Thank you for actually explaining why you feel the way you do. I think best case scenario, LaMelo stays healthier and allows ANT to play more defense and off-ball. I just think hoping LaMelo stays healthy is a big gamble and this move always felt more like "well this is our last shot at keeping ANT". Players are missing more games each season and depth is just so important. I just feel Minny is just too unbalanced. I think we CAN beat the TWolves in a 7 game series.
I've already explained it to you, I'm not sure why you think I'm obliged to continue inane back and forths with a homer?
I agree Minnesota had to do something and I'm actually a bit optimistic on Lamelo's fit. I just think his style is so different than what they've done that I can't claim they're a better team yet, especially not a better playoff team when they've had a lot of recent success playing slugfest basketball. Considering the roster turnover they might be worse just due to lack of continuity. We need at least a quarter season to see what the new look Twolves are like. I remember when Damian Lillard got traded to the Bucks and many people thought he and Giannis were going to tear up the league. He was supposed to take so much scoring pressure off Giannis and come in so clutch in the playoffs. And although injuries played a factor, he and Giannis just never clicked. Even in their first regular season together where they both played 70+ games they were so mediocre. On paper Lillard raised their ceiling, but in reality it didn't work.
I didn’t ask if Adams would play 82 games this year. Quit being hyperbolic. I asked how much you’d bet that all of FVV, KD, and Adams would be healthy for the playoffs.
Aside from both SA & OKC having major injuries, the rest of the NBA is "cooked". It didn't matter what we did this off-season, we weren't going to crack that top tier. We're in the tier of 6 other teams that all have an equal chance if OKC & SA are removed from the picture. And that's assuming that all of our injury-risk guys stay healthy.
Honestly I think it's more than 6... seems like a lot of teams will be loosely packed in that 2nd tier and how it shakes out will depend on health. But if I include the Rox under the assumption that all stay healthy, I've got to do the same for everyone else. Not in order: HOU/DEN/MIN/NYK/DET/CLE(w Lebron)/PHI IND could also be a surprise, starting off slow and then finishing hot headed into the playoffs, but in a lower seed. And BOS always seems to surprise, but I'm having a hard time seeing it on paper.
What does that have to do with anything? What if FVV isnt healthy but Smart picks up the slack? Im supposed to pay you even if Rox dominated in the series? Bruh. My post is about winning the 1st round and not whether the Rox vets wont have injuries. Thats the reason why unlike last year we loaded up on playmakers, to account for injuries. These guys are injury prone but thats also why we now have several of them instead of praying they dont get injured in practice. Look just put up or shut up. If you arent confident the Rox will suck then stop b****ing.
25-26 teams are cooked every year, you could say Conf Finals and Finals do count as achievement..... Then you have Seattle, Vegas, 2 teams that are cooked as well....
It has a lot to do with it. If the Rockets plan is to run it back banking on older oft injured players, it’s a pretty dumb plan. Especially if said players won’t be available when the time actually matters. Also, who gives a **** about winning in the first round? If you’re gonna talk this much **** put up money about the rockets winning the WCF. Lmao if you think the barometer for the rockets not sucking is winning the first round to only lose in the 2nd, you need to recalibrate. How about you propose some more dumb bets on other objectively dumb milestones. Let’s bet the rockets will win 56 regular season games! That’ll show the haters they’re on the right path! You’re on an Internet forum, you complaining about complaining and telling people to bet money is 10000x more annoying I ****ing promise you.
Fair, I probably place us in the middle or lower end of that pack given our health concerns. But this is a fair take.
They’re not dependant on LaMelo. Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dunsunmu, Donte Divencenzo, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert is good hoops. They need to get Divencenzo back healthy but that lineup was lowkey Spursish. Shannon Jr is looking like a player. LaMelo is a decent bet. A little risky but I like it because they’ll be training Gobert + 4 fast and skilled guys full time now. Lamelo is even flippable. You can’t run through the season with big lineups and then get into the playoffs and throw together a faster lineup last minute against teams that always play that way. They’ll benefit from training year round the lineup they go to in crunch time.
The thing is, the two teams that everyone taps as unstoppable have players with health concerns themselves. Chet and Wemby are as big of a concern as anyone on our roster. Most oddsmakers have us as the 5th best overall team in the West record-wise. And that has us behind the Wolves, which I don’t buy. Most championship odds have us down around 7th in the West. We have to prove our worth there, but I like our chances of having a better record than the Wolves or Warriors and taking our chances, or facing those teams straight up.
It's like they're ****ing collecting a hospital rehab ward. I feel like I'm going crazy, what is the plan when half the roster is out for the playoffs again?
It's all good actually, don't have to worry about the Rockets and just enjoy the ocassional highlight. Instead focus on Knicks, Sixers and maybe some team out West. I actually would love to see us crash and burn, sell some young guys, fire Ime, trade KD and let's see where we can go.
