16/17: Early Obsevations from False9
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:33 pm
It's the dawn of a new season, so let's take a look around the league-
Who's rookie of the year?
It's a Big Baller World, and we're just living in it. The Ball boys will have free reign in Charlotte, where expectations remain low and GM Darth Vegito remains patient in his build. Of the two, Lonzo looks he'll be given the keys to the offense, so look for him to lift the trophy come awards time.
Keep an eye out on Melvin McCall and Dirk Hardpeck. They'll have plenty of FGAs for teams that are going nowhere but downhill fast.
Where in the world is Ron Artest?
Ron Artest found himself handsomely rewarded with a one year deal in...Charlotte? Well, let's hope he's on a monthly lease. He'll surely be moved come deadline day, but it seems unlikely he can have the same impact as last year- time comes for us all, Artest included. He won't be a title winning difference, but there's still some gas in the tank.
Keep an eye out on other vets like Carlos Boozer, Timofey Mozgov, Aaron Brooks/Ramon Sessions, and Tyson Chandler. They're all on friendly deals that can easily be moved for the appropriate asset.
Didn't we learn from the tax last year?
Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Last season, eighteen teams wound up being taxed. Surely, this would lead to more prudent spending this season? The answer appears to be a big fat NOPE. This season, twenty teams are in the tax, and eighteen teams are potential repeaters. Is this sim-conomy sustainable? Next thing you know, there will be austerity measures in the league.
Is this is for the Heat, part 2
Going gently into that good night seems to be the destiny for LeBron and the Heatles. From the verge of the Finals with Dragic and Ibaka to gunning for the eighth seed with Marcus Thornton and Jonas Valanciunas makes for a less than spectacular end to Lebron's Heat tenure. There aren't enough assets to push in for a win now move, so conventional wisdom says to deal Lebron to begin the rebuild, but SOURCES say the price is too high for a soon to be 32 year old who took a big hit in training camp. Something's gotta give here, and I'd wager Lebron to be elsewhere on deadline day.
The King is dead, long live the King
The defending champion New Orleans Pelicans are off to a rough 3-5 start. There's a Ron Artest sized hole in the backcourt to fill and GM Nick still has some bargaining chips to move to fill that spot. Whether it's enough to fend off the Nuggets and new looks Warriors is another question, one that I think can be answered with a "no."
The Lakers are my pick until they're not: What teams will make the leap this season?
Showtime is back! Whoa, what a talented, young lineup in Los Angeles! Lack of depth can't be that big a deal. Surely this is the year Tray returns to the playoffs!
*sees 2-6 start, Embiid out 48 games and Cousins averaging 4.6 fouls per game*
Woof. Hey, maybe I was a year early on the Rockets! They're 7-2 and-
*sees Ty Lawson out for 40 games*
FINE, out West I'll go with the Thunder. They made some nice moves, picking up Green, Howard, and Vucevic. They've also got decent depth, and John Tittle could make for an interesting trade chip if they want a win now piece.
(9 pm update/edit- with Jabari Parker out 36 days, I change my pick to NO ONE so they can avoid this jinx)
Back in the East, Detroit appears to have a GM that isn't asleep at the wheel. Anthony Davis has a supporting cast finally that isn't $40 million in cap space. A return to the playoffs would be a success for a franchise that's been on snooze for years.
Who's MVP?
As always, we know the usual suspects- Davis, Love, Durant. As noted above, GM Wombat looks engaged, and the Pistons have a deeper cast than the Suns and Clippers. AD's numbers are slightly down, but I suspect it will be enough to give him his first MVP.
Who's making the Finals? Who's winning it all?
Out West, how can you not like the Warriors? Adding Gay and Lowry to the defensive stalwarts of Jordan and Gobert leaves GM BowToTheBill as the early favorite for GM of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if Brisson or Stark were moved- the time is now in Oakland.
Out East, it's Wig, it's ALWAYS Wig. All the key players have returned (at great cost), and Ed Davis and TJ Warren are impressive additions.
So what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? Warriors in 6.
Who's rookie of the year?
It's a Big Baller World, and we're just living in it. The Ball boys will have free reign in Charlotte, where expectations remain low and GM Darth Vegito remains patient in his build. Of the two, Lonzo looks he'll be given the keys to the offense, so look for him to lift the trophy come awards time.
Keep an eye out on Melvin McCall and Dirk Hardpeck. They'll have plenty of FGAs for teams that are going nowhere but downhill fast.
Where in the world is Ron Artest?
Ron Artest found himself handsomely rewarded with a one year deal in...Charlotte? Well, let's hope he's on a monthly lease. He'll surely be moved come deadline day, but it seems unlikely he can have the same impact as last year- time comes for us all, Artest included. He won't be a title winning difference, but there's still some gas in the tank.
Keep an eye out on other vets like Carlos Boozer, Timofey Mozgov, Aaron Brooks/Ramon Sessions, and Tyson Chandler. They're all on friendly deals that can easily be moved for the appropriate asset.
Didn't we learn from the tax last year?
Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Last season, eighteen teams wound up being taxed. Surely, this would lead to more prudent spending this season? The answer appears to be a big fat NOPE. This season, twenty teams are in the tax, and eighteen teams are potential repeaters. Is this sim-conomy sustainable? Next thing you know, there will be austerity measures in the league.
Is this is for the Heat, part 2
Going gently into that good night seems to be the destiny for LeBron and the Heatles. From the verge of the Finals with Dragic and Ibaka to gunning for the eighth seed with Marcus Thornton and Jonas Valanciunas makes for a less than spectacular end to Lebron's Heat tenure. There aren't enough assets to push in for a win now move, so conventional wisdom says to deal Lebron to begin the rebuild, but SOURCES say the price is too high for a soon to be 32 year old who took a big hit in training camp. Something's gotta give here, and I'd wager Lebron to be elsewhere on deadline day.
The King is dead, long live the King
The defending champion New Orleans Pelicans are off to a rough 3-5 start. There's a Ron Artest sized hole in the backcourt to fill and GM Nick still has some bargaining chips to move to fill that spot. Whether it's enough to fend off the Nuggets and new looks Warriors is another question, one that I think can be answered with a "no."
The Lakers are my pick until they're not: What teams will make the leap this season?
Showtime is back! Whoa, what a talented, young lineup in Los Angeles! Lack of depth can't be that big a deal. Surely this is the year Tray returns to the playoffs!
*sees 2-6 start, Embiid out 48 games and Cousins averaging 4.6 fouls per game*
Woof. Hey, maybe I was a year early on the Rockets! They're 7-2 and-
*sees Ty Lawson out for 40 games*
FINE, out West I'll go with the Thunder. They made some nice moves, picking up Green, Howard, and Vucevic. They've also got decent depth, and John Tittle could make for an interesting trade chip if they want a win now piece.
(9 pm update/edit- with Jabari Parker out 36 days, I change my pick to NO ONE so they can avoid this jinx)
Back in the East, Detroit appears to have a GM that isn't asleep at the wheel. Anthony Davis has a supporting cast finally that isn't $40 million in cap space. A return to the playoffs would be a success for a franchise that's been on snooze for years.
Who's MVP?
As always, we know the usual suspects- Davis, Love, Durant. As noted above, GM Wombat looks engaged, and the Pistons have a deeper cast than the Suns and Clippers. AD's numbers are slightly down, but I suspect it will be enough to give him his first MVP.
Who's making the Finals? Who's winning it all?
Out West, how can you not like the Warriors? Adding Gay and Lowry to the defensive stalwarts of Jordan and Gobert leaves GM BowToTheBill as the early favorite for GM of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if Brisson or Stark were moved- the time is now in Oakland.
Out East, it's Wig, it's ALWAYS Wig. All the key players have returned (at great cost), and Ed Davis and TJ Warren are impressive additions.
So what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? Warriors in 6.