This trade deadline was amazing...
Milwaukee got better adding Jae Crowder...a lot better imo if Crowder can get up to speed after not playing this season
Lakers got enough of a shot in the arm that I think they'll make the playoffs...only 2 games behind Portland and 4.5 behind the 6th seed
Phoenix obviously improved the most, landing Durant. They'll miss Bridges defense, but a KD/Booker 1-2 punch is lethal
Gotta say in the east, I like the Knicks landing Josh Hart. Big guard, plays defense, 3pt % is down this year, but has consistently been around 33% with some years as high as 37% or 39%
I still don't like the Mavs pulling the trigger on Kyrie...Kinda feel like he compliments guys like LeBron and Luka, but he's kinda been not content to play second fiddle, so I just don't know how well he'll mesh with Luka
I would have liked Crowder back in Dallas.
Solid vet for playoff runs.
Lakers challenge is still just not much talent.
They were very smart to swap old for young finally but unless LeBron and AD can finally play together every night at 100% that team is looking at play-in at best.
Mavs are now must watch TV. They hadn't won a game all year without Luka but have now won 2 in a row versus quality West teams on the road.
The Mavs team had grown stale and there was no energy in the home building.
For better or worse Kyrie re-energizes the city and team.
Mavs play a ton of West teams in a row and can rise quickly in the standings with good play.
For Mavs fans the big thing is Josh Green and Jalen Hardy both remaining. (I'd rate both those assets more highly than a 2029 first) Green is an ascending 2-way player which makes him 1 of 1 on the Mavs. Hardy is a quality scorer who is young and inconsistent but the kind of GP2 kind of kid you want to develop as the back up scoring guard.
They need to hit on a buy-out guy and get Kleber back as the defensive big but they are a solid bet to win a series this year.
The real mystery will be this summer.
Suns are interesting. KD is so good at his best but he's out right now.
And CP3 is falling. Are they the best team in the West today?
I'm not so sure. But the ceiling is there.
Playoffs-wise Ayton hasn't been able to stay on the court. KD has taken a major step back defensively and Booker is just not good on defense at all.
At the same time KD/Booker offense can be so absurd maybe it doesn't matter.
I feel like PHX could be much better next year when they build around that KD/Book combo.
West is wide open and the in the East is still Bucks and Celts versus everyone.
