NBA Playoffs

[KqWIN]

Still can't figure out the purpose for Portland. They functionally don't have cap space still. They gave away 4 rotation players at the deadline and got 1 back... how does that help Dame? Then the pick from the CJ deal was under the protections NO placed on it and now becomes a 2025 Milwaukee first... yeesh.

I think they have this idea that someone will sign to play with Dame, but not likely to happen. Part of me thinks that a Rudy trade might save them. Not win a championship, but they’ll win a lot of games with Rudy+Dame and that’s not worth nothing. Dame mentioned that the Blazers need their “Chris Paul” trade, and Rudy would really help them….he would really, really help them if they still had Powell and Covington. Man that was a horrific deal. Sending out CJ, Powell, Nance, and Covington with so little in return is horrendous.

I don’t want to try to rationalize what POR is doing….all I know is that the Jazz need to take advantage of one of these obviously vulnerable franchises whenever the opportunity arises. We can talk about mistake x, y, and z the Jazz have made….but the one constant is that they always pay premium. They need to fleece someone….anyone. Even if it’s just negotiating a single team friendly contract that would be a start.

Next time a team is giving away two players who are exactly what we need, don’t ****ing trade Ingles for NAW instead.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I think they have this idea that someone will sign to play with Dame, but not likely to happen. Part of me thinks that a Rudy trade might save them. Not win a championship, but they’ll win a lot of games with Rudy+Dame and that’s not worth nothing. Dame mentioned that the Blazers need their “Chris Paul” trade, and Rudy would really help them….he would really, really help them if they still had Powell and Covington. Man that was a horrific deal. Sending out CJ, Powell, Nance, and Covington with so little in return is horrendous.

I don’t want to try to rationalize what POR is doing….all I know is that the Jazz need to take advantage of one of these obviously vulnerable franchises whenever the opportunity arises. We can talk about mistake x, y, and z the Jazz have made….but the one constant is that they always pay premium. They need to fleece someone….anyone. Even if it’s just negotiating a single team friendly contract that would be a start.

Next time a team is giving away two players who are exactly what we need, don’t ****ing trade Ingles for NAW instead.

The issue with thinking someone will sign in Portland is that they don't have cap space unless they waive the trade exception, Nurkic's rights, and Simons rights... they will definitely waive Bledsoe and likely stretch him... unless they did a Rudy trade... then they'd need the salary.

So it is incredibly likely that they operate as an over the cap team and use their cap exceptions... re-sign Simons and Nurkic and I think they will send the #6/7 pick to Detroit for Grant and use their trade exception. Is Grant + Hart better than CJ, RoCo, Powell, Nance, whoever they pick at #6/7? It was just weird.

 

[infection]

Yes, but he was flexible AF which is apparently all that mattered to Dennis.

He was proprioceptive.

 

[infection]

I think they have this idea that someone will sign to play with Dame, but not likely to happen. Part of me thinks that a Rudy trade might save them. Not win a championship, but they’ll win a lot of games with Rudy+Dame and that’s not worth nothing. Dame mentioned that the Blazers need their “Chris Paul” trade, and Rudy would really help them….he would really, really help them if they still had Powell and Covington. Man that was a horrific deal. Sending out CJ, Powell, Nance, and Covington with so little in return is horrendous.

I don’t want to try to rationalize what POR is doing….all I know is that the Jazz need to take advantage of one of these obviously vulnerable franchises whenever the opportunity arises. We can talk about mistake x, y, and z the Jazz have made….but the one constant is that they always pay premium. They need to fleece someone….anyone. Even if it’s just negotiating a single team friendly contract that would be a start.

Next time a team is giving away two players who are exactly what we need, don’t ****ing trade Ingles for NAW instead.

Reading this has me thinking the only rationalization for what Portland did to have this public Ingles spectacle when he was expiring salary filler in a deal. If they were thinking they’d want to land Gobert, then Ingles is probably the best guy in the league to pair with him (not really the best, but you know what I mean). I don’t think people think this far out like they’ve got some grand conspiracy, but nothing about them not just waiving Joe made sense. Having his bird rights is pointless. You want the rights so you can sign him for larger than market value? When he’s whatever age he is, coking off a major injury, and won’t be available for almost the entirety of next year? Why we’re they bringing him out, putting PR out, sending their medical people out to Chicago for his surgery and rehab. Then doing that with hopes of bringing in someone like Gobert to pair with him still makes no sense and is message board fantasy, but it makes a hell of a lot more sense than whatever reason we can say about them really wanting his bird rights.

 

[JazzGal]

I don't often watch the NBA playoffs after the Jazz go out until the Finals. But I'm having to watch the Western Conference games just to remind myself that I still like basketball. Our series looked nothing like the games being played now.

 

[KqWIN]

Reading this has me thinking the only rationalization for what Portland did to have this public Ingles spectacle when he was expiring salary filler in a deal. If they were thinking they’d want to land Gobert, then Ingles is probably the best guy in the league to pair with him (not really the best, but you know what I mean). I don’t think people think this far out like they’ve got some grand conspiracy, but nothing about them not just waiving Joe made sense. Having his bird rights is pointless. You want the rights so you can sign him for larger than market value? When he’s whatever age he is, coking off a major injury, and won’t be available for almost the entirety of next year? Why we’re they bringing him out, putting PR out, sending their medical people out to Chicago for his surgery and rehab. Then doing that with hopes of bringing in someone like Gobert to pair with him still makes no sense and is message board fantasy, but it makes a hell of a lot more sense than whatever reason we can say about them really wanting his bird rights.

I think plan A is to get Jerami Grant and use their faux cap space to sign another player. If Dame comes back the want to be competitive, and Joe can be an asset to that team even if he's spending next year mostly rehabbing. Rudy Gobert seems like a plan B, but it really should have been a plan A for them. Had they just rolled with Dame-Simons-Hart-Powell-Covington-Gobert I really like that group.

 

[jazz4life1992]

I think they have this idea that someone will sign to play with Dame, but not likely to happen. Part of me thinks that a Rudy trade might save them. Not win a championship, but they’ll win a lot of games with Rudy+Dame and that’s not worth nothing. Dame mentioned that the Blazers need their “Chris Paul” trade, and Rudy would really help them….he would really, really help them if they still had Powell and Covington. Man that was a horrific deal. Sending out CJ, Powell, Nance, and Covington with so little in return is horrendous.

I don’t want to try to rationalize what POR is doing….all I know is that the Jazz need to take advantage of one of these obviously vulnerable franchises whenever the opportunity arises. We can talk about mistake x, y, and z the Jazz have made….but the one constant is that they always pay premium. They need to fleece someone….anyone. Even if it’s just negotiating a single team friendly contract that would be a start.

Next time a team is giving away two players who are exactly what we need, don’t ****ing trade Ingles for NAW instead.

Bold prediction... and just me reading tea leaves - nothing else... Dame Lillard forces his way to Phoenix after CP3 retires.

 

[jazz4life1992]

Cam Johnson is not better than Bogdanovic.

Yes he is lol. Don't be a homer. Hes 26, was 2nd in the NBA in 3 Point FG% this year before he got hurt, and plays very serviceable individual defense, and is an excellent team defender.

Cam Johnson is one of the best 6th men in the league, and frankly the Suns would be much scarier if he was starting over Crowder.

 

[outerspacefan]

The thing with Ja and Trae is that they are PGs. They are consistent playmakers and provide different aspects as the shortest guys on the team. Mitchell checks just one box.

If you bring a tall guard that plays versatile defense and shoots, the defensive weakness isn't going to be glaring. Jazz could hide him so much better but then all the offensive load falls on him and never in his career has he shown an ability switch between his playmaking and scoring duties. I don't think Mitchell is as selfish as he is made to be sometimes but he is a very limited passer. The offense is going to stall and that's still a deadly playoff weakness.

Asking him to improve his playmaking is the same as asking Gobert to improve his post-ups. That's just not who they are. I think that's why the focus has been defense so much.

Great minds...

 

[LoPo]

Great minds...

Trae Young had more turnovers (30) than he had made baskets (22) in that 5 game series.

I don't know if I would be applauding Trae quite yet. Don had a bad series, but still had some good games and some excellent stretches.

 

[outerspacefan]

<...> ….all I know is that the Jazz need to take advantage of one of these obviously vulnerable franchises whenever the opportunity arises. We can talk about mistake x, y, and z the Jazz have made….but the one constant is that they always pay premium. They need to fleece someone….anyone. Even if it’s just negotiating a single team friendly contract that would be a start.

You're right indeed.
Problem is Jazz already allowed a killer narrative on their players to be firmly installed around the league.

 

[outerspacefan]

Trae Young had more turnovers (30) than he had made baskets (22) in that 5 game series.

I don't know if I would be applauding Trae quite yet. Don had a bad series, but still had some good games and some excellent stretches....

Of course, great minds are aware of Trae shortcomings!
But the point remains. Don's not a floor general, he does not have it. Forcing him to do it stalls everything.
I'm sure to stop trying to assign him a role based on his height would be a step in the right direction.
He's a scorer, just let him play who and what he is.