Everything Playoffs

[DanH]

For someone who can't tell the future you're pretty damn confident about it.

The Clippers took the Warriors to six games without a star. Now they have the money to bring in two. They also have one of the most renowned coaches in the league. They have one of the best team builders i league history on staff. They have one of the richest team owners. They're also located in Kawhi's home town. Where did Kawhi want to go when he asked to be traded? His home town.

There are trades that can help the Raptors. The team they are now will look different than the team they are this time next year even if Kawhi stays and they don't make any moves. Is that team better than this one? Really hard to say but I don't think Masai rests on his laurels, especially if they lose the chip over the next two weeks.

The Clippers have all that and their best case scenario is this year's Raptors. And that's best case scenario. If LAC get Kawhi, it's because he wants to live in California and there's nothing the Raptors can do to change that.

What am I confident about in the future? The Knicks Knicksing? Yeah, I think I'll sleep just fine before making a panic trade to address a concern that will never come to be.

[Apollo]

The Clippers have all that and their best case scenario is this year's Raptors. And that's best case scenario. If LAC get Kawhi, it's because he wants to live in California and there's nothing the Raptors can do to change that.

What am I confident about in the future? The Knicks Knicksing? Yeah, I think I'll sleep just fine before making a panic trade to address a concern that will never come to be.

The Lakers are running things now like the Knicks used to. Wake up, what the Knicks are doing now is not what they've been doing in years past. The power structure has changed. Dolan is out of the way, he's tired of the hate tossed at him.

What you're doing is wearing the same blinders as those who said the Raptors couldn't do this because they're the Raptors.

[Scraptor]

They are in the Finals, though? Why does a team in that position need a plan to improve beyond relying on the young pieces on the team getting better? Meanwhile, the long term plan to improve is pretty obvious, and a trade would likely work against it.

Because the old pieces are getting older too.

We don't need to make a panic trade but standing still may not be a luxury we can afford when Kawhi is trying to decide where he wants to be long term.

Way too early for this conversation though. Whether Kawhi stays or goes will likely dictate every roster move we make this summer.

[slaw]

Because the old pieces are getting older too.

We don't need to make a panic trade but standing still may not be a luxury we can afford when Kawhi is trying to decide where he wants to be long term.

Way too early for this conversation though. Whether Kawhi stays or goes will likely dictate every roster move we make this summer.

Yeah, this is all premature. No one knows what KD is doing. No one knows what Kawhi is doing. Until those dominoes fall, everything (and everyone else) is in limbo.

As for what the Raptors will or won't do if Kawhi stays, all I will say is that I doubt the roster looks the same going into the 2020 playoffs. No one thought at this time last year the starting 5 would be Kawhi, Green, Lowry, Gasol and Siakam. Next year it might be Leonard, Siakam, ???, ??? and ???. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they cleaned out the team to try and sign a big name to run with Leonard.

[golden]

The Clippers have all that and their best case scenario is this year's Raptors. And that's best case scenario. If LAC get Kawhi, it's because he wants to live in California and there's nothing the Raptors can do to change that.

What am I confident about in the future? The Knicks Knicksing? Yeah, I think I'll sleep just fine before making a panic trade to address a concern that will never come to be.

That line somehow reminded me of Bryan Colangelo signing Landry Fields to an egregrious offer sheet as a panic move hoping to tie up the Knicks cap space so they wouldn't make an offer to Steve Nash. Knicks never matched, lol. Fortunately, we lost out on the Steve Nash sweepstakes to the Lakers, which led to BC acquiring Lowry (but ultimately losing a draft pick which could have become Giannis).

[slaw]

That line somehow reminded me of Bryan Colangelo signing Landry Fields to an egregrious offer sheet as a panic move hoping to tie up the Knicks cap space so they wouldn't make an offer to Steve Nash. Knicks never matched, lol. Fortunately, we lost out on the Steve Nash sweepstakes to the Lakers, which led to BC acquiring Lowry (but ultimately losing a draft pick which could have become Giannis).

That Fields thing was probably the moment when ownership should have stepped in to stop BC from doing any further harm but he still had a lot of goodwill and trust from the organization.

The Knicks thing could be interesting unless Irving and Durant decide they want to go to Brooklyn instead. All the benefits of NYC without the stink of the Knicks and an already decent team around you. That would be hilarious.

[DanH]

Yeah, this is all premature. No one knows what KD is doing. No one knows what Kawhi is doing. Until those dominoes fall, everything (and everyone else) is in limbo.

As for what the Raptors will or won't do if Kawhi stays, all I will say is that I doubt the roster looks the same going into the 2020 playoffs. No one thought at this time last year the starting 5 would be Kawhi, Green, Lowry, Gasol and Siakam. Next year it might be Leonard, Siakam, ???, ??? and ???. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they cleaned out the team to try and sign a big name to run with Leonard.

Yeah, that's the plan. In summer 2020. Like every contract on the team is lined up to set that scenario up. There is simply no realistic way to get there this summer. And making a short term trade is tough to do without affecting that plan.

This team just got Kawhi to the Finals (and vice versa, obviously). The last thing they should be doing is risking the medium and long term plans (by selling Siakam, OG or a pick, as would be required for any big, bold move) to make an unnecessary short term move to try to convince Kawhi the team that just went to the Finals is worth re-signing with.

[DanH]

The Lakers are running things now like the Knicks used to. Wake up, what the Knicks are doing now is not what they've been doing in years past. The power structure has changed. Dolan is out of the way, he's tired of the hate tossed at him.

What you're doing is wearing the same blinders as those who said the Raptors couldn't do this because they're the Raptors.

Let's just say I have also watched the Knicks and am yet to be particularly impressed by anything they have done so far. And, oh, how many times has the siren song of "Dolan is out of the way" been sung, to no avail?

[slaw]

Yeah, that's the plan. In summer 2020. Like every contract on the team is lined up to set that scenario up. There is simply no realistic way to get there this summer. And making a short term trade is tough to do without affecting that plan.

This team just got Kawhi to the Finals (and vice versa, obviously). The last thing they should be doing is risking the medium and long term plans (by selling Siakam, OG or a pick, as would be required for any big, bold move) to make an unnecessary short term move to try to convince Kawhi the team that just went to the Finals is worth re-signing with.

Maybe, everyone on these boards thought there were plans in place and all of a sudden Leonard was available and all those plans changed. I am pretty sure no one thought there was a realistic way to bring a top-5 player to Toronto last May but it happened weeks later. Not that I really care at the moment. And I'll care even less if they get a title....

[Apollo]

Let's just say I have also watched the Knicks and am yet to be particularly impressed by anything they have done so far. And, oh, how many times has the siren song of "Dolan is out of the way" been sung, to no avail?

All this new group has really done is potentially tamper with the FA class of 2019 and cap dump the best player they've had since Ewing. I don't think they cap dump without getting some clear indication on the tampering front. If they land Durant and then Kyrie comes along they're in pretty good shape with the assets to trade for another star. If that doesn't happen then they're partially fucked and you're right except for Dolan being in the mix bit. The guy is now booed and harassed in his own arena at his own teams games though, he's trying to create some distance.

Also, things change. Just look at these historically pathetic Toronto Raptors. Ownership having their hands in the kitchen led to the club having a horrible reputation for most of the first 20 years.

[DanH]

Maybe, everyone on these boards thought there were plans in place and all of a sudden Leonard was available and all those plans changed. I am pretty sure no one thought there was a realistic way to bring a top-5 player to Toronto last May but it happened weeks later. Not that I really care at the moment. And I'll care even less if they get a title....

I literally wrote two articles last spring suggesting the Raptors trade for Kawhi. I was off by Delon Wright and a future 1st with my proposed deal.

[DanH]

All this new group has really done is potentially tamper with the FA class of 2019 and cap dump the best player they've had since Ewing. I don't think they cap dump without getting some clear indication on the tampering front. If they land Durant and then Kyrie comes along they're in pretty good shape with the assets to trade for another star. If that doesn't happen then they're partially fucked and you're right except for Dolan being in the mix bit. The guy is now booed and harassed in his own arena at his own teams games though, he's trying to create some distance.

Also, things change. Just look at these historically pathetic Toronto Raptors. Ownership having their hands in the kitchen led to the club having a horrible reputation for most of the first 20 years.

Oh, let me be clear - if the Knicks get both Durant and Kyrie, I'm still not worried about them at all. If only one comes, obviously even less so.

Things do change. Absolutely. I'll believe things have changed for the Knicks when I see it, and I'll feel real good doubting it until then.

[Apollo]

This guy came up in my recommended videos and he's not bad:

[slaw]

I literally wrote two articles last spring suggesting the Raptors trade for Kawhi. I was off by Delon Wright and a future 1st with my proposed deal.

Good for you.

[DanH]

Good for you.

Yeah, don't care about that, I'm just saying your point about "plans change in ways that can't be foreseen" and your choice of example are pretty poorly matched.