Betrayer
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Everything posted by Betrayer
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Is Draymond headed out in the trade? If not, this could get interesting.
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That Trey shot was pretty sick and the lob call was pretty bad, but they lost this game long before that on the defensive end. The non-Ausar minutes were rough on defense. He was the only one slowing Trey down at all and JB should have had him on the court at all times when Trey was out there. Also, I get you want to build confidence in your guys but when it's a tie game and you need a stop, put Holland and Stew in the game so you can confidently switch everything if you need to.
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He didn't miss months of progress with a blood clot, gets more playing time, and didn't play for Monty who benched him early last season after he was getting the 3rd spot in the rookie of the year conversation. I think Amen's ceiling is probably a bit higher which is why he was picked earlier in the draft, but I also think Ausar would be much further along without those complications. I think of it as Ausar being 1 year behind in his development, much like when Cade lost a year to injury.
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I'd be fine with either THJ or Tec for Ball. THJ probably makes more sense because it's guard for guard so you could pop Ball in the starting lineup and then have him stagger with Cade to have a bench unit ballhandler like you did with Ivey. For Chicago, they'd get an expiring contract rather than an extra year of Tec. Either way, I don't think it happens. Ball is an injury risk and Trajan seems to be trying to avoid those after he escaped the injury version of the Titanic (Pelicans) just in time.
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What happened to the Windhorst prediction that all trades go through Detroit? Maybe those recent rumors were true that the team's strategy changed now that they're around 500 and threatening the 6th seed. In regards to Luka, all I can think is that Nico got a huge payday under the table to accept such a terrible return for Luka. With ratings down maybe the NBA kicked in some cash as well to make sure LA stays relevant for years to come. Other than that, there's no explanation for that return. It's so blatantly bad that there should be an investigation...unless the ones who would investigate it (the League) were involved in making it happen.
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I agree that he does the most with the least. Cade's been great, no doubt. But you don't get double digit assists without guys like Beasley (40%), Ivey (40%), and THJ (38%) knocking down threes add a respectable clip. Saw a stat a few weeks ago that Beasley was the guy who Cade assists most. We had nothing like that last year. The roster still needs a lot of help, but it's light years better than last year's roster of mostly dudes who aren't even in the league anymore. Cade's numbers are better, but with those guys on the team and a real coach he probably could've been an All-Star last year too.
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This is what I said the other night - Orlando's identity feels more dangerous, reckless, and dirty than hustle.
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Excellent! First time since the Going to Work era that I've felt good about a Piston All-Star.
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I'm with Blaha. I really don't like this Indy team.
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Well, if they don't care about the impact on historical stats, can we also fix the three point line so it stays the same distance and just runs off the edge (no corner threes)? This era where everyone has to be a spacer has just gotten boring with every team doing the same thing. I'd like to see more styles of basketball. While we are it can address real issues like the defenders right to THEIR space on the court and the rampant moving screens? Let these teams play defense.
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I'd love to add a first round pick, but I'm still on the fence about this one. One big risk is the solid chemistry that's been built this year, which he seems to be at the heart of. It could be a heavy blow to a team that's just starting to build a positive identity. But maybe you mend that wound by bringing him back in the offseason. Second issue is that you have pretty good odds of losing your own pick even if you trade him. You aren't getting passed by the Wizards, Hornets, Nets, Raptors, or 76ers. Bulls are heading into tank mode at the deadline. That means you're at least the 9th seed and as long as you have Cade you're probably better than the Hawks for the 8th seed. Let's say it's a 50/50 chance at a pick in the very late lottery in a draft that "experts" such as Sam and Bryce are saying is junk after the first handful of picks. I'd still consider it for the extra pick you'd get in the trade, but it depends heavily on which team's pick we're talking about for me.
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Some of the Detroit sports heads have been mentioning Coby White, but much like Lavine I'm not sure how you bring him unless you're moving Ivey. Lonzo makes way more sense since he can play next to either Cade or Ivey, defend, handle the ball, and space the floor. Then again, Langdon seemed to value availability in his offseason moves and that's one ability that Lonzo has yet to prove.
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So, they're a lot better without Ivey when Cade is on the court (the defensive rating numbers back this up as well). But when Cade is not on the court, they're absolutely garbage offensively without Ivey. Makes sense since they don't have any other ballhandlers when Cade gets off the court, but does that speak to Ivey's effectiveness or is it just the Fontecchio thing from last year where even a decent option looks great on a team devoid of other options. Either way, it just adds fuel to my argument that I don't want to pay Ivey starter (or especially #2 option) money. It's too bad he got hurt because he could have been a really nice asset in a trade this year.
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Watched this one while I was on the road (in Orlando of all places) and all I could think was how reckless Orlando plays. Maybe if they were my home team I'd like it, but it doesn't feel scrappy/tough it feels dangerous. Ivey can attest to that, I'm sure.
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The good news is that nobody enticing can pay more and Beasley seems pretty happy in this locker room. He's said that he considers Detroit his "second home" since he had family here growing up. There's always the chance he wants to chase a ring, but it feels like we probably have at least a 50/50 shot at retaining him.
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Pistons killed in the 1st and 3rd. 2nd quarter was a mess of turnovers, a lot of them just bad passes. Then again, Houston has a very good defense with a lot of long, athletic guys who can make it tough to thread the needle on passes. They trapped and doubled Cade all game and that makes 3 games in a row now. I think the secret is out, so the "others" are going to have to step up. Sasser played well in the 2nd half and I just want to see him be more aggressive with his shot earlier. There was a stretch were it felt like he kept passing up decent shots only for us to wind up with a worse shot from a bad shooter. Credit to Duren for having a solid game on both ends. First time in a while he's outplayed his replacement. Great win against the #2 team in the West. Let's keep it rollin' on this road trip!
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I'd throw in the one against Minnesota as well.
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Agreed. I don't see how you bring in Lavine and keep Ivey. They can't play together or you'll sacrifice 150 pts a game, especially with Duren in the paint. If I do this deal, I'm sending out Ivey instead of Stew but then NY doesn't want it anymore and the whole thing has to change. Even then, I don't trust Lavine and I certainly don't want to buy high when we could have bought low last year. His next injury is always a month away and he's not a winning player. Also, Stew is clearly more meaningful to this team and this locker room than simply a bench big man. I think the deal would have to be for someone more significant than Lavine to move him.
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Frustrating to watch this game, but it's the same issue I brought up recently. When teams play up on the perimeter (playoff defense) we have no answer. Off-ball cuts and penetration can loosen up tight perimeter defense, but we don't or can't do either of things consistently. Combine that with Cade and Beasley being ice cold from three and you've got an ugly game. That said, some of the whistles in this game were interesting. Holland wasn't allowed to play defense at all, yet Indy could clutch, grab, move on screens, and have two hands on our guys (especially Cade) at all times. That's the benefit of establishing your style and control over the game early - the refs just start letting it go. On a positive note, I love how these teams hate each other. JB's postgame comments were priceless.
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None. I hate Lamelo's game. He's a chucker who doesn't play winning basketball or defense at all. Mitchell is the closest, but with Cade's size and the fact that he's just 23, I'm taking Cade. Lillard's washed. You can make a case for Brunson, but he doesn't and can't defend, just too small. I put Trae in the same bucket as Lamelo. Maxey is a nice scorer, but not a franchise leader, imo.
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Fan voting is always garbage.
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Wasn't there a rule recently where the NBA will fine you if you come out and publicly say things like you want to be traded or whatever? I thought I recall something coming up about that with the Lillard stuff. And if so, how is Butler not guilty of it?
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It might take all of that 19M to bring Beasley back.
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A bunch of players may not be eligible, which will help Cade make third team. Guys like Luka, Embiid, Paolo, Franz, Chet, etc I'm happy he's playing at that level. I'm not so happy about the loss of cap space for a team that already has few options to improve.
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Heck of a win and a fun game! I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately. There are a lot of positive things to say about this game, from Cade's performance to Stew and Ausar's defense to Beasley's shooting. There are also some negatives...does Duren realize that the team is better when he's on the bench, because at this point I think everyone else must. I was screaming for JB to put Stew back in the game in the 4th. Luckily Duren fixed the problem himself by fouling out for us.
