NBA

[B.E.]

I was impressed by Yabusele in the Olympic gold medal game (the only game I watched in full). I looked him up during the game and was surprised that he was a little older than I thought and had some NBA experience. He definitely looked like he could contribute to an NBA team the way he was playing against the US. He's definitely a strong body. The only negative I saw was that he was a little shaky from the line. That's a great deal for the Sixers.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Well, Kapitan and B.E., I'll take your word for it. I never heard of the guy but now I can't wait to see him in a Sixers' uniform in a couple of months!

[Kapitan]

Has this been a story in Pennsylvania, Sheriff John Stone? I don't think I've seen anything about it until now. The Camden (NJ) 76ers, I don't know... 

I'll say this, if New Jersey did lure them away, we all know exactly what would happen: Philly would just bring in some other unsatisfied franchise, or get an expansion team (which is a topic again under immediate consideration by the league, though Seattle and Vegas seem to be the most likely locations right now ... albeit without Philly as an option).

[Sheriff John Stone]

Sept 4, 2024 13:23:27 GMT Kapitan said:

Has this been a story in Pennsylvania, Sheriff John Stone ? I don't think I've seen anything about it until now. The Camden (NJ) 76ers, I don't know... 

I'll say this, if New Jersey did lure them away, we all know exactly what would happen: Philly would just bring in some other unsatisfied franchise, or get an expansion team (which is a topic again under immediate consideration by the league, though Seattle and Vegas seem to be the most likely locations right now ... albeit without Philly as an option).

No, I haven't seen or heard anything about this. The only thing I heard being talked about on the Philly radio talk shows is, as mentioned in the article, a possible new arena/complex somewhere in "downtown" Philadelphia -  and apparently the traffic would be a nightmare. Josh Harris has not been a popular owner, mainly due to his owning various pro sports franchises, not just outside of Philadelphia, but outside of Pennsylvania! Obviously fans want an owner who is totally loyal to and fully vested in Philadelphia.

[Kapitan]

There is an increasing number of stories lately about one of my favorite occasional events in the NBA: expansion!

With a new CBA and a new media deal recently accomplished, it seems that's the next major objective. By all accounts, if we see two new teams, the frontrunners are Seattle and Las Vegas, with Mexico City, Vancouver, Montreal, Louisville, San Jose, and St. Louis having been suggested as potential landing spots, as well. (There are a lot of candidates, but the odds of it being more than two teams are very, very slim. They're quite conservative in that, after all. Since the merger, the most teams ever added at once were two, though to be fair there were two teams added in each of two consecutive years at the end of the 80s: Charlotte and Miami in 1988-89, and Minnesota and Orlando in 1989-90.)

Considering the most likely teams would fit naturally into the West, it's also a virtually foregone conclusion that a couple of teams will move into the Eastern Conference. The likeliest candidates are Memphis, New Orleans, and Minnesota. I've always thought that Minnesota would fit better in the Central than its current position in the Northwest. Chicago and Milwaukee are natural rivals, and I'd bet even Cleveland and Indianapolis are closer to Minneapolis than our nearest Northwest rival, Denver. But that's an issue that is true of every team: once you're off the actual West Coast, or even California, the distances between franchises are far bigger than east of the Mississippi.

It seems we could even see new teams by the 2026-27 season. I, for one, would love it. There's a TON of good talent right now.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Sept 18, 2024 14:22:28 GMT Kapitan said:

There is an increasing number of stories lately about one of my favorite occasional events in the NBA: expansion!

With a new CBA and a new media deal recently accomplished, it seems that's the next major objective. By all accounts, if we see two new teams, the frontrunners are Seattle and Las Vegas, with Mexico City, Vancouver, Montreal, Louisville, San Jose, and St. Louis having been suggested as potential landing spots, as well. (There are a lot of candidates, but the odds of it being more than two teams are very, very slim. They're quite conservative in that, after all. Since the merger, the most teams ever added at once were two, though to be fair there were two teams added in each of two consecutive years at the end of the 80s: Charlotte and Miami in 1988-89, and Minnesota and Orlando in 1989-90.)

Considering the most likely teams would fit naturally into the West, it's also a virtually foregone conclusion that a couple of teams will move into the Eastern Conference. The likeliest candidates are Memphis, New Orleans, and Minnesota. I've always thought that Minnesota would fit better in the Central than its current position in the Northwest. Chicago and Milwaukee are natural rivals, and I'd bet even Cleveland and Indianapolis are closer to Minneapolis than our nearest Northwest rival, Denver. But that's an issue that is true of every team: once you're off the actual West Coast, or even California, the distances between franchises are far bigger than east of the Mississippi.

It seems we could even see new teams by the 2026-27 season. I, for one, would love it. There's a TON of good talent right now.

You would know better than me about the talent level. Also, I've been reading that the expansion might not be effective until four years from now, or the 2027-28 season.

I don't know...I have to say that I'm basically anti-expansion in all pro sports. Granted, I'm not nearly the fan of pro sports that I used to be, but I have problems knowing/following all of the players (again in all pro sports), and I thought the talent level was actually down - maybe not with selective starters but certainly with the benches or depth.

[Kapitan]

Sept 18, 2024 22:45:35 GMT Sheriff John Stone said:

Sept 18, 2024 14:22:28 GMT Kapitan said:

There is an increasing number of stories lately about one of my favorite occasional events in the NBA: expansion!

With a new CBA and a new media deal recently accomplished, it seems that's the next major objective. By all accounts, if we see two new teams, the frontrunners are Seattle and Las Vegas, with Mexico City, Vancouver, Montreal, Louisville, San Jose, and St. Louis having been suggested as potential landing spots, as well. (There are a lot of candidates, but the odds of it being more than two teams are very, very slim. They're quite conservative in that, after all. Since the merger, the most teams ever added at once were two, though to be fair there were two teams added in each of two consecutive years at the end of the 80s: Charlotte and Miami in 1988-89, and Minnesota and Orlando in 1989-90.)

Considering the most likely teams would fit naturally into the West, it's also a virtually foregone conclusion that a couple of teams will move into the Eastern Conference. The likeliest candidates are Memphis, New Orleans, and Minnesota. I've always thought that Minnesota would fit better in the Central than its current position in the Northwest. Chicago and Milwaukee are natural rivals, and I'd bet even Cleveland and Indianapolis are closer to Minneapolis than our nearest Northwest rival, Denver. But that's an issue that is true of every team: once you're off the actual West Coast, or even California, the distances between franchises are far bigger than east of the Mississippi.

It seems we could even see new teams by the 2026-27 season. I, for one, would love it. There's a TON of good talent right now.

You would know better than me about the talent level. Also, I've been reading that the expansion might not be effective until four years from now, or the 2027-28 season.

I don't know...I have to say that I'm basically anti-expansion in all pro sports. Granted, I'm not nearly the fan of pro sports that I used to be, but I have problems knowing/following all of the players (again in all pro sports), and I thought the talent level was actually down - maybe not with selective starters but certainly with the benches or depth.

I definitely think it's up. I just perused the Euroleague rosters, and nearly one third of the players either have NBA experience or (in fewer cases) have their rights owned by NBA teams. Eighty-one, I counted. I'll bet 15-20 of those are former 1st round picks. Many of those 81 are international, but plenty are American, too. And that's just the 18-team Euroleague, which comprises a few teams from each of the best European leagues. There are of course many other very good players on non-Euroleague teams, whether in Europe, Asia, or elsewhere (including our own D League.) A LOT of those guys could improve bench depth of NBA teams.

There aren't a lot of would-be stars playing elsewhere (though I'll bet there are a few...there always are). But there are a lot of solid role player types. In some cases they wanted to go back home, in some the NBA can't pay them what they can get elsewhere (because of the very restrictive cap aprons, etc.), in some they're in their primes and want key roles rather than bench roles, in some they may have had shots at the NBA but not guaranteed deals they could get in Europe, so it's not as if they'd all want to be in the NBA if it were available to them. But I'm sure many would.

[Kapitan]

What a great day! Sorry, B.E. ... 

Edit: and now with much (though not all) of the details in, I should say more.

The Wolves and Knicks put together a blockbuster trade (with Charlotte involved to facilitate the finances).

New York gets: C/PF Karl-Anthony Towns, who has a guaranteed 4 years on his deal, about $50m this season and $60m the last year.

Minnesota gets: PF Julius Randle, who has this year plus a player option year left ($28m, $31m); SG/SF Donte DiVincenzo, 3 years left ranging from $11m-$12m per; F Keita Bates-Diop, who has this year at $2.6m; and a 2025 top-13 protected 1st rounder from Detroit (via NY) that goes to top-11 protected in 2026 and top-9 protected in 2027, after which it converts to a 2nd rounder if it doesn't convey by then.

Charlotte gets: apparently DaQuan Jeffries from NY, plus some other player(s) worth at least $4m in salary, plus draft compensation (which would have been the whole reason they're helping) yet to be announced.

From Minnesota's perspective, I LOVE this trade. Yes, we lose some 3pt shooting from KAT. Randle in his time as a Knick has hit about 1.8 3s a game at a 33.8% clip, while KAT across those same number of seasons has hit about 2.5 3s a game at a 40% clip. In that same time, KAT's rebounding has dropped to 8-9 rpg, while Randle's is up closer to 10. Randle is the better passer, around 5 apg in those seasons as opposed to KAT in the high 3s or low 4s. Neither is really a defender or rim protector. But we also get DiVincenzo, who brings great wing depth and is a career 42.3% 3pt shooter. Plus a pick. Plus we're saving $6+m a year (which translates to something like $30+ million once you include penalties for being a taxpaying team), with all of these contracts ending before KAT's would, meaning we'll save more money and/or have more flexibility going forward. It's also easier to trade these smaller deals. I just love it.

And KAT ... I won't miss him. 

[Sheriff John Stone]

Granted, I'm not familiar with all of the players involved, but with the ones I am, and with the draft picks involved, I think this is a great deal for Minnesota.

My question is, does Thibs really want KAT, with the style of play and makeup of the Knicks?

[Kapitan]

Sept 28, 2024 17:54:25 GMT Sheriff John Stone said:

Granted, I'm not familiar with all of the players involved, but with the ones I am, and with the draft picks involved, I think this is a great deal for Minnesota.

My question is, does Thibs really want KAT, with the style of play and makeup of the Knicks?

Thibs barely contained his disdain for KAT while he was here, so my guess is, no. But Knicks front office execs Leon Rose (who used to be KAT's agent) and William Wesley (aka Worldwide Wes, who has had a connection with him via his support of UK in the past) have reportedly long wanted to bring him to NY. 

[B.E.]

Sept 28, 2024 11:32:14 GMT Kapitan said:

What a great day! Sorry, B.E. ... 

I was very confused for a moment, but then it dawned on me what must have happened! My initial reaction was that I’m not sure I’d trade Randle for Towns straight up, but the more I let the news sink in and thought about, I think it’s actually a good move for the Knicks. Meaning, I think they are more likely to win a championship today than they were yesterday. Ultimately, I just think - with our current roster -Towns is a better fit than Randle. Losing DiVincenzo balances the scales a bit, but I still think we are better off, though not drastically. I’ve always been a big Randle defender, so it’s tough. I’m also wary of disrupting a good thing. That said, I can’t wait for this season to start! Knicks - Celtics is great match-up for the season opener. An Eastern Conference preview.

[Kapitan]

Sept 28, 2024 20:29:05 GMT B.E. said:

Sept 28, 2024 11:32:14 GMT Kapitan said:

What a great day! Sorry, B.E. ... 

I was very confused for a moment, but then it dawned on me what must have happened! My initial reaction was that I’m not sure I’d trade Randle for Towns straight up, but the more I let the news sink in and thought about, I think it’s actually a good move for the Knicks. Meaning, I think they are more likely to win a championship today than they were yesterday. Ultimately, I just think - with our current roster -Towns is a better fit than Randle. Losing DiVincenzo balances the scales a bit, but I still think we are better off, though not drastically. I’ve always been a big Randle defender, so it’s tough. I’m also wary of disrupting a good thing. That said, I can’t wait for this season to start! Knicks - Celtics is great match-up for the season opener. An Eastern Conference preview.

I get why Randle wasn't a great fit for this Knicks team: he's ball-dominant, he doesn't space the floor especially well, he's not a particularly good defender, much less a rim-protector. And he's only got this (and maybe next) year on his deal, which as an expensive player on an expensive roster, isn't great.

Towns definitely spaces the floor, which helps Jalen Brunson in particular, and he has become less ball-dominant as time has gone on. But despite his height, he's not a rim-protector either, and he's a pretty bad defender. I think if you're used to Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, and heck, even my beloved Jericho Sims, this is a downgrade in that department. You've got some good and great perimeter defenders there between the likes of Bridges, Hart, and Anunoby ... you better help they succeed, because Towns is not a good last line of defense!

[Sheriff John Stone]

R.I.P. Dikembe Mutombo (June 25, 1966 - September 30, 2024) who passed away at the age of 58 due to brain cancer.

[Kapitan]

I was just logging on to post the same thing. I remember well the first time I heard of him: Georgetown had just brought in one of the most decorated HS players of the era, center Alonzo Mourning, a defensive menace ... and yet it was said there was another, even bigger center on the team, an African named Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo was older both in age and class, as his education had been delayed first with the international situation, then he had to sit out his first season. (I forget the reason for that. Eligibility concerns, I assume.)

He didn't play a lot that first year, while Mourning stepped right in as a dominant defensive force in the NCAA (13 ppg, 7 rpg, 5 bpg!). But by his second year, Mutombo got 10 and 10 and 4 bpg (to Mourning's 16, 7, and 2). That third year, they both scored 15 ppg, Mutombo got the better rebounding numbers (again about 10 to 7), and again crazy blocks (4.7 for Mutombo, 2.4 for Mourning).

Those Georgetown teams were impossible to score on! (I was a huge Syracuse fan at the time, and those teams were big rivals in those days.)

I remember it was a surprise that Mutombo had to enter the draft that season, though again, I forget the details. For whatever reason, his freshman year counted, not as a redshirt. He went on to a great NBA career.

More importantly, he made a huge impact on many lives. From the ESPN story:

Mutombo spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in Congo. His foundation led the building of a 170-bed hospital in Kinshasa, the capital city, and that facility has treated nearly a half-million people regardless of their ability to pay for care.

He also had served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

[Kapitan]

I was trying to find the info related to Mutombo's eligiblity and found this at Britannica.com:

The son of a father who worked as a school principal and then in Congo’s department of education, Mutombo grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor and eventually mastered nine languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and five Central African dialects). At the encouragement of his father and brother, the rapidly growing Mutombo took up basketball at age 16. His past participation in football (soccer) and martial arts eased his transition into the new sport, but he was still relatively raw when he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1987 to attend Georgetown University on an academic scholarship.

Mutombo had little interest in pursuing basketball when he arrived on campus, but he caught the attention of legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, who recruited the 7-foot 2-inch (2.18-metre) prospective medical-school student to join the basketball team. After spending a year dominating Georgetown’s intramural basketball league while straightening out his eligibility, Mutombo joined the Hoyas during his sophomore year.

He also graduated in four years with two degrees: linguistics and diplomacy.

Talk about one of a kind!
www.britannica.com/biography/Dikembe-Mutombo