Minny & Cavs 2025 picks watch thread

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Not quite sure what you're not getting.

- Most people, I think, esp. around these parts, think that OKC is turning into NBA championship material largely because they committed to tanking.
- While Chet is great and increases the Thunder's ceiling, it appears that OKC is a true contender whether he plays or not or not.
- Since Chet is OKC's only big-time reward currently on the roster from finishing with a terrible record (depending on how you regard Caruso, I guess), it can be argued that OKC's success is not due to tanking. Chet is super, but it's easy enough to imagine the Thunder winning a championship even if Chet's not available.

SGA is a bonafide MVP candidate. The supporting cast defends well and JDub is a pretty good 2nd guy, but it's mostly the SGA show right now. Your point is taken though. That team is well built with tough, defensive dudes who play hard and make enough shots. Hartenstein was also a good pickup. SGA, JDub and Cason Wallace were all drafted in the 10-12 range. Dort was a UDFA.

If the Jazz, as currently constituted, had this version of SGA on their team, the Jazz would probably be a top 3 team in the West.

 

[jazznik]

Ainge hasn't moved him because Ainge wants value lol.

What value does a tiny, defensively compromised SG have? The 6'0" barefoot SG who makes almost 20 million? There are no other players like him in the NBA and for a good reason.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Not quite sure what you're not getting.

- Most people, I think, esp. around these parts, think that OKC is turning into NBA championship material largely because they committed to tanking.
- While Chet is great and increases the Thunder's ceiling, it appears that OKC is a true contender whether he plays or not or not.
- Since Chet is OKC's only big-time reward currently on the roster from finishing with a terrible record (depending on how you regard Caruso, I guess), it can be argued that OKC's success is not due to tanking. Chet is super, but it's easy enough to imagine the Thunder winning a championship even if Chet's not available.

They got SGA in a tank move....

 

[idiot]

They got SGA in a tank move....

You're using "tank" somewhat broadly (and probably correctly) here.

You're not using it in the sense that so many Jazz fans are using it in these days:
- "Ainge/Hardy/Sexton/Lauri/Collins/etc. are preventing us from tanking correctly"
- "If we fail to get a top-five pick, this season will be wasted and we'll never have a chance to win a championship"

 

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

We got Lauri in a similar tanking trade as OKC got SGA. SGA > Lauri. But they also picked up...

Chet > Kessler
Jalen > all of the jazz picks

Other role players are pretty decent hits compared to ours. We didn't leverage the next 2 drafts after we dropped off like they did. And here we are.

 

[idiot]

We got Lauri in a similar tanking trade as OKC got SGA. SGA > Lauri. But they also picked up...

Chet > Kessler
Jalen > all of the jazz picks

Other role players are pretty decent hits compared to ours. We didn't leverage the next 2 drafts after we dropped off like they did. And here we are.

Whether they leveraged their drafts after dropping off or not isn't the issue I'm getting at, though they've done great at that.

I'm getting at the issue of whether one (pretty dominant version, around here) of "tanking" (making sure to lose as much as possible) is directly responsible for getting the Thunder into championship contention. Looking at the evidence available now, I think the answer is no: they likely would still be there whether or not they drafted Chet & Giddey (the only two fruits of finishing with a poor record).

 

[kabenac]

Thank you for taking care of business, Boston, and beating the ******** Timberwolves.

 

[homeytennis]

TWolves and the Spurs are now tied.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

We got Lauri in a similar tanking trade as OKC got SGA. SGA > Lauri. But they also picked up...

Chet > Kessler
Jalen > all of the jazz picks

Other role players are pretty decent hits compared to ours. We didn't leverage the next 2 drafts after we dropped off like they did. And here we are.

OKC took a couple seasons to tear down after they traded Paul George and picked up SGA. They traded Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul and were a playoff team for a season (19/20) before they traded CP3 to the Suns.

OKC tanked the 20/21 season, when they drafted Josh Giddey. Then they tanked the 21/22 season when they drafted Chet and JDub. They were a play-in team in 22/23, when they drafted Cason Wallace (flipping picks with Dallas).

 

[FrenchJazzFa]

The point is not about tanking but tanking well on my opinion. Half tank and poor picks we have done last 2 years does not make us any better. Hope this year, we draft in a much better way. The year we blow all out, we got a big opportunity to tank hard and get a chance to go after Wemby ...if he was here today....

 

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

Minny lost 2 in a row. So... thats good.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Minny lost 2 in a row. So... thats good.

Spurs also won a close game against Denver (pushing Minnesota down).