No one knows. I believe Toronto can actually offer him more money than anyone else can, but there is little indication of whether that matters to Leonard. It may be that the Raptors getting past Milwaukee would influence him. He may have already decided to leave, or to stay. He’s inscrutable and won’t tell anyone. If he leaves, they’ll have a shit-ton of money to spend on someone else if they want to.
Toronto, of course, absolutely knew he might leave; they were only counting on one season, but were deliberately taking a shot at actually making a Finals. So far it was a pretty good decision. They have never had a playoff performer like this.
I can’t help but notice that in an interview last night, Kawhi said something along the lines of “I knew that this could potentially be my last game (pause) for about five months, so I decided to leave it all on the court.” I can’t help but wonder if he was thinking “my last game in Toronto” before course-correcting.
But anyway, enough depressing thoughts, on to the Eastern Conference finals. With no Lebron in the way! Just that small issue of Giannis.
Now without KD, they’re back to team-first basketball. I think, if KD played in game 6, that the Rockets likely would’ve won that game. The Warriors aren’t necessarily better without KD, but they are back to team-first basketball without him.
Man, I knew the Nuggets were running on fumes but I was pretty confident about Game 7 at home. Even though Jokic is their bet player, they go as Jamal Murray goes. And he wasn’t going well. Hard to believe there were only 6 three point shots made by both teams combined. And Denver’s only 2 were made by the friggin’ center (Jokic). Ah well, congrats to the Blazers and good luck against GSW. I’ll be rooting for you.
Congratulations to Chefguy and his Blazers. I hope you guys kick the snot out of the Warriors, and leave their bandwagon fans feeling like all of those people who’d named their newborns, “Daenerys.”
(I still think it’ll be Warriors in 5, but a guy’s gotta’ dream.)
Only four teams left, and Nate Silver still has the Blazers with a <1% chance of winning the title! Hopefully the Blazers will draw motivation from everyone writing them off.
Just to be accurate, the Golden State Warriors’ first championship was in 1975 when Rick Barry and company swept the Washington Bullets.
The 2015 Warriors championship was over an undermanned Cleveland team playing without injured Kyrie Erving. I like to thnk the counrty was rooting for my Cavs. The Warriors’s 2018 and 2018 champioships were well deserved certainly.
Yeah, that CARMELO prediction on 538 just seems weird. It gives Portland an 11% shot to make the finals, but it must be 9% or worse for them to win the finals themselves, to end up at <1%. If you switch to the ELO model, it gives Portland a 14% overall chance at the title, which is more reasonable.
So, who y’all rooting for to win tonight’s Draft Lottery?
I’d like to see Atlanta or Phoenix get it. I will never root for New York (I’m a Pacers fan), Cleveland has already had its time dominating the conference, and Chicago has already won six championships.
Now that Donald Sterling is out of the NBA, Robert Sarver is the poster child for 'shitty NBA team owner’s. Though that’s really because he’s cheap, and not a virulent racist. So screw him. I agree with the rest of your logic. Why not Atlanta? Though I wouldn’t mind seeing the Kings win it. Or NY, for the lolz.
I try to root for the team that has shown the least ineptness and at least has some desire to win. That certainly isn’t New Orleans, but this certainly makes this whole Anthony Davis nonsense a bit more interesting. I guess congratulations Zion, on languishing in New Orleans for the foreseeable future. I can’t think of a more boring destination.
Without the 1st pick, I don’t see how New York gets Anthony Davis aside from shelling out a boatload of future picks (which they are probably dumb enough to do). I’d never trust Davis to stay without an extension, so I don’t think I"d ever trade for him, but that’s just me.
It’s New Orleans. Memphis second, New York third, LA Lakers fourth. Of those four teams, only the Knicks were one of the teams expected to finish in the top three. The others moved up.
LeBron tweeted that he’s very pleased with getting the fourth pick.
According to this, Anthony Davis still wants out of New Orleans. I’m floored by that. He must really want to go to New York.
Perhaps the Pelicans will trade Davis to the Knicks for the third pick, which they’d use to draft either Ja Morant or Zion’s Duke teammate R.J. Barrett?
Portland embarrassed themselves in game one. Bad defense, huge turnover problem, neither of the star guards hitting their shots. When Harkless is the top scorer into the 4th quarter, something is very wrong.
When the Warriors are 17-33 from deep, it’s pretty tough to beat them no matter how well Dame and C.J. play. But you’re right, not an impressive showing.