: Millsap or Isiah or some combo of Hernangomez/Lydon/Beasley/Lyles or none of those guys and bringing in someone new. How 2018-19 plays out will determine what they who they want to cling to next summer.
Out: Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, CJ Wilcox, Ed Davis, Georgios Pappagiannis
I kinda liked Ed Davis and unless they're expecting Nurkic to double his game, the Blazers didn't replace his rebounding or defense, I think losing him will be tougher than they think. Connaughton and Wilcox never quite developed, not bad shooters but not ones the Blazers could afford to keep waiting on. Okay I'll admit it: Napier is one of my least favorite players, at best he's a shadow of, say, Terry Rozier. Pappagiannis was a flyer they picked up late last year, gonna file that under easy come/easy go.
In: Anfernee Simmons, Nik Stauskus, Gary Trent Jr, Seth Curry
All shooting Guards? Simmons and Trent look to be an exciting combo guards for the Blazers to develop, on the one hand you don't expect too much out of a rookie, on the other they'll both probably get playing time, if they can score then they'll play. Stauskus was overrated coming out of college, screwed up his draft position and the relative expectations of his game; he's good in int'l play, but he's not the star he was thought to be, a few low pressure off the bench minutes for the Blazers ought to be just fine for him. Is Seth Cutty the poor man's Steph Curry? (No, that's still Jimmer Fredette) But Curry is a 3rd string veteran who will protect the ball and score a few points. I think the Blazers needed to get more to replace Ed Davis, but perhaps overpowering wing scoring could be their thing.
Re-signed: Jusuf Nurkic
I always liked Nurkic (4yr/$48m), toughness down low, sly scorer, I like him with Lillard and McCollum. The Blazers didn't have the money to make a big splash, felt like Nurkic was the guy they had to keep, I think it's a good deal for player and team.
All in all
This team still belongs to Lillard and McCollum, probably the two most over/underrated guys I've ever seen: just when you think they're the shit, their limitations will get put in display, but when you think they can't get it done--shit, that's when they're the most fun to watch! Evan Turner, Mo Harkless and Jusuf Nurkic round out the starting five, got #4 seed last year but I don't quite get how.
Actually I'd start Al-Farouk Aminu and bring Turner off the bench, maybe that's how they run. Letting go of Davis indicates they're expecting jumps out of Meyers Leonard and Zach Collins, thought Collins had a solid if unspectacular rookie season last year and as much as I see the promise of Leonard, I've never actually seen that promise translate to productivity, so we'll see about those two. Curry/Simmons/Stauskus/Trent/Baldwin will give them minutes off the bench, I got no idea which, if any, of them will make a difference. Caleb Swanigan and Jake Layman feel like practice players, hard to imagine big minutes for either of those guys. Blazers finished 4th last year (4th!) but as much as I like watching Lillard and McCollum, I don't see this team as one that's built to go deep in the West.
Jazz
Out: Erik McCree, Jonas Jerebko, David Stockon
Jerebko is a nice random guy off the bench, not great at anything but not bad at anything either, his minutes will go to rookie Grayson Allen, who will probably be about as good as Jerebko, maybe a better scorer, Jerebeko is a nice player (the Warriors will like him) but not irreplaceable by any means. I watched a lot of the Jazz last year and I don't even know who McCree is, I can only assume he is easily replaceable. Stockton has been up/down with them for the last coupla years, this doesn't mean he can't still be a G-League regular for them. The Jazz didn't lose much this summer.
I kinda liked Allen at Duke, decent hardworking 3-and-d guy, kind of an asshole (which is not a bad thing necessarily), his job is to pick up Jerebko's minutes, which I think he'll do nicely, he'll give them a nice 10min/gm, if he knocks down shots he could be a crowd fave, maybe even an ROY longshot (*). I have no idea who Lyles, Cavanagh (2-way), Cousins or Haas are, they may be 2-way guys or be gone by the end of pre-season, I'm sure the Jazz are rooting for all of them. The new guys aren't going to be the difference makers but the Jazz don't have great needs from any of these guys.
Re-signed: Dante Exum, Derrick Favors, Raul Neto, Naz Mitrou-Long, Georges Niang
Salt Lake City is notoriously a tough sell for NBA players, so the Jazz pretty much live on draft picks and resigning their veterans, which is what they did with their money this summer, I figured they would and I think they did right thing. Exum (3yr/$33m) is hard to figure, he's been around a while but he's played so few games that I just have no sense of his game, I think he's good enough to be Donovan Mitchell's backup even if $11m off the bench seems kinda pricey, that said, the Jazz know him better than anyone else does, perhaps they think 3/$33 is a steal, I have to assume this is a good signing (though I'm pretty sure it's not a bad one). Favors (2yrs/$37.6m) is another predictable, safe and smart signing, Favors isn't the bust out down low presence he might've been but with Gobert and Mitchell around he doesn't really need to be, the money is little pricey but a 2yr deal is good for player and team, good signing. I like Neto (2yr/$4.4m), he's a top quality 3rd string PG, he keeps the continuity which means you're winning games in October instead of just futzing around til New Year's like the star-laden teams, the price/years are very reasonable, good signing. Even Niang (3yr/$4.9m) and Mitrou-Long (2-way) are bring-backs and though I don't recall ever seeing either of them, the deals are reasonable and I have to assume that the Jazz have made the right move.
All in all
The Jazz are built for the foreseeable future around Donovan Mitchell handling the ball and Rudy Gobert DPOY-ing down low. Derrick Favors is a weird fit but he's a good player and fan favorite. Ricky Rubio, too, is not a perfect fit with Mitchell but they're both good players and play well enough together. I guess Jae Crowder rounds out the starting five; he was added late last year but seems like a good fit in that rotation.
Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Thabo Sefolosha off the bench with Raul Neto, Royce O'neal, rookie Grayson Allen getting the deep minutes. As I said, I watched a lot of the Jazz last year and I forgot that Alec Burks was even on the team til they whipped him out against OKC and he was making buckets; I have no idea what they get out of Burks or Sefolosha (who was out most of last season) who are like found money for the Jazz: if one or the other gives them really quality minutes perhaps he gives them the extra piece that gets them deep into the post-season or perhaps they're the expiring contract trade chip that brings in that guy, either way whatever they got out of those guys is pure bonus. Not sure why Ekpe Udoh or Tony Bradley are there, guess they're nice guys.
The continuity suggests that the Jazz will hit the ground running, whereas who knows what we'll get out of the Blazers or Wolves, and you know the Lakers will take a while to get it together. Their ability to start fast should give them an advantage on a top-4 seed and will give them plenty of time to build a deep roster. If they can stay fresh through the season, never know, man, they might could catch the Rockets slippin' or the Lakers still figuring it out or the Spurs shooting poorly, this could be the year that injuries catch up with the Warriors. I think the Jazz are gonna be really good, I think they've got a good squad, deep veteran squad, good coach, good star to lead them, good defense, good fans, I think they're primed to be really good this year. I don't think they beat the Warriors but I think they can hang with most everyone else (are you ready for Jazz-Raptors? Eh, I'm okay with that).
Nuggets
Out: Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson, Wilson Chandler, Darrell Arthur, Kenneth Faried, (2019 1st rd pick), (2020 2nd rd pick), (2021 2nd rd pick), (2022 2nd rd pick swap w/Sixers)
They cleared out the veterans and the future draft picks that would theoretically replace them. Chandler, Arthur and Faried had to go and there was no reason for Harris or Jefferson to stay. The Nuggets have their team of the future already in place, so giving up draft picks to prune the roster is actually a minimal cost.
In: Micheal Porter Jr, Thomas Welsh, Jarred Vanderbilt, Isaiah Thomas, (option to 2022 rd pick swap with Sixers), DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, Xavier Silas, Donald Sloan
Porter was, I thought, a top 5 talent who dropped on draft day because concerns about his back and his personality (the Grizzlies might be kicking themselves for years), but the Nuggets were well positioned to pick up what could be the steal of the draft, and I suspect we'll know fairly soon, reports are he's healthy to play and I expect he'll play. Isiah Thomas (1yr/$2.m) is arguably the most valuable signing of the summer: if he can harness that natural Denver home court advantage to get him back anywhere near his MVP-ish 2016-17 season, then $2m will be the biggest bargain since Auburn got Cam Newton for "free"; that said, I'm not sure whether he's a starter or a 6th man, not sure he fits with the rest of the squad, not sure he's got that kind of game in him, not sure he doesn't just stifle the maturation of the rest of the youth. We'll see. I have no idea who Welsh, Terry, Akoon-Purcell, Silas and Sloan are, I suspect they'll be G-Leaguers. I did see some of Jarrod Vanderbilt at Kentucky: hell of an athlete, but I wasn't convinced he was a basketball player, not sure if Calapari wanted his roster spot or if he's just better than he looked (or thinks he is), but what I saw was a G-League level talent, a guy that probably go to China and get by on pure athleticism. Porter and Thomas could be diamonds in the rough (actually Welsh and Vanderbilt could be, too) that the Nuggets got at rock bottom prices, if so the Nuggets could be really good this year. And, as for the pick swap, well the Sixers are planning on being good in 2022, so I doubt that swap does the Nuggets much good.
Re-signed: Torrey Craig, Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Monte Morris
Jokic (5yr/$147.7m) and Barton (4yr/$53m) are good players and Morris (3yr/$4.7m) and Craig (2yr/$4.1m) are reasonable youngsters to fill out the bench. All of these are good moves for the Nuggets.
All in all (**)
Last season, the Nuggets got bounced from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season when they ran out of gas in OT in Minnesota (right as the Wolves were running out of gas, too). This Nuggets roster is kinda weird but there's a lot of talent and a lot of possibility to go with their unique home court advantage. I like the Nuggets to make the playoffs.
I'm guessing they'll start Thomas (though that guy has 6th Man written all over him this year). So the lineup should look like: PG Thomas, SG Murray, SF Lyles/Hernangomez, PF Jokic, C Millsap with Beasley, Harris, Barton, Porter, Lydon, Plumlee off the bench with whatever Craig and Lydon produce being a total bonus. That's a pretty strong man rotation, good depth, and even in the crowded West (Grizzlies and Mavs look to be much better), I think there's enough potential here for the Nuggets to glide into the top 8. And with that home court, I think they'll be a dangerous matchup for the Rockets, Thunder or Spurs (though I kinda doubt they'd give the Warriors, Lakers or Jazz much of a contest).
Thunder
Out: Daniel Hamilton, PJ Dozier, Corey Brewer, Josh Huestis, Dakari Johnson, (2019 2nd rd pick), Carmelo Anthony, (2022 1st rd pick), Devon Hall, Kyle Singler, Donte Grantham
I dunno, I don't see any big losses here. I was never a fan of the Carmelo trade (but they were able to parlay him into Shroeder and Luwawu, so not bad all in all, if you're willing to overlook the year they just wasted with him). Brewer is a nice vet off the bench but hardly irreplaceable. The money/years they gave Singler were kinda mind-boggling at the time, good for the Thunder for finally moving on from him. Hamilton, Huestis, Dozier, Grantham and Dakari were youngsters that just didn't pan out, that happens. Giving up the 1st rounder may come back to bite them but they've got enough youth on the roster right now that they look pretty well built at the moment.
In: Deonte Burton, Nerlens Noel, Abdel Nader, Dennis Shroeder, Timothe Luwawu, Hamidou Diallo, Tyler Davis, Abdul Gaddy, Bryce Alford, KJ McDaniels, Richard Solomon
Nerlens is a guy that has yet to find his footing in the league but this is probably his best (last?) chance to establish himself as the premiere shot blocker/rebounder that he was meant to be. I liked Abdel Nader with the Celtics last year; clearly there was no room in that rotation for him but I think he'll give good energy and a sneaky scoring punch off the bench. I was never a huge fan of Shroeder and I don't think he's the perfect fit here but he is offensively talented and if he can embrace coming off the bench, he could be a secret weapon in the 2nd half for the Thunder all year long. Luwawu is am unknown commodity but he's still young enough to be an exciting prospect. I watched Diallo at Kentucky and he has his moments of being an effective wing-scorer, which suggests to me that the Thunder aren't really a good fit for him; I expect he'll be in the G-League a lot this year (or perhaps snagged in trade by, say, the Pelicans or Sixers?). McDaniels is a high wire athlete, had his moments of looking like a diamond in the rough but hasn't really caught on (I'm guessing he's a great practice player and in that way could be really valuable to team trying to get better).
Re-signed: Paul George (4yr/$136.9m), Jerami Grant (3yr/$27m), Ray Felton (1yr/$2.4m)
Re-signing PG was the "get" of the summer, no? Seemed a foregone conclusion that he was gonna walk but he chose to stay, good for the Thunder. Grant emerged last year as a talented playmaker at the forward spot, this is a reasonable deal for him (wouldn't be surprised to see him get traded, though). Felton is a reliable veteran PG off the bench and that's pretty much a bargain price for him.
All in all
I think they've added a lot of talent and shed a lot of dead wood to get to this point but this is a combustible mix, as well. Nerlens Noel and Dennis Shroeder in the same locker room? Is the fact that neither of them is even remotely close to being the star of the team going to be good for them or bad? Grant, Ferguson, Nader, Luwawu, Patterson and Roberson are basically jockeying for the same playing time, right? Will this be the perfect mix of offense and defense or will we see a mass exodus come the trade deadline? I'm not worried about the top of the lineup: this is Westbrook's team and I think he and George have the necessary respect for each and for Adams, who is clearly the third banana. But, on down that roster is a lot of weird personalities and a lot of grubby competition that could lead to some hard feelings in the locker room.
This is one of those teams that if they come together just right, they could be an offensive machine that plays stingy defense....or they could all fall apart and hate each other by New Year's. We'll see. Last year, I thought adding Carmelo interrupted the flow that Westrbook and PG could attain together, when really what they needed was more depth on the bench than a 3rd banana. Looking back on that...I was right. And the moves they've made this summer give them a lot more flexibility and depth without sacrificing the identity of the team (this is Westbrook's team, for better or worse, this is Westbrook's team). I'm gonna err on the side of good thinking that Coach Donovan has been there long enough to establish his own hold over the locker room. I think the problem with this team, as we saw against the Jazz last year, is that they have a tendency to think the game is won when there is still a long way to go. If this squad develops cohesion and the discipline to run through the finish line, I think they can be really good. Like really really really good. (Yeah, like beating the Warriors in the playoffs good)
Wolves
Out: Jamal Crawford, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Amile Jefferson, Cole Aldrich, Anthony Brown, Aaron Brooks, Nemanja Bjelica, (Jimmy Butler?)
Crawford played much too much for the Wolves last year, his absence is addition by subtraction. Aldrich is a fine backup big man but he didn't play a huge role for the Wolves. Personally, I love Bjelica but he's a luxury that was probably not as useful for the Wolves as for other teams out there (though his new team the Kings would not be on that list either). Georges-Hunt, Jefferson and Brown were youngsters that just got wedged out. I don't even remember Brooks even being there, so not a big loss.
In: Josh Okogie, Jared Terrell, Keita Bates-Diop, Anthony Tolliver, CJ Williams, James Nunnaly, Luol Deng, Darius Johnson-Odom, Jonathon Stark
Okogie and Bates-Diop are promising rookies, we'll see how much run they get in the Thibs rotation. Tolliver is a fine vet off the bench. Deng is the kind of vet trying to get his game back that I would normally like on a young team but with the history with Coach Thibs makes me squeamish. Williams and Nunnaly are vets capable of providing a minimal amount of minutes. Terrell, Johnson-Odom and Stark are unknowns, maybe they are Thibs kinda guys.
Re-signed: Derrick Rose, Karl-Anthony Towns (extension),
Rose doesn't get me too exceited but at this price point, he's a reasonable signing. I'm all in on Towns--and clearly they chose him over Butler (which I would agree with).
All in all
The Jimmy Butler situation is hanging over the start of the season for this team and may well be the event that helps this team get going: the fact that they all seem to hate him might bring this squad together. The Butler trade was a good move at the time but clearly hasn't worked out: even last year's "success" may well have hindered the maturation of these players and Thibs' overuse of him didn't help the team go deep in the playoffs nor did it properly revitalize the team, so what good was the Butler period in Minnesota?
But now we can go ahead and assume that Butler won't play and we can't really nail down the rotation until his replacement appears. As it is the Wolves are a pile of pieces that may or may not fit together and will only work if Wiggins details his game and Towns continues to move forward. Seems like we won't get any more of Justin Patton than we got last year, so hard to project the youth movement. I dunno, man, the Butler thing might be a great thing for this team but we won't know til they actually take the court.
(*) I don't think I'd put Grayson Allen terrribly high for ROY chances but he's in a good situation which could make a massive difference in his performance or our perception of his performance. So while he is far from looking like one of my favorite rookies, I can see him having a ROY-ish type season.
(**) A look ahead to Summer 2019 for the Nuggets. They'll have team options to pick up on Jamal Murray ($4.4m), Paul Millsap ($30m), Juan Hernangomez ($3.3m), Tyler Lydon ($2.1m), Malik Beasley ($2.7m) and Trey Lyles and Isiah Thomas will be expiring. I would suggest they'll keep Murray and likely sign him to an extension regardless of how he plays this year. So the choice is: Millsap or Isiah or some combo of Hernangomez/Lydon/Beasley/Lyles or none of those guys and bringing in someone new. How 2018-19 plays out will determine what they who they want to cling to next summer.
2018-19 NBA Pre-season (Pacific)
Clippers
Out: Austin Rivers, DeAndre Jordan, CJ Williams, Maarty Leunen,
(I kinda thought Coach Doc would be leaving, too, but apparently he's here to stay) Rivers is one of those guys that has gone back and forth between over/under-rated pretty much his whole life; thought he gave them pretty good minutes for a while off the bench but moving him still strikes me as the right thing to do. Seems like they could've kept Jordan if they wanted to...guess they didn't want to. Williams and Leunen are fungible commodities.
In: Marcin Gortat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson, Angel Delgado, Luc Mbah a Moute, Mike Scott, Johnathon Motley, (the rights to Vladimir Veremeenko), Desi Rodriguez
Re-signed: Milos Teodosic (player option), Avery Bradley, Montrezl Harrell, Tyrone Wallace
I like all these guys, they did well to bring them back. Still curious to see what Teodosic has to offer, never thought the Clippers were the right fit for him (I'd rather see him coming off the bench for the Pelicans, for example). I like Bradley but a newfound journeyman status and injuries make him a bit of an unknown quantity (and with Patrick Beverley, he seems redundant on this roster). I like Harrell and Wallace, think they can be real spark plugs for this team.
All in all
So since this time last year the Clippers have jettisoned Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers? Dang, that's quite a turnover. And though there's no continuity at all from the 'good times', they've managed to retain a pretty good collection of talent. That said, I'm not sure how any of this fits together. We'll see if Coach Doc can make of something of this (although without any obvious superstars on the roster, its not at all clear who he sucks up to).
Starting lineup...uh...Teodosic starts at PG until Gilgeous-Alexander is ready? I mean, Lou Williams invented the 6th Man Award so he comes off the bench meaning they've got a bit of logjam at PG. And at SG: do they start Bradley or Beverley? And where exactly do Wallace, Thornwell and Robinson fit in? And are they expecting Wesley Johnson to score points? Seems like they're well stocked in defenders at that position with Mbah a Moute and Scott and Tobias Harris is a scorer, so Boban and Gortat are more for defense, too, right? There are a million permutations of lineups here, does Doc have the patience/savvy to find the rotation that works? And, oh yeah, they have Gallinari, a good player when he's not hurt (but he's always hurt).
My guess is the Clippers will be really good right away, then suck balls for several months, then get good again right at the end of the year. There's talent here, plenty of depth but the proper mix is not obvious, it'll take time for this team to come together. I think they dig too big a hole to get back to the playoffs.
Kings
Out: Bruno Caboclo, Jack Cooley, Nigel Hayes, Vince Carter, JaKarr Sampson, Garrett Temple
Oh yeah, I forgot they had Caboclo and...now they don't anymore. I always kinda liked Sampson and Temple but they've added enough talent to let those guys go. I suppose there was some benefit to having Vince Carter around for the youngsters but I kinda thought he was a waste of minutes for them. Jack Cooley and Nigel Hayes sound like cartoon pirates, they may well be better off pursuing that rather than coming off the bench for the Hawks or something.
In: Marvin Bagley, Ben McLemore, Nemenja Bjelica, Yogi Ferrell, Wenyen Gabriel, Cameron Reynolds, Kailin Lucas
I liked what I saw in Bagley (struck me as the offensive corollary of Cauley-Stein) but I bet it takes him a year or two to really get going (so, not a favorite for ROY, I'd say). Another run with McLemore, huh? Well, he's a helluva athlete, but was never much of a basketball player, (at least he knows where all the grocery stores and shopping malls are in Sacramento). I love Bjelica, not very athletic but big, smart and a good shooter, gives the Kings good depth. Ferrell, too, is a great 2nd string PG, more quality depth for this squad. I watched Gabriel at UK the last few years (I would've advised him to come back), nice athlete, gets hot every once in a while but I would expect him to be a G-League guy at least for this year. Reynolds and Lucas are likely pre-season cuts, right?
Re-signed: Iman Shumpert (player option)
Ehh, Shumpert is one of those guys that's not as good as his fans think but not as bad as his detractors would have you believe. He can fit in that rotation but feels more like trade bait.
All in all
I love a youth movement and I can tell the Kings will be a regular in my League Pass this year. PG Fox, SG Hield, SF Bogdanovic, PF Cauley-Stein, C Bagley with Ferrell/Mason, Shumpert/McLemore/Justin Jackson/Bjelica, Randolph/Giles off the bench. Lotta depth (and lotta trade bait). Yeah, I'm kinda fascinated by how all those pieces fit together. (Curious detail: the guys not signed for next year are Randolph, Shumpert, Koufos, McLemore and Cauley-Stein. Don't be surprised if any/all of those guys get moved by the deadline)
I expect the Kings to be fun, I can even see them winning some games, but I'd be pretty shocked if they had enough consistency to even compete for the 8th seed.
Lakers
Out: Tyler Ennis, Thomas Bryant, Andre Ingram, Brook Lopez, Channing Frye, Isiah Thomas, Julius Randle, (2019 2nd rd pick), Luol Deng,
Outside of Randle (buckets off the bench) and Lopez (down low defense), is anyone gonna miss any of these guys? No. In Laker-lore they will forever be remembered as guys during that horrible time between Kobe and Lebron.
In: Moritz Wagner, Rajon Rondo, Isaac Bonga, Lebron James, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Svi Mykhailiuk, Jonathon Williams, Michael Beasley
I was impressed with Wagner and Mykhailiuk last year during their NCAA tourney runs, thought they both were smart players, good ball handlers, with some outside pop; Lakers did well to nab them both. Rondo is fine when he's got players to pass the ball to and he looks to have a few of those. Lebron...I mean he's no Michael Jordan but he'll be able to help this team. Lance Stephenson, on the other hand...why? What is Lance gonna bring? I always kinda liked McGee and Beasley (though didn't Lebron hate him in Miami?), they'll be fine in limited minutes here. Bonga is an intriguing prospect, not sure if the anonymity will allow him to develop or dooms him to fall between the cracks. Williams should get some pre-season looks.
Re-signed: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, Travis Wear
I like KCP as much as the next guy but I feel like that $12m could've been better spent (wouldn't Tyreke Evans have been a better choice here? Or JJ Reddick?). Wear is a reasonable choice for the end of the roster.
All in all
Yeah, yeah, a lot of turnover. Interestingly, we can already go ahead and assume they'll be a lot more turnover again next summer: I fully expect Caldwell-Pope, Rondo, Beasley, McGee, and Stephenson to move on (and Zubac is 50/50). (Hmm, they got any interest in packaging these expiring contracts for Hassan Whiteside?) So let's stick to the core: PG Lonzo, SG Ingram, SF Kuzma, PF Lebron, with Hart as 6th Man and Wagner, Mykhailiuk and Bonga as wild card 3-and-D guys off the bench. They still need a C but that's not a bad lineup, frankly all of those youngsters should be better than last year (though I kinda think last year will be a level Lebron doesn't reach again).
After bringing in Lebron I didn't understand the next batch of moves (dude, Lance Stephenson has sucked at basketball for a few years now), but the mix of vets and youth is a pretty good supporting cast for Lebron. I dunno, they can be pretty good right away. It'll be tough to beat the Warriors but I think they can be better than the Rockets, Jazz, and Thunder right away. So, yeah, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see the Lakers in the final four in May. That said, I kinda think Lebron is downshifting here, coasting til the post-season and then trying to drag his team past the Warriors, which I don't think he'll be able to do it. The move to LA was to facilitate his post-basketball life, not the rest of his basketball life; I don't mean to suggest that he'll tank but he's a different guy in a different situation now and I just don't see him playing with that fire from beginning to end like last season. We'll see.
Suns
Out: Elfrid Peyton, Tyler Ulis, Alec Peters, Alex Len, Danuel House, Alan Williams, Jared Dudley, (2021 2nd rd pick), Marquisse Chriss, Brandon Knight
So they let go of Peyton, Ulis and Knight...and now they need a PG? Moving on from Peters, Len and Chriss highlights their recent draft woes. And getting rid of Williams and Dudley show a disappointing appropriation of vets (and aren't Chandler and Ariza just trade bait?).
In: Deandre Ayton, George King, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo, Trevor Ariza, Darrell Arthur, Richaun Holmes, Isiah Canaan, De'Anthony Melton, Ryan Anderson,
I wasn't a huge Ayton guy and with Luca Doncic just sitting there, I just don't see the upside. I wasn't blown away by Bridges either--and they traded up to get him. King, Okobo and Melton are reasonable prospects, I suppose, but they won't be bringing W's any time soon. And why are they taking back Anderson to help the Rockets? What exactly are they supposed to get out of Ariza, Arthur or Holmes?
Re-signed: Devin Booker (signed extension)
I'm cool with this, except that they could've waited til next summer.
All in all
I get none of these moves. They're tanking, right? Is there any reason to think this roster is better than last year? I reckon they'll be dueling the Hawks for the #1 pick this season. They are a mix of vets that are obviously trade bait and youngsters that are empowered to do their thing but not encouraged to win games. I don't see any way that the Suns are any good at all.
Warriors
Out: Chris Boucher, Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, Nick Young
No big deal, they'll be fine without these guys.
In: Jacob Evans, Demarcus Cousins, Damion Lee, Jonas Jerebko, Kendrick Nunn, Danuel House, Marcus Derrickson, Alfonzo McKinnie, Tyler Ulis, Will Cherry
Bringing in Boogie Cousins was such a brilliant move I didn't even see it coming. The beauty is that Cousins doesn't even have to play and if he does, it's all gravy. He might be great again but it's hard to imagine a down side--if he's being a jackass, they can trade him! Ha! (I think we can expect the Warriors to repeat this next summer: giving an injured or unlucky vet a short term deal to chase a ring while recuperating) Going into the draft Evans was the guy that kept coming back to my eye, don't be surprised if that guy turns out to be awesome (and the rest of the league adds another name that they let slip by them). I like Jerebko, he's a good energy dirty work guy that'll be just fine coming off that bench. I love Ulis, as a Kentucky fan, I assure you when that guy is on, he's a winner, gets buckets, makes plays, makes everyone around him better. He's a bit of a longshot but I can see him as a fine 3rd string PG here. House and McKinney were well-regarded prospects just looking for a second chance. I don't know Derrickson, Lee or Nunn.
Re-signed: Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, (extended Coach Kerr), (is Patrick McCaw coming back?),
Re-signing Durant was a bold move (ha!). I suspect these next two years (maybe just one) will be the last for him in Golden State, I think he moves on just to challenge himself. Re-upping Coach Kerr was a no-brainer, too, good coach, good guy, as long as his health is good, you keep inviting him back. I kinda liked Looney (and McCaw), the badass teams need those dirty work guys that do just enough to smooth the rough edges.
All in all
The Warriors are still good, dude. I'm not blown away by the Rockets' moves and though the Lakers will be much improved, I still think the Warriors are the team to beat in the West--with or without Cousins. Western Conference Champs...again.
Out: Austin Rivers, DeAndre Jordan, CJ Williams, Maarty Leunen,
(I kinda thought Coach Doc would be leaving, too, but apparently he's here to stay) Rivers is one of those guys that has gone back and forth between over/under-rated pretty much his whole life; thought he gave them pretty good minutes for a while off the bench but moving him still strikes me as the right thing to do. Seems like they could've kept Jordan if they wanted to...guess they didn't want to. Williams and Leunen are fungible commodities.
In: Marcin Gortat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson, Angel Delgado, Luc Mbah a Moute, Mike Scott, Johnathon Motley, (the rights to Vladimir Veremeenko), Desi Rodriguez
Coupla intriguing youngsters in G-A and Robinson, a trio of tough guy veterans in Gortat, Mbah a Moute and Scott. Not sure what Delgado, Motley or Rodriguez bring to the table.
Re-signed: Milos Teodosic (player option), Avery Bradley, Montrezl Harrell, Tyrone Wallace
I like all these guys, they did well to bring them back. Still curious to see what Teodosic has to offer, never thought the Clippers were the right fit for him (I'd rather see him coming off the bench for the Pelicans, for example). I like Bradley but a newfound journeyman status and injuries make him a bit of an unknown quantity (and with Patrick Beverley, he seems redundant on this roster). I like Harrell and Wallace, think they can be real spark plugs for this team.
All in all
So since this time last year the Clippers have jettisoned Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers? Dang, that's quite a turnover. And though there's no continuity at all from the 'good times', they've managed to retain a pretty good collection of talent. That said, I'm not sure how any of this fits together. We'll see if Coach Doc can make of something of this (although without any obvious superstars on the roster, its not at all clear who he sucks up to).
Starting lineup...uh...Teodosic starts at PG until Gilgeous-Alexander is ready? I mean, Lou Williams invented the 6th Man Award so he comes off the bench meaning they've got a bit of logjam at PG. And at SG: do they start Bradley or Beverley? And where exactly do Wallace, Thornwell and Robinson fit in? And are they expecting Wesley Johnson to score points? Seems like they're well stocked in defenders at that position with Mbah a Moute and Scott and Tobias Harris is a scorer, so Boban and Gortat are more for defense, too, right? There are a million permutations of lineups here, does Doc have the patience/savvy to find the rotation that works? And, oh yeah, they have Gallinari, a good player when he's not hurt (but he's always hurt).
My guess is the Clippers will be really good right away, then suck balls for several months, then get good again right at the end of the year. There's talent here, plenty of depth but the proper mix is not obvious, it'll take time for this team to come together. I think they dig too big a hole to get back to the playoffs.
Kings
Out: Bruno Caboclo, Jack Cooley, Nigel Hayes, Vince Carter, JaKarr Sampson, Garrett Temple
Oh yeah, I forgot they had Caboclo and...now they don't anymore. I always kinda liked Sampson and Temple but they've added enough talent to let those guys go. I suppose there was some benefit to having Vince Carter around for the youngsters but I kinda thought he was a waste of minutes for them. Jack Cooley and Nigel Hayes sound like cartoon pirates, they may well be better off pursuing that rather than coming off the bench for the Hawks or something.
In: Marvin Bagley, Ben McLemore, Nemenja Bjelica, Yogi Ferrell, Wenyen Gabriel, Cameron Reynolds, Kailin Lucas
I liked what I saw in Bagley (struck me as the offensive corollary of Cauley-Stein) but I bet it takes him a year or two to really get going (so, not a favorite for ROY, I'd say). Another run with McLemore, huh? Well, he's a helluva athlete, but was never much of a basketball player, (at least he knows where all the grocery stores and shopping malls are in Sacramento). I love Bjelica, not very athletic but big, smart and a good shooter, gives the Kings good depth. Ferrell, too, is a great 2nd string PG, more quality depth for this squad. I watched Gabriel at UK the last few years (I would've advised him to come back), nice athlete, gets hot every once in a while but I would expect him to be a G-League guy at least for this year. Reynolds and Lucas are likely pre-season cuts, right?
Re-signed: Iman Shumpert (player option)
Ehh, Shumpert is one of those guys that's not as good as his fans think but not as bad as his detractors would have you believe. He can fit in that rotation but feels more like trade bait.
All in all
I love a youth movement and I can tell the Kings will be a regular in my League Pass this year. PG Fox, SG Hield, SF Bogdanovic, PF Cauley-Stein, C Bagley with Ferrell/Mason, Shumpert/McLemore/Justin Jackson/Bjelica, Randolph/Giles off the bench. Lotta depth (and lotta trade bait). Yeah, I'm kinda fascinated by how all those pieces fit together. (Curious detail: the guys not signed for next year are Randolph, Shumpert, Koufos, McLemore and Cauley-Stein. Don't be surprised if any/all of those guys get moved by the deadline)
I expect the Kings to be fun, I can even see them winning some games, but I'd be pretty shocked if they had enough consistency to even compete for the 8th seed.
Lakers
Out: Tyler Ennis, Thomas Bryant, Andre Ingram, Brook Lopez, Channing Frye, Isiah Thomas, Julius Randle, (2019 2nd rd pick), Luol Deng,
Outside of Randle (buckets off the bench) and Lopez (down low defense), is anyone gonna miss any of these guys? No. In Laker-lore they will forever be remembered as guys during that horrible time between Kobe and Lebron.
In: Moritz Wagner, Rajon Rondo, Isaac Bonga, Lebron James, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Svi Mykhailiuk, Jonathon Williams, Michael Beasley
I was impressed with Wagner and Mykhailiuk last year during their NCAA tourney runs, thought they both were smart players, good ball handlers, with some outside pop; Lakers did well to nab them both. Rondo is fine when he's got players to pass the ball to and he looks to have a few of those. Lebron...I mean he's no Michael Jordan but he'll be able to help this team. Lance Stephenson, on the other hand...why? What is Lance gonna bring? I always kinda liked McGee and Beasley (though didn't Lebron hate him in Miami?), they'll be fine in limited minutes here. Bonga is an intriguing prospect, not sure if the anonymity will allow him to develop or dooms him to fall between the cracks. Williams should get some pre-season looks.
Re-signed: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, Travis Wear
I like KCP as much as the next guy but I feel like that $12m could've been better spent (wouldn't Tyreke Evans have been a better choice here? Or JJ Reddick?). Wear is a reasonable choice for the end of the roster.
All in all
Yeah, yeah, a lot of turnover. Interestingly, we can already go ahead and assume they'll be a lot more turnover again next summer: I fully expect Caldwell-Pope, Rondo, Beasley, McGee, and Stephenson to move on (and Zubac is 50/50). (Hmm, they got any interest in packaging these expiring contracts for Hassan Whiteside?) So let's stick to the core: PG Lonzo, SG Ingram, SF Kuzma, PF Lebron, with Hart as 6th Man and Wagner, Mykhailiuk and Bonga as wild card 3-and-D guys off the bench. They still need a C but that's not a bad lineup, frankly all of those youngsters should be better than last year (though I kinda think last year will be a level Lebron doesn't reach again).
After bringing in Lebron I didn't understand the next batch of moves (dude, Lance Stephenson has sucked at basketball for a few years now), but the mix of vets and youth is a pretty good supporting cast for Lebron. I dunno, they can be pretty good right away. It'll be tough to beat the Warriors but I think they can be better than the Rockets, Jazz, and Thunder right away. So, yeah, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see the Lakers in the final four in May. That said, I kinda think Lebron is downshifting here, coasting til the post-season and then trying to drag his team past the Warriors, which I don't think he'll be able to do it. The move to LA was to facilitate his post-basketball life, not the rest of his basketball life; I don't mean to suggest that he'll tank but he's a different guy in a different situation now and I just don't see him playing with that fire from beginning to end like last season. We'll see.
Suns
Out: Elfrid Peyton, Tyler Ulis, Alec Peters, Alex Len, Danuel House, Alan Williams, Jared Dudley, (2021 2nd rd pick), Marquisse Chriss, Brandon Knight
So they let go of Peyton, Ulis and Knight...and now they need a PG? Moving on from Peters, Len and Chriss highlights their recent draft woes. And getting rid of Williams and Dudley show a disappointing appropriation of vets (and aren't Chandler and Ariza just trade bait?).
In: Deandre Ayton, George King, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo, Trevor Ariza, Darrell Arthur, Richaun Holmes, Isiah Canaan, De'Anthony Melton, Ryan Anderson,
I wasn't a huge Ayton guy and with Luca Doncic just sitting there, I just don't see the upside. I wasn't blown away by Bridges either--and they traded up to get him. King, Okobo and Melton are reasonable prospects, I suppose, but they won't be bringing W's any time soon. And why are they taking back Anderson to help the Rockets? What exactly are they supposed to get out of Ariza, Arthur or Holmes?
Re-signed: Devin Booker (signed extension)
I'm cool with this, except that they could've waited til next summer.
All in all
I get none of these moves. They're tanking, right? Is there any reason to think this roster is better than last year? I reckon they'll be dueling the Hawks for the #1 pick this season. They are a mix of vets that are obviously trade bait and youngsters that are empowered to do their thing but not encouraged to win games. I don't see any way that the Suns are any good at all.
Warriors
Out: Chris Boucher, Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, Nick Young
No big deal, they'll be fine without these guys.
In: Jacob Evans, Demarcus Cousins, Damion Lee, Jonas Jerebko, Kendrick Nunn, Danuel House, Marcus Derrickson, Alfonzo McKinnie, Tyler Ulis, Will Cherry
Bringing in Boogie Cousins was such a brilliant move I didn't even see it coming. The beauty is that Cousins doesn't even have to play and if he does, it's all gravy. He might be great again but it's hard to imagine a down side--if he's being a jackass, they can trade him! Ha! (I think we can expect the Warriors to repeat this next summer: giving an injured or unlucky vet a short term deal to chase a ring while recuperating) Going into the draft Evans was the guy that kept coming back to my eye, don't be surprised if that guy turns out to be awesome (and the rest of the league adds another name that they let slip by them). I like Jerebko, he's a good energy dirty work guy that'll be just fine coming off that bench. I love Ulis, as a Kentucky fan, I assure you when that guy is on, he's a winner, gets buckets, makes plays, makes everyone around him better. He's a bit of a longshot but I can see him as a fine 3rd string PG here. House and McKinney were well-regarded prospects just looking for a second chance. I don't know Derrickson, Lee or Nunn.
Re-signed: Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, (extended Coach Kerr), (is Patrick McCaw coming back?),
Re-signing Durant was a bold move (ha!). I suspect these next two years (maybe just one) will be the last for him in Golden State, I think he moves on just to challenge himself. Re-upping Coach Kerr was a no-brainer, too, good coach, good guy, as long as his health is good, you keep inviting him back. I kinda liked Looney (and McCaw), the badass teams need those dirty work guys that do just enough to smooth the rough edges.
All in all
The Warriors are still good, dude. I'm not blown away by the Rockets' moves and though the Lakers will be much improved, I still think the Warriors are the team to beat in the West--with or without Cousins. Western Conference Champs...again.
2018-19 NBA Pre-season (Atlantic)
Celtics
Out: Greg Monroe, Shane Larkin, Jonathon Gibson, Kadeem Allen, Abdel Nader
Larkin played a lot of worthwhile minutes off the bench for the Celtics in the last coupla years, I suppose the emergence of Terry Rozier makes Larkin fungible, but Monroe didn't do much in his short stay in Boston and I don't know Gibson or Allen. I like Nader but there isn't enough room in that rotation for him.
In: Brad Wanamaker, Robert Williams III, Walter Lemon, Rodney Purvis. PJ Dozier, Marcus Georges-Hunt
I dunno about Wanamaker, he's been kind of a work horse in the Turkish League, signed a very affordable 1yr deal, I assume he's up against Lemon for the 3rd string PG. Williams (Celtics' 1st rd pick) is already hilarious and with the Baynes re-signing, Williams is a luxury, clearly a project over the next coupla years.
Re-signed: Aron Baynes, Marcus Smart, Jabari Bird
I dig it. I liked Baynes in the playoffs last year, showed real smarts, the kinda guy you want off the bench. Re-upping Smart is a good move for the Celtics: he hustles, the fans love him, he makes mistakes but he makes plays, he's perfect for Coach Stevens, I know he's not perfect but that dude is worth it.
All in all: There's nothing here that makes them wildly better but nothing that makes them worse. They brought back Baynes and Smart, brought in Williams to replace Monroe and Wanamaker/Lemon to replace Larkin. These are end of the roster moves and they seem like good ones. If they stay healthy they have enough depth and variability and the coaching to easily lead the East.
Knicks
Out: Jarret Jack, Michael Beasley, Kyle O'Quinn, Troy Williams.
Oh man, I forgot about Jarret Jack, he does seem pretty Knicks-y, doesn't he? I still think Jack can be a good 2nd/3rd string PG especially for a frisky wannabe playoff squad (hello, Grizzlies!). I like Beasley, never as good as he should've been but he seems to have matured enough to at least be a decent player, (I liked the idea of him in the Raptor bench crew but I kinda like him with the Lakers). I always liked O'Quinn, one of those dudes that always looks reliable out there, but Knicks are going youth-y, so I don't think he's too much of a loss. Williams....seems like a nice guy.
In: Alonzo Trier, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Noah Vonleh, Mario Hezonja, Jeff Coby
Keep an eye on Knox: at Kentucky his only drawback was not being more demanding, with NYK he'll have as much ball as he wants and when he goes off he'll be a national hero. Good for him! He's gonna be good and I think a legit pick for ROY. I kinda like Hezonja's chances of having a turnaround with the Knicks, he'll get minutes and chances, if he can score, he'll be just fine. Vonleh is worth another look (though I'd be surprised if he makes much difference to the roster). I liked Trier in the NCAA and I'm intrigued by Robinson, not ready to say they'll be good but not bad flyers for NYK.
Re-signed: Enes Kanter (picked up player option), Isiah Hicks (2 way contract), Luke Kornet (1yr/$1.6m)
I like Kanter, he's a rebound machine, probably exactly what Knox and Porzingis need, not a bad deal, 1 more year (then he heads to Dallas or San Antonio). I don't know Hicks or Kornet.
All in all
Ehhh, they're still a mixed bag. I like Coach Fizdale (thought he probably got a raw deal in Memphis) to add some excitement. But unless Knox wins ROY and Porzingas wins Most Improved, I don't like this team to win too many games. No focus to this team.
Nets
Out: Nik Stauskus, James Webb, Dante Cunningham, Jahlil Okafor, Quincy Acy, Timofey Mozgov, Jeremy Lin, Isiah Whitehead, Milton Doyle, Randy Foye, (2025 2nd rd pick), (2023 2nd rd pick swap w/ Hawks), (2021 2nd rd pick),
They made no effort to keep any of these guys, for better or worse. That alone indicates none of these assets were part of the future.
In: Ed Davis (1yr/$4.5m), Jared Dudley, Kenneth Faried, Shabazz Napier, Dzanan Musa, Rodions Kurucs, Traveon Graham, Theo Pinson, Jordan McLaughlin, Mitchell Creek, Alan Williams, (the rights to Isaia Cordiner), (Hawks 2020 2nd rd pick),
Good player, good signing, very reasonable contract.
All in all
This is a transition year for the Nets. Next summer, they'll be rolling a ton of money off this roster, so next summer is when they begin to get back in the business of being the Nets. I'd say this season is all about deciding whether to keep Russell, Dinwiddie and Hollis-Jefferson (I'd say no matter how good the vets are, they're all gone). So will the Nets be good? No. But they won't be as awful as the last few years. They'll be working on making the most of their two 1st and two 2nd rd picks next summer and auditioning the rest of their roster for a re-up.
Raptors
Out: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poetl, Lucas Noguiera, Malcolm Miller, Alfonzo McKinnie, Nando deColo
This team has been dying for a shakeup--any kind of shakeup!--for the last two summers and this year it finally happened. Yes, it's only one year of Kawhi but they had to bust up the Lowry-DeRozan-Ibaka trio: too much money, not enough youth. Perhaps when Kawhi skips after a single season they'll be kicking themselves, but at least they'll have money to spend. I like DeRozan but Kawhi is a much more dynamic player on both ends of the court, this was a swing for the fences that had to be taken. I like Poetl, he's not just a throw-in, he's a smart player, passes well, rebounds well, the kind of all-round player every team could use. I watched Noquiera in int'l play and he looks fine out there, not sure why he never adapted to the NBA game, maybe he just needed a change of scenery. Kinda surprised deColo wasn't in the DeRozan-Kawhi deal, it was the Spurs who brought deColo to light, I think he can be a useful PG off the bench for the Raptors. McKinnie played limited time for the Raptors, though as a well-regarded prospect, perhaps he'll get minutes somewhere else.
In: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, (2019 1st rd pick), Chris Boucher, Jordan Lloyd, Greg Monroe, Kay Felder, Deng Adel, Kyle Collinsworth, Eric Moreland
Re-signed: Fred Van Vleet (2yr/$18.1m), Lorenzo Brown (1yr/$1.6m)
Good move to bring back Van Vleet, one of those guys that keeps working and making plays and keeps everyone around into the game. Not a bad price tag on that deal, too. Not sure what Brown has to offer but he had a pretty good rookie year with the Lakers a while back, maybe he's still got something to offer.
All in all
The Raptors in the Lowry-DeRozan era have been a top notch regular season, gliding into the top spot of the East for the last coupla years. That said, they haven't inspired much fear in the post-season but now that Lebron is gone, their chance has arrived. Bringing in Kawhi was a bold move but one that could propel them into their first Finals.
PG Lowry, SG Anunoby, SF Kawhi, PF Ibaka, C Valenciunas with Van Vleet, Miles, Wright, Green, Siakam, Monroe off the bench. Wow, I don't see how Felder, Richardson, Adel, Powell or Moreland got any playing time at all. That's either a lot of trade filler or more depth than is actually needed. Yes, they've got a new coach and their fan favorite cornerstone is gone, but the vibe is still there, the stars are still there and the depth is still there. The Celtics are stacked but I wouldn't be surprised if the Raptors finish 1st in the East by sheer inertia.
Sixers
Out: Ersan Ilyasova, Marco Belinelli, Justin Anderson, Timothy Luwawu, Richaun Holmes
They let go of 2 vets and 3 young projects. Ilyasova and Belinelli gave the Sixers some spunk down the stretch last year but I don't think either were major pieces that needed to be retained. Luwawu spent most of his time in Philly on injured reserve (as is the norm for Sixer draft picks) and Anderson never really fit into the rotation, though I thought he could be. Holmes was a nice big man off the bench but hardly an irreparable loss.
In: Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet, Norvel Pelle, (Lakers 2019 2nd rd pick), (GM Elton Brand), (Pistons 2021 & 2023 2nd rd picks), Shake Milton, (Heat 2021 1st rd pick), (2022 2nd rd pick swap w/ Nuggets), Anthony Brown, Emeka Okafor
Re-signed: JJ Reddick (1yr/$12.25m), Amir Johnson (1yr/$2.3m), Demetrius Jackson, TJ McConnell (team option)
Bringing back Reddick and Johnson each for another year is a good move for the Sixers (who are probably looking at 2019-2020 as their real blasting off point). It keeps continuity without busting the payroll and since they didn't have a GM all summer, who were they gonna sign anyway? Jackson is an intriguing G-League level talent, he'll keep the minor league stocked if nothing else. Personally I love McConnell, I think he's the best 2nd string PG in the league and I consider him very much a part of Philly's core--hell, I would've signed him long term this summer with an eye toward grooming him as an asst coach or upstairs in Personnel--telling ya, he was a huge part of their success last season, not the flashy star but the motor guy that keeps the 2nd string humming along when everyone else wants to take a break.
All in all
The Sixers didn't really get better or worse this summer (*), they just shuffled out some people and shuffled in mostly like-for-like replacements. I'm cool with this move--or lack of moves. The next step for this team is the maturation of Simmons, Saric, Embiid, and Fultz. If each of those guys is slightly better than last year--and Fultz almost certainly will be--then this team should get better without any significant free agent upgrades. The roster didn't need an overhail, it just needed maturation. In the mean time they Hinkie-d up another pile of future 2nd round picks, stayed cap flexible and look to have plenty of money for next summer (Klay Thompson, Klay Thompson, Klay Thompson!).
That said, I don't think this team is vastly better than last year, not do I see them going deeper in the post-season. Last year, their success was largely a monster run at the end of the year after a mediocre opening. This season I would expect them to start better but I doubt they finish as well as they did--they rode a soft schedule and low expectations to a mighty charge into the playoffs. I don't think they're as good as the Celtics or Raptors, hard to tell what the Bucks or Pacers will be and while I don't expect the Pistons, Hornets or Heat to be monsters, I would expect them to be in the playoff hunt. I think 3rd is as high as this team could possibly finish but I wouldn't be surprised if the high expectations they avoided last year become something of a burden for them as the season wears on. I think Fultz will shine out, I think Zhaire Smith (if he plays) should have a promising rookie campaign and I'm really curious to see what they get from Bolden, Korkmaz and Milton. This team is nice--good, even--but this isn't the season for them to really start looking like greatness. Next summer (when all the vets disappear and just the creamy core of youth remains) is when they start shopping for the next level.
(*) Well, getting rid of GM Colangelo is an upgrade in my opinion. Let me just take one more moment to rant about this disaster: the NBA basically forced the Sixers to get rid of the shameful Sam Hinkie (who built this playoff roster) to bring in the shining Bryan Colangelo--who did nothing to make this a better team and showed himself (and his wife) to be an embarrassment. I think the Sixers ownership should be at the very least SUPER FUCKING PISSED that the NBA foisted this waste of space on them and, seriously, I'd consider litigation, as this was a highly unprofessional and possibly criminal move on the league's part. Meanwhile the architect of this team is still unemployed solely because the NBA wanted to make an example of him. Seriously, that's fucked up, man.
Out: Greg Monroe, Shane Larkin, Jonathon Gibson, Kadeem Allen, Abdel Nader
Larkin played a lot of worthwhile minutes off the bench for the Celtics in the last coupla years, I suppose the emergence of Terry Rozier makes Larkin fungible, but Monroe didn't do much in his short stay in Boston and I don't know Gibson or Allen. I like Nader but there isn't enough room in that rotation for him.
In: Brad Wanamaker, Robert Williams III, Walter Lemon, Rodney Purvis. PJ Dozier, Marcus Georges-Hunt
I dunno about Wanamaker, he's been kind of a work horse in the Turkish League, signed a very affordable 1yr deal, I assume he's up against Lemon for the 3rd string PG. Williams (Celtics' 1st rd pick) is already hilarious and with the Baynes re-signing, Williams is a luxury, clearly a project over the next coupla years.
Re-signed: Aron Baynes, Marcus Smart, Jabari Bird
I dig it. I liked Baynes in the playoffs last year, showed real smarts, the kinda guy you want off the bench. Re-upping Smart is a good move for the Celtics: he hustles, the fans love him, he makes mistakes but he makes plays, he's perfect for Coach Stevens, I know he's not perfect but that dude is worth it.
Knicks
Out: Jarret Jack, Michael Beasley, Kyle O'Quinn, Troy Williams.
Oh man, I forgot about Jarret Jack, he does seem pretty Knicks-y, doesn't he? I still think Jack can be a good 2nd/3rd string PG especially for a frisky wannabe playoff squad (hello, Grizzlies!). I like Beasley, never as good as he should've been but he seems to have matured enough to at least be a decent player, (I liked the idea of him in the Raptor bench crew but I kinda like him with the Lakers). I always liked O'Quinn, one of those dudes that always looks reliable out there, but Knicks are going youth-y, so I don't think he's too much of a loss. Williams....seems like a nice guy.
In: Alonzo Trier, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Noah Vonleh, Mario Hezonja, Jeff Coby
Keep an eye on Knox: at Kentucky his only drawback was not being more demanding, with NYK he'll have as much ball as he wants and when he goes off he'll be a national hero. Good for him! He's gonna be good and I think a legit pick for ROY. I kinda like Hezonja's chances of having a turnaround with the Knicks, he'll get minutes and chances, if he can score, he'll be just fine. Vonleh is worth another look (though I'd be surprised if he makes much difference to the roster). I liked Trier in the NCAA and I'm intrigued by Robinson, not ready to say they'll be good but not bad flyers for NYK.
I like Kanter, he's a rebound machine, probably exactly what Knox and Porzingis need, not a bad deal, 1 more year (then he heads to Dallas or San Antonio). I don't know Hicks or Kornet.
All in all
Ehhh, they're still a mixed bag. I like Coach Fizdale (thought he probably got a raw deal in Memphis) to add some excitement. But unless Knox wins ROY and Porzingas wins Most Improved, I don't like this team to win too many games. No focus to this team.
Nets
Out: Nik Stauskus, James Webb, Dante Cunningham, Jahlil Okafor, Quincy Acy, Timofey Mozgov, Jeremy Lin, Isiah Whitehead, Milton Doyle, Randy Foye, (2025 2nd rd pick), (2023 2nd rd pick swap w/ Hawks), (2021 2nd rd pick),
They made no effort to keep any of these guys, for better or worse. That alone indicates none of these assets were part of the future.
In: Ed Davis (1yr/$4.5m), Jared Dudley, Kenneth Faried, Shabazz Napier, Dzanan Musa, Rodions Kurucs, Traveon Graham, Theo Pinson, Jordan McLaughlin, Mitchell Creek, Alan Williams, (the rights to Isaia Cordiner), (Hawks 2020 2nd rd pick),
I like Davis and I'm curious to see Musa and Kurucs. But the trio of vets (Dudley, Faried, Napier) strike me as guys that will get minutes but won't bring in W's. The rest of roster fillers with a chance to get minutes.
Re-signed: Joe Harris (2yrs/$16m)Good player, good signing, very reasonable contract.
All in all
This is a transition year for the Nets. Next summer, they'll be rolling a ton of money off this roster, so next summer is when they begin to get back in the business of being the Nets. I'd say this season is all about deciding whether to keep Russell, Dinwiddie and Hollis-Jefferson (I'd say no matter how good the vets are, they're all gone). So will the Nets be good? No. But they won't be as awful as the last few years. They'll be working on making the most of their two 1st and two 2nd rd picks next summer and auditioning the rest of their roster for a re-up.
Raptors
Out: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poetl, Lucas Noguiera, Malcolm Miller, Alfonzo McKinnie, Nando deColo
This team has been dying for a shakeup--any kind of shakeup!--for the last two summers and this year it finally happened. Yes, it's only one year of Kawhi but they had to bust up the Lowry-DeRozan-Ibaka trio: too much money, not enough youth. Perhaps when Kawhi skips after a single season they'll be kicking themselves, but at least they'll have money to spend. I like DeRozan but Kawhi is a much more dynamic player on both ends of the court, this was a swing for the fences that had to be taken. I like Poetl, he's not just a throw-in, he's a smart player, passes well, rebounds well, the kind of all-round player every team could use. I watched Noquiera in int'l play and he looks fine out there, not sure why he never adapted to the NBA game, maybe he just needed a change of scenery. Kinda surprised deColo wasn't in the DeRozan-Kawhi deal, it was the Spurs who brought deColo to light, I think he can be a useful PG off the bench for the Raptors. McKinnie played limited time for the Raptors, though as a well-regarded prospect, perhaps he'll get minutes somewhere else.
In: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, (2019 1st rd pick), Chris Boucher, Jordan Lloyd, Greg Monroe, Kay Felder, Deng Adel, Kyle Collinsworth, Eric Moreland
Okay, this was the blockbuster trade of the summer (Lebron was a free agent), will it work out? The Raptors needed to make moves and if making those moves gives you a shot at one of the great players of the game, even for just one year, you've gotta do it. If Kawhi is old school Kawhi, he could be in the MVP discussion and I like the Raptors to finish 1st in the East. Green will give them reliable wing scoring, Monroe gives them more size off the bench and Felder, Adel, Boucher could add to that mighty bench the Raptors sported last year.
Good move to bring back Van Vleet, one of those guys that keeps working and making plays and keeps everyone around into the game. Not a bad price tag on that deal, too. Not sure what Brown has to offer but he had a pretty good rookie year with the Lakers a while back, maybe he's still got something to offer.
All in all
The Raptors in the Lowry-DeRozan era have been a top notch regular season, gliding into the top spot of the East for the last coupla years. That said, they haven't inspired much fear in the post-season but now that Lebron is gone, their chance has arrived. Bringing in Kawhi was a bold move but one that could propel them into their first Finals.
PG Lowry, SG Anunoby, SF Kawhi, PF Ibaka, C Valenciunas with Van Vleet, Miles, Wright, Green, Siakam, Monroe off the bench. Wow, I don't see how Felder, Richardson, Adel, Powell or Moreland got any playing time at all. That's either a lot of trade filler or more depth than is actually needed. Yes, they've got a new coach and their fan favorite cornerstone is gone, but the vibe is still there, the stars are still there and the depth is still there. The Celtics are stacked but I wouldn't be surprised if the Raptors finish 1st in the East by sheer inertia.
Sixers
Out: Ersan Ilyasova, Marco Belinelli, Justin Anderson, Timothy Luwawu, Richaun Holmes
They let go of 2 vets and 3 young projects. Ilyasova and Belinelli gave the Sixers some spunk down the stretch last year but I don't think either were major pieces that needed to be retained. Luwawu spent most of his time in Philly on injured reserve (as is the norm for Sixer draft picks) and Anderson never really fit into the rotation, though I thought he could be. Holmes was a nice big man off the bench but hardly an irreparable loss.
In: Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet, Norvel Pelle, (Lakers 2019 2nd rd pick), (GM Elton Brand), (Pistons 2021 & 2023 2nd rd picks), Shake Milton, (Heat 2021 1st rd pick), (2022 2nd rd pick swap w/ Nuggets), Anthony Brown, Emeka Okafor
Okay, out with some vets and youngsters, in with a new batch of vets and youngsters. Chandler, Okafor and Muscala are professional basketballers, though none come in expecting to have starring roles. Their jobs are to be reliable professionals off the court and occasionally give important minutes off the bench. I reckon they'll all be just fine. Smith and Shamet are promising youngsters--which in Philadelphia means they'll probably be injured by the end of this sentence. Brown had some fun moments with the Lakers a while back and has bounced around a bit, Philly should offer him a few minutes here or there to show himself. I kinda liked what I saw of Milton at SMU, kind of a steal for the Sixers to get him (effectively) so late in the draft; I suspect with Fultz expecting more playing time now, Milton will be seeing more of the G-League than Philly.
Bringing back Reddick and Johnson each for another year is a good move for the Sixers (who are probably looking at 2019-2020 as their real blasting off point). It keeps continuity without busting the payroll and since they didn't have a GM all summer, who were they gonna sign anyway? Jackson is an intriguing G-League level talent, he'll keep the minor league stocked if nothing else. Personally I love McConnell, I think he's the best 2nd string PG in the league and I consider him very much a part of Philly's core--hell, I would've signed him long term this summer with an eye toward grooming him as an asst coach or upstairs in Personnel--telling ya, he was a huge part of their success last season, not the flashy star but the motor guy that keeps the 2nd string humming along when everyone else wants to take a break.
All in all
The Sixers didn't really get better or worse this summer (*), they just shuffled out some people and shuffled in mostly like-for-like replacements. I'm cool with this move--or lack of moves. The next step for this team is the maturation of Simmons, Saric, Embiid, and Fultz. If each of those guys is slightly better than last year--and Fultz almost certainly will be--then this team should get better without any significant free agent upgrades. The roster didn't need an overhail, it just needed maturation. In the mean time they Hinkie-d up another pile of future 2nd round picks, stayed cap flexible and look to have plenty of money for next summer (Klay Thompson, Klay Thompson, Klay Thompson!).
That said, I don't think this team is vastly better than last year, not do I see them going deeper in the post-season. Last year, their success was largely a monster run at the end of the year after a mediocre opening. This season I would expect them to start better but I doubt they finish as well as they did--they rode a soft schedule and low expectations to a mighty charge into the playoffs. I don't think they're as good as the Celtics or Raptors, hard to tell what the Bucks or Pacers will be and while I don't expect the Pistons, Hornets or Heat to be monsters, I would expect them to be in the playoff hunt. I think 3rd is as high as this team could possibly finish but I wouldn't be surprised if the high expectations they avoided last year become something of a burden for them as the season wears on. I think Fultz will shine out, I think Zhaire Smith (if he plays) should have a promising rookie campaign and I'm really curious to see what they get from Bolden, Korkmaz and Milton. This team is nice--good, even--but this isn't the season for them to really start looking like greatness. Next summer (when all the vets disappear and just the creamy core of youth remains) is when they start shopping for the next level.
(*) Well, getting rid of GM Colangelo is an upgrade in my opinion. Let me just take one more moment to rant about this disaster: the NBA basically forced the Sixers to get rid of the shameful Sam Hinkie (who built this playoff roster) to bring in the shining Bryan Colangelo--who did nothing to make this a better team and showed himself (and his wife) to be an embarrassment. I think the Sixers ownership should be at the very least SUPER FUCKING PISSED that the NBA foisted this waste of space on them and, seriously, I'd consider litigation, as this was a highly unprofessional and possibly criminal move on the league's part. Meanwhile the architect of this team is still unemployed solely because the NBA wanted to make an example of him. Seriously, that's fucked up, man.
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