AROUND the NBA:

[SwisherPrice]

I'm not worried about a "Thunder dynasty" - this Mavs team was built to stop them....with EITHER Luka or AD! And now you add Flagg to the mix...if PJ is a matchup nightmare for OKC then just imagine what Flagg will do against them

[myconsumerclub]

Well OKC the team we beat last year to win the west took advantage and won it all.

If Nico does not move guys at all and Luka and Grimes had remained and Kyrie and everyone else avoided injury and our team looked to add more talent at the TDL perhaps we would have won it this season knowing all we had to do was beat OKC again.

Assumed team members.
Starters Kyrie, Luka, PJ, Klay and Lively

Bench: Gafford, Naji, Grimes, Omax, B Will, Hardy, Exum, Din, Powell, Morris, Klieber

Now who could we have taken off the free agent pool and or maybe traded for to better augment this team so that we could at least beat OKC in a series?

[cow]

I'm not worried about a "Thunder dynasty" - this Mavs team was built to stop them....with EITHER Luka or AD! And now you add Flagg to the mix...if PJ is a matchup nightmare for OKC then just imagine what Flagg will do against them

I'd still look to move Chet if I were them and with their stash of picks, they could improve the team even more.  If Giannis does become available, I'd expect them to kick that tire as they can put together a package as compelling as anyone.

[myconsumerclub]

I think we would have beat them this year if things had worked out better on team health and the teams management had not blown things up.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I'm not worried about a "Thunder dynasty" - this Mavs team was built to stop them....with EITHER Luka or AD! And now you add Flagg to the mix...if PJ is a matchup nightmare for OKC then just imagine what Flagg will do against them

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Flagg has yet to play a game, and Luka isn't here anymore, AD will always be a question mark due to health.

[Knutsen]

It should be confirmed that calf injuries lead to Achilles tears. If you have a calf injury you should not come back too soon. It happened to KD a few years back, and Dame, and Tatum just this year.

It‘s crazy, isn’t it? I think the league should think hard about this, maybe come up with something like the concussion protocol to not allow teams and players to play if certain injuries occur. 

The Celtics and the Pacers not only lost the championship this season, but also diminished their chances next year - and they can’t be sure that either of their best players returns with the same athleticism than before. 

And those are not older guys like Kobe, Klay or KD, but they are in their first years as stars in this league… I absolutely hate this.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Well OKC the team we beat last year to win the west took advantage and won it all.

If Nico does not move guys at all and Luka and Grimes had remained and Kyrie and everyone else avoided injury and our team looked to add more talent at the TDL perhaps we would have won it this season knowing all we had to do was beat OKC again.

Assumed team members.
Starters Kyrie, Luka, PJ, Klay and Lively

Bench: Gafford, Naji, Grimes, Omax, B Will, Hardy, Exum, Din, Powell, Morris, Klieber

Now who could we have taken off the free agent pool and or maybe traded for to better augment this team so that we could at least beat OKC in a series?

The Mavs roster before TDL was better than the 2025 NBA Championship.

Thank you Silver. I hope your Fakers will explode ASAP.

[Chicagojk]

3 torn achilles in the playoffs: Dame, Tatum and Haliburtan. All wear #0.

[KillerLeft]

I feel so bad for Indiana and their fans.

Imagine being in game 7 of the finals, with a chance to win, and then BOOM, your chance to win evaporates and you find out your best player will miss all of next season.

[cow]

I feel so bad for Indiana and their fans.

Imagine being in game 7 of the finals, with a chance to win, and then BOOM, your chance to win evaporates and you find out your best player will miss all of next season.

I'd be worried about more than just next season.  Maybe my line of thinking is out of date, but there aren't a lot of people that come back from that injury 100%.  Hali and Tatum have youth on their side unlike Lillard.  Hali having such a skinny build reminds me of KD in that regard and KD is one of the more successful returns from that injury.  None of them are mountains of men like a Boogie so that also bodes well, but the odds are still against them.  Hopefully the medicine and recovery around that injury just better now.  25 years old just makes my heart drop.

[numnuts23]

I'd be worried about more than just next season.  Maybe my line of thinking is out of date, but there aren't a lot of people that come back from that injury 100%.  Hali and Tatum have youth on their side unlike Lillard.  Hali having such a skinny build reminds me of KD in that regard and KD is one of the more successful returns from that injury.  None of them are mountains of men like a Boogie so that also bodes well, but the odds are still against them.  Hopefully the medicine and recovery around that injury just better now.  25 years old just makes my heart drop.

The East is wide open next year.  I wonder if the Suns would have waited until after the Finals - do the Knicks make a better offer for KD and push for a title next season.  

The West just stays ridiculously difficult...heck, the state of Texas alone is ridiculous now.

[cow]

The East is wide open next year.  I wonder if the Suns would have waited until after the Finals - do the Knicks make a better offer for KD and push for a title next season.  

The West just stays ridiculously difficult...heck, the state of Texas alone is ridiculous now.

I guess we'll see what Boston does, but I still think they'll be a top 4 team.  The Cavs flamed out pretty hard in the playoffs but it is there's and the Knicks race to lose.

[KillerLeft]

I'd be worried about more than just next season.  Maybe my line of thinking is out of date, but there aren't a lot of people that come back from that injury 100%.  Hali and Tatum have youth on their side unlike Lillard.  Hali having such a skinny build reminds me of KD in that regard and KD is one of the more successful returns from that injury.  None of them are mountains of men like a Boogie so that also bodes well, but the odds are still against them.  Hopefully the medicine and recovery around that injury just better now.  25 years old just makes my heart drop.

To add to your concern, while Haliburton's build has similarities to Durant's, his game does not. Speed and quickness are paramount to his effective play, where as Durant was able to transition easily into his Dirk era game, seeing the rim at all times and getting any shot he wants with 1-2 dribbles, max. 

Side note: Timpf broke down in that trade video I posted yesterday how among all high volume shooters, Durant was still EASILY the best jump shooter and iso scorer in the NBA this season, and it wasn't remotely close. 

For Haliburton, this injury could be a real setback. As a fan of his, I'm pretty gutted.

[cow]

To add to your concern, while Haliburton's build has similarities to Durant's, his game does not. Speed and quickness are paramount to his effective play, where as Durant was able to transition easily into his Dirk era game, seeing the rim at all times and getting any shot he wants with 1-2 dribbles, max. 

Side note: Timpf broke down in that trade video I posted yesterday how among all high volume shooters, Durant was still EASILY the best jump shooter and iso scorer in the NBA this season, and it wasn't remotely close. 

For Haliburton, this injury could be a real setback. As a fan of his, I'm pretty gutted.

Yeah, I believe Durant and Nique have the most successful returns from the injury, but Durant's age (just shy of 32 when returned) and tremendous skill might have helped mask any perceived decline.  

It was mentioned by someone that players should avoid playing on calf injuries, but I still wondering if modern training is building our athlete's bodies in such a way that the Achilies is becoming more vulnerable or maybe we are just pushing the human body to it's limit and athletes are just too athletic...if that makes any sense.  Or maybe it's just a run of horrific luck and magnified with the prevalence of sports coverage and social media.

[SwisherPrice]

Pacers are done...I expect them to tank next season. I wonder if they made that trade last week to get their 2026 pick back with this possibility in mind. We will see if the NBA can rig something good for them in the lottery

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Pacers are done...I expect them to tank next season. I wonder if they made that trade last week to get their 2026 pick back with this possibility in mind. We will see if the NBA can rig something good for them in the lottery

I mean why not? It worked for Dallas. 

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://bsky.app/profile/hoopshypeoffici...c3vv3tc22o


The Thunder won the title with the 24th highest payroll in the NBA
tied for the lowest ranking ever.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

I'd still look to move Chet if I were them and with their stash of picks, they could improve the team even more.  If Giannis does become available, I'd expect them to kick that tire as they can put together a package as compelling as anyone.

Chet/Hartenstein/Wallace/4frps is a better package than they'll get.

SGA, Caruso
Dort, Joe
JDub,  FA/Draft
Giannis, FA/Draft
FA/Draft,  Jaylin

That's an insane 10-man rotation

[Reunion Mav]

To add to your concern, while Haliburton's build has similarities to Durant's, his game does not. Speed and quickness are paramount to his effective play, where as Durant was able to transition easily into his Dirk era game, seeing the rim at all times and getting any shot he wants with 1-2 dribbles, max. 

Side note: Timpf broke down in that trade video I posted yesterday how among all high volume shooters, Durant was still EASILY the best jump shooter and iso scorer in the NBA this season, and it wasn't remotely close. 

For Haliburton, this injury could be a real setback. As a fan of his, I'm pretty gutted.

Me too.

[Chicagojk]

I don't know anyone else, but Myles Turner is a really frustrating player for me. I expect he gets a nice extension from Indy, but he always leaves me wanting more. He will have games where he is awesome and is still a good defensive center, but man sometimes does he disappear. 9 rebounds in a game 1 and then 20 rebounds the remaining 6 games. Four games over 10 points with 16 being high. He did have a nice year shooting the thre in the regular season after having a few up and down seasons, but only shot 21% from three in the finals.

I know he fits a role with Indy but he just leaves me wanting more way too often.