NBA 2021: 3rd Time's the Charm

[Betterread]

Thoughts about the trade deadline deals:
—I like that Atlanta kept Collins, and picked up sweet Lou, at the low cost of Rondo.
—With a $30 million trade exception for Hayward, Boston picked up... Fournier. What about leveraging some of those #1 picks to get some size?
But I get why they did something, because they are underperforming so you have to try.
—Denver has now traded all of their expendable players. Any future improvements will require giving up a valuable piece. I hope Gordon knows that he is now in the West and will be expected to cover Zion, Davis, Towns, because Jokic will not. Maybe he will become a defensive beast, if not, he will at least provide cool dunks.
—Why did Portland trade GTJr? Powell is fine, but isn’t he a small wing like CJ? Portland need size, and they trade for another small guard. The only logical explanation is that they think Nasir Little can replace GTJr. But even then you need a stable of good wings in today’s NBA.

[BillDoran]

Why did Portland trade GTJr? Powell is fine, but isn’t he a small wing like CJ? Portland need size, and they trade for another small guard. The only logical explanation is that they think Nasir Little can replace GTJr. But even then you need a stable of good wings in today’s NBA.

Trent and Powell are fairly similar players, 2s that can play an undersized 3. Trent was a RFA this coming offseason. Given his production and potential, I think a fat offer is incoming. Olshey realized, given the Blazers' salary commitments, they weren't going to be able to match. So, they went out and got a better version of Trent for the remainder of the season.

Also, they got out from Hood's contract. Hood's on the hook for $11 million next year, and he's looked COOKED since coming back. (To be fair, he's recuperating from an achilles tear.)

[M2]

—With a $30 million trade exception for Hayward, Boston picked up... Fournier. What about leveraging some of those #1 picks to get some size?
But I get why they did something, because they are underperforming so you have to try.

They've blown through all their extra #1s. Doesn't seem that way because they got amazingly little out of their most recent picks. They got remarkably little out of six 1st round picks in the past two drafts.

[Revering4Blue]

They've blown through all their extra #1s. Doesn't seem that way because they got amazingly little out of their most recent picks. They got remarkably little out of six 1st round picks in the past two drafts.

Yup.

And to compound the issue, no getting around it, in totality, Ainge really overplayed his hand. That said, he went all in the Summer of '17 by signing Hayward and dealing for Irving, only to have Hayward go down on '17 opening night - not to mention the ECF games he missed last season - and Irving to zone out for most of his Celtics tenure, for lack of a better phrase.

BZ hit on this earlier in this thread, but the fact that neither the Hayward signing nor the Irving trade worked out as well as many hoped likely played a huge part as to Ainge's reluctance to deal for Leonard, Butler or Harden when they were available,

[Kingspoint]

Before March ends the Portland Trailblazers will snatch 4th place in the Western Conference with a 30-16 record. Lakers will have 17 losses and the Nuggets 18 losses.

But, wait! There's more.

Beginning tomorrow, and against Orlando (quick, name one starter on that team), POR will roll out a Starting Lineup of Covington-Nurkic-Derrick Jones-C.J. (21 in the 1st Qtr tonight)-Dame Time. Half-way through the 1st Qtr, they'll replace RoCo-Nurk-DJJ with Melo-Kanter-Norman Powell-C.J.-Dame. Simons comes in for Dame or C.J. three minutes later for a 6 to 8 minute stint.
Next up, the Clippers and 3rd Place.

[Kingspoint]

Betterread, Little has been coming in with Melo and Trent as part of the regular rotation. The scenario I just mentioned will sometimes be Norman Powell taking Simons' place and Little continuing to come in with Melo and Kanter as a full frontline replacement. Little progresses fast when he's healthy.

[Kingspoint]

Trent can't start in POR, so he's going the RFA route as Bill Doran perfectly stated in his post. Because Trent gambled and won, he is, as C.J. said on the post-game interview to the TNT crew, he is going to get a bag (big bag 'o jack). Someone will offer him $72M/4yrs. They can't match that as it would cost them over $100M/4 after paying penalties. Everyone's contracts end next season, so they get to reevaluate then while holding the 2022 NBA Championship Trophy in their front office. TOR should match Trent's offer.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Before March ends the Portland Trailblazers will snatch 4th place in the Western Conference with a 30-16 record. Lakers will have 17 losses and the Nuggets 18 losses.

But, wait! There's more.

Beginning tomorrow, and against Orlando (quick, name one starter on that team), POR will roll out a Starting Lineup of Covington-Nurkic-Derrick Jones-C.J. (21 in the 1st Qtr tonight)-Dame Time. Half-way through the 1st Qtr, they'll replace RoCo-Nurk-DJJ with Melo-Kanter-Norman Powell-C.J.-Dame. Simons comes in for Dame or C.J. three minutes later for a 6 to 8 minute stint.
Next up, the Clippers and 3rd Place.

How do you see Portland getting the league to agree to let them give back the 17th and 18th losses they already have?

[Bourgeois Zee]

How do you see Portland getting the league to agree to let them give back the 17th and 18th losses they already have?

Well, they are Portland.

[SteelSD]

How do you see Portland getting the league to agree to let them give back the 17th and 18th losses they already have?

Lillard will promise to give up rapping forever. That's worth at least two wins.

[Kingspoint]

How do you see Portland getting the league to agree to let them give back the 17th and 18th losses they already have?

I was tired. 30-18 will be there record. Lakers will have 19 losses and Denver 20 losses by next Wednesday.

[M2]

Do teams the rank 27th in ppg against and 29th in D rating tend to win NBA championships?

[texasdave]

Houston was up 101-85, before the T'Wolves scored the last 22 points of the game. Wow. The Rockets win probability was 99.1%. There are no words.

After winning 11 of 12, the Heat has dropped their last 6.

[M2]

After winning 11 of 12, the Heat has dropped their last 6.

Teams need to make up their minds this season. Are they bad? Are they good?

[Kingspoint]

Do teams the rank 27th in ppg against and 29th in D rating tend to win NBA championships?

No, but they won't win it this year. They'll win it next year. They'll get to it this year.