NBA Playoffs

[twocoach]

(trades are different than dumping players for FA signings).

I guess my overall point was more that buying up free agents and totally abandoning the future doesn't work for very long. The Lakers are the main team I am thinking of.

But the Lakers assembled their team through trades, so which is it? Did they build or buy?

LeBron?

In my opinion the Lakers bought. They traded all their young talent/draft picks away for injury prone AD and aging Westbrook.

The Lakers have almost nobody worth a shit that they drafted.

Giannis is the only player who scored for the Bucks last night who was drafted by the Bucks. The rest were either through free agency or trades.

Too funny. Perception is not reality.

[Deleted User 863]

But the Lakers assembled their team through trades, so which is it? Did they build or buy?

LeBron?

In my opinion the Lakers bought. They traded all their young talent/draft picks away for injury prone AD and aging Westbrook.

The Lakers have almost nobody worth a shit that they drafted.

Giannis is the only player who scored for the Bucks last night who was drafted by the Bucks. The rest were either through free agency or trades.

Too funny. Perception is not reality.

The best player on most of the teams left was drafted by that team.

Is that a more acceptable statement?

Suns: Booker
Mavs: Luka
76ers: Embiid
Heat: Jimmy (not drafted by them)
Celtics: Tatum
Bucks: Giannis
Memphis: Ja
GS: Steph

Built. Not bought.

[twocoach]

LeBron?

In my opinion the Lakers bought. They traded all their young talent/draft picks away for injury prone AD and aging Westbrook.

The Lakers have almost nobody worth a shit that they drafted.

Giannis is the only player who scored for the Bucks last night who was drafted by the Bucks. The rest were either through free agency or trades.

Too funny. Perception is not reality.

The best player on most of the teams left was drafted by that team.

Is that a more acceptable statement?

Suns: Booker
Mavs: Luka
76ers: Embiid
Heat: Jimmy (not drafted by them)
Celtics: Tatum
Bucks: Giannis
Memphis: Ja
GS: Steph

Built. Not bought.

The best player on the majority of teams was drafted by that team. It's not some rare feature of winners.

Leading scorers and whether they were drafted by that team or not:

Celtics - Tatum (yes)
Nets - Durant - (no)
Knicks - Randle (no)
Sixers - Embiid (yes)
Toronto- Siakam (yes)
Chicago - Derozan (no)
Cavs - garland (yes)
Pistons - Grant (no)
Pacers - Brogdon (no)
Bucks - Giannis (yes)
Nuggets - Jokic (yes)
Wolves - Edwards (yes)
OKC - Alexander (no)
Portland - Lillard (no)
Utah - Mitchell (yes)
Warriors - Curry (yes)
Clippers - George (no)
Lakers - James (no)
Suns - Booker (yes)
Kings - Fox (yes)
Hawks - Young (yes)
Hornets - Bridges (yes)
Heat - Butler (no)
Magic - Anthony (yes)
Wizards - Beal (yes)
Mavs - Doncic (yes) counting Young and Doncic even though they technically weren't
Rockets - Wood (no)
Memphis - Morant (yes)
Pelicans - McCollum (no)
Spurs - Murray (yes)

18 of 30 teams.

[Deleted User 863]

Giannis is the only player who scored for the Bucks last night who was drafted by the Bucks. The rest were either through free agency or trades.

Too funny. Perception is not reality.

The best player on most of the teams left was drafted by that team.

Is that a more acceptable statement?

Suns: Booker
Mavs: Luka
76ers: Embiid
Heat: Jimmy (not drafted by them)
Celtics: Tatum
Bucks: Giannis
Memphis: Ja
GS: Steph

Built. Not bought.

The best player on the majority of teams was drafted by that team. It's not some rare feature of winners.

Leading scorers and whether they were drafted by that team or not:

Celtics - Tatum (yes)
Nets - Durant - (no)
Knicks - Randle (no)
Sixers - Embiid (yes)
Toronto- Siakam (yes)
Chicago - Derozan (no)
Cavs - garland (yes)
Pistons - Grant (no)
Pacers - Brogdon (no)
Bucks - Giannis (yes)
Nuggets - Jokic (yes)
Wolves - Edwards (yes)
OKC - Alexander (no)
Portland - Lillard (no)
Utah - Mitchell (yes)
Warriors - Curry (yes)
Clippers - George (no)
Lakers - James (no)
Suns - Booker (yes)
Kings - Fox (yes)
Hawks - Young (yes)
Hornets - Bridges (yes)
Heat - Butler (no)
Magic - Anthony (yes)
Wizards - Beal (yes)
Mavs - Doncic (yes) counting Young and Doncic even though they technically weren't
Rockets - Wood (no)
Memphis - Morant (yes)
Pelicans - McCollum (no)
Spurs - Murray (yes)

18 of 30 teams.

Damian Lillard was drafted by Portland. So 19 out of 30. Although Zion will likely be the Pelicans top scorer when he comes back so it'll be 20.

Not many of those "no" teams in the playoffs.

How you acquire people matters. Drafting well matters. Building a team via free agency only isn't sustainable. You run out of wiggle room to build anything more than a top heavy roster and it gets exposed in the playoffs. Imo of course.

[Deleted User 863]

[Deleted User 863]

No clue what to expect tonight. Can the 76ers bounce back? Can the Suns close out the Mavs?

[randylahey]

LeBron?

In my opinion the Lakers bought. They traded all their young talent/draft picks away for injury prone AD and aging Westbrook.

The Lakers have almost nobody worth a shit that they drafted.

Giannis is the only player who scored for the Bucks last night who was drafted by the Bucks. The rest were either through free agency or trades.

Too funny. Perception is not reality.

The best player on most of the teams left was drafted by that team.

Is that a more acceptable statement?

Suns: Booker
Mavs: Luka
76ers: Embiid
Heat: Jimmy (not drafted by them)
Celtics: Tatum
Bucks: Giannis
Memphis: Ja
GS: Steph

Built. Not bought.

Thats cause of the rules. If you draft a player you can retain the rights to them for years. And then when its time for them to re-sign, the biggest possible contract they can sign will be if they re-sign a supermax with the team that drafted them and has the bird rights to them

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Fair or not, I predict Doc coached his last game for the 76ers.

[Deleted User 863]

Heat in eastern conference finals. Again.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

[Deleted User 863]

Fair or not, I predict Doc coached his last game for the 76ers.

Agreed.

But for a guy like Mike Dantoni? No thanks. That name is being thrown around.

Jay Wright?
Frank Vogel?
Bill Self?

They need to get rid of Harden somehow. He gave zero effort in that 2nd half. Maxey is emerging. They need a good draft and off season or they will waste another season of Embiid's prime next year.

[Deleted User 863]

I love me some Jimmy B. Letting him go and keeping Simmons was a huge mistake. He and Joel had great chemistry.

[randylahey]

If butler was still on the 76ers team they'd be in the finals. Simmons was the biggest mistake. Tobias Harris was too. They shoulda gave Jimmy that money

[twocoach]

No clue what to expect tonight. Can the 76ers bounce back? Can the Suns close out the Mavs?

Fire Doc Rivers, he is overrated. Get rid of Harden, Green and Niang.

[twocoach]

The best player on most of the teams left was drafted by that team.

Is that a more acceptable statement?

Suns: Booker
Mavs: Luka
76ers: Embiid
Heat: Jimmy (not drafted by them)
Celtics: Tatum
Bucks: Giannis
Memphis: Ja
GS: Steph

Built. Not bought.

The best player on the majority of teams was drafted by that team. It's not some rare feature of winners.

Leading scorers and whether they were drafted by that team or not:

Celtics - Tatum (yes)
Nets - Durant - (no)
Knicks - Randle (no)
Sixers - Embiid (yes)
Toronto- Siakam (yes)
Chicago - Derozan (no)
Cavs - garland (yes)
Pistons - Grant (no)
Pacers - Brogdon (no)
Bucks - Giannis (yes)
Nuggets - Jokic (yes)
Wolves - Edwards (yes)
OKC - Alexander (no)
Portland - Lillard (no)
Utah - Mitchell (yes)
Warriors - Curry (yes)
Clippers - George (no)
Lakers - James (no)
Suns - Booker (yes)
Kings - Fox (yes)
Hawks - Young (yes)
Hornets - Bridges (yes)
Heat - Butler (no)
Magic - Anthony (yes)
Wizards - Beal (yes)
Mavs - Doncic (yes) counting Young and Doncic even though they technically weren't
Rockets - Wood (no)
Memphis - Morant (yes)
Pelicans - McCollum (no)
Spurs - Murray (yes)

18 of 30 teams.

Damian Lillard was drafted by Portland. So 19 out of 30. Although Zion will likely be the Pelicans top scorer when he comes back so it'll be 20.

Not many of those "no" teams in the playoffs.

How you acquire people matters. Drafting well matters. Building a team via free agency only isn't sustainable. You run out of wiggle room to build anything more than a top heavy roster and it gets exposed in the playoffs. Imo of course.

No clue why I typed "no" there. My brain got ahead of my fingers I guess. I know Lillard was drafted by Portland.

As someone said, this seems to be the norm because of the salary structure. "Bought" teams seem to be a relative rarity.

[Deleted User 863]

No clue what to expect tonight. Can the 76ers bounce back? Can the Suns close out the Mavs?

Fire Doc Rivers, he is overrated. Get rid of Harden, Green and Niang.

I have no problem with a player like Green. He at least has a skill that fits with Embiid. Every team can use a shooter.

I thought Harden would fit as well, but he seems to have lost the fire. Maybe he never had it.

Niang, well I am still amazed he's even in the NBA.

[pdub]

I figured the Harden deal wouldn't work.
But it was better than not doing anything with Simmons just sitting on the bench.
Embiid called out Harden at the post presser.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

TTP!
How soon before Embiid wants out of Philly?


P.S. Then you have this clown who doesn't seem to take any accountability.

[Deleted User 863]

I figured the Harden deal wouldn't work.
But it was better than not doing anything with Simmons just sitting on the bench.

Embiid called out Harden at the post presser.

Definitely better than Simmons.

I wish Embiid wouldn't do the calling out of teammates in press conferences, but I totally understand why he has with Simmons and now Harden. Embiid is an extremely hard worker. It's why he has improved so much during him time in the NBA. It is also why a guy like Jimmy Butler loves him so much. But it can also lead to him becoming unhappy with teammates (which is totally acceptable, Kobe was the same way, MJ was the same way). It has to be frustrating to work so hard, play hurt, and then be on a team with a guy who doesn't always (maybe ever) give maximum effort.

I really wonder what Philly would look like now if they'd have kept Jimmy Butler and figured out the rest somehow. Tobias Harris is a nice piece, but they need a Jimmy Butler type. Back when that decision happened Simmons still had relatively high market value and they could have easily traded him for some young pieces and draft picks. Big mistake.

[pdub]

Unfortunately, the 6ers process, which looked very bright, is looking kinda dim.
Harden is going to command tons of money so you'd think they'd want to trade him.