NBA 2019-20: Who wins the bubble?

[adkindo]

Lakers have a lot of role players with player options....

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - $8,493,746 (Bird)
Avery Bradley - $5,005,350
JaVale McGee - $4,200,000 (Early Bird)
Rajon Rondo - $2,619,605 (Early Bird)

it will also be interesting to see if they try to bring Dwight back....not sure if he will have a market that would force the Lakers to use part of the MLE to resign him....same with Markieff Morris.

Do the Clippers resign Montrezl Harrell, Marcus Morris Sr. and JaMychal Green? Harrell has a big impact in many games, but proved to be unplayable is certain playoff series. How much do you invest in that type of player?

The Nuggets FA's include Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Paul Millsap and Torrey Craig....all relevant role players.

While this offseason may not have the star player movement via FA, it could be low key important in regards to where role players land.

[Assembly Hall]

I am anxiously awaiting what the Pacers are gonna do with Oladipo.

[M2]

Given the general economy (and the high possibility fans won't be allowed back in the arenas to start the new season), I'm guessing players will be exercising their options rather than seeing what's available on the open market. Guys like Gordon Hayward, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond and Evan Fournier would have gotten big contracts on the open market in a normal year. Now they might do better to bank their guaranteed money and seek that next contract in 2021 (especially Hayward).

AD likely opts out and then the Lakers hand him a mint. Jerami Grant and JaMychal Green probably should opt out. They'll get paid more than they're making.

[dubc47834]

Are they going to go unbeaten?

Yes...unless there is a screw job by the refs. But then of course, it's not their fault!

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If Curry and Thompson are healthy, that's way too low for Golden State.

Green might get re-energized when games mean something again, Wiggins can be an elite 3-and-D guy but is more than sufficient as a third scorer at the wing, and they have the #2 pick. Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss, Damion Lee, and Mychal Mulder showed enough to be an exceptionally good bench squad. They're extremely undervalued right now and have the ability to play amongst the veteran title chasers for more help to boot.

Also throw in whoever they draft!

[dubc47834]

I could argue both ways....just have to see what they look like. Green is a big X factor as he looked terrible this season before injury....Wiggins and their draft pick will impact their ceiling. In a perfect world, Green returns to excelling at his role of being a defender and facilitator, Wiggins buys into the role the team needs (not the role Wiggins desires), and the draft pick makes a quick impact.....all of this allowing Steph and Klay to continue to do what they do best which is knock down shots. If all that goes right, they definitely could be contenders.

If I was a GSW fan, I would still be concerned about matchups. If Draymond returns to form, maybe he can guard Lebron decently, but who will cover AD? Who will guard Kawhi & George? While Steph and Klay are difficult to cover, every team basically has multiple warm bodies that can try to get in their way.....but those large Wing/Forwards that can handle the ball and knock down shots are much more difficult to matchup with, especially in a playoff series. It is usually the issue that Portland runs into during the playoffs.

Green absolutely needs those other 2 to be effective. He isn't a #1 or even a #2 guy. Those other 2 guys create the spacing Green needs to be good.

[Bourgeois Zee]

If I was a GSW fan, I would still be concerned about matchups. If Draymond returns to form, maybe he can guard Lebron decently, but who will cover AD? Who will guard Kawhi & George? While Steph and Klay are difficult to cover, every team basically has multiple warm bodies that can try to get in their way.....but those large Wing/Forwards that can handle the ball and knock down shots are much more difficult to matchup with, especially in a playoff series. It is usually the issue that Portland runs into during the playoffs.

Chriss can guard AD as well as anyone. He at least has the skill set to do it. So does Looney, if healthy. Wiseman, if he's chosen, might too. They also have the MLE to acquire a defender.

No one will stop AD, of course. Or LeBron. But they don't have to.

Golden State is one of the teams who can outscore LA consistently. Curry, Thompson, and perhaps Wiggins can be 22+ ppg guys night in, night out. (Wiggins will be wide open at the wings and the corners in the Warrior offense. He'll also be free to work one-on-one against just about anyone.) The Lakers will get theirs inside, while the Warriors can get theirs on the perimeter. And, last I checked, three counted more than two.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Green absolutely needs those other 2 to be effective. He isn't a #1 or even a #2 guy. Those other 2 guys create the spacing Green needs to be good.

Green could well be the fifth option on that team, depending on who the Dubs acquire.

He's definitely number four, behind Thompson, Curry, and Wiggins.

[Kingspoint]

Save it...tag it..screenshot it...do whatever you want with it, but Portland won't be top 3 next year...BOOK IT!!!

They will once again outperform "the experts" expectations as they do every season.

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If Curry and Thompson are healthy, that's way too low for Golden State.

Green might get re-energized when games mean something again, Wiggins can be an elite 3-and-D guy but is more than sufficient as a third scorer at the wing, and they have the #2 pick. Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss, Damion Lee, and Mychal Mulder showed enough to be an exceptionally good bench squad. They're extremely undervalued right now and have the ability to play amongst the veteran title chasers for more help to boot.

It's too high for the Clippers.

[Kingspoint]

If the Rockets hire Lue, the Rockets will miss the playoffs.

[adkindo]

If the Rockets hire Lue, the Rockets will miss the playoffs.

I think it will be a bad job for anyone...outside the fact that someone will get millions of dollars to take the position. I just do not see how a coach will get Hardin to buy into a system/philosophy when he has been able to do whatever he wants the last several years.

[Bourgeois Zee]

They will once again outperform "the experts" expectations as they do every season.

Portland was ranked 11th coming in to 2020 by SI. Same for CBS Sports. They were ranked 10th by ESPN.

That's in the NBA. Not in the West.

They finished 8th-- in the West.

[Assembly Hall]

I think it will be a bad job for anyone...outside the fact that someone will get millions of dollars to take the position. I just do not see how a coach will get Hardin to buy into a system/philosophy when he has been able to do whatever he wants the last several years.

Maybe they trade Harden?

[Kingspoint]

Portland was ranked 11th coming in to 2020 by SI. Same for CBS Sports. They were ranked 10th by ESPN.

That's in the NBA. Not in the West.

They finished 8th-- in the West.

Any year a team loses half of their rotation for the entire year doesn't count. What a horrible example you gave.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Any year a team loses half of their rotation for the entire year doesn't count. What a horrible example you gave.

I love the excuses you come up with.

They're so easy to destroy.

You said they ALWAYS perform better than the experts think they will.

This year, they did not, in fact, perform better.

They performed far worse.

Injuries happen for every team every year. Portland lost their fourth-best player (maybe) in Rodney Hood. So what?

Both Boston and Toronto lost far more player games and lost players with more impact than did Portland-- and by a healthy margin. (Pun intended.) Both of those teams still managed to weather those storms and compete.

Your Portland team pooped the bed. Accept it.

[Revering4Blue]

I am anxiously awaiting what the Pacers are gonna do with Oladipo.

On that note...

Throughout the process, the Pacers have stated that retaining Oladipo is a priority and have shown signals that they’ll do all they can to make it happen. They were even willing to pay him the remainder of his 2019/20 salary when he initially planned on opting out of the summer restart to focus on his health, despite the fact that he’d received medical clearance from doctors.

But if Indiana knows Oladipo plans to leave in free agency in 2021, it’s in the organization’s best interests to see what it can get for him before then rather to resign itself to losing him for nothing. The Pacers’ willingness to take that route with Paul George was the reason the team landed Oladipo (and fellow All-Star Domantas Sabonis) in the first place.

The challenge for the Pacers if they explore the trade market for an Oladipo deal will be finding a trade partner willing to give up a package that reflects the guard’s pre-injury value. Since Oladipo returned from his torn quad tendon in January, he hasn’t quite looked like the same player — in 19 games this season, he averaged just 14.5 PPG on .394/.317/.814 shooting.

Questions surrounding Oladipo’s health and production going forward will complicate any trade talks, especially if suitors believe they’ll have a shot to sign him outright in free agency a year from now. As such, an offseason trade definitely isn’t a sure thing.

In fact, sticking with Oladipo and hoping he looks like his old self to start next season may end up being Indiana’s best strategy. If Oladipo alleviates his health concerns in the first half, the Pacers could potentially extract more value for him at the trade deadline than they could this offseason — especially if multiple contenders view him as a missing piece for the stretch run.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/10/...na-pacers.html