Where is the Laker schedule hard? It seems like one of the easiest if not the easiest of those fighting for the WC playoffs. They already completed their two eastern trips and have already hosted the best teams in the east. They only have 3 B2B remaining and one is in Houston.The Lakers remaining schedule is brutal, they will be lucky to get into the top 10.
The strength of schedule remaining is .490 which is 24th toughest according to tankathon. They do have four games against Dallas and Phoenix, though, who arguably should have better records than previously. The first Phoenix game isn't until March 22nd, so Durant should be back for that.Where is the Laker schedule hard? It seems like one of the easiest if not the easiest of those fighting for the WC playoffs. They already completed their two eastern trips and have already hosted the best teams in the east. They only have 3 B2B remaining and one is in Houston.
It's not a brutal schedule, but it's not easy. They have 31 losses, so maybe they can "afford" 11 more at most? They have 12 games against the Warriors, Suns, Grizz, Clippers, Mavs and Pels. Split those and that doesn't leave a lot of margin for error.Where is the Laker schedule hard? It seems like one of the easiest if not the easiest of those fighting for the WC playoffs. They already completed their two eastern trips and have already hosted the best teams in the east. They only have 3 B2B remaining and one is in Houston.
Entirely plausible; the Lakers just needed to upgrade from so much trash on their roster. Not hard to do so even an unimpressive haul headlined by DLo is a big step forward.I think the case for the Lakers is....
These additions give them more depth, and more shooting, which in turn means they win a few more regular season games without pushing LeBron and AD's workload as high. Then they get into the play-in and unleash Bron/AD and hope both stay healthy for the whole run and one or more of their shooters gets hot on the open shots the other 2 create.
Not a crazy theory. Bron is still a top-5 or so guy you want in a playoff game.
And even if they aren't that many games behind the 6 seed (4.5), they have to jump over 7 teams to get there. Unless they go on a real heater (winning 80% of their remaining games), the play in is as good as it gets, and really they should be aiming for 8th, so they only need to win 1 play in instead of 2. Current NBA title odds have them at 12th, which still seems a bit optimistic but not ridiculous. They've got a really tough road ahead.It's not a brutal schedule, but it's not easy. They have 31 losses, so maybe they can "afford" 11 more at most? They have 12 games against the Warriors, Suns, Grizz, Clippers, Mavs and Pels. Split those and that doesn't leave a lot of margin for error.
On paper this makes sense but aren't they going to struggle to implement so many new guys this late in the season? I think the commentariat is generally failing to take account of how precise and connected the good, title contending teams need to be. They could catch fire, I guess, but it's much more likely they'll be more talented but look very disjointed.I think the case for the Lakers is....
These additions give them more depth, and more shooting, which in turn means they win a few more regular season games without pushing LeBron and AD's workload as high. Then they get into the play-in and unleash Bron/AD and hope both stay healthy for the whole run and one or more of their shooters gets hot on the open shots the other 2 create.
Not a crazy theory. Bron is still a top-5 or so guy you want in a playoff game.
Yeah, it’s hard to place a number on it due to AD’s fragility but assuming he sucks it up I’d say they are 72-80% to finish Top-10 with tanking teams and bad teams ahead of them. It seems pretty secure at this point.Yeah but it just got a bit easier with Utah and likely Portland about to fade. So that means Wolves and Thunder will both need to stay ahead of Lakers. And that assumes Pelicans stay afloat. Not sure how play in game at minimum isn’t the end result.
Plumlee is definitely a helpful add. But I'll take Kennard as a better player than Hyland and Gordon. I get they were probably frustrated with Kennard being in/out of the line-up with dings and such, but in the playoffs Hyland's defense will be very hunt-able and, while I like Gordon's toughness, Kennard is a significantly better shooter and love how he moves w/out the ball. Not exactly a defensive stud, but both Nyland and Gordon flat out suck. In the playoffs, I'd rather have Kennard than those 2 guys (and Jackson may have slipped offensively this year, but on defense he's better than any of those guys). The Clippers problem is not depth, so don't think that their 2 nickels is better than 1 dime.Kinda like what the Clippers did
IN
Mason Plumlee
Bones Hyland
Eric Gordon
OUT
Kennard
Wall
Reggie Jackson
3 2nds
https://theathletic.com/4180625/2023/02/10/gary-payton-physical-trade/Gary Payton II — the Warriors high-profile trade deadline acquisition — could miss two-to-three months after a core muscle issue showed up in his physical on Friday morning, league sources confirmed to The Athletic, putting the four-team deal between the Warriors, Pistons, Hawks and Blazers in jeopardy.
Payton, according to sources, had been playing through pain in Portland. Sources added that the Blazers training staff had been pushing him to gut through it, giving him Toradol shots. This had not been relayed to the Warriors during the negotiation process.
I bet they dangle the Blazers for as long as they can, let them take a bunch of hits for how they handled this both from a trade and a player management perspective, then go through with it.The Warriors have no choice to go through with this to save luxury tax, right? I guess they could just dump Wiseman over the summer...
What kind of ignominy equates with being traded for FIVE second round picks?The Hawks sent five second-round picks to the Warriors to acquire Bey.
Yes, the league has final authority to sign off on things like these. I know I’ve seen it before at deadlines either in NBA or MLB.That Athletic article allows for the possibility of "amendments" to the trade, but is that even possible now that the deadline is past?
They removed that. After the deadline you can't adjust a trade. The NBA could make a special ruling, but I really doubt it, they never have before, and they have undone trades for failed physicals before.That Athletic article allows for the possibility of "amendments" to the trade, but is that even possible now that the deadline is past?
My guess is the league isn't interested in setting a precedent for this trade, everyone goes back, tough luck. The league doesn't want teams nitpicking physicals to drag concessions out of other teams (not saying that is the case here), and the precedent opens the door. They'll stick to the rules as written as they always have in the past.I can imagine league allowing a draft pick from Portland to Warriors to resolve this. Warriors surely don't want Wiseman back now, and there's two 'innocent' teams caught in it as well. The practical answer is for Portland to pay the Warriors in some currency
they'll resolve it.I can imagine league allowing a draft pick from Portland to Warriors to resolve this. Warriors surely don't want Wiseman back now, and there's two 'innocent' teams caught in it as well. The practical answer is for Portland to pay the Warriors in some currency
I want to say it was MLB where a big deadline deal was compromised by a failed physical and the league let the deal go through and had the injured pitcher replaced by another player. The NBA would be trickier as there is a salary cap implication to validate a trade.They removed that. After the deadline you can't adjust a trade. The NBA could make a special ruling, but I really doubt it, they never have before, and they have undone trades for failed physicals before.
Hearing several reporters saying that no amendments to the deal are allowed as its past the deadline and that it is up to the Warriors to accept the trade as is or rescind it completely.they'll resolve it.
5 seconds sounded weirdly large, knock it down to 2-3 second-round picks and call it a day
Silver to the rescue? Interesting dilemma.Hearing several reporters saying that no amendments to the deal are allowed as its past the deadline and that it is up to the Warriors to accept the trade as is or rescind it completely.
Bob really didn't have the deadline you were anticipating, did he? No upgrades at all, apparently, since GPII won't be playing regardless of what goes down here.Silver to the rescue? Interesting dilemma.
Hope Bob signed his deal, owners can get grumpy when their GM burns $30MM in tax dollars to take back the likes of James Wiseman.
So the Warriors can choose from GPII not playing, or Wiseman not playing, plus saving $30 million?Bob really didn't have the deadline you were anticipating, did he? No upgrades at all, apparently, since GPII won't be playing regardless of what goes down here.
Looks that way, so I imagine they'll choose the former if those are the choices.So the Warriors can choose from GPII not playing, or Wiseman not playing, plus saving $30 million?
Isn't this exactly what happened with the Isaiah Thomas / Kyrie Irving deal? Cavs complained and wrangled an additional pick out of us as a result, didn't they?My guess is the league isn't interested in setting a precedent for this trade, everyone goes back, tough luck. The league doesn't want teams nitpicking physicals to drag concessions out of other teams (not saying that is the case here), and the precedent opens the door. They'll stick to the rules as written as they always have in the past.
Yes; difference here is that it's a deadline deal.Isn't this exactly what happened with the Isaiah Thomas / Kyrie Irving deal? Cavs complained and wrangled an additional pick out of us as a result, didn't they?
Color me underwhelmed with the Warriors' work here at the trade deadline.Bob really didn't have the deadline you were anticipating, did he? No upgrades at all, apparently, since GPII won't be playing regardless of what goes down here.
deadline hadn't passed, so they pulled the deal back, re-worked it and re-submitted the paperwork as a "new" trade. Can't do that here obviously, as the deadline is long passed so the only options are pull the deal back, in which case it never happened, or go forward.Isn't this exactly what happened with the Isaiah Thomas / Kyrie Irving deal? Cavs complained and wrangled an additional pick out of us as a result, didn't they?
Can they have some handshake agreement to give a couple 2nd round picks back? Or agree to sell em back for some league minimum transaction amount after the season? Maybe not...deadline hadn't passed, so they pulled the deal back, re-worked it and re-submitted the paperwork as a "new" trade. Can't do that here obviously, as the deadline is long passed so the only options are pull the deal back, in which case it never happened, or go forward.
nope. That's the risk of going right up to the deadline day on your trades.... price might come down, but if you want to do a physical and actually are concerned about a guy's health you don't have any options to fix anything. Usually doesn't matter because either guys are salary fill or they're healthy. This one is the weird spot where he was hurt but could play, they wanted to see how bad he was hurt and their doctor had a different opinion on his ability to play. Now, PDX should have told GSW... oh yeah he's getting shots before games, because that's relevant here, difference in how you view a guy between "injury but can play" and "injury but can play with Toradal injections"Can they have some handshake agreement to give a couple 2nd round picks back? Or agree to sell em back for some league minimum transaction amount after the season? Maybe not...
Obviously they can't change the actual players involved at this point.
Given it seems GSW views Wiseman as a sunk cost (and hugely expensive for them given the tax issues), I'm guessing they just do the trade regardless.nope. That's the risk of going right up to the deadline day on your trades.... price might come down, but if you want to do a physical and actually are concerned about a guy's health you don't have any options to fix anything. Usually doesn't matter because either guys are salary fill or they're healthy. This one is the weird spot where he was hurt but could play, they wanted to see how bad he was hurt and their doctor had a different opinion on his ability to play. Now, PDX should have told GSW... oh yeah he's getting shots before games, because that's relevant here, difference in how you view a guy between "injury but can play" and "injury but can play with Toradal injections"
My favorite scrub center!Or even Mike Smrek
NBA second-round pick commentary, post CBA, from Forbes is interesting.The tax bills get a bit high, but probably not Warriors territory. The real test will be how they handle the locked draft picks.