NBA Thread

[BRule]

Makes a ton of sense. I think the Philly GM worked for Morey?

Yeah, he was the VP and EVP I believe......I recommend listening to that podcast with Klosterman and Simmons, one of the better ones I've heard.

[thethe]

And then he responded correctly saying it was a choice between Ibaka and harden. the criticism of okc would not be there if they didn't suffer freak injuries in the playoffs the last two years.

[BRule]

And then he responded correctly saying it was a choice between Ibaka and harden. the criticism of okc would not be there if they didn't suffer freak injuries in the playoffs the last two years.

How would it not be there? You let James Harden walk over 6.5 million dollars over 4 years..........I mean, it's more of a shot at Presti for not seeing what he had in Harden and the management as a whole not seeing the new TV deal and all the new money.

[thethe]

Hardens production on the thunder would not come close t what he is doing now. Harden is worth more than the max for the Rockets. He would have been worth less than the max for the thunder.

[thethe]

The thunder knew exactly how good Harden was. They had to trade him when they did or else it would have been another reggie Jackson situation but just with a much better player.

Harden wanted his own team. He wanted to show he was the man. He was right and he got his wish. Thunder were willing to make him the highest paid bench player of all time. They clearly valued him.

[BRule]

Hardens production on the thunder would not come close t what he is doing now. Harden is worth more than the max for the Rockets. He would have been worth less than the max for the thunder.

Pretty sure when RW and Ibaka went down you would've been glad you gave Harden the extra 6.5 mil over 4 years.

[thethe]

Pretty sure when RW and Ibaka went down you would've been glad you gave Harden the extra 6.5 mil over 4 years.

Sweet...crystal ball action here.

[BRule]

The thunder knew exactly how good Harden was. They had to trade him when they did or else it would have been another reggie Jackson situation but just with a much better player.

Harden wanted his own team. He wanted to show he was the man. He was right and he got his wish. Thunder were willing to make him the highest paid bench player of all time. They clearly valued him.

They obviously didn't.......they traded him for Kevin Martin and scrubs, if they valued him and knew he was this good or could be this good then they would have gave him the extra 6.5 he wanted.

[BRule]

Sweet...crystal ball action here.

You let a 23 year old asset walk over 1.6 mil per year, over 4 years. You don't need a crystal ball to know that's ****ing stupid.

[gilesfan]

Wow, that topic again.

[thethe]

They obviously didn't.......they traded him for Kevin Martin and scrubs, if they valued him and knew he was this good or could be this good then they would have gave him the extra 6.5 he wanted.

Thy were the best team in the regular season that year posting one of the dominant seasons of all time.

We will see what Lamb/Adams/Mcgary turn into. You never get equal value for trading a star.

[thethe]

You let a 23 year old asset walk over 1.6 mil per year, over 4 years. You don't need a crystal ball to know that's ****ing stupid.

And if the injuries never happened this nonsense wouldn't even have been brought up since they were the best team cumulatively the last two years.

[chop2chip]

Yeah, he was the VP and EVP I believe......I recommend listening to that podcast with Klosterman and Simmons, one of the better ones I've heard.

Klosterman is one of the most insightful people I know.

I disagree with Simmons though. Morey's strategy worked because he knew eventually a player would become available and you need the assets to obtain then. He wasn't bailed out as much as he was opportunistic.

[thethe]

Simmons doesn't believe that Chop. He has been on a crusade for years against OKC. He is basically one of the few left in the media that still brings up the Harden deal every chance he gets. He even acknowledges it every time he does talk about it.

Morey was great at building a team where he could make a run at a player via trade. OKC was a victim of drafting too many stars. It was pretty much unprecedented what Presti did in three consecutive years. They were never going to be able to keep that team together in the market they were in. They had to choose who was a better fit for the team long term between Ibaka and Harden. They made there choice and I still agree with it. Just need to see this current group of players together healthy because I believe its the deepest team they've ever had.

[yeezus]

Klosterman is one of the most insightful people I know.

I disagree with Simmons though. Morey's strategy worked because he knew eventually a player would become available and you need the assets to obtain then. He wasn't bailed out as much as he was opportunistic.

Exactly, a player will eventually come available to the Sixers.
They have two (maybe three) 1st rounders this year, two of which could be top-6 picks. Noel is a 20-yr old rookie fresh off missing a whole season, so I'm not writing him off as useless. Embiid is really talented, Saric will be over. They'll be bad again next year which will result in another top-5 pick.

It's a better option than being in the NBA purgatory by being average-to-slightly-above-average every year, which the Sixers were for too long.

[gilesfan]

Klosterman is one of the most insightful people I know.

I disagree with Simmons though. Morey's strategy worked because he knew eventually a player would become available and you need the assets to obtain then. He wasn't bailed out as much as he was opportunistic.

That's a good point too.

[gilesfan]

Simmons doesn't believe that Chop. He has been on a crusade for years against OKC. He is basically one of the few left in the media that still brings up the Harden deal every chance he gets. He even acknowledges it every time he does talk about it.

Morey was great at building a team where he could make a run at a player via trade. OKC was a victim of drafting too many stars. It was pretty much unprecedented what Presti did in three consecutive years. They were never going to be able to keep that team together in the market they were in. They had to choose who was a better fit for the team long term between Ibaka and Harden. They made there choice and I still agree with it. Just need to see this current group of players together healthy because I believe its the deepest team they've ever had.

In your die hard Thunder colored glasses you can scream this till you are blue in your face, but I don't believe it to be true at all. You don't trade good players for scraps (and face it; Lamb, Adams, etc.) is essentially scraps just because you don't think you need another wing player. If they didn't need another wing player, why did they acquire Waiters, he dominates the ball enough himself.

With Harden, they are title contenders, even without Westbrook (injured) and Ibaka (assuming he left FA)

That's the last I really want to talk about this tired topic.

[thethe]

And when they give up the most points per possession in the league without Ibaka they would get bounced in the playoffs.

You think someone like AdaMs is a scrap. You'll be wrong. Obviously not close to as valueable as Harden but they got three players in addition to one year or Martin when they should have won a title.

[gilesfan]

And when they give up the most points per possession in the league without Ibaka they would get bounced in the playoffs.

You think someone like AdaMs is a scrap. You'll be wrong. Obviously not close to as valueable as Harden but they got three players in addition to one year or Martin when they should have won a title.

What was the excuse for not winning last year? That Ibaka missed a couple games?

[thethe]

The anchor that the whole defense is designed around was not even close to full strength. For you to actually think the Ibaka we saw in last year's western conference finals was close to a full strength Ibaka isnlaughable. The guy was hobbling all over the place.