Knicks Morning News (2018.06.01)

  • [NYPost] Trae Young surprisingly grants Knicks a workout
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:22:58 AM)

    Despite the Knicks picking ninth in the June 21 NBA Draft, Oklahoma star point guard Trae Young has decided to give them a private workout at the team facility in Tarrytown, according to an NBA source. At the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, Young said he wasn’t sure if he’d work out for the…

  • [SNY Knicks] Knicks GM Perry talks free agency, Porzingis’ timetable
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:15:31 PM)

    Knicks GM Scott Perry has given an update on Kristaps Porzingis and discusses his summer plans for free agency

  • [SNY Knicks] Knicks to have private workout for Trae Young
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 4:00:03 PM)

    Former Oklahoma point guard Trae Young will have a private workout with the Knicks, a league source confirmed to SNY.tv.

  • [SNY Knicks] Knicks SG Ron Baker picks up player option for next season
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:07:36 AM)

    Ron Baker is looking to rebound after a injury-riddled 2017-18 season with the Knicks.

  • [SNY Knicks] Mark Jackson believes Knicks made great choice in David Fizdale
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:47:54 AM)

    Mark Jackson may not have won the race to become the Knicks’ 29th head coach in team history. But he thinks New York made a great choice in the end.

  • [NYDN] Martin Scorsese’s dog attacked nurse, disabling her for nearly two years: lawsuit
    (Friday, June 01, 2018 6:00:00 AM)

    So much for letting sleeping dogs lie.

    “Wolf of Wall Street” director Martin Scorsese’s deceased dog, Desmond, is accused in a new lawsuit of attacking a home nurse several years ago, the Daily News has learned.

    Scorsese and his wife, Helen, allegedly let Desmond “approach, menace, attack and bite”…

  • [NYDN] One of Kim Jong Un’s top aides will visit Washington Friday to hand a letter from the North Korean leader to President Donald Trump
    (Friday, June 01, 2018 1:10:00 AM)

    NEW YORK — A top aide to Kim Jong Un will make a rare visit to Washington Friday to hand a letter from the North Korean leader to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after reporting “good progress” in talks between the two sides to revive an on-again, off-again nuclear summit.

  • [NYDN] Access for all: Zelda Multz gets better service; will other disabled New Yorkers?
    (Friday, June 01, 2018 1:05:00 AM)

    Regular Daily News readers will know the name Zelda Multz, a consistent contributor to our Voice of the People page. Most poignantly and pointedly, she articulates frustrations with Access-A-Ride, the transportation service for elderly and disabled New Yorkers ill-served by a subway system that’s…

  • [NYDN] National Spelling Bee title goes to 14-year-old Karthik Nemmani
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:35:00 PM)

    OXON HILL, Md. — Karthik Nemmani didn’t win his regional spelling bee. He didn’t even win his county spelling bee. But he was still good enough to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

    Throwing everything he had into his one shot at glory, 14-year-old Karthik outlasted better-known spellers on…

  • [NYDN] Kanye West unleashes new album, ‘YE,’ name-dropping Trump, Stormy Daniels and North Korea
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:35:00 PM)

    Ask and YE shall receive.

    Kanye West debuted his new album, “YE,” Thursday night to the delight of fans who’d been begging for new material.

    The Chicago rapper revealed the album to the public for the first time at a listening session in Jackson Hole, Wy., where he live-streamed the event on the…

  • [NYDN] Raw sewage shuts down New Jersey beach
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:00:00 PM)

    BELMAR, New Jersey — Officials say sewage overflow contaminated a New Jersey beach’s water with unsafe levels of bacteria, forcing its closure.

    According to test results released Wednesday, bacteria counts at the beach in Belmar came in well over twice the safe swimming standard.

    The New Jersey…

  • [NYDN] Pedophile advocate Nathan Larson running for Virginia congressional seat
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:30:00 PM)

    An ex-con who promotes pedophilia is running for Congress in Virginia and he’s allowed to because of a 2016 state law.

    Nathan Larson, 37, an independent candidate for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, served more than a year in federal prison after threatening in a detailed email to kill…

  • [NYDN] J.R. Smith’s mistake proves costly as LeBron James, Cavs drop Game 1 of NBA Finals to Warriors
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:00:00 PM)

    There are only going to be small windows in this series for the Cavs, and one was open in Game 1 on Thursday – wide open – until they turned into Plaxico Burress at the nightclub.

    J.R. Smith will be ridiculed for a long time for his latest gaffe — unquestionably the worst on his long list of boneheaded…

  • [NYDN] Bronx man busted in stabbing death of upstairs neighbor
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:15:00 PM)

    A Bronx man murdered his neighbor in the hallway of their building, police said Thursday.

    Donte Jones, 24, was arrested for stabbing Barry Dowdy in the chest inside their Jesup Ave. home in Highbridge at 1 a.m. on Jan. 21, cops said.

    Dowdy, 51, lived upstairs from Jones. He was rushed to Lincoln…

  • [NYDN] Twitter unleashes on J.R. Smith’s bonehead play that dooms Cavs in NBA Finals loss to Warriors
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:15:00 PM)

    J.R. Smith is not going to be able to live this one down for a while.

    The Cavs shooting guard made one of the dumbest plays in recent memory late in the fourth quarter of the Cavs’ 124-114 overtime loss to the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday – and Twitter won’t soon let him forget…

  • [NYDN] Paramus schools were told of bus driver’s suspended certificate before fatal wreck
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:05:00 PM)

    Letters to a New Jersey school district show officials were informed of a school bus driver’s revoked certificate in December, five months before a fatal collision with a dump truck, according to a report Thursday.

    The state Department of Education told Paramus Public School District Superintendent…

  • [NYDN] Ex-WABC sports anchor: Network execs wouldn’t promote me because I’m a white woman
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 8:00:00 PM)

    A former broadcaster passed over for the top sports anchor spot — even after she had been subbing in the role for months — claims she was discriminated against because she’s a white woman, according to a new federal lawsuit filed in Manhattan.

    Ex-WABC sportswoman Laura Behnke, who started in 2010…

  • [NYDN] Red: Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson thinks players, teams are ‘overly cautious’ with injuries
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 8:00:00 PM)

    Citi Field was on fire Wednesday while the Mets were away in Atlanta, but Thursday it was the club’s general manager Sandy Alderson who detonated in a pre-game press conference, seemingly taking some injured players on his roster to task and barking that team decisions with regard to injuries are…

  • [NYDN] Ruthie Ann Miles, Broadway actress whose daughter was killed in Park Slope car crash, will return to stage in ‘The King and I’ in London
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:40:00 PM)

    Ruthie Ann Miles will return to work just months after a fatal car crash in Park Slope killed her daughter.

    The 35-year-old Tony Award-winning actress will share the role of Lady Thiang in a West End performance of “The King and I,” according to the London Palladium Theater.

    The casting announcement…

  • [NYDN] Woman claims she was fleeing gun-packing driver before crashing into school, ditching her baby
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:30:00 PM)

    The young mother who handed her infant daughter to a complete stranger Wednesday after crashing her car into a Queens school claimed she was frightened because another driver with a gun was chasing her, authorities said.

    Malikah George, 24, said she was behind the wheel, unlicensed and uninsured,…

  • [NYDN] 3 bodies found at Mass. home of man accused of sexually assaulting, holding woman captive
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:25:00 PM)

    Three bodies were discovered at the Massachusetts home of the man police say held captive, tortured and raped a woman.

    Investigators found the first two bodies “in and around” suspect Stewart Weldon’s Springfield home late Wednesday and the third body Thursday afternoon, Hampden County District…

  • [NYDN] Mets fall to Cubs, 5-1, as bullpen spoils strong start from Seth Lugo
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:15:00 PM)

    With Seth Lugo on a 65-pitch limit, it was always going to be a big ask for the struggling Mets bullpen to get a lot of outs on Thursday against the Cubs, and they wasted no time ruining another evening.

    Mets relievers gave up five runs after Lugo’s four shutout innings, and their bats came up…

  • [NYDN] Let Samantha Bee! Ivanka Trump comments were ‘locker room talk’
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:00:00 PM)

    Samantha Bee, former “The Daily Show” correspondent and now host of “Full Frontal” on TBS, has always used her acerbic wit and biting commentary to draw attention to the theater and hypocrisy of American politics.

    On #MeToo she advised all women to “burn it down, my witches.” On male sexual harassment,…

  • [NYDN] ‘The Boys in the Band’ review: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto lead Broadway revival of landmark gay play
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 7:00:00 PM)

    Broadway’s star-studded and often rip-roaring 50th anniversary revival of “The Boys in the Band” begins with brief but inventive silent moment.

    Party host Michael (Jim Parsons) strikes a match, illuminating his face. From the look on it you could imagine him burning the place down with himself…

  • [NYDN] FDNY marshals bust firebug who set old home on fire for good luck
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:50:00 PM)

    An unhinged man set fire to a Brooklyn home — trapping 16 people inside — because he believed it was the only way to end the curse hanging over him, authorities said Thursday.

    Sean Figaro, 37, emptied the contents of a gas can outside his old home on E. 80th St. near Farragut Road in Canarsie about…

  • [NYDN] ‘Bachelorette’ contestant Garrett Yrigoyen apologizes for controversial Instagram likes
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:30:00 PM)

    Garrett Yrigoyen, the “Bachelorette” frontrunner who caused controversy after liking Instagram posts mocking transgender people, immigrants and Parkland shooting survivors, apologized Thursday for his “hurtful and offensive” behavior.

    “@garret_yrigs12 was my former Instagram handle and I decided…

  • [NYDN] Disabled Missouri man forced to fight, left in bathtub before found dead in container
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:20:00 PM)

    A Missouri man with a mental disability who died in 2016 was forced by caregivers to fight another facility resident, and then was left in a bathtub before he was found dead in a container, according to court documents.

    Carl DeBrodie’s mother, Carolyn Summers, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging…

  • [NYDN] Yankees vs. Orioles game postponed, rescheduled as doubleheader in July
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:10:00 PM)

    Not again.

    Thursday’s Yankees-Orioles game was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled as part of a July 9 single admission doubleheader that begins at 4:05 p.m.

    “Sadly, we’re used to it, I guess,” Aaron Boone said. “It is what it is. We’ll try and make the best of it, and just be ready to…

  • [NYDN] K2 KO: More than 1,000 packages of K2 seized in Brooklyn raid
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:00:00 PM)

    Police raided a Brooklyn home early Thursday, seizing more than 1,000 packages of K2 in their ongoing war against the potentially toxic form of synthetic marijuana.

    Executing a search warrant on a Park Place home near Howard Ave. in Brownsville, cops found K2 in dozens of glossy, colorful packages…

  • [NYDN] Education Department comms boss to depart for NYPD post
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 6:00:00 PM)

    A top schools official announced her plan to leave the city Education Department on Thursday, in the second major staffing announcement at the agency in as many days.

    Department of Education Communications Director Devora Kaye, who served as chief spokeswoman for the agency since 2014, is leaving…

  • [NYTimes] Why Do the Warriors Dominate the 3rd Quarter? Consider Their Halftime Drill
    (Friday, June 01, 2018 12:06:48 AM)

    The Warriors outscored opponents by 130 points in the 3rd quarter this postseason. How they spend intermission may explain why.

  • [NYTimes] N.B.A. Finals Round Table: Does LeBron James Have a Chance?
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:15:58 PM)

    Our experts weigh in on several N.B.A. finals topics. What’s at stake? How do the Cavaliers keep it close? If the Warriors win, is it a problem?

  • [NYTimes] Warriors and Cavs Star in N.B.A.’s Version of Groundhog Day
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:20:59 PM)

    In an unprecedented fourth straight year of the same finals matchup, the Warriors are huge favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  • [NYTimes] Sixers to Investigate Bryan Colangelo’s Twitter Activity
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:18:04 PM)

    The executive admitted to having one anonymous Twitter account, but a report accuses him of having others, and using them to criticize his players.

  • [NYTimes] Keeping Score: Rockets and Celtics Are Doomed by the 3-Point Shot
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:19:02 PM)

    The Celtics and Rockets lost largely because they could not make the long shots at home.

  • [NYTimes] Not at the Game: Over, Easy: A Basketball Aficionado Foresees the Warriors’ Surge Past the Rockets
    (Friday, June 01, 2018 10:23:21 AM)

    Fabulous Flournoy, a Bronx native, has been a player-coach for a professional team in Britain for the past 17 seasons.

  • [NYTimes] Warriors 101, Rockets 92: Warriors Dispatch Rockets, Setting Up Fourth Finals Against Cavs
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:19:43 PM)

    Down 11 points at halftime, Golden State rallied in the third quarter to beat the Houston Rockets, winning the Western Conference finals for a fourth consecutive year.

  • [NYTimes] With Sheer Will, LeBron James Leads the Cavaliers Back to the Finals
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:41:50 PM)

    In Game 7 against the Celtics, in Boston, James played all 48 minutes, scored 35 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and notched 9 assists.

  • [NYTimes] Not at the Game: This Sophisticated Admirer of the Warriors Says, ‘More Draymond, Please’
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:26:11 PM)

    If anyone can relate to what Golden State faces it’s Cheryl Reeve, who has coached the Minnesota Lynx to four W.N.B.A. championships.

  • [NYTimes] Cavaliers’ Kevin Love to Miss Game 7 vs. Celtics With a Concussion
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:53:06 PM)

    Love, who banged heads with the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in Game 6 on Friday night, has at least two other known concussions in his career.

  • [NYTimes] LeBron James in Game 6: 46 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists. (There Will Be a Game 7.)
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:48:42 PM)

    The Eastern Conference finals will be decided on Sunday in Boston. The Celtics are 10-0 at home this postseason.

  • [NYTimes] Not at the Game: One Smart Coach: How Are the Rockets Getting Away With All That Dribbling?
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:26:44 PM)

    Eric Musselman used to coach the Warriors, and prefers their style of play. He marvels at what the Rockets are doing in the conference finals.

  • [NYTimes] Sports of The Times: LeBron James and the Twilight of the Cavaliers
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 11:42:39 PM)

    The 33-year-old James has been a force. The Celtics accepted that, and whipped the Cavs anyway.

  • [NY Newsday] Knicks’ Ron Baker picks up player option for next season, sources say
    (Thursday, May 31, 2018 8:24:21 PM)

    Ron Baker has picked up his $4.5-million player option for next season, according to league sources.

  • 95 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2018.06.01)”

    Anybody who feels sorry for LeBron needs to remember he made Cleveland give JR $55M, Tristan Thompson $80M, and Iman Shumpert $40M. He also tried to make Mark Jackson his head coach but settled for Ty freaking Lue.

    The man is the greatest basketball player of this era by far, and he’s still by far the best player in the NBA, but his team is trash because he built it. Kudos to him for dragging his late lottery team to the Finals, though.

    Co-sign on this.

    It is truly mind-boggling how much better he is than any other player in the NBA, and while I never thought I would say this about anyone, I think he is better than Jordan ever was. But all these 1+1 contracts and behind-the-scenes GM-ing are the things mostly responsible for where the Cavs are talent-wise right now.

    Actually I co-sign everything except the part about “this late lottery team”. You put just about anyone else on this team in place of Lebron and they’re not “late lottery”, they are vying for that #1 pick.

    This offseason is going to be veerrry interesting. Barring Iguodala being out the whole series which would really crack the door open for an improbable Cavs miracle, it sorta feels like Lebron is gone. I don’t see any real possibility that he ends up in Houston unless Morey is REALLY willing to completely mortgage the future (ie. send out multiple unprotected firsts to get someone to absorb Ryan Anderson etc) AND CP3 and Lebron are willing to take sub-max money. Lakers are probably where he will go — Lonzo, Ingram, PG, Lebron, Kuzma, Josh Hart, their #25+#47 pick + room exception + vets’ minimums would give GS and Houston a real run for their money. If they decide to stretch Deng, they would only have ~$23MM (+min cap holds + draft slot $) committed for 2018-19. Figure Lebron+PG = $70MM — still something to work with there.

    Meanwhile, not sure if this was talked about, but Scott Perry was on BJ Armstrong’s podcast yesterday and basically came straight out and said the Knicks are not handing out dumb contracts this summer — only short term deals, keeping powder dry for the 2019-20 summer. Unfortunately that probably means we are stretching Noah in September.

    The Cavs are about to add the #8 pick to a team that already made the finals in a much weaker conference where they would have to be favorites right now to make the Finals next year, as well. I don’t know why Lebron would give that up.

    @3 – I think Lebron is pretty sure he could make the Finals with just about any team. Seriously, add him to the Knicks and we are in the Finals next year. 85% KP + re-signed KOQ + THJ + Lee + Frank +Lance + #9 pick is better than the Cavs are right now. Put him on Charlotte with Kemba, Batum, Dwight, Malik Monk, and MKG and they’re probably making the finals. At this point Lebron has to be thinking about how to get over the Warriors, not about winning the Eastern Conference.

    Short of Mikal Bridges, who probably is the most plug-and-play guy they could draft at that slot, the #8 pick probably won’t be good until Lebron is 35 — not sure that is anything that would change his mind?

    Idk, Cleveland played pretty decent defense until overtime and the Warriors had another friendly whistle.

    The team could use a plug in rim protector (Whiteside?), another athletic 3-pt shooter (Mikal?) and a better backup PG and they could be right back here again next year.

    I think a switch to another team would be a setback for Lebron, as he’s so familiar with this squad. Plus they can still further integrate guys like Nance and Hood who are still improving.

    Man, the JR experience is much more jarring when it’s in an NBA finals game instead of a regular season game in which the Knicks were fighting tooth and nail for the 8th seed.

    Watching the non-LeBron Cavs sure does make one feel like there was plenty of potential for a deal in which we at least shed some of our bad contracts. I never thought I’d say this about a team in the NBA finals, but I’ll take Courtney Lee and Michael Beasley over a lot of these guys.

    The interesting thing about Beasley is that since he’s probably just going to be signing another vet minimum contract this upcoming season, the Cavs could probably outright sign him if they wanted to.

    As for Lee, that’s always been the problem with Lee. He’s a guy who makes perfect sense on good teams and was always a terrible waste here. Phil Jackson was such an awful GM.

    What bothers me about today’s Cavs is this team is better than the 07 team Lebron took to the Finals, and Lebron himself is much better. Yet, the guys on the team mostly forget how to play ball once Lebron gets the ball! I agree with BC on the sentiment that Lebron would be foolish to leave Cleveland. He’s a God there. He runs the show. Plus they have a lottery pick this year.

    But..who could blame him if he decides to bolt? I expect him to take off much of the offseason because he is leaving seemingly more than he has to give on the floor every night because no one steps up for him. Hell, Rodney Hood can’t even crack the rotation as bad as they need shooting. Calderon has played more this postseason than he has!

    Speaking of Hood, would anyone be opposed to getting KOQ to opt in so that Perry can trade him for Hood and a pick to see if Hood can play SF?

    Isn’t Hood a free agent?

    But yes, it is shocking how Hood can’t get on the court for the Cavs.

    Does anything in Lebron’s recent FA history tell you that he’s willing to wait around Cleveland to see if an 8th draft pick pans out? His days are limited and he wants to catch MJ’s six rings. Dude is gone out to the West.

    I think Lebron is pretty sure he could make the Finals with just about any team. Seriously, add him to the Knicks and we are in the Finals next year. 85% KP + re-signed KOQ + THJ + Lee + Frank +Lance + #9 pick is better than the Cavs are right now. Put him on Charlotte with Kemba, Batum, Dwight, Malik Monk, and MKG and they’re probably making the finals. At this point Lebron has to be thinking about how to get over the Warriors, not about winning the Eastern Conference.

    Outside of joining CP3 and Harden in Houston, there is no team that Lebron could join that would make his new team the favorites over Golden State. Heck, if he went to the Lakers, that would just mean he would have Golden State and Houston to go through just to get to the Finals. Meanwhile, his current team almost beat Golden State in Game 1 and he’d be able to add the #8 pick plus possible dudes on the fringes.

    So when you add in the whole “this is his hometown team” angle to it, I don’t get why he would leave. Heck, had the 2009-10 Cavs been coming off of an NBA Finals appearance then (let alone four in a row), I don’t think he ever would have left in the first place.

    Rodney Hood kinda sucks and I think he refused to play in one of the early round games

    Outside of joining CP3 and Harden in Houston, there is no team that Lebron could join that would make his new team the favorites over Golden State.

    Which is probably why he’s going to Houston.

    BTW, never forget that Lebron went out of his way during the Cavaliers championship celebration to crap on the Knicks for trading JR. I am definitely enjoying some schadenfreude right now watching Lebron “the player” fume at the guy who Lebron “the GM” traded and overpaid for.

    Rodney Hood kinda sucks and I think he refused to play in one of the early round games

    He’s been terrible for the Cavs, but I don’t know that he is a bad player in general.

    Which is probably why he’s going to Houston.

    Morey would have to go scorched Earth to fit Lebron on that team, though, no? CP3 and Lebron would both have to take paycuts, he’d have to include multiple sweeteners to dump Ryan Anderson. It’d be kind of nuts.

    Somehow I believe Beno Udrih used telekinesis to steer that rebound into JR’s hands.

    #BlameBeno

    Morey would have to go scorched Earth to fit Lebron on that team, though, no? CP3 and Lebron would both have to take paycuts, he’d have to include multiple sweeteners to dump Ryan Anderson. It’d be kind of nuts.

    Well, word is that Paul was already trying to recruit Lebron over to H0uston before the Finals even began.

    It’s mind-boggling to me that Rodney Hood, who is 6’8″, athletic, and probably at least close to average on both ends of the floor, can’t get on the floor in this series.

    And btw I want no part of any dude that refuses to enter a playoff game (unless his name is Scottie Pippen — Rodney Hood is not Scottie Pippen).

    Outside of joining CP3 and Harden in Houston, there is no team that Lebron could join that would make his new team the favorites over Golden State.

    Given how amazing Lebron has been this season (with no sign of him slowing down yet), I would give a Lakers team with Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma, and Paul George a 50/50 chance of taking down the warriors next year. Draymond is not the player he was 2 years ago or even last year (although still awesome), Steph is still amazing but physically is probably somewhat declining, and Iguodala is getting near washed.

    Imagine, say, Jeff Green takes the minimum again to play with Lebron in LA. They give Nerlens Noel a make-good 1+1 room exception contract. They fill out the roster with a couple of ring-chasing vets like, say, Devin Harris, Beasley, Brandan Wright, etc.

    So they’d have:
    PG: Lonzo, Devin Harris
    Wings: Paul George, Brandon Ingram, Kuzma, Josh Hart, Jeff Green
    PF: Lebron, Beasley
    C: Nerlens, Brandan Wright or someone

    and then draft 2 role players?

    Imagine a small-ball lineup of Lonzo, PG, Ingram, Kuzma, Lebron. Shooting at all 5 positions, everyone can pass, extremely switchable.

    That’s a team I think could give both Houston and GS a very tough series.
    We have to remember that Lebron BY HIMSELF and with refs and players on his own team actively sabotaging him nearly won last night. How good would he be with actual talent around him? And that Lakers team would get better every year even as Lebron inevitably declines a little.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    Last night was an example of why the Knicks had to give up Shumpert to “get rid” of JR Smith. It’s probably even money he was playing “high” last night. Even he wasn’t, it was still better than even money he was going to do a couple of things like during the playoff run. When you are running around with James, Irving and Love, that kind of stuff gets missed or dismissed because they usually win anyway. But with any other team (or against the Warriors), you aren’t going to get away with foolishness or brain farts. He had to go just to get him away from the team and any potential he might poison someone other than Shumpert (who was his clubbing and partying pal at the time in NY).

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    The Cavs “may” be able to package some of the young players they have now along with a pick to get another star and keep James around for one more contract. Other than a move like that, I’d have to think James understands that adding the #8 pick is not going to change his fortunes against the Warriors despite his super human efforts. By the time a player like that is ready to be a major component of a “finals” run, even he might be too old. He may have to decide what’s more important, playing in Cleveland, money, or a legitimate shot at another title. The Rockets and 76ers are the options.

    Last night was an example of why the Knicks had to give up Shumpert to “get rid” of JR Smith. It’s probably even money he was playing “high” last night. Even he wasn’t, it was still better than even money he was going to do a couple of things like during the playoff run. When you are running around with James, Irving and Love, that kind of stuff gets missed or dismissed because they usually win anyway. But with any other team (or against the Warriors), you aren’t going to get away with foolishness or brain farts. He had to go just to get him away from the team and any potential he might poison someone other than Shumpert (who was his clubbing and partying pal at the time in NY).

    True, if they hadn’t gotten rid of JR when they did, the team would have been a joke for the past few years…hey, wait a second.

    Turning down a pick for Shump just to get rid of JR so that Phil could free up cap space to sign Arron Afflalo was yet another one of Phil’s awful GM moves. Man, was that guy a terrible GM.

    Turning down a pick for Shump just to get rid of JR so that Phil could free up cap space to sign Arron Afflalo was yet another one of Phil’s awful GM moves. Man, was that guy a terrible GM.

    That Chandler trade was something special too.
    I remember being not-so-against that trade at the time, but man that looked pretty terrible soon afterward, esp after Mozgov was then traded for two 1sts.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    Jo Noah used to shoot mid-range jumpers and he was terrible at making them. Maybe there was some benefit to team spacing from that, but at the same time Noah shooting jumpers was terrible for the Bulls offense because he couldn’t shoot. Porzingis creates space, sure, but he also is a very good 3 point shooter.

    Debates are rarely one extreme or the other. They are always more nuanced.

    If you are are bad at shooting mid range shots or 3s, you obviously should not be shooting them.

    However, the idea is to expand your range and be proficient enough at it that the other team is forced to guard you or your efficiency will be high enough to punish them. If you get to that stage, it impacts how the defense plays and can help your teammates.

    So yes, Capela should try to expand his game so he can do more than dunk on P&Rs and put backs. If he can successfully, CP3 and Harden will be able to take advantage of his new skillset when he has the best of the matchup and defenses will have alter how they cover him now.

    I think Lebron will seriously consider going to Philadelphia, and I think that might be the best move for him. They can fit him into their cap, won 53 games last year on the back of improving young players, and would have enough firepower to give LeBron a break from always running the offense, which I’m sure he’d appreciate.

    Lebron to Houston is also possible but more difficult to get done. I highly doubt a team of LeBron and the overrated PG along with Lonzo etc gets the job done.

    I think Paul George is pretty awesome, especially as a 2nd wheel. Elite wing defender, great 3 point shooter, good enough on offense to be a primary ballhandler / creator in a pinch. He would be Lebron’s Pippen. He’s not a guy who could be the best player on a championship team, but he’s easily good enough to be the 2nd best player.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    If you go back to the threads at that time, you would see that the consensus was that we should get rid of idiots like JR Smith. I was also in favor of that. However, I also argued we’d be better off suffering with JR for a little longer than giving up an asset to do it quicker.

    The goal in general was to get rid of the problem personalities like JR Smith, Shumpert, and Felton, the malcontents that did not want to be part of starting over (like Chandler), to bring in players that fit the new organization plan, and try to change the Knicks from a laughing stock into a real organization. It wasn’t successful in making us a good team, but we got rid of “most” of the idiots and malcontents, tanked, and got KP.

    For the record, Shumpert would not have netted us any kind of decent pick due to injury history and mediocre play and would have costed us a lot of money to keep. He would have become another bad contract.

    Lebron should go to Philly. And it’s a better city than Cleveland. He has the rest of his life to live in LA.

    I still can’t get over the way the refs handed that game to Golden State. There was a foul call on a clean strip of Durant by Hill. There was a no foul call on a strip of Lebron where it looked like the Warriors defender was trying to remove his wrist. And that blocking call reversal was ridiculous.

    I mean honestly, Lebron was moving laterally quite a bit. But there is no way it wasn’t close enough to be upheld on review.

    Win or lose in the Finals, Lebron has done more for his reputation this playoff season than I ever imagined possible.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    If I wanted to read 80 posts about how “there’s just no way Capela is that valuable!” because he can’t iso or isn’t a volume shooter I’d be on Reddit or anywhere else that’s available. I’m here because of out of the box thinking, not because of instantly dismissing arguments when they go against common sense narratives.

    Isn’t it interesting that despite the fact that Capela is incredibly efficient at dunking the ball his real plus minus was NEGATIVE -.60 on offense.

    http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/sort/RPM/position/9

    It’s not like these arguments about increasing usage and expanding a player’s game are just theoretical nonsense from fans and announcers. There are expert coaches, players, and statistics that back up the theories, you can see what’s happening on the court, and it all explains why teams are trying to stretch the floor and expand player’s games.

    Not that plus/minus is always going to be correct either, but it’s also evidence for fans (as is the better data teams have).

    For the record, Shumpert would not have netted us any kind of decent pick due to injury history and mediocre play and would have costed us a lot of money to keep. He would have become another bad contract.

    If JR was not involved in the trade, Shump would have gotten them a late first rounder. That is a decent pick (especially compared to what they got instead, which was just getting rid of JR).

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    If JR was not involved in the trade, Shump would have gotten them a late first rounder. That is a decent pick (especially compared to what they got instead, which was just getting rid of JR).

    That’s highly questionable because he was originally the 17th pick, wasn’t that good, had already had a significant injury, and was about to get paid. But even so, like I said, I would have preferred to suffer with JR a little longer. However, I fully understood the desire to get rid of all the riff raff, start with a clean slate, tank, and not pay Shumpert. Getting rid of the riff raff and mal-contents quickly costs us on 2 deals.

    For the record, Shumpert would not have netted us any kind of decent pick due to injury history and mediocre play and would have costed us a lot of money to keep. He would have become another bad contract.

    David Griffin has come out and said the Cavs were willing to surrender a pick for Shumpert, but Phil countered that they could have him without the pick so long as they also took on Smith. Example number ten billion of Phil prioritizing short term cap space over the long term health of the franchise due to his belief that the Knicks were one triangle, one Arron Afflalo, and one Derrick Williams away from winning a championship.

    I didn’t hate the Tyson trade at the time because I thought there was a decent chance Shane Larkin turned into a viable NBA player (which it turns out may have been correct), Wayne Ellington had been under utilized (also perhaps true), and the risk of Tyson lowering his value if we held onto him until the deadline existed. It turns out he definitely would’ve raised it, but it was a fair calculation. Alas, Phil quickly declined Larkin’s option, cut Ellington, and drafted two lackluster prospects with the picks and showed his real motivation was to free some cap space as usual.

    I actually think the Knicks should be pouncing on this JR screwup. This is an opportunity. The Cavs now HAVE to get rid of him because the fans will never forgive him. Whenever a team is forced to make a move, smart teams should step in to extract concessions from them.

    JR has one year at $14m left, then $4m guaranteed the following year. Why not offer Lee and the #9 pick for JR, Cedi Osman, and the #8 pick? We get a low-cost young wing in Cedi and move into the all-important Top 8 in the draft, and immediately waive JR. Cleveland gets a useful player in Lee and $15m of 2018-19 luxury tax relief.

    @30

    For the record strato, I do think you have real arguments and I respect your posts (unless you’re trying too hard to prove tanking isn’t ever viable).

    But considering only 12 Centers in the entire NBA do have a positive ORPM, and that Capela’s negative mark is still 22nd in the league out of 83 players, better than guys widely know to be more diverse in their offensive game like Pau Gasol, Hassan Whiteside or Myles Turner, I’m not sure how meaningful this is.

    If you look at the guys on top, it is a big sign that every one of them pretty much shoots 3s. Jokic, KAT, Embiid, Love, Cousins, Nowitzki, you have to get to 7th in the list for the first guy who doesn’t (Adams), who’s also just as limited as Capela is in terms of skillset. So why Adams is 7th and positive when he only rebounds and dunks and every other center like that is negative?

    I’m not being smug, I really don’t know what to make of it and how relevant it really is.

    Alas, Phil quickly declined Larkin’s option, cut Ellington, and drafted two lackluster prospects with the picks and showed his real motivation was to free some cap space as usual.

    Even better, he traded Wayne Ellington to the Kings for Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw and then packaged Outlaw with a second round pick rather than cut him when Phil wanted to give Travis Wear the 15th spot because he didn’t want to eat Outlaw’s $3 million salary. Phil was so, so bad.

    That’s highly questionable because he was originally the 17th pick, wasn’t that good, had already had a significant injury, and was about to get paid. But even so, like I said, I would have preferred to suffer with JR a little longer. However, I fully understood the desire to get rid of all the riff raff, start with a clean slate, tank, and not pay Shumpert. Getting rid of the riff raff and mal-contents quickly costs us on 2 deals.

    As noted, that was specifically the move there. Either trade Shump for a pick or attach JR to Shump and get no pick. It was not questionable. It was what happened.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    So why Adams is 7th and positive when he only rebounds and dunks and every other center like that is negative?

    I haven’t got a clue.

    IMO, none of these aggregate metrics is right. I think the game is way more complex than these models can measure, but they are not useless either. I think some of the patterns I see in that NBA +/- help understand the weaknesses in the more box score oriented metrics, but sometime I see +/- number that seems so crazy I refuse to accept it because aspects of the box score are so different.

    (For the record, I’m not anti tanking even though I mostly take that side in debates. I think the extreme version of it is not the panacea people are starting to think it is, the 76er experience would be hard to replicate due to the injuries that helped them, and I think there are multiple paths to the championship, not just tanking. So if the Knicks take a different road this year, I won’t automatically get upset as long as I like the deals).

    In the most Knicks’ thing ever, LeBron is going to sign another 1+1 in Cleveland, and then in 2019 he will sign a contract with the New York Knicks. The Knicks, believe it or not, make the most sense for a couple of reasons:

    1) Despite James Dolan, the Knicks have arguably the most progressive front office in the league as the GM, POBO, AGM, Director of Player Development, and head coach are all black. I wouldn’t be shocked if LeBron wanted to be a part of that.
    2) David Fizdale is good friends with LeBron and is trying to build a winning culture in New York. Who better to build winning habits and culture with than the GOAT?
    3) We aren’t the Lakers, Celtics, or 76ers, but the New York Knicks have a good group of youngsters. By 2019-2020, that group could look like KP, Burke, Hardaway, Ntilikina, Michael Porter Jr/Miles Bridges, and Darius Garland/Romeo Langford. That’s a lot of clay for Fizdale, Robinson, and LeBron to mold.
    4) LeBron could build his brand off court in New York in his sleep. Literally.
    5) He stays in the Eastern Conference and moves into the same division as Kyrie Irving.
    6) Most importantly, it would be 10 years later than Knicks fans hoped for which almost cements it for me.

    Houston would be a bad look for the NBA. Philly just seems like he’d be stepping on Ben Simmons’ toes. LA would be in the Western Conference and he’d likely have to see both of Houston and GSW in the playoffs. Look for LeBron to come to NY and crush Kyrie’s chances of winning a title in Boston with Fizdale and add to his legacy as the greatest Knick, Heat, and Cavalier player ever. The guy is never going to get 5 or 6 rings. One ring in Cleveland and one ring for the Knicks, though? Those two championships by themselves would be worth more than MJ’s 6 and Kobe’s 5.

    LeBron is a fool to go to LA for talent reasons. They gave up their most productive player in Nance, and even though I really like Ball and wish he were the Knicks’ starting PG, they have almost nothing of present-day value. Kuzma and Ingram are most potential at this point, Randle might be gone regardless of what LeBron does, and who else is there… Josh Hart?

    It’s nice that they have so many young, athletic players with upside, but doesn’t that describe the 2016-17 Magic, too?

    Instead of the free agents being the prize of the offseason, it’s the Sixers who are the prize. A 52-win core that might only have to give up its aging (but good) SG to sign the greatest player to play ball this century? A rookie PG who literally looks like Magic on the floor? A two-way star center who is basically what you wish Porzingis could someday become? How do you not go there, unless you have some weird, inexplicable aversion to euro oversized dress shirt collars and the unauthorized release of your medical records?

    JR Smith lived up to his Chinese nickname last night.

    “J.R. Smith: ??? (shénj?ng d?o), or “Psychotic Blade.” The nickname is a nod to Smith’s unpredictability and inconsistency, as he can hit 11 three-pointers in one game yet also give away victories with baffling turnovers.“

    For more nicknames see

    https://qz.com/1293241/2018-nba-finals-chinese-nicknames-for-cavaliers-and-warriors-players-including-lebron-james-and-steph-curry/?from=singlemessage

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    As noted, that was specifically the move there. Either trade Shump for a pick or attach JR to Shump and get no pick. It was not questionable. It was what happened.

    I would have suffered with the negative consequences of JR Smith for another year and half (if I remember timing correctly) to get a pick that probably would have netted us a rotation player. But you could just as easily argue that Smith would have won us a few extra games that year and next (like the Courtney Lee tank argument) and we wouldn’t have gotten KP.

    There are always pluses and minuses.

    In the end I still think you should just be trying to “win” trades, sign “value” contracts, and adjust your strategy as you accumulate value. Good contracts have value, picks have value, cap space has value etc.. Some players have negative value. You just want to keep adding value.

    houston is the only team he would leave cleveland for and they propbably still dont beat GS,

    LeBron, CP3, Harden, and Capella beats Golden State in 5 games. That’s why you can’t put LeBron in Houston. Philly makes the most sense if he’s leaving this summer, but I think he stays one more year in Cleveland and then joins the Knicks.

    JR was still a decent player back then, but he was also pouting and playing like shit for the Knicks. I guess the right move would have been just to cut him and eat his contract.

    Houston with LeBron would be obscenely good, better than the Heatles and perhaps better than peak-ELO Golden State. If Houston came that close with their current wings, imagine having LeBron on the floor for 40 MPG.

    JR was still a decent player back then, but he was also pouting and playing like shit for the Knicks. I guess the right move would have been just to cut him and eat his contract.

    If getting him off the team was that important, then yes, precisely.

    Amazing game last night, Cavs went toe to toe with Warriors. They got hosed on a lot of calls, kind of ridiculous. LeBron won me over as being bigger and all around better than MJ, I hate to admit it, but there is no getting around it for me now. His 3 point shot has gotten much better and he seems more consistent on even his free throws. He just about dragged his inferior teammates to victory last night but couldn’t overcome JR Smith’s stupidity. That play pretty much summed up JR- Great physical talent , but a real moron.

    LeBron on Houston would be scary good, but I don’t see that happening. Heard rumors the Rockets trying to get Paul George which wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize instead of LBJ.

    The idea that Lebron is responsible for the team being bad because he’s actually the GM is asinine. The team is bad because they whiffed horribly on the Kyrie Irving trade. That’s the reason. Blaming it on the JR and Tristan contracts shows a fundamental misunderstanding of their cap situation over the last few years. Those guys are on bad deals, but they were already over the cap when they retained them and those guys are both still valuable contributors. Those spots would be going to minimum guys without them and the only improvement would be in Dan Gilbert’s pocketbook.

    Lebron “forces” a team into win-now moves because when you have him you’re always right on the verge of a championship. Making moves to try to shift those short-term odds slightly in your favor is smart. The Cavs got one title out of it and could easily have gotten more if they weren’t running into one of the best teams ever in the finals every year.

    Blows my mind that Jordan Clarkson has played more minutes than Larry Nance in these playoffs. I don’t think you can play worse than Clarkson is playing right now.

    In other news, LeBron has a BPM of 14.9 in 790 MP this postseason. Jordan’s all-time high was 14.3 in 674 MP. I just don’t see how you choose between the two. Not a bad single postseason performance between them.

    For the record, Shumpert would not have netted us any kind of decent pick due to injury history and mediocre play and would have costed us a lot of money to keep. He would have become another bad contract.

    For the record:

    “Under no circumstances are the Knicks going to be a contender next year anyway. So why not hope he opts out and if not not sit on him for another year and just eat the mistake of resigning him. Then you get to trade Shumpert independently and actually get something back that will help long term assuming you don’t think Shump fits. It’s not that much extra cap space and there’s no guarantee we can use it more effectively next year than the year after that.

    This is Donnie Walsh II. We keep giving up more long term value than we are receiving for some kind of “perceived” short term gain.

    Arguably, we gave away two players that are going to start for contenders (they are already saying Shump will probably start for the Cavs) and we have nothing to show for it.

    There’s no way these are good moves even if you can talk yourself into thinking they weren’t bad moves because the Knicks were going to lose them anyway. The idea is to get something for them!”

    -Stratomatic, 1/5/2015

    Well, back to Phil again, my biggest wish at the time he was hired was that he’d deal Melo away and do a proper rebuild. I have no idea what picks and young players he COULD have gotten for Chandler, JR, Shump, etc., all of whom were seriously tainted at that time. That’s sort of like arguing about table scraps when the main course is crap. The big fail was resigning Melo and giving him the NTC.

    Then again, when have the Knicks ever wisely used cap space to net young players and picks? When have the Knicks rented cap space out for a first round pick?

    The lousy Rose trade at least ended after one year with his contract expiring. And what did Mills and the Knicks do as soon as Phil was fired? Why, use up the cap space to sign THJ and resign Baker to inflated deals. Ugh.

    Now the new GM is talking about making a big FA splash in 2019. So, any restraint they might show this offseason (when they really don’t have any space anyway, unless Kanter ops out) might just be being deferred for a year.

    When have the Knicks rented cap space out for a first round pick?

    Isiah actually did this, and it was disastrous, so the policy changed. (He traded an expiring Antonio Davis for Jalen Rose + #20 effectively buying the Renaldo Balkman pick for $15,000,000 in cap space (plus an additional $15,000,000 in luxury tax).

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    Thanks Donnie.

    I don’t even remember that post. I just remember being against the move. There are probably a couple of others along those lines. I’ve moderated some of my thinking since then, but I basically still agree with myself. I wanted to get rid of JR in the worst way, but not as much as Phil. 🙂

    It is pretty funny to go out of your way to get rid of “bad culture” guys and then go out and trade for Derrick freakin’ Rose. Or maybe instead of “funny,” I should say “dumb.”

    Actually, this past game convinced me MJ is the GOAT. He would never have put up with JR’s antics to the point that what happened last night was possible. MJ would have choked him out in practice a long time ago.

    Jordan had a teammate get suspended for six games (if it were today, it would probably be a loooot longer) for kicking a cameraman in the crotch. Some nutjobs can’t be controlled by anyone.

    Outside of joining CP3 and Harden in Houston, there is no team that Lebron could join that would make his new team the favorites over Golden State.

    LeBron to Boston for Kyrie and Sacramento’s pick next year would make them a prohibitive favorite next year. It would suck for Kyrie, but he has no say in the matter, and Ainge is ruthless.

    And I think JR just gave LeBron a free pass in the court of public opinion, if that was even a factor in his decision.

    Jordan had a teammate get suspended for six games (if it were today, it would probably be a loooot longer) for kicking a cameraman in the crotch. Some nutjobs can’t be controlled by anyone.

    Jordan put up with Rodman’s antics because he was all about winning. That cameraman incident didn’t even matter. If Rodman pulled the antic JR pulled there would have been a fight in that locker room last night.

    That cameraman incident didn’t even matter.

    He got suspended for six games. That directly affected the team’s chances of winning, since he was the team’s third best player. Had it happened nowadays, he’d possibly have been suspended the rest of the season! I think some guys are just such knuckleheads that there isn’t any getting through to them.

    When have the Knicks rented cap space out for a first round pick?

    Isiah actually did this, and it was disastrous, so the policy changed. (He traded an expiring Antonio Davis for Jalen Rose + #20 effectively buying the Renaldo Balkman pick for $15,000,000 in cap space (plus an additional $15,000,000 in luxury tax).

    Isiah also did Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose and the picks that became David Lee and Mardy Collins. There was obviously the talent disparity between Nazr and Malik who was pretty washed at the time but the Knicks ate like 2-3 extra years of salary.

    Pretty sure Koby Altman is not trading with Ainge again…

    I actually don’t think Lebron to the Sixers is a good match. No doubt the Sixers have a lot of talent, but you’d basically take one of their 2 best players (Simmons) and make him superfluous. I mean, he can’t shoot at all. He’s not even Dwyane Wade in terms of bad shooting. He took 99.2% of his FGA from 2 point range, and of the mid-range jumpers he took he shot about 25%. Wade was at least elite in terms of basket cuts and moving off the ball, but we have no idea whether Simmons can even do that.

    So if you sign Lebron to the max, it means JJ Redick isn’t coming back unless he were willing to take an 80% pay cut and sign for the room exception — there goes by far your best shooter. You’re then stuck with Covington (average shooter at best), Embiid (amazing but shot 30.8% from 3 point range this year), Fultz (broken shot), and Dario Saric. They still have some assets they could move to get a shooter, but then you don’t have those assets anymore.

    I dunno, it doesn’t really make sense to me. The major advantage for the Sixers might just be that no other team has Lebron. I guess that works.

    The Lakers though? Ingram and Josh Hart both shot 39% from 3. Lonzo didn’t shoot well from 3 but presumably that’ll get better. Kuzma shot 37%. Then add Paul George, who is good for 40% from 3.

    And he would get to live in LA.

    Makes more sense to me.

    I mean, what should Lebron do? Punch JR in the face repeatedly in front of his teammates? Making sure he singlehandedly flips the narrative from “poor LeBron, JR is mentally challenged” to LeBron becomes public enemy number 1? Making every teammate hate him after you almost beat one of the greatest teams in history on their home, showing you at least have a chance to actually compete?

    It’s not Michael Jordan’s era in basketball, things have changed a lot. There’s no way this would ever fly in today’s NBA. It’s really stupid to say this is on LeBron not being enough of a ruff rydah. They lost because of stupid officiating and stupid JR, stop trying to somehow make it LeBron’s fault.

    LeBron to Boston for Kyrie and Sacramento’s pick next year would make them a prohibitive favorite next year. It would suck for Kyrie, but he has no say in the matter, and Ainge is ruthless.

    Boston making a run at LBJ makes sense for both sides. LeBron stays out east and joins a team with young talent and arguably the best coach/gm duo in the league. Boston adds the best player in the world and just as importantly keeps him from joining Philly. A Hayward + Sacto pick and filler for LBJ would be perfect except you run the risk of Kyrie bolting at the end of the season- I think LBJ’s desire to win would outweigh any grudge he has against Kyrie. It’d be tough to make the salaries work to do Kyrie for LBJ so it’s probably Hayward or bust. Boston standing pat already runs the risk of getting passed by Philly- Horford is probably their mvp and he’s 32 and Smart who’s their best perimeter defender may leave in free agency. If I’m Ainge the possibility of rolling out a Horford, LBJ, Tatum, Brown, Kyrie lineup is too good to pass up. Heck, trade Kyrie for some quality front court depth and start Rozier.

    Isiah also did Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose and the picks that became David Lee and Mardy Collins. There was obviously the talent disparity between Nazr and Malik who was pretty washed at the time but the Knicks ate like 2-3 extra years of salary.

    Yeah, I thought about mentioning the Rose trade, but since Mohammed played a lot for the Spurs, it was really Mohammed for the picks, ya know? But yes, that was a willingness to take on salary to get picks, which was good.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    He would never have put up with JR’s antics to the point that what happened last night was possible. MJ would have choked him out in practice a long time ago.

    lmao

    You do get the feeling that James and Jordan have different management styles.

    James is more of the positive reinforcement and build loyalty type.

    Jordan is more of the “I’ll kick your ass if you do that again” type.

    Lonzo didn’t shoot well from 3 but presumably that’ll get better.

    So Ball will fix his weakness but Simmons won’t improve on his? Talent-wise, how in the world are you passing up the 53-win team for the 35-win team, when both teams are young? Plus, the better team actually plays in the worse conference, so your chances of winning a title are much better (like, much better. Like, wow, are the chances better).

    Los Angeles is the much better city, though, of course.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    It is pretty funny to go out of your way to get rid of “bad culture” guys and then go out and trade for Derrick freakin’ Rose. Or maybe instead of “funny,” I should say “dumb.”

    “Astonishing” is the word I would use.

    Everyone knows where I stand on Phil, but for me it was kind of like this.

    Phase 1. “I don’t like the details of everything you are doing, but I agree with the general idea.

    Phase 2. “I understand this a little better and I’m OK with it even though I still disagree with some details”

    Phase 3. “WTF are you doing?”

    If you start playing 12-dimensional chess last night actually worked out perfectly for Lebron.

    Even if they had pulled it out their odds of winning the series would have been very long. The worst case scenario for Lebron is probably a tight loss in the series – it would dilute the (true) narrative that his teammates simply aren’t good enough to win a title, not only giving fuel to his detractors but ramping up the pressure for him to stay in Cleveland which would in all likelihood be a waste of his remaining years (even if they can find some improvements, Lebron is going to decline eventually; In all likelihood he’s going to need other stars to win more titles, not just an improved version of this year’s team).

    The best realistic scenario for Lebron in this series:
    A. his effort is herculean enough that all but his most head-in-the-sand haters recognize that “LOL 3-6 in the Finals. Kobe has 5 ringzzzzz” isn’t convincing anyone.
    B. His teammates are so incompetent that it not only makes him look better for having dragged them this far but also quells the majority of criticism if/when he decides to take his talents elsewhere.

    For Game 1 I’d mark that down as a check and a “JR Smith’s pupils after a night in” XL-sized check. Lebron is probably the one who went up to him in the huddle and whispered him the wrong score.

    Stratomatic "Porzingis, Ntilikina, and one of the Bridges are going to lead us to the promised land"says:

    Lebron has to decide whether his legacy in Cleveland or more titles are more important to him.

    It’s not that easy a choice.

    With the Rockets he’ll have to run up against the Warriors every year until his own team starts fading as he and CP3 get older.

    The 76ers are younger and give him a much longer window, but he may start running into a spectacular young and peaking Celtics team with Ainge and Stevens for many years.

    I actually don’t think Lebron to the Sixers is a good match. No doubt the Sixers have a lot of talent, but you’d basically take one of their 2 best players (Simmons) and make him superfluous.

    They can do a sign and trade for Simmons, that way all the Kardashian boyfriends can be in Cleveland.

    So Jordan is better than Lebron because he’s a sociopath?

    As a human being? No.
    As a basketball player? Yes.

    Let’s say that you’re an NBA player and you get offered a chance to be Kendall Jenner’s “boyfriend.” You don’t have to do much, just pretend to date her for however long. You just can’t play too far away from a major city (why Blake couldn’t “date” her anymore). Would you do it? I wanted to criticize Simmons at first for doing this, because it seems like such a vapid thing to do, to pretend to date some celebrity just to get your name in the paper, but then I thought, “Eh, it’s not hurting anyone and you really do get a lot of media attention for doing it, so what’s the big deal?”

    @72

    I like your thinking. There is a butterfly effect to these kind of things.

    Like, what if Allan Houston’s winning shot in Game 5 vs the Heat doesn’t bounce in. Do the Knicks do a proper re-build, sparing everybody here the torture of the last 20 years?

    Maybe somebody on the Cavs should have reminded JR what the score was when they were lining up for those free throws. You know, just in case??

    Yeah, JR probably wouldn’t have even been on the court with the Bulls in the playoffs because MJ would have killed him earlier in the season and hid the body.

    @76
    Now, Brian. How do you know that it is not true love?

    On the other hand, yeah, maybe he could do better. Like Taylor Swift!

    So Ball will fix his weakness but Simmons won’t improve on his? Talent-wise, how in the world are you passing up the 53-win team for the 35-win team, when both teams are young?

    At least Ball has a history of being a good shooter, whereas Simmons has a very extensive history of being not just a bad shooter but a complete non-shooter.

    And re: talent, in the Sixers case the total would likely be less than the sum of the parts (since much of Simmons’s value would be lost if Lebron had the ball 98% of the time like he should), AND you’d have to lose JJ Redick to get Lebron. RE: the Lakers, you’d be adding not just Lebron to that 35 win team but also Paul George.
    IMHO Lebron + George >> Durant + Curry.
    Klay + Draymond + possibly washed Iguodala + 6 non-playing centers vs the Lakers other young talent (Ingram, Ball, Kuzma, Hart) + whoever they could pick up in FA to come to sunny Los Angeles to play with Lebron? It’s close.

    Embiid>Paul George, Saric>Ingram, Simmons>Lonzo, Covington>Kuzma, staying in the east>going out west. Sixers should also add another potential rotation piece with the 10th pick. If I’m LBJ (barring Morey working some kind of magic to open cap space without gutting the team) it’s Philly, Boston, or staying put in Cleveland.

    simmons and lebron could absolutely play well together…. theres no such thing as having redundant skill sets when we are talking about guys who have their court vision and get to the basket at will and finish like they do….

    would lebron and giannis be redundant? i sure hope nobody thinks that and simmons has a chance to be about 90% of what giannis is…

    Let’s say that you’re an NBA player and you get offered a chance to be Kendall Jenner’s “boyfriend.” You don’t have to do much, just pretend to date her for however long. You just can’t play too far away from a major city (why Blake couldn’t “date” her anymore). Would you do it? I wanted to criticize Simmons at first for doing this, because it seems like such a vapid thing to do, to pretend to date some celebrity just to get your name in the paper, but then I thought, “Eh, it’s not hurting anyone and you really do get a lot of media attention for doing it, so what’s the big deal?”

    I seem to recall it didn’t work out all too well for Kris Humphries.

    @83
    He married her. That ended up costing him some $ in attorney and court costs, as I recall.

    That was actually dating, though. This is fake dating. Fake dating is no harm, no foul. Just get seen with Kendall Jenner every once in a while.

    The Curse of the Kardashians is real and Kendall Jenner is one by family bonds. Simmons will have a down season now.

    Interesting quote from JR. He said he knew the game was tied but expected the coach to call a timeout to set up a play instead of him immediately shooting over Durant. I actually buy that.

    Maybe they have a rule that JR isn’t allowed to call his own time outs

    How can anyone watch this Cavs team and say that LeBron wouldn’t benefit from another playmaker like Simmons is beyond me.

    Yes, their skills overlap, but like djphan said very well, they are hugely important skills like great passing, court vision and creating efficient shots for themselves and their teammates. I don’t think you can ever have enough of those skills. You can never forget also that LeBron has turned himself into a pretty damn good shooter, and a LeBron who was a much lesser shooter still found great success with another guy who wasn’t a shooter in Wade (and Bosh who eventually became a long range threat but wasn’t one in his early Miami years).

    There’s zero chance LA is a better basketball situation than Philly now, unless both Lonzo and Ingram become superstars right away with James on the team. I do think Lonzo will eventually be great but it certainly will take some time for him to get there.

    If having Simmons and Bron on the court at the same time is wrong I don’t want to be right.

    Interesting quote from JR. He said he knew the game was tied but expected the coach to call a timeout to set up a play instead of him immediately shooting over Durant. I actually buy that.

    You buy it, even though he said “I thought we were up” for 18,000,000 national viewers to lip read from multiple angles? Okay.

    JR is so delusional that I do believe that he believes he knew the score was tied even when it’s obvious he didn’t.

    I don’t think LeBron ends up in LA, but do the Lakers have enough cap space to sign two max free agents? I think they’ll end up targeting (and landing) Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins, but maybe they don’t have all the money to do that. Or maybe Brandon Ingram doesn’t want to come off the bench and demands a trade out of LA because of it. I’d offer the Lakers Courtney Lee for Brandon Ingram and Luol Deng. It gives them $11M in extra space to maybe keep KCP or Isaiah Thomas, they get rid of Luol Deng, and they get a starting quality shooting guard in Courtney Lee. I think that would make a lot of sense for the Lakers. You lose Brandon Ingram (who’s more promise than production at this point), but you get a depth chart that looks like:

    PG: Ball, Thomas
    SG: Lee, Hart
    SF: George
    PF: Kuzma
    C: Cousins, Zubac

    Add in a vet minimum guy or two to fill out the bench and that’s a really good team that could be elite depending on the progression of Ball and Kuzma in their second years. The Knicks get another young wing to add to our group, and the Deng thing isn’t the biggest issue because he and Lee expire in the same year. I wonder if this is a plausible trade or if a) LA loves Brandon Ingram or b) the Knicks are dead set against adding any salary to the 2019-2020 cap.

    While obviously the Lakers would like to unload Deng, they don’t really need to. If they just don’t re-sign any of their free agents including Randle they would have 61 million in cap space, should be more than enough to add George + Cousins for example.

    Right, but there’s the issue of fit and building a team of useful players. Personally, I think Ball, Hart, George, Kuzma, Cousins, Thomas, Lee, and Zubac is a better team than Ball, Hart, George, Kuzma, Cousins, Ingram, Deng, Zubac. Then again, if the Lakers give George and Cousins $25M a year to start, they’d have the money to retain one of Isaiah Thomas, Brook Lopez, and Julius Randle. Imagine having the money to keep two though, AND you add Courtney Lee into the fold? Ball, Hart, George, Kuzma, Cousins, Thomas, Lee, Randle, and Zubac? Again, depending on the progression of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma you’re talking about a team that could compete for the championship in 2020. All for the price of sending Brandon Ingram to the Eastern Conference. There’s the threat of Ingram becoming an All Star, but he probably wouldn’t be able to do that in Los Angeles anyway if the Lakers are giving a majority of the minutes at the 3 to Paul George.

    Of course they could always stretch waive Deng, keep Ingram, and re-sign Isaiah Thomas and Julius Randle. That would be way less fun for us, though.

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