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2008.11.04 19:15 NBA
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2024.05.02 19:35 sunflower3515 Hakeem Olajuwon: A “Dream” Come True
On June 13th, 1995, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets repeated as champions of the NBA World (defeating a young Shaquille O’Neal with a four game sweep). This was certainly a celebration like no other for the city of Houston, as the man they nicknamed “The Dream” was the centerpiece of their basketball dominance, winning two NBA titles in the same decade. But there is a little more to this story for the Nigerian-born superstar. A story of values, determination, teamwork, and a bit of serendipity.
Olajuwon was born on January 21st, 1963 in Lagos (currently the largest city in Nigeria). He was the third of sixth children of a middle-class family who owned a cement business in the city. Although they may have only had a simple cement business at the time, Olajuwon’s parents were keen on teaching their children the essentials of living a successful life:
“They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, believe in ourselves,” says the former NBA superstar.
However, basketball was not always the optimal choice of sport for Olajuwon. He had spent the majority of the first fifteen years of his life as a goalkeeper in soccer, and also participated in handball competitions. With his gifted footwork, ability, and strength, Olajuwon was eventually recruited by a fellow peer to play for his high school team, the Muslim Teachers College. The team was enrolled at the All-Nigeria Teachers Sports Festival in Sokoto (a city in Northwest Nigeria). It was here where an NBA star was born.
When it came time for college, Olajuwon came to the United States, settling in the city of Houston, Texas. He enrolled at the University of Houston to play basketball under head coach Guy Lewis. Success on the court was imminent when Olajuwon was acquainted with another hall of fame player. Clyde Drexler, a six foot, seven inch New Orleans born star, teamed up with Olajuwon at the university, and in 1982, the Houston Cougars made the NCAA semifinals. However they fell to future hall of famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan of North Carolina by a final score of 68-63. In the following years, most notably thanks to the efforts of Olajuwon and Drexler, the Cougars continued to surprise doubters, however could not overcome the challenges of the most critical games. In Olajuwon’s final year (1984), Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas defeated Houston 84-75 in the NCAA Final.
That same year, the Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first overall draft pick. Two years later, the Rockets would participate in the NBA Finals, and faced the storied Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird leading the way. The Rockets would fall in six games to the Celtics, yet the future looked bright for this up and coming team. In the 1994 Finals, the Rockets overcame a 3-2 series deficit to Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, to give the city of Houston their first ever NBA title. Olajuwon won the “Most Valuable Player” Award, securing some revenge on his former college competitor. In 1995, the Rocket’s red glare got a little brighter, when Clyde Drexler returned as Oljuwon’s co-star and helped the team secure a second title.
Olajuwon would eventually retire in 2002, leaving behind one of the most storied careers in the history of not only the Houston Rockets, but the entire NBA.
By: Darayus Sethna
https://www.immigration-america.com/blog/immigrant-athletes/hakeem-olajuwon-a-dream-come-true
submitted by sunflower3515 to MuslimLounge [link] [comments]
Olajuwon was born on January 21st, 1963 in Lagos (currently the largest city in Nigeria). He was the third of sixth children of a middle-class family who owned a cement business in the city. Although they may have only had a simple cement business at the time, Olajuwon’s parents were keen on teaching their children the essentials of living a successful life:
“They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, believe in ourselves,” says the former NBA superstar.
However, basketball was not always the optimal choice of sport for Olajuwon. He had spent the majority of the first fifteen years of his life as a goalkeeper in soccer, and also participated in handball competitions. With his gifted footwork, ability, and strength, Olajuwon was eventually recruited by a fellow peer to play for his high school team, the Muslim Teachers College. The team was enrolled at the All-Nigeria Teachers Sports Festival in Sokoto (a city in Northwest Nigeria). It was here where an NBA star was born.
When it came time for college, Olajuwon came to the United States, settling in the city of Houston, Texas. He enrolled at the University of Houston to play basketball under head coach Guy Lewis. Success on the court was imminent when Olajuwon was acquainted with another hall of fame player. Clyde Drexler, a six foot, seven inch New Orleans born star, teamed up with Olajuwon at the university, and in 1982, the Houston Cougars made the NCAA semifinals. However they fell to future hall of famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan of North Carolina by a final score of 68-63. In the following years, most notably thanks to the efforts of Olajuwon and Drexler, the Cougars continued to surprise doubters, however could not overcome the challenges of the most critical games. In Olajuwon’s final year (1984), Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas defeated Houston 84-75 in the NCAA Final.
That same year, the Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first overall draft pick. Two years later, the Rockets would participate in the NBA Finals, and faced the storied Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird leading the way. The Rockets would fall in six games to the Celtics, yet the future looked bright for this up and coming team. In the 1994 Finals, the Rockets overcame a 3-2 series deficit to Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, to give the city of Houston their first ever NBA title. Olajuwon won the “Most Valuable Player” Award, securing some revenge on his former college competitor. In 1995, the Rocket’s red glare got a little brighter, when Clyde Drexler returned as Oljuwon’s co-star and helped the team secure a second title.
Olajuwon would eventually retire in 2002, leaving behind one of the most storied careers in the history of not only the Houston Rockets, but the entire NBA.
By: Darayus Sethna
https://www.immigration-america.com/blog/immigrant-athletes/hakeem-olajuwon-a-dream-come-true
2024.05.02 19:33 sunflower3515 Hakeem Olajuwon: A “Dream” Come True
On June 13th, 1995, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets repeated as champions of the NBA World (defeating a young Shaquille O’Neal with a four game sweep). This was certainly a celebration like no other for the city of Houston, as the man they nicknamed “The Dream” was the centerpiece of their basketball dominance, winning two NBA titles in the same decade. But there is a little more to this story for the Nigerian-born superstar. A story of values, determination, teamwork, and a bit of serendipity.
Olajuwon was born on January 21st, 1963 in Lagos (currently the largest city in Nigeria). He was the third of sixth children of a middle-class family who owned a cement business in the city. Although they may have only had a simple cement business at the time, Olajuwon’s parents were keen on teaching their children the essentials of living a successful life:
“They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, believe in ourselves,” says the former NBA superstar.
However, basketball was not always the optimal choice of sport for Olajuwon. He had spent the majority of the first fifteen years of his life as a goalkeeper in soccer, and also participated in handball competitions. With his gifted footwork, ability, and strength, Olajuwon was eventually recruited by a fellow peer to play for his high school team, the Muslim Teachers College. The team was enrolled at the All-Nigeria Teachers Sports Festival in Sokoto (a city in Northwest Nigeria). It was here where an NBA star was born.
When it came time for college, Olajuwon came to the United States, settling in the city of Houston, Texas. He enrolled at the University of Houston to play basketball under head coach Guy Lewis. Success on the court was imminent when Olajuwon was acquainted with another hall of fame player. Clyde Drexler, a six foot, seven inch New Orleans born star, teamed up with Olajuwon at the university, and in 1982, the Houston Cougars made the NCAA semifinals. However they fell to future hall of famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan of North Carolina by a final score of 68-63. In the following years, most notably thanks to the efforts of Olajuwon and Drexler, the Cougars continued to surprise doubters, however could not overcome the challenges of the most critical games. In Olajuwon’s final year (1984), Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas defeated Houston 84-75 in the NCAA Final.
That same year, the Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first overall draft pick. Two years later, the Rockets would participate in the NBA Finals, and faced the storied Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird leading the way. The Rockets would fall in six games to the Celtics, yet the future looked bright for this up and coming team. In the 1994 Finals, the Rockets overcame a 3-2 series deficit to Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, to give the city of Houston their first ever NBA title. Olajuwon won the “Most Valuable Player” Award, securing some revenge on his former college competitor. In 1995, the Rocket’s red glare got a little brighter, when Clyde Drexler returned as Oljuwon’s co-star and helped the team secure a second title.
Olajuwon would eventually retire in 2002, leaving behind one of the most storied careers in the history of not only the Houston Rockets, but the entire NBA.
By: Darayus Sethna
https://www.immigration-america.com/blog/immigrant-athletes/hakeem-olajuwon-a-dream-come-true
submitted by sunflower3515 to TraditionalMuslims [link] [comments]
Olajuwon was born on January 21st, 1963 in Lagos (currently the largest city in Nigeria). He was the third of sixth children of a middle-class family who owned a cement business in the city. Although they may have only had a simple cement business at the time, Olajuwon’s parents were keen on teaching their children the essentials of living a successful life:
“They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, believe in ourselves,” says the former NBA superstar.
However, basketball was not always the optimal choice of sport for Olajuwon. He had spent the majority of the first fifteen years of his life as a goalkeeper in soccer, and also participated in handball competitions. With his gifted footwork, ability, and strength, Olajuwon was eventually recruited by a fellow peer to play for his high school team, the Muslim Teachers College. The team was enrolled at the All-Nigeria Teachers Sports Festival in Sokoto (a city in Northwest Nigeria). It was here where an NBA star was born.
When it came time for college, Olajuwon came to the United States, settling in the city of Houston, Texas. He enrolled at the University of Houston to play basketball under head coach Guy Lewis. Success on the court was imminent when Olajuwon was acquainted with another hall of fame player. Clyde Drexler, a six foot, seven inch New Orleans born star, teamed up with Olajuwon at the university, and in 1982, the Houston Cougars made the NCAA semifinals. However they fell to future hall of famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan of North Carolina by a final score of 68-63. In the following years, most notably thanks to the efforts of Olajuwon and Drexler, the Cougars continued to surprise doubters, however could not overcome the challenges of the most critical games. In Olajuwon’s final year (1984), Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas defeated Houston 84-75 in the NCAA Final.
That same year, the Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first overall draft pick. Two years later, the Rockets would participate in the NBA Finals, and faced the storied Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird leading the way. The Rockets would fall in six games to the Celtics, yet the future looked bright for this up and coming team. In the 1994 Finals, the Rockets overcame a 3-2 series deficit to Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, to give the city of Houston their first ever NBA title. Olajuwon won the “Most Valuable Player” Award, securing some revenge on his former college competitor. In 1995, the Rocket’s red glare got a little brighter, when Clyde Drexler returned as Oljuwon’s co-star and helped the team secure a second title.
Olajuwon would eventually retire in 2002, leaving behind one of the most storied careers in the history of not only the Houston Rockets, but the entire NBA.
By: Darayus Sethna
https://www.immigration-america.com/blog/immigrant-athletes/hakeem-olajuwon-a-dream-come-true
2024.03.21 17:55 David-Friedman_ Player Profile: ED SADOWSKI
 | submitted by David-Friedman_ to VintageNBA [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/to348t3vvppc1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a46e6c4b256de6e10920d62c4bcf41249e23b8f7 Born: July 11, 1917 Died: September 18, 1990 Position: Center Professional Career:
“A scowling brute of a man with close-cropped hair and a game face as belligerent as a clenched fist, Big Ed tallied most of his points with a sweeping right-handed hook shot that was virtually unstoppable. For sure he was virtually immobile and could shoot only with his right hand; the word was that if Sadowski ever had to feed himself with only his left hand, he’d starve to death.”– Charley Rosen, The First Tip-Off Ed Sadowski may have been completely unable to shoot any sort of shot left-handed, but when his right-handed hook was so devastating who needed a left-hander? Especially considering by that point in Sadowski’s career he was an unmovable 6’5″ and 270 pounds. When the plodding and leviathan center planted himself, there was no way the opposition was going to move him. Burgeoning obesity aside, Sadowski’s greatest claim to fame was his appearance in the first-ever BAA game on November 1, 1946. As player-coach, he led the Toronto Huskies against the New York Knicks. Big Ed paced all scorers with 18 points, but his Huskies lost 68-66. That defeat in Toronto was followed by another letdown in Cleveland at the hands of the Rebels. Thereafter the Huskies caught relative fire winning two of their next three games. In the third match of that streak, a home crowd of 6500 fans saw Sadowski score 30 points as the Huskies rolled over the Providence Steamrollers, 85 to 68. The performance was the high-water mark of Big Ed’s Ontario tenure. Just two weeks later in early December, Sadowski went AWOL and the Huskies suspended their high-priced big man. The disgruntled Sadowski complained he was overwhelmed by his duties as player and coach. He demanded that he – and his $10,000 salary – be traded to the Boston Celtics where he’d be reunited with his old college coach “Honey” Russell. Instead, Big Ed was traded to the Cleveland Rebels on December 16. This gives Ed Sadowski the distinction of being the first player traded in the BAA’s history. Although not very mobile on the court, Sadowski’s career was one of constant motion. Playing a truncated seven-year career, Sadwoski nonetheless suited up for seven different teams in the NBL, BAA, and NBA during the 1940s. The scowling Sadowski was a basketball mercenary and rode that mentality to a pretty successful career. It all began in 1940 as Big Ed joined the Detroit Eagles of the NBL. That Eagles team finished 12-12 in league action with Sadowski leading the squad with 10.7 points per game. The team as a whole scored 40.5 points, so Ed was clearly the centerpiece of the offense with his swinging hook shot. Overall in the NBL, Sadowski finished 3rd in PPG and was 2nd in total points scored. He was the runaway selection for Rookie of the Year and was also named to the All-NBL 1st Team. In the playoffs, though, Sadowski, Buddy Jeannette, Robert Calihan and the Eagles ran into the superior Sheboygan Redskins. They lost their series 2-games-to-1. Although ousted from the NBL playoffs, the Eagles did appear in an event just as noteworthy back in the 1940s: the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT). The NBL may have been the best pro league, but great pro teams still existed outside that association. The WPBT brought together the best of the NBL, other leagues, and barnstormers to Chicago every spring. The Eagles stunned the tournament by upsetting the Harlem Globetrotters 37-36 (led by Sadowski’s 12 points) in the opening round. In the semi-finals, the Eagles again pulled a one-point upset, this time of the New York Rens, 43 to 42. Sadowski again led the way with 16 points. In the championship game against the Oshkosh All-Stars, Detroit knocked off the NBL champs 39-37 as Sadowski sparkled once more with 11 points. Sadowski’s chance to repeat his big rookie season was nixed thanks to World War II. The big man served in the US Air Corps during those years and didn’t return to pro basketball until 1945. The Fort Wayne Pistons signed Sadowski as a ringer before the lastgame of the 1944-45 regular season. Already possessing the NBL’s best record and the defending league champs, the Pistons wanted a guarantee they would score a repeat title performance. Sadowski proved to be quite the unnecessary insurance policy since this Pistons team might have been the greatest squad ever fielded in the NBL: Bob McDermott averaged an obscene 20 points a night alongside Buddy Jeannette, Jake Pelkington, Chick Reiser, and defensive madman Charley Shipp. As it turned out, the Pistons fell into an 0-2 series hole against Sheboygan in the Finals. Which is really bad when it was a best-of-5 series. Fortunately, Fort Wayne righted the ship and staged a comeback winning the next three games and the 1945 NBL title. And for the cherry on top, the Pistons won the 1945 WPBT as well. The next season, Fort Wayne returned all their principal players and Sadowski enjoyed his first full season of basketball since 1941. Big Ed averaged 9.6 PPG to finish second in scoring behind McDermott on the Pistons. The Indiana juggernaut again finished with the NBL’s best regular season record and looked to secure their third straight league title. There was to be no three-peat for the Pistons, though. The Rochester Royals spanked Sadowski’s team 3-games-to-1 in the semifinals. For his part, Sadowski was easily Fort Wayne’s top performer scoring 14 points a game during the series, but McDermott went ice cold scoring just 6 points in the series as he was hounded by the defense of Rochester’s Al Cervi. As consolation, the Pistons did win the 1946 WPBT, but Sadowski’s experience with the NBL was forever done. The next time he’d don a uniform would be for his ill-fated experience with the BAA’s Huskies. After that situation blew up and he parachuted into Cleveland, Sadowski put together a fine campaign finishing 2nd in FG% and 3rd in PPG in the BAA’s first regular season. In the playoffs, he averaged 24 points on 39% shooting from the field and 79% shooting from the free throw line. Seems terrible today, but that kind of offensive efficiency was sterling in 1947. The runnin’ Rebels were no match for the New York Knicks, however, losing the series 2-games-to-1. Suffering terrible finances and woeful attendance, the Rebels disbanded after the season and Sadowski finally landed in Boston thanks to the dispersal draft. Now at 30 years of age, Sadowski scored a career-high 19.4 PPG that season, led Boston to its first-ever playoff series, and was named to the All-BAA 1st Team. Sadowski had another big postseason with 20 points per game, but the Celtics were knocked off by the Chicago Stags. The vagabond Sadowski moved on once more. The mercenary now traveled down the Atlantic Seaboard to play with the Philadelphia Warriors for the 1948-49 season. In this final year of the BAA, Big Ed teamed with “Jumpin’” Joe Fulks forming the highest scoring duo in that league’s short history. Sadowski averaged 15.3 points and Fulks 26. Any hopes for playoff success were dashed by an injury to Fulks and the Warriors were swept by the Washington Capitols. In his final pro season, Sadowski split time between the Warriors and the Baltimore Bullets in the brand new NBA. The old heavy veteran still tossed up 12.5 points a night, but his days were numbered. Still, Sadowski could take comfort in the fact that during the 1940s, no other center (besides George Mikan) was better at scoring the basketball than he was. In fact, I’m sure he took comfort in that fact. Accolades
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2024.02.13 17:30 AroundTheClockShop St Patricks Day Celtic Fairy Table Sitter Figurine Centerpiece Shamrock Decor
 | submitted by AroundTheClockShop to u/AroundTheClockShop [link] [comments] |
2024.02.05 11:41 errorstar Free St. Patricks Day SVG
 | https://preview.redd.it/ut5j0r3awqgc1.jpg?width=691&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d068302ed69fe5cbeb8cc0e5c96428134eae1de7 submitted by errorstar to freesvgdownload [link] [comments] Get images at our site: www.freesvgdownload.com Embrace the Luck of the Irish with St. Patrick’s Day SVGsSt. Patrick’s Day, a beloved global celebration, is steeped in the rich heritage of Irish culture. From lively parades to the sea of green attire, it’s a festival that brings joy and festivity worldwide. Lately, the holiday has seen a surge in popularity within the DIY and crafting community. This trend is especially evident with the use of St. Patrick’s Day SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files. These digital designs have become a cornerstone for those looking to add a personalized touch to their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a beginner, SVG files offer endless possibilities to infuse your projects with Irish charm. This teaser invites you to explore the creative world of shamrocks and leprechaun, where tradition meets modern crafting.https://preview.redd.it/y95qvbkbvqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=1a84a37e7c45032a423467ffa3efae18c4a54434 Unleashing Creativity with St. Patrick’s Day SVG FilesSt. Patrick’s Day, a festival rich in Irish tradition, has transcended its cultural boundaries to become a worldwide celebration. It’s a day marked by green-themed parades, lively music, and a general spirit of merriment. In the realm of crafting and DIY, St. Patrick’s Day has found a new expression through the use of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files. These digital assets have revolutionized the way we create and customize for this festive occasion.SVG files have emerged as a popular tool among crafters and hobbyists, offering a versatile and user-friendly approach to designing. Whether it’s for personalizing t-shirts, creating unique party decorations, or crafting bespoke gifts, SVGs provide a canvas limited only by one’s imagination. Their scalability ensures high-quality output for both small and large projects, making them ideal for a range of applications. https://preview.redd.it/z272havevqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=6e2c8ad61eccac0c2897f6210dd67822a84cff59 Key Takeaways:
The Charm of St. Patrick’s Day SVGs: A Crafter’s DelightSt. Patrick’s Day SVGs have transformed the way crafters and DIY enthusiasts celebrate this festive holiday. These digital files, characterized by their scalability and versatility, are perfect for a wide range of creative projects. From the iconic shamrock svg to playful leprechaun svg motifs, St. Patrick’s Day SVGs capture the essence of the holiday in a format that’s easy to use and customize.One of the key appeals of SVG files is their flexibility. Whether you’re working on small-scale projects like greeting cards or large banners, SVGs maintain their crispness and clarity. This makes them ideal for various applications, from home decor to personalized apparel. The designs range from traditional Irish symbols like shamrocks and Celtic knots to more modern interpretations. Catering to a diverse audience. Another advantage of St. Patrick’s Day SVGs is their accessibility. Many websites offer a wide selection of free and premium SVG files, making it easy for anyone to start their DIY project. Sites like LoveSVG, Gina C. Creates, and Craft with Sarah provide an abundance of choices, ranging from intricate designs to simple, elegant motifs. https://preview.redd.it/4f89nhhkvqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=6efdb807f2532e0c4167846455caa406ca299c37 Crafting with SVGs: From Leprechauns to CloversThe versatility of St. Patrick’s Day SVG files allows crafters to bring a touch of Irish charm to a wide array of items. These files, featuring everything from leprechauns and clovers to festive greetings, are ideal for personalizing gifts and decorations.For those who love apparel crafting, SVGs like leprechaun svg and clover svg can be used to design custom t-shirts, hats, and tote bags. They are particularly popular for creating unique St. Patrick’s Day outfits or accessories that stand out in a crowd. Home decor enthusiasts can use SVGs to create themed decorations, such as wall art, table centerpieces, and garden flags. Designs like cricut shamrock svg free offer a cost-effective way to decorate your home for the holiday. These SVGs can be easily cut using machines like Cricut and Silhouette, making them accessible even to those new to crafting. DIY enthusiasts can infuse a distinctive charm into their daily belongings with Starbucks Cold Cup Wrap SVGs. Additionally, you can elevate your Starbucks cold cup with a St. Patrick’s Day theme using these Starbucks wraps. These designs excel at personalizing your Starbucks cold cups, making them unique accessories that truly make a statement. Furthermore, featuring a variety of styles from sleek and modern to whimsical and quirky, there’s an SVG to suit every personality. For those who enjoy paper crafting, SVG files offer a multitude of possibilities. They can be used to create custom cards, invitations, or scrapbooking elements, all while taking advantage of the digital nature of SVG files to achieve intricate designs that would be challenging to create by hand. https://preview.redd.it/dxluq3jrvqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=703e730873dcf566558465bae98ac2759d6d6b54 Best Source for Free St. Patrick’s Day SVGsWhen it comes to finding St. Patrick’s Day SVG files, the internet is a treasure trove of resources. One standout source is Free SVG Download. Our website dedicated to providing a wide range of free SVG files for various occasions, including St. Patrick’s Day. Crafters can explore an array of designs at Free SVG Download’s St. Patrick’s Day section, where they will find everything from classic shamrocks to fun and festive motifs, all available for free download.In addition to the main website, Free SVG Download also has a store at store.freesvgdownload.com. At this users can browse through an even wider selection of SVG files. These resources are particularly valuable for those looking to add a unique and personalized touch to their St. Patrick’s Day projects without incurring additional costs. https://preview.redd.it/eecj4p4vvqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=93acedbdd41c5bfa6e393051848b918e7188487a Creative Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day SVG UseSt. Patrick’s Day SVGs are not just about adding a festive touch; they open up a world of creativity for personalized projects. Here are some innovative ideas for using SVG files from our repository:
https://preview.redd.it/sllq8vdyvqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=e1cd45c2e4c2e5d3b3c6cce331118a7cb1ffaffe Trending St. Patrick’s Day SVG Designs: From Classic to ContemporarySt. Patrick’s Day SVGs have evolved to include a wide range of designs, from traditional Irish symbols to contemporary and playful motifs. Here are some popular SVG designs that are trending and can add a unique flair to your St. Patrick’s Day projects:
https://preview.redd.it/6ju0qmx2wqgc1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5189cef1a01ab75cba464f2785e87c5afd29bc4 FAQs on SVGsThis FAQ section addresses common questions users might have about St. Patrick’s Day SVG files, offering insights and practical advice for their crafting projects.What are St. Patrick’s Day SVG files and how are they used? St. Patrick’s Day SVG files are digital designs themed around the holiday, used in various crafting projects like apparel, home decor, and paper crafts. They are compatible with cutting machines like Cricut and Silhouette. Are St. Patrick’s Day SVG files free to download? Yes, all of our resources in Free SVG Download are free to download. Are there any trending designs? Trending designs include Disney, leprechaun hat, lucky charm, and cheetah shamrock SVGs, offering a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Can I use St. Patrick’s Day SVG files for commercial purposes? No. All of our designs are for personal use only. What software or tools do I need to use SVG files? You’ll need a cutting machine like Cricut or Silhouette. Also, their respective software (e.g., Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio) to use SVG files effectively in your crafting. Conclusion: Celebrating Creativity with St. Patrick’s Day SVGsAs we conclude our exploration of St. Patrick’s Day SVGs, it’s evident that these designs provide a wealth of creative possibilities. Moreover, they provide opportunities for unique and imaginative projects suitable for crafters of all skill levels. From personalized apparel and home decor to distinctive gifts and educational materials, SVGs enable individuals to infuse a special touch into their St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Additionally, our websites, like Free SVG Download, offer a wide selection of free SVG files for your convenience. It easier than ever to access high-quality designs.Throughout our exploration of SVGs in crafting, we’ve witnessed their remarkable versatility. Whether it’s classic shamrock motifs or contemporary designs like cheetah shamrocks and Disney themes, these digital files accommodate a wide range of styles and preferences. Consequently, there’s a diverse selection to suit the tastes of every crafter. In conclusion, St. Patrick’s Day SVGs are more than just tools. They are gateways to expressing creativity and celebrating a beloved holiday in your unique way. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or just starting out, the world of our designs invites you to experiment, create, and share the joy of St. Patrick’s Day through your creations. Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more ideas and community engagement. |
2024.02.04 00:46 CazOnReddit A Speedrunner's Guide to the 2023/24 Toronto Raptors Trade Deadline: Trade Targets
 | No introduction since we're character limited, let's get started. submitted by CazOnReddit to torontoraptors [link] [comments] Pick N' Swaps Right, let's get the boring one out of the way. Part of the ongoing lawsuit between the Knicks & Raptors is over a series of "stolen documents" & if there's anything that the Raptors resemble the Knicks - besides their players - it's in the accumulation of draft assets. The Raptors aren't as pick heavy as one might think, notably due to lacking any second round picks - that 2019 championship team's bill is almost fully paid but the 2023 2nd traded to the Grizzlies (now owned by the Mavericks if i'm recalling where it's ended up) is still owed for Marc Gasol - & they lack pick control of their own. So it makes sense that they are seemingly in the midst of collecting young players on rookie deals & the next best thing via draft picks. Notably, they managed to nab 3 first rounders for Siakam & are seeking a 4th for Bruce Brown. Additionally, they grabbed a Detroit second that is likely to end up as the best pick on the second night of the draft. In terms of quantity that's not nothing but as far as the quality of the picks the Raptors are likely to own - barring a combination of a monumental collapse by the Pacers & the lottery balls launching their pick to 4th - the acquired ones aren't highly valuable. That OKC/Clippers pick in particular...it isn't going to be great. Salary-wise it might be decent since a late first is a low cap hit & thus can allow but strictly in terms of where it falls in this draft, it doesn't give you a high level of choice for the player(s) one can select & this draft is notably weak; it's frequently compared to the 2000 NBA Draft which is in the running for worst NBA draft of all time. https://preview.redd.it/mtkmyucpjagc1.png?width=1398&format=png&auto=webp&s=da1dc9414c89c313974c958cc1322c7f9ead888f This isn't the worst thing in the world given the Raptors have 2 - possibly 3 if they keep their own that's currently owed to the Spurs - firsts to use in this draft in addition to that aforementioned highly valuable second rounder from Detroit. However, the least valuable of OKC's multitude of firsts isn't going to be all that good of a pick on its own, hence looking for a right to swap picks. Why a pick over a swap? Well, there's a couple of reasons. For one, the 2024 draft in particular is highly concentrated amongst a few teams, namely the Spurs/OKC/Rockets/Knicks so that limits the number of trade partners one has for, say, a Bruce Brown or Dennis Schroder trade, irrespective of whether one of them or another player would be considered worth swapping picks. For another, a lot of those teams who do own their pick in 2024 - or in the Lakers case, might own their pick once they know whether the Pelicans will exercise their right to their 2024 1st or defer the obligated first to 2025 - can't directly trade it due to prior commitments i.e. the Suns can't trade their 2024 1st due to the Kevin Durant trade, the Mavericks can't trade their 2025 1st due to Tingus Pingus' trade from years ago, etc. A lot of these teams can, however, offer to swap picks, & while that is significantly less valuable than directly acquiring their draft capital, it can allow a crafty GM to move up in the draft to acquire a player.A recent example of this would be the Rockets, who traded Eric Gordon for a pick swap (fore reference, the asking price originally was a first for Eric Gordon) that allowed Houston to exchange their Bucks 2023 1st for the Clippers own first which in turn let them move up a whopping 10 spots (!) in the draft. Granted, the 2023 NBA draft looks to be an historic one while 2024's is up in the air if there's any player, let alone players, who will become a franchise-altering star of any sort. Of course, the Raptors don't need to get another pick or swap in this draft & there is always the possibility of stocking up on 2025 or 2026 capital to either let Toronto draft a young player in a draft they feel much stronger about or defer their draft capital usage until they can package them together to acquire a star player that pushes them closer to contention. That brings up the the more tangible portion of this discussion. While the current asking price of Bruce Brown is "1 first and a 'good player'", there isn't any reason to suggest that Toronto can't nor won't accumulate more picks/swap through trading any of their other, non-core pieces...and they have a pretty obvious means of doing so too. Bad (to the bone) Contracts The types of trades Toronto can make are easy to break down in to two categories:
There is one hitch in the "bad contacts" plan; there aren't a ton of overtly atrocious contracts on the books right now. To be sure, they do exist but the ones that do should not be expected to be on the move i.e. the Wizards are probably not moving Jordan Poole who holds arguably the worst contract in the league right now & the Blazers aren't likely to give up so soon on Deandre Ayton despite a disappointing debut in Portland. Likewise, Gobert or Dame's respective contracts might age poorly but it doesn't matter when their teams are in contention or hold the 1st seed in their respective contracts. That said, there are a few names to note & the teams that boast them could make for mutual trade partners given where they are & what they need. Some of them have circumstantial factors that make them less likely but none of them should be outright discounted. Let's get started. Ben Simmons Yes he had a good game recently - good by current Ben's standards anyway - but let's not forget how long Ben Simmons has been out. Or the player he's been ever since the infamous Game 7 against the Hawks. Or how much he's being paid. Besides Jordan Poole, Simmons is arguably the worst contract when one considers his production vs. how much he's being paid. Ben might be a more productive player than Poole but between that production coming with a salary that's going to demand a whopping $40 million in 2024/25 and the astounding amount of games Ben has missed due to back injuries, among other injuries since becoming a Net (i.e. not even accounting for injuries he suffered as a 76er or even in college), not to mention Ben's well-known issues on offense and regression on his defense, it's no surprise teams aren't lining up to acquire the former All-NBA, All-Star, All-Defense 6'10 PG. The chances he even comes close to those heights are microscopic and the contract he's coming with makes that a thoroughly unappealing risk when there's so little chance of a reward. The one benefit Ben does has compared to Poole, beyond being a better player when he does play (which isn't saying much, Jordan Poole is a contender for worst player in the league right now if one delves in to the advanced stats), his contract is only on the books for another season after this one. It's a lot of money to take on for said season since $40 million equates to roughly 28% of the cap for that year and said salary is going towards a player who's suited up less than 50 games over the last 3 seasons, but between the aforementioned weakness of the 2024 free agency class, a much stronger free agency class in 2025 and the players/picks Brooklyn could attach to dump Ben's contract, it's easy to talk one's self in to renting out said cap space for the young socialite to spend sometime in the 6ix if they're not confident they can sign...Jalen Smith or Nic Claxton? As for who could be included, the aforementioned Nic Claxton has popped up in trade rumors & with him being a flight risk due to him being an expiring, it's not impossible to see him on the move. Claxton is a good center. Switchable on defense & a superb shot blocker, he might not fit the role of a stretch 5 given how few 3 points he takes but his defensive impact is worth a potential flight risk...albeit said risk does come with caveat. Besides his free throw shooting percentages resembling Jakob's, Claxton is a difficult fit next to Poeltl & thus necessitates moving on from him, be it at the deadline or on draft night if the plan is for Claxton to be the team's center of the future and all the potential problems with fitting next to Scottie due to Nic's lack of a bag. He's also a significantly worse passer so one shouldn't expect to operate with Claxton at the top of the key like Poeltl can. Having said all of that, Claxton's availability may be overstated & the risk of him walking is very real given the aforementioned menial free agency class. Arguably, he's the best available roleplayer that one could see moving teams given O.G.'s expected commitment to the Knicks that led to him being traded. It's certainly not unfair to say he is the best center on the market; he's likely to command a heftier contract than what Jakob Poeltl earned. This isn't to say Nic is even the most likely player to pair with Ben as the Nets have two lengthy wings that haven't see much playtime despite the odd spot that Brooklyn finds themselves in. Both 2023 rookies, both relatively unproven 19 year-old wings, each drafted as polar opposites in terms of strengths. Noah Clowney was notable for his offensive upside as a 6'10 forward who showed a ton of promise on defense while Dariq Whitehead's defensive potential is just that; his scoring is far more developed. Between the two, Whitehead is a lot less appealing, having suffered from injuries in college & already requiring a surgery that is expected to end his rookie season with a mere 2 games to his name. Not to say that Clowney has played that much more - he's only hit the hardwood 3 games despite being available for more games than Dariq - but the Raptors are far more in need of size and defense than they are lacking in scoring threats. As far as draft picks go, Brooklyn has several firsts from the Suns - all of which are protected - and there is a 2029 Dallas 1st which could be valuable depending on what happens with Luka in this postseason, assuming the Mavericks even make it that far as they're stuck in the play-in. They also have access to some very distant firsts of their own but given their current predicament, it's unlikely they'd be willing to go for much longer without control of their own picks after the Harden trade backfired in spectacular fashion, not to mention the infamous trade made with the Celtics back in 2013. It's hard to say what the Nets in general will do at this year's deadline. They are in a weird spot where they can't tank due to lacking control over their own picks but have a slew of draft capital they could move either for a star or to retool their roster and keep them afloat so as to not give the Rockets a series of valuable lottery draft picks as Houston moves towards being a playoff team due to their own pick situation. If they are planning to make a move, Ben's contract can be used to fill out the roster with roleplayers who can keep them from being in the NBA's basement. TL;DR - The young socialite's contract is bad but only goes on for 2 seasons. Money is money though, and Ben is making a lot. The Nets can make renting out cap space for Ben's contract sting a lot less with the package they can create while the Raptors await to retool their bench in the 2025 offseason. Andrew Wiggins Something something Canadian. Now that we've gotten out of the way, let's talk about All-NBA Bad Contract 1st Team Andy. Wiggins is notorious for his chronic underachieving in Minnesota, notably being one of the reasons Jimmy Butler forced his way off of the Timberwolves in 2018. It's part of how Andrew wound up in Golden State, being moved in a salary dump for D-Lo and the pick that became the Kum Bucket (Yes that's Johnathan's real nickname). In Dub territory, Wiggins managed to turn his career around and while he may not have played well enough to be an All-Star starter, he was certainly playing like an All-Star. He was a key contributor to the Warriors 2022 title run and was indisputably the second-best player on the team that beat the Celtics in 6 games... ...and then the 2022/23 season happened. While Draymond Green's infamous assault on Jordan Poole is pointed to as the turning point for the Warriors season - and it was - the prolonged absence of Wiggins hurt a Warriors team that lost a significant amount of depth in the offseason and while they did end up making the playoffs, it was in spite of Wiggins only playing 37 games who did not look particularly good at that... ...and then the most recent season happened. It's a bit hyperbolic to say this is Wiggins worst season overall as i've heard many say but relative to expectations i.e. him being in his 9th year and making an All-Star appearance (regardless of whether it was due to K-pop stans) it is his most disappointing. His shooting has regressed, his defense has regressed and in general he doesn't look like the same player he was 2-3 seasons ago. There's been a lot of speculation as to why but the fact of the matter is that, after getting a notable extension that is easily the longest of any on this list at $109 million over 4 years - 3 not counting this current season - Wiggins has been an enormous disappointment for one and a half seasons with a notable chunk of change to his name for three more seasons - two if he turns things around since the third year is a player option but if he doesn't then one is looking at a trio of woeful Wiggins seasons. All of this is to say, Andrew Wiggins is a frustrating player. He always been gifted as a two-way wing but questions about his motogeneral effort dated back to his college days. The fact he's regressing this much despite being only 28 years old is only further evidence of that. As far as any sort of salary dump goes, Golden State isn't exactly heavy on the draft capital - they can only move one pick way down the line in 2028 due to a previously traded pick to the Grizzlies (now owned by the Blazers) that they're definitely not removing the protections on, light as they may be; it's Top 4 and with the Warriors being in the play-in race, it would be a baffling decision to pull off such a move barring a homerun trade or two that puts them back in to the playoff race in a bloodbath of a Western Conference. They could swap a pick or two any years between 2027 and 2029 instead but the aging core of the Warriors makes moving any sort of draft capital a highly risky endeavor. Thus, said swap(s) are likely to be heavy on the protections, as is likely the case with the Warriors were they to move their 2028 pick. To be blunt, a single first or a swap or two with heavy protections seems inadequate given just how long Wiggins contract will go on for. If Andrew can bounce back (more on that later) then it's a terrific buy-low opportunity but as far as the value he currently brings, the answer is none. That brings us to the young players. Or rather the one young player they might be amiable to moving. While Kuminga is unlikely to be moved and Podziemski is equally likely to be left untouched given he's the only young Warrior who's been given some leeway with Kerr's questionable coaching decisions, the Warriors have been seemingly less attached to Moses Moody; referring back to Steve Kerr, he bench the third year Warrior in a game where he went 4/4 from the field in the 4th quarter's opening minutes and was rewarded by being benched and watching Golden State blow the lead he helped to create in a loss against the Kings. Moody was the Warriors selection with their own pick in the 2021 draft and while he's no Sengun, who was available with the 14th pick, Moses has become a quality roleplayer of a shooting guard despite the lack of opportunity afforded to him. He's shown flashes of his defensive potential and while his shooting percentage does come with the asterisk of playing next to the greatest shooter of all time in Steph Curry, there's nothing about his form to suggest he's incapable of continuing to shoot a respectable 36% from 3, especially with some of the good looks that, in theory, Scottie could be able to get Moody as well as his teammates under the similarly pass-happy 0.5 offense system Darko has been successfully employing despite the recent assist streak being broken. Lastly, it should be acknowledged that while I don't have much faith in Wiggins rebounding from his last two mediocre seasons, he has the highest possibility of salvaging his value and, if nothing else he does fit a positional need on this team. Given how long Andrew is under contract for, it's not as though one will be free of him if he doesn't turn his career around in a season or two so there is a lot of risk that this move will backfire. His age makes him far from ideal for a fit next to Scottie and being a career 35.5% 3-point shooter isn't altogether impressive - especially when his few notably decent seasons have been in Golden State where one has to worry about Steph Curry more than Wiggins - but he can function as a placeholder as the Raptors restore their forward rotation after trading away O.G. and Siakam, not to mention how depleted it will be if Boucher is gone by the deadline. TL;DR - Wiggins is a positional fit but his long contract and current play makes him a hard sell with the Warriors lacking assets to dump his contract. John Collins For the other "buy low" wing option, we have John Collins, a player that Danny Ainge bought low on in the hopes of flipping him at the deadline that has backfired to the extent that John might be one of the few trades Danny has lost on given the former Hawks forward has not rebounded to his 2020/21 form. Like Simmons, John is not a bad player but while he would fill in the wide gap that is the team's forward rotation, he is overpaid for what he brings to the table and unlike Ben who is only on the books for this and the next season, John's final year on the books (2025/26) includes a player option he is almost certain to pick up and thus his $25.3 AAV contract is essentially there to stay for 3 years, counting the remaining season for one of those three years. There is a possibility his value could rebound but as of right now, he's a negative asset making a not insignificant amount of money; he's the Jazz's highest paid player right now and he's arguably their 6th best player, depending on how one feels about Kelly Olynyk. He's undersized to guard opposing centers but his skillset best suits him at the 5 instead of the 4. He's improved defensively in the past two seasons but his offense remains limited. As far as compensation for Collins' contract, the Jazz have a significant stash of draft picks they can part with, namely unprotected firsts from Cleveland or Minnesota; they aren't likely to part with any of their young talent due to them being in the midst of a rebuild with the only notable exception being the currently floundering Talen Horton-Tucker. That said, THT is himself making a not insignificant $11 million & thus is hard to truly consider a centerpiece of a Collins salary dump. Plus, it's an open question as to whether the Raptors front office still have any interest after the past two seasons of terrible THT play in the Mormon state. There is one notable obstacle to any sort of salary dump for John Collins. That would be the aforementioned GM of the Jazz, Danny Ainge. There are a few teams and/or GMs the Raptors and/or Masai Ujiri/Bobby Webster have never traded with & Ainge fits the latter for Masai/Ainge. Not only that but Ainge is notoriously stingy when it comes to trading draft picks; like Masai Ujiri he has never traded more than one first round pick in a single transaction though it should bear mentioning that Collins contract likely won't require more than that as compensation. As interesting as either one of Utah's two movable 2025 picks may be due to their respective team's unique circumstances i.e. Mitchell being unlikely to re-sign with Cleveland & the Timberwolves tax woes-to-be making it likely they will have to make trades in the near future, the Raptors being more likely to prefer players over picks does make a move with the Jazz far less likely than some of the other names on this list. Additionally, Utah's team is in a bit of a weird state where they could be buyers or sellers at the deadline given how good they've been of late and how valuable some of their roleplayers may be to a contender. TL;DR - John Collins is a standard bad contract for an okay player on a team that might not be incentivized to move him...yet. Davis Bertans (Sort of) Unlike the previous two examples, Bertans isn't really worth noting as a player even if the former two weren't exactly great to begin with. He's a non-shooter who got paid to shoot in Washington, he doesn't bring anything useful as a player & while he is overpaid, he functions as a semi-expiring as there is an early termination option that comes with a $5.3 million guarantee. For both the Thunder and any team that involves Davis as a trade piece, what can be included with him is more of note than Bertans himself because said team still has to a) either waive or buyout Bertans and b) either option will include paying the 2024/25 guarantee. For draft capital, take your pick. Literally. Whether it's one of their 4 2024 firsts with varying protections and quality, their tetra of 2025 firsts and no shortage of swaps or picks from L.A., not to mention a slew of seconds that could be highly valuable from aging cores currently in contention, there is no shortage to attach to Davis' contract. It is dubious that they would be willing to attach one of the more valuable picks, however, given how lightly protected the Rockets 2024 first rounder is, and barring a collapse from the 76ers their 2025 1st isn't likely to be all that valuable. With the number of picks & guaranteed salary the Thunder have along with the general roster crunch they experienced over the summer, they are more likely to move some of their current draft stash, albeit they may choose to defer their draft choices by moving their current selections in to a later draft a la moving a 2023 1st to acquire a 2029 Nuggets first rounder that is far more likely to be of value than the one they gave up. As far as young players go, the most obvious name is Ousmane Dieng. Unlike the Jazz who are in the midst of a rebuild, the Thunder may be more willing to part with one of their young players, namely due to Bertans being the only notable piece of salary filler they have on their relatively inexpensive roster to upgrade their team, & Dieng is the obvious non-draft pick Oklahoma could include given his place in the rotation has been suspect unlike other rookies/sophomores such as Jaylin Williams or Cason Wallace, neither of whom are likely to be available. Dieng is an interesting player. I wouldn't call him good - he's fallen out of the Thunder's rotation for reasons we'll get in to - having only played 22 games off the bench this season, and in fewer minutes than he did in his rookie season. That said, he has an interesting combination of size & skill as a forward. At 6'10 with an enormous 7' wingspan and a surpassingly fluid handle for said size, the former 11th pick in the 2022 NBA draft has a lot of potential as a two-way wing, & at 20 years of age he has plenty of time to make - and learn - from his mistakes to reach his ceiling. The key word is potential. Ousmane has a bad habit of shirking from contact & despite his incredible size & fluidity, he lacks aggression on defense; this is part of why he has a paltry 7 blocks to his lengthy limbs, not even coming close to an average of once per game with 0.4 blocks per game in his rookie season. Did I mention he's yet to get a single block in his sophomore season? He also has a habit of losing track of his man but that's unrelated to the lack of blocking or stealing even when given a leash. The other issue with Dieng is the complete lack of outside shooting. This was a problem dating back to his draft days & while he's seen a slight uptick in his 3-point shooting in both the G-League and NBA proper, going 30% on less than 1 attempt per game is uninspiring, to say the least. Their shot form isn't broken or anything, he's just not making his 3-pointers which, again, is why he's more likely to be on the move than the hot-handed rookie Cason Wallace. Still, Dieng does have one major point in his favor: For his size, he's an excellent passer that, although the assists may not jump out at first, could thrive in an offense than benefits from smart players who need to make quick decisions on the fly such as the 0.5 offense the Raptors are utilizing. A 6'10 playmaking wing is a valuable archetype on its own. The fact that Dieng can be all that & more if given a proper runway makes him one of the few young forwards that could fit in to a Raptors retool around BBQ if made available in a trade. TL;DR - Bertans is the choose your own adventure novel equivalent of trade pieces. There is a deal to be made & he doesn't eviscerate a team's future flexibility but his ETO is a penalty all the same. Richaun Holmes (Also sort of...but not really...but worth ment-look we'll get in to it momentarily) Fun fact: Holmes was one of the centers we were rumored to be interested in during the last season the Raptors had any notable cap space (2021, aka. post-Tampa). Regardless of how negotiations fell apart, the lack of signing seems like a blessing in disguise as unfortunate injury after unfortunate injury & an ugly custody dispute that involved allegations of child abuse & domestic violence from his ex-wife that we don't have a ton of time to delve in to have made Holmes a player wholly lacking in trade value. Needless to say it's not a surprise why Sacramento dumped him on the Mavericks in the 2023 draft. Here's the problem with picking Holmes as your bad contract trade target: Even if one sets aside what one chooses to believe regarding the allegations (said allegations resulting in a defamation lawsuit against the outlet that first reported on them & the court ruling in favor of Holmes for custody are not evidence in of itself of no wrongdoing on his part, but in terms of overall evidence, we aren't privy to the finer details of said allegations unlike, say, the very well known & public evidence of Miles "man who should absolutely be in jail & out of the league" Bridges & thus have only word of mouth to rely on; at the risk of derailing this section, I will say I believe the allegations are true but with the custody dispute over & no investigation into said allegations of abuse following the now settled lawsuit, we aren't likely to find out the specifics), it needs to be noted that the Mavericks are very unlikely to want to give up any of their young players or their sole movable first-rounder in any deal at this year's deadline - & that's just about the only way to convince any team to add the backup to Dwight Powell & a rookie Lively to their roster. One needs to understand that Dallas needs to simply wait until the offseason before they have far more flexibility in shoring up their team: If the Mavericks currently owed 2024 1st conveys to the Knicks in this year's draft (Top 10 protected), that gives them 3 first-round picks they can attach to Holmes' and/or another player(s) salary, & it is worth noting Richaun is an expiring deal in the 2024/25 season with a player option he's absolutely going to take. Dallas might not have a prime package to get another star next to Luka when their best young player [who is available; Dereck Lively is more or less untouchable at this point] but they could use their combination of newly freed up draft capital, contracts & young wings in Josh Green & Olivier-Maxence Prosper to bolster up the roster with quality roleplayers rather than risk Luka's dissatisfaction leading to a trade request. Much like Utah's Ainge's lack of trade history with Bobby & Masai doesn't preclude the possibility of a trade between the two, there isn't anything to fully eliminate the potential of a panic trade. Between the looming fear of Luka wanting out of Dallas & the team currently in the play-in race, they may have to make moves with what they have. What they have right now isn't nothing but much like when they were up for consideration as a Siakam trade partner, they don't have the most appealing of packages. Right off the bat, the sole first rounder they have access to in 2027 is hard to see them parting with given the aforementioned possibility of Luka wanting out, at least not with some notable protections. The Mavericks do have potentially useful seconds in the Raptors own 2024 2nd & a Miami 2nd in 2028, but beyond that, their draft capital is sparse for the moment. Though their young players aren't the most exciting names, they do have some potentially decent fits next to Barnes. Jaden Hardy is suffering from a sophomore slump - down from a hot 40% from 3 to 35.5% on less than one more attempt per game compared to his rookie season & in general less efficient from the field compared to last year - but he's equal parts affordable an option at the 2 if one is planning on moving Gary Trent Jr. & handles the rock decently as a tertiary ballhandler off the bench. His defense is unimpressive, however & on a team whose defense has fallen off of a cliff, he's not the most ideal roster addition. Speaking of slump, the recently extended Josh Green is not having the best season following said payday. While his 3-point shooting has quietly climbed back up to around what he shot last year, his general offense outside of taking & making 3s needs work & his defense, once a strong point of his, has also boarded the S.S. Regress & unlike his 3-pointer, his defense has not come anywhere near close to where it was a season ago. It's by no means atrocious - he's still a better defender than Jaden Hardy but it's not unfair to say that Josh has failed to follow through on his proclamations of stepping up for the Mavs defensively. While Hardy & Green are known entities, the 2023 rookie that Sacramento gave to Dallas when dumping, Olivier-Maxence Prosper is all question marks. O-Max was drafted for all the sort of qualities that the Raptors are known to love. He's a lengthy forward with versatility on defense but underdeveloped offensive capabilities. Prosper did shoot well from the line in two of his three college seasons - 82% & 73.5% in 2021/22 & 2022/23 respectively - but how well that will translate to the NBA or his skillset in general is hard to say; the 2023 rookie has played less than 10 minutes per game across 25 games & this include a stretch where the Mavericks were both banged up & in need of someone stepping up to keep their season afloat. It's hard to read too much in to what little he's played in Dallas as even the far more promising Dereck Lively has had his struggle with playtime due to Jason Kidd's notoriously inflexible rotations that prioritize playing their veterans over any promising young talent on the team. It is worth noting that Prosper is one of the few known players that had a workout with the Raptors but how much interest they have in him at the moment isn't known. It certainly wasn't enough for them to make a move on draft night to acquire him but who knows what deals, if any, fell through or if the Mavericks managed to nab him before a deal with another team was meant to be pulled off. Regardless of who one might be interested in, none of them are intriguing enough to consider them a steal if one manages to get any one of the three - & it's only one of them, there is no world in which the Mavericks part way with any more than that, if only because the Raptors are already strapped for roster slots without waving players - along with Holmes who'll more likely than not resume his benchwarming duties that he assumed in Dallas. TL;DR - Richaun Holmes is an option for a salary dump in theory but in practice Dallas may opt to make moves in the offseason & they don't have the most appealing players/picks to include in any deal. Killian Hayes So as said, there aren't a lot of obvious examples for a salary dump. A season or two ago, Fournier & Bertans were the go-to guy but it's gotten to the point where calling one of the few examples, that being calling Killian's final year of his rookie contract bad, is a stretch. He's essentially an expiring & while he could be made an RFA, there is neither an obligation nor justification to extend Hayes a qualifying offer. As bad as Killian has been overall, he's both young & not without his points of redemption. Notably, he's a decent defender & can handle the ball acceptably as a 2nd or 3rd string guard in the rotation. As a primary/secondary ballhandler in one's starting rotations? One only has to look at Detroit's current record to see how that has gone. That being said...$7.4 million is a still a lot of money for a borderline NBA player one would be taking a flier on, especially when the Raptors have another reclamation project in Kira Lewis Jr. & while any team picking up Killian isn't going to foot the entire bill for his salary, they do have to pay a not unsubstantial amount for a player who is likely to be out of the league come next season. The Pistons don't have a ton of draft capital to spare outside of a useful second rounder from Washington that is going to fall somewhere in the top 3 of the 2nd night of this year's draft but again, with Hayes' status as a salary dump candidate being questionable, it's hard to see Detroit including anything of note; even said valuable second rounder might be pushing it given the Spurs are allegedly interested in the distressed asset of a PG that is Hayes. The one interesting thing to note about Killian is that his salary would fit in nicely to the Raptors $10 million-ish trade exception & could potentially be used as a part of a larger trade to open up another trade exception in a similar manner to the O.G. trade exception opening up said $10 million exception as part of the Toronto Raptors. TL:DR - It's Killian Hayes, I refuse to elaborate. Emphasizing the L in TL;DR. Conclusion There you have it. With the Raptors prioritizing flexibility in what looks like a weak free agency class, the possibility of them taking on any of these players isn't altogether likely but it shouldn't be a surprise if they decide to make use of their many expiring contracts in about a week's time. Whether that's to take on bad money or make marginal moves to shore up the roster with what assets they do have remains to be seen. As for who could possibly be up for consideration for the latter, we'll touch on that next time. |
2024.01.19 01:06 therealtysmall Making NBA Award Picks A Month Away From All- Star Weekend...
With just a month away from the NBA’s All- Star Weekend in Indiana, it feels like a perfect time to have a gut check with where things stand regarding the league’s marquee yearly awards. On this edition, we examine which players have made the best statements (so far) for the Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach Of The Year, Rookie Of The Year, and League MVP accolades.
Most Improved Player: Coby White
This is the jump that NBA fans, especially those in the Windy City, have been waiting for. Since being selected with the 7th pick in the 2019 draft, White’s teased us with his elite scoring ability, but only in flashes. Prior to this season, his PPG peak was at 15/ game on less than flattering shooting splits. Sure, his role over the course of his first few yeras was a bit inconsistent, but we’ve always known that he had the potential to pop off the charts at some point.
This season is providing us with that moment. Though he hasn’t put up absolute All- Star numbers, his production is as good as ever, averaging a career high in points (18.5) and shooting percentages (45.2% FG and 40.2% 3PT). He took up the mantle as Chicago’s second (and some nights their first) go- to scorer during the absence of Zach Lavine and ignited some life into Bulls fans as they showed some solidity as a group during this span. Their 10-8 record without Lavine isn’t amazing, but it is a beacon of hope for the Windy City faithful. His 22.4 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 5.7 RPG average during the Lavine-less span sent a message across the league that he is finally starting to come into his own. He’s also made some solid strides this season as a defensive force on the perimeter.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Does he have a better case than Tyrese Maxey? I would say yes, and here’s why. I don’t think anyone expected White to explode quite like this, and for the longest, my perception of the MIP award was that there always had to be an element of surprise. We expected Maxey to have this sort of leap, especially with Harden’s offseason departure. Maxey already popped his 20 PPG cherry last season, so did his MIP window already pass? Alperen Sengun has a strong case as no one could have truly predicted his 21.5 PPG output, but we can honestly split hairs between him and White. Both of their teams (Chicago and Houston) are just about on the same tier as each other, with Chicago having a slightly higher ceiling due to their experience and larger array of talent. Nonetheless, since this is the signature leap that NBA fans have been waiting so patiently for, I’d still hand it to White. Now, for him to keep his spot at the top of the ladder, the Bulls would need to maintain consistency and he would need to do just the same with his production on the offensive end.
Defensive Player Of The Year: Rudy Gobert
I’ll keep this one simple. He’s the best defensive player on the best defensive team that’s also the best team in the Western Conference. Rudy Gobert’s case for his 4th DPOY is extremely compelling. It’s been very tough to agree with critics of Gobert. Sure, he isn’t the offensive maestro that Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic are, but name one season over the last 4-5 years where he wasn’t the centerpiece on an elite defensive team. You can’t. Having him on the floor guarantees a top five DEFTRG at least.
The Wolves are 5th in the league in opponent’s PPG and second in opponents’ field goal % within 10ft. That’s the Rudy Gobert effect. He’s got the paint on lock, no different than what we saw during his days in Utah. After a disappointing first season in Minnesota, Gobert is right back to showing off his value on the defensive end and has been instrumental to this team’s new grit and grind identity. For those who didn’t when Utah made him (at that time) the highest center of all time, remember this. Teams pay for what they value. If you value defense this much, then Rudy Gobert’s shown that he’s been worth every cent.
Chet Holmgren’s case is compelling, along with Bam Adebayo, but Gobert seems like the most obvious choice here given that he’s the marquee player on the league’s most frightening defense. I would love to put Wemby in this conversation, but DPOY is an award reserved for players on winning groups. Maybe next season…..
Coach Of The Year: Mark Daigneault
Mark Daigneault is the favorite here for this award. The Thunder are years earlier than expected in their development path, posting the 2nd best record in the Western Conference and the fourth best record in the league. They’re elite on both ends of the floor, and if you watch this team with blurry eyes you’d assume they’re a veteran group. They play with a level of maturity that one wouldn’t expect from the second youngest team in the NBA.
The individual talent development on this team has been amazing to see, and Daigneault’s system is has opened up the door for this. His creativity through his schemes and looks on both ends of the floor is optimizing the play of this young group, so much so that he’s got one guy in the MVP conversation, another in ROTY (and DPOY) debates, and one other who has a case for the MIP award.
Rookie Of the Year: Victor Wembanyama
I’ve been really into this year’s rookie of the year debate. Obviously, it comes down to Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. Everyone else is tiers below in this conversation. They both have been impressive in their own ways. On one hand you have Holmgren who is a high-level contributor on one of the best teams in the league, and on the other you have one of the most intriguing rookies in the history of sports living up to expectations and committing jaw dropping acts on a nightly basis.
Voters have a choice. Do we value Chet’s efforts on a winning team over the individual play of Wemby? Personally, since we rarely ever use winning as a factor in ROTY debates nor should it matter since a rookie’s assignment to his first team is never up to him, I’m going with Wemby. All of the things that we were told about him coming into the draft are true. He’s averaging 19.8 PPG on 46% shooting along with 10.1 RPG and a blistering 3.1 blocks which would make him a DPOY favorite if he was on a winning group. He’s had some of his most signature performances against the league’s most elite players, including a duel against Giannis Antetokoumpo which will be a game we look back at in years to come as he develops into a superstar. I mean come on… that late 4th quarter block against Giannis was ridiculous. Or how about the self- alley oop… or even that dunk he had on MLK Day vs the Hawks after the behind the back move… let me not get carried away. The fact of the matter is that Victor is delivering jaw dropping moments every time he touches the court and the consistent production is there as well. This team is so much better on both ends with him on the floor.
League MVP: Shai Gilgeous- Alexander
For this award, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander takes the cake. Joel Embiid has been a formidable opponent with his scorching scoring output, but he loses out to SGA due to relative availability.
Shai is averaging over 30 PPG in his second consecutive season along with an underrated 6.3 APG which is a career best. The individual output is there, but for the first time in his career these videogame- like numbers are translating to wins. The Thunder have solidified themselves as one of the best all- around groups in the NBA and have gotten signature wins against some of the league’s most elite teams. Shai especially had one of his best moments of the season with a scorching 36-point outburst against a Celtics group that boasts the top defensive backcourt in the NBA. Shortly before that, he dropped 34 PTS on the top ranked Timberwolves defense.
The biggest question now for SGA is whether or not this play can translate to the Playoffs. When OKC laces them up come April, is Shai ready to be that same takeover- level guy that we’ve seen him be in these last few regular seasons? Luckily, he isn’t without postseason experience. His first year in Los Angeles he was the starting point guard for a Clippers team in an intense first round matchup against the Kevin Durant- led Golden State Warriors. In his second season (and first year with the Thunder) he and Chris Paul worked well side by side in a 7-game bout against the Houston Rockets. Young players with prior playoff experience don’t usually have issues when it comes to stepping up as the first option in the Playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are perfect examples. They were role players during their earlier years, but once the short-lived Kyrie Irving era in Boston came to a close, they seamlessly took the helms and became top postseason performers, peaking with an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. Though their situations were different, Shai could still see success in the Playoffs as a first option due to the same reasons.
submitted by therealtysmall to u/therealtysmall [link] [comments]
Most Improved Player: Coby White
This is the jump that NBA fans, especially those in the Windy City, have been waiting for. Since being selected with the 7th pick in the 2019 draft, White’s teased us with his elite scoring ability, but only in flashes. Prior to this season, his PPG peak was at 15/ game on less than flattering shooting splits. Sure, his role over the course of his first few yeras was a bit inconsistent, but we’ve always known that he had the potential to pop off the charts at some point.
This season is providing us with that moment. Though he hasn’t put up absolute All- Star numbers, his production is as good as ever, averaging a career high in points (18.5) and shooting percentages (45.2% FG and 40.2% 3PT). He took up the mantle as Chicago’s second (and some nights their first) go- to scorer during the absence of Zach Lavine and ignited some life into Bulls fans as they showed some solidity as a group during this span. Their 10-8 record without Lavine isn’t amazing, but it is a beacon of hope for the Windy City faithful. His 22.4 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 5.7 RPG average during the Lavine-less span sent a message across the league that he is finally starting to come into his own. He’s also made some solid strides this season as a defensive force on the perimeter.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Does he have a better case than Tyrese Maxey? I would say yes, and here’s why. I don’t think anyone expected White to explode quite like this, and for the longest, my perception of the MIP award was that there always had to be an element of surprise. We expected Maxey to have this sort of leap, especially with Harden’s offseason departure. Maxey already popped his 20 PPG cherry last season, so did his MIP window already pass? Alperen Sengun has a strong case as no one could have truly predicted his 21.5 PPG output, but we can honestly split hairs between him and White. Both of their teams (Chicago and Houston) are just about on the same tier as each other, with Chicago having a slightly higher ceiling due to their experience and larger array of talent. Nonetheless, since this is the signature leap that NBA fans have been waiting so patiently for, I’d still hand it to White. Now, for him to keep his spot at the top of the ladder, the Bulls would need to maintain consistency and he would need to do just the same with his production on the offensive end.
Defensive Player Of The Year: Rudy Gobert
I’ll keep this one simple. He’s the best defensive player on the best defensive team that’s also the best team in the Western Conference. Rudy Gobert’s case for his 4th DPOY is extremely compelling. It’s been very tough to agree with critics of Gobert. Sure, he isn’t the offensive maestro that Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic are, but name one season over the last 4-5 years where he wasn’t the centerpiece on an elite defensive team. You can’t. Having him on the floor guarantees a top five DEFTRG at least.
The Wolves are 5th in the league in opponent’s PPG and second in opponents’ field goal % within 10ft. That’s the Rudy Gobert effect. He’s got the paint on lock, no different than what we saw during his days in Utah. After a disappointing first season in Minnesota, Gobert is right back to showing off his value on the defensive end and has been instrumental to this team’s new grit and grind identity. For those who didn’t when Utah made him (at that time) the highest center of all time, remember this. Teams pay for what they value. If you value defense this much, then Rudy Gobert’s shown that he’s been worth every cent.
Chet Holmgren’s case is compelling, along with Bam Adebayo, but Gobert seems like the most obvious choice here given that he’s the marquee player on the league’s most frightening defense. I would love to put Wemby in this conversation, but DPOY is an award reserved for players on winning groups. Maybe next season…..
Coach Of The Year: Mark Daigneault
Mark Daigneault is the favorite here for this award. The Thunder are years earlier than expected in their development path, posting the 2nd best record in the Western Conference and the fourth best record in the league. They’re elite on both ends of the floor, and if you watch this team with blurry eyes you’d assume they’re a veteran group. They play with a level of maturity that one wouldn’t expect from the second youngest team in the NBA.
The individual talent development on this team has been amazing to see, and Daigneault’s system is has opened up the door for this. His creativity through his schemes and looks on both ends of the floor is optimizing the play of this young group, so much so that he’s got one guy in the MVP conversation, another in ROTY (and DPOY) debates, and one other who has a case for the MIP award.
Rookie Of the Year: Victor Wembanyama
I’ve been really into this year’s rookie of the year debate. Obviously, it comes down to Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. Everyone else is tiers below in this conversation. They both have been impressive in their own ways. On one hand you have Holmgren who is a high-level contributor on one of the best teams in the league, and on the other you have one of the most intriguing rookies in the history of sports living up to expectations and committing jaw dropping acts on a nightly basis.
Voters have a choice. Do we value Chet’s efforts on a winning team over the individual play of Wemby? Personally, since we rarely ever use winning as a factor in ROTY debates nor should it matter since a rookie’s assignment to his first team is never up to him, I’m going with Wemby. All of the things that we were told about him coming into the draft are true. He’s averaging 19.8 PPG on 46% shooting along with 10.1 RPG and a blistering 3.1 blocks which would make him a DPOY favorite if he was on a winning group. He’s had some of his most signature performances against the league’s most elite players, including a duel against Giannis Antetokoumpo which will be a game we look back at in years to come as he develops into a superstar. I mean come on… that late 4th quarter block against Giannis was ridiculous. Or how about the self- alley oop… or even that dunk he had on MLK Day vs the Hawks after the behind the back move… let me not get carried away. The fact of the matter is that Victor is delivering jaw dropping moments every time he touches the court and the consistent production is there as well. This team is so much better on both ends with him on the floor.
League MVP: Shai Gilgeous- Alexander
For this award, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander takes the cake. Joel Embiid has been a formidable opponent with his scorching scoring output, but he loses out to SGA due to relative availability.
Shai is averaging over 30 PPG in his second consecutive season along with an underrated 6.3 APG which is a career best. The individual output is there, but for the first time in his career these videogame- like numbers are translating to wins. The Thunder have solidified themselves as one of the best all- around groups in the NBA and have gotten signature wins against some of the league’s most elite teams. Shai especially had one of his best moments of the season with a scorching 36-point outburst against a Celtics group that boasts the top defensive backcourt in the NBA. Shortly before that, he dropped 34 PTS on the top ranked Timberwolves defense.
The biggest question now for SGA is whether or not this play can translate to the Playoffs. When OKC laces them up come April, is Shai ready to be that same takeover- level guy that we’ve seen him be in these last few regular seasons? Luckily, he isn’t without postseason experience. His first year in Los Angeles he was the starting point guard for a Clippers team in an intense first round matchup against the Kevin Durant- led Golden State Warriors. In his second season (and first year with the Thunder) he and Chris Paul worked well side by side in a 7-game bout against the Houston Rockets. Young players with prior playoff experience don’t usually have issues when it comes to stepping up as the first option in the Playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are perfect examples. They were role players during their earlier years, but once the short-lived Kyrie Irving era in Boston came to a close, they seamlessly took the helms and became top postseason performers, peaking with an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. Though their situations were different, Shai could still see success in the Playoffs as a first option due to the same reasons.
2024.01.18 06:35 vNocturnus Let's get inside Monte's head to examine some "Realistically Likely™" trade targets this deadline:
I like to think about and analyze this kind of stuff just because I think it's fun, and the team's bipolar performance and constant trade buzz has certainly made a trade of some sort seem quite likely in the near future. But the obvious question is, who?
To answer this question there are, at a high level, three main points to consider:
We've seen time and time again how teams with a bit more size, length, and/or physicality can crush this team in the paint defensively, and teams that are elite at paint penetration absolutely eviscerate this team offensively. The biggest culprit here is that, 98% of the time, Domas (or backup center) is the only player that is consistently able to do any of: play with physicality; contest shots in the paint; grab a contested rebound. Aside from Len/McGee, Keegan and Lyles are the next best players on the team in these categories, especially on the defensive end, but one of those guys is a 2nd-year perimetewing player and the other is a ~20mpg tops bench player. Barnes, the current starting PF on this team, simply cannot affect shots in the paint and does not make any impact on the glass on either end.
Monk has the backup PG job absolutely locked down, at least for this season, so the Kings don't really need another bench ball handler. And for the most part, Len and McGee have provided a serviceable backup C "by committee" performance. An upgrade there is definitely possible, but not a priority imo.
(And for clarity here, when I say they don't need a "third star," I'm specifically talking about another big-ticket, high-usage, 1st/2nd option, on-ball type player. Guys like Siakam or possibly LaVine. There are certainly some players, like Markannen, Mikal Bridges, or the recently-moved OG Anunoby, for example, that some people would consider "stars" that would still very much be good options in a world where price was no issue. But those guys are elite off-ball and/or low-usage players that would be great 3rd/4th option kinda guys while also playing both sides of the ball. Basically super-elite role players.)
A couple reasons.
For one, and this is the biggest thing, the Kings might already have that guy on the roster. Keegan Murray has already shown that he is capable of playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball and impacting the game in a variety of ways on both ends, including as the #1 option on offense and when putting the ball in his hands to make a play. And it's not just a fluke; we've seen him do it more and more as the season has gone on. In all likelihood he will continue to get much better as the season progresses.
Here, let me show you a table that has all of the player-identifying data removed. (Also the 2p/3p attempt numbers, because that's pretty telling.) These stats are for, not in this order: Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, and Keegan Murray's 2nd-year seasons (well, 2nd half-season for Keegan). These are 3 of the most elite two-way All-NBA-caliber wing players in the NBA currently, plus Keegan Murray. Try to guess which row is Keegan's:
(And don't meta-game it by looking up Keegan's shooting splits for the season or some bs.)
Pretty damn similar numbers, I would say. Oh, and here's one other neat tidbit: Paul George and Jayson Tatum were both all-stars in their 3rd- and 4th-year seasons, at least 4 of the next 5 years, and virtually every year of their careers since. Kawhi took until his 5th year to become an all-star and really come fully into form but has been arguably the best of the 3 since, injuries aside.
Have you locked in your guesses yet? Alright, here's the order - I welcome you to click one at a time trying to find which one you think is Keegan:
Keegan Murray (32.7mp), Jayson . Tatum (31.1mp), Paul ... George (29.7mp), Kawhi Leonard(31.2mp)
The second reason I don't think the Kings need to rush out to pick up a star player is simple: situation, and age. The West is really strong right now, and for as much as people talk about "parity," the NBA as a whole is probably about as top-heavy as it's been in many years. There's no one single dynasty or all-time team, so there's parity in that sense, but the discrepancy between the best and the worst currently is higher than I can remember in quite some time. (We're looking at multiple teams on borderline-record loss pace.) The Kings are quite far, overall roster-wise, from making a serious push at that top level. Now, I'm not saying you should only ever try to become a contender when the rest of the league is garbage or anything. Far from it. But taking a swing at a title when you're barely a playoff team is just not smart business, especially for a smaller market team like the Kings that can't just count on superstars walking in the door in FA. They need to spend more time building first.
And fortunately for them, they have that time. Fox and Domas are just hitting what is likely going to be "close to" their peak production this year. Both are likely to make further marginal improvements over the next couple years before plateauing for a few years then gradually declining starting around age 32-33, assuming they follow a fairly normal career arc for star-caliber players. As discussed immediately prior to this, Keegan Murray could very well be right on the cusp of legitimate top-tier stardom. Assuming they stay on the roster, other key players like Monk and Huerter are also young and still (theoretically...) improving. And not only that, look at some of the teams fighting for the playoffs in the West right now: Lakers are old as shit. Warriors are old and on the brink of collapse. Clippers are old as shit. Within 1-2 years, it's likely that all of those teams will be completely out of the picture. Those are the teams that need to be searching for any possible "win right the fuck now" move, because their windows are teetering on slamming shut. The Kings' window just cracked open.
Teams like the Pistons, Wizards, Spurs, Blazers, and Hornets are the most obvious teams in this category this season. The Raptors have clearly also put themselves in this category with the OG and Siakam trades, trying to do a "soft rebuild" and reconstruct a new, younger roster around Scottie Barnes. The Bulls might be an underrated team on the edge of this category, as they pretty clearly aren't contenders and can't really make the moves to become one, but they also have had a history of obstinately refusing to join this category. They seem to be considering moving LaVine, but not DeRozan - from their posturing, it seems they think they fall in the next category. A final team to watch out for here is the Nets, who originally thought they could build around Mikal Bridges, but that hasn't looked so promising this year. They don't have an obvious path to contention with their current roster and might test the waters on how many assets they could get back in a reboot, but the fact that they currently don't own almost any of their own picks makes this a bit less likely.
Teams like the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns are prime examples of this type of team this year. The Hawks might be a sneaky team to keep an eye on in this category given they have some star players fully in their prime like Trae and DJM, but are still struggling to even play .500 basketball.
The one exception, of course, has been the Hali/Sabonis trade. Obviously, that's also been by far the most successful and impactful move he's made as GM of the Kings, but I don't think that's gone to his head. Ever since immediately after that trade, Monte has returned to his ways of making the "value" (aka "safe") moves over the "splashy" (aka "risky") ones.
Let's look at some of the players Monte has picked up via trade and how/where he got them from:
But Sabonis trade aside, there is one extremely strong common thread throughout all of the trades:
Monte loves to buy low on role players.
All of the players he brought in had either fallen out of the rotation on their teams, were being pushed out, or simply did not have a role or spot on the team at all. And in all of them - except for probably Tristan Thompson at the cost of Delon Wright, in hindsight - Monte traded an asset that was either virtually zero value to the Kings, or worth far less to the Kings than the player he got in return.
As mentioned above, the Lakers are a Cat-2 type team this season. Something is just not quite right on that roster or with that team in general, and it likely starts with a logjam of players at the forward position with very few reliable playmakers at the guard and/or wing positions. Rui hasn't completely fallen out of their rotation or anything, but Darvin Ham seems to favor Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and often even Jarred Vanderbilt over Hachimura - not to mention, he shares the same position as LeBron. He could probably be picked up from the Lakers for a very reasonable cost, and this might even be a team where a player like Davion could be an asset rather than just salary filler. (Not a centerpiece, but a needle-mover to some degree as opposed to an afterthought.)
Dorian Finney-Smith (SF/PF, Nets), Jock Landale (C, Rockets)
Dillon Brooks (SG, Rockets), Deni Avdija (SF, Wizards), Mikal Bridges (SF, Nets), Grayson Allen (SG, Suns)
Mainly, the big big limiting factor is the dearth of "real" assets the team has. "Huerter, Barnes, Davion" has been memed to death, but of those three players, only Huerter is likely to have any noteworthy value to most teams. A desperate Cat-2 team, like the Warriors, might want Barnes, but they wouldn't want him so bad as to give up really good assets on his account. Davion, let's be real, is probably worth about as much as a 2RP to most teams - maybe slightly more, simply because they'd be getting a 2nd-round talent immediately instead of in 1-5 years. And beyond those three? Forget it, Lyles and Vezenkov would be the only other players worth anything, and probably both only slightly higher value than Davion. Anyone else would probably be worth less than a 2RP. So that leaves picks. But the thing is, the Kings don't really have picks. They have no extras, and one of their own (likely this year's) is already accounted for thanks to the Huerter trade. So realistically the Kings have about 3 1RPs to work with, none of which will be very high value thanks to probably landing in the 20s range.
But another important thing to keep in mind is the "small market factor." Players on expiring deals should always be considered a flight risk, and players with overpriced contracts are an enormous burden due to the Kings basically never being willing to pay the luxury tax. Especially with the new, harsher tax rules coming next season (I think, maybe the one after), large contracts like Grant or especially LaVine will be extremely heavy burdens to the Kings, especially when Domas, Fox, and Murray will all be coming up for new contracts before their time with the team is done. The simple fact is that the Kings are not the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Heat, etc. that both have the desirability, revenue, and ownership buy-in to spend big bucks on big names. They never have been and never will be.
Anyways, I think that's enough from me. If you read through the whole thing, I appreciate you and hope you found it interesting. Obviously, things will start to heat up more and more over the next few weeks. I mentioned it at the start, but I do think the Kings will make some kind of move, and I hope I'm at least somewhat close to the pulse of the team with some of these predictions. If you agree or disagree with any of the post, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
submitted by vNocturnus to kings [link] [comments]
To answer this question there are, at a high level, three main points to consider:
- What are the Kings' primary needs?
- What types of teams might be looking to sell at the deadline, and/or what types of players might be generally available?
- And importantly, What type of move(s) is Monte actually likely to make?
Groundwork
The Kings' Needs
This is something that the fanbase and media have discussed at pretty great length. I'm not going to pretend I'm a professional basketball analyst here, but I'll give my summarized take. Based on what I've seen on the court this season, and importantly read or watched from various analysts that actually know the team (e.g. not national media hacks like Bill Simmons), here are some of the Kings' biggest needs, in no particular order:3&D type players that are actually good at both 3s and D.
Huerter, Barnes, Keon, Davion, Duarte, Sasha, and Lyles all effectively have the role of "3&D wing" on this team, but virtually none of them are actually good at both. Lyles is probably the only one that could be considered good "enough" at both, and he's not exactly elite at either. (Although, sometimes he does go unconscious from 3.) Throw in the fact that both starters in this category, Huerter and Barnes, have been extremely inconsistent at their primary strength which is offense, and you get a big jumble of players that just cannot meaningfully impact the game on both sides of the floor.A starting PF with real size and/or physicality that can play solid defense, especially help side interior, and fight for boards.
(Likely a guy that overlaps with the above category.)We've seen time and time again how teams with a bit more size, length, and/or physicality can crush this team in the paint defensively, and teams that are elite at paint penetration absolutely eviscerate this team offensively. The biggest culprit here is that, 98% of the time, Domas (or backup center) is the only player that is consistently able to do any of: play with physicality; contest shots in the paint; grab a contested rebound. Aside from Len/McGee, Keegan and Lyles are the next best players on the team in these categories, especially on the defensive end, but one of those guys is a 2nd-year perimetewing player and the other is a ~20mpg tops bench player. Barnes, the current starting PF on this team, simply cannot affect shots in the paint and does not make any impact on the glass on either end.
Bench depth at the "wing" positions (2-4).
Lyles and Monk are the literal only consistent bench players, and they also have super off nights here and there. Anytime either one of them is off (or unavailable), the bench can only be expected to score about 20 points or so and just won't make any impact on the game. There have been many games this season where 3+ starters and/or Monk have had to score 20-30+ just to keep a game close. In general, Keon, Davion, Duarte, Sasha, Edwards, and others have all been straight-up negatives in the majority of, if not all, games they have appeared in.Monk has the backup PG job absolutely locked down, at least for this season, so the Kings don't really need another bench ball handler. And for the most part, Len and McGee have provided a serviceable backup C "by committee" performance. An upgrade there is definitely possible, but not a priority imo.
Bonus: What don't they need?
Contrary to what seems to be a popular opinion on this subreddit and among the fanbase, as well as non-Kings media pundits, I don't think the Kings need to sell the farm to pick up a "third star." At the very least, definitely not this season.(And for clarity here, when I say they don't need a "third star," I'm specifically talking about another big-ticket, high-usage, 1st/2nd option, on-ball type player. Guys like Siakam or possibly LaVine. There are certainly some players, like Markannen, Mikal Bridges, or the recently-moved OG Anunoby, for example, that some people would consider "stars" that would still very much be good options in a world where price was no issue. But those guys are elite off-ball and/or low-usage players that would be great 3rd/4th option kinda guys while also playing both sides of the ball. Basically super-elite role players.)
A couple reasons.
For one, and this is the biggest thing, the Kings might already have that guy on the roster. Keegan Murray has already shown that he is capable of playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball and impacting the game in a variety of ways on both ends, including as the #1 option on offense and when putting the ball in his hands to make a play. And it's not just a fluke; we've seen him do it more and more as the season has gone on. In all likelihood he will continue to get much better as the season progresses.
Here, let me show you a table that has all of the player-identifying data removed. (Also the 2p/3p attempt numbers, because that's pretty telling.) These stats are for, not in this order: Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, and Keegan Murray's 2nd-year seasons (well, 2nd half-season for Keegan). These are 3 of the most elite two-way All-NBA-caliber wing players in the NBA currently, plus Keegan Murray. Try to guess which row is Keegan's:
(And don't meta-game it by looking up Keegan's shooting splits for the season or some bs.)
| MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P% | 3P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.7 | 6.0 | 13.0 | .464 | .554 | .376 | .559 | 1.3 | 1.7 | .800 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 15.9 |
| 31.1 | 5.9 | 13.1 | .450 | .483 | .373 | .506 | 2.5 | 2.9 | .855 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 15.7 |
| 29.7 | 4.3 | 9.7 | .440 | .472 | .385 | .510 | 2.2 | 2.8 | .802 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 12.1 |
| 31.2 | 4.5 | 9.1 | .494 | .554 | .374 | .556 | 1.8 | 2.2 | .825 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 11.9 |
Have you locked in your guesses yet? Alright, here's the order - I welcome you to click one at a time trying to find which one you think is Keegan:
Keegan Murray (32.7mp), Jayson . Tatum (31.1mp), Paul ... George (29.7mp), Kawhi Leonard(31.2mp)
The second reason I don't think the Kings need to rush out to pick up a star player is simple: situation, and age. The West is really strong right now, and for as much as people talk about "parity," the NBA as a whole is probably about as top-heavy as it's been in many years. There's no one single dynasty or all-time team, so there's parity in that sense, but the discrepancy between the best and the worst currently is higher than I can remember in quite some time. (We're looking at multiple teams on borderline-record loss pace.) The Kings are quite far, overall roster-wise, from making a serious push at that top level. Now, I'm not saying you should only ever try to become a contender when the rest of the league is garbage or anything. Far from it. But taking a swing at a title when you're barely a playoff team is just not smart business, especially for a smaller market team like the Kings that can't just count on superstars walking in the door in FA. They need to spend more time building first.
And fortunately for them, they have that time. Fox and Domas are just hitting what is likely going to be "close to" their peak production this year. Both are likely to make further marginal improvements over the next couple years before plateauing for a few years then gradually declining starting around age 32-33, assuming they follow a fairly normal career arc for star-caliber players. As discussed immediately prior to this, Keegan Murray could very well be right on the cusp of legitimate top-tier stardom. Assuming they stay on the roster, other key players like Monk and Huerter are also young and still (theoretically...) improving. And not only that, look at some of the teams fighting for the playoffs in the West right now: Lakers are old as shit. Warriors are old and on the brink of collapse. Clippers are old as shit. Within 1-2 years, it's likely that all of those teams will be completely out of the picture. Those are the teams that need to be searching for any possible "win right the fuck now" move, because their windows are teetering on slamming shut. The Kings' window just cracked open.
The Sellers and Sellees
So what teams and which players are likely to be involved in moves as this upcoming deadline approaches? Well, obviously, outside of a select 2-3 players per team, just about anyone could move at the deadline. But realistically, there are a few main categories that you "typically" see moves from at the trade deadline:1) The "Fire Salers"
The "obvious" trade deadline sellers are the bad, rebuilding, or about-to-be-rebuilding teams. Teams that know they have no chance and will typically look to trade players that are "valuable" currently, but don't fit their long-term plans or timeline. These teams want to trade "win-now" assets for "win-later" ones, whether that be draft picks or other young players who have development potential.Teams like the Pistons, Wizards, Spurs, Blazers, and Hornets are the most obvious teams in this category this season. The Raptors have clearly also put themselves in this category with the OG and Siakam trades, trying to do a "soft rebuild" and reconstruct a new, younger roster around Scottie Barnes. The Bulls might be an underrated team on the edge of this category, as they pretty clearly aren't contenders and can't really make the moves to become one, but they also have had a history of obstinately refusing to join this category. They seem to be considering moving LaVine, but not DeRozan - from their posturing, it seems they think they fall in the next category. A final team to watch out for here is the Nets, who originally thought they could build around Mikal Bridges, but that hasn't looked so promising this year. They don't have an obvious path to contention with their current roster and might test the waters on how many assets they could get back in a reboot, but the fact that they currently don't own almost any of their own picks makes this a bit less likely.
2) The "Pawn Stars"
Typically, the next common category of deadline sellers are teams that are doing a bit of both buying and selling. These are usually teams that are "on the bubble" of being contenders, that have some star players or at least excellent centerpieces, but they clearly aren't contenders as-is and don't have enough young pieces to try and reset for a "rebuild" aiming for a few years down the line. These teams will usually look to do one (or both) of two things: sell off as many "win-later" assets as they can to get some substantial "win-now" ones; and/or swap some players that don't fit their system for ones that fill a need.Teams like the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns are prime examples of this type of team this year. The Hawks might be a sneaky team to keep an eye on in this category given they have some star players fully in their prime like Trae and DJM, but are still struggling to even play .500 basketball.
3) The "Always on Sale"
Finally, rather than a specific type of team, certain players or categories of players are basically always available. Sometimes it's literally a singular player that a team has openly made available regardless of their situation, or somehow just seem to always be available. Jae Crowder is a guy that's been in this situation seemingly a few times over the last few years, for example. But more realistically, this consists of players that have simply fallen out of their team's rotation for one reason or another. Sometimes solid role players can just not fit with a given team, get traded, and immediately find success or make meaningful contributions in their new situation. Sometimes players that haven't really found their footing yet in the NBA can surprisingly do so with the help of a different coaching staff. Etc.Monte's Philosophy
I think we've all come to expect the "marginal" moves from Monte. He's primarily been the guy toiling away on the fringes, looking for disenfranchised players, players that don't fit, players that are worth more than their current team seems to be getting from them. His philosophy has been roughly the NBA equivalent of Moneyball.The one exception, of course, has been the Hali/Sabonis trade. Obviously, that's also been by far the most successful and impactful move he's made as GM of the Kings, but I don't think that's gone to his head. Ever since immediately after that trade, Monte has returned to his ways of making the "value" (aka "safe") moves over the "splashy" (aka "risky") ones.
Let's look at some of the players Monte has picked up via trade and how/where he got them from:
Trades
- Kevin Huerter.
Probably the second-biggest trade Monte has made. But also a kinda weird one, if you ask me. He got Huerter from the Hawks for what pretty much boiled down to just a single protected 1RP that will in all likelihood convey this upcoming offseason and be in the 20s. (Justin Holiday and Mo Harkless were also included, but were borderline out of the league even before the trade.) In theory, the Hawks at the time were roughly a Category-2 team (see above), but obviously didn't get any immediate value from the pick. Likely, they felt they had a logjam at that SG/wing shooter position and may have been hoping primarily to free up space and get a flippable asset to use on a bigger wing or forward. In any case, this was basically a Cat-2 trade for a role player. (Starter, but definitely role player.) - Trey Lyles.
At this point, Lyles may very well be the 3rd biggest, or at least 3rd most impactful, trade that Monte has made. He's firmly a part of the rotation and one of the more reliable players in his role that the Kings have. And of course, we all know how we got him: by trading the underperforming malcontent Marvin Bagley III to the rebuilding Pistons, who hoped that they could squeeze more out of him than the Kings did. Of course, they probably got even less than the Kings did and gave up a reliable role player in exchange. Big L there. But in any case, this was clearly a Cat-1 trade, again for a role player. - Sasha Vezenkov.
While his start with the team has been rocky, it seems likely that he will have a long future in the NBA. He has shown that his elite shooting will probably carry right over once he is adjusted, and his instincts on defense and on the glass have been excellent. His defense is still held back a bit by his slow feet and lack of athleticism, which will likely keep him as a bench player throughout his career, but he could easily develop into an extremely solid offensive + rebounding bench forward. I didn't even remember exactly what the Kings traded or with whom to get Sasha, so allow me to refresh your memory: the Kings traded a pick that would end up being #49 overall with the Cavs (they picked Isaiah Mobley, Evan's much-less-talented older brother) for the rights to Vezenkov, $1.75m in cash, and a 2nd-round pick swap. Sasha's rights were essentially thrown in as an afterthought; the cash and pick swap alone were already worth about the value of that late 2nd-rounder. This all amounts to what is essentially a Cat-3 trade - albeit for a player the Cavs didn't even actually have at the time - for a role player. - Kessler Edwards.
Kessler might not have a role on this team anymore, primarily due to his almost complete lack of offense, but he is still on the roster and originally showed some amount of promise in limited minutes last season. He occasionally gets subbed in at end-of-quarter possessions for defensive purposes. But the main point is how he was acquired: the Kings traded the Nets the draft rights to David Michineau (unlikely to ever see the NBA) in order to pick up Edwards and get some cash back. At the time, the Nets were a Cat-2 type team, though of course they aren't any longer. But this wasn't a Cat-2 type trade, as Kessler basically never saw minutes for the Nets. They essentially dumped a player who was warming their bench to the Kings to free up cap and roster space, making this much more of a Cat-3 type trade. But if you want to nitpick, call it a Cat-2.5. Either way, once again for the rolliest of role players. - Chris Duarte.
Similar to Edwards, Duarte has found his role ever-diminishing due to lack of offensive output. He was meant to fill TD's role as a 2-way 2-guard off the bench that could fill in for a consistent 10-15 minutes and push that number to 20-30 when he gets hot. But... he never got hot. He never even played with consistency. Either way, the Kings got him from the Pacers for a couple far-off 2RPs in '28 and '30, the former of which wasn't even the Kings', it was the Mavs'. Given that Duarte had fallen out of the Pacers' rotation and plans, this boiled down to a pretty cheap Cat-3 trade for a role player. - Delon Wright.
Obviously long gone by now, but Delon played pretty well for the Kings in one of the final doomed seasons of the drought. The price? A washed Cory Joseph and another couple 2RPs, once again only one belonging to the Kings. (The other was originally the Lakers'.) Surprisingly, CoJo lasted quite a while on the Pistons - longer than Wright on the Kings, if memory serves, who himself was traded as part of a deal that brought in Tristan Thompson to the Kings, from the Celtics as part of a 3-team trade. The acquisition of Delon essentially boiled down to a Cat-1 trade for a role player, while his subsequent dealing away was moreso a Cat-2 trade for a role player.
Analysis
As we can see, Monte loves dealing with teams and picking up players from all three of the above categories. (For what it's worth, the Hali/Sabonis trade would probably be considered a Cat-1 type trade. Pacers were clearly entering rebuild mode until Hali turned out to be their centerpiece/star of the future.)But Sabonis trade aside, there is one extremely strong common thread throughout all of the trades:
Monte loves to buy low on role players.
All of the players he brought in had either fallen out of the rotation on their teams, were being pushed out, or simply did not have a role or spot on the team at all. And in all of them - except for probably Tristan Thompson at the cost of Delon Wright, in hindsight - Monte traded an asset that was either virtually zero value to the Kings, or worth far less to the Kings than the player he got in return.
Putting it Together
So, now that we got all of the homework out of the way and understand what types of players might be available and what type of players Monte likes to target, where do those models cross over with actual teams and players in the NBA right this minute? Well, this section might actually be a lot shorter than the prior, even though ostensibly this section is what the post is "about." The main reason being, I'm not a professional NBA scout. I don't have the time or knowledge to assess all 29 other teams in the NBA, plus some G-league players, and think about every possible player the Kings could target. That said, I do have a few thoughts:Some Likely Players
Rui Hachimura (PF, Lakers)
Rui is a guy I've kinda liked since before the Lakers ever picked him up. He's been mentioned occasionally by analysts, pundits, and fans that have discussed Kings roster moves over the last couple years. The reason is pretty simple - he's a young player that's shown to be capable of doing just about everything on the basketball court and has flashed some incredible potential at times, including in the playoffs. He has good size and athleticism, can shoot pretty well off ball, create his own shot, score at all three levels, plays solid defense, and rebounds pretty well. As a key rotation player and spot starter in the playoffs last season, he was a huge spark for the Lakers in several games and lit it up from 3 while making consistent hustle plays. He's kinda like a better, younger version of Trey Lyles or a younger, slightly bigger and far more assertive version of Harrison Barnes currently. He could quite likely slot directly into the starting PF position and immediately improve the team's defense, rebounding, and flow on offense. And if not, he'd instantly be the second- or at worst third-best player off the bench.As mentioned above, the Lakers are a Cat-2 type team this season. Something is just not quite right on that roster or with that team in general, and it likely starts with a logjam of players at the forward position with very few reliable playmakers at the guard and/or wing positions. Rui hasn't completely fallen out of their rotation or anything, but Darvin Ham seems to favor Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and often even Jarred Vanderbilt over Hachimura - not to mention, he shares the same position as LeBron. He could probably be picked up from the Lakers for a very reasonable cost, and this might even be a team where a player like Davion could be an asset rather than just salary filler. (Not a centerpiece, but a needle-mover to some degree as opposed to an afterthought.)
Aleksej Pokusevski (PF, OKC)
I had my eye on Poku at last year's deadline. I thought he could be an excellent complementary player to Domas in overlapping rotations and just a really solid bench piece in general. At one point last season he was leading the entire NBA in some key block stats (can't remember which, apologies) despite being a bench PF. His career shooting numbers are poor but he was approaching a 40% or at least high-30s% 3pt shooter last year before an injury to his shooting arm. He's also struggled with injury this year and has played only 7 games so far. Based on some feedback from Thunder fans, it seems like he's just never fully recovered from his injury yet. Don't get me wrong, Poku would be a very long shot and probably wouldn't contribute this year. But he's only 22 still, and buying now is about as low as you can buy on a player. A single 2RP or random benchwarmer would likely be enough to pick him up as a Cat-3 type player, if not even less than that, and he could have some very solid upside as a 3&D 7-foot wing player if he recovers.Matisse Thybulle (SG, Blazers)
Thybulle is a prototypical 3&D player. On the Sixers, he was known as one of the best on-ball perimeter defenders in the entire NBA, but he simply couldn't seem to find any real shooting consistency, at an appalling ~32%-ish over his time in Philly on barely over 2 attempts. In Portland, however, he seems to have found new life as a shooter - shooting about 38% on 4 attempts per game from 3 during his Blazers tenure, while still playing extremely solid defense. Now obviously, as mentioned, the Blazers are likely to be a Cat-1 type team this year. So any player that isn't obviously in their "core of the future" - pretty much just Simons, Sharpe, Scoot, Ayton? - could be on the trade block. Matisse looks to be about the 7th-8th guy in their rotation but has started some games when filling in for injury - basically just barely above the role that Duarte has for the Kings. So likely, it wouldn't cost too much to pry him away from Portland. However, I think Thybulle is a much better player than Duarte. His defense is better, his shooting is better, and he's the same age. He could easily, once again, become the 2nd-3rd best player off the Kings' bench and/or slide into the starting lineup depending on other moves. Either way, he could fill a huge need for the Kings of 3&D players that are actually good at both.Alex Caruso (SG, Bulls)
Now, obviously, Caruso will be in demand for many, many teams around the league. Including the Bulls themselves! They seem to be deluded into thinking they're just a couple moves away from being contenders again, so they might not want to part with an extremely versatile glue guy like Caruso. But maybe as the deadline approaches, they might fall ass-backwards into some sense and start acting like a Cat-1 team, making basically anyone over the age of 25 available for trade. Caruso is almost 30, meaning he's in a decent age bracket for the Kings, but not a rebuilding team. If the Bulls can be convinced to move from Caruso, he'd be basically a better version of Thybulle - all-defensive caliber defender that can guard 1-4 (well, some 4s) while shooting ~40% from 3, making hustle plays, and crashing the boards. He's one of the best 3&D guards in the NBA, and I imagine Monte has probably kept just about a constant open line of communication surrounding a player like him. The only things holding this back are the aforementioned high desirability across the league, and the Bulls FO being delusional. If he does get moved, and Kings win the sweepstakes, I'd imagine he'd take the starting 2 spot with Huerter sliding down to augment the bench depth or being traded as part of this or another deal.Moses Moody (SG/SF, Warriors)
The Warriors are on the brink of blowing everything up to try and frantically rebuild one last contending roster around Steph. (Personally, I think they should go in the other direction from a basketball perspective and trade Steph to bring in one of the biggest rebuild war-chests of all time. But that probably doesn't make as much money in the next quarterly report.) Moody is a guy that could potentially have ended up on the block as a Cat-3 type player anyways, seeing as he's fallen out of the rotation a bit with some DNPs and being left to rot on the bench in key moments even when playing well. But now, the Warriors will be looking to trade probably every young/"win-later" asset they have to reconstruct a "win-now-hopefully" roster around Steph. Moody isn't an elite player by any means, but he's a young player that's showed a fair amount of promise as a versatile two-way player with decent shooting, rebounding, and defense. Ironically enough, HB might be just the type of player the Warriors are looking to acquire, and the Kings might even be able to get more than just Moody out of them in general.Kyle Kuzma (PF, Wizards)
Kings were rumored to be linked to Kuzma in the offseason. At first, when he signed the deal he did and the Kings got HB for the deal he signed, most people probably breathed sighs of relief. Kuzma is earning $8.5m more this season at $25.5m total, and Barnes had been solid for the last several years straight! Kuzma wouldn't have been much of an upgrade and might have played too selfish a style of basketball for the Kings system. But then the season came, and Barnes went. His production has dropped off a cliff so completely that even his first couple years in the league look pretty good from where he is now. And meanwhile, the Wizards are a clear Cat-1 type team, Kuzma is continuing to play pretty solid basketball, and his contract doesn't look nearly so bad - especially since it's descending, while the cap is increasing year over year. He's earning less than 20% of the cap this year and will decrease to barely 11% by the last year of his contract. He's got some really solid size and length and is a competent player on both ends of the ball. Sure, he's playing pretty "fuck it, chuck it" basketball over in DC right now. But have you seen that team? It's a disaster. He's effectively the 1st option on that roster, where he'd be probably the 4th or at best a co-3rd in Sac. He's been a role player before, in LA, and did well in that role. He might not want to go back to playing that kind of role, but that's something you should be able to get on the phone and find out before locking in a trade. If he's willing to take a clear backseat to Fox and Domas and potentially behind or trading off with Murray, he'd be a really solid pickup. If he's not willing? Oh well, good luck in DC.Danilo Gallinari (SF/PF, Pistons)
Here's an oddball one. Hear me out. Gallo might be getting old (35), but he was basically just traded from one young, rebuilding trash heap (Wizards) to another. He's been a bit down the past ~1.5 seasons, but as recently as a couple years ago he was a really solid bench scorer, and just a year before that he was still among the upper echelons of bench scorers. He doesn't play "big," but he is 6'10" with some length to get in passing lanes and is still a great shooter. If the Kings like what they have in Vezenkov, then this probably doesn't make much sense, but Gallinari would play a very similar role with a lot more experience - and so far, MB doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of Sasha. Kings could also bring in Gallinari on a 1-2 year basis for Sasha to play behind and learn from, as a successful 13-year vet in a similar vein of player. The main thing here is that the Pistons would likely give him away basically for free, so he might be worth a flyer - which is right in Monte's wheelhouse. That said, I put him last on the list because I think he's probably one of the last guys the Kings would target among all of these players, so I doubt we'll see his name in purple anytime soon unless they strikeout bigtime on other guys.(edit) Some Extras
Adding some names that I saw in the comments section once or twice that fall into this category, imo. Ctrl+F the comments and you can probably find the thread(s) discussing them pretty easily.Dorian Finney-Smith (SF/PF, Nets), Jock Landale (C, Rockets)
Some Unlikely Players
I wanted to talk about just a couple or so other guys here. These are players that I think would probably be pretty good fits for the Kings due to their skill sets, could probably be available for trade, and would fit the Kings' timeline, but for one reason or another, I don't see them being realistic targets. Nothing against these players, and some I might even be happy or elated to have - but this is likely not the season we'll see any of these guys. (Inb4 the Kings announce a trade for one of these guys less than a week after posting this.)Jerami Grant (SF/PF, Blazers)
Back to the Blazers again. I have mixed feelings on Grant. For one, he's a very talented player, still under 30 so he's got plenty of good years left, is a talented defender and shooting over 40% from 3 on solid volume, and absolutely shits on the Kings every time we play him. But on the other hand, he's a high usage player that's even smaller than Murray or Barnes, meaning he may take critical touches away from Keegan as he hopefully progresses towards being an all-star, while simultaneously doing nothing to fix the Kings' glaring issues with size. But the biggest reasons I don't see the Kings making a move on Grant are: a) he's the Blazers best tradeable asset as a Cat-1 team, meaning he will have a potentially very high price in picks or other young talent, especially considering his current contract lasts through 26-27 with a player option for 27-28; and b) his aforementioned contract is currently ~$28m and increases by ~$2m per year over the whole contract. Grant would be a very expensive player both to acquire and to keep, and while he'd likely be good on the Kings, I have serious doubts that he'd be much better than Keegan even by just next year, in an extremely similar role, that costs over 2x as much. (Assuming a world in which Grant doesn't come to the Kings and cannibalize Murray's touches.)Zach LaVine (SG, Bulls)
Aaand back to the Bulls again. Unlike Grant, I do think LaVine would be a pretty much outright great fit on the Kings. While he is definitely capable of and has shown a desire to play as a pretty ball-dominant self-creating player, he has also proven to be an elite off-ball offensive threat. He may not be an elite defender, but he has very solid athleticism and decent length and would be a clear upgrade on that end - and really, both ends - over Huerter, the guy he'd directly replace. And he's only a year older than Domas, so plenty of solid career left (barring injury issues). But yet again, LaVine is likely the Bull's best trade piece if they truly want to be a Cat-2 team. (DeRozan would likely demand more assets if they truly wanted to blow it up as a Cat-1, but again... don't seem to want to.) He can fit on literally any roster as a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th option type player and is versatile on both ends of the floor. Monte likely won't feel good about paying the kind of price he will likely demand, especially considering... That absolute albatross of a contract. He is currently earning $40m, about 30% of the salary cap, and that number will increase by ~$3m per year through 25-26 (with a player option for 26-27) to maintain that 30% figure. He would be by far the highest-paid player on the roster by about $10m/year over Fox despite becoming the team's 3rd option. And if we again expect Keegan to develop, something that LaVine likely wouldn't interfere with unlike Grant, Zach could easily be making $46m/year as the team's 4th option by the last year of that contract (not counting the option year - $49m for that one). Unless the Bulls bite an enormous bullet and do some kind of cap-sharing or contract buyout magic that would allow the Kings to pick him up with only a ~$20-30m max cap hit over each year of his contract, his contract would enormously financially cripple the Kings without realistically making them a true Finals contender. I just don't see Monte in on that.(edit) Some Extras
Adding some names that I saw in the comments section once or twice that fall into this category, imo. Ctrl+F the comments and you can probably find the thread(s) discussing them pretty easily.Dillon Brooks (SG, Rockets), Deni Avdija (SF, Wizards), Mikal Bridges (SF, Nets), Grayson Allen (SG, Suns)
Limiting Factors and Conclusion
Lastly, I just wanted to highlight a couple potential limitations to any trades the Kings might make.Mainly, the big big limiting factor is the dearth of "real" assets the team has. "Huerter, Barnes, Davion" has been memed to death, but of those three players, only Huerter is likely to have any noteworthy value to most teams. A desperate Cat-2 team, like the Warriors, might want Barnes, but they wouldn't want him so bad as to give up really good assets on his account. Davion, let's be real, is probably worth about as much as a 2RP to most teams - maybe slightly more, simply because they'd be getting a 2nd-round talent immediately instead of in 1-5 years. And beyond those three? Forget it, Lyles and Vezenkov would be the only other players worth anything, and probably both only slightly higher value than Davion. Anyone else would probably be worth less than a 2RP. So that leaves picks. But the thing is, the Kings don't really have picks. They have no extras, and one of their own (likely this year's) is already accounted for thanks to the Huerter trade. So realistically the Kings have about 3 1RPs to work with, none of which will be very high value thanks to probably landing in the 20s range.
But another important thing to keep in mind is the "small market factor." Players on expiring deals should always be considered a flight risk, and players with overpriced contracts are an enormous burden due to the Kings basically never being willing to pay the luxury tax. Especially with the new, harsher tax rules coming next season (I think, maybe the one after), large contracts like Grant or especially LaVine will be extremely heavy burdens to the Kings, especially when Domas, Fox, and Murray will all be coming up for new contracts before their time with the team is done. The simple fact is that the Kings are not the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Heat, etc. that both have the desirability, revenue, and ownership buy-in to spend big bucks on big names. They never have been and never will be.
2023.12.24 01:37 naveedhahmad The Toronto Raptors are in an interesting position – even if they trade no one
To be clear, the perfect situation to me is for the Toronto Raptors to gel perfectly, win 50+ games and beat the Sixers, Celtics and Clippers on the road to the 2023-2024 NBA Championship. But that’s not happening this season, and after reflection, I’m OK with it.
In fact, I think they are in a really interesting position, for 2 primary reasons:
Roster Flexibility
That’s actually pretty interesting, and dare I say it, exciting.
submitted by naveedhahmad to torontoraptors [link] [comments]
In fact, I think they are in a really interesting position, for 2 primary reasons:
Roster Flexibility
- The Toronto Raptors need to win enough games to get a R1 pick somewhere between 7-30. I think winning 30-35 games is the sweet spot to safely be Pick 7 or after. I want them to just lose the R1 pick next year and not have it hanging over their head. Once it is gone, all they owe is a 2025 R2 pick to San Antonio
- Absolute worst-case scenario this offseason, we lose Pascal, OG, GTJ and Precious for nothing. I think it’s less than 5% chance that’s going to happen, but let’s say it does happen. Then we have a ton of cap space and probably pick up a bunch of T2/T3 players (similar to Schroder) to fill out the roster, and whatever the 2024-2025 roster is can truly embrace tanking under Scottie, leading up to a strong 2025 draft, without any restraints
- What is more likely is that some of those 4 players stay whereas others will leave. The ones who stay will inevitably have: (a) signed at a price that Toronto is willing to pay (b) bought enough into Darko’s system. Frankly, I would rather have that happen than the Raptors sell our best players off from a place of weakness or fear.
- We’re going to find out not only who buys into Darko’s system, but has the ability to play in it. I do think if Darko played the hot hands a bit more (e.g. sticking with the Scottie + bench lineup at the end of the Nuggets game), we might have a few more wins, but I suspect he is more interested in setting up a consistent system and seeing who can play in it. He has that right, especially in his first season. Someone I think who has learned to adapt well to Darko’s system so far is Pascal. Someone who seems to be struggling? Precious
- Additionally, as far as first seasons, look at the Magic and Thunder records when their current coaches were in their first season – way worse. Now people are singing praises for their systems, especially for Jamahl Mosley in Orlando. Of course it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but there's enough similarity for me to exhibit patience with Darko while he establishes himself
That’s actually pretty interesting, and dare I say it, exciting.
2023.09.06 08:38 Deilume [TOMT] [CD-album] [1990s-2000s]
I’m looking for a CD-album of bagpipe music. I got this CD in early to mid 2000s, but I also lived in Russia, so technically it could have been not the newest release, cause the musician was definitely foreign.
The CD itself looked like this: it was very blue, like day sky blue, and it had a young man’s face on it (maybe the man was actually posing in front of the sky). Pretty sure he was a brunet with short hair. On the backside he was sitting on e rock, I think. Like, looking into the distance. I think he was wearing black shirt-black trousers; but maybe it was shirt and jeans. Anyway it was something inconspicuous, no bold colors.
The music itself was bagpipe music. Not traditional/ethnic music, more like some modern fusion. Plenty of other instruments, drums, maybe some acoustic guitar or harp, but bagpipe was centerpiece. No lyrics (although some tracks had voice chants). The first track was very fast paced, the third one was very mellow; there were around 10 tracks in tots, I think, +/-2. The vibe is less modern hits with ethnic instruments and more soundtrack to a vaguely Celtic fairytale.
I’m sure the dude on the Album cover was not only the musician, but also the composer?
Please help, I don’t remember anything else: not musician’s name, not cd‘s name, not songs’ names.
submitted by Deilume to tipofmytongue [link] [comments]
The CD itself looked like this: it was very blue, like day sky blue, and it had a young man’s face on it (maybe the man was actually posing in front of the sky). Pretty sure he was a brunet with short hair. On the backside he was sitting on e rock, I think. Like, looking into the distance. I think he was wearing black shirt-black trousers; but maybe it was shirt and jeans. Anyway it was something inconspicuous, no bold colors.
The music itself was bagpipe music. Not traditional/ethnic music, more like some modern fusion. Plenty of other instruments, drums, maybe some acoustic guitar or harp, but bagpipe was centerpiece. No lyrics (although some tracks had voice chants). The first track was very fast paced, the third one was very mellow; there were around 10 tracks in tots, I think, +/-2. The vibe is less modern hits with ethnic instruments and more soundtrack to a vaguely Celtic fairytale.
I’m sure the dude on the Album cover was not only the musician, but also the composer?
Please help, I don’t remember anything else: not musician’s name, not cd‘s name, not songs’ names.
2023.08.31 18:36 efranklin13 [Hudrick] “Embiid trusts Morey and managing partner Josh Harris…He also feels a loyalty to the organization for the way they supported him early in his career. He’s genuinely excited to play for new head coach Nick Nurse, per league source. The non-Harden vibes with the Sixers as a whole are good.”
Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/8/29/23842883/joel-embiid-sixers-james-harden-trade-request-daryl-morey-tyrese-maxey-nick-nurse
submitted by efranklin13 to nba [link] [comments]
Would Embiid like to have Harden back? Sure. The 10-time All-Star helped Embiid land his first MVP. Harden gave Embiid his first competent half-court playmaker since Jimmy Butler. And, yes, the Sixers ultimately lost to the Celtics in an embarrassing Game 7, but they were on the precipice of the Eastern Conference Finals with a lead late in Game 6. Because of the way the team has plateaued in the second round, it might be hard to view them as close, but they were.
With all that said, this doesn’t feel like a situation where Embiid is hanging on every Harden update, letting what happens with that situation decide his own fate. As ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne recently reported, Embiid is “happy to be a Sixer.” Despite all the noise, Embiid is gearing up for this season, with Harden or not.
Embiid is kept in the loop on all the things the Sixers are doing. He knows the team could open up a max cap slot for next offseason and the players that could be available. He knows that Morey is not secretly hoping for a rebuild, as other reports have suggested. Teams like the Knicks and Heat might be “monitoring” the situation, but the Sixers aren’t taking any calls. They’re all in on Embiid as the centerpiece of the franchise.
Embiid trusts Morey and managing partner Josh Harris, according to a league source. He also feels a loyalty to the organization for the way they supported him during the early trials of his career.
Presently, Embiid is where he wants to be and he’s gearing up to play with Maxey and the rest of the group Morey assembles. He’s genuinely excited to play for new head coach Nick Nurse, per a league source. The non-Harden vibes with the Sixers as a whole are actually good.
2023.08.26 14:18 LALakers4Lyf How would you rank the NBA champions of the 2000s from 1st to 10th?
Basis for Main Superstar or Star: Who was the centerpiece of the championship team?
Basis for Secondary Star: Who was more of a compliment to the Main Star but also won their own accolades and showed up on the box score?
Basis for Primary Role Players: Who averaged consistent double-digit minutes in the playoffs and played most of the games?
submitted by LALakers4Lyf to nba [link] [comments]
Basis for Secondary Star: Who was more of a compliment to the Main Star but also won their own accolades and showed up on the box score?
Basis for Primary Role Players: Who averaged consistent double-digit minutes in the playoffs and played most of the games?
- 2000 Lakers: 67-15 Reg Season, 15-8 Playoffs
- Main Superstar: Shaquille O'Neal
- Secondary Star: Kobe Bryant
- Primary Role Players: Glen Rice, AC Green, Ron Harper, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw
- HC: Phil Jackson
- 2001 Lakers: 56-26 Reg Season, 15-1 Playoffs
- Main Superstars: Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant
- Primary Role Players: Horace Grant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw
- HC: Phil Jackson
- 2002 Lakers: 58-24 Reg Season, 15-4 Playoffs
- Main Superstars: Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant
- Primary Role Players: Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, Devean George, Samaki Walker
- HC: Phil Jackson
- 2003 Spurs: 60-22 Reg Season, 16-8 Playoffs
- Main Superstar: Tim Duncan
- Primary Role Players: David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Stephen Jackson, Malik Rose, Bruce Bowen, Speedy Claxton
- HC: Greg Popovich
- 2004 Pistons: 54-28 Reg Season, 16-7 Playoffs
- Main Stars: Chauncey Billups & Ben Wallace
- Secondary Stars: Rip Hamilton & Rasheed Wallace
- Primary Role Players: Tayshaun Prince, Memhet Okur, Lindsey Hunter, Elden Campbell, Corliss Williamson
- HC: Larry Brown
- 2005 Spurs: 59-23 Reg Season, 16-7 Playoffs
- Main Superstar: Tim Duncan
- Secondary Stars: Tony Parker & Manu Ginobili
- Primary Role Players: Bruce Bowen, Brent Barry, Robert Harry, Nazr Mohammed, Beno Udrih
- HC: Greg Popovich
- 2006 Heat: 52-30 Reg Season, 16-7 Playoffs
- Main Superstar: Dwyane Wade
- Secondary Star: Shaquille O'Neal
- Primary Role Players: Udonis Haslem, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Jason Williams, James Posey, Alonzo Mourning
- HC: Stan Van Gundy (until Dec 12, 2005), Pat Riley (Dec 13, 2005 onwards)
- 2007 Spurs: 58-24 Reg Season, 16-4 Playoffs
- Main Superstars: Tim Duncan & Tony Parker
- Secondary Star: Manu Ginobili
- Primary Role Players: Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Brent Barry, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Francisco Elson, Jacque Vaughn
- HC: Greg Popovich
- 2008 Celtics: 66-16 Reg Season, 16-10 Playoffs
- Main Superstars: Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce
- Secondary Star: Ray Allen
- Primary Role Players: Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Leon Powe
- HC: Doc Rivers
- 2009 Lakers: 65-17 Reg Season, 16-7 Playoffs
- Main Superstar: Kobe Bryant
- Secondary Star: Pau Gasol
- Primary Role Players: Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton
- HC: Phil Jackson
2023.05.20 05:55 jc17234 The Idiocy of “Splitting the Jays”
If there are any Celtics “fans” who thinking splitting up Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum is the correct answer, you must not watch the games. If you are saying you do not want JB on this team then you obviously did not watch the previous series. JB had a bad game, but the idea that the Celtics would be better without him is laughable.
JT is on the cusp of becoming a true super star. He has his ups and downs but any team would kill to have a centerpiece like him.JB is 26 and JT is 25 and (hopefully) we will have them both locked up on long term deals.
I am not a regular Reddit user, I come here for Celtics discussion, but are all subs like this? I swear more people on this sub hate the Celtics than like them. Do we really expect the team to go 16-0 in the playoffs? I’m pissed about this game too but it feels like people enjoy speaking negatively of this team and get some sense of validation from it.
If you hate the team that much than stop watching and spending your time writing hate posts online.
submitted by jc17234 to bostonceltics [link] [comments]
JT is on the cusp of becoming a true super star. He has his ups and downs but any team would kill to have a centerpiece like him.JB is 26 and JT is 25 and (hopefully) we will have them both locked up on long term deals.
I am not a regular Reddit user, I come here for Celtics discussion, but are all subs like this? I swear more people on this sub hate the Celtics than like them. Do we really expect the team to go 16-0 in the playoffs? I’m pissed about this game too but it feels like people enjoy speaking negatively of this team and get some sense of validation from it.
If you hate the team that much than stop watching and spending your time writing hate posts online.
2023.04.27 17:44 RTLT512 Big Man Depth: Who are some potential off-season targets that could help protect the paint?
Coming off of Udoka's introductory press conference, one of the few quotes relating to possible roster construction was the following...
For comparisons sake, we'll be looking for bigs with a large wingspan, a high amount of blocks per 36 minutes, and a high block percentage. The baseline will be Rob Williams during his lone season with Udoka.
Rob Williams (Age: 24, 6'9'' tall, 7'6'' wingspan, 2.1 BLK/36, 6.3 BLK%)
Draft:
submitted by RTLT512 to rockets [link] [comments]
"Alperen does some things really well but we’d like to add some different kinds of bigs"Looking at our current roster, and Udoka's prior usage of Rob Williams, it's safe to assume that Udoka is interested in acquiring a true rim protector this summer. With that in mind, I thought I'd look at some potential players that could fit that mold who we could target. I'll mainly look at guys who would be back-ups to Sengun, as I don't think Sengun has the lateral quickness to play the 4 defensively like Horford or Grant Williams did for the Celtics previously and I do believe he remains our starter next season. For this reason, I haven't included bigger name free agents like Brook Lopez and Jakob Poeltl who are starter quality players IMO.
For comparisons sake, we'll be looking for bigs with a large wingspan, a high amount of blocks per 36 minutes, and a high block percentage. The baseline will be Rob Williams during his lone season with Udoka.
Rob Williams (Age: 24, 6'9'' tall, 7'6'' wingspan, 2.1 BLK/36, 6.3 BLK%)
Draft:
- Victor Wembanyama (Age: 19, 7'4'' tall, 8'0'' wingspan, 3.6 BLK/36)
- The crown jewel of the draft and obviously an immediate starter and centerpiece for the team. He's without a doubt the best option, but we'll need luck from the lottery gods to get him.
- Derek Lively (Age: 19, 7'1'' tall, 7'7'' wingspan, 4.2 BLK/36)
- Currently mocked in the 15-20 range, so Lively might be available with our #20 pick. He has great size and became a defensive force for Duke down the stretch. Offensively, he's a classic rim runner who isn't much of a threat outside of the paint. If we want to fill this need through the draft, he's definitely the next best option after Wemby.
- James Nnaji (Age: 19, 6'10'' tall, 7'5'' wingspan, 1.8 BLK/36)
- Usually mocked as an early 2nd rounder, Nnaji would probably be a reach at pick 20 but he has great measurables and athleticism and a lot of potential as a defender. He doesn't get many minutes for Barcelona right now which isn't surprising for a major European team, but he has an NBA ready body, has good lateral quickness for his size, and is a quick leaper as well. Very Rob Williams-esque, and he could come at a late-first price tag.
- Alex Len (Age: 29, 7'0'' tall, 7'4'' wingspan, 2.5 BLK/36, 6.0 BLK%)
- Not a sexy signing by any means, but he's a solid back-up who has been putting in quality minutes for the Kings during the playoffs this year. He'd just be a change-of-pace option to Sengun who is a classic rim runner and paint protector. He'd likely be a very inexpensive FA signing as well.
- Bismack Biyombo (Age: 30, 6'8'' tall, 7'6'' wingspan, 3.6 BLK/36, 9.0 BLK%)
- Another bargain-bin option very similar to Len above. He'd be an inexpensive back-up who could provide great rim protection and a veteran presence as well. His BLK/36 and BLK% numbers from this past year are very impressive. For reference, DPOY Jaren Jackson JR has a 9.6 BLK% this year which leads the NBA.
- Isaiah Jackson (Age: 21, 6'10'' tall, 7'2'' wingspan, 3.2 BLK/36, 7.7 BLK%)
- Jackson had a solid second year protecting the paint for Indiana. His BLK/36 and BLK% numbers are promising and he's very similar to Rob Williams being an extremely quick leaper. With Indiana having locked up Turner longterm, and them having another young big in Jalen Smith that most Indiana fans seem to prefer, he might be a young guy that is realistically available through trade.
- Daniel Gafford (Age: 24, 6'10'' tall, 7'2'' wingspan, 2.2 BLK/36, 5.2 BLK%)
- Gafford didn't have his best rim protection season this past year, but he's had previous seasons in the 8-9 BLK% range with 3.5+ BLK/36 so the ability is there. He's currently under contract for 3 more years at ~$13 mil/yr which is a good value contract. He's been a staple in Washington's rotation for a while now though so we might need to give up some real assets to get him.
- Christian Koloko (Age: 22, 7'1'' tall, 7'5'' wingspan, 2.6 BLK/36, 6.9 BLK%)
- Koloko just finished his rookie year with the Raptors and has a ton of defensive potential. He's very quick laterally for his size and has a giant wingspan. He'd be a great option, but he probably has a pretty expensive price tag as he's one of the only real young promising prospects on that Raptors team outside of Scottie Barnes.
- Mo Bamba (Age: 24, 7'0'' tall, 7'10'' wingspan, 2.0 BLK/36, 4.8 BLK%)
- Bamba has a great wingspan and tons of potential as a defender, but that has never actually manifested itself on the court. He's a pretty low IQ player and I'm skeptical that this will ever change. For this reason, I'm not super high on him and I also doubt the Lakers would be willing to trade him too. The main allure for Bamba over these other options is that he actually has a solid 3pt shot which is always valuable (career 36% shooter from 3).
2023.04.03 18:29 powerrankingsnba Official /r/nba Power Rankings #12 (4.6.2023)
27/30 rankers reporting this week. /NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section.
submitted by powerrankingsnba to nba [link] [comments]
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bucks | -- | 56-22 | Although the defeat to the Celtics was humiliating (to be fair, it was the team's fifth game in seven days, a back-to-back, and the Celtics managed to shoot over 50% from 3), a statement win over the Sixers ensured that the Bucks remain in the driver's seat for the #1 seed. With only four games left and the entire roster (sans Myers Leonard) in good health, Bucks fans couldn't really ask for more with only 4 regular season games remaining. |
| 2 | Celtics | +1 | 54-24 | What a wild two weeks. The Celtics over the course of two days were embarrassed in a loss to the 34-44 Wizards who were without Beal and Kuzma, only to turn it around and blowout the 56-22 Bucks who with a win would have officially clinched the 1 seed and been able to take it easy over the remaining few games. Barring an absolute disaster, the Celtics should be locked into the 2 seed and on-paper, staring down a potential matchup with the Miami Heat in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Celtics only have 4 games left in the season, with matchups @76ers, Raptors at home twice, and then the season finale at home against the Hawks. Sadly, all three teams still have a reason to play as they're all locked in the playoffs/play-in, so they'll be trying their hardest to win. |
| 3 | Nuggets | +1 | 52-26 | The Nuggets can clinch the #1 seed with just 1 win in these final 4 games, but with Jokic having missed the last 3 games with a nagging calf injury and 3 of the final 4 games being on the road, it's not a lock by any means. The team will have to lean on Jamal, MPJ, AG, and the stellar rookie wings Christian Braun and Peyton Watson to wrap up the season if Jokic is shut down until the playoffs. |
| 4 | 76ers | -2 | 51-27 | The Sixers seem to be running out of steam. With the health of Harden and Embiid being in question (with perfect timing might I add), Sixers faithful are left with the same question as always: "How will they put it together in the postseason?" Hopefully they are just coasting now that they seem to be locked into the 3-seed, but they might look destined for another early exit. |
| 5 | Cavaliers | -- | 49-30 | The Cavs went 4-2 since the previous power ranking, as Evan Mobley continues his ascension. He’s averaging 18/10/4 on .607 ts% with 2.5 blocks over the last month. He’s scoring at will on the inside, he’s terrorizing 1-5 on defense while defending the rim at an elite level, he’s finding rebounds despite contesting more 3s than anyone else in the league, all while his passing becomes the most underrated part of his game. His mix of instincts and athleticism is what has everyone watching him salivating. No one younger than 23 has ever won DPOY, and while Mobley’s making a very strong case for it at only 21, he will ultimately fall short to another worthy candidate, and will have to settle for a first team nod… wait, this sounds vaguely familiar. Here’s hoping that one day, he’ll fall just short of being MVP of the league and have to settle for a first team nod. |
| 6 | Grizzlies | +2 | 49-29 | As we approach the home stretch of the season, the team continues to look inconsistent. Letting the Clippers get out to a 20 pt lead, only to come back and win decisively followed up by being up big on the Bulls only to let them blow them out in the second half has been the story all season long. The team misses Adams badly, as they have all season since he went down with injury. The team continues to rely on Ja to have masterful performances and frankly he just hasn't been consistent enough since coming back from his suspension. With rumors of Adams returning in the last week of the season, the team has some time here to get the gears tightened up for a playoff push. In order for the season to not be a disappointment, we must win in the 1st round and unfortunately that looks like it could be against a blazing hot Lakers squad, a proven team in Golden State getting back its key player in Wiggins, or the Timberwolves who we've built a small rivalry with over the past year; all matchups where the Grizzlies could lose. |
| 8 | Suns | +1 | 43-35 | KD is back! Go Sun! If Monty can figure these rotations out, and we can cut our opponents FTAs down by even a third, I think we'll be really dangerous. |
| 8 | Kings | -2 | 47-31 | This team isn't perfect by any means but if did something many fans haven't seen in a very long time… MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!! For many this will be enough, but if they want to avoid being swept they're going to have to figure out how to play defense and rebound as a team. I can't wait to watch them regardless! #LIGHTTHEBEAM |
| 9 | Knicks | -2 | 46-33 | Randle out until the beginning of the playoffs. Brunson Burner incoming. Also, the meteoric rise of Immanuel Quickley has been a beautiful thing to witness. Quentin Grimes is a top 2 wing defender in the league don't @ me |
| 10 | Lakers | +6 | 40-38 | The hopium is at an all-time high if you're a Lakers fan, the schedule has been relatively friendly but they did pick up vital wins vs. Thunder and Wolves which were huge boosts to the standings. The sudden return of LeBron James and the stellar two-way play of Anthony Davis has led to 6 wins in the last 7 games, as of Sunday night the Lakers are in possession of the 7th seed and are half a game from 5th seed! The 1.5 game cushion for the 7/8 play-in game, the upcoming schedule and the team being finally healthy as a whole (except for Mo Bamba) has led the fanbase to now be torn apart between wanting to avoid the Suns in the first round or the play-in. Lakers are currently on a 5-game road trip in which Anthony Davis is averaging 38.7p/11.7.1.7a/2.0b/1.0s on 65/33/81 splits through the first three games. A favourable seeding and a healthy Lakers have a case for a significant playoff run. |
| 11 | Warriors | +3 | 41-38 | Just as it seems the Warriors are finding their stride just as they need to they lose to the Jokic-less Nuggets. Curry has looked close to his early season self. Kuminga is looking better every week. With Wiggins lingering in the shadows the Warriors aren't yet a full squad but rumors have been brewing that he will return soon. |
| 12 | Clippers | -2 | 41-38 | Without PG, the playoffs look really tough. I have no doubt that the clippers can clinch an actual spot, but I worry about a 7 game series without PG13. |
| 14 | Nets | -2 | 43-35 | |
| 14 | Pelicans | +8 | 40-38 | |
| 15 | Heat | -4 | 41-37 | Well, the last couple weeks did not go as hoped and it leaves our playoff hopes in more questionable standing. The games we lost were all against teams we could very well face in the play-in/playoffs. Bam Adebayo has also picked up an injury which has introduced Zeller more into the line up (got 20 points against the Mavericks). Our remaining games only have the 76ers being over .500, so we should win 3/4 at a minimum. However, the Nets and the Knicks are also dealing with similarly difficult games to close out the season, so it's a very likely possibility that we will be playing in the play-in. Looking at who the Raptors, Hawks, and Bulls face in their remaining games I would bet on us playing the Hawks. The Raptors are also a possibility, and both should be good match ups. Regardless of the play-in possibilities, we do not fare to make any noise this time around but we might as well enjoy it. |
| 16 | Raptors | +1 | 39-39 | Raptors have looked good recently, winning 6 of their last 10 and being competitive every game. Unfortunately the ceiling for this team still looks like a 1st round exit. |
| 17 | Hawks | +1 | 39-39 | The Midlanta Mids continue to be an all-around disappointment. Despite all the talent on the roster the team has been within a game of .500 for more than 2 months and are destined for the play-in games. Sure the Hawks could advance into the playoffs and maybe take a game or two off the Bucks or Celtics but does that really matter at this point? A season that was supposed to be a leap forward was marred by poor coaching, effort, and leadership from the day it started. The focus is now on next season where Quin Snyder has a chance to fully implement his system and get rid of anyone who won't fit in it. |
| 18 | Bulls | +2 | 38-40 | The Bulls are on track to make the play in, and I am lucky to be writing this after the Bulls 40 point swing against the Grizzlies. We have Play in Champ Patrick Beverley on our team, so we are essentially guaranteed to get to the playoffs. Zach Lavine is back to his old self, being an elite scorer at all 3 levels. Coby White is becoming the 4th option, sometimes even the 3rd option, and primary bench scorer, which is amazing to see. Our young players have stepped up recently so DeRozan and Vuc don't need to be the people our team constantly relies on. |
| 19 | TWolves | -- | 39-40 | In a season defined by injury and disappointment the trend continues on. After a 4 game win streak that included a win in Golden State and Sacramento thing fell apart for the Wolves between Naz reads injury and illness effecting the team. Now the Wolves will be playing for their lives in the home stretch to make it to the post season. |
| 20 | Thunder | -5 | 38-41 | OKC really fumbled the bag a bit by dropping 2 of our easiest games on our schedule. The path to the play in is slim, but still there. So here's hoping! |
| 21 | Mavericks | -8 | 37-42 | The Mavs' season did not go as expected at all, coming off of a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022. They had high expectations, but the first game of the season ended up being a great metaphor for how the season would go: Build a strong lead vs Phoenix, only to blow the lead and lose the game. They would do this exact thing multiple times the rest of the year, and multiple times to Phoenix. The Mavs lost to the Hornets twice, couldn't hit free throws to beat Atlanta Sunday, and now face Sacramento, Chicago, and San Antonio to close the year. The Mavs are in danger of entering purgatory for this offseason, potentially losing their pick (top 10 protected) while also missing the playoffs. The Mavs also have Kyrie Irving as an upcoming FA, which will drastically shape the Mavs' future. |
| 22 | Jazz | -1 | 36-42 | With the season coming to a close, it’s time to shamelessly promote the Jazz stars for the final time this year. Walker Kessler is a future DPOY. His time as a starter has seen the Jazz become the best team in the entire league at defending shots within 10 feet of the basket. Lauri Markkanen is your MIP. Undoubtedly. He recently became the first player in NBA history to record 100 dunks and 200 threes in a single season to show off his scoring versatility. After starting in the All-Star game earlier this season he hasn’t slowed down either, averaging 29/9 on 60% TS. Danny Ainge promised in the preseason promised "Exciting Basketball" and these two franchise centerpieces have certainly delivered |
| 23 | Magic | +2 | 34-44 | Paolo is the Rookie of the Year. |
| 24 | Wizards | -1 | 34-44 | This is a public service announcement that Corey Kispert has either tied or surpassed his career high in points in 3 out of the last 5 games and no one is talking about it because something happens in the league that overshadows his efforts. Maybe it is the panic that he is about to get get married, maybe it is the fact that Kyle Kuzma isn't playing (it is because Kyle Kuzma isn't playing), but he has been out of his mind and it has been an incredible viewing experience -- even as the Wizards find themselves eliminated from play-off contention. Don't get me wrong, watching losing basketball is not fun. But it has been therapeutic to watch some players get meaningful minutes that fans have been begging for only to watch said players struggle in this new found role. Maybe, just maybe, some members of the Wizards organization actually know what they're doing even if things aren't panning out in the ideal manner. The tank is completely on as showcased by Wes Unseld Jr actually listening to Deni Avdija's calls for a challenge when he clearly did something stupid that either lead to a turnover or a foul call. It won't be a fun final couple of weeks. Then again, you get pleasant surprises like beating the Celtics by 19. |
| 25 | Pacers | -1 | 34-45 | Just a few more games remain, and it seems apparent that the Pacers are trying to improve their draft probability as much as possible. Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner haven't played many games over the past several weeks, so Indiana has used this period to experiment with different lineups involving the younger players. 3 losses would be ideal for Indiana to close the year, securing them the fifth best lottery odds. |
| 26 | Trail Blazers | -- | 33-45 | |
| 27 | Hornets | -- | 26-53 | The Hornets will finish the season strong after an injury-riddled mess of a year. I think all hornets fans were disappointed with the performance of the team this year - even those who believed it could go badly. After back to back play in tournament losses, this is a fanbase starving for some improvement. Unfortunately, our offseason moves have not facilitated that improvement. I think Lamelo Ball has shown enough for the Hornets to pay him whatever they can to maximize team control, and hope to build a winning team around him. Our fate, as it stands, hangs in the balance while we wait to see what lottery ball comes up for us. Will it be the ball with the ticket to Wembanyama and a conference finals in the next five years? Or will it be just another ball that leads to mediocrity. You’ll have to follow along with a new power ranker to find out, as this is my last ever contribution to this project. I’ve enjoyed writing these blurbs for the past few years and arguing with you all in the comments. Go Hornets. |
| 28 | Spurs | -- | 20-58 | Pop the Champagnie Spurs fans, the season is nearly over. It's hard to not get your hopes up for a top-2 pick, but do keep in mind that we only end up there 27% of the time and we only end up in the top-4 52% of the time. We're still gonna need a lot of luck to pull this one out, but I have faith that the Spurs FO will still make good on our highest FRP since Tim, regardless of where it lands. |
| 29 | Rockets | -- | 19-60 | Another painful season nears its end, and the questions remain much the same as they were at the start of the season. Is Silas the right man to take us out of the rebuild? Are the youngsters going to be able to maintain their form from after the all-star break? Of course, the biggest question of all is perhaps the one that is left to luck. Come May 16, we'll find out if there is a silver lining to the suffering. |
| 30 | Pistons | -- | 16-62 | 1-20 in the last 21 games. Tank rolls on. The only question is "does the tank destroy our young players' psyches long term?". Probably. Exhibit A: Killian Hayes. |
2023.03.10 22:38 Big_Bad_AL18 Perk was right man😔
 | submitted by Big_Bad_AL18 to nbacirclejerk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.10 21:16 Waru_ Least bothered Embiid Hater
 | submitted by Waru_ to nbacirclejerk [link] [comments] |
2023.03.10 20:27 Prestigious-Rock201 Embiids latest like on twitter
 | submitted by Prestigious-Rock201 to sixers [link] [comments] |
2023.03.10 18:22 Thegrandmistressofoz [Lowe] Jokic's defensive issues are not a thing because Joel has also not made it far in the playoffs
![[Lowe] Jokic's defensive issues are not a thing because Joel has also not made it far in the playoffs](https://preview.redd.it/e8jjdstulzma1.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=1461b9a8aa05c3fb29c6cbae30a65bec1760b2bf "[Lowe] Jokic's defensive issues are not a thing because Joel has also not made it far in the playoffs") | submitted by Thegrandmistressofoz to sixers [link] [comments] |
2023.03.10 18:14 mastermind208 [Lowe] On Denver's defense: It is not a crime to be skeptical about the Nuggets defense holding up in the playoffs. Jokic is not a rim protector. It is a basketball crime to pretend as if Jokic has had less postseason success than Embiid. Jokic reached one conference final; Embiid has never
It is not some crime to be skeptical about the Denver Nuggets defense holding up in the playoffs. Nikola Jokic is not a rim protector. (It is a crime -- a basketball crime, anyway -- to pretend as if Jokic has had less postseason success than Joel Embiid. Both have been centerpieces on undermanned teams which were dispatched in the first round -- Jokic last season against the eventual champions; Embiid in the bubble against the Boston Celtics with Ben Simmons out. Jokic has reached one conference final; Embiid has never been that far. Jokic's individual postseason numbers are better. None of this should matter in the MVP debate, but there appears to be a misconception in some corners that Jokic's lack of postseason success should be held against him relative to Embiid.)Best way to set up a post about Denver's defense is to immediately bring up Embiid and trash him too, keep the sixers fans at bay
The Nuggets try to scheme around that. Michael Malone has been much more creative varying up tactics -- zones, more conservative dropback coverages, having guards duck screens against so-so shooters, even stashing Jokic on nonthreatening wings. (This toggling was overdue.)Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/insidestory/_/id/35820904/flaw-undo-lakers-dame-career-scoring-run-preposterous-bol-bol article includes clips too for reference. Pretty good read on how Denver's helped cover for Jok's weaknesses, even after starting the paragraph by trashing Embiid over nothing lol
Jokic makes up for some of his limitations with steals, smart positioning, and sticky defensive rebounding. Denver's defense is much stingier with Jokic on the floor.
But Denver opponents have hit 71% at the rim -- the second-worst figure among all defenses. That is a lot about Jokic. The Nuggets have gotten somewhat lucky with opponent jump-shooting. Their model is an elite offense carrying a just-good-enough defense. They can win it all that way, but they may be more vulnerable than better defensive teams to the luck of matchups.
The Nuggets are more fundamentally sound on defense when they replace Porter with Bruce Brown alongside their other four starters; that is their closing lineup on lots of nights. But they are smaller, with less upside on offense.
2023.02.05 03:22 CazOnReddit Part 2: The Next Contestants - Let's Talk About Trading O.G. & The Teams Interested in Him
 | Welcome to Part 2 of what I never expected to call a series! submitted by CazOnReddit to torontoraptors [link] [comments] A few days ago, I wrote up a lengthy post about O.G. Anunoby and, if he really does want a change of scenery, the teams that are/could/would be interested in the quintessential 3&D wing that is the 25 year old O.G. and what the Raptors return package could end up being. Since then, there's been a few more teams that have come up either as rumored or confirmed to be interested in him so I guess let's talk about them? Since there's fewer teams, this will hopefully be a short ordeal than last time. Nuggets https://preview.redd.it/zsuok2rk4aga1.png?width=1015&format=png&auto=webp&s=adde28993031e004a45b883bd71103d8a7db7321 Mentioned recently by Windhorst, the Denver Nuggets were named explicitly as a "dark horse" in the O.G. sweepstakes and, well...there's a good reason for that. You can immediately throw out the idea of getting 3 firsts for OG out the window, the Nuggets have a slew of their picks tied up in other deals - due to the Stepien Rule, the only firsts they can give up is their 2029 pick and that's only if they remove their protections on the 2027 pick they owe! They do have a 2nd round pick that is looking like it'll be the 31st pick overall but when you're resorting to 2nds as noteworthy enough draft capital, it speaks to how thoroughly lacking in draft capital the Nuggets are. The best you can hope for is swaps in their upcoming even years, which aren't likely to be all that valuable given just how good Nikola Jokic is - he took a Porter-less, Murray-less roster to the 6th seed and has the highest +/- across the entire NBA - and while their 2029 pick could be something with how old the Joker would be by then, that's a long time to wait for it to convey. To put this into perspective, that pick would convey when Christian Koloko would be pushing 29 years old, and who knows what this team will look like at that point, let alone if they still retain that pick by then. As far as players goes, that is where things get tricky. The Nuggets actually do have 2 interesting younger players on their roster, namely Christian Braun and Bones Hyland. Bones is a shoot-first point guard who, while a rather poor defender, he can give you some offense off the bench, averaging 12/2/3 on 40/37/86 splits. However, Bones has been in the news of late for, to put it mildly, unflattering reasons that have torpedo'd his value. Former teammates have called him out, Hyland's friends have gotten into arguments on his behalf and Bones himself has not exactly been magnanimous throughout this ordeal as the Nuggets are scrambling to trade him at an all-time low point for his thus far short career. As an aside, this goes to show how well the Raptors have been handling O.G.'s alleged disgruntlement, as the entire situation has made any trade for Bones one predicated as a reclamation project due to his attitude and demeanor in a similar manner to Lowry before he joined the Raptors. For Christian Braun, he's had an alright rookie season, limited in usage but effective when he's been given time to play. That said, his 59% free throw percentage stands out for all the wrong reasons next to a respectable 3-point percentage of 34%. The problem with trading to the Nuggets is that neither of these players make enough money to put together a sensible deal given how much roster slots that would need to be filled with the players coming back...so the package would have to revolve around Michael Porter Jr. In theory, Michael is the best possible player you could expect to get back in an O.G. deal - even better than Anfernee Simons - a borderline All-Star with the talent to someday become All-NBA caliber. He's an amazing scorer, currently averaging 47/41/77, he has the size to be a terrific defender at 6'10 with a 7' wingspan but, well, judging by the fact that he's even being included in this deal should speak to the number of problems he has in practice. Michael's defense is largely theoretical at this point, he's not necessarily a pylon on defense but his return to the hardwood has seen a dip in the Nuggets defense and Porter has had his fair share of moments where he's getting blown by or failing to stay with his man. Given how mediocre the Raptors defense has been in games without O.G., you can only imagine how abysmal it would be with MPJ in the mix starting games for you at the 3. In theory, you could try to hide or help develop his defensive side of the game so he's not so much of a liability but there is a larger problem with Michael. He is notoriously injury-prone, and this isn't a case like O.G. where it's perception rather than reality: Health concerns were what sunk Porter on draft day, and his time in the NBA has coincided with a number of missed games, including missing nearly the entire 2021/22 season after a lingering back injury and he's missed a rather substantial amount of time this season. If that were all, one could maybe convince themselves to buy low on MPJ, but "buying low" could not find a less appropriate trade target to have that applied to than Michael Porter Jr. His contract is enormous; the 5-year extension the Nuggets gave him kicked in this year and t starts at $31 million. Even if we ignore that it's a lot to pay a player who's so injury-prone, a trade with him as the centerpiece requires the Raptors to include more salary the opposite way which, the best case-scenario would be to dump those of Khem Birch and Thaddeus Young. When you look at the best (not necessarily what the Nuggets are willing to give up) possible combined package: Swaps in 24/26/28 (We'll ignore protections even though i'd expect some on the later ones) 2029 1st 2023 Rockets 2nd Christian Braun Bones Hyland Michael Porter Jr. The fact that the Raptors might have to throw in more salary just to match and sacrifice significant financial flexibility, moreso than any other player one could name in this series - even RJ and his poison pill are easier to match by simply swapping minimum contracts - the Nuggets offer isn't all that great... ...which is ironically why I think the Nuggets may have a better shot of getting O.G. as of late? One thing we haven't brought up thus far is the major shift in the trade market. With Kyrie Irving having requested a trade, the entire league is waiting to see what response comes from Kevin Durant and whether he'll be gone in the summer, regardless of whether or not Kyrie's trade request is fulfilled. As an aside, this also makes that 2023 swap with the Lakers/the option to go for a 2024/25 first the Pelicans possess a lot less valuable as an asset if the flat Earth-believing, anti-Semitic anti-vaxxer does become a Laker because, as despicable as Irving may be, he is a quality point guard and that's something the Lakers desperately need (Whether the Pelicans pick ends up being better is a different story as they are on a 10-game losing streak). It also makes the Pelicans less likely to trade for O.G. and it ruins Fred VanVleet's trade market, at least for the teams morally deprived enough to trade for Kyrie Irving i.e. why trade for VanVleet when I can get Kyrie who is a better player despite being a far, far worse human being? As several other teams interested in O.G. may be unlikely to give up anything substantial for O.G. when they could get Kevin Durant this offseason, and because the Nuggets will be thoroughly unable to offer a package the Nets for Durant and thus can be ruled out as KD suitors, they might be more inclined to make a move that pushes them into favorites for the West for this season and the foreseeable future. Anunoby's defense can only be described in one word: Elite. That's something their team desperately needs as said defense is middle of the pack as of right now. But the fit in Denver goes beyond just improved defense. As far as "wanting a larger role", the Nuggets have perhaps the best chances of giving him that since he'd be the 3rd option on that team, and he'd be paired with arguably the best big man in the league in Nikola Jokic. Is that enough to get O.G.? I'm not sold on it myself and if I were given a deal like the above, I don't think i'd go for it unless it allowed for the team to dump Birch and Young's contracts and even then i'd want to see what other calls are coming in before saying yes if I was truly done with O.G.. Porter's health concerns and enormous contract make it very difficult to give an enthusiastic yes even if you do believe in Porter staying healthy. A three-team deal involving the Nuggets could be more interesting but as for a 1:1, the Nuggets are a hard partner to make a fair deal with. Hypothetical trade pieces (Not counting filler): 2029 Nuggets 1st, Christian Braun, Bones Hyland, Michael Porter Jr. Note: The summarized listed trade pieces for this or any future trade is not a trade proposal, it is simply the most likely available pool of players and picks that one could come up with a reasonable package to get O.G.\* Pacers https://preview.redd.it/mpxuxisp4aga1.png?width=1811&format=png&auto=webp&s=73835fbc3414123eda63c2bc07ab0246703f8e63 So we've all seen that clip of O.G. talking with Tyrese Haliburton, right? It kind of went viral. Unlike all the other teams mention, Anunoby does have a bit of history with Indiana, as he played college basketball in the state, and as far as an individual fit, O.G. would certainly get more reps than he would elsewhere aside from the Nuggets, easily fitting in as the 3rd option as the Pacers continue to have young stud Mathurin play the role of the 6th man. Now, the Pacers are at a significant disadvantage compared to the other two teams mentioned solely due to them being a team in the East. Put simply: The Raptors are much more likely to run into O.G. in a playoff series if he stays in the East than they are if he winds up in the West and thus they are disincentivized to make a trade with the Pacers barring a godfather offer than no West team can offethat the Knicks also don't want to offer. And while the Pacers could come together with a decent package, it's hard to consider them having the pieces to make a "too stupid to pass up" package since there's no way they're going to part with former 6th overall pick in the 2022 draft Bennedict Mathurin. The Pacers do have a number of picks but they're in the same vein as the Knicks picks: They aren't going to be very good unless the Pacers are willing to throw in their own 2023 pick (likely protected). A duo of Cavs and Celtics 2023 picks might give you cheap, immediate depth in the draft but they're going to be right at the end of the first round, and while that's where the Raptors have thrived in prior drafts, it's not reliable to expect every late 1st to develop into an All-NBA player like Siakam or an All-Defense player like O.G. Anunoby have, respectively. The one interesting scenario is if the Raptors can shop those picks around, use them to trade up in the draft for a player they like or re-reroute them for a player a la what the Mavericks did at last year's deadline for Christian Wood or what the Grizzlies did on draft night. Again, those picks aren't great, and the Raptors don't have a lot of cap space for the moment, but there is a scenario where the Raptors take this Pacers package and move those picks to get some much-needed veteran shooters to come off the bench or even move those picks in a multi-team deal on deadline day to immediately add some depth to the roster and let those new pieces build up chemistry as you tank for a Top 5-7 pick. Speaking of what ifs, and this is a big what if, if the Pacers decided to go with quality over quantity of their picks, they could offer their own 2023 1st. Right now, that pick is looking to be around 7th, the same spot as the pick the Blazers tried to get O.G. with. But it staying there or the pick conveying where it is right now is a big if for two reasons:
As for the players coming back, you might have surmised by his numerous mentions that Myles Turner is off the table. Yes he'd fit well on this team, but his recent extension makes him ineligible for a trade anytime before this offseason. You can also rule out Benedict Mathurin too. So let's talk about the other potential players who could come back. For your salary filler, there are two options: Daniel Theis is a player who was linked to the Raptors season, likely because he's a cheap option to take a few minutes at the 5. He's undersized for the position and at 30 years old, he can't be expected to stay on the court for anything longer than what you'd expect a backup center to stay. He isn't terrible but he doesn't resolve any of the Raptors current roster problems. TJ McConnell, on the other hand, would immediately solve the point guard problem. He's a reliable backup 1 who's decent on defense and is experiencing a career year on offense, shooting nearly 44% from 3. It's well outside of his career norm but for a guy who arrived in the league as one of the older prospects in 2015, if it's a permanent development then it's one you'd like to see. Speaking of older prospects, one of the current underperformers that may be up for grabs is sophomore Chris Duarte. The 2021 draftee has a developed pull-up game and but he hasn't been able to make the most of it in one of the more egregious sophomore slumps amongst the class. Injuries have certainly played a part in that but him being out of the team's rotation does not inspire confidence in the 25 year-old. On the younger side, we have Andrew Nembhard. Per the rumor mill, Andrew was who we were planning to pick with our second rounder in 2022 before Indiana took him off the board. Nembhard has been interesting thus far, showing why the Raptors may have been interested in him, averaging 9/3/4 on 43/34/89 splits is a decent start for a combo guard. The most intriguing of their available young guns is swingman Stix, aka. Jalen Smith. If ever there was an example of how dysfunctional the Suns organization, one only need look at how they mishandled his development, playing him more as a forward than a center, to say nothing of how he ended up as a Pacer. In Indiana, Jalen Smith has had his moments to shine last season when Turner was out due to injury but in the same vein as the misfit with Sabonis/Turner, Indiana has resorted to placing Jalen in the starting 4 spot next to Myles 5 despite Jalen Smith being best suited to the center position, which has not been ideal. His numbers are down, his impressive 37% shooting from 3 has crashed to an abysmal 28% and in general he's having a down year. Still, he's only 22 and while him only having another year before become an unrestricted free agent is a worry if he does make a leap, he's unlikely to outshine several of the big names in the 2024 free agency class barring a massive jump and thus could be worth taking a flier on. The Pacers could be an interesting option depending on what their best offer is but the individual pieces are not quite intriguing enough on their own to consider them a favorite in the ongoing sweepstakes. If they're willing to trade their 2023 first with minimal protections or they somehow decided they wanted to give up Mathurin (which again, they will not and in the 0.0001% chance that he does, you're not getting any picks, Benedict is that good), then this becomes a very different stor-oh right, there's Buddy Hield. Look, a Hield + picks package swap for O.G. is interesting on paper but it's not an ideal move unless you can move Hield to a 3rd team for some young players, and good luck cobbling together the salary for rookie contracts to match Buddy's $21 million salary. He's making just enough money to push the Raptors into luxury tax territory and while he's a renowned 3-point shooter, his offense is not so legendary to make up for his less-than-stellar defense. If the Raptors were closer to contending than picking up Hield would make sense (maybe not for O.G. of course) but as things currently stands, there is little reason to go after the 30 year-old given the state of the team. Hypothetical trade pieces (Not counting filler): 2023 1st (Pacers, Celtics, Cavaliers), any picks from 2024-2029, Andrew Nembhard. Jalen Smith, Chris Duarte Mavericks https://preview.redd.it/veu9z2eu4aga1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=f33857551dacca889e673b5e4ace395edbf3a0e7 This one is going to be brief (and pretty negative) because the Mavericks might have been mentioned but even then it came with them being considered "difficult to get into the race", and it's hard not to see why. As long as Luka is a Maverick, they have by far the worst package of any serious contender to offer. If he requests a trade or forces his way out then those future picks will become very valuable, but they become valuable because the players on the roster, the ones that would be coming back in a hypothetical trade, are among the worst supporting cast and prospects in the league. Josh Green is...okay? He's been on a hot streak this season, shooting a scoring 43% from 3 but is otherwise not noteworthy. Jaden Hardy has shown hints of their promise as a shooter but neither of the two screams "future All-Star", early a call as it may be for the 2022 rookie. As far as draft capital goes, they Mavericks can't offer any picks until 2027 unless they removed the protections on their 2023 pick but as I said, even that 2025 would seem meager barring Luka asking out in the offseason. Realistically, the best individual player one can hope for is Christian Wood, a 4/5 with some serious offensive chops that the Mavericks seemingly want to get rid of despite getting him for basically nothing. Wood has been a better defender this season than he normally is but how much of that you can chalk up to him being a better fit for the Mavericks schemes, it being a contract year for him (he's a UFA in 2023) or simply a change of scenery given how terrible things sounded for him at Rockets HQ, as he's not what you'd call lockdown and he's historically not considered a major rim protector. Regardless, the Mavericks Christian is very much the opposite of the one on our roster: A career 38% sniper from 3, Wood can knock it down from afar and is one of the most efficient offensive players in the West. He's a bit of an oddity since as good as he is at shooting from beyond the arc, he's been a historically weak free-throw shooter at 68% but overall he has sizeable offensive package. I like Christian Wood as a player but him being the main return for O.G. is simply pitiful. That's really what can be said about the Mavericks offer in general. It's just too weak to go for unless you absolutely need to move on from Anunoby. And that's a pretty pitiful reason in of itself to do so. Hypothetical trade pieces (Not counting filler): Dallas 1sts from 2025-29, Christian Wood, Jaden Hardy, Josh Green |
2023.01.31 22:32 KamchatkasRevenge Out of Cruel Space Side Story: Of Dog, Volpir, and Man - Ch 152
Jerry shifts his head a bit, trying to get the little comm drone to line up properly with his face. The surprise comm call from a pirate queen had caught him out of his office.
"Sorry Agenda, new tech."
"New to you, that shit's nearly a thousand years old since it first got popular."
Agenda Lilpaw barks with laughter across the line.
"Still I only sent you a message an hour ago... and since when is Vucsa 5's communications infrastructure good enough to make intergalactic calls with minimal lag?"
The pirate queen offers Jerry a toothy, feral grin.
"My dear Captain Bridger, you of all people should know that we've been quite busy upgrading."
"Fair point, but let's cut to the chase."
Agenda shrugs then leans in on her elbow, getting closer to her recording field.
"I'm always down for a little banter Bridger, but seriously, you can't send me an email inquiring if any of the perps of that organ harvesting op are alive, then, quite politely asking that if they are alive, to make them unalive as quickly as possible. That's the type of thing that gets my attention. Almost painful levels of curiosity... it leaves me burning up, desperate to know what just shook out of the tree that made a man like you say something like that. I know, I know, badass commando, but you're a nice guy Bridger, and I want to know what pushes a nice guy like you to the point that you want me to put a couple people against a wall."
"My daughter still has nightmares."
Agenda blinks, confused. "But some of your wives only jus- Oh. Oh that little Kohb girl."
"That's right, Cindy."
The pirate queen softens immediately, her voice dropping down to a near whisper.
"How bad?"
"Agenda, if she was yours and that trash was still alive you'd rip their throats out with your teeth. I don't know how it works, but something... traces... something deep in her subconscious remembered the void. Remembered, if not comprehended three hundred years of nothingness. It's not in her waking mind, it's not even frequently in her sleeping mind. I've worked with tough customers most of my life. I've had men come up from a dead sleep with a knife going for my throat from a PTSD night terror. Cindy's night terror last night was one of the worst I've ever seen. She's got bruises in her palms and fingers because she was clinging to me so hard!"
"...Fuck."
"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction. Luckily she was just fine this morning save for feeling like she'd played extra hard yesterday. Didn't remember a thing."
"Shit. Small favors. Well Bridger, I can't deliver you fresh vengeance, but I can tell you that all fifty two of the whores involved in that mess are taking a dirt nap. Not as satisfying as me sending them to you to kill yourself or hanging them or something I know, but they were put down like animals and tossed in a mass grave months ago after the take over. Miles and the boys made damn sure they didn't miss a single one."
"That's more than enough for me, Agenda, just knowing that scum won't hurt anyone again. I don't know, maybe part of me hopes it'll help my daughter rest easier."
Agenda offers Jerry a sympathetic nod before steering things towards a more positive subject.
“Fair enough, how’s the family otherwise? I heard from Mabby that her littermate delivered?”
Jerry can’t help but smile there. If he was anything, he was a very proud father.“Yep, two healthy girls, Bastet and Hecate.”
“Interesting names, what do they mean?”
“Ancient human goddesses, both related to cats in some way. When we got everyone together to talk names, including human mythology and history seemed pretty popular. Ghorza’s next to deliver for example, and the twins are going to be named Ghalza and Lagertha. The former’s a Horchka heroine and the latter’s a well known human warrior woman from a culture called the Norse. They were a bunch of raiders and pillagers among other things, Agenda, I think you’d like them.”
“Hmmm. I’ll have to ask Miles to drag some appropriate material up for movie night. Certainly sounds like my kinda people.”
“How about over there? The Claw’s baby boom should be swinging in style by now.”
“Oh you have no idea. The medical girls are getting run slightly ragged. I was a hair away from sending a crew to raid a frontier world for some damn maternity ward staff. I settled for hiring a few instead and rounding up some locals to train.”
“Heh, probably the smarter way to do it in the end. You know I think Miles is rubbing off on-”
Jerry cuts off mid sentence as he sees a large crate on a hover pallet pass the hallways down towards Power Armor company's armory and ready rooms... followed by a suspicious looking Boudicca doing her best to sneak around with all ten feet of herself.
"...Speaking of my children... Did I mention I've adopted three Cannidor teens recently?"
"No, but I think I heard something about it from Miles, and from the girls I sent out to the mining colony. Victims of that nasty piece of work right?"
"Yep."
"How are they doing?"
"Good. Very good actually... and I think they might be up to something, so if you'll excuse me, I have some parental discipline to dish out."
"Hah. I almost want to stay on the line and watch. You're a decent sized guy, but if you've got teenage Cannidor adopted daughters they probably have at least three feet on you!"
"Give or take. It's not the size of the dog in the fight though."
"It's the size of the fight in the dog, Miles likes that saying, and the goddess knows he's proved it to me. Ta ta now."
The call ends... and Jerry's already invisible, slinking down the hallway like he's not even there. Overkill perhaps to bust a couple of teenagers up to some mischief. Especially Cannidor teenagers to whom subtlety is a mystery that none of them have yet solved. Still, it was good practice.
Jerry slips around the corner into Paladin Company's spaces. The area was controlled in that all the doors were sealed to anyone without appropriate credentials, and Babydoll kept an eye on the electronic security for the location with numerous minder programs. The only places that were more protected were JSOC, Intel cell's chambers, the engine room and the Den itself. Considering each individual suit of power armor could easily cost as much as a starfighter, never mind higher end models like the armor Jerry wore? It was a reasonable choice.
Of course, the girls had appropriate credentials. Cleaning the company's power armor, and now cleaning and maintaining their future suits of power armor was a major part of their daily chores. To the point that a lot of the sword sworn had taken to calling them 'the squires', with a big sister's teasing affection.
There's a sudden hiss of compressed air and an electronic chirp as Khutulun comes out of the armory with a small pile of tools and parts, heading for Armor Locker 2, where all of the Cannidor armor was located.
Jerry follows in her wake, and slips to the side when she stops to check her six for anyone following her. The sounds of various power tools are emanating from the armor locker. Whatever the girls are doing, they're hard at work, and it's far beyond basic maintenance. He immediately dodges to the left to avoid Khutulun running him over, and takes cover in the hall to the showers for a second.
"Okay I got the rest of the tools and parts."
"This would be a lot easier if we could get Mother Wichen down here to help." Joan gripes. She'd never liked maintenance.
"Or Mother Jaruna." Khutulun again.
"We don't want her to find out yet! Come on girls, it's a secret project. Bad enough we had to tag in Mother Wichen to get what we needed."
Boudicca was apparently the master mind in this little caper... which made sense to Jerry, Joan was a bit too straight laced to get up to anything too sneaky, and Khutulun was... direct. To say the very least.
"Not like it was hard to get her to help. I mean. We're her daughters too! What's a bit more?" Joan, ever reasonable is not wrong. Whatever they're doing.
Boudicca sighs. "...Fine. She does like working on stuff, and she made most of these mounts. Maybe we can ask her to check the calibration before we surprise Dad."
Well. If that wasn't a cue to enter and see what's going on directly. Jerry drops his cloak and steps around the corner.
"Surprise me with what girls?"
The tableau was a funny one. One Jerry couldn't laugh at, because it might mess with his fatherly aura, but three Cannidor teenagers caught in the middle of a variety of tasks as they mounted things to their suits of power armor, their jaws dropping collectively with shock and displaying the Cannidor white and pearlies made Jerry wish he could take a picture. There were tools and weapons crates all around, and their previously pristine armor was now showing the very visible additions of a wide and exotic variety of weapons.
The girls stay frozen as the seconds tick by, his daughters clearly trying to figure out what in the galaxy to say. Right until Joan drops her wrench, and they all start talking at once. They all talk over each other for a second before Jerry holds up a hand.
"Enough! One at a time ladies. Boudicca... seems like you're the ringleader here?"
Boudicca stands up from where she's crouched, a tool for checking electrical couplings getting set aside as she does her absolute damndest to appear cute.
"Weeeeeell you see father..."
Jerry arches an eyebrow.
"Drop the cutesy act, you're all too old for that... and you're not in trouble. Yet."
"...Shit. Alright. Uh. Soooo. You and Mom. Mother Jaruna. Said we could work out the load outs for our power armor right?"
Jerry nods slowly. "Right, I do recall saying that was an exercise I wanted you to start thinking about..."
"Well. We uh. Kinda did. So we took that to Mother Wichen a day or two after the feast, she's the expert after all, so we talked to her about it, showed her what we were thinking and she uh. Kinda went and built it."
"Which wasn't our idea! Really she just... did it!"
Joan interjects, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here despite having willingly participated.
Jerry holds up his hands. "Calm down girls. I already said you aren't in trouble... and I know better than anyone that sometimes Wichen just... does things. So she built the kit you wanted and you wanted to get it all hooked up to surprise Jaruna and I, is that it?"
"Pretty much. Yeah?"
Boudicca offers a weak smile and a nervous laugh.
"Well we did just knock out the last round of your pairing processes. Your profiles from your old implants needed a bit of a tune up but we were otherwise able to get everything working together in the top percentile. So, let's assume I'm not mad, and I'm not so far. How about you girls walk me through what all this stuff is? I’d have preferred a chance to do this before you went and talked to Wichen. Jaruna too, I imagine would have liked the opportunity to head check what you were up to, before we threw down credits on whatever you girls talked Wichen into."
Jerry walks forward and toes a big unopened box for emphasis.
"Let’s start here for example. What were you just mounting to the back of your armor, Boudicca? And what the hell is this massive thing?"
"Shithejusthadtoaskabouttherailgun..." Boudicca mutters, looking very guilty now.
"...Did you just say railgun?"
"No! I mean. Yes! Uhm. It's not my fault!"
"...What's not your fault?"
"I didn't! I mean I wanted a rail gun, but the specs are. Uhm. It. Expanded power pack. That's what I was just integrating. Generation capability, power bank and quick charge capacitors just to support the rail gun."
That got both Jerry's eyebrows up. "Wait, it needs enough juice that it needs its own damn power pack!?"
"I told you! Wichen went... kinda... overboard. I uhm. It's better if I just show you."
Boudicca moves over to the crate Jerry had just tapped, and quickly undoes it, revealing an absolutely massive rail gun, an ammunition mount and what appeared to be a some sort of launcher with a dual feed magazine. The rail gun was of course the centerpiece. A gleaming weapon that could clearly extend its barrel under certain circumstances, and had articulation to fire over the shoulder, or maintain high angles from the back for what almost certainly had to be indirect fire.
"...Did Wichen basically make you a magnetically accelerated howitzer?"
"...Pretty much. Yeah."
"Huh."
Jerry rolls that around in his head a bit.
"So it can do indirect fire?"
"Uh huh. In indirect mode, if I put basically the entire capacitor into it, Wichen says it should be able to go ballistic in the big nearly orbital sense, not just following the principles of ballistics. So the kinetic energy should hit like an orbital strike. It’d take a while to recharge, and it only works in gravity, but in vacuum with less juice I can theoretically put a round through a warship’s hull.”
Boudicca points to the odd looking launcher that was also in the case with the massive weapon.
"That's a magnetically accelerated drone launcher. It can also lob recon grenades. That’s why the two magazines are so weird looking. With the extra telemetry from the drone I should be able to drop a round on a ballistic arc into a bucket with what Wichen calls decent precision to the literal limit of the drone’s endurance and sensor range. In point shooting... she said it was laser accurate to as far out as our ranges go."
"Walk me through the rest."
Boudicca points to her right gauntlet.
"Well besides the half ton of reloads for the rail gun, I went heavier on the right arm weapon than the other girls, I'm already carrying a lot so I went for mostly energy with a heavy laser repeater. Just a bit more firepower than even four of the standard pulse lasers the Paladins use. Wichen cut it down custom, increased the rate of fire and upped the beam intensity somehow. She wouldn't explain what she did, but I don't think it's unstable... hopefully."
The nervous look that crosses Boudicca's face suggests she's not nearly as confident as she'd like to be.
"On the left arm I just went Undaunted standard issue, belt fed bull shark paired with a plasma caster. The grenade capability mixed with the flamethrower or just using it as a normal plasma weapon's just too damn useful. For a hand weapon I'm carrying my custom Great White Shark. I got a mix of shells for different situations, but mostly buck shot."
Boudicca points to her gleaming Great White Shark resting in its rack. The gun was distinctive with its gray body and its heavy Celtic theming, the girls taking deep inspiration from the namesakes they'd selected. Knots and Cannidor battle runes flowed intricately from the butt stock to the muzzle, with two knotwork wolves running almost the full length of the barrel from the action. The real flare for the weapon was how near the muzzle those wolves transitioned from paint to a gleaming golden muzzle device shaped like a wolf's head with a full throated snarl going on. Wichen had done such a good job working the sculpting on the muzzle device that it practically looked like it was leaping at you.
"I haven't picked out a melee weapon yet... I wanna try some more stuff... but I'm thinking about a Cannidor scale kukri."
"Sounds like a decent kit. Joan?"
Joan startles, clearly not expecting to be called out next.
"Oh! Me. Uh. I." Joan manages to look as close as a Cannidor can to bashful. "I uhm. Just went with your load out Dad. Just... a bit bigger."
Joan steps over to her armor, and lifts the right gauntlet, which had what was clearly a full size minigun cut down and stuffed into it.
"I literally told Wichen that... and she uh. Gave me all this. So it's a full on minigun in 6.5 Creedmoor, just to make ammo easier since we already make so much of that. It also extends its range just a bit, but it's massively overkill for the application. Wichen's apparently trying to work out a 6.5 Raufoss round for me. The pulse lasers were replaced with heavily cut down light laser repeaters. I can't put out quite as much laser fire as Boudicca but I can get pretty close."
That got Jerry's attention, and he stepped in to inspect the mounting. "Wichen must have worked literal black fucking magic to cut this shit down. Especially the laser repeaters."
Joan nods, and steps back behind the armor and drags a pair of boxes forward. "My left arm is the Undaunted standard issue, bull shark, plasma caster with a grenade launcher function. For my right shoulder weapon I have two options, a recoilless rifle, and an armor mounted and integrated version of the guided missile we killed that damn lizard with the other day. I really liked what I could do with that and being able to reach out and touch someone with high explosives always makes for a big surprise considering how short range a lot of weapons are. Throw in a back mount energy weapon of my choice, I have a plasma cannon or heavy laser cannon to pick from so far, and that’s me done. I'm also carrying my Great White Shark. I'm sticking with slugs primarily."
Joan's Great White shark is likely to become a hit with the Paladin company in terms of theme. A rich white with golden embellishments that were more Cannidor than human, with a take on the Coat of Arms of Joan of Arc featuring prominently just forward of the action. It turned a brutal weapon into something slightly more artistic and almost elegant that extended into its gleaming fleur de lys marked bayonet.
"For a melee weapon... I want to stress. I just asked for a sword."
Joan seemed very nervous about this one, and Jerry braces himself... but he couldn't have expected the sumptuous blue dyed leather and golden sheath Joan pulled from its case. The hilt extending from it had a very familiar guard. An aquila. An aquila that concealed the telltale generator for a dimensional rift field.
"Been enjoying those 40k books huh? And a rift field?"
"...I ah. A little. And I told you Dad! I didn't ask for a rift field generator, it's just too much! ...But it's really amazing otherwise."
Joan draws the great sword with a fencer's flourish, easily swinging the massive weapon around through a set of Cannidor sword forms, alternating between one and both hands on the grip.
Just looking at it Jerry can tell that the weapon looks light, but with it's intensive reinforcement and special alloys taking a blow from it would be like getting hit with a very, very sharp I beam without the gentleness inherent in such an encounter. That's before Joan turned the rift field on, after which it would just be a nightmare. Still something catches Jerry’s eye, an inscription of some kind on the blade. .
"What's that written on the blade?"
"Oh! I translated a human thing I found on a sword into Cannidor." Joan clears her throat. "When I raise this sword, so I pray that this poor sinner will receive redemption." She grins weakly up at Jerry, clearly searching for approval. "It uh. The original was eternal life or something like that, the concept doesn't really work in Cannidor religion."
"I like it. Good stuff honey." Jerry savors the beaming smile Joan lights up with on getting affirmation for her choices before he turns to his final daughter. "Whatcha got Khutulun?"
Khutulun kicks at the deck plates a bit. "I uh... don't have anything super out there. You know me Dad, I like to scrap, so I'm running a twin 5.56 microgun mount with paired vehicle grade laser repeaters for maximum short range fire power on the right hand. Left is the usual bull shark with a shorter range heavy plasma caster that's optimized for flamethrower work instead of the usual Undaunted set up that focuses on plasma fire and plasma grenades. It can still do the grenades, but bigger and with less range."
Khutulun gestures up to the cannon hanging over the back. "Got one of the 25mm autocannons with the multi ammo type feed for my back mount. Versatile and gives me some long range options. I skipped another back weapon for more ammo and juice free for what I already have. The really special thing is I asked Mother Wichen to reinforce my power armor's gauntlets and make me three sets of kutha and alloy knuckles. I got a daily wear pair. Another pair built into my favorite gloves, and then these..."
She gestures to the gleaming knuckles on the gauntlets of her power armor.
"They should be able to let me generate a set of massive axiom fists, along with some other effects. One of the Crimsonhewers at the party was telling me about a human who goes by the Hat who beat down a Crimsonhewer in an arena with something similar and well..."
"...You like to scrap, I know sweetie. So how hard can that hit?"
Khutulun considers for a minute. "Shit, what'd she say... oh right. It'd take my punch from 'freight train' to 'getting bitch slapped by an ICBM.' which sounds good to me! Wichen being Wichen, she also gave me rift field generators for my gauntlets. So if big handed beat downs aren't enough I can always just haul off and punch a tank to death."
She lifts the gauntlet, larger than her sister's noticeably, and points out some of the reinforcement points and displays the access port for the rift field generator before continuing.
"I'm also packing my Great White, I'm mostly running buck shot but I have some Dragons Breath and a couple slugs as a 'just in case'. I'm also working up an AP slug for the Great White with Wichen. We have a rough plan for a High Explosive Dual Purpose that should wreck whatever I point this thing at. Joan already said she wants, and I quote, an unholy shit ton."
"Sounds like a good capability add for the Great Whites, good work girls. Did you get your custom shotgun back, Khutulun?"
Khutulun steps back and pulls her shotgun from its rack. Khutulun's is the most Cannidor of the designs, Mongolian and some of the older Cannidor artistic styles matched up quite nicely, and Khutulun had gone all in with a dark red design with old school blessings in one of the older, more aggressive Cannidor scripts in a brighter red. Mixed with Mongol style illustrations of horses, wolves and other powerful totems along the casing of the massive weapon.
"Hmmm."
The three girls lean in, clearly awaiting Jerry's judgment, Joan most clearly of all still expecting to be punished.
"Well I suppose I did tell you girls to figure out your loadouts, and I certainly can't blame you for Wichen getting enthusiastic. Tell you what, let's get Jaruna down here, get these things rigged up and get them range tested."
"What?" Joan goes from waiting for death to surprise.
"Really?" Boudicca glances longingly at her new rail gun, clearly excited.
"Hell yeah! Best Dad ever!"
Khutulun punches a fist in the air and shoves her shotgun back into the rack as the other girls turn back to their own work.
Jerry can't help but smile as he calls up Jaruna's contact on his communicator. It was always good to take the opportunity to spend some time with family.
First Last Next
submitted by KamchatkasRevenge to HFY [link] [comments]
"Sorry Agenda, new tech."
"New to you, that shit's nearly a thousand years old since it first got popular."
Agenda Lilpaw barks with laughter across the line.
"Still I only sent you a message an hour ago... and since when is Vucsa 5's communications infrastructure good enough to make intergalactic calls with minimal lag?"
The pirate queen offers Jerry a toothy, feral grin.
"My dear Captain Bridger, you of all people should know that we've been quite busy upgrading."
"Fair point, but let's cut to the chase."
Agenda shrugs then leans in on her elbow, getting closer to her recording field.
"I'm always down for a little banter Bridger, but seriously, you can't send me an email inquiring if any of the perps of that organ harvesting op are alive, then, quite politely asking that if they are alive, to make them unalive as quickly as possible. That's the type of thing that gets my attention. Almost painful levels of curiosity... it leaves me burning up, desperate to know what just shook out of the tree that made a man like you say something like that. I know, I know, badass commando, but you're a nice guy Bridger, and I want to know what pushes a nice guy like you to the point that you want me to put a couple people against a wall."
"My daughter still has nightmares."
Agenda blinks, confused. "But some of your wives only jus- Oh. Oh that little Kohb girl."
"That's right, Cindy."
The pirate queen softens immediately, her voice dropping down to a near whisper.
"How bad?"
"Agenda, if she was yours and that trash was still alive you'd rip their throats out with your teeth. I don't know how it works, but something... traces... something deep in her subconscious remembered the void. Remembered, if not comprehended three hundred years of nothingness. It's not in her waking mind, it's not even frequently in her sleeping mind. I've worked with tough customers most of my life. I've had men come up from a dead sleep with a knife going for my throat from a PTSD night terror. Cindy's night terror last night was one of the worst I've ever seen. She's got bruises in her palms and fingers because she was clinging to me so hard!"
"...Fuck."
"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction. Luckily she was just fine this morning save for feeling like she'd played extra hard yesterday. Didn't remember a thing."
"Shit. Small favors. Well Bridger, I can't deliver you fresh vengeance, but I can tell you that all fifty two of the whores involved in that mess are taking a dirt nap. Not as satisfying as me sending them to you to kill yourself or hanging them or something I know, but they were put down like animals and tossed in a mass grave months ago after the take over. Miles and the boys made damn sure they didn't miss a single one."
"That's more than enough for me, Agenda, just knowing that scum won't hurt anyone again. I don't know, maybe part of me hopes it'll help my daughter rest easier."
Agenda offers Jerry a sympathetic nod before steering things towards a more positive subject.
“Fair enough, how’s the family otherwise? I heard from Mabby that her littermate delivered?”
Jerry can’t help but smile there. If he was anything, he was a very proud father.“Yep, two healthy girls, Bastet and Hecate.”
“Interesting names, what do they mean?”
“Ancient human goddesses, both related to cats in some way. When we got everyone together to talk names, including human mythology and history seemed pretty popular. Ghorza’s next to deliver for example, and the twins are going to be named Ghalza and Lagertha. The former’s a Horchka heroine and the latter’s a well known human warrior woman from a culture called the Norse. They were a bunch of raiders and pillagers among other things, Agenda, I think you’d like them.”
“Hmmm. I’ll have to ask Miles to drag some appropriate material up for movie night. Certainly sounds like my kinda people.”
“How about over there? The Claw’s baby boom should be swinging in style by now.”
“Oh you have no idea. The medical girls are getting run slightly ragged. I was a hair away from sending a crew to raid a frontier world for some damn maternity ward staff. I settled for hiring a few instead and rounding up some locals to train.”
“Heh, probably the smarter way to do it in the end. You know I think Miles is rubbing off on-”
Jerry cuts off mid sentence as he sees a large crate on a hover pallet pass the hallways down towards Power Armor company's armory and ready rooms... followed by a suspicious looking Boudicca doing her best to sneak around with all ten feet of herself.
"...Speaking of my children... Did I mention I've adopted three Cannidor teens recently?"
"No, but I think I heard something about it from Miles, and from the girls I sent out to the mining colony. Victims of that nasty piece of work right?"
"Yep."
"How are they doing?"
"Good. Very good actually... and I think they might be up to something, so if you'll excuse me, I have some parental discipline to dish out."
"Hah. I almost want to stay on the line and watch. You're a decent sized guy, but if you've got teenage Cannidor adopted daughters they probably have at least three feet on you!"
"Give or take. It's not the size of the dog in the fight though."
"It's the size of the fight in the dog, Miles likes that saying, and the goddess knows he's proved it to me. Ta ta now."
The call ends... and Jerry's already invisible, slinking down the hallway like he's not even there. Overkill perhaps to bust a couple of teenagers up to some mischief. Especially Cannidor teenagers to whom subtlety is a mystery that none of them have yet solved. Still, it was good practice.
Jerry slips around the corner into Paladin Company's spaces. The area was controlled in that all the doors were sealed to anyone without appropriate credentials, and Babydoll kept an eye on the electronic security for the location with numerous minder programs. The only places that were more protected were JSOC, Intel cell's chambers, the engine room and the Den itself. Considering each individual suit of power armor could easily cost as much as a starfighter, never mind higher end models like the armor Jerry wore? It was a reasonable choice.
Of course, the girls had appropriate credentials. Cleaning the company's power armor, and now cleaning and maintaining their future suits of power armor was a major part of their daily chores. To the point that a lot of the sword sworn had taken to calling them 'the squires', with a big sister's teasing affection.
There's a sudden hiss of compressed air and an electronic chirp as Khutulun comes out of the armory with a small pile of tools and parts, heading for Armor Locker 2, where all of the Cannidor armor was located.
Jerry follows in her wake, and slips to the side when she stops to check her six for anyone following her. The sounds of various power tools are emanating from the armor locker. Whatever the girls are doing, they're hard at work, and it's far beyond basic maintenance. He immediately dodges to the left to avoid Khutulun running him over, and takes cover in the hall to the showers for a second.
"Okay I got the rest of the tools and parts."
"This would be a lot easier if we could get Mother Wichen down here to help." Joan gripes. She'd never liked maintenance.
"Or Mother Jaruna." Khutulun again.
"We don't want her to find out yet! Come on girls, it's a secret project. Bad enough we had to tag in Mother Wichen to get what we needed."
Boudicca was apparently the master mind in this little caper... which made sense to Jerry, Joan was a bit too straight laced to get up to anything too sneaky, and Khutulun was... direct. To say the very least.
"Not like it was hard to get her to help. I mean. We're her daughters too! What's a bit more?" Joan, ever reasonable is not wrong. Whatever they're doing.
Boudicca sighs. "...Fine. She does like working on stuff, and she made most of these mounts. Maybe we can ask her to check the calibration before we surprise Dad."
Well. If that wasn't a cue to enter and see what's going on directly. Jerry drops his cloak and steps around the corner.
"Surprise me with what girls?"
The tableau was a funny one. One Jerry couldn't laugh at, because it might mess with his fatherly aura, but three Cannidor teenagers caught in the middle of a variety of tasks as they mounted things to their suits of power armor, their jaws dropping collectively with shock and displaying the Cannidor white and pearlies made Jerry wish he could take a picture. There were tools and weapons crates all around, and their previously pristine armor was now showing the very visible additions of a wide and exotic variety of weapons.
The girls stay frozen as the seconds tick by, his daughters clearly trying to figure out what in the galaxy to say. Right until Joan drops her wrench, and they all start talking at once. They all talk over each other for a second before Jerry holds up a hand.
"Enough! One at a time ladies. Boudicca... seems like you're the ringleader here?"
Boudicca stands up from where she's crouched, a tool for checking electrical couplings getting set aside as she does her absolute damndest to appear cute.
"Weeeeeell you see father..."
Jerry arches an eyebrow.
"Drop the cutesy act, you're all too old for that... and you're not in trouble. Yet."
"...Shit. Alright. Uh. Soooo. You and Mom. Mother Jaruna. Said we could work out the load outs for our power armor right?"
Jerry nods slowly. "Right, I do recall saying that was an exercise I wanted you to start thinking about..."
"Well. We uh. Kinda did. So we took that to Mother Wichen a day or two after the feast, she's the expert after all, so we talked to her about it, showed her what we were thinking and she uh. Kinda went and built it."
"Which wasn't our idea! Really she just... did it!"
Joan interjects, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here despite having willingly participated.
Jerry holds up his hands. "Calm down girls. I already said you aren't in trouble... and I know better than anyone that sometimes Wichen just... does things. So she built the kit you wanted and you wanted to get it all hooked up to surprise Jaruna and I, is that it?"
"Pretty much. Yeah?"
Boudicca offers a weak smile and a nervous laugh.
"Well we did just knock out the last round of your pairing processes. Your profiles from your old implants needed a bit of a tune up but we were otherwise able to get everything working together in the top percentile. So, let's assume I'm not mad, and I'm not so far. How about you girls walk me through what all this stuff is? I’d have preferred a chance to do this before you went and talked to Wichen. Jaruna too, I imagine would have liked the opportunity to head check what you were up to, before we threw down credits on whatever you girls talked Wichen into."
Jerry walks forward and toes a big unopened box for emphasis.
"Let’s start here for example. What were you just mounting to the back of your armor, Boudicca? And what the hell is this massive thing?"
"Shithejusthadtoaskabouttherailgun..." Boudicca mutters, looking very guilty now.
"...Did you just say railgun?"
"No! I mean. Yes! Uhm. It's not my fault!"
"...What's not your fault?"
"I didn't! I mean I wanted a rail gun, but the specs are. Uhm. It. Expanded power pack. That's what I was just integrating. Generation capability, power bank and quick charge capacitors just to support the rail gun."
That got both Jerry's eyebrows up. "Wait, it needs enough juice that it needs its own damn power pack!?"
"I told you! Wichen went... kinda... overboard. I uhm. It's better if I just show you."
Boudicca moves over to the crate Jerry had just tapped, and quickly undoes it, revealing an absolutely massive rail gun, an ammunition mount and what appeared to be a some sort of launcher with a dual feed magazine. The rail gun was of course the centerpiece. A gleaming weapon that could clearly extend its barrel under certain circumstances, and had articulation to fire over the shoulder, or maintain high angles from the back for what almost certainly had to be indirect fire.
"...Did Wichen basically make you a magnetically accelerated howitzer?"
"...Pretty much. Yeah."
"Huh."
Jerry rolls that around in his head a bit.
"So it can do indirect fire?"
"Uh huh. In indirect mode, if I put basically the entire capacitor into it, Wichen says it should be able to go ballistic in the big nearly orbital sense, not just following the principles of ballistics. So the kinetic energy should hit like an orbital strike. It’d take a while to recharge, and it only works in gravity, but in vacuum with less juice I can theoretically put a round through a warship’s hull.”
Boudicca points to the odd looking launcher that was also in the case with the massive weapon.
"That's a magnetically accelerated drone launcher. It can also lob recon grenades. That’s why the two magazines are so weird looking. With the extra telemetry from the drone I should be able to drop a round on a ballistic arc into a bucket with what Wichen calls decent precision to the literal limit of the drone’s endurance and sensor range. In point shooting... she said it was laser accurate to as far out as our ranges go."
"Walk me through the rest."
Boudicca points to her right gauntlet.
"Well besides the half ton of reloads for the rail gun, I went heavier on the right arm weapon than the other girls, I'm already carrying a lot so I went for mostly energy with a heavy laser repeater. Just a bit more firepower than even four of the standard pulse lasers the Paladins use. Wichen cut it down custom, increased the rate of fire and upped the beam intensity somehow. She wouldn't explain what she did, but I don't think it's unstable... hopefully."
The nervous look that crosses Boudicca's face suggests she's not nearly as confident as she'd like to be.
"On the left arm I just went Undaunted standard issue, belt fed bull shark paired with a plasma caster. The grenade capability mixed with the flamethrower or just using it as a normal plasma weapon's just too damn useful. For a hand weapon I'm carrying my custom Great White Shark. I got a mix of shells for different situations, but mostly buck shot."
Boudicca points to her gleaming Great White Shark resting in its rack. The gun was distinctive with its gray body and its heavy Celtic theming, the girls taking deep inspiration from the namesakes they'd selected. Knots and Cannidor battle runes flowed intricately from the butt stock to the muzzle, with two knotwork wolves running almost the full length of the barrel from the action. The real flare for the weapon was how near the muzzle those wolves transitioned from paint to a gleaming golden muzzle device shaped like a wolf's head with a full throated snarl going on. Wichen had done such a good job working the sculpting on the muzzle device that it practically looked like it was leaping at you.
"I haven't picked out a melee weapon yet... I wanna try some more stuff... but I'm thinking about a Cannidor scale kukri."
"Sounds like a decent kit. Joan?"
Joan startles, clearly not expecting to be called out next.
"Oh! Me. Uh. I." Joan manages to look as close as a Cannidor can to bashful. "I uhm. Just went with your load out Dad. Just... a bit bigger."
Joan steps over to her armor, and lifts the right gauntlet, which had what was clearly a full size minigun cut down and stuffed into it.
"I literally told Wichen that... and she uh. Gave me all this. So it's a full on minigun in 6.5 Creedmoor, just to make ammo easier since we already make so much of that. It also extends its range just a bit, but it's massively overkill for the application. Wichen's apparently trying to work out a 6.5 Raufoss round for me. The pulse lasers were replaced with heavily cut down light laser repeaters. I can't put out quite as much laser fire as Boudicca but I can get pretty close."
That got Jerry's attention, and he stepped in to inspect the mounting. "Wichen must have worked literal black fucking magic to cut this shit down. Especially the laser repeaters."
Joan nods, and steps back behind the armor and drags a pair of boxes forward. "My left arm is the Undaunted standard issue, bull shark, plasma caster with a grenade launcher function. For my right shoulder weapon I have two options, a recoilless rifle, and an armor mounted and integrated version of the guided missile we killed that damn lizard with the other day. I really liked what I could do with that and being able to reach out and touch someone with high explosives always makes for a big surprise considering how short range a lot of weapons are. Throw in a back mount energy weapon of my choice, I have a plasma cannon or heavy laser cannon to pick from so far, and that’s me done. I'm also carrying my Great White Shark. I'm sticking with slugs primarily."
Joan's Great White shark is likely to become a hit with the Paladin company in terms of theme. A rich white with golden embellishments that were more Cannidor than human, with a take on the Coat of Arms of Joan of Arc featuring prominently just forward of the action. It turned a brutal weapon into something slightly more artistic and almost elegant that extended into its gleaming fleur de lys marked bayonet.
"For a melee weapon... I want to stress. I just asked for a sword."
Joan seemed very nervous about this one, and Jerry braces himself... but he couldn't have expected the sumptuous blue dyed leather and golden sheath Joan pulled from its case. The hilt extending from it had a very familiar guard. An aquila. An aquila that concealed the telltale generator for a dimensional rift field.
"Been enjoying those 40k books huh? And a rift field?"
"...I ah. A little. And I told you Dad! I didn't ask for a rift field generator, it's just too much! ...But it's really amazing otherwise."
Joan draws the great sword with a fencer's flourish, easily swinging the massive weapon around through a set of Cannidor sword forms, alternating between one and both hands on the grip.
Just looking at it Jerry can tell that the weapon looks light, but with it's intensive reinforcement and special alloys taking a blow from it would be like getting hit with a very, very sharp I beam without the gentleness inherent in such an encounter. That's before Joan turned the rift field on, after which it would just be a nightmare. Still something catches Jerry’s eye, an inscription of some kind on the blade. .
"What's that written on the blade?"
"Oh! I translated a human thing I found on a sword into Cannidor." Joan clears her throat. "When I raise this sword, so I pray that this poor sinner will receive redemption." She grins weakly up at Jerry, clearly searching for approval. "It uh. The original was eternal life or something like that, the concept doesn't really work in Cannidor religion."
"I like it. Good stuff honey." Jerry savors the beaming smile Joan lights up with on getting affirmation for her choices before he turns to his final daughter. "Whatcha got Khutulun?"
Khutulun kicks at the deck plates a bit. "I uh... don't have anything super out there. You know me Dad, I like to scrap, so I'm running a twin 5.56 microgun mount with paired vehicle grade laser repeaters for maximum short range fire power on the right hand. Left is the usual bull shark with a shorter range heavy plasma caster that's optimized for flamethrower work instead of the usual Undaunted set up that focuses on plasma fire and plasma grenades. It can still do the grenades, but bigger and with less range."
Khutulun gestures up to the cannon hanging over the back. "Got one of the 25mm autocannons with the multi ammo type feed for my back mount. Versatile and gives me some long range options. I skipped another back weapon for more ammo and juice free for what I already have. The really special thing is I asked Mother Wichen to reinforce my power armor's gauntlets and make me three sets of kutha and alloy knuckles. I got a daily wear pair. Another pair built into my favorite gloves, and then these..."
She gestures to the gleaming knuckles on the gauntlets of her power armor.
"They should be able to let me generate a set of massive axiom fists, along with some other effects. One of the Crimsonhewers at the party was telling me about a human who goes by the Hat who beat down a Crimsonhewer in an arena with something similar and well..."
"...You like to scrap, I know sweetie. So how hard can that hit?"
Khutulun considers for a minute. "Shit, what'd she say... oh right. It'd take my punch from 'freight train' to 'getting bitch slapped by an ICBM.' which sounds good to me! Wichen being Wichen, she also gave me rift field generators for my gauntlets. So if big handed beat downs aren't enough I can always just haul off and punch a tank to death."
She lifts the gauntlet, larger than her sister's noticeably, and points out some of the reinforcement points and displays the access port for the rift field generator before continuing.
"I'm also packing my Great White, I'm mostly running buck shot but I have some Dragons Breath and a couple slugs as a 'just in case'. I'm also working up an AP slug for the Great White with Wichen. We have a rough plan for a High Explosive Dual Purpose that should wreck whatever I point this thing at. Joan already said she wants, and I quote, an unholy shit ton."
"Sounds like a good capability add for the Great Whites, good work girls. Did you get your custom shotgun back, Khutulun?"
Khutulun steps back and pulls her shotgun from its rack. Khutulun's is the most Cannidor of the designs, Mongolian and some of the older Cannidor artistic styles matched up quite nicely, and Khutulun had gone all in with a dark red design with old school blessings in one of the older, more aggressive Cannidor scripts in a brighter red. Mixed with Mongol style illustrations of horses, wolves and other powerful totems along the casing of the massive weapon.
"Hmmm."
The three girls lean in, clearly awaiting Jerry's judgment, Joan most clearly of all still expecting to be punished.
"Well I suppose I did tell you girls to figure out your loadouts, and I certainly can't blame you for Wichen getting enthusiastic. Tell you what, let's get Jaruna down here, get these things rigged up and get them range tested."
"What?" Joan goes from waiting for death to surprise.
"Really?" Boudicca glances longingly at her new rail gun, clearly excited.
"Hell yeah! Best Dad ever!"
Khutulun punches a fist in the air and shoves her shotgun back into the rack as the other girls turn back to their own work.
Jerry can't help but smile as he calls up Jaruna's contact on his communicator. It was always good to take the opportunity to spend some time with family.
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