I was only able to watch the first three quarters because I am very old and get up very early, but I noted that Toronto was playing D like absolute maniacs during the first half and into the third quarter. It seems likely that contributed to some of their fatigue in the fourth. I don’t think you can be that aggressive…

Seriously, the more I think about this, the more it makes sense for LAC. That’s a really good trade. Imagine a team that’s already good on defense adding fucking Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard. The question is just whether the Pelicans think that’s the best set of players/picks they can get. The biggest issue is that…

Its not a bad option. Especially if they also get Kawhi.

If I had AD, I wouldn’t want any of those guys in exchange for him (and, as I often mention, I’m a Celtics fan!). Not unless they came with a whole bunch of damn-near-guaranteed-to-be-good picks. #s 14 and whatever in this year’s draft? Who cares?

side note: Boston’s not getting Davis. If Tatum had developed the way everyone expected after his rookie year, then they’d have a shot, but he didn’t, and there’s no way he’s that much more enticing than LA’s impending offer of the #4 pick and whatever else New Orleans wants.

I love my father and respect his opinions, but I haven’t asked him who he thought I should work for since I was in my teens. I don’t know why anyone, including Anthony Davis, gives a shit what Anthony Davis’s dad thinks about the subject.

That’s probably it, which is funny because who cares? The NBA could’ve sanctioned the Sixers during the Process and chose not to. Why would they punish them for it now, after the Sixers voluntarily fired the architect and have been competitive for two years?

Yes, they did. That was their one losing season in, what, 25 years? That totally puts them right up there next to teams like the Timberwolves, who have been in the draft lottery something like 26 of their 32 years as a team.

Yeah, it’s not a perfect one-to-one and there’s plenty of chance that Zion becomes an MVP-candidate. But just from a basic math standpoint, the odds are that he won’t, for one reason or another.

Sure. Tho the Heat did technically have a chance to land the #1 pick.

All right, this is a very fair point. I didn’t make it clear that I was speaking specifically of the basketball side of things: they’re good at developing players, not having a constant coaching carousel, and that kind of thing. Their overall culture certainly leaves/left a lot to be desired.

It’s always a combination of both. But more often than not that the well-run organizations (and the Warriors have certainly been well-run since the ownership change) don’t hang around in the bottom of the draft for very long. They have a few lean years, they get their guy or guys, and then they get good again. They…

Yes, those draft systems are bad, too.

(OK I guess technically Dallas had the chance to but they traded that pick, which was an organizationally sound move since it landed them Doncic)

I think there’s a decent amount of Blake Griffin potential. Wildly athletic, does fine, is breathtaking to watch, maybe even has a few years where people are like “dude’s a stealth MVP candidate”, but never quite reaches that top tier.

You know who “deserves” Zion? The San Antonio Spurs, who held it together through a superstar deserting them via strong organizational culture and smart development of players. Or the Portland Trailblazers, who got over a devastating playoff sweep last year through strong organizational culture and smart development…

That was my first thought as well. Yeah, they really want the Toronto Raptors in the ECF—the team from Canada with the guy who’s famous for two things: not having a personality, and quitting on his previous team under weird circumstances—rather than the historically significant team from one of America’s oldest cities…

fwiw he’s said on his podcast multiple times that he’s retired as a writer. I don’t think it’s really “there’s no way this is changing” thing but for the foreseeable future it seems like he’d rather hang out at the Ringer offices with his friends / employees and record random podcasts. Which also makes sense since…

I’m on record repeatedly on this site saying that Embiid’s a dick and I don’t like him. I don’t have any pity for him. But I like good basketball and I want players to give a shit about their craft and hopefully try as hard as possible to play good basketball. If this experience motivates a guy who very clearly has…

Not completely convinced Davis is to be a great fit with Embiid either, though at least Davis can shoot.