NBA 2019 Offseason

[Steve Minkin]

Is there an over/ under line on how long Harden and Westbrook will last together? I can't visualize those two ball-hogs making it to the All-Star break in the same backcourt.

[The G Man]

Is there an over/ under line on how long Harden and Westbrook will last together? I can't visualize those two ball-hogs making it to the All-Star break in the same backcourt.

The team over/under wins is 53. Three assistant coaches are gone, MDA still hasn't signed an extension, Harden and Westbrook aren't compatible, the other good WC teams from last year have all improved except for one and Houston was 3-1 last year against the Warriors, regardless. I think I would go under.

[The G Man]

I am not sure how much of a Knicks fan I consider myself currently, but if the Lakers situation blows up after one season and the HOU situation goes about as mediocrely as expected (second round again?), I could see NY sending a package to HOU for Westbrook and Anthony Davis jumping to the Nix, his other choice besides the Lakers. if NY could do this without sending too much of their young talent (Mitchell Robinson is untouchable, and ideally they keep at least two of Barrett/Knox/Smith and they blossom as 4th/5th options), they could possibly jump Brooklyn again by the time Durant is back.

Marcus Morris is the first Rich Paul client to sign with the Knicks. Paul is reported to have steered him there after the fallout from Reggie Bullock's physical opened up cap space for New York precisely because he wanted to have a presence with the Knicks.

So much for that. Morris has fired Paul as his agent.

The latest is that Harden grew to dislike CP3 and that's why the trade was made.

[Steve Minkin]

Jim Barnett is NOT retiring, he will be joining Tim Roye on the radio end next season, should be an outstanding duo. Kelenna Azubuike will replace Barnett on TV color. Kalenna proved to be an articulate and knowledgeable commentator on the post-game shows over the past few years, and if he can learn to muzzle Fitz a bit he'll do great.

Fans seem to be enjoying the idea of the team going into next season with low expectations and hugely underrated -- many of them weren't fans the last time that was the case.

[The G Man]

Jim Barnett is NOT retiring, he will be joining Tim Roye on the radio end next season, should be an outstanding duo. Kelenna Azubuike will replace Barnett on TV color. Kalenna proved to be an articulate and knowledgeable commentator on the post-game shows over the past few years, and if he can learn to muzzle Fitz a bit he'll do great.

Fans seem to be enjoying the idea of the team going into next season with low expectations and hugely underrated -- many of them weren't fans the last time that was the case.

Why do you think they are hugely underrated (47.5 wins and 7% chance of winning the title)?

[Steve Minkin]

Why do you think they are hugely underrated (47.5 wins and 7% chance of winning the title)?

Those numbers sound reasonable. I guess the betting community is less dismissive of the Dubs than a lot of what I hear, which is that they're no longer a playoff team, not a serious threat, etc.,. . . and all of that may be true, we don't know how the new pieces will fit, or when Klay will be back. OTOH, they have 4 all-stars, an up-and-coming center, Alen Smailagić, and a new arena -- should be an interesting season.

[The G Man]

Why do you think they are hugely underrated (47.5 wins and 7% chance of winning the title)?

Those numbers sound reasonable. I guess the betting community is less dismissive of the Dubs than a lot of what I hear, which is that they're no longer a playoff team, not a serious threat, etc.,. . . and all of that may be true, we don't know how the new pieces will fit, or when Klay will be back. OTOH, they have 4 all-stars, an up-and-coming center, Alen Smailagić, and a new arena -- should be an interesting season.

I think it's a lot to expect Klay to play at an all-star level in a partial season after ACL surgery but it's possible. Russell was an Eastern Conference all-star alternate. He is clearly not as good as Mike Conley, who has never made an all-star team but plays in the WC.

The Warriors are expected to be 6th in the West behind, in no particular order, the two LA teams, Utah, Denver, and Houston but ahead of SA and Portland.

Utah is given a 5% chance of winning the championship and Denver 4.5%. I think they are both too low.

[The G Man]

Timofey Mozgov Signs With Khimki Moscow

It almost rhymes.

[Harold Baines]

Not surprised Griffin would feel that way, but surprised he'd say it:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/273 ... -miserable

Edit to add the original story: https://www.si.com/nba/2019/08/01/david ... -cavaliers

[The G Man]

Timofey Mozgov Signs With Khimki Moscow

It almost rhymes.

That same team is reportedly signing Jonas Jerebko, who couldn't get any NBA offers.

[Steve Minkin]

Draymond signs for 4 years, $100M.

[The G Man]

Draymond signs for 4 years, $100M.

It's an extension that kicks in after the current season so he's locked up through 2023-24. That's very team friendly.
Draymond would have signed for a much larger payday either at GS or elsewhere if he had negotiated a player option for 2019-20 in the four year deal he signed after the 2015 championship.

The Warriors also have a $17.2 million trade exception but they can only execute it between 7/1-7/7.

[Steve Minkin]

Bizarre five game pre-season schedule for the Dubs: one against the T-Wolves and all four of the others against the Lakers!?

[Harold Baines]

Too bad for Boogie. The Sabonis career path now.

[Steve Minkin]

Team USA eliminated by France, Gobert 21 pts + 16 boards. No medal for the first time since 2006.

[Steve Minkin]

New G League rule for the coming season -- "For 2019-20, all players who are fouled in the act of shooting will shoot only one free throw.

If it’s an and-one situation, that one free throw counts as one point, same as always. If they’re fouled shooting a two-point shot, the free throw counts as two points. If they’re fouled shooting a three-pointer, it counts as three points."

[onion]

New G League rule for the coming season -- "For 2019-20, all players who are fouled in the act of shooting will shoot only one free throw.

If it’s an and-one situation, that one free throw counts as one point, same as always. If they’re fouled shooting a two-point shot, the free throw counts as two points. If they’re fouled shooting a three-pointer, it counts as three points."

Bring on more experimental rules in the G league! As for the NBA, there is now coaches challenges that work similar to the NFL.

[The G Man]

New G League rule for the coming season -- "For 2019-20, all players who are fouled in the act of shooting will shoot only one free throw.

If it’s an and-one situation, that one free throw counts as one point, same as always. If they’re fouled shooting a two-point shot, the free throw counts as two points. If they’re fouled shooting a three-pointer, it counts as three points."

It also doesn't apply to the last two minutes or overtime.

Former professional NBA bettor Haralobob Voulgaris, now an employee of the Dallas Mavericks, proposed this several years ago. It will speed up action and keep people like me from the fast forward button.

[The G Man]

Good piece on the NBA and China.
https://sports.yahoo.com/why-the-nba-co ... 46325.html

[walto]

Good piece on the NBA and China.
https://sports.yahoo.com/why-the-nba-co ... 46325.html

I'm finding this issue very interesting myself. Suppose we knew that comments supporting separatists in Hong Kong by Americans with a lot of media reach would cause numerous casualties in China. Does the "right to free speech" always trump (isn't there another freaking word for that?) those sorts of outcomes. Many think this "right" does not apply to "hate speech," but there was nothing apparently "hateful" about Morey's remarks in favor of the Hong Kong protesters.

Suppose Chinese spokesperson (or maybe bots) were vocal regarding support for white supremacists or heterosexuals and that their remarks were having extremely harmful (in the sense of physical injuries and deaths) here. Is censorship in order do you think? Or are abridgments never appropriate?