2025-26 NBA Season

Bamx said:
He did it before Luka too. If only Cuban found a way to keep him in Dallas
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Mavericks management is to blame, Mavericks was going to offer a 4 year $55 million contract but Mavericks decided to wait and elevate instead and Brunson did not want to play with Luka because he did not think he would have full potential as a playmaker so he left and he made the right decision sad to say
 
Manwiththeplan said:
rest had nothing to do with it

Knicks were just a far more mature team and ready for the moment
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I don't think maturity had much to do with it.

I do think the 7-game series against the Thunder was tough on the Spurs and the games against the Cavs were easy on the Knicks.

I also think the Spurs were thinking the Thunder were the best team in the league and when they beat them they assumed the Knicks would be easier (not easy, but easier).

Most importantly though, I think the Knicks just got hot at the right time of the year.

It's like when I mentioned the 2007 Giants earlier in this thread .. sometimes a team gets hot and there's just not much you can do but play hard and hope you end up with more points.

Those two 1-point losses, especially that first one, really set the tone for the series in my opinion.

The fact the Spurs won game 4 was a shock and something they can be proud of despite losing the championship.

The two 1-point losses, especially in basketball, are heartbreakers for sure but as I always say (and I got this from the best coach I ever had) ..

Good teams find a way to win close games. No excuses. No regrets. They find a way to win.

The Knicks did that .. and they won.
 
Robbieac said:
This aged well.

Is the NBA still rigged? 7 game series….correct?
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I think it’s a sliding scale, can’t say things are pure when you see things like the Dallas giving away Luka to the NBAs favorite team and then rewarded by magically winning the top pick in a lottery…
 
Reality said:
I don't think maturity had much to do with it.

I do think the 7-game series against the Thunder was tough on the Spurs and the games against the Cavs were easy on the Knicks.

I also think the Spurs were thinking the Thunder were the best team in the league and when they beat them they assumed the Knicks would be easier (not easy, but easier).

Most importantly though, I think the Knicks just got hot at the right time of the year.

It's like when I mentioned the 2007 Giants earlier in this thread .. sometimes a team gets hot and there's just not much you can do but play hard and hope you end up with more points.

Those two 1-point losses, especially that first one, really set the tone for the series in my opinion.

The fact the Spurs won game 4 was a shock and something they can be proud of despite losing the championship.

The two 1-point losses, especially in basketball, are heartbreakers for sure but as I always say (and I got this from the best coach I ever had growing up) ..

Good teams find a way to win close games. No excuses. No regrets. They find a way to win.

The Knicks did that .. and they won.
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Could’ve said the same thing last year OKC coming out of the Denver series but they still got the job done in the finals.
And I really don’t think SA makes it past OKC with a healthy JW and AJay.
NYK seemed to have a destiny year this year, reminds me of the Billups/Wallace Pistons championship team, except not nearly as fun to watch. That year it all just came together for them and they had some castoffs like NY.
 
Robbieac said:
I stand by it.

The Mavs gave away a top 5 player in Luka and a finals MVP in Brunson.

The Cowboys have an inept 83 year old GM who hasn’t won anything of substance since he was 53.

Incompetent front offices reign supreme in Dallas.
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Luka ok. They didn’t trade Brunson he left to be with his dad in NY.

They don’t get credit for finding these guys because mind you Bagley, Ayton went in front of him….traded Trae Young for him and a first that ended up being Cam Reddish. Drafted Brunson in the 2nd round. Traded for Kyrie, Gafford and PJ.

Meanwhile you have teams like the Kings and Bulls….Nets….

As far as the NFL goes…Browns,Lions,Chargers…ehh….i forget are you just anti Dallas? I think your a Celtics fan right?..
 
TheMarathonContinues said:
Luka ok. They didn’t trade Brunson he left to be with his dad in NY.

They don’t get credit for finding these guys because mind you Bagley, Ayton went in front of him….traded Trae Young for him and a first that ended up being Cam Reddish. Drafted Brunson in the 2nd round. Traded for Kyrie, Gafford and PJ.

Meanwhile you have teams like the Kings and Bulls….Nets….

As far as the NFL goes…Browns,Lions,Chargers…ehh….i forget are you just anti Dallas? I think your a Celtics fan right?..
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By all accounts, he would have resigned before the season. I think he was okay with the 4/55 but admittedly it would have hampered Dallas' off season flexibility. In theory, if you can get him for 4/55 *after* the season you can likely sign another free agent and then exceed the cap to resign him.

I get it, but it clearly back fired

Even then, they could have signed him to a 5 year max as soon as the season ended... but I think they didn't really think NYK was gonna offer a 4 year max. They may have last minute, but at that point I think he took it personal.
 
Vegas_Cowboy said:
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I don't know if they'd be willing to help each other out

But SAS has too many guards and probably should deal Fox... he's good, he has value... but it's just a bad contract and he's a progress stopper

MIN has too many front court players and probably should deal Julius Randle, he's good, he has value... his contract is only 2 more years so it's not as bad

Who says no?
 
Manwiththeplan said:
I don't know if they'd be willing to help each other out

But SAS has too many guards and probably should deal Fox... he's good, he has value... but it's just a bad contract and he's a progress stopper

MIN has too many front court players and probably should deal Julius Randle, he's good, he has value... his contract is only 2 more years so it's not as bad

Who says no?
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For that salary? He’s Bradley Beal status. I’d take him for the right price. I remember Sours signed him but I didn’t realize it was for that much.
 
Manwiththeplan said:
I think you have years mixed up

Dallas lost to the LAC in 2021, the next year was Brunson's last where he was a starter and they made it to the conference finals
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Yeah it’s all a blur now your probably right. I’ve seen us miss the playoffs make the Finals just to miss the playoffs in that span lol.
 
Manwiththeplan said:
By all accounts, he would have resigned before the season. I think he was okay with the 4/55 but admittedly it would have hampered Dallas' off season flexibility. In theory, if you can get him for 4/55 *after* the season you can likely sign another free agent and then exceed the cap to resign him.

I get it, but it clearly back fired

Even then, they could have signed him to a 5 year max as soon as the season ended... but I think they didn't really think NYK was gonna offer a 4 year max. They may have last minute, but at that point I think he took it personal.
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Yeah I just remember too much smoke about him wanting to go play with Rick in New York. And the fact that Luka was here…..I certainly understood going to New York and having your own team.

Even with Brunson we still ended up with Kyrie. The loss of Brunson wasn’t as catastrophic as Luka. I think I was the only even complaining about Brunson leaving. The Luka thing is gonna be forever it seems.
 
TheMarathonContinues said:
For that salary? He’s Bradley Beal status. I’d take him for the right price. I remember Sours signed him but I didn’t realize it was for that much.
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I'm not sure if I agree

Beal was making $50 million or at least high 40s but it was right when the new CBA hit and the second apron rules and PHX just had no way to get better. And Beal hadn't even made an All Star team since 2021.

Fox is better, he's coming off an all star season and averaged 18 and 6 this year. His issue is, he just isn't a lead guard in big games... but in MIN you have Anthony Edwards to fill that role.

And I'll always be a huge fan of Julius Randle... he came to NY when no one else wanted to, played great for us and was a big part of our turn around, and I think he'd be a great fit in SAS. He can come in, plug a hole, fill a role, and they don't need him to be a superstar
 
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