NBA Season 2022-23

[Who]

What were the Timberwolves thinking when they traded for Gobert?

Can they find anyone to take that contract now?

John Collins & DeAndre Hunter for Rudy Gobert.


Minnesota put KAT back to the C position and get two forwards to put alongside Jaden McDaniels.

G: Conley
G: A Edwards
F: J McDaniels, D Hunter
F: J Collins
C: KAT

Collins would be a fun fit next to KAT. Both guys can go inside outside and major scoring threats. Anthony Edwards in the PnR with two highly skilled bigs would be devastating. Conley creating the team ball movement at PG. The SF doing the dirty work.

Meanwhile, Atlanta gets a major difference maker at C. They would need to do a follow up trade to move Clint Capela for a forward (SF or PF) which is do-able. I'd also love to see them trade Trae or D Murray for a legit wing player.

G: Trae
G: (star trade for Murray)
F: (starter trade for Capela)
F:
C: Rudy

Good step in the right direction to building a team that can actually function alongside one another instead of a bunch of misaligned pieces.

So how about Smart for Capela and then they can trade Murray (or Trae) for the forward they will need.

After what MIN gave up for Gobert, I would be surprised if they traded him.  They will convince themselves that they need to give it another season.

Just to refresh people's memory on the trade:

Timberwolves receive:
• Rudy Gobert

Jazz receive:
• Malik Beasley
• Patrick Beverley
• Leandro Bolmaro
• Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick in 2022 Draft)
• Jarred Vanderbilt
• 2023 first-round pick
• 2025 first-round pick
• 2026 pick swap
• 2027 first-round pick
• 2029 first-round pick

Or maybe make the trade even simpler, Trae for Gobert straight and then Capela for Smart straight:

Murray
Smart
Hunter
Collins
Gobert

Quin Snyder and Gobert reunited.

Yep, Smart for Capela works.

Trading Trae instead of D Murray is also a workable route forward. I personally believe it would be easier to build a title winning team around Murray than Trae given Trae's extreme strengths and weaknesses. Although I do like Gobert more next to Trae than Murray given Trae's superior shooting.

Word out of Minnesota is that they are blaming Towns' long absence this season for their so-so W-L record. They believe that Gobert and Towns have not had enough time together to make that partnership work and believe it will come good next season. So they are showing no signs of being interested in moving Rudy Gobert. I fully expect him back there next season. Then when reality hits (that Gobert and Towns are bad together), they will look to trade Gobert in 2024 maybe at the trade deadline or if not the summer.

[Who]

That Warriors vs Kings matchup is stellar.

G: Steph vs Fox
G: Klay vs Huerter
F: Wiggins vs H Barnes
F: Draymond vs K Murray
C: Looney vs Sabonis


Is that Klay vs Huerter matchup neutral? Klay has declined since his peak. He is not the defender he once was. His offensive play is still really good at 21ppg but only 57.6% TS%. Huerter gives you 15ppg at 61.7% TS%. Both are high caliber perimeter shooters. Neither creates much of their own offense (one-on-one). Neither gives much in terms of ball-handling, passing or rebounding. Does Klay really offer much of an upgrade over Huerter?

How about the Wiggins vs H Barnes? I see that matchup as neutral. Both are versatile scorers who can score in transition, isolation, jump-shooters. Similar defenders & rebounders. Neither does much passing.

The Steph vs Fox matchup will be fascinating. As an individual talent you'd certaintly take Steph (30ppg 65.6% TS%) but Fox is a tough matchup for him. Fox has devastating quickness and driving capabilities. Fox has had a fantastic season himself with 25ppg on 60% TS%. Just how much can Fox negate Steph's brilliance? I could easily see Fox going off in that series and driving Steph to a near stand still.

The Draymond vs K Murray matchup clearly favours GSW and the Sabonis vs Looney matchup clearly favours SAC. It is also interesting to switch them and wonder about Draymond vs Sabonis and K Murray vs Looney. In that case, I take both Sabonis over Draymond and Murray over Looney.

Sabonis will be a nightmare for GSW. They have nobody who can defend him. He is too physical and too skilled for GSW's big man defenders. This is not a good matchup for Draymond. He is better at quicker more athletic offensive threats and slower less mobile offensive threats. Sabonis is different. He maintains a high physicality to his game while still maintaining high skill and good mobility. It is much harder for Draymond to leverage his strength / low center of gravity against Sabonis' power play because Sabonis can switch to the skill game and more finesse play. And if Draymond compensates for that, then Sabonis moves back to overpowering Draymond with his superior size.

It reminds me a bit of Bogut vs Perk back in the day. Perk would do great work against Dwight Howard who would only use power moves against Perk but Bogut would instead just spin and go finesse against Perk's power post D and Perk would struggle to contain Bogut's post play. Bogut was also more willing to just be a PnR big and play off the elbow than Dwight was when his team did not want to post. I see some similarities here with Sabonis. I think Sabonis is going to have a huge series against GSW. I do not think Draymond or Looney can defend him.

[Vermont Green]

Yep, Smart for Capela works.

Trading Trae instead of D Murray is also a workable route forward. I personally believe it would be easier to build a title winning team around Murray than Trae given Trae's extreme strengths and weaknesses. Although I do like Gobert more next to Trae than Murray given Trae's superior shooting.

Word out of Minnesota is that they are blaming Towns' long absence this season for their so-so W-L record. They believe that Gobert and Towns have not had enough time together to make that partnership work and believe it will come good next season. So they are showing no signs of being interested in moving Rudy Gobert. I fully expect him back there next season. Then when reality hits (that Gobert and Towns are bad together), they will look to trade Gobert in 2024 maybe at the trade deadline or if not the summer.

I am not surprised at all that MIN is going to run it back again with Gobert but Trae, Edwards, Towns is a formidable big 3.  And getting Trae for Gobert is reasonable face saving.  I don't see Gobert working in MIN.

As for ATL, Trae is probably a better single player than Murray but they need to move on.  They may not "win" the trade outright but it is what they need to do to start a reset.  Collins is their wild card.  Not sure what happened to him.  But if they can get him right, back to say 18 pts/8 rebs/35% 3pt, (he was that or better for 4 straight seasons) they would end up with a decent team to carry forward with.  Trae is not the star to build around.  They may as well be a 0.500 team with more team oriented players.

[Who]

The bench is interesting for GSW vs SAC as well

G: Payton III vs Davion Mitchell
G: Poole vs Monk
F: DiVincenzo vs T Davis 
F: Kuminga vs K Edwards
C: JayM Green vs R Holmes

GSW also have A Lamb and Moody on their bench.

JayMychal Green has not been playing (I do not think). GSW have only been using two bigs lately with Draymond & Looney and have been playing with all smalls the rest of the time. I believe this will give SAC an advantage at backup C especially if Sabonis can get one of those two starting bigs in foul trouble.

How much difference is there between Poole or Monk? Poole is more style than substance. I do not think there is much between them. Monk has played well this year.

How about Payton and Davion Mitchell? I do not see much difference there either.

DiVincenzo and T Davis? Nah. Similar.
Kuminga and K Edwards?


I see these two benches as largely equal with the exception of SAC having a legit big man on their bench and GSW not having one they feel they can trust.

This looks a very close series to me.

[celticsclay]

Lakers won in OT at home against a depleted T team lol..Memphis hopefully sweep them

Other than the fact that several of the western conference teams are flawed in some way I don't understand the excitement for the lakers.

They have 2 top 10 players when healthy.  That almost always does well in the playoffs.

They do not have two top ten players when healthy. This has gotten ridiculous. Even when both have played the last years they have been barely above .500. That just doesn’t happen with two top 10 players.

Also we are trying to say they are both better than

Giannis
Embid
Jokic
Durant
Tatum
SGA
Doncic
Booker
Curry
Morant


Lebron doesn’t even attempt to play defense…

[Who]

How good are Memphis without S Adams and B Clarke?

That looks like their interior play is compromised. Their rebounding, their interior help D, less high efficiency interior buckets.

Even if LAL are not that good, are the Grizzlies any better without those two guys?

Memphis wins a lot with quality depth around the brilliance of Morant. Those two guys at the same big man spot is big dent in that quality supporting cast.

[Donoghus]

We got playoff dates.

[Donoghus]

[Donoghus]

Celtics/Hawks.

[Who]

What do the matchups look like for Memphis vs LAL? Is this right?

Starters

G: Morant vs D Russell
G: Bane vs A Reeves
F: L Kennard vs Vanderbilt
F: D Brooks vs LeBron
C: J Jackson vs A Davis

Bench

G: T Jones vs Schroder
G: Konchar vs Malik Beasley
F: Roddy vs Troy Brown
F: Aldama vs Hachimura
C: X Tillman vs Mo Bamba


Not sure who starts for Memphis - Kennard, Tillman or Aldama?

I expect Brooks will matchup with LeBron so the other guy will be matching up with Vanderbilt. Memphis could go small with Kennard and gain an offensive advantage. Or matchup with size with Tillman or Aldama to stop Vanderbilt from punishing them on the boards. Kennard would make them very small for defending LeBron and AD. Tillman or Aldama would give them a second big body in help defense against LeBron. Yeah, they'll probably start one of those guys instead of Kennard.

That Memphis team could get killed on the boards. LAL have a big rebounding advantage at SF with LeBron, at PF with Vanderbilt and at C with AD over JJJ. LA's guards don't rebound which helps MEM but MEM's guards do not rebound all that much either. Adams and Clarke are going to be big miss on the boards.

I reckon Memphis would crush LAL if they had Adams and Clarke. Not sure they can win without them.

[bdm860]

Celtics/Hawks.

NBATV, ouch.

I don't see a full schedule anywhere yet, but Sixers/Nets Game 2 is on Monday, and would guess Bucks/??? is on Wednesday.  So C's are probably getting bumped off the main stage for Knicks/Cavs.  Eh, can't blame them, will hopefully be a better game (because Celtics/Hawks will be a blowout!).

[Vermont Green]

Celtics/Hawks.

So is NBATV the only way to watch Game 2?  If that is true, very disappointing.

[Donoghus]

Celtics/Hawks.

NBATV, ouch.

I don't see a full schedule anywhere yet, but Sixers/Nets Game 2 is on Monday, and would guess Bucks/??? is on Wednesday.  So C's are probably getting bumped off the main stage for Knicks/Cavs.  Eh, can't blame them, will hopefully be a better game (because Celtics/Hawks will be a blowout!).

Yeah,  Sixers Game 2 in Monday night on TNT and Bucks Game 2 is Weds on NBATV. 

[Donoghus]

Celtics/Hawks.

So is NBATV the only way to watch Game 2?  If that is true, very disappointing.

That'll probably be the only NBATV game of the entire playoffs for the Celtics.   They're lined up with Suns/Clippers for potential games 5-7 so that'd just be doubleheaders most likely on TNT.

[Phantom255x]

Celtics/Hawks.

So is NBATV the only way to watch Game 2?  If that is true, very disappointing.

Thankfully for me, I'll be at TD Garden that night so don't have to deal with that 

(On a side note, hope NBA TV is offering some free merch/swag to the crowd as well that night)