Who would lost season be the worst for?

[celticsclay]

Some contenders off the top of my head (just going off premise the season does not get resumed at all):

Lakers: Lose a good chance for Lebron to get a title while still performing at a high level at an advanced age. How does he look if he is coming back next year a  year older with a lot of the surrounding vets also being up there in age?

Clippers: Have really sold out their future for only a few years of guaranteed contracts from Leonard and George. How painful is losing one of them without playoffs?

Rockets: Had gone all in on an unprecedented style building around two ball dominant aging (and extremely talented guards). Do they run back the same model next year robbed of the chance to see it in the playoffs?

Bucks: March a season closer to free agency for Giannis after being robbed of a real chance to see how their system performed in the playoffs. Does this make Giannis more likely to leave?

76ers: Lose a playoffs and the chance to see if somehow their big offseason gambit and signing could have performed in playoffs. Bring back Embid off another injury riddled season, Horford at 34 coming back for next year? Do they lose Brown?

Toronto: Seemed to have emerged as a dark horse contenders but have some important players that are really getting up there (Ibaka, Gasol, Lowry). What happens now?

I was not planning on adding this, but while writing this the real winners in all of this seems to be the Nets? They punted the year before it started and then it ends up being a year nobody theoretically wins. Then on top of that their biggest disadvantage going into next year would have been rust, and now everyone will have tons of rust. 

[RockinRyA]

For the Celtics I'd imagine not much if you are thinking of this year as a bridge year rather than as a contending year. Maybe a playoff evaluation for Ainge to decide on what moves to make in the offseason.

[tazzmaniac]

Don't understand your question.  There's a typo (would would) too.

Don't see any reason to think Lebron will drop off much. 

Leonard and George have player options in their last year which they will assuredly opt off.  So they'll be free agents after next season. 

Doubt Rockets will have any other choice but to run it back. 

I don't think this season has any affect on Giannis' decision.  Giannis could end up leaving even if they win the championship next season.  In some ways its even easier to do since he'll have given them a championship. 

Embiid isn't going anywhere.  Not sure who they'd move Horford for.  They're not just going to dump his salary.  No clue about Brown.  Is there going to be a playoff proven coach available? 

Not really concerned about the Raptors.  Think they're a regular season team. 

As for the Nets, we'll see how long Irving is going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle to Durant.  Who is going to be their coach anyway?  Lue? 

[celticsclay]

Don't understand your question.  There's a typo (would would) too.

Don't see any reason to think Lebron will drop off much. 

Leonard and George have player options in their last year which they will assuredly opt off.  So they'll be free agents after next season. 

Doubt Rockets will have any other choice but to run it back. 

I don't think this season has any affect on Giannis' decision.  Giannis could end up leaving even if they win the championship next season.  In some ways its even easier to do since he'll have given them a championship. 

Embiid isn't going anywhere.  Not sure who they'd move Horford for.  They're not just going to dump his salary.  No clue about Brown.  Is there going to be a playoff proven coach available? 

Not really concerned about the Raptors.  Think they're a regular season team. 

As for the Nets, we'll see how long Irving is going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle to Durant.  Who is going to be their coach anyway?  Lue?

I got mangled pretty hard by some auto correct. Was trying to ask who losing this season would be toughest for. I think obviously that starts with the contenders.

[CelticsPoetry]

I would say it's the Lakers by far because of Lebron's and the role player's age (Dwight, Rondo). Clippers aren't that old (maybe Lou Will). I also don't see why Giannis would want to leave. They've been on the cusp on contending for years and this season they had an historical season. Giannis is only 25 (wow, that's scary). So it's the Lakers and I LOVE IT!

[GreenFaith1819]

I'd say LAL.



LeBron has already sat out several games this year for his groin...the same injury that sidelined him for over a month last year.

He IS getting older.

While I love LeBron and what he has done for the game AND the community his (and LAL's) competitive window IS closing.....

LAC? Don't mind if Doc gets another one....still love Doc and what he did for BOS. A LAC Banner would help to offset (a bit) those 16 banners from LAL). Don't mind if Kahwi gets another one OR PG13 gets his first.

As long as they don't wear Purple and Gold it's all good.

PHI? Here's hoping they self implode. Al's not getting any younger either.

MIL? Like Greek Freak...if we don't get one I wouldn't mind seeing MIL get one. Their window is a bit more open, like ours....

TOR? A dark horse but Lowry isn't getting any younger.....

Indy's window is open but they don't have the horses like WE do



This is not taking into account Theis's, GH's, Kemba's AND Smart's play.

BOS's window isn't closing anytime soon and I'm glad for it.

[gouki88]

Definitely the Lakers. Everyone has rightfully pointed to LeBron getting 1 year older, but don't forget about their plethora of old role players. Green, Bradley, Rondo, Howard, McGee, Morris and Dudley are all on the decline.

Also think the 76ers are hurt by it. They finish the season with an incredibly bitter taste of dysfunction in their mouth (we know all about that) and no real prospect of fixing it, being locked in with 4 enormous contracts

[ozgod]

It would be the Fakers for sure. They've had a charmed season so far. LeBum one year older, AD free agency circus coming, and as Gouki mentioned all their vets are going to get older.

[Who]

LeBron - he has only so many more of these seasons left in him. Hurts to lose this chance at a Championship.

[Who]

To go the opposite way -- this is great for the Milwaukee Bucks.

I firmly believe they would've been found out in the playoffs and another playoff disappointment would have pushed Giannis that much closer to leaving in free agency - given that most of his supporting cast are already in the downward slope / decline of their career.

So now they can still believe they could've won the title and Giannis has that buy-in and commitment to what they are doing so the odds of them re-signing and keeping Giannis just went up.

Happy days for Milwaukee.

[gouki88]

To go the opposite way -- this is great for the Milwaukee Bucks.

I firmly believe they would've been found out in the playoffs and another playoff disappointment would have pushed Giannis that much closer to leaving in free agency - given that most of his supporting cast are already in the downward slope / decline of their career.

So now they can still believe they could've won the title and Giannis has that buy-in and commitment to what they are doing so the odds of them re-signing and keeping Giannis just went up.

Happy days for Milwaukee.

Yeah, I think for Brooklyn and the Bucks it's quite good. Brooklyn get to reset with a new coach and a healthy star duo (presumably - who knows for how long or at what level KD will be), and the Bucks can roll into the next season with some momentum. Only concern is aging role-players

[mmmmm]

I'll concur with the consensus that it is the Lakers who get screwed the most by this.   That team is so heavily dependent on Lebron and when he finally starts to fall off due to age it will be very difficult for that team to replace that talent drop off.

They also have multiple key role players this year who are well up in age (Dwight, McGee, Rondo, etc.).

The Nets benefit from all this if you believe that (a) Durant comes back strong after a year off (not many players do in that first year back) and (b) a healthy Kyrie who is actually playing with his teammates makes them better ...

[SHAQATTACK]

To go the opposite way -- this is great for the Milwaukee Bucks.

I firmly believe they would've been found out in the playoffs and another playoff disappointment would have pushed Giannis that much closer to leaving in free agency - given that most of his supporting cast are already in the downward slope / decline of their career.

So now they can still believe they could've won the title and Giannis has that buy-in and commitment to what they are doing so the odds of them re-signing and keeping Giannis just went up.

Happy days for Milwaukee.

Giannis still needs another serious  strong #2 ,   like when Lebron saw he needed Wade and left for Heat .   Middleton is not enough .   I don't think he is at the boiling point yet , like Bron after 7 years to take flight .  He is also not as self centered diva.   I think he ll hang with buck least though another contract cycle. 

Lakers chances are literally disappearing like when Kobe got old , now every month Lebron fades a fraction more.  He is just one serious injury away from retirement.

[Birdman]

Lakers..and I’m glad! If NBA start around June, it will take teams to find their groove again..Lakers has a lot of older players and this will affect them..if season is cancel, Lakers have to retool again and James is another year older

[Somebody]

To go the opposite way -- this is great for the Milwaukee Bucks.

I firmly believe they would've been found out in the playoffs and another playoff disappointment would have pushed Giannis that much closer to leaving in free agency - given that most of his supporting cast are already in the downward slope / decline of their career.

So now they can still believe they could've won the title and Giannis has that buy-in and commitment to what they are doing so the odds of them re-signing and keeping Giannis just went up.

Happy days for Milwaukee.

Giannis still needs another serious  strong #2 ,   like when Lebron saw he needed Wade and left for Heat .   Middleton is not enough .   I don't think he is at the boiling point yet , like Bron after 7 years to take flight .  He is also not as self centered diva.   I think he ll hang with buck least though another contract cycle. 

Lakers chances are literally disappearing like when Kobe got old , now every month Lebron fades a fraction more.  He is just one serious injury away from retirement.

What?! An All-NBA wing with an elite offensive game and good defence isn't enough as a #2 for a title contender? The Bucks are smashing point differential this year for a reason lol.