Arena The NBA Thread

To be certain, the cost here is not just acquiring Simmons, it's trading Love, since his contract has negative trade value around the league right now.

Alright, fine, we make the picks protected top-five and "if Bronny is available"

 

Bucks hire first female full time play by play announcer across all the major male sports.

 

JJ Redick retires.

 

I saw on Twitter that even OKC is requiring a vaccine or negative test for fans, is this an NBA wide thing? Masks are only "strongly encouraged". It is, after all, Oklahoma.

 

So Ben Simmons is officially not reporting to camp and will not play another game for the 76ers.

And while a lot of people are going to complain about this….

I don’t see the problem.

When your entire organization is shopping you, the head coach publicly craps on you, and the city hates you… Why should he go out there and risk his health for a team that doesn’t want him? So he can help the 76ers get better trade capital back? Nah. Typically, I wouldn’t support selfish actions like this, but when the organization turns its back on you and your livelihood is connected to your physical well being… It’s actually the smart play to not risk yourself.

Damn how everyone else feels.

 

I caught a couple of '93 Suns games replayed on NBA TV. I really enjoyed them. Barkley's motor was spectacular, and KJ's athleticism for a point guard was way ahead of his time. I don't know if there were any other point guards dunking on people like that at that point, he was a hint of what was to come with guys like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. Majerle hit 8 threes in game 5 of the WCF against Seattle, which was a record at that time.


Anyway, T-Wolves dump Gersson Rosas. I'm guessing it's because their first round pick this year went to GS. That looks horrible, but trading Wiggins for D-Lo at least gave them a new direction, and he was trying to add Simmons. Wiggins dogged it there for years, it was going nowhere, and they haven't been able to fully test this new direction yet. Getting best friends KAT and D-Lo together on the same team with the hope of drawing their other friends, Simmons and Devin Booker, wasn't a terrible idea for a franchise like Minnesota.

Sanchin Gupta, who invented the NBA Trade Machine for ESPN, will run things in the interim.

 

I still get the Memphis Grizzlies confused with the Minnesota Timberwolves and I have no idea why, except that their mascots are a tiny bit similar and I never paid attention to either team. I mean Memphis is pretty much to opposite of Minnesota except they also both start with the letter M. I am so anxious for basketball to start. The first Lakers Pre-season game is of course the day I'm flying home from Oklahoma (Oct 3), and of course no one will be playing in it, but I still plan to watch it, if my plane lands on time I might be home to watch the game from tip off. After that there are pre-season games almost everyday. I got my calendar all set up with Knicks, Hawks and Lakers games, but I'll definitely watch some OKC games too, you know when I'm really bored and want to see who's really bad...ugh.

 

Following up on this post from a couple months back.

Tony Kornheiser proposed a Beal for Simmons trade. My first thought was to dismiss it. Obviously, in today's game, you don't give up a shooter/scorer for someone who won't shoot at all.

On second thought...it's not as bad as I initially thought.

Simmons is younger and is locked in for another three years. Beal has a player option next year. Wiz haven't won anything with Beal. He doesn't play much defense (particularly as his offensive usage has increased), and neither have the Wizards. Simmons could change their defensive identity. The Wiz have lob targets and maybe enough shooting (if no one slumps) to give Simmons something to work with. You could make Simmons The Guy, put the ball in his hands, and see what he can really do. If he at least improves his FT shooting, he might be able to carry a team. He has the body to do it.

You know Philly would love this trade, which hints at this not being great for Washington, but Washington could use that enthusiasm to milk extra draft picks out of Philly. I'm sure Philly would be glad to throw in a few. Unfortunately, Philly doesn't have any juicy ones, and has a protected 1st going to OKC starting in 2025. That means Wash can't get one down the road, which is probably when they'd really like to. Maybe Wash can get them to throw in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, or at least Korkmaz for some shooting.

I wouldn't do it if I were Washington, but it's not as bad as I first thought.

What do you guys think?

 

Exactly what I was thinking in the car last night as we drove my son to baseball practice and the poor new guy on the radio was trying to hype up the Wizards season and convince listeners here in the DC area that "our Wizards" had a chance to make noise this season.

 

Trade Simmons now, get as much as you can for him. It's a toxic situation, regardless of whose fault it is. Personally I think Simmons is overrated, but Philly could get good value for him.

 

NBA denies Andrew Wiggins request for a religious exemption from COVID Vaccine.

Good.

 

What exemption was he seeking? Even Jehovah's Witnesses do vaccinations for the last 70 years... basically just Christian Scientists and certain living Baptist faiths (i.e. the ones who still use snakes)...

 

No clue, that hasn't been released yet.

 

He just wants his immune system to play defense as poorly as he does.

 

It's looking like a real problem because he won't even be allowed inside the building starting Oct 13. I'm guessing he'll cave and get vaccinated.

 

He's always had questionable shot selection

 

I'm glad to hear the Pistons are 100% vaccinated.

I've seen a lot of commercials for the vaccine on TV with doctors and common people advising to get vaccinated, I'd like to see the Pistons do one.

 

It better be that way.

 

Yeah, meanwhile on the local joke of a franchise we have our star player:

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal says he doesn't feel any pressure to get vaccinated against COVID-19 (espn.com)

I'm pissed the Wizards give him a choice. It's also critical to remember the Wizards were shut down due to Covid in January last year longer than any other team. And that's why they came back so late settling for that play-in spot. Even that wasn't enough to convince him.

 

NBA: No pay for unvaxxed players who can't play.

 

Major side-eye from Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center right now.

 

For once the Knicks are actually competent in something.

 

They will be healthy enough to be swept in round one of the playoffs.