Cavs take care of the Pelicans at home, 113-103. They lost Mitchell in the 4th to a strained groin, but Garlend really poured it on late, and Allen also had a big game. Every starter had double digit scoring. The Cavs puch their home record to 19-4, and while they are in 5th they are 1/2 games out of 2nd.
Kevin Love appears to have forgotten how to score, of late. I expect that if a trade can be made, he will be on the move to somewhere else.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
yeah I've said love is just stealing money at this point.. Way to expensive to get d-league production. he needs to hang it up. hasnt had a decent season in 3 years
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Hoping the Mitchell thing isn’t a long term issue
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Great game last night. Unfortunately, we came up one point short against a Memphis team that has now won 11 straight and has the 3rd best record in the league. The game was in Memphis and we were w/out Mitchell.
The Cavs came out strong, but fell behind by 19 in the 2nd quarter. I thought the game was over, but we battled back and actually led several times down the stretch.
Some thoughts:
--Garland w/24 and 14, despite them running multiple guys at him every trip down the floor.
--Mobley 18 pts and 15 boards. His defense at the rim was incredible. He blocked shots and changed the trajectory of many others.
--LeVert had 23 and made some nice moves.
--Okoro is an ascending player.
--We might need a backup center. Allen was good, but he obviously wearing down in the 2nd half. He's on the court too much.
--JB should have set up a better play on the last possession.
--Memphis is a very tough, physical team on both ends of the floor.
--Morant really forces the action and complains a lot to get calls. Other than his star status, I don't know how he got the call when he ran over Allen late in the game.
--Memphis has a lot of good shooters. We could use another.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
NBA trade rumors: Spurs wings Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott could be available for multiple second-round picks Published: Jan. 23, 2023, 3:14 p.m.
By Tim Bielik, cleveland.com
The San Antonio Spurs have some interesting pieces who could be dealt before the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline including a pair of talented perimeter shooters in Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott.
Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com reported the estimated values of both Richardson and McDermott. He said that Richardson could be had for one second-round pick, and McDermott could be worth one or two second-round picks depending on value and protections.
Richardson, 29, is on an expiring contract worth almost $12.2 million. The 31-year-old McDermott has one more year left on his contract at $13.75 million.
Both players have been good outside shooters for the Spurs this season. Richardson is shooting 36.6% from deep on 4.9 attempts per game, and McDermott is 41.1% from 3 on 4.4 attempts per game. They have just a combined three starts this season but have provided a scoring punch off the San Antonio bench.
Richardson is averaging 11.4 points and McDermott is at 10.1 points.
These could be two relatively cheap options if the Cavs want to add three-point shooting before the deadline. They rank 12th in the NBA in team 3-point percentage at 36.3%. But they have been quiet from deep of late, ranking 23rd in the month of January at 34.8%.
While they rank 22nd in 3-pointers attempted per game (31.4), it is also important to note that they are 30th in the league in pace. So field goal attempts per game are going to be near the bottom.
However, they are 16th in the league in 3-point attempt rate, which is the percentage of field goals attempted being 3-pointers (37.3%).
The good news for them in regard to shooting is that Dean Wade, who is shooting 41.1% from deep on 3.1 attempts per game, returned to the lineup on Saturday night vs. the Bucks and Isaac Okoro is shooting 57.1% from 3 in the month of January.
NBA trade deadline 2023: The five sellers that will control the market in February These teams have players that could swing the championship race
By Sam Quinn Jan 20, 2023 at 11:35 am ET
We can get the obvious teams out of the way early. Houston is probably trying to flip Eric Gordon for draft picks right about now. Orlando will likely take calls on Terrence Ross and Gary Harris. Charlotte and Detroit should be open to just about any veteran on their rosters. Jordan Clarkson sounds great until he runs into a team that can exploit him on defense. These are your garden variety trade deadline targets, mid-sized salaries attached to modest players who could probably help the back end of a contender's rotation but won't swing the championship conversation in any meaningful way.
These players mattered, but lately, they're getting overshadowed every February. James Harden and Ben Simmons a season ago. Nikola Vucevic in 2021, the Andrew Wiggins-D'Angelo Russell swap in 2020 and Marc Gasol in 2019. These aren't back-of-the-rotation moves. They're seismic, trajectory-altering transactions that ripple across the entire league. Every deadline starts with posturing about how these kinds of players aren't available. Every deadline ends with a few of them being moved.
We don't who they're going to be yet, but we can guess that they're going to come from a handful of teams. In one of the most crowded playoff races in league history, five teams stand out as not only the likeliest sellers at the deadline but the fulcrums of the entire market. The league is waiting on these five teams to figure out what they're going to do, and if a trade swings the championship this February, odds are, one of these teams is going to be involved.
1. San Antonio Spurs Playoff big men are an exceedingly rare commodity. The versatility requirements are so enormous that Karl-Anthony Towns managed to drive Steven Adams off of the floor last spring after only a single game. As recently as a few years ago, you could get away with a smaller forward at center planning to switch screens and make up your losses on offense. Now one conference has to plan for Nikola Jokic and the other is staring down Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All it takes to beat the wrong center is a single bad matchup.
That's what makes Jakob Poeltl such a compelling deadline proposition. He's at his best in drop coverage, where he's become an analytics darling with some of the best rim-protecting numbers in basketball. That's all well and good until Stephen Curry comes to town looking for a dance partner. Poeltl can't match most guards with foot speed, but he leverages his size so well with quick reflexes and perfect body positioning that he can hold his own against most of them.
Poeltl is languishing with the worst defensive supporting cast in the NBA in San Antonio. Give him a suitably spry front-court partner and some guards that can stay in front of their men and his rim-protection becomes that much more lethal. Boston has become an increasingly frequent rumored destination and fits perfectly thanks to their ability to switch everything. If Curry or one of his acolytes proves problematic, they can easily reserve Poeltl for bench lineups and prioritize Al Horford at center lineups. But for those pesky Embiid and Antetokounmpo matchups in the East? There's no better option on the market.
The Spurs don't make trades for the sake of trading. Prior to last season's Derrick White and Thaddeus Young deals, their last deadline trade of note came when they landed Nazr Mohammed in 2005. He'll be a free agent this summer, but San Antonio has so little salary committed long-term that keeping him really wouldn't be much of a burden. If he gets moved, it will be for real value.
2. Washington Wizards Kyle Kuzma is probably going to get traded at the deadline if only because no player who was truly happy with his current team would talk as much on the record about his impending free agency as Kuzma has. He's theoretically a dream fit for almost every contender: the fabled big wing who can shoot that won't compromise what you're doing on either end of the floor. The reality isn't quite as clear.
The notion that Kuzma has dramatically improved in Washington is overstated. He gets to handle the ball more, but he's a below-average isolation and pick-and-roll scorer this season, according to Synergy Sports. That has largely been the case throughout his career. He made up for that with the Lakers as an exceptional cutter and transition player, but those points are harder to come by in the playoffs when he'll largely be used in a spot-up role that he's not exactly equipped for.
No player has benefitted more from a two-month stretch than Kuzma. He flirted with 40 percent from deep in the first half of his rookie season and has shot just over 33 percent in the five years since. Doesn't matter. He has a shooter's reputation. That reputation matters. Opposing defenses are going to guard him, and he's far better at attacking closeouts today than he was two years ago. But anyone expecting him to knock down high-pressure stationary triples out of a standard, late-game spread pick-and-roll is probably going to be disappointed. He's a 28.3 percent 3-point shooter for his playoff career.
Playoff teams are so desperate for wings that they'll still probably roll those dice. The outline of Andrew Wiggins for Golden State a season ago is here, and Kuzma has grown enough as a shot-creator to at least imitate what the Warriors got out of their small forward in bench lineups last spring. But don't be surprised when teams further down the developmental curve sniff around Kuzma as well. His best trait at this stage might be his ability to eat innings in the regular season. He can fill several gaps for forward-needy teams that have enough shooting to support him. The Knicks are an interesting option on this front.
But Kuzma is a litmus test more than anything. He is a flawed but valuable player at a position that is so valuable teams will often tolerate flaws. Someone is going to offer multiple valuable assets for Kuzma with the expectation that they will give him a substantial multi-year contract in the offseason, and in the process, potentially set the market for similar wings moving forward.
3. Chicago Bulls The Bulls are at the extreme end of the "do these players make sense in the playoffs?" spectrum. We know that they don't. DeMar DeRozan's scoring dropped roughly seven points in the postseason a season ago. Nikola Vucevic might as well paint a target on his jersey defensively once April rolls around. These are regular-season players. Chicago's roster is full of them. It's part of what makes them such an obvious candidate to blow up their roster and start again. Even when healthy, we have a pretty good idea of how this would go in the playoffs. The low-end here is a play-in exit, but the high-end, barring injury luck, is probably a gentleman's sweep in the first round.
And yet, individually, so many Chicago players are appealing to the right team. DeRozan can't run a playoff offense, but as a secondary scorer against inferior defenders? He's a nightmare late in playoff games. Vucevic shouldn't start playoff games, but he'd be a heck of a gimmick response to the sort of ultra-small lineups that become more common in the postseason. He can work in much the same way Boban Marjanovic did for the 2021 Mavericks. Alex Caruso is a Swiss-Army defender who survived against Antetokounmpo last postseason despite a half-foot size disadvantage. Together these pieces don't fit. Stick them on the right team and each becomes much more interesting.
All of this relies on the Bulls seeing what's right in front of them. This team doesn't have a future. Ironically, this era of Bulls basketball began two deadlines ago when the Orlando Magic came to the same conclusion and sent them Vucevic. That deal might be holding Chicago back now. With 21 wins, they'd have a hard time sneaking into the top-four of the draft. If they don't, the Magic get their pick. From that perspective, the Bulls might just rather wait this thing out and figure out a retool in the offseason. With Vucevic on an expiring deal and DeRozan in his mid-30s, though, the sooner they move, the better.
4. Atlanta Hawks After a disastrous start to their season, the Hawks can quietly operate from a position of relative strength at the deadline. Clint Capela is healthy again, and they're 17-12 with him in the lineup. They have a new GM, so they don't have to do anything rash out of job security fear. Trae Young is even making his 3-pointers again. Atlanta can keep its cards close to the chest here and convince rivals that they don't need to sell.
And yet, John Collins has been available since the Reagan administration, Bogdan Bogdanovic can't seem to stay on the floor and there's quietly a fair bit of urgency to find stable footing because Dejounte Murray's contract is virtually unextendable and he'll be a free agent in 2024. The Hawks don't need to rebuild, but they need to retool a bit.
Bogdanovic is the sort of high-risk, high-reward addition that makes sense for asset-thin contenders. Dallas should be asking if there's a way to swap him for Tim Hardaway Jr. without offering a first-round pick. The Bucks could match his salary with Grayson Allen, George Hill and Jordan Nwora, but their second-round picks hold so little value that enticing Atlanta wouldn't be easy. They can trade their 2029 first-round pick, but protecting it would be difficult as it can't roll over into future years.
Collins is the more interesting candidate here for many of the same reasons Kuzma is. Both are probably better-suited on teams without immediate championship hopes, but both fill specific niches that intrigue contenders. Collins isn't an ideal postseason defender, but the ability to credibly roll or pop off of a screen is rare among big men. Dallas is seeing firsthand how valuable it can be with Christian Wood. Utah has been the most persistent destination on the rumor mill, and a partnership with Lauri Markkanen would give opposing defenses nightmares.
5. Toronto Raptors If nothing else, math is going to force the Raptors to trade someone. Toronto is near the luxury tax as it is. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. can become free agents this offseason, and OG Anunoby is only a year behind them. VanVleet was reportedly offered $114 million over four years before the season, but thus far has not re-signed. Nick Nurse has called out Trent's defense publicly. Those two are the likeliest to move at this stage.
VanVleet was an All-Star a season ago. He's shooting a career-low 34 percent on 3-pointers this season. That might be fine for certain players, but VanVleet largely only attempts 3s. He can't get to the basket in a half-court setting. If his 3s aren't falling, he's not scoring. With his defense not quite at its usual level either, there's reason to hesitate here. VanVleet from a year ago was the perfect all-purpose guard for a contender with a high-usage ball-handler in place. Now, with his free agency looming, he's a bit more of a risk. Given his track record and the rarity of guards that can defend bigger players as well as he does, though, it's a risk worth taking.
Anunoby is the real prize, though. He's perhaps the best wing defender in the NBA and a career 37 percent shooter, so the question here is less "can we meet Toronto's asking price" and more "can we convince Anunoby to stay here long-term?" Anunoby is underpaid and represented by Klutch Sports, a dangerous combination for interested parties especially when reports have indicated that he wants a meatier role in whatever offense he plays for. Three first-round picks and a nine-figure contract are probably worthwhile for arguably the best 3-and-D player in the NBA, but any acquiring team would have to feel comfortable with his level of comfort in that role. He's a decent ball-handler, but there's not much room to indulge any isolation fantasies in high-stakes moments.
Realistically, any team in the NBA could justify trading for him. He's still only 25 and could help set a defensive culture on younger teams. A few destinations stand out, though. Sacramento sorely needs a wing defender, but could they come up with enough draft capital to entice the Raptors when they already owe one pick to Atlanta for Kevin Huerter? No team needs wings more than the Lakers, and at his age, he'd make sense as a long-term fit in Los Angeles... provided they cough up those two valuable future first-round picks they've been hoarding. If the Raptors want to finally fill their hole at center, some sort of Myles Turner-centric swap could send Anunoby back to the state where he played college ball.
But rest assured, if Anunoby does hit the open market, he's going to draw dozens of offers. As we've covered here, not every player fits in a playoff setting. Anunoby can play for any team at any point on the calendar. Don't be surprised if he fetches the sort of package San Antonio got for Dejounte Murray.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Trades are cool to talk about, but what do the Cavs have to offer in return for any of the guys on the trading block?
Yeah that’s the tough part, unless we’re just talking a salary dump for a 2nd round pick in the future
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
make no mistake, this team as built isn't going anywhere.. we need bench help desperately
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Another inconsistent effort last night. I had a feeling Mobley would come out soft. He didn't challenge Randall at all. Our close-outs on 3s is pathetic.
Another inconsistent effort last night. I had a feeling Mobley would come out soft. He didn't challenge Randall at all. Our close-outs on 3s is pathetic.
Btw----has Mitchell always missed so many games?
mobley looks one of those guys that will never put it together.. Hes very inefficient and has all the talent in the world but doesn't seem to click. We really need some bench help. Our perimeter defense has been horrible for years. JB can't figure out how to defend. Our Bigs aren't good away from the basket so that hurts the rotation. Mitchell missing games is why I wasn't thrilled with how much we gave up.. He's worth every bit of it when he's healthy. He always misses 15-20 games a season
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Another inconsistent effort last night. I had a feeling Mobley would come out soft. He didn't challenge Randall at all. Our close-outs on 3s is pathetic.
Btw----has Mitchell always missed so many games?
That was my ONLY issue with getting Mitchell … of late, he had been having some ankle/soft tissue injuries that were starting to pile up
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Good effort last night. Mitchell missed another game w/an injury, but the other guys came out and really established dominance early and coasted to a big win. Houston looks like a bunch of guys playing on the playground somewhere.
Another loss to a mediocre team. This team might screw around and miss playoffs. Bunch of dainty flowers on this team. I think what ever you do love can’t be here after the break. Way to much for a guy who plays like a d leaguer and misses tons of games. He’s a Max contract. We need wing help desperately
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Last night was tough. We played back to back nights on the road after traveling from NY. OKC was at home and did not play the night before. Our legs looked tired in the second half. Rubio isn't playing back to back games yet. Love missed another game. And so did Mitchell.
My concern is that we are asking an awful lot of Garland. So much of our success depends upon him in games like this. It would be nice for Mitchell to get his ass on the floor and help Garland out. Garland is a wonderful player. So smooth. Can score and facilitate. We are just asking too much from him right now.
This team just isn’t very good. They flash time to time but we are a few pieces from being a serious contender. Our bench is a mess and we get nothing from our wing. Hope the rumors about standing pat aren’t true
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Cavs played hard last night. Can't question the effort. Mitchell and Garland couldn't hit the shots they usually make. Allen didn't play well in the second half. I do have to say that while Mobley is still young and inconsistent, he has a legitimate shot to be something really special in this league. I'm talking about becoming dominant. I think the smart move would be to commit to Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley moving forward and not make any stupid trades.
Great win for the Cavs. Memphis is a very physical team that tries to bully you. The Cavs met their intensity and won convincingly.
Some thoughts:
--It's a travesty that Garland did not make the All Star team. Dude is one of the very best players in the game. He had a great game last night on a night when Mitchell couldn't make shots. Garland had 32 pts and 11 assists in a game where he outplayed Ja Morant. The Grizzlies had no answer for Garland.
--Memphis also struggled w/the length of Mobley and Allen in the paint. Mobley w/17 pts and 14 rebounds and Allen had 18 and 11.
--Osman had 21 and didn't back down when they tried to get physical w/him and Rubio also made some big shots and played w/great poise. Okoro played tough D and made some nice dunks.
--The story of the game was when Dillon Brooks delivered a hard shot to Mitchell's groin in the 3rd quarter. Mitchell got up and threw the ball at Brooks and shoved him to the ground. There was quite a pile up and a Memphis assistant tackled Brooks which probably was a good idea. Both Mitchell and Brooks were ejected. I support what Mitchell did. While you don't want to lose a superior player in an altercation, it was important that Mitchell stood up for himself and the team. Donovan said after the game that Brooks has been a dirty player for years. The coolest thing is that the Cavs did not back down after the play was over. In fact, they outscored Memphis the rest of the way and rolled to a nice win.
--I think this was a huge win for the team. They showed toughness, resiliency, and intensity in this victory over a bully team. One concern is that I think Mitchell's groin is still bothering him. He was ineffective on the offensive end during his time on the court.
Thanks for the recap. This one is spot on; so I know all the others are as well, when I don't get to see the game.
Obviously the story of the game in the media is the scuffle.
It's funny. Hearing Reggie Miller's voice at the beginning was refreshing... then the game started and I forgot how he loves to go on tangents and thinks he knows everything. He had a glowing review for Brooks, how much he loved his grit and toughness, how much he loved his fight.
Then he does his 'fish flop tornado punch' right in Mitchell's groin. "Oh, that was inadvertent"... over and over again. After first ignoring it the first five replays like it didn't happen. What a joke!
The other thing that was very refreshing was Bickerstaff's comments. I get tired of coaches saying "you can't do that". Coach said you have to protect yourself. What a breath of fresh air.
It was nice to see Morant, although he was in foul trouble right out of the gate. Dude just glides up and down the floor.
Osman is 'good' every time I watch him. I know he hasn't lived up to expectations, but he plays hard. They said last night he has the highest +/- in the NBA. I know that can tend to be a very misleading stat, but over the course of 50 games and an entire league, it says something.
Anyway. The vid has game action, commentary from the guys at TNT (Shaq and Barkley won't dance around the dirty play and see it for what it is), and post-game interviews including Mitchell and Bickerstaff (some of his had to be bleeped lol).
Nice win for Cavs tonight in Indiana. Cavs played excellent defense for most of the game. We really challenged their ball handlers and shooters. Lot's of scrappy defensive play. It was also nice to see Mitchell hit some shots after a cold start. We need him. Garland was his usual productive self. Okaoro had a great game. At one point he was 7 of 7 from the field w/multiple 3 pointers. Osman brought high energy and Rubio is a calming influence for our offense.
Not spectacular, but nice, solid victory for the home boys.
Cavs with a nice road win. Pacers have good guards, but not the same level as Cleveland. It’s a good match up for us
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Cavs go 2 for 2 on back-to-back road games on consecutive nights. Washington was off the night before, but they were missing Beal and Kouzma. We were w/out Rubio who still isn't playing in back-to-back games.
We had a bunch of guys right around 20 pts. Our defense was very good again last night. Man, Okoro has really improved as a player. He is actually a threat as a 3 pt shooter from the corner now. Mitchell's legs looked better. Mobley and Allen dominated the paint. Garland is perhaps the best passer in the league.
Impressed with the bigs! I am really liking Okoro; smooth on O and on D. Wade should get some love. They are fun to watch, and it is starting to gel into a new level of performance. Garland can dish.
"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
I was listening to Brian Windhorst this morning when asked who is the GOAT.
I thought he made a really interesting statement. I am paraphrasing.
People can look at championships and Bill Russell and draw that conclusion. Or, possible look at the scoring of Wilt Chamberlain and how he dominated.
However, between 1991 and 1998 Michael Jordan dominated the game like nobody ever has.
LeBron has dominated for over 20 years and this year; he is averaging 30.2. LeBron has stated he has at least two more years with the goal to play with his son.
I am not a huge basketball fan casual at best. I have many of the greats play. When the Cav's won the championship against the Warriors. LeBron gave the greatest display of basketball I have ever seen in a championship series.
No Garland and no Mitchell for the Cavs ..... no problem against the Pistons. Cavs up 29 with slightly over 2 minutes left.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
The Phoenix Suns are closing in on a trade to land 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and T.J. Warren. Durant had previously asked for a trade during the offseason, but at the time, the Nets did not find a deal for him. He eventually agreed to rejoin the team. The Suns, at that point, were Durant's preferred destination.
For most of the season, this sort of trade appeared to be unthinkable. The Nets looked like a championship contender after a bumpy start, going 18-2 in Durant's last 20 healthy games. Phoenix, meanwhile, hovered around .500 for much of the season while dealing with injuries to Chris Paul and Devin Booker. They've righted the ship in recent games, however, while Brooklyn has gone the other direction.
Kyrie Irving requested a trade after contract extension talks with the Nets fell apart last week. He was quickly granted his wish and sent to the Dallas Mavericks. This seemingly kick-started negotiations between the Nets and Suns. Without Irving, Brooklyn was likely out of the championship race. That forced them to reconsider trading Durant, and Phoenix swooped in to make a deal.
Now the Suns have one of the most explosive scoring duos in the league in Booker and Durant. Chris Paul remains to act as a floor general, and the Suns still have Deandre Ayton to serve as their center and defensive anchor. Reacquiring Warren, who started his career with the Suns, gives them a bit of forward depth to replace what they lost in the trade, and the Suns will likely be among the most desirable destinations on the buyout market.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, enters a period of great uncertainty. In less than a year, they have now traded Durant, Irving and James Harden. Houston controls their first-round picks for the next five years. While they have quite a bit of veteran talent, Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton are the only young players with significant upside. Sean Marks has rebuilt this team under far worse circumstances. The Nets overcame sending Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to Boston. Now he'll have to rebuild them again, but this time with the knowledge of what went wrong with his first super team. Now Phoenix is the super team, and unless someone makes a major trade to compete with them before Thursday's deadline, the Suns appear to be the new favorites in the Western Conference.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
I'm looking forward to the Saturday prime time game w the Bulls. My daughter and I are going to be in attendance for this one. Any recommendations for dinner near the arena, walking distance?
I think the current state of the NBA sucks. Selfish players like Kyrie have ruined the league. The recent trades are like the plot of a Fantasy novel. Time management robs fans of seeing great players despite paying huge money for tickets.
On the other hand, I really enjoy watching the Cavs. They are a close-knit group that plays together. Their defense was outstanding once again last night. They challenged shots, dominated the paint, and forced bad shots as the shot clock was expiring. Allen and Mobley dominated inside to counter the loss of Garland and Mitchell. LeVert was ice cold, but played great D and finally started making layups in the 4th quarter. It seems like posters on here don't like Neto, but that guy is a little fire plug. He plays great defense, is gritty as can be, and sets the tone. He had a really solid game last night. Rubio was his usual calming influence and Okoro continues to impress. Winning these games before the All Star break will go a long way in regards to our seating. We do have to go to New Orleans on Friday and then fly back to play a "home" game against the Bulls on Saturday. The back-to-backs are tough, but we won both of them last weekend.
Well we didn't make any moves.. so obviously we don't intend to make a run this year.. disappointing given some momentum as of late.
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
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