2017 NBA Offseason

[MrCrowesGarden]

Hayward to the Celtics

HOLD THE DAMN PHONE

[Tim]

!!!!!!

[MrCrowesGarden]

Now it's official.

Celts have to move someone to make room for him. I hope the Pels are in on Marcus Smart.

[thrill]

Cavs in 6.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

Golden State should demand the league throws out another round of amnesty provisions for each team. It's not fair that they should be stuck on this level of talent. Jamal Crawford will help, but won't someone think of the 1980 Soviets, for the sake of [expletive]?

Speaking of which, do you think the Warriors watch 'Miracle' before their games to get the juices flowing? That story has to piss them off to no end.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

All these moves in the West may have Kev, Kerr and Dray Co. feeling like the triviality of it all isn't where it ought to be.

What would be even better than above, and would fit the W's/KD's concept of meaningful competition, is if they conspire with players to have their current teams medically retire them. Then the W's sign them and those salaries go back on the cap ledgers of the previous team, crippling their opportunities to compete with their roster and costing an owner millions in lost insurance payouts (see Darius Miles).

That would be a Green-worthy shot to the genitals.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

To put this in you all's terms: the team of the 90's is now a pathetic joke. Rec League mongoloids. Come back and see me when you have had added Hakeem, Bulls.


(I don't care for the Warriors and what they've done to the league.)

[thrill]

To put this in you all's terms: the team of the 90's is now a pathetic joke. Rec League mongoloids. Come back and see me when you have had added Hakeem, Bulls.


(I don't care for the Warriors and what they've done to the league.)

I really don't care about how the Bulls of my childhood compare to this Warriors team, but when you frame it like that, something like Isiah Thomas joining the Celtics in 1983 just because he couldn't get past the Celtics would kind of bum me out.

But I guess it's not that different from Wilt joining Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to finally get over on the Celtics, who had like 5 of the 10 best players in the league on their team for like 20 years, or Earl the Pearl joining the Knicks with Frazier, Bradley, DeBusschere, and Willis Reed. You realize that it's not all that different from what has always happened in the league. The key difference is that unlike those early super teams, the post-"The Decision" super teams are being assembled through labor power, rather than owner power. The Celtics & Lakers of the 80's were assembled through sheer incompetence and mismanagement by pretty much everyone except those two teams. The rights to the Bird pick were I believe part of a package that gave Buffalo an Icecapades tour stop so the owner could make some quick cash. The Lakers and Celtics both traded for top picks that landed them hall of famers for shady reasons.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

That's a very knowledgeable and logical response to my criticisms. But as a Blazers fan, all I have to hold on to is my bitterness until the next soul crushing failure or misfortune (neither of which matter anymore, which is the real problem). The NBA of my youth matters a lot to me relative to this stupid expletiving Warriors team, because then there was a sliver of hope and now there certainly isn't.

If this is how the league's best players are going to operate, there isn't much hope for that smoldering pit in my spirit the exact shape and size of a Blazers championship, unless it's some weird pocket between superteams, or some aholes who would play pickup ball against children.

To put it dramatically, Kevin Durant's decision, in conjunction with LeBron's may mean all these painful dues I've paid don't matter because what I want isn't remotely possible, and really, isn't even a thing anymore.

Until the league takes power back from the players... I'd just prefer players with power, but also pride.

[tlombard]

Botten... I thought for sure that Kelvin Cato was going to lead your team to the promise land.

I'm only half joking. I was at Iowa State his Junior year and he was my favorite player so I've always been a big fan of his. It was nothing but monster dunks, swatted shots... and otherwise complete offensive ineptitude but he was fun to watch. He somehow carved out a much longer NBA career and made a lot more money than I ever thought possible.

And he brought his mom into the bbq place I worked a couple of times and seemed cool.