If you think a Pop team with 2 top 15 players is going to miss the playoffs if healthy then you're out of your damn mind. If injuries happen, then the margin for error is non existent but I'm never betting against a Pop coached team with playoff talent.
There were times last season we didnt have anyone that could score if LMA was not on the floor. Now we have a 25ppg combo guard/SF. We have a healthy Gay.
It also doesn't incorporate the potential of a third scorer in White nor the increased athleticism we will get out of Poeltl. I think just a basic appreciation for Pop and the Spurs way should garner them more respect than what appears to be being shown them.
Never said white would start but neither did Danny. White has pretty good defensive chops and should help cover some of the deficit over Forbes. White and Belli shooting is probably better than what Danny brought.
DeRozan is still a much better playmaker and shooter than KA. He also upped his assists to 5+ last year. Offensively this team is much much better than last year. Poeltl helps on defense too. I see a slight drop off in defense and a big improvement on offense imo.
More like 2 top 30ish players . . .
Before you bring up DeRozan's awards or ppg . . .
I've got 21 clearly better: Irving, Jokic, Curry, Durant, Green, Harden, Paul, Oladipo, James, Antetokounmpo, Butler, Towns, Davis, George, Westbrook, Embiid, Lillard, Aldridge, Leonard, Lowry, Wall.
And 11 debatably better: Hayward, Horford, Walker, Love, Millsap, Griffin, Thompson, Conley, Simmons, Gobert, Beal.
Lol 2 top 15
Yeah Cir stances led to Derozan being 2nd team all NBA. One of those cir stances is being a top 15 NBA player. This is not the first time he's made the Mark. Your list is laughable.
He had the perfect setup/storm to fool archaic voters. As an athletic, high scoring perimeter player, he fits the general outline of what most casuals envision when they think NBA star. He played on an elite team (that had no other high usage player playing significant minutes), in a watered down conference and he's a nice guy.
Never mind that he's an inefficient scorer, who is terrible at virtually everything else (to his credit, his play making finally graduated to more or less average last season) or that the Raptors best lineup has long been Lowry + the 2nd unit.
Hardcore types know better, which is why the Spurs were criticized for the trade and are being picked by many to miss the playoffs. If people actually believed DeRozan was a top 15 player, that wouldn't be the case.
Hardcore types know better. LOL. Hardcore types that list Gordon Hayword as potentially better which is ing laughable even if he wasn't coming off of a broken leg.
Hardcore types. Should get that tatted on you.
SO Hardcore.
FOH
Hayward is only a better 3-point shooter, defender and rebounder, with superior catch all metrics, but he doesn't look the part, so I guess he doesn't count.
manny dont hurt him!
I believe in Spurs organization and it's players. They will surprise the league. Spurs will be contenders and the streak continues!
GO SPURS GO!
Hayward is better than Derozan, i dont even think its close. His metrics both offensively and defensively are better as well.
The raptors had the bench last year and ironiclly, i think the Spurs got rid of a legitimate superstar for a legitimiate system player.
Typical ass ESPN!
What is that?
I also can't completely disagree with your list, but I think it can be argued that he's a top 15-20 player. Tbh, I've always been really low on him, but now that he's in SA, I'm super hype lol.
I think Derrick White is going to take over that two spot, I see him as a Danny Green Upgrade, he puts up those same 1+ block and 1+ steal stats like Danny but he gives us a new dimension on offense with his playmaking and ball handling ability. I still feel Rudy can be a + defender with us, seeing as how well he’s recovered from his injury. He also fits that 1 block and steal mold. I’m also looking for him to have a much more increased role. We might lose a little in defense but I think our offense is going to be legit this year. We’ll probably have to wait till February to see if we can upgrade the SF 3-D spot.
There won’t be much of a drop-off in regular season record and they’re going to win 50+ games. The difference is a Kawhi team can conceivably make it through the west and into the finals, and a derozan/lma team can’t.
A Kawhi team didn't make it through the West. 2014-15 (1st Round), 2015-16 (WCSF), 2016-17 (WCF/injured)
2014 Champs Duncan, Manu, Tony were the leaders. KL was important, but he didn't lead.
And the only reason you say LMA/DD can't is because you haven't seen them do it. Spurs were told this franchise would never win a le, and should just be content on being compe ive. Then the Spurs showed everyone in '99 that yes they could. LMA/DD have the talent to win a Chip, they just need to show it.
It'll be Warriors, Rockets, Jazz; maybe the Spurs will rise up to the upper echelon; but that's a pretty big maybe.
A Kawhi team *can conceivably* reach the finals. I didn’t say they had. But he was in the WCF against the Warriors and they had a far more talented roster. A few roster tweaks and it’s a possible Finals team. Not a likely one, but a possible one.
As for a DD/LMA-centered team making it through this west, that is not conceivable to me. These are 2 good-not-great players. The 99 team is an awful comparison.
The only reason you can "conceive" it is because you have already seen it. KL on a podium with a le. No one could "conceive" SA winning a le until they did it. And you'll never "conceive" LaMarcus or DeMar getting that trophy until they do it.
don't really understand the offseason veneration of the jazz..
Them and Philly both finished with 30 wins in their final 35 games; and they were winning by big margins, too. The Jazz retained all its players.
Pretty much spot on. The Spurs could have a great regular season, but then they could get exposed in the playoffs. I hated those type of teams. It's going to suck if we become one of those teams, especially after it looked like we were set for a long time to be a legit contender with Kawhi turning himself into a Superstar a couple of seasons ago.
Bull . The Rockets can win a ring, the Celtics can win a ring, Philly can win. Who on those teams has done it before?
Though, I will say your use of quotation marks is really devastating and a terrific device for asserting your intellectual superiority, so congrats on that.
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