The Offseason 2017

brady23 · 27-09-2017 3:47pm

I don't know whether it's my interest in following the NBA has increased as time has gone on but this season seems to be one of the most intriguing if not the most intriguing for me.

The plethora of sub plots leading into this season is great from championship contenders to bottom feeders so many teams have something going on that is yet to unfold.

I'm personally looking forward to ROY which seems wide open and so deep. Along with that draft lottery reforms and how that will hurt or help mostly the Cavs

76ers with Embiid Simmons Saric and Fultz. Hinkie possibly recognised as a savant.

Lakers and the Lonzo train which reminds me of McGregor vs Mayweather where a play-off year is incredibly improbable but the hype makes you doubt its not impossible for a moment

Collection of super teams and now super-super teams and how they gel.

Very exciting year ahead

ButtersSuki · 27-09-2017 6:52pm

brady23 wrote: »

I don't know whether it's my interest in following the NBA has increased as time has gone on but this season seems to be one of the most intriguing if not the most intriguing for me.

The plethora of sub plots leading into this season is great from championship contenders to bottom feeders so many teams have something going on that is yet to unfold.

I'm personally looking forward to ROY which seems wide open and so deep. Along with that draft lottery reforms and how that will hurt or help mostly the Cavs

76ers with Embiid Simmons Saric and Fultz. Hinkie possibly recognised as a savant.

Lakers and the Lonzo train which reminds me of McGregor vs Mayweather where a play-off year is incredibly improbable but the hype makes you doubt its not impossible for a moment

Collection of super teams and now super-super teams and how they gel.

Very exciting year ahead

Did you read the resignation letter I posted form him a few months ago?

He was on a podcast I listened to a while back - think it was one of the ringer pods but it may have been openfloor. I'm telling you, he's an awful lot smarter than he was given credit for being. If my team was lounging in mediocrity I'd want him. Hell, if my team was winning I'd want him on board.

Paully D · 27-09-2017 7:45pm

brady23 wrote: »

I don't know whether it's my interest in following the NBA has increased as time has gone on but this season seems to be one of the most intriguing if not the most intriguing for me.

Very exciting year ahead

I've never been less interested, to be honest. Cavs are all but guaranteed a Finals spot and if we're lucky, the Warriors might be forced to break sweat in the West.

brady23 · 27-09-2017 9:23pm

Paully D wrote: »

I've never been less interested, to be honest. Cavs are all but guaranteed a Finals spot and if we're lucky, the Warriors might be forced to break sweat in the West.

That's very true. I feel like we're essentially looking at 2 different leagues.

Regular season with sub plots I mentioned and the post season which will have some good match ups in the West till the finals then the Warriors walk it and East will be a walk for Celtics and Cavs and their finals will be decent.

The regular season has been sub par for a long time but I do think with what has happened this post season it sets up a more exciting season than recent years.

I personally always liked Hinkies concept. My only issue with it regarding the 76ers was I felt the franchise was big enough to compete in the open market. I thought the concept would have been more accepted and applicable to perhaps the Bucks

brady23 · 28-09-2017 9:55pm

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20851002/nba-board-governors-votes-pass-legislation-draft-lottery-reform-guidelines-resting-healthy-players

Graph at the end of the article shows the draft reform to take effect from 2019 onwards.

I don't think it is as much of a deterrent to teams tanking tbh at least in the short term.

Teams that finish in the last 3 positions are most at risk obviously but given you only have a 3/1 chance of getting top pick it isn't too different from expected return.

I wasn't aware but a team who finishes last has an expected position of 2.6 currently which changes to 3.7
2nd pick moves from 3.0 to 3.9 and 3rd position goes from 3.4 to 4.1
Perhaps it prevents systematic multi season tanking to a point but I don't think it changes too many teams short term plans.

Paully D · 28-09-2017 10:13pm

Melo says there was a deal done for him and George to go to Cleveland on draft night but it got pulled at the last minute.

ButtersSuki · 29-09-2017 9:07am

brady23 wrote: »

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20851002/nba-board-governors-votes-pass-legislation-draft-lottery-reform-guidelines-resting-healthy-players

Graph at the end of the article shows the draft reform to take effect from 2019 onwards.

I don't think it is as much of a deterrent to teams tanking tbh at least in the short term.

Teams that finish in the last 3 positions are most at risk obviously but given you only have a 3/1 chance of getting top pick it isn't too different from expected return.

I wasn't aware but a team who finishes last has an expected position of 2.6 currently which changes to 3.7
2nd pick moves from 3.0 to 3.9 and 3rd position goes from 3.4 to 4.1
Perhaps it prevents systematic multi season tanking to a point but I don't think it changes too many teams short term plans.

OR you could look at that as now you don't have to tank to the bottom, you only have to tank to the bottom 3. In a strange way, it's actually made it potentially easier to be rewarded for tanking.....and you can also say you're not going all out to tank as iyou finished with the 3rd worst record in the league etc.

It could also unintentionally make the jockeying for 3rd worst record very interesting.........it's really just pushing the problem further down the road.

brady23 · 29-09-2017 10:45am

ButtersSuki wrote: »

OR you could look at that as now you don't have to tank to the bottom, you only have to tank to the bottom 3. In a strange way, it's actually made it potentially easier to be rewarded for tanking.....and you can also say you're not going all out to tank as iyou finished with the 3rd worst record in the league etc.

It could also unintentionally make the jockeying for 3rd worst record very interesting.........it's really just pushing the problem further down the road.

You may have misread it. It makes tanking for the bottom five less valuable but at team 6 it goes to the same as before or higher.
I agree all out tanking becomes less valuable but teams won't be jockeying for 3rd last

ButtersSuki · 29-09-2017 11:06am

brady23 wrote: »

You may have misread it. It makes tanking for the bottom five less valuable but at team 6 it goes to the same as before or higher.
I agree all out tanking becomes less valuable but teams won't be jockeying for 3rd last

Nope, didn't misread it. It depends on your view of stats and numerics....something I have a background in.

My point is that the teams with the 2nd and 3rd worst records now have the exact same chance of securing the #1 pick OR a pick in the Top 3 as the team with the worst record....up to now they had statistically less chances of doing that. Before if you were in tank mode you wanted the worst record in the league, now you want to be in the Bottom 3.

They've inadvertently made the Lottery not about the #1 position, but now 1-3. Given how infrequently the worst team actually lands the #1 pick, I think there's real danger here that this becomes counterproductive.

It's definitely a wait and see how this evolves, but there's risk attached.

ButtersSuki · 29-09-2017 11:11am

I just think they went far enough. This is a tinkering, when it really should have been completely redesigned. I appreciate that a lot of the teams don't want to change at all and any major changes would have been difficult to get approved, but I feel this is a missed opportunity.

brady23 · 29-09-2017 11:14am

Mistake on my part

ButtersSuki · 29-09-2017 11:26am

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/913480042352693250/photo/1

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/913480042352693250

Unless I'm reading that the wrong way around......Team 1-3 have the same % chance (14) at the #1 pick and a Top 3 pick (40). Changes after the Top 3 sure, but they're the same for 1 and Top 3.

Can't seem to get the images to show - sorry.

brady23 · 29-09-2017 11:34am

My mistake I was referring to expected return from your position.
I don't think that there will a jockeying for top 3 either way

brady23 · 29-09-2017 12:22pm

Phone died so couldn't respond properly. Oversight on my part as I simply looked at 1st pick and expected return tbh.

My point BS regarding jockeying for bottom 3 which essentially could have happened last year with the Lakers and Suns but didn't is that the expected return of pick 3 relative to the expected return of pick 4 has actually diminished under the new rules.
Prior to this change the expected return of pick 3 was 3.4 while pick 4 was 4.0 which is a clear difference of 0.6
Under the new rules the same two positions have a likelihood of 4.1 and 4.4.

Your point has merit but it's rather short sighted and I don't think a gm worth his salt would look at the probability of pick 1-3 as an indicator of tanking to the bottom 3 but would rather use expected return and assess whether it's worth it.

ButtersSuki · 02-10-2017 10:20am

A few days old at this stage but Westbrook signs with OKC for largest contract in NBA history.....on KD's Birthday (LOL).

ButtersSuki · 02-10-2017 10:22am

Interesting Woj podcast on college hoops re. boosters/payments etc., and the likely end of Rick Pitino and coaching following last week's revelations. Worth looking for - if a little short.

ButtersSuki · 02-10-2017 2:13pm

Ha! Ha!

https://twitter.com/cityofokc/status/913861809031008257

Hazys · 03-10-2017 3:07pm

NYC Subway chirping Dolan and the Knicks

DLJo8hJWsAATkTt.jpg?w=1200

http://www.believethehypenba.com/2017/10/03/fs1-bought-an-ad-on-the-new-york-subway-just-to-ether-the-knicks/

ButtersSuki · 03-10-2017 3:17pm

Hazys wrote: »

NYC Subway chirping Dolan and the Knicks

http://www.believethehypenba.com/2017/10/03/fs1-bought-an-ad-on-the-new-york-subway-just-to-ether-the-knicks/

Ha! Ha! The seats are funny too......

brady23 · 03-10-2017 10:03pm

All Star Game revamp (well almost)

Voting remains the same. 12 players selected from each conference.
Player with highest amount of votes from each conference is made captain and they pick players for their team irrespective of conference.

There should have been a larger pool maybe 20 from each conference and that way we would have seen a larger amount from the West but at least there will be more balance and possibly added competition.

ButtersSuki · 04-10-2017 9:54am

brady23 wrote: »

All Star Game revamp (well almost)

Voting remains the same. 12 players selected from each conference.
Player with highest amount of votes from each conference is made captain and they pick players for their team irrespective of conference.

There should have been a larger pool maybe 20 from each conference and that way we would have seen a larger amount from the West but at least there will be more balance and possibly added competition.

Agree on what you said in bold.

In the last few years I haven't really watched it as it's a bit of a joke, but hopefully this makes it a little more interesting on some levels.

3 point competition remains the highlight for me, but I'm sure for most that's boring as hell.

ButtersSuki · 06-10-2017 10:55am

actually worth a read:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20925633/jeremy-lin-brooklyn-nets-all-good-kenyon-martin-remarks-hair-race

ButtersSuki · 09-10-2017 10:06am

Jeff Green climbing the ladder for the No. 1 play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8jhrHHriA0

ButtersSuki · 10-10-2017 9:38am

Watched Steph Curry go for 40 in 3 quarters last night v the Timberwolves in one of the pre-season NBA China games. A couple of things:
1) he looks like he's increased his upper body muscle mass significantly; maybe it's the tighter Nike jerseys, but he looks in serious shape
2) he looks more like scoring Steph than facilitating Steph, which could be interesting

One game sure, but the physical transformation, in particular, looked stark. That's what the Warriors need alright, Steph to get bigger and stronger.......

brady23 · 12-10-2017 10:12am

Embiid goes for 22-7 in 15 minutes. Taking players off the dribble, Dirk style fadeaway, mid range jumpers as well as having allowed opponents one of the lowest scoring % at the rim during his 31 games last year.

His ceiling is just scary. I think we could be seeing the next great big man provided he stays healthy

K.O.Kiki · 12-10-2017 2:28pm

That's on top of his 5yr-148million contract (with clauses should he get injured).

NufcNavan · 12-10-2017 4:51pm

brady23 wrote: »

Embiid goes for 22-7 in 15 minutes. Taking players off the dribble, Dirk style fadeaway, mid range jumpers as well as having allowed opponents one of the lowest scoring % at the rim during his 31 games last year.

His ceiling is just scary. I think we could be seeing the next great big man provided he stays healthy

His minutes limitation is a major problem.

He is legit big too though.

brady23 · 13-10-2017 11:32am

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21003122/charlotte-hornets-owner-michael-jordan-not-fan-nba-super-team-era

Jordan makes a fair point regarding the Super teams.
I was just thinking of possible solutions. It essentially comes down to money. Therefore I think if a player makes 20m like Wade for example.

He shouldn't be allowed to either be waived and join a team for way below his previous contract or in the event of negotiating a new contract he can't take a huge cut. He can take a reduction but reduction can only be x% of his previous salary.

I'm sure there are far better solutions but just a thought

brady23 · 18-10-2017 7:44am

Hayward with a horrific injury. If I remember correctly it's the same injury Alan Smith suffered for Man Utd a few years ago which he never fully recovered from. It's a definite season ending injury.

Also Portis broke Mirotics jaw in practice after an on-court fight. Not the ideal start to the season

The Offseason 2017

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