Red Mosquito

Of those I'd obviously recommend the Heat. LeBron is playing at such an insane once-in-a-generation level that when it's all just a memory you'll never wish you would have watched him at his peak less than you did.

4/5 wrote:Of those I'd obviously recommend the Heat. LeBron is playing at such an insane once-in-a-generation level that when it's all just a memory you'll never wish you would have watched him at his peak less than you did.

That is true. I probably need a team from the east as well. The Heat are on national TV less than the Bulls and Rockets surprisingly.

So the Knicks reassigned Glen Grunwald, who completed the job started by Walsh in making the Knicks relatively playoff worthy, and hired Steve Mills, whose claim to fame is bringing in Isiah Thomas. What!? I can see the writing on the wall...

My predictions for the Heat next offseason:
I think Bosh leaves after this year regardless of the result. Hopefully, Miami can sign and trade him for another legit PF or C.

Wade stays. It can happen in two ways: He's so broken down this year that he knows there will be no market for him so he opts in to next season under the current contract. (That's worst case) Or He wants to make a legitimate run at more rings with LeBron so he takes another discount, perhaps steeper this time, so they can fill out the roster with decent role players.

LeBron stays. I just can't see him going back to Dan Gilbert, even though I do think his heart is in Ohio. I think, and hope, it's more likely that he'll go back there year when he's on the 16th hole of his career. What will be interesting to me is whether LeBron takes a discount again. He's massively underpaid already, and I can't help but wonder if there will be union pressure for him to get the bigger piece of the pie that he absolutely deserves.

Hopefully this topic doesn't tear the whole year apart, but knowing ESPN they're going to take their best shot at just that.

4/5 wrote:My predictions for the Heat next offseason:
I think Bosh leaves after this year regardless of the result. Hopefully, Miami can sign and trade him for another legit PF or C.

Wade stays. It can happen in two ways: He's so broken down this year that he knows there will be no market for him so he opts in to next season under the current contract. (That's worst case) Or He wants to make a legitimate run at more rings with LeBron so he takes another discount, perhaps steeper this time, so they can fill out the roster with decent role players.

LeBron stays. I just can't see him going back to Dan Gilbert, even though I do think his heart is in Ohio. I think, and hope, it's more likely that he'll go back there year when he's on the 16th hole of his career. What will be interesting to me is whether LeBron takes a discount again. He's massively underpaid already, and I can't help but wonder if there will be union pressure for him to get the bigger piece of the pie that he absolutely deserves.

Hopefully this topic doesn't tear the whole year apart, but knowing ESPN they're going to take their best shot at just that.

I agree about Bosh leaving and Wade taking less money. The only way I see Lebron leaving is if they don't win the championship and another team has the ideal roster for him. Who the hell knows though. A lot can change between now and next summer.

Monkey_Driven wrote:

4/5 wrote:My predictions for the Heat next offseason:
I think Bosh leaves after this year regardless of the result. Hopefully, Miami can sign and trade him for another legit PF or C.

Wade stays. It can happen in two ways: He's so broken down this year that he knows there will be no market for him so he opts in to next season under the current contract. (That's worst case) Or He wants to make a legitimate run at more rings with LeBron so he takes another discount, perhaps steeper this time, so they can fill out the roster with decent role players.

LeBron stays. I just can't see him going back to Dan Gilbert, even though I do think his heart is in Ohio. I think, and hope, it's more likely that he'll go back there year when he's on the 16th hole of his career. What will be interesting to me is whether LeBron takes a discount again. He's massively underpaid already, and I can't help but wonder if there will be union pressure for him to get the bigger piece of the pie that he absolutely deserves.

Hopefully this topic doesn't tear the whole year apart, but knowing ESPN they're going to take their best shot at just that.

I agree about Bosh leaving and Wade taking less money. The only way I see Lebron leaving is if they don't win the championship and another team has the ideal roster for him. Who the hell knows though. A lot can change between now and next summer.

I am not sure if this is meant to be complimentary or insulting of Lebron James.

liebzz wrote:

monkey_driven wrote:I agree about Bosh leaving and Wade taking less money. The only way I see Lebron leaving is if they don't win the championship and another team has the ideal roster for him. Who the hell knows though. A lot can change between now and next summer.

I am not sure if this is meant to be complimentary or insulting of Lebron James.

Probably neither. If Wade is indeed a shell of himself (verb_to_trust voodoo doll victim) and opts in at his high priced salary and the Heat become unable to put a championship contending squad around him, he'd have to consider moving on.

liebzz wrote:

Monkey_Driven wrote:

4/5 wrote:My predictions for the Heat next offseason:
I think Bosh leaves after this year regardless of the result. Hopefully, Miami can sign and trade him for another legit PF or C.

Wade stays. It can happen in two ways: He's so broken down this year that he knows there will be no market for him so he opts in to next season under the current contract. (That's worst case) Or He wants to make a legitimate run at more rings with LeBron so he takes another discount, perhaps steeper this time, so they can fill out the roster with decent role players.

LeBron stays. I just can't see him going back to Dan Gilbert, even though I do think his heart is in Ohio. I think, and hope, it's more likely that he'll go back there year when he's on the 16th hole of his career. What will be interesting to me is whether LeBron takes a discount again. He's massively underpaid already, and I can't help but wonder if there will be union pressure for him to get the bigger piece of the pie that he absolutely deserves.

Hopefully this topic doesn't tear the whole year apart, but knowing ESPN they're going to take their best shot at just that.

I agree about Bosh leaving and Wade taking less money. The only way I see Lebron leaving is if they don't win the championship and another team has the ideal roster for him. Who the hell knows though. A lot can change between now and next summer.

I am not sure if this is meant to be complimentary or insulting of Lebron James.

Not many saw him going to the Heat the summer before the decision. A lot can change in a year. I still think he sticks around but you never know. He's skipped town before.

Boozer to Miami after Bull amnesty following this season.

verb_to_trust wrote:Boozer to Miami after Bull amnesty following this season.

Uh, Miami already passed on him when he was begging to come here 3 years ago.

not so psycho T meet your maker

It's only after reading this thread that I realize how many of you are located in the midwest and east. Damn.

I'm holding out hope for my Trail Blazers, but their ceiling this year is 48 wins and a 6 seed in a brutal Western Conference. I suppose it's better than being a Phoenix or Sacramento, but it's not the greatest feeling either. At least we get to watch Damian Lillard all year!

matt reeder wrote:It's only after reading this thread that I realize how many of you are located in the midwest and east. Damn.

I'm holding out hope for my Trail Blazers, but their ceiling this year is 48 wins and a 6 seed in a brutal Western Conference. I suppose it's better than being a Phoenix or Sacramento, but it's not the greatest feeling either. At least we get to watch Damian Lillard all year!

I really liked all the offseason moves the Blazers made. They have quite a bit of flexibility too. I watch a lot of their games because I'm a night owl. Lillard is so much fun to watch. Hopefully his defensive effort improves.

Yeah, Lillard is awesome. We made some great moves in the offseason but we still don't have a great ceiling unless Lillard and Nic Batum both make the leap into all-NBA players. Lillard will get there, but he has to do it soon to capitalize on Lamarcus Aldridge's prime. I want Batum to get there too, but he hasn't done it yet. His ceiling is Scottie Pippen but he's never been able to put it all together.

I suspect more moves are coming during the season - if they play poorly I think Lamarcus might be traded, but if they play well I suspect they'll bundle some of their remaining assets and go after somebody huge. I doubt they'll be able to lure anybody here in free agency so trading is the only way they have to make the team better.

matt reeder wrote:Yeah, Lillard is awesome. We made some great moves in the offseason but we still don't have a great ceiling unless Lillard and Nic Batum both make the leap into all-NBA players. Lillard will get there, but he has to do it soon to capitalize on Lamarcus Aldridge's prime. I want Batum to get there too, but he hasn't done it yet. His ceiling is Scottie Pippen but he's never been able to put it all together.

I suspect more moves are coming during the season - if they play poorly I think Lamarcus might be traded, but if they play well I suspect they'll bundle some of their remaining assets and go after somebody huge. I doubt they'll be able to lure anybody here in free agency so trading is the only way they have to make the team better.

Do they have any draft picks outside of their own for the '14 draft?

Monkey_Driven wrote:

matt reeder wrote:Yeah, Lillard is awesome. We made some great moves in the offseason but we still don't have a great ceiling unless Lillard and Nic Batum both make the leap into all-NBA players. Lillard will get there, but he has to do it soon to capitalize on Lamarcus Aldridge's prime. I want Batum to get there too, but he hasn't done it yet. His ceiling is Scottie Pippen but he's never been able to put it all together.

I suspect more moves are coming during the season - if they play poorly I think Lamarcus might be traded, but if they play well I suspect they'll bundle some of their remaining assets and go after somebody huge. I doubt they'll be able to lure anybody here in free agency so trading is the only way they have to make the team better.

Do they have any draft picks outside of their own for the '14 draft?

Not yet. If they finish better than top 12 in the draft they have to give their pick to Charlotte to complete the Gerald Wallace trade. They'll almost certainly buy a bunch of 2nd round picks though, since they always seem to be able to do that. I don't know if they'll be able to acquire any first rounders without a tank job that Paul Allen will almost certainly not approve of.

matt reeder wrote:

Monkey_Driven wrote:

matt reeder wrote:Yeah, Lillard is awesome. We made some great moves in the offseason but we still don't have a great ceiling unless Lillard and Nic Batum both make the leap into all-NBA players. Lillard will get there, but he has to do it soon to capitalize on Lamarcus Aldridge's prime. I want Batum to get there too, but he hasn't done it yet. His ceiling is Scottie Pippen but he's never been able to put it all together.

I suspect more moves are coming during the season - if they play poorly I think Lamarcus might be traded, but if they play well I suspect they'll bundle some of their remaining assets and go after somebody huge. I doubt they'll be able to lure anybody here in free agency so trading is the only way they have to make the team better.

Do they have any draft picks outside of their own for the '14 draft?

Not yet. If they finish better than top 12 in the draft they have to give their pick to Charlotte to complete the Gerald Wallace trade. They'll almost certainly buy a bunch of 2nd round picks though, since they always seem to be able to do that. I don't know if they'll be able to acquire any first rounders without a tank job that Paul Allen will almost certainly not approve of.

The race for the 6-8 seeds in the west is going to be nuts. I think the Lakers and Nuggets don't make the playoffs and the Wolves and Blazers/Mavs squeeze in.

Peeps wrote:not so psycho T meet your maker

Ya I remember when Ron Artest didn't want any part of Ben Wallace, so he ran away and tried to be funny by laying on the scorers table. It was his way of getting out of the fight with Ben Wallace. However he was so embarrassed (because he knew smart people knew he was afraid) that when the fan threw the cup of sprite on him, he went bat shit crazy and wanted to fight the skinny 5'8 fan. Ron Artest is a pussy himself.