Moderators AHF Posted October 2, 2023 Moderators Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 Boston is going to be really interesting to follow this year. They have given up a lot of depth to consolidate talent. Their starting lineup is legit scary but there are some things that could go really wrong. Porzingis is always a walking health risk. His extension makes him really not a contract risk so that helps for the long-term but if he goes down ala the 2018-2022 seasons then it could really wreck things for Boston. Jrue has only one guaranteed season (this season) on his contract. He has a player option for next offseason and Boston really can't afford to lose him so he could either opt in to his option for next year and sign an extension or go UFA next offseason and ask for whatever he wants from them with them having very limited ability to say "no" and let him walk. All their best bench players from last year are gone now with no one to replace them so there is no "Brogdon goes down, White is up" sort of adjustment to be had. All that interchangable depth with Smart, White, Brogdon, Horford, Robert Williams, Grant Williams, etc. is boiled down to for example just White and Horford. They could be good enough with Holiday, White, Brown, Tatum, and Porzingis to plow through an injury or two with an uptick in minutes for Sam Hauser or Luke Kornet or Payton Prichard or Blake Griffin, etc. but most of their bench has not been in that kind of role before so it is a real question mark for them (obviously Griffin is a shell of his former self but I thought he played well enough to mention as a potential returning big man). Of the players they have traded away, I think Williams might be the highest upside for Portland. Brogdon is very good when healthy but obviously seems like a candidate to move on. I will be very interested to see if Williams and Ayton end up fighting one another for the starting role in Portland. I could see the team playing better with Williams on the floor. ROBERT WILLIAMS DEANDRE AYTON Ayton is definitely the better scorer and Williams is definitely the better defender. Both are 25. Would not be the first time that the better defender had more of an impact than the better scorer at the center position. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member JeffS17 Posted October 2, 2023 Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 Boston is the clear favorite in the East imo. There is no better starting 5 than Jrue/White/Brown/Tatum/KP. Their defense is going to be very good and they'll have a very dynamic offense with 5 shooters. Their bench is weaker but well be good enough to run a very solid 7-9 man rotation in the playoffs. It's easy to nitpick little things and talk about injuries, but you can realistically do that for every team. I'm not sure how Milwaukee roster with gel so I'd take Boston out of the east, easily, right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kg01 Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 33 minutes ago, JeffS17 said: Boston is the clear favorite in the East imo. There is no better starting 5 than Jrue/White/Brown/Tatum/KP. Their defense is going to be very good and they'll have a very dynamic offense with 5 shooters. Their bench is weaker but well be good enough to run a very solid 7-9 man rotation in the playoffs. It's easy to nitpick little things and talk about injuries, but you can realistically do that for every team. I'm not sure how Milwaukee roster with gel so I'd take Boston out of the east, easily, right now. On paper, you're right. But there are problems there that haven't been addressed. Brown v Tatum - they don't like each other "Coach" Mazzulla - guy's fine until they actualy need him to do something Injuries/age - Porzingo is a risk, Al is a risk Depth - They lost a LOT here. Size - Other than Porz, they lack it in the FC. Fortunately for them, many of these may not emerge until the playoffs. Long story long,Iwe gotta improve for sure, but I ain't a-feared o' them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spud2nique Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 5 minutes ago, kg01 said: Depth - They lost a LOT here. Zinger better stay healthy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators macdaddy Posted October 2, 2023 Moderators Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 Jrue is great and a huge pickup. But they gave up a lot for a 33 year old guy. I think they are the favorite for sure but there are still big question marks. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kg01 Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 12 minutes ago, Spud2nique said: Zinger better stay healthy. Yep. Plus both Tatum and Brown need to take steps in their game. The guy Scalabrine explained, in defending the max to Brown, that the offset to losing the depth is their 2 main guys have to effectively replace what was lost. Otherwise the money doesn't work. They have to score better (not necessarily "more" but more effectively), playmake better, defend better and lead better. (We need this from Trae but I'm sure we'll have fifty-leven threads on that.). Long story long, BOS can't afford for them to come back the same. Plus Jrue is likely.... very likely a 1yr rental so the time, for them, is not now but RIGHT NOW. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AHF Posted October 2, 2023 Moderators Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 1 hour ago, kg01 said: Plus Jrue is likely.... very likely a 1yr rental so the time, for them, is not now but RIGHT NOW. 100% agree. I feel like they pushed all their chips in on these two deals. After years of being also-rans with good depth, they have mortgaged the ability to just drift along as a very good team hoping something happens to make them truly great like they have been for the last decade and they've done it to win right now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Popular Post JayBirdHawk Posted October 2, 2023 Author Premium Member Popular Post Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 Soooo....uuummm....okay! @benhillboybecome get yr boy chanelling his inner Andre3000 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Popular Post macdaddy Posted October 2, 2023 Moderators Popular Post Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 3 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said: Soooo....uuummm....okay! @benhillboybecome get yr boy chanelling his inner Andre3000 Not sure how this is going to play with ben's toxic masculinity. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhillboy Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said: Soooo....uuummm....okay! @benhillboybecome get yr boy chanelling his inner Andre3000 He has a screw loose from time to time no doubt about it. He surely won’t play like that but I have to look at this every time I check his BB Ref page, not looking forward to it. It’s only a smidge better than the ridiculous dread extensions last season, at least that’s his real hair (I think). The eye and lip studs are especially troubling. Edited October 2, 2023 by benhillboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member JayBirdHawk Posted October 2, 2023 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 James Harden Skips Sixers Media Day OCT 2, 2023 9:47 AM James Harden will not be in attendance at Philadelphia 76ers Media Day on Monday. Harden remains upset that the organization has not traded him. It's unknown if Harden plans on missing practices when training camp begins later this week in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Harden believes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has failed to deliver on a promise to trade him. Harden's preferred destination is to the LA Clippers, and he opted into this season's contract to facilitate a trade. Harden has gone on record calling Morey a "liar" for not following through on a trade. SHAMS CHARANIA/THE ATHLETIC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member JayBirdHawk Posted October 2, 2023 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 11 minutes ago, benhillboy said: He has a screw loose from time to time no doubt about it. He surely won’t play like that but I have to look at this every time I check his BB Ref page, not looking forward to it. It’s only a smidge better than the ridiculous dread extensions last season, at least that’s his real hair (I think). The eye and lip studs are especially troubling. Now channeling his inner Dennis Rodman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators macdaddy Posted October 2, 2023 Moderators Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 10 minutes ago, benhillboy said: He has a screw loose from time to time no doubt about it. He surely won’t play like that but I have to look at this every time I check his BB Ref page, not looking forward to it. It’s only a smidge better than the ridiculous dread extensions last season. better? certainly it's a wig right? I love how everyone treats Jimmy like he's immortal. Especially the Heat. The dude's 34 years old. If they want a title need to get him some help. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Popular Post JayBirdHawk Posted October 2, 2023 Author Premium Member Popular Post Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 I'm glad we don't have to deal with this with Dejounte! 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member JeffS17 Posted October 2, 2023 Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 16 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said: I'm glad we don't have to deal with this with Dejounte! Looks like Masai continues to mismanage his talent. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kg01 Posted October 2, 2023 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 45 minutes ago, macdaddy said: better? certainly it's a wig right? I love how everyone treats Jimmy like he's immortal. Especially the Heat. The dude's 34 years old. If they want a title need to get him some help. Dude walk around, and folks treat him, like he has multiple rangs. I'm all for fake it til ya make it but I'm not sure why everyone is willing to fake it with him. Good player but folks are too in on it, imho. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawksNWaffles Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said: Soooo....uuummm....okay! @benhillboybecome get yr boy chanelling his inner Andre3000 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warcore Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 2 hours ago, macdaddy said: ben's toxic masculinity. Or Ben's oxymoron! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member JayBirdHawk Posted October 2, 2023 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member akay Posted October 2, 2023 Premium Member Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 41 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said: Paying Devin nearly 30 million a year doesn't sound like the best idea, kind of seems like a massive overpay unless I'm missing something. This dude and DJM are making almost the same money? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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