NBA 20/21 season thread

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Westbrook had a very strange season. He was awful his first few months in Houston and it looked like the trade was a total disaster, then after the Capela trade things really opened up for him and all of a sudden he was great again. After the Capela trade and the Rockets ultra-small strategy started, it was Westbrook and not Harden who was the best player for Houston. In January and February he averaged 33-8-7 and managed to shoot 53% from the floor, after shooting only around 43% from the floor during the first three months of the season. The the pandemic stopped the season, Westbrook got COVID, he got hurt early in the bubble and was lousy in the playoffs (probably playing hurt) and the Rockets flamed out as it turned out their small-ball approach was no match for the Lakers.

A big part of his improvement during the season in Houston, in addition to the Capela trade, was that he stopped taking a lot of threes, which made him a much more efficient scorer and played to his strengths as a perimeter player. His contract is frightening, but with "only" three years left, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm pretty confident he will at least be pretty good next year. Obviously there are concerns about a guard that relies on athleticism heading into his mid-30s, but I also think its worth noting that Westbrook is probably one of the five most athletic players in the history of basketball and is a freak, so its possible he doesn't age as badly as some people imagine.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
The problem with looking at his improvement later in the year is that he did that in a pretty unique context----not only with Harden, but with a team playing five-out and essentially running the offense with Westbrook being almost the center offensively in terms of his access to the (empty) paint.

There's not another team in the league who will let him be the guy in the paint that much, and so while some of that improvement may be real improvement in choice-making, some (maybe a lot) is highly situational and won't carry over elsewhere
 

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,405
around the way
The problem with looking at his improvement later in the year is that he did that in a pretty unique context----not only with Harden, but with a team playing five-out and essentially running the offense with Westbrook being almost the center offensively in terms of his access to the (empty) paint.

There's not another team in the league who will let him be the guy in the paint that much, and so while some of that improvement may be real improvement in choice-making, some (maybe a lot) is highly situational and won't carry over elsewhere
Why wouldn't the Knicks let him do whatever he wants?
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
They will, but they will also regularly have Mitchell Robinson in or around the paint. And thus, Robinson's defender.
 

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,405
around the way
They will, but they will also regularly have Mitchell Robinson in or around the paint. And thus, Robinson's defender.
It isn't ideal, but there's no reason for them not to build the offense around him. Even if he's not efficient, he'll be very productive. I don't see any downside from a Knicks perspective.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,847
Considering Harden makes $39M and those 4 combined make $19M there needs to be a lot more involved.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
Would be quite an interesting team---though I have to say, you wonder about the chemistry and defense there. But what a set of scorers
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,461
Considering Harden makes $39M and those 4 combined make $19M there needs to be a lot more involved.
Not sure what you are looking at:
Dinwiddie:11.45M
LeVert: 16.2M
Prince: 12.25M
Allen: 3.9M

I doubt anything comes from it. If Harden is on the block there are likely better offers unless the Nets are going full KG trade with draft picks.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,847
Then the ESPN NBA trade machine sucks balls. My bad.

It's kind of useless if it's not updated.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
I think the problem is that since the NBA has not officially started the next league year timing they haven't moved the trade machine forward
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Kyrie shouldn't sniff the ball in an offense with Harden and Durant, so I imagine this is going to go poorly. I hope experienced veteran coach Steve Nash can put those pieces together!
 

greek_gawd_of_walks

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 14, 2009
9,138
Wiscansin, by way of Attleboro
I just don't think there's enough cow hide in all of Middle America for a backcourt of Harden and Irving (not to mention clearance in the locker room for both to fit). And this is on the heels of seeing the Harden/Westbrook duo do the Texas Churro Step in Houston.
 

nighthob

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
12,678
Oh, and for those of you wondering what switchable players could be had for a TPE? You can start with Robert Covington, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
Oh, and for those of you wondering what switchable players could be had for a TPE? You can start with Robert Covington, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince.
My guess is we'll see several sellers this year. Tilman is getting a jump on things before the start of the Season. The hospitality sector (Landry's, his main business) is a disaster

It's nice that the NBA plays pretend with the cap. But the losses will be real and there will be some owners non too pleased. All you need is one motivated seller to reset the market.

Even with a flat cap, a large TPE will be very valuable over the next year.
 
Last edited:

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
They pretty badly need another creator, especially if Rondo leaves. He makes a ton of sense for them IMO. Imperfect player but one who can be impactful in a limited role focused on creating offense.

You get sense Green wanted out—a lot of rumors about him moving. He’d be a nice get for many contenders.
 

DannyDarwinism

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 7, 2007
4,883
Not sure I get the appeal for Lakers to give up Danny Green and a pick for Schroder

Lakers need some scoring punch off the bench and another ball-handler after Rondo leaves, and getting the 6th MotY runner-up for an increasingly cooked Danny Green and a late first would be a decent way to do it. Money's virtually the same- 15 mil for next year, then both are UFAs. Danny might still be a good play-off player in his age 34 season, but his defense was pretty meh last year. I suppose it depends a lot on whether the Lakers are buying Denis’s shooting bump last year.

If anything, I would think OKC could do better, but if that’s the deal, still worth snagging the first if Schroder’s gonna leave next year anyway, considering where they are.

Yeah, what PKB said.
 

bbc23

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2009
993
They pretty badly need another creator, especially if Rondo leaves. He makes a ton of sense for them IMO. Imperfect player but one who can be impactful in a limited role focused on creating offense.

You get sense Green wanted out—a lot of rumors about him moving. He’d be a nice get for many contenders.
He is/was the only player the Lakers had to match salary with in trades, thus...everyone threw him into potential trades. Literally every other player they could give up right now (excluding KCP who would be a s&t) is at 5 million and under.
 

mcpickl

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2007
4,546
So this means if Hayward is opting out we can use it as an expiring contract for a team trying to shed salary, yeah?
No. I'm assuming you're asking if they could trade Hayward today, then Hayward opts out after the trade.

Any player with a player option for the final year of his contract is treated as if his contract has already expired in terms of trades. He wouldn't be eligible to be traded right now unless he opted in to his contract.
 

Lazy vs Crazy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
6,410
No. I'm assuming you're asking if they could trade Hayward today, then Hayward opts out after the trade.

Any player with a player option for the final year of his contract is treated as if his contract has already expired in terms of trades. He wouldn't be eligible to be traded right now unless he opted in to his contract.
Thank you!
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory
One possible destination Harden could land is in Brooklyn with the Nets, but according to SNY sources, the support for such a trade wasn't universal. People around Harden contacted some Nets players to discuss the possibility of the perennial All-Star joining the team, per SNY sources. Some were supportive, but not all players contacted about a potential Harden-to-Brooklyn deal were in favor of it, sources said.
https://www.sny.tv/articles/trade-to-nets-resonating-with-rockets-superstar-james-harden-report
 

The Social Chair

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 17, 2010
6,082
Durant leaves the Warriors because he was thin-skinned about his unearned titles, and now he wants Harden to join the Nets?

The Nets are the only team that could make me root for the Lakers.
 

nighthob

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
12,678
It would be hilarious if Davis bolted LA for Atlanta. Of course the Hawks would have to make the offer on social media because no way Klutch would ever tell him about it.
 
Last edited:

Pablo's TB Lover

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 10, 2017
5,959
Heh, I read that transaction as Bruce Bowen going to the Nets. Wow, you can play in the league at a very advanced age if you bring some defense to the table...
 

the moops

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 19, 2016
4,700
Saint Paul, MN

DannyDarwinism

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 7, 2007
4,883
I don’t get that from the Piston’s POV except as a precursor to another move. I think it’s a Raptors second rounder. If it’s Detroit’s own it’s more defensible, but Brown was showing some promise as a tough defender last year, the type of cheap, versatile culture guy that a rebuilding team should want. I have a soft spot for him as a tough local kid, so it’s annoying to see him headed to the Nets.