Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast to your list! This week Steve shares his thoughts on the NBA offseason moves.
13 Rules: NBA Offseason Moves
- If you are a fan of a team and extremely loyal to that team, it’s difficult to watch one of your core players over the years leave and play for a rival. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating: to the players, it is a business and their loyalty goes to whoever is paying them. Remember, it’s their livelihood. Let’s look at Marcus Smart going to the Lakers. Over the years, he was a great Celtic, and now he’s a Laker. It’s hard for Celtic fans to accept him going to one of the Celtics’ rivals, but to Smart, he is still in the NBA and continues making great money.
- You have to hope Suns owner Mat Ishbia is starting to get it. The Suns made a nice rebound from the Kevin Durant era. They got Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green and draft capital to go with their All-Star Devin Booker. The Suns will not bottom out, and along with their first-round pick Khaman Maluach, a big man from Duke, they have a decent core. They also traded for another big, Mark Williams, who you may remember as the guy who was almost traded to the Lakers. I don’t know how well they will do in the tough Western Conference, but they didn’t bottom out and will be competitive.
- I know the future of the Philadelphia 76ers is tied to the health of Joel Embiid, but pay attention to their young guards.
They are young and good. In addition to Tyrese Maxey, they have Jared McCain, who was hurt for much of last season after a great early season start that had him mentioned as a Rookie of the Year candidate. They then drafted VJ Edgecombe, a shooting guard from Baylor, with the third pick in the draft who looked pretty good in the games he played in this summer. - Whatever happened to Russell Westbrook? Does anybody want him?
13 Rules: Do These Teams Have a Plan?
There are two ways to build a team. One way is for a GM and coach to systematically acquire players who fit into a vision of how a team should fit together. The other way is to just amass talent with no thought for how the group will fit together. This week, we are going to look at teams I believe have no plan and are just trying to amass talent.
- Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks are scared to death Giannis Antetokounmpo will ask for a trade, so they have gone out and brought in players. The question I ask is: do they make sense? I think Myles Turner is a good player, but I don’t think as the Bucks’ major acquisition he gets them far. Cole Anthony can score, but remember when he was with the Magic, he didn’t play much in the playoffs because he couldn’t defend and was getting picked on. I don’t know where the Bucks are headed, and it may work out because of Giannis’ greatness, but it sure looks like their plan is simply to try to keep Giannis with limited assets.
- Sacramento Kings: This summer, they picked up Dennis Schröder, a good player but ball-dominant as a point guard. They have DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, two former Bulls that need the ball. How did it work out in Chicago for those two? Not real well in terms of wins. The Kings have talent, but it was put together without what appears to be a plan.
- Toronto Raptors: Here is a team with talent, but they are always hurt. During the season, they acquired Brandon Ingram, a good player, and extended his contract for three years at $120,000,000. Keep in mind Ingram only played 18 games last year and, in nine years in the NBA, has played in 495 games—that’s 55 games a season. Of their starters from last season, they missed 1-43 games each. That’s 28.6 games on average per player. On top of this, they traded for Ingram.
