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**The Great One** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:28 PM

S.R. wrote: View Post

Hockey is hilarious. Pittsburgh has two MVP calibre players in their primes and they lose in the 1st or 2nd round just as often as they make it to the 3rd or 4th.

Put 2 of the top 5 players in the NBA on the same team and they're going to the 3rd or 4th round every year.

Agreed.

If you have a superstar player in the NBA, you have a chance. Not the case in baseball or hockey. Look at thr Angels and the Oilers.

**golden** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:28 PM

S.R. wrote: View Post

Hockey is hilarious. Pittsburgh has two MVP calibre players in their primes and they lose in the 1st or 2nd round just as often as they make it to the 3rd or 4th.

Put 2 of the top 5 players in the NBA on the same team and they're going to the 3rd or 4th round every year.

Stop with that ethno-centric sports bigotism. Oh wait.......... damn KD.

**DanH** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:30 PM

TRex wrote: View Post

Kawhi Leonard = Evgeni Malkin
Tavares = CJ McCollum

Well, I think one to one comparisons make little sense. Leonard is way more valuable than Malkin is, even if you accept that Malkin is a top 3 NHL player (there's an argument there). Meanwhile, even if Tavares and McCollum are both roughly in the 20-30th best players in the league area (I'd peg McCollum a good deal lower, personally), due to the stratification of stars in the NBA being far greater than in the NHL (there's little drop-off from 10th best to 30th best player in the NHL, in the NBA there's a world of difference), you are undervaluing Tavares.

**MixxAOR** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:30 PM

Free agent forward Luol Deng met with Minnesota president/coach Tom Thibodeau today and sides are finalizing a one-year deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 10, 2018

**golden** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:32 PM

MixxAOR wrote: View Post

Free agent forward Luol Deng met with Minnesota president/coach Tom Thibodeau today and sides are finalizing a one-year deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 10, 2018

Noah is next. lol. Thibs is going to mess that franchise up beyond repair.

**KeonClark** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:33 PM

S.R. wrote: View Post

Hockey is hilarious. Pittsburgh has two MVP calibre players in their primes and they lose in the 1st or 2nd round just as often as they make it to the 3rd or 4th.

Put 2 of the top 5 players in the NBA on the same team and they're going to the 3rd or 4th round every year.

I mean they've also won 3 cups and been to another finals. In a salary cap era that's basically a dynasty

**KeonClark** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:37 PM

planetmars wrote: View Post

Why would the Leafs get a center when their problem is with defense? I could be wrong though (I don't pay too much attention to hockey anymore like I once used to).

Every Stanley cup champion of the last 15 years has had one thing in common: they have 2 top line caliber centers anchoring the 1st and 2nd line. Toronto now has that

**S.R.** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:40 PM

KeonClark wrote: View Post

I mean they've also won 3 cups and been to another finals. In a salary cap era that's basically a dynasty

I have a love/hate with the parity you end up with in the NHL. On the one hand it's great - Pittsburgh's not in the finals every year and smaller markets actually have a chance. On the other hand, when a team like Vegas has a season like last year it just feels like they've gamed the system somehow. Almost like when a hot Bordeur/Hasek/Roy used to be able to carry a team 4 rounds. Or when New Jersey used to trap & line 4 guys up across the blue line. Okay they're winning games, but this isn't the best players playing the best hockey. That's what I want to see at the end of the playoffs (in any sport).

**DanH** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:42 PM

KeonClark wrote: View Post

Every Stanley cup champion of the last 15 years has had one thing in common: they have 2 top line caliber centers anchoring the 1st and 2nd line. Toronto now has that

Plus, just look at how much the team struggled in round one this spring. Letting Boston match up their woodchipper first line to Matthews completely undermined the Leafs' biggest strength. With two top guys down the middle (plus 30 goal scorer Kadri), teams have to pick their poison - which will likely lead to easier times for both Matthews (and Nylander) and Tavares. Besides having a top notch goalie (and the Leafs have a solid-to-very-good one in Freddy), strength down the middle might be the most important thing in the NHL right now.

**KeonClark** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:45 PM

DanH wrote: View Post

Plus, just look at how much the team struggled in round one this spring. Letting Boston match up their woodchipper first line to Matthews completely undermined the Leafs' biggest strength. With two top guys down the middle (plus 30 goal scorer Kadri), teams have to pick their poison - which will likely lead to easier times for both Matthews (and Nylander) and Tavares. Besides having a top notch goalie (and the Leafs have a solid-to-very-good one in Freddy), strength down the middle might be the most important thing in the NHL right now.

Yeah one thing you mentioned there is the huge trickle down effect too. The leafs not only have a 1-2 punch but maybe gave themselves the best 3rd line center In hockey in kadri

**KeonClark** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 02:47 PM

S.R. wrote: View Post

I have a love/hate with the parity you end up with in the NHL. On the one hand it's great - Pittsburgh's not in the finals every year and smaller markets actually have a chance. On the other hand, when a team like Vegas has a season like last year it just feels like they've gamed the system somehow. Almost like when a hot Bordeur/Hasek/Roy used to be able to carry a team 4 rounds. Or when New Jersey used to trap & line 4 guys up across the blue line. Okay they're winning games, but this isn't the best players playing the best hockey. That's what I want to see at the end of the playoffs (in any sport).

Agree. I hate the randomness of hockey. It wasn't always this way. The hard cap and the new style of play are the biggest culprits. But I do also wish nba basketball wasnt so "inevitable" every year..a happy medium would be nice

**007** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 03:21 PM

MixxAOR wrote: View Post

Free agent forward Luol Deng met with Minnesota president/coach Tom Thibodeau today and sides are finalizing a one-year deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 10, 2018

Ahahahahahaha. Please New York, find a way to buy out Noah

**planetmars** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 03:27 PM

007 wrote: View Post

Ahahahahahaha. Please New York, find a way to buy out Noah

Wonder if Carlos Boozer wants to come out of retirement?

**The Great One** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 03:51 PM

I think i just broke my back just by watching this clip. Holy fuck.

Off season work 👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/TCTP4Ze52b
— Bismack Biyombo (@bismackbiyombo) September 10, 2018

**planetmars** · Mon Sep 10, 2018, 04:23 PM

Biyombo should be practicing "catch". He's got the worst hands in the NBA.

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