Eddielives

Toronto fans keeping it classy by cheering KD's injury.

I predict that in the last few weeks of the season, there will be one game that has little to no significance where both teams will ease up just a tad and let Vince have a moment of glory. He gets at least 30 points and a few open lanes for a couple highlight dunks.

Lonzo Ball??

The Blue Swimmer will likely have a nice bench role on this team. I doubt we buy him out.

So I am a little slow today. I just realized there's a second protected 1st pick. This is a really good deal imo.

I like this trade. Not so much Prince for Crabbe because I think Prince is a better player with a little more upside but because of what this #17 picks means. Something is abrewin'!

Uhhhhhhh, no.

I'm holding out hope that New York has some knowledge that they are getting one of the big free agents and wants to shop the 3rd pick and we're aiming towards that. R.J. with Trae would be a helluva exciting combo.

Forming an opinion at a certain point in time doesn't equate to your final/definitive vote. What I'm hearing and seems to be implied here is that any voicing of opinion before the final vote is going to have to be their final vote and those remaining games won't matter to that person. Sorry but that's a bit unfair to hold someone as incapable of stating an opinion without any capability of changing their mind. And if you look at the tone towards Luka in this thread, there's far more snark, negativity, and naysaying about him now and in his future whereas I've been fair and praiseworthy of both guys. I just find it amusing to point out that the sensitive over-defense of Trae by so many posters here suggests some bias. It's like Trae is our boy and we must defend him at all costs from this silly notion that Luka may be better, even though I have stated that gap between them isn't that big.

So your two quotes above are clear in your strong opinion on his development yet you now want to make a moderate statement and be timid. Ok dude.

I'd like to see what the results would be if every gm, today, were told you had the #1 pick in last years draft and you wanted the best player available, who would you take. Now I'm not going to pretend to know the answer to that with absolute certainty, but I do think, with a fairly high degree of certainty, the results would prove that the opinion that Trae is better than Luka is just a fringe opinion. Still I think Trae goes 2-3 in any redraft. Not too shabby and I'm glad to have him, especially if that Dallas pick this year nets us someone special. Care to make a bet that Luka regresses next season?

To be honest, with 20-25 games left, it's kind of their jobs to start taking positions on who they think will win. And I believe that's far enough into the season to start making a fairly concrete statement on who you think will win. Trae did almost everything humanly possible to narrow the gap down the homestretch and he certainly did narrow it imo. I'm no mind reader but I bet a fair amount of "media types" took notice and probably gave it at least an inkling of consideration based on that last month by Trae. I have to wonder too, if Luka were a Hawk, would there be still be this sort of implication of mistrust of the media making up their minds on Doncic or if there'd be a lot of hell ya he's the clear winner...Trae is good and all but Doncic is the ROY no doubt! You know what I mean?

I agree with most of what you say. But I really don't think the decision was made because Luka got out of the gates faster. I think it's because he legitimately proved that he may be a generational talent. It's not Trae's fault he's a different and smaller player. But if I need a shot creator in the last seconds, I'll take both of their ability to hit an open big shot but Luka can create more space with his body. He's very Hardenesque with his ability to create like that. Trae will never bully someone with his body to create space for that last second drop back three/jumper. I think that's part of what makes Luka better and what has legitimately separated him from Trae. But let me repeat that I love me some Trae Young and am looking forward to his growth. He could still ultimately turn out to be a better player but not right now.

No offense but I agreed that he(Trae)was arguably better the second half. The statement I was contesting was the by a wide margin opinion. That statement is just not true and honestly reeks of bias. I really wish there were a way they could share the reward for ROY because had they not come in the league in the same year, they both probably win it. But I won't tiptoe around calling out statements like "people decided in December" conspiracy laden nonsense. If you bow at the altar of media conspiracy, that's your right. But it deserves to be called what it is...sour grapes, illogical, and most importantly, not true.

I'm sorry but just for clarity are you saying there was a huge gap between Doncic and Trae young the second half of last year? If so you are looking at different stats than I am. Perhaps you found a site with incorrect data. By any reasonable standard, Trae may have arguably been better the second half but using the words "Trae was far the better player" to describe that difference is an opinion that is easily refuted by merely looking at their stats. You have to have some pretty heavy biases towards focusing on part of the story to come to that opinion. I love Trae but Doncic is going to win ROY for valid reasons, namely that he is just, right now, better. If what you say is true, Trae will win the award. We'll see who's right.

Pretty much the same here. If I could go back knowing what I know now about these two players, I'd still take Doncic but it would hurt really bad having to give up Trae. My opinion is subject to change if the #10 from Dallas turns out to be an amazing player but that's to be determined.

There's a little smoke here but hopefully no fire. I think Blake still has gas left in the tank but is too injury prone and a bit of a headcase. And as stated earlier he plays the same position as John Collins.

Reddish's stock is on the rise and Culver is hanging around that 4-7 range as well. I'll be surprised if either is there at 8 for us. It's starting to look like Hunter may be the guy falling a bit as teams are looking for that high ceiling/potential guy and Hunter is a high floor/low ceiling prospect. So as long as there aren't any trades and Chicago takes Coby White, I'd be perfectly fine with Hunter at 8 and then BPA at 10. But if luck prevails, getting Reddish/Culver and Doumbouya at 10 would be very exciting.

I'm starting to wonder if we're going to wind up trading down a few spots in this draft. I think that any of the players worthy of being picked at 8 which realistically could still be on the board, (Culver, Hunter, Reddish) may be gone. The only player left that is intriguing at 8 if this scenario plays out is Sekou and he is a few years of experience away from really helping and furthermore could be a bust. Anybody else that is remotely exciting after these guys are more 10-15 draft range picks so why not trade down if this happens.

He begins to be worth a risk with our #10 when and only when, A) he gets multiple credible endorsements(you know, podiatrists and the like) of the health of his feet NOW AND LONGTERM and B) sheds his label as being somewhat disinterested in the grind that is becoming an NBA player. Right now, I'd say he might be worth a shot for a team in the 15 and beyond range. If a team is drooling over him at 10 and wants to swap picks with us to and give us an additional future first round pick, I might use that leverage but only if it's a team that is likely to be lottery bound for the next few years and doesn't shackle the pick with ridiculous protections.

You're both definitely right. I still have trouble separating the abundance of noise from the actual good content. I'm an impatient curmudgeon at times.

Thanks! I plan on doing it again this year. Last year was kinda crazy for me personally(started a new career) and I feel almost robbed of fantasy sports because of the time in school and training. But this year should be great!

This is the type of BS that makes it hard, at least for me, to really enjoy fan forums. There's so much of this type of constant non-sensical crystal balling from people that actually think they have credible opinions to share. I love disagreeing with people that force me to have to think and perhaps even reconsider my points of view. But the overreactionary, mind-reading, illogical, emotion driven, troll-like, hollow, let me use my freedom here to put out bait that surely will get taken by enough to get eyeballs and comments it doesn't deserve just drive me f'ing nuts.

draft has started and you have the number 1 pick

Cool. I hope most everyone remembers about it lol