Official 2017 Offseason Thread

[Leetonidas]

Not if there is a chance James goes there this or next year.

LeBron is more likely to come to SA with Paul/Leonard/LMA/Pop than LA with Paul/Jordan/Rivers tbh...

[BatManu20]

I'd be surprised if James ever goes west. The East is too easy a route to the finals every year.

I used to think this too for a long time, but I think Lebron is becoming increasingly conscious of how much people put into Finals records, and I think he's annoyed that his is going to be so tainted with these losses to the Warriors... Think he might rather head out West and lose in the WCF than in the NBA Finals, as trite as that may seem. And if/when he did best the Warriors in the WCF, it's basically a guaranteed Finals victory against whoever comes out of the East.

[bic50]

I'd be surprised if James ever goes west. The East is too easy a route to the finals every year.

Not likely to happen but Lebron out west with the Spurs and they pretty much are finals bound if they passed the warriors which would be very possible.

[Ice009]

Hey i was just discussing with a friend here, would you do this trade? Would NO?

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y9vz8omf

Yes, I would do that trade, like yesterday. I really want Cousins. I think he is one of the only real big men in the NBA these days that can dominate small ball. The only other big that I would take over him is AD.

[ace3g]

7 days away from the NBA Draft!!!

[tbdog]

I would honestly give Green, Sign and trade mills, Gasol contract, plus 1st's for AD and take on Asik contract. Leonard and AD would be the best 2 way punch this league has seen since Kobe and Shaq.

[szkorhetz]

I would honestly give Green, Sign and trade mills, Gasol contract, plus 1st's for AD and take on Asik contract. Leonard and AD would be the best 2 way punch this league has seen since Kobe and Shaq.

And why would Pelicans do that?
AD with KAT and Giannis are the most valuable players in the NBA. Really it's like giving up young Tim Duncan for Kerr, the old and injured Sabonis and a first. Yeah, will never happen.

[TimDunkem]

I would honestly give Green, Sign and trade mills, Gasol contract, plus 1st's for AD and take on Asik contract. Leonard and AD would be the best 2 way punch this league has seen since Kobe and Shaq.

Can I have some of what you're smoking?

[tbdog]

And why would Pelicans do that?
AD with KAT and Giannis are the most valuable players in the NBA. Really it's like giving up young Tim Duncan for Kerr, the old and injured Sabonis and a first. Yeah, will never happen.

Because Cousins was had for one prospect and a 1st? Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and Thad Young were traded for Love. Because Asik's contract sucks.

[cjw]

Because Cousins was had for one prospect and a 1st? Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and Thad Young were traded for Love. Because Asik's contract sucks.

Davis is not Love or Cousins. Any trade for him would have to include a player of Kawhi/Durant's level, or two Brooklyn picks, or something of that sorts.

[ducks]

wonder what it would take to get butler

[cd021]

I used to think this too for a long time, but I think Lebron is becoming increasingly conscious of how much people put into Finals records, and I think he's annoyed that his is going to be so tainted with these losses to the Warriors... Think he might rather head out West and lose in the WCF than in the NBA Finals, as trite as that may seem. And if/when he did best the Warriors in the WCF, it's basically a guaranteed Finals victory against whoever comes out of the East.

His finals record is fine when considering the level of talent coming out of the west. The only loss that was inexcusable was Dallas in '11.

Lebron's mentioned himself that the '14 Spurs had four HOFs + Pop.
-He wasn't winning in 2007,
-OKC was too young and Harden choked in '11,
-the Heat won a toss up in 2012 ()
-GSW won 67 games and Lebron didn't have both Love and Kyrie in 2015
-GSW won 66 games and went 15-1 in the playoffs with KD and three other all-stars in '17

Magic was 5-4, and people only seem to remember the 5 les and the Celtics Rivalry.
People need to be more impressed that he's been to the Finals 8 times before the age of 33

[look_at_g_shred]

His finals record is fine when considering the level of talent coming out of the west. The only loss that was inexcusable was Dallas in '11.

Lebron's mentioned himself that the '14 Spurs had four HOFs + Pop.
-He wasn't winning in 2007,
-OKC was too young and Harden choked in '11,
-the Heat won a toss up in 2012 ()
-GSW won 67 games and Lebron didn't have both Love and Kyrie in 2015
-GSW won 66 games and went 15-1 in the playoffs with KD and three other all-stars in '17

Magic was 5-4, and people only seem to remember the 5 les and the Celtics Rivalry.
People need to be more impressed that he's been to the Finals 8 times before the age of 33

2013*

[Ice009]

His finals record is fine when considering the level of talent coming out of the west. The only loss that was inexcusable was Dallas in '11.

Lebron's mentioned himself that the '14 Spurs had four HOFs + Pop.
-He wasn't winning in 2007,
-OKC was too young and Harden choked in '11,
-the Heat won a toss up in 2012 ()
-GSW won 67 games and Lebron didn't have both Love and Kyrie in 2015
-GSW won 66 games and went 15-1 in the playoffs with KD and three other all-stars in '17

Magic was 5-4, and people only seem to remember the 5 les and the Celtics Rivalry.
People need to be more impressed that he's been to the Finals 8 times before the age of 33

Why should I be impressed? If the Spurs were in the East, Tim Duncan could have had over 10 finals appearances.

[Snaq O'Meal]

wonder what it would take to get butler

PATFO don't want him. Otherwise, they would've drafted him.

[TheDoctor]

PATFO don't want him. Otherwise, they would've drafted him.

Exactly. Instead, Pop in one of his telescope infatuation night club saw this and the rest is history:

[cd021]

Why should I be impressed? If the Spurs were in the East, Tim Duncan could have had over 10 finals appearances.

But they aren't...

[Ice009]

But they aren't...

The amount of finals appearances Lebron has had mean NOTHING to me. Most of them are worthless since he's out East and that is why he's lost so many times in the finals. No one's going to tell me otherwise, and/or that I should be impressed. I don't feel sorry for him losing at all.

[RD2191]

The amount of finals appearances Lebron has had mean NOTHING to me. Most of them are worthless since he's out East and that is why he's lost so many times in the finals. No one's going to tell me otherwise, and/or that I should be impressed. I don't feel sorry for him losing at all.

Ice dropping truth bombs.

[DPG21920]

The amount of finals appearances Lebron has had mean NOTHING to me. Most of them are worthless since he's out East and that is why he's lost so many times in the finals. No one's going to tell me otherwise, and/or that I should be impressed. I don't feel sorry for him losing at all.

You probably realize how foolish this is, right? I mean, teams out East have had years and years to try and beat Lebron and build for that and they could not do it. It's not because the "East sucks". It's because of how great Lebron is.

To even further demonstrate this point, Lebron drags CLE to finals, leaves them and they become pretty much the WORST TEAM in the East. That same EAST you are saying is so easy. The team he joins? They just so happen to win multiple les. He leaves that team and what happens? Back to the lottery while his current team wins a le and goes to multiple finals.

It's not that hard to see the constant there.

[BSfromTX]

Lebron is great, no doubt, but the number of finals appearances really is only because the east sucks. In the west there have always been roughly 2-4 teams capable of beating east finalist over the last two decades, while very few of the east runner-ups (from the east) could even think about competing in the west. Maybe there are a couple exceptions, but after the two seed in east it has always been super weak.

you can't ignore the fact that lebron has played weak ass teams in first and second rounds of east.

[DPG21920]

Lebron is great, no doubt, but the number of finals appearances really is only because the east sucks. In the west there have always been roughly 2-4 teams capable of beating east finalist over the last two decades, while very few of the east runner-ups (from the east) could even think about competing in the west. Maybe there are a couple exceptions, but after the two seed in east it has always been super weak.

you can't ignore the fact that lebron has played weak ass teams in first and second rounds of east.

The bottom half of the West isn't much better. Sure, maybe there are 2-3 teams in the West, but it's not that big of a deal. Especially since CLE record vs the West is crazy good.

[Jdspur20]

Would Parker qualify for the disabled player exception? He's virtually going to be out the majority of the season. He says Jan but we know Spurs are going to stretch that. Don't see him back until beginning of march. If he's even able to play at that point.

[Chinook]

Would Parker qualify for the disabled player exception? He's virtually going to be out the majority of the season. He says Jan but we know Spurs are going to stretch that. Don't see him back until beginning of march. If he's even able to play at that point.

He wouldn't qualify unless doctors thought he wasn't coming back at all. But the Spurs might get some financial relief from the insurance. Should kick in in December if he's still out by then.

[cjw]

The bottom half of the West isn't much better. Sure, maybe there are 2-3 teams in the West, but it's not that big of a deal. Especially since CLE record vs the West is crazy good.

The West is still significantly better than the East. 246-204 interconference this regular season is a 45-37 pace over 82 games. Strip out the Spurs and Warriors (both 25-5 vs. East) and the West is still over .500 at 196-194.

Also, Cleveland was 16-14 against the West this year. Not very good.