Lol PM me if you want to know, I ain't leaving it out there publicly

Aggie09Derek said:

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Robin Lopez may be a buyout candidate

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Dang I was starting to like James Ennis

At the end of the day, we're still contenders, folks. At full strength, we're as good as anyone else out there.

The only thing that can beat us (again, at full strength) is ourselves.

We've beaten the Warriors twice already this year....

I'm more scared of other teams in the playoffs than the Warriors. Our team, if anything, is built to play the Warriors.

Hickory High said:

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We've beaten the Warriors twice already this year....

I'm more scared of other teams in the playoffs than the Warriors. Our team, if anything, is built to play the Warriors.

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No it's not
It's built to lose to the warriors

Playoff warriors > regular season warriors

If we play them in a series we will lose. And I have $100 on that just for ****s and giggles if you want some action.

Hickory High said:

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We've beaten the Warriors twice already this year....

I'm more scared of other teams in the playoffs than the Warriors. Our team, if anything, is built to play the Warriors.

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Durant will tear our asses apart in the playoffs. His fade-away jumpshot was unguardable last year even with Ariza defending him. Now we don't have a single player big or fast enough to guard him. If Durant wasn't on their team though I think we could win.

People are acting like Ariza this late in his career is LBJ/Pippen/Leonard/Bowen level of D.

Has this team been full strength at all this year? Defense will likely improve dramatically with Capela back healthy. And James is playing on another level this year. I wouldn't count them out so easily as long as they go into the playoffs with a full roster.

How many points did Ariza score in Game 7?

All I'm saying is I choose to believe that we will return to form, and when we do, we're as good as anyone. With Shumpert, we have our 3 and D guy now. Although he's a bit shorter than what you'd like, he's been known as a solid defender for his whole career.

If we can add one buyout player, it'll make me feel even better about where we are at.

Aggie09Derek said:

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People are acting like Ariza this late in his career is LBJ/Pippen/Leonard/Bowen level of D.

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Forget Ariza. We don't even have a single wing above 6 ft 6 on this roster. If you're telling me that our wings can guard Kevin Durant I don't know what to tell you. Not to mention that if we don't get home court advantage it's not even a lock that we return to the conference finals.

No one is going to shut him down...no one.

Last year he was on fire against us in some games and still almost won. Our D strategy against them last year was ridiculously good and i'm sure this year they will be more prepared for it. We pushed them off the 3 point line and made them uncomfortable.

House if called up and PJ Tucker will both do an okay job on Durant...we will also pick up some other guys that i'm sure will be + defenders like Shump. Gerald will give some good minutes when he's on the court as well. We will be switching everything just like we did last year so it won't be one guys job like you make it seem.

Harden picked 2nd to last of the 10 starters

Lebron's team is like way, WAY better than Giannis's team. Wtf was Giannis thinking?

Aggie09Derek said:

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We built our team around being able to beat them....not saying it will happen, just thats what we are trying to do (and everyone else).

Also, had CP3 not gotten hurt and/or we just would have had a "bad" night from shooting in game 7, they would have been in the NBA Finals last year.

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This years team is not as good as last years team by a wide margin

Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno said:

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Aggie09Derek said:

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We built our team around being able to beat them....not saying it will happen, just thats what we are trying to do (and everyone else).

Also, had CP3 not gotten hurt and/or we just would have had a "bad" night from shooting in game 7, they would have been in the NBA Finals last year.

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This years team is not as good as last years team by a wide margin

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This year's James Harden almost covers it up, at least offensively. You can say he won't sustain it if you'd like, but I think he will.

Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno said:

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Aggie09Derek said:

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We built our team around being able to beat them....not saying it will happen, just thats what we are trying to do (and everyone else).

Also, had CP3 not gotten hurt and/or we just would have had a "bad" night from shooting in game 7, they would have been in the NBA Finals last year.

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This years team is not as good as last years team by a wide margin

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Think health has a good amount to do with it. Once fully healthy and playing as a group we should be really good.

Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno said:

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Aggie09Derek said:

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We built our team around being able to beat them....not saying it will happen, just thats what we are trying to do (and everyone else).

Also, had CP3 not gotten hurt and/or we just would have had a "bad" night from shooting in game 7, they would have been in the NBA Finals last year.

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This years team is not as good as last years team by a wide margin

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This might sound backwards... but I don't think this team is worse... I think the West became better overall though. But even with that, the only team I'm really worried about in the playoffs still is the Warriors. When the Rockets turn the jets on, I have as much confidence in any of the playoff series this year as I did last.

Where's Hickory at?

What about getting Enes kanter?

Possibly. I think people are really overselling the sun setting narrative though. I think the Warriors are better this season but I also think as long as the Rockets have Harden and Capela in their prime and even old Chris Paul for a couple more years, they will be in the mix in the West.

Hickory High said:

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Lebron's team is like way, WAY better than Giannis's team. Wtf was Giannis thinking?

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Giannis picked every single fellow European player for his team

gordo97 said:

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Hickory High said:

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Lebron's team is like way, WAY better than Giannis's team. Wtf was Giannis thinking?

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Giannis picked every single fellow European player for his team

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...you mean only Vuc and Joker? Lebron literally took only FAs.

M.C. Swag said:

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gordo97 said:

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Hickory High said:

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Lebron's team is like way, WAY better than Giannis's team. Wtf was Giannis thinking?

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Giannis picked every single fellow European player for his team

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...you mean only Vuc and Joker? Lebron literally took only FAs.

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Dirk

Lebron picked Wade first. Dirk was the only option.

ATM9000 said:

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Possibly. I think people are really overselling the sun setting narrative though. I think the Warriors are better this season but I also think as long as the Rockets have Harden and Capela in their prime and even old Chris Paul for a couple more years, they will be in the mix in the West.

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I agree, and also doubt Morey is going to crap the bed again like he did this past offseason. I'm hoping for a good buyout pickup and expecting a strong offseason.

Woj reporting that Wayne Ellington is likely Detroit bound

Probably in the minority but I don't want him. Couldn't even get rotation minutes for the trash heat and plays zero defense.

Harry Dunne said:

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ATM9000 said:

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Possibly. I think people are really overselling the sun setting narrative though. I think the Warriors are better this season but I also think as long as the Rockets have Harden and Capela in their prime and even old Chris Paul for a couple more years, they will be in the mix in the West.

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I agree, and also doubt Morey is going to crap the bed again like he did this past offseason. I'm hoping for a good buyout pickup and expecting a strong offseason.

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I dunno.... I think Morey sucking in the off-season is way overplayed too. He was relatively cuffed but when you boil he frog down, his 2 biggest moves were both great ones that will bring tremendous flexibility to the roster for years to come... also why I think the whole his teams sun has set is dumb:

1. He was able to dump the Anderson deal (with Anderson reducing salary to do so) and the Rockets have more or less turned that mulligan into Shumpert who by all accounts is both a great locker room guy and a rly nice swing man who should fit well.

2. Got Capela long term for what already is and should continue to be a bargain of a deal.

That's a very good offseason if you ask me.