AROUND the NBA: PHI To File Grievance Over Officiating

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

Not to mention Boston is a good young talent and Coffey has turned into a decent 3-D guy for them. They are so deep they can really afford to rest KL & PG and remain competitive. I wouldn’t say one of the best teams ever though. It’s two great players and a lot of really good role players. That trade with Portland for Powell and Cov really bothered me at the time (rich get richer AND the pitiful return for Portland) and I was reminded of it when we lost Brunson; the disparity between Ballmer and Cuban desire/ability to spend. It was just Keon Johnson, Winslow and Bledsoe as salary filler and a second round pick or something, right? About as close to free as it gets for two top 7 rotation guys. If we could’ve made that deal and afforded to pay JB we’d be looking at a potential Wood, Cov, DFS, Brunson, Luka lineup. With McGee(or equivalent), Maxi, Bullock, Norm Powell and Din off the bench. Green& Frank, THJ routed to another team, and multiple second round picks? Portland may have preferred Keon to Josh and maybe we can’t painlessly re-route THJ? Lot of maybes. I remember we tried to deal the 18th pick for Covington at that draft but Portland gave them 2(!) first round picks for him.

[F Gump]

Not to mention Boston is a good young talent and Coffey has turned into a decent 3-D guy for them. They are so deep they can really afford to rest KL & PG and remain competitive. I wouldn’t say one of the best teams ever though. It’s two great players and a lot of really good role players. That trade with Portland for Powell and Cov really bothered me at the time (rich get richer AND the pitiful return for Portland) and I was reminded of it when we lost Brunson; the disparity between Ballmer and Cuban desire/ability to spend. It was just Keon Johnson, Winslow and Bledsoe as salary filler and a second round pick or something, right? About as close to free as it gets for two top 7 rotation guys. If we could’ve made that deal and afforded to pay JB we’d be looking at a potential Wood, Cov, DFS, Brunson, Luka lineup. With McGee(or equivalent), Maxi, Bullock, Norm Powell and Din off the bench. Green& Frank, THJ routed to another team, and multiple second round picks? Portland may have preferred Keon to Josh and maybe we can’t painlessly re-route THJ? Lot of maybes. I remember we tried to deal the 18th pick for Covington at that draft but Portland gave them 2(!) first round picks for him.

It's not Ballmer. It's Jerry West. This is his 4th franchise that he has propelled to the upper echelon of the NBA. It's not a fluke, or the owner with money - it's having the elite skill at identifying talent and negotiating.

[IamDougieFresh]

It's not Ballmer. It's Jerry West. This is his 4th franchise that he has propelled to the upper echelon of the NBA. It's not a fluke, or the owner with money - it's having the elite skill at identifying talent and negotiating.

Must be nice to have a GM like that and an owner who lets him do his thing

[sterlingmallory]

I’m ready to catch heat from everyone but I don’t see how the Clippers aren’t one of the best teams of all time if healthy. They are fucking scary.

Maybe. They are extremely deep at the wing positions but have a serious lack of playmaking. Not sure how they make that work.

[KillerLeft]

Maybe. They are extremely deep at the wing positions but have a serious lack of playmaking. Not sure how they make that work.

I think their wings ARE their playmakers.

[ItsGoTime]

It's not Ballmer. It's Jerry West. This is his 4th franchise that he has propelled to the upper echelon of the NBA. It's not a fluke, or the owner with money - it's having the elite skill at identifying talent and negotiating.

Ya, when West was in flux I remember wishing MC would money whip him into coming here to build a team around Dirk! 


Also, Riley and West are both in a league of their own in those categories. They just keep doing it!

[KillerLeft]

Ya, when West was in flux I remember wishing MC would money whip him into coming here to build a team around Dirk! 


Also, Riley and West are both in a league of their own in those categories. They just keep doing it!

Ainge and Ujiri aren't too far behind them.

[ItsGoTime]

Ainge and Ujiri aren't too far behind them.

Ya, I think Ainge is on par with negotiation and Ujiri with talent eval, but fall slightly short with the opposite.

[khaled1987]

Ainge and Ujiri aren't too far behind them.

I don't think they are anywhere close tbh, if anything R. C. Buford  is the a tier above those 2.

Ainge and Ujiri feels like Donnie tbh (with better owner) they had a great run to get their ring, and after that they can always find a way to make a team competitive enough in playoffs. 

If that Kawhi's game 7 shot didn't fell in and sixers won in OT, Ujiri career would have looked way different IMO
Shows how such moments change many people's legacy

[omahen]

Ainge and Ujiri feels like Donnie tbh (with better owner) they had a great run to get their ring, and after that they can always find a way to make a team competitive enough in playoffs

I can't agree about Ujiri. He took a gamble at Kawhi, gamble paid off. Kawhi left yet Toronto is still in the playoff picture. The difference with Mavs is, that Toronto has desirable players on good contracts and a whole chest of picks. So it seems they are better positioned to trade for the "Alpha" than Mavs are positioned to trade for the "Beta".

[KillerLeft]

I don't think they are anywhere close tbh, if anything R. C. Buford  is the a tier above those 2.

Ainge and Ujiri feels like Donnie tbh (with better owner) they had a great run to get their ring, and after that they can always find a way to make a team competitive enough in playoffs. 

If that Kawhi's game 7 shot didn't fell in and sixers won in OT, Ujiri career would have looked way different IMO
Shows how such moments change many people's legacy

I respectfully disagree, pretty strongly. The team Ainge built in Boston has been one of the more talented teams for awhile, and looks to stay that way. There's some luck involved with getting it that last 5% of the way to a championship, but he did a great job building there and it seems like he's about to do it again in Utah. Gotta respect someone who's not afraid to come in and trade Gobert/Mitchell pretty much right away. We all knew they weren't good enough to win a championship. 

And Ujiri is even better, maybe. They just keep finding 6'7"-6'9" guys who can play. It's unreal. My guess is that if the Raptors weren't in Toronto they'd get a lot more attention and his job would be much easier. 

Anyway, it's all a matter of opinion, but as a fan I'd be thrilled with West, Riley, Ujiri or Ainge running the Mavs. Absolutely thrilled.

[khaled1987]

I can't agree about Ujiri. He took a gamble at Kawhi, gamble paid off. Kawhi left yet Toronto is still in the playoff picture. The difference with Mavs is, that Toronto has desirable players on good contracts and a whole chest of picks. So it seems they are better positioned to trade for the "Alpha" than Mavs are positioned to trade for the "Beta".

Positioned is the key word here.
The likes of West and Riley & Buford built dynasties,  non of Ujiri or Ainge built that to be in that tier category. 

Ujiri is great GM, yeah. But that gamble worked (with ton of luck, healthy GSW would have beaten them ) but after that he worked well with what he has and it that is why he is very good/greatbGM. but isn't that legendary status of West and Riley.

As for my semi-comparison Donnie, who has his ton of faults btw and overstayed for sure, is that he also made the Mavs a playoff team 4 out of next 5 years after the franchise blowing out the whole roster, with only Dirk and Marion staying more than 1 season.

He wanted to draft Giannis in 2013, and had an owner who didn't believe in draft picks or acquiring them. Once we tanked we ended up with both Luka and Brunson through 2 seasons of tanking.

[KillerLeft]

As for my semi-comparison Donnie, who has his ton of faults btw and overstated for sure, is that he also made the Mavs a playoff team 4 out of next 5 years after the franchise blowing out the whole roster, with only Dirk and Marion staying more than 1 season.

He wanted to draft Giannis in 2013, and had an owner who didn't believe in draft picks or acquiring them. Once we tanked we ended up with both Luka and Brunson through 2 seasons of tanking.

I agree that Donnie Nelson caught a little more criticism than he deserved, if that's what you're saying.

[ItsGoTime]

Positioned is the key word here.
The likes of West and Riley & Buford built dynasties,  non of Ujiri or Ainge built that to be in that tier category. 

Ujiri is great GM, yeah. But that gamble worked (with ton of luck, healthy GSW would have beaten them ) but after that he worked well with what he has and it that is why he is very good/greatbGM. but isn't that legendary status of West and Riley.

As for my semi-comparison Donnie, who has his ton of faults btw and overstated for sure, is that he also made the Mavs a playoff team 4 out of next 5 years after the franchise blowing out the whole roster, with only Dirk and Marion staying more than 1 season.

He wanted to draft Giannis in 2013, and had an owner who didn't believe in draft picks or acquiring them. Once we tanked we ended up with both Luka and Brunson through 2 seasons of tanking.

Donnie is close to the top end at recognizing top end talent and lower end talent, not so sure about the middle of the pack. I said for years that he should just be demoted to head scout. He is pretty close to the bottom end at negotiations.

[dirkfansince1998]

https://twitter.com/RealBillRussell/stat...0839588865

[Chicagojk]

RIP to Bill Russell.  As a young kid, I went to a celebrity Golf Tournament in SC.   It was after Jordan's first or second year.  I asked MJ for an autograph and got one.  Still have the picture too.   My dad pointed out Bill Russell to me. I had no idea who Russell was besides being an older ex-big NBA player at the time.   I asked Russell for his autograph and he looked me in the eye and in a nice voice said he doesn't give autographs and said "no thank you".   For years, I held it against him on how he could refuse a 10 year old kids simple request.   Only years later did I fully understand how much autograph requests can be beatdowns.   I haven't asked for an autograph in probably 25 years.   Later as I got older, I developed an appreciation on how good he was as a basketball player.   Much later, I developed a much greater appreciation on how good he was off the court.    What a fascinating life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5GlgXrX-0

[IamDougieFresh]

RIP to Bill Russell.  As a young kid, I went to a celebrity Golf Tournament in SC.   It was after Jordan's first or second year.  I asked MJ for an autograph and got one.  Still have the picture too.   My dad pointed out Bill Russell to me. I had no idea who Russell was besides being an older ex-big NBA player at the time.   I asked Russell for his autograph and he looked me in the eye and in a nice voice said he doesn't give autographs and said "no thank you".   For years, I held it against him on how he could refuse a 10 year old kids simple request.   Only years later did I fully understand how much autograph requests can be beatdowns.   I haven't asked for an autograph in probably 25 years.   Later as I got older, I developed an appreciation on how good he was as a basketball player.   Much later, I developed a much greater appreciation on how good he was off the court.    What a fascinating life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5GlgXrX-0

My Dad would fly out of DFW for business very frequently and would run into athletes and celebrities every once in a while. Once, he was telling us about how he ran into Emmitt Smith and my mom asked why he didn’t get an autograph. He just didn’t want to bother the guy. I didn’t get it when I was a kid but I definitely do now.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Maybe. They are extremely deep at the wing positions but have a serious lack of playmaking. Not sure how they make that work.

So you're saying Wall and Jackson aren't playmakers?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

RIP to Bill Russell.  As a young kid, I went to a celebrity Golf Tournament in SC.   It was after Jordan's first or second year.  I asked MJ for an autograph and got one.  Still have the picture too.   My dad pointed out Bill Russell to me. I had no idea who Russell was besides being an older ex-big NBA player at the time.   I asked Russell for his autograph and he looked me in the eye and in a nice voice said he doesn't give autographs and said "no thank you".   For years, I held it against him on how he could refuse a 10 year old kids simple request.   Only years later did I fully understand how much autograph requests can be beatdowns.   I haven't asked for an autograph in probably 25 years.   Later as I got older, I developed an appreciation on how good he was as a basketball player.   Much later, I developed a much greater appreciation on how good he was off the court.    What a fascinating life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5GlgXrX-0

The greatest winner in team sports history.  Nobody comes close.

[Kammrath]