General NBA '17-'18 thread

[JasonEvans]

Is Schroeder+Prince+Collins+Bagley/Ayton/Doncic* the core to build around? Or does the plan require an additional year of tanking to add another potential star?

Another year of tanking and another year for their youngsters to get better. That gets you to 2020, which is also the year Plumlee and Bazemore's contracts come off the books, freeing up more than $30 mil of cap space to bring in a quality free agent.

-Jason "yup, looking forward to 2020, that is what it is like to be a Hawks fan right now" Evans

[Duke79UNLV77]

If you like a lot of incoherent talking over each other and then fake laughs, NBA TV’s “players only” broadcasts are for you.

[awhom111]

The Bulls are playing so well right now that boxing gyms have seen a surge in interest for corporate team-building events.

[Truth&Justise]

This is the first year Grant Hill will be eligible for election to the Naismith Hall of Fame.

List of all eligible candidates.

Other notable first-time candidates are Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton.

The finalists will be announced at the NBA All-Star game in February, and the entrants will be announced during the Final Four.

Grant Hill had a heck of an NBA career, despite the injuries. His relative lack of postseason success will hurt, but his candidacy is buoyed by his excellent college career and his gold medal. I think he has a great chance of making it.

Kidd and Nash seem like shoe-ins to me, and I think Ray Allen makes it as well.

EDIT: I figure if Grant makes it to the list of finalists then we can probably have a separate thread for that.

[ChillinDuke]

This is the first year Grant Hill will be eligible for election to the Naismith Hall of Fame.

List of all eligible candidates.

Other notable first-time candidates are Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton.

The finalists will be announced at the NBA All-Star game in February, and the entrants will be announced during the Final Four.

Grant Hill had a heck of an NBA career, despite the injuries. His relative lack of postseason success will hurt, but his candidacy is buoyed by his excellent college career and his gold medal. I think he has a great chance of making it.

Kidd and Nash seem like shoe-ins to me, and I think Ray Allen makes it as well.

EDIT: I figure if Grant makes it to the list of finalists then we can probably have a separate thread for that.

For whatever it's worth (not much) this site lists HOF probabilities. Nash and Kidd are virtual certainties, as is Allen.

Grant is listed at 89% likely. I tend to think his college career, gold medal, broadcasting, and TV career will push him in.

Billups is at 84%. Rip is highly unlikely (2%).

- Chillin

[CDu]

The Cavs get a shot in the arm tonight. Isaiah Thomas will make his debut. Just in time too. The Cavs had caught up to the Celtics recently, but have struggled over their last 5 (going 1-4).

[JasonEvans]

The Cavs get a shot in the arm tonight. Isaiah Thomas will make his debut. Just in time too. The Cavs had caught up to the Celtics recently, but have struggled over their last 5 (going 1-4).

As good as Kyrie has been, if Thomas plays the rest of the season the way he played tonight (17 points in 19 minutes), I suspect the Cavs will be quite pleased with the trade (even if it appears the Nets pick won't be nearly as valuable as some had thought... not likely to be in the top 5, which is absolutely loaded in this draft).

[JasonEvans]

Ok, we need to talk about this...



That, my friends, is not a 6th grader learning how to shoot a jump shot. That is the Markelle Fultz, the #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. And that is perhaps the ugliest jumpshot I have ever seen from an erstwhile professional basketball player. There's more video of his truly horrible shooting form here.

I think we are in new territory here. This kid was a dynamic shooter a year ago (he hit 41% of his 3s in college) and has seemingly completely forgotten how to shoot a basketball. I just can't recall something like this happening.

To bring in a Duke angle, this would making the Fultz for Tatum (plus a high #1 pick) trade look lopsided even if Tatum wasn't looking like perhaps the best player in the 2017 draft. There is a non-zero chance that Fultz will never be a good basketball player ever again. I'm serious...

-Jason "I'd say this is a career ending offense for Bryan Colangelo, but I don't think anyone could have seen this coming" Evans

[kshepinthehouse]

Ok, we need to talk about this...



That, my friends, is not a 6th grader learning how to shoot a jump shot. That is the Markelle Fultz, the #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. And that is perhaps the ugliest jumpshot I have ever seen from an erstwhile professional basketball player. There's more video of his truly horrible shooting form here.

I think we are in new territory here. This kid was a dynamic shooter a year ago (he hit 41% of his 3s in college) and has seemingly completely forgotten how to shoot a basketball. I just can't recall something like this happening.

To bring in a Duke angle, this would making the Fultz for Tatum (plus a high #1 pick) trade look lopsided even if Tatum wasn't looking like perhaps the best player in the 2017 draft. There is a non-zero chance that Fultz will never be a good basketball player ever again. I'm serious...

-Jason "I'd say this is a career ending offense for Bryan Colangelo, but I don't think anyone could have seen this coming" Evans

Truly an interesting phenomenon. I’m hoping it has more to do with his shoulder and less with his brain but definitely agree with those who may think a large part of this is mental. I truly feel for the guy and maybe this is the first case of the “yips” I can remember in basketball. See Chuck Knoblauch

[flyingdutchdevil]

Ok, we need to talk about this...



That, my friends, is not a 6th grader learning how to shoot a jump shot. That is the Markelle Fultz, the #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. And that is perhaps the ugliest jumpshot I have ever seen from an erstwhile professional basketball player. There's more video of his truly horrible shooting form here.

I think we are in new territory here. This kid was a dynamic shooter a year ago (he hit 41% of his 3s in college) and has seemingly completely forgotten how to shoot a basketball. I just can't recall something like this happening.

To bring in a Duke angle, this would making the Fultz for Tatum (plus a high #1 pick) trade look lopsided even if Tatum wasn't looking like perhaps the best player in the 2017 draft. There is a non-zero chance that Fultz will never be a good basketball player ever again. I'm serious...

-Jason "I'd say this is a career ending offense for Bryan Colangelo, but I don't think anyone could have seen this coming" Evans

Ainge did. Not saying he knew that Fultz's jumper was broken, but he clearly knew that Tatum was the best prospect in the draft. That man is an absolute genius. This offseason, watch for the Celtics to cherry pick which ever All-Star they want (trade or sign-and-trade).

The Celtics are once again making everyone look foolish (well, everyone who wants to trade/associate themselves with the Celtics).

[CDu]

Ainge did. Not saying he knew that Fultz's jumper was broken, but he clearly knew that Tatum was the best prospect in the draft. That man is an absolute genius. This offseason, watch for the Celtics to cherry pick which ever All-Star they want (trade or sign-and-trade).

The Celtics are once again making everyone look foolish (well, everyone who wants to trade/associate themselves with the Celtics).

Easy, tiger.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Easy, tiger.

Do you disagree? How often does a GM trade a #1 pick to #3 when the whole world is saying there are two surefire All-Stars: Fultz and Ball?

I'm sure the Celts didn't think Tatum would be this good this early. And I'm sure they didn't think Fultz would be this broken.

But it's tough to look at a move the Celts did in the last 3 years and say, "that was a bad move". They even caught a massive break when Charlotte declined 5 picks so the Celts would move ahead and draft Winslow.

Given, I'd still love Bradley on this team. But that's just too many cooks in the kitchen.

I have a feeling the luck of the Irish is about to run out...

[CDu]

Do you disagree? How often does a GM trade a #1 pick to #3 when the whole world is saying there are two surefire All-Stars: Fultz and Ball?

I'm sure the Celts didn't think Tatum would be this good this early. And I'm sure they didn't think Fultz would be this broken.

But it's tough to look at a move the Celts did in the last 3 years and say, "that was a bad move". They even caught a massive break when Charlotte declined 5 picks so the Celts would move ahead and draft Winslow.

Given, I'd still love Bradley on this team. But that's just too many cooks in the kitchen.

I have a feeling the luck of the Irish is about to run out...

I disagree with the idea that everyone who has dealt with the Celtics has been made to look foolish.

I think the jury is still out on a few things:
1. The dealing to get Irving and sign Hayward to a max deal stripped a ton of the depth and quality. It may work out. We'll see. But I don't think either of those trades made the other team look foolish.
2. While Ainge CERTAINLY hit on the Tatum pick/trade, his other draft picks in recent years have been fairly inconsistent.

Ainge deserves a ton of credit for fleecing the Nets years ago and for the Tatum trade. Not sure if we're in the "everything he touches is gold" territory yet, though.

[JasonEvans]

Ainge deserves a ton of credit for fleecing the Nets years ago and for the Tatum trade. Not sure if we're in the "everything he touches is gold" territory yet, though.

I know he had to make moves to clear up cap space, but the Bradley for Morris trade is hardly a winner for Ainge. And signing Heyward could not have worked out worse (so far).

[kshepinthehouse]

Even though the Celtics traded the pick they didn’t force the 76ers to take Fultz did they?

[BD80]

Ok, we need to talk about this...



That, my friends, is not a 6th grader learning how to shoot a jump shot. That is the Markelle Fultz, the #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. And that is perhaps the ugliest jumpshot I have ever seen from an erstwhile professional basketball player. There's more video of his truly horrible shooting form here.

I think we are in new territory here. This kid was a dynamic shooter a year ago (he hit 41% of his 3s in college) and has seemingly completely forgotten how to shoot a basketball. I just can't recall something like this happening.

To bring in a Duke angle, this would making the Fultz for Tatum (plus a high #1 pick) trade look lopsided even if Tatum wasn't looking like perhaps the best player in the 2017 draft. There is a non-zero chance that Fultz will never be a good basketball player ever again. I'm serious...

-Jason "I'd say this is a career ending offense for Bryan Colangelo, but I don't think anyone could have seen this coming" Evans

Is he right handed or left handed?

[DukieInBrasil]

I know he had to make moves to clear up cap space, but the Bradley for Morris trade is hardly a winner for Ainge. And signing Heyward could not have worked out worse (so far).

and that has absolutely nothing to do with Ainge. I'm not on the Midas-Ainge train, but he looks more genius by the game, vis-a-vis Kyrie for IT, who is playing mediocre basketball in his still short term return. Thomas may turn it around and play just as well as he was before, but we'll have to wait.

[CDu]

and that has absolutely nothing to do with Ainge. I'm not on the Midas-Ainge train, but he looks more genius by the game, vis-a-vis Kyrie for IT, who is playing mediocre basketball in his still short term return. Thomas may turn it around and play just as well as he was before, but we'll have to wait.

To be fair, that wasn’t a straight swap of Irving for Thomas (which would be a killing given the players’ respective ages). The Cavs got Crowder and a pick in the deal.

[fraggler]

I have weird, sort of nightmares where I can't shoot a basketball. Either the ceiling is too low, or I can't remember how to release the ball after I jump. When I see Fultz shooting now, especially after having seen him in college, I feel like he is living my nightmare.

[-jk]

I have weird, sort of nightmares where I can't shoot a basketball. Either the ceiling is too low, or I can't remember how to release the ball after I jump. When I see Fultz shooting now, especially after having seen him in college, I feel like he is living my nightmare.

Wasn't that the G-A gym? The one with the beam nicknamed "Ralph"?

-jk