(07-20-2026, 03:20 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Ideal, yes. Can they afford to PAY the assets that might require? And if they can afford it, is that prudent, compared to sucking it up and waiting Martin's deal out? I'm not so sure.
I'd try to find the middle ground. Someone wants Gafford but isn't willing to pay you the draft compensation he is worth, compromise on by including Martin. Salaries would have to align of course.
(07-20-2026, 03:17 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I think .500 is probably out of reach for this team as of right now. Would love to be wrong. I think that's about the best case scenario, and everything would have to break just right, including Kyrie AND Lively health, to reach that level.
I think it's going to take the first half of this season, at least, to figure out how they even want to try generating offense, especially with a first time NBA coach. The reason I'm ok with that is that all the moves they're making are theoretically helpful no matter what they end up settling on as a plan, and they'll also have loads of ways to play defense no matter how the rotation settles. They're doing smart things. And, don't confuse my lack of belief in May as an IMMEDIATE winner as skepticism over the hire, either. I think he's got a good basketball mind and they've got the right guy. I just don't expect him trying to ride a 19 year old to scare anyone this year.
Also...they needed a PG and didn't get one (yet). Maybe they couldn't find the right one, and if so, I'm more than happy to give De Larrea that developmental runway and hope he catches on fast as they kick the can to the next transactional window. It beats watching someone like Collin Sexton take the role. Only...if that's the way they're going, I want Risacher in the rotation, too. Maybe Johnson should play 28-32 minutes right off the bat. I want Aldama to get a juicy role. Give me some Ishenko minutes from time to time, even.
We won 26 last year while trying to lose and without Kyrie. I think he pushes us to that 35+ pretty easily along with the year 2 Cooper leap. Lively isn't really a factor in my outlook.
(07-20-2026, 03:23 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: I personally think the team will be better than most everyone expects. May’s ball-movement approach, far better shooting, all that length and strong individual defenders, and Coop and Kyrie to close it out at the end. Even with the crazy, unbalanced roster they have now, and all the underdeveloped players, and imagining they do no more moves aside from dumping Klay or some such, I would presume they would be a 48-win team and a tough first round out, and if the total was any less than that, I would presume it’s because Kyrie ended up playing under 60 games. Without adding more guards, yes, this team will struggle badly if/when Kyrie sits with injuries.
If they make good moves to balance the roster, particularly getting a guard whom we all agree is top three among the guards we have in terms of rotation, and if any one or more of their major question marks (Tarik, Sasser, Sergio, Seva, Risacher) performs significantly better than we might expect, and if Lively is a real factor this year (playing in more than 30 games), then I believe they significantly exceed my earlier prediction.
I could be off base but I just don't see this team under 35 wins this year even if things aren't ideal.