2022/2023 General NBA Thread

[Nik]

The Nets have finally suspended Kyrie Irving for "at least" 5 games:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34942326/nets-suspend-kyrie-irving-least-five-games-pay

And if I could just say, as a Jewish person, what a bummer this all is. Between him and Kanye the idea that these attitudes are creeping back into society is really, really disheartening. That's why I think it's so bogus when people say that anyone "goes around looking for reasons to be offended". Anti-semitism, of the sort scene here, just makes me feel bad. I don't want it in my life. I don't want to have to edit my spotify playlists because some doofus who makes good music thinks my people nefariously control the world's economy. It just flat-out sucks.

[OldTimeHockey]

The Nets have finally suspended Kyrie Irving for "at least" 5 games:

[url]https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34942326/nets-suspend-kyrie-irving-least-five-games-pay[/ur]

And if I could just say, as a Jewish person, what a bummer this all is. Between him and Kanye the idea that these attitudes are creeping back into society is really, really disheartening. That's why I think it's so bogus when people say that anyone "goes around looking for reasons to be offended". Anti-semitism, of the sort scene here, just makes me feel bad. I don't want it in my life. I don't want to have to edit my spotify playlists because some doofus who makes good music thinks my people nefariously control the world's economy. It just flat-out sucks.

I find it quite sad to see an oppressed people attacking another oppressed group of people.

[Nik]

So Lebron passed Kareem last night. Kind of a big deal. Still pretty mindblowing that now the NBA's all-time leading scorer, who it should be noted is also a very high volume scorer being 5th all time in ppg, is also one of the league's best ever passers(more assists than Steve Nash, Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas) and an top flight defensive player(6 all-NBA defensive teams)

I know a lot of people are still big on Jordan but for my money, when you weigh up everything, I think he's the best all-around basketball player of all time.

[L K]

Raptors are trading a protected 1st round pick, two 2nd round picks and Khem Birch for Jakob Poetl.

The lack of a centre on the roster makes the trade make sense but making that kind of trade at a time when the core hasn't been able to produce for three consecutive years seems really, really questionable.

Two years in a row of trading away first round picks.

[Nik]

Obviously the protections matter but I'm not terribly concerned. Feels like the worst case scenario here with Poeltl is you sign him and if you need to flip him down the line you can easily get back picks of roughly equal value.

[L K]

It's fair.  I think I'm more discouraged about the team doubling down on a flawed roster

[Nik]

It's fair.  I think I'm more discouraged about the team doubling down on a flawed roster

That I would co-sign. If this isn't followed by dealing OG and Fred I will be sort of out on this management team. They've clearly fallen in love with their own ideas regardless of the outcomes they're actually getting.

[L K]

So we did nothing under the guise of "we can do more in the offseason".  I think I'm over the Masai era.  Fluking into Kawhi really glosses over how poorly the roster has been constructed since that championship run.

[L K]

The shine is coming off Masai pretty quick.  A barely protected first round pick given up for a team that gets bounced in the play-in.

[Highlander]

Wonder if Nick Nurse will be retained. Was an off kilter kind of year.

[Deebo]

Wonder if Nick Nurse will be retained. Was an off kilter kind of year.

Nope, fired today

[Guilt Trip]

Wonder if Nick Nurse will be retained. Was an off kilter kind of year.

Nope, fired today

Good. He needed to be after his comments. You want a guy committed and with his comments he was looking for a way out. Add in the team underperformed

[Highlander]

I kind of moved off the Raptors earlier this year. They are missing a few pieces to the puzzle. Nick could not nurse the situation.

[L K]

I'm fine with going away from Nurse.  His system of play the starters 40+ minutes a night with an aggressive, switch heavy defense doesn't work long-term.  But what concerns me is this is a move from Masai signalling that he still believes in the core.  It's a core that can't shoot.  The NBA has shifted to a league where scoring is up drastically.  The Raptors aren't well designed to win in the current NBA.  They aren't a move on from FVV in a sign and trade away from building back to being a contender.  They aren't trading a Siakam away from being a contender.  Committing to the core of this team is committing to a team that maxes out in the 1st/2nd round for the next few years because they have a mid-1st draft pick this year and only top 5 protected their pick next year so they are limited in what they can do.  Because their pick next year is gone they also can't trade their 2025/2026/2027 pick because there isn't a guarantee that they won't have their pick so they can't acquire a top end player with draft assets.

This is a team that needs a full reset, not just a retool.