What's new
By:

Does Lauri Get Traded?

Does Lauri Get Dealt Before The Season Starts?

  • Total voters
    134
  • Poll closed .
I don't know what about the last two seasons have people confident about us being a bottom 4-5 record. We've needed serious kneecapping at the trade deadline and borderline criminal "player resting" to sneak into the top 10 both years. Chicago and Brooklyn cratered, Portland is clearly worse, I don't know how anyone been be optimistic about Charlotte/Detroit, Wemby is transcendent but I think CP3 is being made into more of a difference maker at 39, etc.

And I feel we get very rosey eyed about players like Fontecchio, going into least season very few considered him a piece that could affect winning. Who knows who will pop this year.
 
I would estimate that with our current roster we would be in the 7-10th worst record by the trade deadline and then we get really disgusting and get to 5th-6th. Things can change between now and the start of the season, but this is my current prediction.

One thing to consider is that with so many bad teams in the East there are going to be tanking teams that are technically in the play in race by the deadline. Also the East teams have to play the other tanking east teams, so it's going to be harder for them all to have bad records.
 
Jaanipoeg said:
I don't know what about the last two seasons have people confident about us being a bottom 4-5 record. We've needed serious kneecapping at the trade deadline and borderline criminal "player resting" to sneak into the top 10 both years. Chicago and Brooklyn cratered, Portland is clearly worse, I don't know how anyone been be optimistic about Charlotte/Detroit, Wemby is transcendent but I think CP3 is being made into more of a difference maker at 39, etc.

And I feel we get very rosey eyed about players like Fontecchio, going into least season very few considered him a piece that could affect winning. Who knows who will pop this year.
Click to expand...
How is Portland clearly worse? I'm looking forward to your reasoning because I don't see it.
 
Last edited:
It's probably not worth discussing too much in detail until we know what our final team looks like, but just based on our current roster there are a couple of things that could swing our record in big ways.

- Can Kessler be incorporated in to the offense successfully enough to play the type of minutes we need for him to impact our defense?
- Can Clarkson play better, how much rope does Hardy give him if he's not
- Do any of our young guys step up and play winning basketball?
 
I can't find the post, but I remember a couple of years ago looking up the record of all of the past bottom 5 defenses, and there were very few who managed a record above 30 wins. It's hard for me to imagine this team being better than a bottom 5 defense, and so it's hard to imagine having more than 30 wins, I think that's kind of our ceiling right now.
 
sip said:
How is Portland clearly worse? I'm looking forward to your reasoning because I don't see it.
Click to expand...

Does Portland currently have anyone on their team worth 3+ picks and 3+ swaps?

FWIW, I'm not sure I would say we are clearly better, but the reason we are probably better is Lauri.
 
sip said:
Now do that same breakdown for the other teams and you will get the same result. Particularly the Blazers, Raptors, Hornets and Pistons.
Click to expand...
Yes but our top 3 are better. I haven't included the Raps myself as I think they are a play in team. Pistons were historically bad and Cade was mostly healthy. I get they had some bad coaching but Harris, hardaway Jr., and a new coach may not double their win total.
 
And while playing in the West is a big factor, we also have a distinct home court advantage. It will stack a few wins in there that you may not consider. We also haven't factored in a team like SA who is likely too good but an early season injury to Wemby and we know how elite they are at tanking.
 
Elizah Huge said:
I feel like it’s 2022 all over again. People are seriously underestimating the talent we have on the team currently. Not world beaters but much better than the trashy trash teams in the East who we will be playing.
Click to expand...
I agree. I think people are also seriously underestimating how many guys had "down years" last year. Lauri's offseason was suboptimal, JC had a down year, Kessler had a down year. Also Key has a lot of potential to improve and TH was just learning the basics of his job, and I think he may be able to fill some of the void left by Simone. I even think Johnny Juzang may be a sneaky good role player who does what Tech, Dunn and some other guys have done for us and elevate into looking like an NBA player.

If we want to suck bottom 5 we need to trade Lauri. I dont even think trading just Clarkson and Collins cuts it. Key + Sexton backcourt is very bad defensively, but if the defense is anchored by Kessler and Hendricks turns into an NBA player we may be stingy inside.
 
Elizah Huge said:
Wizards
Hornets
Pistons
Nets
Blazers
Bulls
Raptors (maybe)

I’d comfortably put us 7-8 right now.

We have a lot more talent than all of these teams. Lauri, Sexton, Collins, Kessler, improved Keyonte, etc.
Click to expand...
If Keyonte drags us to 8th, we already got our guy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top