Why Do We Want To Keep The Pick This Year?

[Badonkadonk]

If this team does make the play-in next season, would it have been better to give up a pick this year in the top 10 or better to keep this year's pick and draft in the mid first rounds next season? Or is it a wash?

it really depends. I guess you will know after next year.

is the first 6th pick of this draft better than the player we could/take in next year's draft.

This is essentially why I'm leaning more towards convey this year. The Cooper Flagg draft year is supposed to be great. Hell, if it's anything even like last year's, then having guys on the level of Dick (13), Hawkins (14), Keyonte George (16), Jaquez (18), Podz (19), Whitmore (20) available in the teens is more exciting to me than what'll likely be at 6.

[dohboy_24]

I don't really agree with this, with the one exception being a PF who can't really shoot.

It's all about getting a 2nd top tier talent that fits at least okay with Barnes, and I think basically anyone who is really good and isn't a PF who can't shoot the 3 (basically Siakam) would fit well with Barnes.

There's just no way Quickley-Dick-Barrett-Barnes-Poeltl and adding 2 solid starters who aren't stars in the next 3 drafts is enough talent to seriously contend. Miami has done an incredible job but even they have 2 all-stars. We need a 2nd all-star or the Barnes' era is never going to get off the ground. Maybe we get one like Cleveland or Minny did by trading away 4-5 drafts and some combo of Quickley/Barrett/Poeltl/Dick, but we're seeing that not really work in Cleveland and even Minny had Edwards and Towns which is a better pair than Barnes and any non all-star.

So yeah, I think all that really matters at this point is getting a 2nd star in the building, and the draft is the best way to do that. It's nice to think that we could throw out a Pistons 2004 style team, but there's a reason that's so rare. We probably need at least a prime Bradley Beal or Jrue Holiday as a #2 at the very minimum to be genuinely and consistently good and be in position to look to upgrade.

FYI... I was speaking with regards to comparing prospects who play the same position or would have the same role (shooting from the forward or center position in this example).

With Scottie as our PF of the future, I wouldn't necessarily prioritize a prospect like Tyler Smith despite his shooting abilities since I'm not sure those two playing alongside each other in the same frontcourt would be ideal.

A center in the mold of Naz Reid, Alperen Sengun, Nikola Vucevic, or our own Kelly Olynyk would be more ideal than Tyler Smith, but I'd still rather select him than either of Zikarsky or Bidunga in the next draft should a center that fits this mold not be available at the Pacers pick.

The same could be said of a forward in the mold of Jalen Johnson, Cameron Johnson, Michael Porter Jr, Keegan Murray, Trey Murphy III, Hebert Jones, De'Andre Hunter or Aaron Nesmith as they would all be a better fit alongside Scottie than Tyler Smith, but I'd still rather choose him this year than either of Zikarsky or Bidunga in the 2024 draft should a forward similar to those not be available when we select a player with the Pacers pick.

[Pointgod]

It’s pretty simple why we should want to keep the pick. This year we’re 6 or higher and next year best case we’re a playin team which means the 14th to 16th pick. It makes zero sense to convey this year and drop 8 to 10 spots. If we planned on tanking next year it wouldn’t matter but this front office is going to try and compete for some strange reason so yeah let’s just pick this year.

tank of popcorn ready for 2024/2025

I look forward to signing another Dennis Schroeder and him being sold as the key to the playoffs….

[OAKLEY_2]

With Edey we might get lucky with the PACERS pick.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/04/where-will-zach-edey-go-in-the-2024-nba-draft-here-is-what-the-experts-predict

Drafting Edey at the Pacers pick would be good fun watching various posters having epic meltdowns.

Well we don't take risks to be popular.

[OAKLEY_2]

With Edey we might get lucky with the PACERS pick.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/04/where-will-zach-edey-go-in-the-2024-nba-draft-here-is-what-the-experts-predict

Drafting Edey at the Pacers pick would be good fun watching various posters having epic meltdowns.

But the metdowns are on tape loop anyway with requisite canned laughter.

[OAKLEY_2]

It’s pretty simple why we should want to keep the pick. This year we’re 6 or higher and next year best case we’re a playin team which means the 14th to 16th pick. It makes zero sense to convey this year and drop 8 to 10 spots. If we planned on tanking next year it wouldn’t matter but this front office is going to try and compete for some strange reason so yeah let’s just pick this year.

tank of popcorn ready for 2024/2025

I look forward to signing another Dennis Schroeder and him being sold as the key to the playoffs….

Nobody sold Schroeder rather it was the plan of action part B after 42 kachings Freddie bet against us. Just like when they got Baynes and Len to replace Gasol and Ibaka LOL.

[DelAbbot]

tank of popcorn ready for 2024/2025

I look forward to signing another Dennis Schroeder and him being sold as the key to the playoffs….

Nobody sold Schroeder rather it was the plan of action part B after 42 kachings Freddie bet against us. Just like when they got Baynes and Len to replace Gasol and Ibaka LOL.

Masai likes to get caught with his pants down.

[Scase]

I think the path to the Raps rising in the standings is so much easier in the East. This year, because of trades and other unfortunate circumstances, plus clear tanking at the back end, is the reason they have the record they have for this season.

But next season, with a core of Barnes (22), RJ (23), IQ (24), Yak (28), Dick (20) and Olynyk (32), there is a lot of room for growth and development.

In terms of the teams out of the playoffs:
- Wiz are just tanking hard all next season
- Pistons, despite their better efforts this season, have continued to suck. They need a roster shake up, and that would put them a step back most likely.
- Hornets: potential room for growth, but that all rests on the health of LaMelo's ankles, which have not held up the last two years
- Nets: tried to win this year and still sucked. Unless a star player drops in their laps (which they are waiting for with the Suns picks), they are going to continue to suck, as their core is primary players that are 27 or older.
- Hawks: probably trading one of Trae or DM this summer, and I doubt they get back any players that could help them more in the short term than what is going out
- Bulls: could lose DD to FA, and are just waiting to blow it up and tank, even though that is not what ownership wants. No decent FA is signing there, and they are stuck with LaVine's contract.

In terms of the playoff teams:
- Heat: can't push more in the season because Jimmy is pacing himself to be ready for the playoffs
- Sixers: will they get a decent FA, because without Embiid, the team is horrible and he is hurt for a minimum third of the season
- Pacers: have room to grow with their young players and Hali
- Cavs: Could they lose Mitchell this offseason, and can what they get back actually improve the team?
- Magic: room for growth, but there is also the potential for a drop back in the standings after such a rise this season (as teams figure out better how to exploit their weaknesses)
- Knicks: room for growth, but that growth depends on the health of OG
- Bucks: just aging, and who knows if Giannis demands a trade if the Bucks **** the bed in of the playoffs
- Celtics: are championship or bust. If they don't win the chip, do they consider trading Brown? For a team that relies so heavily on 6 core players, Horford will be 38 next season, Holiday could be a FA this offseason, and can KP remain healthy?

All I see across the East is a lot of downward potential for most teams. If the Raps have a healthy team, and Darko figures things out, they could be in for a big rebound next season.

Minor thing to point out but, add 1 year to all of those players, KO is 33 in 9 days, RJ/IQ are 24/25 on the 14th and 17th of June, Scottie is 23 Aug 1st, and Jak is 29 Oct 15th.

So before season start everyone is a year further along.

That said, as for the rest, you very well could be right. My counter however though, is improving because of a bad conference isn't what we should be measuring success by. The last thing we should want is to be the AI led Sixers, or Kidd led Nets. Being good in a bad conference just to get demolished in a finals is really no different than not making it there at all.

Can this core get better due to the east imploding? Sure, but that's not exactly what I call success. The team as constructed, even with supposed peaks/ceilings being reached, likely is not good enough to compete for a chip. Scottie would have to be a top 5 player and IQ/RJ would have to be all NBA level players for that to even be a chance. And that is pretty damn unlikely.

So much like the DD/KL era raps, yeah we can probably bang out high 40's, low 50's win seasons, but does it matter if we end up going against a brick wall with never any chance of actually winning?

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

If this team does make the play-in next season, would it have been better to give up a pick this year in the top 10 or better to keep this year's pick and draft in the mid first rounds next season? Or is it a wash?

it really depends. I guess you will know after next year.

is the first 6th pick of this draft better than the player we could/take in next year's draft.

This is essentially why I'm leaning more towards convey this year. The Cooper Flagg draft year is supposed to be great. Hell, if it's anything even like last year's, then having guys on the level of Dick (13), Hawkins (14), Keyonte George (16), Jaquez (18), Podz (19), Whitmore (20) available in the teens is more exciting to me than what'll likely be at 6.

not like the Raptors have a choice in the matter.

and with the top 6, I wouldn't be surprised if Masai and co take somone in the current 6-12 mock draft ratings, after an up close inspection of the goods during predraft workouts lol

[LBJKB24MJ23]

Minor thing to point out but, add 1 year to all of those players, KO is 33 in 9 days, RJ/IQ are 24/25 on the 14th and 17th of June, Scottie is 23 Aug 1st, and Jak is 29 Oct 15th.

So before season start everyone is a year further along.

That said, as for the rest, you very well could be right. My counter however though, is improving because of a bad conference isn't what we should be measuring success by. The last thing we should want is to be the AI led Sixers, or Kidd led Nets. Being good in a bad conference just to get demolished in a finals is really no different than not making it there at all.

Can this core get better due to the east imploding? Sure, but that's not exactly what I call success. The team as constructed, even with supposed peaks/ceilings being reached, likely is not good enough to compete for a chip. Scottie would have to be a top 5 player and IQ/RJ would have to be all NBA level players for that to even be a chance. And that is pretty damn unlikely.

So much like the DD/KL era raps, yeah we can probably bang out high 40's, low 50's win seasons, but does it matter if we end up going against a brick wall with never any chance of actually winning?

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.
.

if Lebron went to the Clippers (if they somehow won the draft) first overall, he would have been surrounded with the best players, esp in LA trying to get out of the shadow of the lakers.

[Scase]

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.
.

if Lebron went to the Clippers (if they somehow won the draft) first overall, he would have been surrounded with the best players, esp in LA trying to get out of the shadow of the lakers.

Also doesn't hurt that he is essentially the second GOAT. Dude would've had his legacy just as huge, when a guy chooses to go to a garbage team like the Cavs a second time, with the sole purpose of winning a chip, and then wins a chip. He would be fine no matter where he lands.

And I'm a certified Lebron hater lol.

[Pointgod]

If this team does make the play-in next season, would it have been better to give up a pick this year in the top 10 or better to keep this year's pick and draft in the mid first rounds next season? Or is it a wash?

it really depends. I guess you will know after next year.

is the first 6th pick of this draft better than the player we could/take in next year's draft.

This is essentially why I'm leaning more towards convey this year. The Cooper Flagg draft year is supposed to be great. Hell, if it's anything even like last year's, then having guys on the level of Dick (13), Hawkins (14), Keyonte George (16), Jaquez (18), Podz (19), Whitmore (20) available in the teens is more exciting to me than what'll likely be at 6.

I think people are wildly over estimating next year’s draft. You don’t know who will stay a year, get injured or have a down year. If we were talking the difference between 6th and 10th this year but we could be talking about 6-8 spots difference which when you look at the history of the draft is a significant change in terms of the talent you can draft.

[JB7]

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.
.

if Lebron went to the Clippers (if they somehow won the draft) first overall, he would have been surrounded with the best players, esp in LA trying to get out of the shadow of the lakers.

Also doesn't hurt that he is essentially the second GOAT. Dude would've had his legacy just as huge, when a guy chooses to go to a garbage team like the Cavs a second time, with the sole purpose of winning a chip, and then wins a chip. He would be fine no matter where he lands.

And I'm a certified Lebron hater lol.

LeBron made the finals I think 9 out of the 13 seasons he was in the East, and 1 (bubble playoffs) out of 3 seasons out West (albeit when he was near the end of his career).

I don't think in a stacked West he makes it to the Finals as often as he did in the East, which generally sucked most of his career. A big part of his legacy is how often he has been to the show.

[JB7]

Minor thing to point out but, add 1 year to all of those players, KO is 33 in 9 days, RJ/IQ are 24/25 on the 14th and 17th of June, Scottie is 23 Aug 1st, and Jak is 29 Oct 15th.

So before season start everyone is a year further along.

That said, as for the rest, you very well could be right. My counter however though, is improving because of a bad conference isn't what we should be measuring success by. The last thing we should want is to be the AI led Sixers, or Kidd led Nets. Being good in a bad conference just to get demolished in a finals is really no different than not making it there at all.

Can this core get better due to the east imploding? Sure, but that's not exactly what I call success. The team as constructed, even with supposed peaks/ceilings being reached, likely is not good enough to compete for a chip. Scottie would have to be a top 5 player and IQ/RJ would have to be all NBA level players for that to even be a chance. And that is pretty damn unlikely.

So much like the DD/KL era raps, yeah we can probably bang out high 40's, low 50's win seasons, but does it matter if we end up going against a brick wall with never any chance of actually winning?

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

[Scase]

if Lebron went to the Clippers (if they somehow won the draft) first overall, he would have been surrounded with the best players, esp in LA trying to get out of the shadow of the lakers.

Also doesn't hurt that he is essentially the second GOAT. Dude would've had his legacy just as huge, when a guy chooses to go to a garbage team like the Cavs a second time, with the sole purpose of winning a chip, and then wins a chip. He would be fine no matter where he lands.

And I'm a certified Lebron hater lol.

LeBron made the finals I think 9 out of the 13 seasons he was in the East, and 1 (bubble playoffs) out of 3 seasons out West (albeit when he was near the end of his career).

I don't think in a stacked West he makes it to the Finals as often as he did in the East, which generally sucked most of his career. A big part of his legacy is how often he has been to the show.

I think Lebron if he was in the west would have forced his way to much better teams, he's shown that he will go where he has the best chance to win. He's never been shy to switch teams. Maybe he might end up not as accomplished, but I think his legacy stays intact. He's too good of a player otherwise.

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they are world beaters, but that raps team that surprised wasn't rocking a top 2/3 defensive rating in the NBA. You don't manage that by surprising teams, thats a systems/roster thing. I don't think they are going to be making a huge splash next year, but I don't see them losing much, if any ground next year.

[DelAbbot]

Back to the original point I was making, and what the point of this thread is, about why to keep the pick this year. Why not, because it is going to be hard to suck this bad next year, unless there are significant injuries across the board. The East is just that bad, and as Orlando has proved this year, it is not hard for teams to move up quickly.

Even though these Eastern teams are not as strong as the West teams, you always would prefer to be in the East with the easier path to the finals. Then it just comes down to one series, where injuries can influence the outcome.

LeBron's legacy would not be what it is, had he played his whole career in the West.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Raptors sure did catch teams off guard in Barnes' rookie season when Canada put on stringent Covid testing requirements for crossing the border that NBA players just skipped coming into Canada, so we won against a bunch of G leaguers.

[JB7]

Also doesn't hurt that he is essentially the second GOAT. Dude would've had his legacy just as huge, when a guy chooses to go to a garbage team like the Cavs a second time, with the sole purpose of winning a chip, and then wins a chip. He would be fine no matter where he lands.

And I'm a certified Lebron hater lol.

LeBron made the finals I think 9 out of the 13 seasons he was in the East, and 1 (bubble playoffs) out of 3 seasons out West (albeit when he was near the end of his career).

I don't think in a stacked West he makes it to the Finals as often as he did in the East, which generally sucked most of his career. A big part of his legacy is how often he has been to the show.

I think Lebron if he was in the west would have forced his way to much better teams, he's shown that he will go where he has the best chance to win. He's never been shy to switch teams. Maybe he might end up not as accomplished, but I think his legacy stays intact. He's too good of a player otherwise.

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they are world beaters, but that raps team that surprised wasn't rocking a top 2/3 defensive rating in the NBA. You don't manage that by surprising teams, thats a systems/roster thing. I don't think they are going to be making a huge splash next year, but I don't see them losing much, if any ground next year.

Part of the reason he teamed up with Wade and Bosh on Miami, was they remained in the East, where he had a clear path to the finals every year. It is just much harder to do that in the West. I agree, he would have done his best to team up with other players, but even still, making it out of the 3 rounds of the West would not have resulted in as many Finals appearances, and that he hangs his hat on a lot, considering of all those finals appearances he has only won 4 chips (half with the stacked Heat team, and one in the bubble).

His career could have looked a lot more like Durant's, had he travelled the same path as Durant through the West.

In terms of Orlando's D, there is not a single player on the roster I would credit with the huge uptick in D (like say what Wemby will do for the Spurs), so their defensive rating could slide next year. This might have just been the product of the coach getting a lot out of the players this year. What will help Orlando maintain their performance level next season is their development on O.

[Scase]

LeBron made the finals I think 9 out of the 13 seasons he was in the East, and 1 (bubble playoffs) out of 3 seasons out West (albeit when he was near the end of his career).

I don't think in a stacked West he makes it to the Finals as often as he did in the East, which generally sucked most of his career. A big part of his legacy is how often he has been to the show.

I think Lebron if he was in the west would have forced his way to much better teams, he's shown that he will go where he has the best chance to win. He's never been shy to switch teams. Maybe he might end up not as accomplished, but I think his legacy stays intact. He's too good of a player otherwise.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they are world beaters, but that raps team that surprised wasn't rocking a top 2/3 defensive rating in the NBA. You don't manage that by surprising teams, thats a systems/roster thing. I don't think they are going to be making a huge splash next year, but I don't see them losing much, if any ground next year.

Part of the reason he teamed up with Wade and Bosh on Miami, was they remained in the East, where he had a clear path to the finals every year. It is just much harder to do that in the West. I agree, he would have done his best to team up with other players, but even still, making it out of the 3 rounds of the West would not have resulted in as many Finals appearances, and that he hangs his hat on a lot, considering of all those finals appearances he has only won 4 chips (half with the stacked Heat team, and one in the bubble).

His career could have looked a lot more like Durant's, had he travelled the same path as Durant through the West.

In terms of Orlando's D, there is not a single player on the roster I would credit with the huge uptick in D (like say what Wemby will do for the Spurs), so their defensive rating could slide next year. This might have just been the product of the coach getting a lot out of the players this year. What will help Orlando maintain their performance level next season is their development on O.

Not much to discuss about LBJ since it's all hypotheticals, but if he had a career looking a lot more like Durants, that's still pretty damn good lol.

As for the Magic, Suggs has taken a huge step defensively this year. I wouldn't put it all on him, and that would be the same for most teams, but he had a pretty big impact IMO.

[JB7]

Lol Lebrons legacy would be fine if he played in the west.

As for the original point, I agree for the most part. I fully expect Masai to be impatient and make win now moves this summer, so we should want to keep the pick as it will be our only real chance of cost controlled potential talent for a hot minute.

Now if he exercised some patience and planned to tank next year, I'm ok with giving it up, but ideally I'd rather we eat **** to be bad enough to keep both. There aren't very many good situations where we give up the pick and it benefits us.

As for orlando, they didn't just "move up quickly", they are essentially tied for 2nd best defence in the league, that doesn't happen just cause the east isn't a powerhouse. They got significantly better. Are they some championship contender? Hell no, but I think it's silly to chalk up their success to only/primarily the conference. They are a young team with their core stepping into their 2nd and 3rd years, it's expected.

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Raptors sure did catch teams off guard in Barnes' rookie season when Canada put on stringent Covid testing requirements for crossing the border that NBA players just skipped coming into Canada, so we won against a bunch of G leaguers.

They had the same record on the road as at home that season 24-17

[DelAbbot]

Let's see how Orlando does next season. The Raps caught teams off guard a couple of seasons ago as well, in Barnes rookie year.

Raptors sure did catch teams off guard in Barnes' rookie season when Canada put on stringent Covid testing requirements for crossing the border that NBA players just skipped coming into Canada, so we won against a bunch of G leaguers.

They had the same record on the road as at home that season 24-17

What does that have to do with those wins against Utah and GSW G leaguers?

Btw how did that core which caught some teams off guard do the next season? Fools gold