KD to Brooklyn?

[NLowrider]

This may sound a bit ridiculous and probably a bit exaggerated. But ALL of the big FA went to the East. They are staying away from Golden State and LeBron.

This. East definitely got stronger. It’s the most balanced it has been in a while.

[PhDhawk]

That said - is there any chance that post-Achilles Durant and Ages 28-31 Kyrie are even close to as good as Prime Durant and just pre-Prime Westbrook?

They're in the Eastern Conference instead of the Western Conference. So they presumably have an easier path to the finals.

Don't know if that's as true anymore. Bucks, 76ers, Celtics, Raptors (Even less Kawhi) Pacers are all really good. Pistons are even a team that could be dangerous. Add the Nets into the mix as a top team in East, that's a dangerous conference.

The West now really just has Lakers, Pelicans, Warriors, Blazers and Rockets.

The East is stronger 1-8. The West is stronger 1-5.

This may sound a bit ridiculous and probably a bit exaggerated. But ALL of the big FA went to the East. They are staying away from Golden State and LeBron.

I guess I'm comparing the current east to the west when Durant was in OKC. At that time you had to be pretty good to even make the playoffs in the west....unless I'm getting my years mixed up.

[twocoach]

Utah got much better so far this offseason as well and should be added to the list of West teams to contend with.

[jfish26]

Utah got much better so far this offseason as well and should be added to the list of West teams to contend with.

Yes, but don't they have the look of, for example, recent Grizzlies, Blazers and pre-Kawhi Raptors teams, where they're just good enough to throw a scare into a contender?

Now, that's not bad! It is interesting for the fans and means you're a Kawhi-sized break away from real contention.

[NewtonHawk11]

[quote=PhDhawk post_id=56500 time=1562001809 user_id=74

[/quote]
I guess I'm comparing the current east to the west when Durant was in OKC. At that time you had to be pretty good to even make the playoffs in the west....unless I'm getting my years mixed up.
[/quote]

The year the Heat beat the Thunder in Finals, the conferences were actually fairly even. West a bit strong in the 3-6 spots. But the Spurs/Thunder were running the West and the Bulls/Heat were running the East. The only main difference is that the East teams were crap after the top 8 teams. The 10th overall team was 25-41. The Bobcats were 7-59. The 10 team in the West was 33-33. The worst team was 21-45.

[twocoach]

Utah got much better so far this offseason as well and should be added to the list of West teams to contend with.

Yes, but don't they have the look of, for example, recent Grizzlies, Blazers and pre-Kawhi Raptors teams, where they're just good enough to throw a scare into a contender?

Now, that's not bad! It is interesting for the fans and means you're a Kawhi-sized break away from real contention.

If the Blazers and Pelicans were on the list then Utah is as well was my point. They are every bit as good as those 2 teams.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Do we believe in Zion that much to think the Pelcs are even a playoff team? I'm not there yet.

More a team that you wonder about in a few years.

[jfish26]

Do we believe in Zion that much to think the Pelcs are even a playoff team? I'm not there yet.

More a team that you wonder about in a few years.

Dude, "Pellies."

There's a lot there, right now. I suspect that if Zion is average (for a 1-1), they will compete for a playoff spot in 2019-20.

[CrimsonNBlue]

A "lot?" This doesn't do much for me:

Zion
Ingram
Redick
Holiday
Ball

[jfish26]

A "lot?" This doesn't do much for me:

Zion
Ingram
Redick
Holiday
Ball

Well, for what it's worth, these were the starting fives of the bottom three seeds on each side of the playoffs this year:

Russell
LeVert
Prince
Kurucs
Allen

Augustin
Fournier
Isaac
Gordon
Vucevic

Jackson
Brown
Ellington
Griffin
Drummond

Westbrook
Ferguson
George
Grant
Adams

White
DeRozan
Forbes
Aldridge
Poeltl

Gilgeous-Alexander
Beverly
Shamet
Gallinari
Zubac

Now - I will certainly grant you that those West squads are much tougher than their East counterparts. But still - I think this is generally the level of the Pelicans' roster, particularly if Ingram is 100%.

[NewtonHawk11]

I don't know CNB. I like the Pelicans.

Probable Starters:
Holiday
Redick
Ingram
Zion
Favors

Bench:
Ball
Jaxon Hayes (Texas big from last year)
Josh Hart
E'Twan Moore

Get another average FA or 2 and that's a good group of talent.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Holiday - 29, things usually go downhill from here.
Redick - 35, enough said.
Ingram - 3rd best player on most playoff teams
Zion - wild card
Favors - borderline starter on every NBA team not named the Hornets

Ball - wild card
The rest is filler on every team.

They have some building blocks for the future, but this squad wasn't any good last year even with Anthony Davis. The Suns won 19 games last season and I don't hate their squad any more than I do the Pelicans. It's really about what you believe Zion (and Ball) are going to be this upcoming season.

[Geezer]

Redick thought they had the potential to be good. He's been around long enough to know.

[twocoach]

Holiday - 29, things usually go downhill from here.
Redick - 35, enough said.
Ingram - 3rd best player on most playoff teams
Zion - wild card
Favors - borderline starter on every NBA team not named the Hornets

Ball - wild card
The rest is filler on every team.

They have some building blocks for the future, but this squad wasn't any good last year even with Anthony Davis. The Suns won 19 games last season and I don't hate their squad any more than I do the Pelicans. It's really about what you believe Zion (and Ball) are going to be this upcoming season.

Holiday averaged 21pts and 7.7 assists a game last year. The list of NBA players to average 20+ points and 7+ assists last year are Holiday, D'Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook. That's it. And Westbrook is a year older than Holiday.

34 year old Redick averaged a career high 18 ppg in a nearly career high 31.3mpg last year. Seems to be hanging in there just fine.

I'd expect Ingram to be the 3rd beat player on NO behind Holiday and Zion next year. Which is fine.

Not sure why anyone thinks Zion is a wildcard. Aggressive baller who can score and rebound. I haven't seen anything from him that makes me doubt he wont be a good NBA player other than that I hate Duke.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see New Orleans fighting for a playoff spot. The bottom tier of playoff teams just aren't very good.

[ousdahl]

I think the most interesting comment thus far is CbB expressing doubt that rookie Zion will help New Orleans win when even Anthony Davis struggled with as much.

But I think Zion might be really good in a couple years. Then might be even better just in time for a max deal, orrrr might not, depending on how much work he puts into that Sherron Collins conditioning regimen.

[PhDhawk]

I agree with CbD that New Orleans is 2-3 years away from being very good. They might have a foundation to be REALLY good if things fall into place...but not next season.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Holiday - 29, things usually go downhill from here.
Redick - 35, enough said.
Ingram - 3rd best player on most playoff teams
Zion - wild card
Favors - borderline starter on every NBA team not named the Hornets

Ball - wild card
The rest is filler on every team.

They have some building blocks for the future, but this squad wasn't any good last year even with Anthony Davis. The Suns won 19 games last season and I don't hate their squad any more than I do the Pelicans. It's really about what you believe Zion (and Ball) are going to be this upcoming season.

Holiday averaged 21pts and 7.7 assists a game last year. The list of NBA players to average 20+ points and 7+ assists last year are Holiday, D'Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook. That's it. And Westbrook is a year older than Holiday.

34 year old Redick averaged a career high 18 ppg in a nearly career high 31.3mpg last year. Seems to be hanging in there just fine.

I'd expect Ingram to be the 3rd beat player on NO behind Holiday and Zion next year. Which is fine.

Not sure why anyone thinks Zion is a wildcard. Aggressive baller who can score and rebound. I haven't seen anything from him that makes me doubt he wont be a good NBA player other than that I hate Duke.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see New Orleans fighting for a playoff spot. The bottom tier of playoff teams just aren't very good.

Well the Pelicans weren't very good at all last year, even with Anthony Davis. They were never in the playoff picture, even with Anthony Davis. Do we really feel that this roster is going to be that much better than the Anthony Davis-led Pelicans last year?

I don't find my take that controversial.

[jfish26]

He also played in 56 games (and just 33mpg in those 56 games). And in those games, while they did have Davis, they didn't have (deep breath): Zion, Ingram, Ball, Hart, Hayes, Nickeil-Walker, Redick or Favors.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Well again they were not a playoff contender even with him. Not close (which is another discussion about why AD could be another LeBron GM move). 56 games is 70% of the season.

Also, Julius Randle statistically dwarfs everyone they acquired this offseason and Lonzo still hasn't put up a season as good as Elfrid Payton.

This team could end up being really bad.

[jfish26]

Well again they were not a playoff contender even with him. Not close (which is another discussion about why AD could be another LeBron GM move). 56 games is 70% of the season.

Also, Julius Randle statistically dwarfs everyone they acquired this offseason and Lonzo still hasn't put up a season as good as Elfrid Payton.

This team could end up being really bad.

I think there's a ton of variance. I would bet they miss their season O/U by at least five games in one direction or the other. It's interesting to me that they're already just 50/1 for the title.