NBA 2013-2014 Season Thread

[HC]

I mean Bosh likes Miami and perhaps wants to be "the guy" more than joining a crowded WC field but still. A LeBron-less Heat team isn't winning any titles unless they bring someone else big in. I guess Riley has a plan.

[Mofoticon]

The Heat may sign Luol Deng or Trevor Ariza. That team is likely a top 4 seed in the East but it's a big fall from last year. We'll see what happens.

[gunnar hendershow]

It's a stupid deal and prevents them from getting a proper rebuild together. But remember the value of the Heat franchise jumped like $250-300 million over the last 4 years while the Cavs value dropped. Arison I'm sure knows this and is worried about what will happen now that he's lost LeBron and potentially Wade. He needs something to make the hundreds of thousands of people (at least) who as of 1:30pm today put their Heat gear in storage for life rethink their purchase of a Cavs t-shirt tomorrow. It won't work, but he's got to try something. Gilbert sat there and flung venom and looked (and still looks) like an ass. At least Arison is showing he's committed to attempting to compete.

East is a lot more open now. Cleveland, Atlanta (with a healthy Horford), Chicago, Indiana, and Washington all have legitimate shots. Depends on what moves are still to come.

[HC]

Also, Swaggy P has re-upped in LA for 4 years, 21.5 mil.

Free agency is finally happening!!!

[HC]

Also, this was on Reddit. Lovely.

[DMN in the House]

Also, Swaggy P has re-upped in LA for 4 years, 21.5 mil.

Free agency is finally happening!!!

Fuck yeah, Swaggy P is awesome!

[gunnar hendershow]

Good time to remind everyone that John Calipari turned down 10 years/80 million to be the Cavaliers head coach.

[Rafael]

PJ Hairston and Noah Vonleh combined for 2-29 on FGs. I can't believe we got the two big busts in the draft.

[Benjamin]

I like Kevin Love and he puts up a double-double nightly but holy shit it's an empty double-double. His rim protection is atrocious. He's easily the most overrated "superstar" in the league. He gives you stats but doesn't give you what you want from that position.

Exactly. He was a superstar in what was basically a horrible team. He was the Andre Iguodala of Minnesota, except he's good offensively instead of defensively. Not a great big guy at all.

[HC]

I like Kevin Love and he puts up a double-double nightly but holy shit it's an empty double-double. His rim protection is atrocious. He's easily the most overrated "superstar" in the league. He gives you stats but doesn't give you what you want from that position.

Exactly. He was a superstar in what was basically a horrible team. He was the Andre Iguodala of Minnesota, except he's good offensively instead of defensively. Not a great big guy at all.

Let's not get crazy, Ben. I'm not a huge Love supporter but admittedly dude is better than Andre freakin' Igoudala.

And Mike Miller just said the Grizzlies are going in another direction. Makes sense, given his price is probably too rich for us anyway, but I would've liked to see him retire where he spent the largest tenure of his career.

[Benjamin]

Well, I guess I just never understood the hype with him. He's a great scorer, don't get me wrong, but I've never seen much else.

For the record I used to have a very high opinion of Igoudala. Always thought he was a beast of a defender outside the 3 point line.

[gunnar hendershow]

Iggy is a top 10 defender and has been his whole career. Not a max contract guy since he has a lot of holes elsewhere but he could be an integral part of any team with title aspirations.

[DMN in the House]

There's a huge difference between being a good defender on a bad team and being a great numbers guy in a bad team. One transfers much easier.

[HC]

Vince Carter is a Grizzly!

I'm oddly excited. He's past his prime, but Vince Carter was a star once! At the very least, it can't go worse than signing Allen Iverson back in '09.

[Quom]

I dunno, I'm torn. The offence was run through Love, he touched the ball on every play. His averages will drop because he won't need to try and do everything. But he stretches the floor which won't change, he is a great offensive rebounder etc. If anything I think his value might be better seen on a good team. He was never the right compliment for a Rubio who needs athletic bigs. Beyond which he was instructed not to foul, they Wolves had no depth to replace him with if he was in foul trouble, which is where most of the 'lol Love defence' comes from.

I think that by pairing him with a superstar Love actually looks better. Teams knew Love was everything to the Wolves, it's going to be a lot harder to cover him if you're also having to guard someone like Lebron.

Plus all this talk cracks me up when if we keep him for a year, teams will be out recruiting him with promises of a max and building around him.

[gunnar hendershow]

Sounds like Pau will be heading to Chicago. Moves aren't done yet, if they can still land Melo (and I don't know if they have the money now to do that) the Bulls on paper would be the best team in the East. Assuming Rose is healthy.

[Maxx]

Why would you assume that?

[Mofoticon]

Sounds like Pau will be heading to Chicago. Moves aren't done yet, if they can still land Melo (and I don't know if they have the money now to do that) the Bulls on paper would be the best team in the East. Assuming Rose is healthy.

The Bulls signing Pau would knock them out of the Melo hunt. Can't afford both.

[gunnar hendershow]

And Melo is staying in NY.

Houston made that Lin trade confident they'd get Bosh, now they've lost both major targets. Curious what they spend the cap space on.

[Tyrone]

Melo is staying. Ugh