Everything Kawhi Leonard

[inthepaint]

Would be interesting to see the Celtics top 10 as well.

For the Warriors being in the finals 4 times in a row pays a toll. The regular season is a grind and guys go through the motion. They are still stacked and will always be heavy favorites to win it all but I could see them having an off year (well at least in the regular season).

Yeah, that was last year...

What are the chances of them losing Klay in free agency next summer? I mean, they gotta run into cap problems at some point right?

[planetmars]

Yeah, that was last year...

What are the chances of them losing Klay in free agency next summer? I mean, they gotta run into cap problems at some point right?

The grind just keeps getting harder. So I suspect this year will be tougher than last. West may retire. Boogie may not be ready until February. McGee is now a Laker. Steph, KD, Draymond, Klay may all have to miss games just for rest.

The Warrior players love taking pay cuts.. but the well has to dry out sometime. Going to be interesting to see if they want to just continue to be tax payers.

The Athletic has a story on the Warriors and the repeater tax (which is not something they would have to worry about until next season):
https://theathletic.com/83224/2017/0...get-expensive/

Apparently their owners might be okay with it.. but eventually they won't or can't be. And that's when their dynasty will most likely come to an end.

[Puffer]

Would be interesting to see the Celtics top 10 as well...

Ask, and sometimes somebody has nothing else to do;

Kyrie Irving 3.6
Gordon Hayward 3.0 (pre-injury -1.2 post injury)
Jason Tatum 2.2
Al Horford 3.1
Jaylen Brown 1.9
Terry Rozier -0.1
Aron Baynes -0.1
Marcus Smart -0.6
Jabari Bird -1.2
Guerschon Yabusele -2.0
Total 9.8

If Hayward returns to pre-injury level. Rookies not included because we have no ranking for them from last year in the NBA.

[Barolt]

If you use this tool, by Jacob Goldstein as well, he has updated projected win/loss records and ORtg/DRtg for all player movement this summer. He has the Raptors projected for ~60 wins next year, with a likely range ceiling of 66.2 wins and the #3 offense/#4 defense.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...#gid=923133725

By this tool, the Celtics project at ~57 wins, #5 offense/#3 defense and a likely range ceiling of 63.9 wins.

[hotfuzz]

Remaining in the mode of posting US sportsmedia vids...

I worry it is possible that someone may already have posted this video, perhaps in one of the preceding 45 pages of this thread, but I regret I lack the self-discipline to pick through the pages I missed. But I saw this elsewhere really it gave me a kind of new insight into understanding how Kawhi got so upset with Pop and the Spurs.

Before this I had frankly seen Kawhi as being rather petty and downright baffling/inscrutable, but listening to SteJack break this down in the way he does, gave me a new perspective; In brief, Stack sees the comments of Parker and Manu as being part of a concerted effort by Pop to exercise a kind of Public relations campaign against Kawhi; and Kawhi would have known 100% that Pop was encouraging them to kind of ridicule him in the public eye. That it was a kind of systemic effort on behalf of Pop to make Kawhi look bad (or what he was doing/not doing look bad), using the beloved Spurs veterans as a mouthpiece.


Now, clearly Stack has some long time hate on for Tony Parker anyway (since he didn't pass him the ball that one time, goddamn), but his breakdown gave me some new insight into what in the world Kawhi was thinking to be displeased .... with such a great man as Popovich himself and the vaunted Spurs organization, etc.

His comments start at 3:33.

I wouldn't take ANYTHING that Stephen Jackson says seriously.

[LJ2]

If you use this tool, by Jacob Goldstein as well, he has updated projected win/loss records and ORtg/DRtg for all player movement this summer. He has the Raptors projected for ~60 wins next year, with a likely range ceiling of 66.2 wins and the #3 offense/#4 defense.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...#gid=923133725

By this tool, the Celtics project at ~57 wins, #5 offense/#3 defense and a likely range ceiling of 63.9 wins.

If we aren't one of the top 2 defences next season, I will be disappointed. Nurse has all the tools at his disposal.

[Barolt]

If we aren't one of the top 2 defences next season, I will be disappointed. Nurse has all the tools at his disposal.

Keep in mind, this is just projecting likely ranges, and tools like this are always conservative. It's projecting us behind Utah, Philly and Boston, who are all likely going to be elite on that end.

[TrueTorontoFan]

If we aren't one of the top 2 defences next season, I will be disappointed. Nurse has all the tools at his disposal.

i could see us being top 3 in both and have both carry through into the post season. Our defence slipped in hte last 15 games of the season honestly.

[LJ2]

Which player or players benefit the most from playing alongside Kawhi and Green? Do Lowry and Ibaka's shots become that much more open now that defenders have to stick to DG and Leonard? Are JV's rolls to the basket that much more open for a pass? Is it open season for Delon to play the passing lanes knowing there are better defenders next to him? Maybe CJ doesn't have to take so many ill advised shots now that he isn't the only 3pt threat on the floor....perhaps his % goes up?

Who you got?

[Just Is]

Which player or players benefit the most from playing alongside Kawhi and Green? Do Lowry and Ibaka's shots become that much more open now that defenders have to stick to DG and Leonard? Are JV's rolls to the basket that much more open for a pass? Is it open season for Delon to play the passing lanes knowing there are better defenders next to him? Maybe CJ doesn't have to take so many ill advised shots now that he isn't the only 3pt threat on the floor....perhaps his % goes up?

Who you got?

The biggest benefactors are going to likely be Lowry and JV just based on Kawhi's defenders not being able to cheat off him.

[Nilanka]

.@dg_riff explains why he believes Kawhi Leonard to the @Raptors is a home run for both parties #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/6QWmiCZNBw

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 30, 2018

[inthepaint]

SiriusXM NBA radio is usually incredibly biased and full of crap, so I always tend to not give a lot of weight to anything they say, but it's always refreshing to see people recognizing that this can be a great basketball and personal fit for Kawhi.

And also the city itself, away from all the glittering tabloid drama some places in the U.S. can be. Toronto can be a city incredibly appealing to a quiet, down-to-earth person like Leonard.

[Hotshot]

SiriusXM NBA radio is usually incredibly biased and full of crap, so I always tend to not give a lot of weight to anything they say, but it's always refreshing to see people recognizing that this can be a great basketball and personal fit for Kawhi.

And also the city itself, away from all the glittering tabloid drama some places in the U.S. can be. Toronto can be a city incredibly appealing to a quiet, down-to-earth person like Leonard.

Yeah TMZ aint gonna chase you down the street ambush you with dumb questions and cameras after you get a cup of coffee like they would in L.A. I think the fact we are more reserved in giving a big celebrity more space like Kawhi who is a natural introvert/reclusive, is a small yet an important appeal for him.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I still think ppl are underestimating how good this guy is. He didn't tear his achilles. He sat out the whole of last week assuming because he was unhealthy means he will be health because he made the best decision for himself.

It was messy but I truly think he comes back as a top 5 or at least top 10 player at worst. Which means we will be better either way compared to last year. We have a clear cut alpha dog. I don't think he leaves to LA if the reports of him wanting to be the star and what not are true. Why would he want ot be on a team with someone who is a much bigger star in the league than him. That makes no sense. Even if he goes to the clippers he would always be seen as #2 guy in lebrons town.


He will always be talked about in the eastern conference.... especially on the raptors given how good he makes us. He will literally be the lebron of the east. Making us Finals contention each and every year.


Some ppl are suggesting trade the other KL.... why we have a good team. Unless you can get butler I wouldn't.

[planetmars]

I still think ppl are underestimating how good this guy is. He didn't tear his achilles. He sat out the whole of last week assuming because he was unhealthy means he will be health because he made the best decision for himself.

It was messy but I truly think he comes back as a top 5 or at least top 10 player at worst. Which means we will be better either way compared to last year. We have a clear cut alpha dog. I don't think he leaves to LA if the reports of him wanting to be the star and what not are true. Why would he want ot be on a team with someone who is a much bigger star in the league than him. That makes no sense. Even if he goes to the clippers he would always be seen as #2 guy in lebrons town.


He will always be talked about in the eastern conference.... especially on the raptors given how good he makes us. He will literally be the lebron of the east. Making us Finals contention each and every year.


Some ppl are suggesting trade the other KL.... why we have a good team. Unless you can get butler I wouldn't.

I wouldn't trade Kyle for Butler but agree with everything else you wrote. Fred became a heck of a player for us last year.. but we need Kyle. He's an impact guy for us, and was during the playoffs. I think he has more value than what Butler could provide, especially since we are so stacked at the wing.