2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Celtics2021]

Udoka is now 0-3 as the Rockets HC.

Not sure how much of this is on Udoka - the Rockets are almost certainly not trying to win basketball games this year.

Where do we think Embiid lands after Philadelphia?

I don’t think the Rockets are trying to tank at this point. They signed Vanfleet to a huge contract in the off-season. Also brought in Dillon Brooks, Bullock and Jeff Green. They already have young talent to build around with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets giving big money to both Van Vleet and Brooks was baffling, and so stupid

Also signed Jock Landale who was  a decent C for the Suns off the bench last year. Clearly trying to find a good mix of Vets to go with their young talent.

You might be right, Goldstar, but on principle, I refuse to believe a team is trying to win if their two largest contracts are Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. And, while their cap situation isn't great, their tax situation is pretty good - and they're going to have a lot of flexibility moving forward (which is also not something I associate with a team trying to win).

With the new CBA, there's new rules with the salary floor that make teams not want to be under it (losing out on revenue, can't make trades where they take back less salary, can't use amount under floor as cap space, and have to be over the floor by the first day of the season when it used to be the last game of the regular season).

So the VanVleet signing makes lots of sense from that perspective (they would be under the floor without him).  Sign the best free agent you can to a short-ish (3 years) deal to get above the floor, and he'll be off the books when you have to start extending your current rookie deals.

We'll probably see this with more rebuilding teams going forward. 

With the new CBA, I don't think signing players is a sign you're trying to compete.

Am I misinterpreting the bolded part, or does that make signing max FAs (other than your own) impossible since there's only like $15 million between the salary floor and the salary cap? Or does it only apply in trades?

I’m pretty sure it applies to trades, since the penalty kicks in on opening day.  Maybe it would also apply to contracts or extensions given out midseason (so a renegotiation and extension), but practically speaking you aren’t going to find max-level free agents hanging around in November.

[BitterJim]

Udoka is now 0-3 as the Rockets HC.

Not sure how much of this is on Udoka - the Rockets are almost certainly not trying to win basketball games this year.

Where do we think Embiid lands after Philadelphia?

I don’t think the Rockets are trying to tank at this point. They signed Vanfleet to a huge contract in the off-season. Also brought in Dillon Brooks, Bullock and Jeff Green. They already have young talent to build around with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets giving big money to both Van Vleet and Brooks was baffling, and so stupid

Also signed Jock Landale who was  a decent C for the Suns off the bench last year. Clearly trying to find a good mix of Vets to go with their young talent.

You might be right, Goldstar, but on principle, I refuse to believe a team is trying to win if their two largest contracts are Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. And, while their cap situation isn't great, their tax situation is pretty good - and they're going to have a lot of flexibility moving forward (which is also not something I associate with a team trying to win).

With the new CBA, there's new rules with the salary floor that make teams not want to be under it (losing out on revenue, can't make trades where they take back less salary, can't use amount under floor as cap space, and have to be over the floor by the first day of the season when it used to be the last game of the regular season).

So the VanVleet signing makes lots of sense from that perspective (they would be under the floor without him).  Sign the best free agent you can to a short-ish (3 years) deal to get above the floor, and he'll be off the books when you have to start extending your current rookie deals.

We'll probably see this with more rebuilding teams going forward. 

With the new CBA, I don't think signing players is a sign you're trying to compete.

Am I misinterpreting the bolded part, or does that make signing max FAs (other than your own) impossible since there's only like $15 million between the salary floor and the salary cap? Or does it only apply in trades?

I’m pretty sure it applies to trades, since the penalty kicks in on opening day.  Maybe it would also apply to contracts or extensions given out midseason (so a renegotiation and extension), but practically speaking you aren’t going to find max-level free agents hanging around in November.

Makes sense, I was missing the part where it only applies starting in November. That makes sense with the other changes, they really make things difficult if you are under the salary floor as incentive to stay above it. If that restriction applies during the off-season though it would seriously handicap teams and break free agency

[Goldstar88]

Bucks are playing the Heat at 8pm. Dame gets to go to Miami after all. 

[Birdman]

Robert Williams out for rest cause of knee soreness..so glad we got rid of him, never was a fan of him

[jpotter33]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

[tazzmaniac]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively. 

[Goldstar88]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively.

Who could have seen that coming? Thanks for Jrue, Milwaukee! 

[jpotter33]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively.

And on the flipside, we've got two guards who will make things very difficult for him, with one of Jrue or White always being on him. We saw how Murray affected him the other night.

It'll be interesting to see what we do with the lineup for Milwaukee. You almost wonder if instead of playing Al and going bigger that we'll stay small, let Giannis get his offensively, and then just force them to guard us out on the perimeter, which they have no shot of doing and takes away their only defensive positive in terms of interior defense.

[tazzmaniac]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively.

And on the flipside, we've got two guards who will make things very difficult for him, with one of Jrue or White always being on him. We saw how Murray affected him the other night.

It'll be interesting to see what we do with the lineup for Milwaukee. You almost wonder if instead of playing Al and going bigger that we'll stay small, let Giannis get his offensively, and then just force them to guard us out on the perimeter, which they have no shot of doing and takes away their only defensive positive in terms of interior defense.

I'd predominantly stay small.  Do need to play the bigger lineup enough to keep Tatum out of foul trouble. 

[jpotter33]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively.

And on the flipside, we've got two guards who will make things very difficult for him, with one of Jrue or White always being on him. We saw how Murray affected him the other night.

It'll be interesting to see what we do with the lineup for Milwaukee. You almost wonder if instead of playing Al and going bigger that we'll stay small, let Giannis get his offensively, and then just force them to guard us out on the perimeter, which they have no shot of doing and takes away their only defensive positive in terms of interior defense.

I'd predominantly stay small. Do need to play the bigger lineup enough to keep Tatum out of foul trouble.

Yeah, that's the thing that worries me. Though I guess if you rotate all four of the Jays, Jrue, and White on him plus Horford when he's in to give different looks, that helps a lot in that regard.

[Moranis]

Lillard getting picked on again defensively. This time by the Heat. They've got a real problem there.

Yep and there is little they can do about it.  Against the Celts starting 5 they have nowhere to hide him defensively.

Lillard isn't the problem per se, it is the Lillard/Beasley backcourt that is collectively bad.  If they had a much better defending SG, it would work a lot better for them.  Of course if Lillard is going to score 25 points on 14 shots, I'm not sure it matters.  The Bucks made this trade to improve the offense and get a 2nd fiddle for Giannis.  The defense wasn't very good with Jrue last year anyway, so they went the offensive route.  I do think it will work out alright for them as I do think the only teams that can realistically beat them in a playoff series, assuming they are healthy, are Boston and Denver. Doesn't mean Boston or Denver will and they could certainly be upset (like last year), but it would be a pretty big upset if they lost to someone other than those 2.

[Goldstar88]

Man, Memphis is really struggling. 0-4 now. I thought their defense would be solid with Jackson Jr and Smart..

[cman88]

Boston is a bad matchup for Milwaukee. It was the last couple years.

Their weakness is guard defense and we have 3 who can put up 20+

Not to mention our 3 are also phenomenal defenders you can throw at him

[Birdman]

Man, Memphis is really struggling. 0-4 now. I thought their defense would be solid with Jackson Jr and Smart..

No Morant is one reason

[tazzmaniac]

Man, Memphis is really struggling. 0-4 now. I thought their defense would be solid with Jackson Jr and Smart..

No Morant is one reason

They haven't had any problem winning without Morant in previous years.