2014 NBA draft/off-season thread

Have two No. 1 picks previously ever been traded in one deal? By the same team?

 

The Cavs are going to be one of the worst defensive teams in the league.

 

So, the trade is being reported as just Bennett and Wiggins for Love. It doesn't appear any picks are part of the trade.

Nevermind. AWoj said a pick is part of the trade. CBS Sports left that out of its "breaking news" alert.

 

No.

 

Agreed.

If Kevin Love cared about winning so much, maybe he'd try on defense.

I'm not defending the Wolves, but if you're a top 5 player, arguably to some top 3, you can at least lead your team to the playoffs once in your career.

He pretty much takes off every play defensively.

 

I'd like to meet people who think Kevin Love is better than Chris Paul so I could slap the shit out of them.

 

Do not like this deal for the Cavs at all. This is more about creating another "Big Three" than about addressing a need. The Cavs should have looked to add a rim-protector...someone in the middle defensively that can help make up for defensive mistakes by Irving and Waiters. Wiggins is potentially a great player the team controls for a long time at a reasonable price. Love will cost a boatload of money and hinder future roster flexibility. Don't know why the Cavs felt so rushed to get this deal done right now instead of waiting to see what they had with Wiggins, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving on the floor together.

 

Most metrics have Love as an OK to above average defender. While he doesn't have great block numbers (0.5 per game), he gets about a steal a game, and his defensive rebounding numbers are obviously very good. He's also very good at avoiding personal fouls. I don't really understand the obsession people have with punishing him for his team's lack of success - The Western Conference is currently constituted like Battle Royale / The Hunger Games. Lebron carried some truly horrible Cavs teams to the playoffs in the East, and Wade did the same with the Heat, but there aren't many one-man, one-All Star teams in the West making the playoffs.

 

"Rim protector" is a fun buzzword, but who's available who is one? Dwight Howard isn't on the market. The best big man available in FA was probably Greg Monroe, and his BPG isn't much better than Love, plus he was a restricted FA. Tyson Chandler is getting older and already got traded to the Mavs this offseason. The Spurs won the title this year with Duncan, who's only even tested FA once, and Tiago Splitter, who they easily re-signed last year. Prior to them, Bosh and Lebron normally put enough pressure on guys near the rim that it worked, even if they didn't compile gaudy block numbers. Lebron, Irving, Love and the pupu platters of 4s and 5s on the roster (Varajeo when he's healthy, Thompson) and minimum salary vet guys is probably better for this year and next than Lebron, Irving and Wiggins.

 

Look at Cavs fans bemoaning LeBron, Love, Irving.

Uh-huh, sure.

Cleveland fans deserve themselves.

 

They can whine all the way to the finals.