NBA '17

[Celtic Truth]

The Warriors are still the best team in the NBA even with a healthy Hayward and Kyrie. Probably the Rockets as well.

And Giannis is already a top 5 player in the NBA.

The Celtics are 3-3 vs the warriors the last 3 years with 2 of those wins being @ GS. We were way outmatched talent wise every time so don’t underestimate Brads impact. I like my chances with A healthy starting lineup of Kyrie, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Horford. And guys like Smart, Rozier, Morris, Monroe, Baynes coming off the bench.

I like Giannis a lot and I think he’s unbelievable but answer this: Do you think Giannis playing the way he plays now can be the #1 option on a championship team? I say no. He’d need to play alongside a Kyrie/Lillard type player who can get the buckets down the stretch.

 There was some debate on this earlier and I think that Russ is another guy who is extremely talented but definitely cannot lead a championship team. It’s all about the Russ show to him.

[GB Warrior]

Kinda hoping the Bucks get swept so I don't have to watch them anymore. They are such a mess.

Silver lining is that for how awful Jabari has played, Bucks can probably take a wait and see approach with his RFA. Contracts might be lower than he hoped.

[wadesworld]

The Celtics are 3-3 vs the warriors the last 3 years with 2 of those wins being @ GS. We were way outmatched talent wise every time so don’t underestimate Brads impact. I like my chances with A healthy starting lineup of Kyrie, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Horford. And guys like Smart, Rozier, Morris, Monroe, Baynes coming off the bench.

I like Giannis a lot and I think he’s unbelievable but answer this: Do you think Giannis playing the way he plays now can be the #1 option on a championship team? I say no. He’d need to play alongside a Kyrie/Lillard type player who can get the buckets down the stretch.

 There was some debate on this earlier and I think that Russ is another guy who is extremely talented but definitely cannot lead a championship team. It’s all about the Russ show to him.

And the Bucks were 2-2 against the C’s this season. It means absolutely nothing.

To answer your question there is no doubt in my mind that even if Giannis doesn’t improve one bit from where he is yes he can win a title. Giannis isn’t the problem. It’s the awful formation of the roster around him and the awful coaching that are the problem. He’s already a better player than a Kyrie/Lillard. But yes he needs a player like that next to him, just like LeBron needs a Wade or Kyrie or Steph needs a Klay or KD or Duncan needs a Manu or Parker next to him. Can Giannis take a team with no shooting, no rebounding, no defense, and no coaching and win a title? No. Nobody can. But if Giannis can’t be the best player on a title team then there are only about 3 players in the NBA who can have their team win a title, and 2 are on the same team.

[GGGG]

The Celtics are 3-3 vs the warriors the last 3 years with 2 of those wins being @ GS.

Yes because if there is one thing that is relevant to the NBA post-season, it's the NBA regular season.

[GGGG]

Kinda hoping the Bucks get swept so I don't have to watch them anymore. They are such a mess.

Amen brother.  Watching the Celtics actually run a functioning offense is nice.  The Bucks are crap. 

[4everwarriors]

Adios Joe, hello #31, hey?

[wadesworld]

Amen brother.  Watching the Celtics actually run a functioning offense is nice.  The Bucks are crap.

I spent about 10 possessions total (so 5 possessions for each team) simply watching just the player movement on the offensive end when the game was already decided mid 4th quarter last night.  The Bucks literally throw the ball into the high post and have 4 guys stand around the perimeter as the C's defense sags off all of them and crowd the paint.  The C's have 4 guys off the ball moving around and setting off ball screens the second the ball crosses half court.  It's remarkable the difference.

The Bucks need to hit a home run hire with this coaching move this offseason and then recreate the roster or Giannis is gone in 3 years, and he should be.  He's way too good to have this incompetent of a front office.  While every level of basketball has gone to small ball, pace and space the Bucks have gone to the extreme opposite with length and "athleticism" (I don't think guys like Henson, Thon, DJ Wilson, Snell, Middleton are all that athletic, but whatever) and no shooting.  They've botched the process of coaching changes and GM hires.  When they struck absolute gold in drafting Giannis and then got Jabari with the #2 pick, it was time to stop drafting the winner of the NBA Draft Combine measurables and start finding pieces that actually fit around their two stars (Jabari's injuries have obviously changed things).  Instead you end up following up those picks with Vaughn, Maker, and Wilson...three guys who will do absolutely nothing for your franchise.

If I'm the Bucks the only players I want to keep beyond Giannis are Middleton and Brogdon.  Everyone else should be easily available.  Guys like Danny Green would be much, much more valuable to this team than guys like Bledsoe.

[wadesworld]

Adios Joe, hello #31, hey?

Given what they just went through with Kidd, I can't imagine the Bucks giving him the roster control he would demand.

[4everwarriors]

Der is infightin' with da owners. Big surprise der, aina? Gotta hit a homerun wit dis hire, new buildin' and such, hey?

[wadesworld]

Der is infightin' with da owners. Big surprise der, aina? Gotta hit a homerun wit dis hire, new buildin' and such, hey?

Amen.  Hard to mess up a roster as badly as this ownership group and front office has when you have a star like Giannis, but they've found a way to do it.  No reason to think they'll nail this hire.

[4everwarriors]

Taught Herb didn't no chit from shinola 'bout runnin' a team and meddled. Butt these dudes take it ta a 'hole knew level, hey?

[MerrittsMustache]

Being a small market team in a cold weather city, the Bucks really need to nail the draft and win trades in order to become a true contender.

They obviously hit it big with Giannis. Brogdon was a solid find, especially in Round 2. The Middleton trade was a big win for the Bucks and they won the Snell deal as well, but that's not really saying a whole lot.

Their drafting has been all over the place. The Bucks have seemed to prefer high-ceiling/low-floor projects as opposed to more polished, higher-floor guys (The Giannis Strategy). Actually, the last time they went that latter route, they chose Jabari over Embiid (hindsight is 20/20 on that one). Looking at just the last two drafts, the Bucks took project Thon Maker one spot ahead of the more polished PF Domantas Sabonis. This past year, they took project D.J. Wilson a couple spots ahead of more polished PF John Collins. Don't get me wrong, Sabonis and Collins are likely not going to be that #2 guy that Giannis needs, but they're already solid, reliable NBA starters which is more than we may ever be able to say about Maker, Wilson and even Parker (emphasis on reliable).

[MUBurrow]

Silver lining is that for how awful Jabari has played, Bucks can probably take a wait and see approach with his RFA. Contracts might be lower than he hoped.

Flip side, though, is that if he commands a max or something close to it, he might have sign and trade value for Milwaukee.  Looking at the roster and picks over the next couple of years, there isn't a lot of trade capital there.

[GGGG]

Flip side, though, is that if he commands a max or something close to it, he might have sign and trade value for Milwaukee.  Looking at the roster and picks over the next couple of years, there isn't a lot of trade capital there.

Bledsoe has an expiring contract right?  Might have to take someone else's problem in return, but it might work out.

[MUBurrow]

Bledsoe has an expiring contract right?  Might have to take someone else's problem in return, but it might work out.

Yep, 18-19 is Bledsoe's last year on the books. 

Interesting philosophical question for the Bucks front office. Do they continue to try to incrementally improve the team and hope that with a new coach, they find success in a model not totally unlike the Dirk-era Mavs or pre-Kyrie Cavs (one star and a good group of players around him). Or do they go for broke and blow the supporting cast up in hopes of landing a 1B to Giannis's 1A? If its the latter, they could try to trade for someone that's not happy where they're at (Kawhai, but I don't know if Milwaukee has the assets for a deal that big). Or they'd need to clear a bunch of cap (not re-signing Jabari if they don't think he's that piece would help) and/or pay a bunch of tax - but there aren't a ton of good options there, either. 2018 - Boogie (don't think Chris Paul is leaving Hou); 2019 - Paul George, Klay Thompson; 2020 - Lowry? Whiteside? none really.

[GGGG]

https://deadspin.com/seriously-what-the-hell-are-the-minnesota-timberwolves-1825387187

[Goose]

4ever

The owners better hit a home run. They got a great deal from Herb, new building and a superstar. Would be very disappointing if they step on their Johnson.

[4everwarriors]

Herd Woeful on the crystal set say rumor is da Dear wanna hire a prez of bb operations. Thru out Bird's name. Wunder if da stink wit Parker is two far down da sewer to retrieve? Anyways, da Yanks have doubled der bread in fore years. Beets stickin' it US Treasuries, aina?

[Goose]

They knocked out of the park in regards to $$. Now they need to do same thing on the court. I think Parker’s days might be numbered, and that would be disappointing.

[GGGG]

Herd Woeful on the crystal set say rumor is da Dear wanna hire a prez of bb operations.

Should have done that when they took over the team.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Playoff Rondo, playoff Jrue, playoff Mirotic. Pelicans are just throttling the Blazers.

[GB Warrior]

Flip side, though, is that if he commands a max or something close to it, he might have sign and trade value for Milwaukee.  Looking at the roster and picks over the next couple of years, there isn't a lot of trade capital there.

Agree. Any trades the Bucks make will have draft pick riders tied to it

[cheebs09]

Agree. Any trades the Bucks make will have draft pick riders tied to it

Which is why I was hoping the pick would go to Phoenix this year. I don’t think they can trade a future first round pick until that one is gone. Plus, I don’t have a lot of faith in the Bucks making a good pick.

[GGGG]

Hubie Brown was professionally disgusted over how awful the Bucks' coaching was today.

[wadesworld]

Hubie Brown was professionally disgusted over how awful the Bucks' coaching was today.

As was I.  Prunty allowed a 20 point lead to dwindle to 3 before he took a timeout.  Incredible.

Also, the Bucks went from absolutely refusing to switch anything at any point the entire regular season to suddenly switching everything anytime two offensive players crossed paths.  Morris would just be running across the court without even attempting to set a screen and suddenly Bledsoe would jump out to him and leave Middleton or Jabari on Larkin/Rozier.  Baffling.  Stevens is a good enough coach as it is, you don't need to just set mismatches all over the court up for him.