Scattered thoughts on the rest of the NBA

NBA commerce rumor season is normally probably the most energetic occasions of the yr for this weblog. Each when it comes to creating content material and site visitors numbers (which I do know within the mixture however don’t give attention to day-after-day). However this yr has been a bit totally different as a result of the crew isn’t damaged and there’s not a variety of motivation to repair it. Which is boring. Which is fantastic. So I suppose what I’ll do is go searching at the remainder of the league.

There are a ton of proficient groups with eyes on profitable a championship this yr. To this point this season there haven’t been a ton of extremely impactful accidents (knocking furiously on wooden) and sadly for the Grizzlies, most of them have occurred in Memphis. So there’s a powerful discipline of contenders that the Celtics must take care of within the Spring. I already shared quick thoughts on each of them, so I’ll focus extra on latest occasions and rumors.

Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

Doc Rivers

Everybody has a firmly entrenched opinion on Doc. I’ve no actual want to vary that opinion. It appears to be a sort of a glass half full or glass half empty type of dialogue. Some will level to his title in Boston and his general robust document with the groups he’s coached (other than the early tanking years in Boston). Others will level to the expertise that he’s had and the way in which his groups have fallen brief within the playoffs for essentially the most half.

Right here’s my random statement. Doc may be the Ted Lasso of the NBA. Which is bizarre as a result of he’s an NBA lifer, not a man from a special nation that is aware of nothing in regards to the sport (write your individual jokes you half-empty people). The explanation I examine him to Ted Lasso is as a result of he has a knack for getting individuals to love him and purchase in to what he’s saying. That’s so much more durable than it sounds (ask Adrian Griffin). I feel to succeed Doc will want a really robust employees round him (he’s had some nice strategic minds round him prior to now together with Thibbs, Ty Lue, and Udoka). However one thing tells me that he’s not less than going to get buy-in from Giannis and Dame. Which makes the Bucks a contender to take significantly.

Trades

I’m not going to overreact to the trades which have already occurred, however to this point it looks as if GMs are making very sensible strikes. New York getting OG Anunoby is ideal for them. Indy getting Pascal Siakam looks like a win, too. Now Miami is including Terry Rozier and dare I say that makes them …scary.

Granted, all these groups needed to make strikes as a result of they’d holes and shortcomings that needed to be fastened. It can take time to see how every of these elements will combine collectively and the way they’ll carry out within the playoffs. I simply suppose it’s notable that every of these groups obtained higher on paper.

Commerce Rumors

I don’t suppose the league is anyplace close to performed dealing both. The Sixers appear to be poised to make a transfer so as to add a wing and/or scorer. I may see the Bucks making additional strikes. A variety of groups out West may make strikes to shoulder into the contender dialogue (OKC for one).

And there are good gamers both obtainable or probably obtainable for the appropriate worth. Guys like Bruce Brown, Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon, and nearly anybody on the Bulls and Hawks. Usually talking there’s extra buzz than actual information this time of yr, however I don’t suppose this deadline goes to be quiet.

Finally I hope it gained’t matter as a result of the Celtics nonetheless have half a yr to maintain refining their assault and making ready for the postseason. Hopefully that continuity can be a bonus. However it gained’t cease me from monitoring the buy-out marketplace for discount guys.