NBA Offseason 2023

[triplets_93]

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker and Dwayne Wade pose for a portrait during the Class of 2023 Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala as part of the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on August 11, 2023 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

France's Tony Parker enters the NBA Hall of Fame: ‘It was an impossible dream’

Legendary French basketball player Tony Parker will on Saturday add another exceptional achievement to a glittering sports career. The former point guard, who has a cabinet full of trophies won playing in the NBA and on the national French team, will become the first French player to be inducted into basketball’s Hall of Fame.

https://www.france24.com/en/sport/2...e-nba-hall-of-fame-it-was-an-impossible-dream

 

[VaqueroTD]

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker and Dwayne Wade pose for a portrait during the Class of 2023 Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala as part of the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on August 11, 2023 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

France's Tony Parker enters the NBA Hall of Fame: ‘It was an impossible dream’

Legendary French basketball player Tony Parker will on Saturday add another exceptional achievement to a glittering sports career. The former point guard, who has a cabinet full of trophies won playing in the NBA and on the national French team, will become the first French player to be inducted into basketball’s Hall of Fame.

https://www.france24.com/en/sport/2...e-nba-hall-of-fame-it-was-an-impossible-dream

 

[VaqueroTD]

Watched all the Hall of Fame induction speeches on YouTube this morning. Good stuff, really enjoyed them! That was hilarious listening to Tony Parker afraid of Tim Duncan as a rookie and Pop‘s agreement with David Robinson that he would cuss but never take the Lord‘s name in vain. I enjoyed both of their Manu stories. I forgot that Becky Hammond got in too. Boy… Spurs reunion all over the place! (And probably the most international player induction I’ve ever seen.) These guys all showed up and still have each other’s backs. I wish Kawhi had gotten it and stayed a lifelong Spur too.

 

[triplets_93]

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York City on Monday for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, police sources told ABC News.

Porter, 23, was formally charged with assault and strangulation.

Porter returned early Monday morning from an evening out to the Millennium Hilton near U.N. Plaza, where he and Gondrezick were staying. Gondrezick was upset with the late hour of his return and locked the door, according to police sources. Once he entered with the help of hotel security, Porter beat up the woman, the sources said.

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/houst...orter-jr-arrested-domestic/story?id=103091953

 

[Sarek]

Winning Time ended like crap. Season 2 was good but moved forward way too quickly.

NBA needs a Lakers Celtics bloodbath finals just like the NFL needs a 49ers Cowboys NFCCG.

 

[VaqueroTD]

For those who are better hoops analysts, help me understand the Damian Lillard trade. When I look at both him and Jrue Holiday, I see same position, same age. But I see much better defense with Holiday, better playmaker and teammate who will involve everyone. True, I see some of that killer instinct with Lillard, but it hasn't taken him anywhere beyond the first round of the Playoffs except for one season in his ten-year career, whereas Holiday has won the NBA Finals and been a part of historical clutch moments in the Bucks history. How is this an upgrade? Lillard is not as one-dimensional and as poor a defender as James Harden, but I see the same thing happening. If I want a scorer, I stay with my big man, Giannis. NBA is obsessed with these 30 point-a-game guards on losing teams who take all the shots. One Jordan, and maybe one Kobe, and the rest... who cares?

 

[jterrell]

For those who are better hoops analysts, help me understand the Damian Lillard trade. When I look at both him and Jrue Holiday, I see same position, same age. But I see much better defense with Holiday, better playmaker and teammate who will involve everyone. True, I see some of that killer instinct with Lillard, but it hasn't taken him anywhere beyond the first round of the Playoffs except for one season in his ten-year career, whereas Holiday has won the NBA Finals and been a part of historical clutch moments in the Bucks history. How is this an upgrade? Lillard is not as one-dimensional and as poor a defender as James Harden, but I see the same thing happening. If I want a scorer, I stay with my big man, Giannis. NBA is obsessed with these 30 point-a-game guards on losing teams who take all the shots. One Jordan, and maybe one Kobe, and the rest... who cares?

The Bucks couldn't just sit and get older.
They needed to swing for the fences before Giannis demanded a trade.

Dame gives them a certified killer on offense who can buoy that end of the floor by himself.
It may not work and if it doesn't you rebuild but Bucks were smart to do something rather than sit and slowly die on the vine over the next 2 seasons.

Dame is truly awful on defense, but the Bucks have good team defense and they had zero plus offensive players besides Giannis before the trade.
Dame is a volume shooter but he was essentially as efficient as Jrue without ANY help. His rebounding and assist numbers are basically the same.
So you are trading about 13 points per game of offense for defense.

All that said, I really love the Jrue fit in BOS. The Celts badly needed the defense after losing Smart, GWill. Things in BOS REALLY make sense now.

 

[jterrell]

Winning Time ended like crap. Season 2 was good but moved forward way too quickly.

NBA needs a Lakers Celtics bloodbath finals just like the NFL needs a 49ers Cowboys NFCCG.

I thought the Lakers made very good moves last year mid-season and have built on that this off-season with depth moves.
But I'd expect the playoffs to look much the same if roster stays as-is. They just lack oomph around LBJ/AD even with Reaves becoming an elite 6th man.
So a trade to add a bigger piece before the trade deadline would make a lot of sense.

BOS might be the favorite in the East but I don't know if they have enough paint strength/defense to handle Giannis or Embiid.

I'd probably have DEN/MIL as my early Finals prediction. With BOS really close and LAL maybe 4th in the West (based upon AD health and LBJ age).