2021 NBA Offseason Thread

[NIkeL]

Well, there are like 4 or 5 teams with realistic chances of winning the finals this year, which is a lot better than the "nobody will beat the Warriors" of the last few years. Let's not act like before there were 15 teams that could win it all every year and all of a sudden that changed.

I appreciate the fact that i honestly don't know who will be in the finals and who will win it this year.

 

[NorthCoastBias]

lol at some random 34 year old dude from Dallas registering here to defend James.

 

[Soar]

NBA will never have parity. It really never has.

Since its a sport where guys "legitimately" play both ways and elite talents are so much more impactful than in other sports.

Even if you're the best QB in the world at the time, you better have a decent defense.

Even if you're the best hitter ever you better hope you have a pitching staff.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

You think it's only between two teams? I can't agree. Based off what I've seen, it is still wide open.

Pretty much. Injuries can play a huge factor but i just cant see another team beating either LA team in a 7 game series. That AD/Lebron combo is nasty. Throw in Howard and McGee around the rim nobody can score down there. You can really see a team like Houston or Denver or Utah knocking them off? I just cant see it.

 

[Derek]

Pretty much. Injuries can play a huge factor but i just cant see another team beating either LA team in a 7 game series. That AD/Lebron combo is nasty. Throw in Howard and McGee around the rim nobody can score down there. You can really see a team like Houston or Denver or Utah knocking them off? I just cant see it.

Yeah, or the Bucks, or Philly. I'm sure they'll only be 3 or 4 true contenders once the playoffs come, but that's a ways off.

 

[Joe Charboneau]

Yeah, or the Bucks, or Philly. I'm sure they'll only be 3 or 4 true contenders once the playoffs come, but that's a ways off.

If i had to pick a team that could maybe hang with them as of right now Philly would be the one. It has to be a team with some length. I will never trust Harden in the Playoffs, ever.

 

[Rich]

Its the same old, same old with the NBA. One team has a collection of players that are so dominant that no one can compete. Just like Durant and Curry being paired up, LeBron and AD are simply too talented and MVP-caliber for 95% of teams to have a good chance of winning. Add into that their insane schedule to start the season (mostly at home, against below average teams) and if you've got another team that you know will almost never lose when you look at the schedule for each night.

It will be interesting when they start playing the likes of MIL, PHI, HOU, DEN, etc - but I agree with your point that the "parity" people were talking about and hoping for was largely an illusion, because even most of those teams have a talent and star shortage in comparison to the LA teams. May as well be the LABA instead of the NBA.

This Will ALWAYS be the default of the sport due to the amount of players on the court.

If you spread all of the very best players way out and each team had one star then guess what? LeBron wins like 75% of the time.

 

[Stark]

Ben Simmons just hit his first career three pointer.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Absolutely love seeing GSW get reamed like this. The Mavs can score the basketball. The fact that we weren’t in a position to take Doncic makes me weep.

 

[Bulldog2Buckeye]

Luka is the early MVP. Holy shit is he good.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Luka is the early MVP. Holy shit is he good.

Doncic will be one of the all-time greats, before he’s done.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Pretty much. Injuries can play a huge factor but i just cant see another team beating either LA team in a 7 game series. That AD/Lebron combo is nasty. Throw in Howard and McGee around the rim nobody can score down there. You can really see a team like Houston or Denver or Utah knocking them off? I just cant see it.

I agree. It’s between the two LA teams. It’s not up for grabs.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

If i had to pick a team that could maybe hang with them as of right now Philly would be the one. It has to be a team with some length. I will never trust Harden in the Playoffs, ever.

Is it true that Joe Charbonneau could open beer bottles with his eye sockets? I had always HEARD but I never saw actual footage.

 

[Otsego Mar]

Beverly just hacked him twice. Pathetic.

 

[ACisKING]

I still think healthy Clippers are a WAY bigger favorite than what most people realize. No team has had elite two-way wings like this since the Chicago Bulls of the 90s (you could argue Miami but these guys are a different level defensively than Wade ever was). But beyond those wings, they also have incredible depth. I feel bad for any perimeter scorer that has to go up against them in a playoff series. They are fourth in the West right now having played a very difficult schedule so far and despite being saddled with significant injuries.

The Lakers are probably the only team that I can conceivably see knocking them out in a playoff series, but it would take many things going right for them this season (Kuzma becoming consistent from three, acquiring another player to check big wings, acquiring additional playmaking, health, AD being willing to play significant minutes at the five, etc). They are about to embark on a brutal road trip soon. Should tell us a lot more about how good they really are.