2018-19 NBA Thread

He's an idiot, he has no point.

 

I'm not a Carmelo fan, but he might be a Hall of Famer even if you take away his NBA career.

 

Agreed. One of the best parts is that there is no one overriding storyline like last year's where-will-LBJ-go drumbeat.

Things I'll be watching:
1. Lakers ShitShow
2. Will the Warriors finally phone it in for stretches at a time?
3. The Jazz will be THE surprise team (for success)
4. The Rockets will the THE surprise team (for failing)
5. Can the Raptors make it over the hump?
6. I'm even curious to see if the Cavs are better than expected
7. Can last year's injured superstars come back full strength?

There are so many storylines in what is the most entertaining league in sports.

 

And, with, WAY beyond a no-brainer. The dude's on pace to end up as one of the sport's ten all time leading scorers, was an all star every year for over a decade straight, won multiple Olympic gold medals, carried his college team to a national championship, etc.

Suggesting it would be devaluing the HOF to let that guy in is pure idiocy.

 

And you know what? The more I think he's definitely a Hall of Famer even if you don't consider a moment of his NBA career. Imagine a guy from, say, Spain carried a team to an NCAA title (Most Outstanding Player) and was arguably the best player on three Olympic Gold-winning teams. He'd be a lock even if he never came to the US to play pro ball.

 

As for Dwight Howard, the other guy who will devalue the Hall of Fame...

All-Star for 8 straight years
All-NBA first team for 5 straight years
NBA Defensive POY for 3 straight years
5 time rebounding leader
2 time blocks leader
Olympic gold medalist

People love to rip Dwight Howard, but he's an absolute no-brainer for the hall.

 

You forgot Markelle Fultz 2.0, who is evoking comparisons to James Harden.

Really interested to see how he integrates with Simmons and Embiid.

 

Agreed - the storylines will be great.

I've watched the Lakers a few times in the preseason. I know you really can't base anything on preseason performance... by my god, they looked pretty good. Ingram can really play. Lonzo should be improved. I freakin' love Rondo, and JaVale looks really good. Kuzma can play. And there's LeBron. It's still a weird-ass grab bag of dudes, but I think they could have home court in the first round of the playoffs.

I think the Rockets took a giant step back this offseason. I'm not sure what they were thinking.

Other stuff:

-- Can the Celtics juggle that lineup and keep people happy? If they can, they have a legit shot at the title.
-- Can the Pelicans win with this lineup? I think losing Rondo really hurts them.
-- Do the Celtics make the Pelicans an offer they can't refuse? If I'm the Celtics I call New Orleans every day offering the moon for Anthony Davis. Jason Tatum, Marcus Smart, and two first rounders for Davis? If I'm the Celtics I'd do it in a heartbeat.
-- Just how jacked up does the situation get in Minnesota before the owner comes in with a flamethrower? Thibs should already be gone.
-- Are the Raptors good enough to convince Kawhi to stay? I'm guessing they are.
-- Does Philly take a step forward? They have two superstars, a giant question mark in Fultz, and a potentially really strange team dynamic. If they get it to work they could be tremendous but it's going to be tricky.
-- Can Phoenix add the number one pick and still be the worst team in the NBA?

 

Really curious where you're hearing these James Harden comparisons.

 

The Celtics will never let Tatum go, and they shouldn't.

 

Fultz has been compared to Harden since he entered the draft. And his shot, by almost all accounts, is back now.

I’m not saying he’ll be MVP, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns into a 20-5-5 guy this season.