2021-22 NBA Thread: The Bucks are Reigning Champs

[PGsHeroes32]

Every team in the east should be pissed at Philly.

What a damn robbery by the Nets.

They need to get healthy. And get Kyrie vaxxed by jesus.

Simmons can be as anti jump shot he wants surrounded by this squad

[withoutbias]

Every team in the east should be pissed at Philly.

What a damn robbery by the Nets.

They need to get healthy. And get Kyrie vaxxed by jesus.

Simmons can be as anti jump shot he wants surrounded by this squad

Because their starting lineup of Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Andre Drummond is filled with shooting. 

[DegenerateDish]

I don't think Philly is going to judge this trade by where they are in 2027. If that ever was a consideration for them in this trade, it lasted all of two seconds.
Long-term thinking in the NBA is silly and rarely results in winning. Long-term thinking gets you The Process, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls picking at #7 for eternity. Or, heck, the present-day Boston Celtics.
Teams that win do so with big, bold moves that often mortgage the future - which is always overvalued in the league - for the present.
Look at the recent NBA Champs not named Warriors ...
2021 Bucks ... traded three first-round picks and more for Jrue Holiday
2020 Lakers ... traded multiple young starters and two first-round picks for Anthony Davis
2019 Raptors ... traded an all-star, a future first and a recent first for Kawhi Leonard;

Bottom line ... Philly is closer to a championship today than they were yesterday. Brooklyn is further away.

...until Brooklyn flips one/both picks this afternoon to get better.

We can argue about the value of the picks, I certainly more than understand what you're saying, but they are capital, that can be used today, in the offseason, or in the future.

Philly is closer this season to winning a title, I stated both teams got better in the short term. Neither Harden or Simmons were playing (or going to continue playing) for their old teams.

I'll certainly roll the dice on the Harden extension being a massive bust going forward. If that's the price Philly wants to pay for a shot at this year's title...cool. Giving $62 mil a year (!!!!!!!!) to a 38 year old, out of shape, broken down Harden, I know Morey doesn't care (he won't be there by the time that deals up), but man, that'll be a massive mess to clean up.

Just win (now) baby.

[PGsHeroes32]

Because their starting lineup of Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Andre Drummond is filled with shooting. 

Ummm

Considering that wouldnt be their starting lineup. I struggle to find the relevance.

But even if it was....Thats 3 great shooters haha

[withoutbias]

Ummm

Considering that wouldnt be their starting lineup. I struggle to find the relevance.

But even if it was....Thats 3 great shooters haha

Right.  Three great shooters.  20 years ago that would've been great!  And which player is out to make room for Simmons?  I guess Griffin.  So your shooting gets worse.

[withoutbias]

...until Brooklyn flips one/both picks this afternoon to get better.

We can argue about the value of the picks, I certainly more than understand what you're saying, but they are capital, that can be used today, in the offseason, or in the future.

Philly is closer this season to winning a title, I stated both teams got better in the short term. Neither Harden or Simmons were playing (or going to continue playing) for their old teams.

I'll certainly roll the dice on the Harden extension being a massive bust going forward. If that's the price Philly wants to pay for a shot at this year's title...cool. Giving $62 mil a year (!!!!!!!!) to a 38 year old, out of shape, broken down Harden, I know Morey doesn't care (he won't be there by the time that deals up), but man, that'll be a massive mess to clean up.

Just win (now) baby.

Of course you win now.  That's what you do in professional sports in every league.  Bad NBA contracts are not hard to get off of.  Harden will ask out of Philly before his max will even be up anyway.

[Jockey]

I mean, it absolutely was working until injuries happened.  The numbers were historically good the few games they had on the court together. They were a half shoe size away from beating the Bucks with two of their three stars hobbled/missing games, and the Bucks were the clear second best team (behind only the Nets) in the NBA last year.

You made my point. The Nets are better when Durrant has the ball more. That doesn’t happen with Harden AND Kyrie on the floor. Even when Harden is getting 10-12 assists per game, he is dominating the ball.

Simmons is also way way better defensively and will give the Nets a size advantage over almost everyone.

Harden will make the 76ers better now, but he has a not so stellar playoff history.

[PGsHeroes32]

Right.  Three great shooters.  20 years ago that would've been great!  And which player is out to make room for Simmons?  I guess Griffin.  So your shooting gets worse.

How does the shooting get worse??

Drummond is a back up 5.

Simmons is the 4. Will play the small ball 5.

With Simmons you have an elite play maker who doesnt need shots. Surround by Durant and Kyrie. And two of the best shooters in the league. Hell who knows Joe Harris may find his way back too.

Do you watch the NBA at all?

[Pakuni]

What no one's really mentioning is that Simmons hasn't played meaningful basketball in eight months, and was last seen passing up layups and bricking free throws.
He showed up to camp out of shape then quickly left saying his heart and mind weren't in the game.
Who knows if/when he's going to be a useful basketball player again.

[DegenerateDish]

Of course you win now.  That's what you do in professional sports in every league.  Bad NBA contracts are not hard to get off of.  Harden will ask out of Philly before his max will even be up anyway.

"At guard, from UCLA, number 0....Russell Westbrook"

[Pakuni]

Harden will make the 76ers better now, but he has a not so stellar playoff history.

The 76ers will rue the day they traded away clutch playoff performer Ben Simmons.

[Uncle Rico]

They'll rue the day they traded away noted winner Ben Simmons.

Potato, pah-tato

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Before we can know who won this trade,  an important question must be answered.

Is the strip club scene better or worse in Phiily compared to Brooklyn?

[withoutbias]

"At guard, from UCLA, number 0....Russell Westbrook"

Right.  How many different teams have gotten off his contract now?  It's not hard to do.

If you're suggesting that Russell Westbrook and James Harden are currently equal basketball players?  Well, not sure how to help you then.

[Pakuni]

How does the shooting get worse??

Drummond is a back up 5.

Simmons is the 4. Will play the small ball 5.

With Simmons you have an elite play maker who doesnt need shots. Surround by Durant and Kyrie. And two of the best shooters in the league. Hell who knows Joe Harris may find his way back too.

Do you watch the NBA at all?

Simmons is an excellent passer, but he's miles from an "elite playmaker." Hard to be a playmaker when your entire offensive repertoire is passing the ball. He's ineffective in the pick-and-roll, doesn't attack the rim, and can't threaten the defense with his shooting. His transition playmaking maybe gets close to elite, but he's mediocre at best in the half court.

[withoutbias]

How does the shooting get worse??

Drummond is a back up 5.

Simmons is the 4. Will play the small ball 5.

With Simmons you have an elite play maker who doesnt need shots. Surround by Durant and Kyrie. And two of the best shooters in the league. Hell who knows Joe Harris may find his way back too.

Do you watch the NBA at all?

The shooting gets worse because Blake Griffin, while not a good shooter, is a significantly better shooter than Ben Simmons is.

Fine, Drummond is the backup to Claxton.  Oh no, what will the NBA do!

I do watch the NBA.  You obviously don't if you think having two absolute non shooters on the court is a recipe for success and means Ben Simmons will be able to not shoot at all.

Here's evidence of Ben Simmons's incredible playmaking ability!  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ben+simmons+passes+up+dunk&docid=607993320089665864&mid=53DBA17E48871488927453DBA17E488714889274&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

[DegenerateDish]

Right.  How many different teams have gotten off his contract now?  It's not hard to do.

If you're suggesting that Russell Westbrook and James Harden are currently equal basketball players?  Well, not sure how to help you then.

I'm sure 36 - 38 year old James Harden will be easy to move, you're right, my bad.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

But he wasn't playing for the Sixers, and he never was going to.  So it's not like they're losing anything by not having him on their roster.  So they essentially lost two picks that will fall in the 25-30 range, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond.  They gained James Harden.  That's a large upgrade, to understate it massively.

Oh I agree,  I just don't think that means it was a loss by Brooklyn.

[PGsHeroes32]

The shooting gets worse because Blake Griffin, while not a good shooter, is a significantly better shooter than Ben Simmons is.

Fine, Drummond is the backup to Claxton.  Oh no, what will the NBA do!

I do watch the NBA.  You obviously don't if you think having two absolute non shooters on the court is a recipe for success and means Ben Simmons will be able to not shoot at all.

Here's evidence of Ben Simmons's incredible playmaking ability!  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ben+simmons+passes+up+dunk&docid=607993320089665864&mid=53DBA17E48871488927453DBA17E488714889274&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

You clearly don't watch the NBA lol

Not that Aldridge is some elite floor spacer but hes the starting 5 next to Simmons. Not Drummond or Griffin that you implied

And yeah having 3 elite shooters when one of them is Durant who can get his shot from anywhere is all you need. You are probably the only person in america that doesnt think Simmons fits perfectly with this team. While adding Curry.

It was a fleecing.

[withoutbias]

I'm sure 36 - 38 year old James Harden will be easy to move, you're right, my bad.

That’s the nature of sports contracts. You absolutely take a couple bad years on the back end of a contract to get MVP level years on the front end of it. Every team in every league would take that trade off no hesitation whatsoever.

[Pakuni]

I'm sure 36 - 38 year old James Harden will be easy to move, you're right, my bad.

The NBA cap, currently at $112 million, could grow to as much as $175 million when the next TV deal gets done in 2024, if the league gets anything close to what it is asking for.
A max contract for Harden may still be an overpayment, but it won't be a cap killer.

[PGsHeroes32]

Porzingis boy has he fallen off.

SHipped to Wizards for damn Dinwiddie

Guess Bertans is going too

[Pakuni]

You clearly don't watch the NBA lol

Not that Aldridge is some elite floor spacer but hes the starting 5 next to Simmons. Not Drummond or Griffin that you implied

And yeah having 3 elite shooters when one of them is Durant who can get his shot from anywhere is all you need. You are probably the only person in america that doesnt think Simmons fits perfectly with this team. While adding Curry.

It was a fleecing.

Who are these three elite shooters?

[PGsHeroes32]

Who are these three elite shooters?

Mills, Curry, Irving, Durant......Harris if he ever returns.

[DegenerateDish]

The NBA cap, currently at $112 million, could grow to as much as $175 million when the next TV deal gets done in 2024, if the league gets anything close to what it is asking for.
A max contract for Harden may still be an overpayment, but it won't be a cap killer.

Sure, except Embiid is up for a super max deal at the end of next season as well. The 2023 season is going to be me/you/Fluff/Embiid/Harden on the floor for the Sixers. I'll come around and say if the Sixers can win a title and get to the Finals next year too, it's worth the Harden tax down the road. I just have major concerns about Harden coming up.

To be clear, as an NBA fan, this is an awesome trade. The East playoffs this year are going to be must see, and the Sixers absolutely have a great shot to take home a title this year. I hope the change of scenery motivates Harden to play lights out, and I'm interested to see what the Nets look like together, and worried the Bulls collective health isn't going to improve enough by the playoffs. Sitting in the corner with the title belt on their shoulders is the Bucks. I didn't even mention the Heat, the upstart Cavs, it's going to be fun as hell to watch.