New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

christoph

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I totally agree but these superstars have egos bigger than their donnikers.KD is looking for love and the Green fiasco didn't sit well with him. Like you I do hope he stays with the GSW. Going to the Knicks will make him another Melo
I don't know why but I kind of like Melo.
But KD will never end like Melo, KD is in another universe talent amd skill wise :)
 

christoph

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Well if he wants to leave there are 2 LA teams that will trade for him. My guess is that they will both stay put.
Or maybe remate with Russell :D
With PG as well. I liked KD with Russell at the Thunder :cool:
 

Steve Williams

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Or maybe remate with Russell :D
With PG as well. I liked KD with Russell at the Thunder :cool:

that's sort of like saying Kyrie and the King will play kiss and make up as Kyrie joins James in Lala land, Never going to happen
 
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jadis

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Nuggets will be tested by the seasoned Spurs, with Pop in charge, hard to count out the Spurs.

Nets-Philly should be a good one, will the Nets rise to this unforeseen chance? Who would have bet the Nets will even be in the playoffs, and the Heat are not.

On the C's side, bad news again, injuries again. This time it's Smart who will miss at least the first 2 rounds if they go that far.
 
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christoph

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that's sort of like saying Kyrie and the King will play kiss and make up as Kyrie joins James in Lala land, Never going to happen
I would say not as impossible as Kyrie reuniting with LeBum but you are certainly right: not likely going to happen with KD and Russell.
Let's just pray that KD doesn't end up with LeBum :eek:
That would change my admiration for KD forever o_O
 
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jadis

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Bob Cousy has just told Kyrie to 'bring home' the title in a docu series called Passing the Torch. I hope he brings his 'winning last shot' of the Warriors game to win the title this time ( I know I'm shooting for the stars) because that time I was rooting against him and his entire Cleveland team.
 

WLVCA

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Luke Walton fired today.

Lonzo Ball planned an unauthorized ankle surgery in February but he was forced to cancel it or have his contract nullified.

Laker head trainer was fired.

LeBron still a Laker.
 
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WLVCA

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Guess I should note that I do not expect the Clippers to beat the Warriors in round 1 of the playoffs. :)
 

jadis

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Guess I should note that I do not expect the Clippers to beat the Warriors in round 1 of the playoffs. :)

I'm rooting for your Clippers. The ball is round. In 'Jerry' we trust. :D A bad game here and there for the Warriors and it could be 2-2 early on. :) If KD want to leave for the Knicks, he might as well do it without a 3-peat. :)
 
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jadis

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LeBron's history of fired coaches repeats itself. He came in while coach Blatt was HC in Cleveland. Fired. He came in when Luke was coach of the LAL. Fired. The only difference is that Luke lasted a bit longer and actually finished the season.

The only person who can trade James is Jeannie. Will she order it? Knicks, Cavs or Suns lottery pick ( Zion Williamson) :D
 
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Steve Williams

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Fabulous read about the state of the Lakers and Jeannie Buss.I high lighted an important paragraph towards the end about James and his entourage

Fate of dysfunctional Lakers belongs to Buss

By Shaun Powell

Soon, we will know who’s coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, a job that comes with a splash of prestige but not immune to the typical hazards, as Luke Walton discovered before exiting stage left.

More important, though, what really needs to be known is, who’s running the Lakers?

As the famous franchise stumbles to regain a toe hold and especially a measure of credibility it once had, it will be dogged by the leadership question until ... well, it isn’t. Such has been life for the Lakers ever since the passing of Jerry Buss in 2013 and the passing of the franchise to the hands of his children.


With Dr. Buss, this was never an issue or a concern. Even during those brief stretches under his watch when the Lakers weren’t as fabulous as the former arena that once housed them, you knew it was only a matter of time. And, there was never a sign of dysfunction at all, at least beyond the personality clash between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

It was Dr. Buss and Jerry West running a steady ship, and after West left, Mitch Kupchak for a while helped maintain the standard of front office stability and competency. The Lakers remained a destination franchise and among the best-run in the NBA, and now after six losing seasons including a chaotic last few, that track record has run off the track.

By the end of next week if not sooner, the Lakers will get around to finding the replacement for Walton and it very well could be an upgrade especially if it’s Monty Williams, a promising up-and-comer before a tragic family accident put his life on pause, or Ty Lue, who brings a championship ring and a working relationship with LeBron James. And that’s fine.

However: What exactly is the front office flow chart and the philosophy going forward?

After Magic Johnson chose to retreat, ever so embarrassingly, from that responsibility so he could be “Magic Johnson” again, the task of giving Walton the bad news Friday was left to Rob Pelinka. Actually, Walton jumped just as he was being pushed because his departure was a mutual decision, and who could blame Walton? Once a handful of other jobs opened in the NBA the last few days, he had choices; the Kings are a sure bet because Vivek Ranadive knew Walton when both were with the Warriors before Ranadive bought the Kings.

Yes, it has come to this: A coach would be happier with the Kings than Lakers, words that have never been written before.

The fate of the Lakers belongs to Jeanie Buss, who must make the leadership call -- is it Pelinka, most famously known as Kobe Bryant’s agent, or someone else? -- and somehow restore the luster of the franchise and the faith of the fans.

This will be interesting if only because Buss is new to this. Until two years ago when she wrestled control of the club from her brother Jim, to the delight of many, Jeanie was mainly on the marketing side. That was her duty in the mom-and-pop organization, which has remained in the family during Dr. Buss’ time and after.

Other than her relationship with former coach Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss didn’t mingle in an official capacity with the movers and shakers around the league. That is, get to know and deal with the top agents and general managers and assorted other power brokers who have a hand in the NBA jar.

And after the Laker family takeover, she was a package deal with Magic and therefore didn’t interview outside candidates. From that appearance, Buss kept the Lakers within the family, so to speak, because it was more comfortable for her to do so with her brother from another mother. She could trust Magic, someone she’s known since both were teenagers, someone who showed a weird way to repay that trust when he dropped the bomb this week without telling her first.

And so: Does Jeanie Buss want to stray from her comfort zone and look outside the organization for help in this, a high-alert time of crisis? Or will she lean on Kobe’s former agent, and maybe Kobe himself behind the scenes, neither of whom bring vast experience on the personnel side?

We will see how Jeanie Buss responds to that pressure. Remember, she grew disenchanted with the Lakers under her brother Jim after too many poor decisions in Kobe’s sunset years, and heard a standing ovation when she won the tug-of-war. There was much applause for her from fans forced to live through Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Dwight Howard and a gimpy Steve Nash.

But applause can fade quickly, and so can credibility, even with LeBron James in the fold.

The Lakers failed to deliver a punch in what’s been a letdown season, unless you count the one to their own jaw. LeBron’s groin injury can be excused for a losing record and no playoff appearance, but not the aftermath including the bad losses to bad teams; the pitiful Anthony Davis chase and the lousy morale caused by it; the Magic disappearing act and depending on which side you sit, the Walton mutual good-bye.

You wonder if all of this Laker vulnerability will create an opening for an opportunistic power play led by -- who else, LeBron And Friends. Because more than before, LeBron has power and that, based on the past, isn’t always what’s best for the team he represents.

That power caused uneasiness in Cleveland during his first stint with the Cavs. It was effectively snuffed by Pat Riley in Miami and the result was a pair of championships. But when LeBron returned to the Cavs, he had his way again, this time with the player agency he created. Suddenly, clients were given fat contracts and roles, and while it resulted in a championship, the fallout was lasting. Stuck with those contracts, the Cavs cratered this season and the only silver lining is they were bad enough to position themselves for the No. 1 pick and draft someone -- hint, he’s a Duke guy -- who could ease the pain.

Unless of course, the Lakers get lucky with a frozen ping-pong ball at the Draft Lottery and keep alive the tradition of importing generational stars.

The task of shedding a layer of dysfunctional skin isn’t all about luck, unfortunately, and the Lakers will discover this if they haven’t already. It requires a deft hand and gutsy decisions that elevate a franchise and command respect. This is what the Lakers are up against. This is what they must do to salvage what’s left of LeBron’s career and reassure folks that their current predicament is just a momentary phase.

The Lakers need Jeanie Buss to walk in that door with a whole lot more confidence-inspiring swagger and strut than Magic Johnson and Luke Walton showed when walking out.
 
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Steve Williams

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I feel bad for Luke but it was a no win situation. There are coaching positions available and I hope he goes to Sacramnetoand comes back to haunt the Lakers and the King

I was stunned to read that one of the possible candidates for the Lakers was Tyrone Lue who the King both created and destroyed. If Jeannie cow tows to James entourage it can only spell doom for the next 3 years
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Ties broken for selection order in 2019 NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- Seven ties among teams that finished the 2018-19 NBA regular season with identical records were broken Friday through random drawings to determine the order of selection for NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm.

The drawings were conducted by NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe at the St. Regis Hotel in New York and broadcast live on NBA TV. The tiebreaker process was overseen by Darrington Hobson, a representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.

The results of the drawings:

• The Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63) won a tiebreaker with the Phoenix Suns.

• The New Orleans Pelicans (33-49) won a tiebreaker with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. Second and third place in the tiebreaker drawings went to Memphis and Dallas, respectively.

• The Charlotte Hornets (39-43) won a tiebreaker with the Miami Heat and the Sacramento Kings. Second and third place in the tiebreaker drawings went to Miami and Sacramento, respectively.

• The Orlando Magic (42-40) won a tiebreaker with the Brooklyn Nets.

• The Indiana Pacers (48-34) won a tiebreaker with the San Antonio Spurs and the LA Clippers. Second and third place in the tiebreaker drawings went to San Antonio and LA, respectively.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder (49-33) won a tiebreaker with the Boston Celtics.

• The Portland Trail Blazers (53-29) won a tiebreaker with the Houston Rockets.

NBA Draft Lottery 2019 presented by State Farm will be held on Tuesday, May 14 in Chicago. ESPN will air the results live at 8:30 p.m. ET. Under a new NBA Draft Lottery system that takes effect this year, the odds at the top of the lottery have been leveled so that the three teams with the lowest regular-season winning percentages each have a 14 percent chance of receiving the No. 1 overall pick. The odds for the remaining participants in the 14-team lottery reduce gradually after the top three.

NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm will take place on Thursday, June 20 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. ESPN’s live coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm will go on sale at a later date.

Below is the order of selection for NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm and the odds for teams in NBA Draft Lottery 2019 presented by State Farm.


2019 FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER

Drawings will be conducted at NBA Draft Lottery 2019 presented by State Farm to determine the first four picks in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm. The remainder of the “lottery teams” will select in positions 5 through 14 in inverse order of their 2018-19 regular-season records. The teams entered in the NBA Draft Lottery and their odds of winning the lottery are as follows:

Team Lottery Odds
New York 14.0%
Cleveland 14.0%
Phoenix 14.0%
Chicago 12.5%
Atlanta 10.5%
Washington 9.0%
New Orleans 6.0%
Memphis1 6.0%
Dallas2 6.0%
Minnesota 3.0%
Los Angeles Lakers 2.0%
Charlotte 1.0%
Miami 1.0%
Sacramento (to Boston or to Philadelphia)3 1.0%


The order for the remainder of the first-round picks is as follows:

15. Detroit
16. Orlando
17. Brooklyn
18. Indiana
19. San Antonio
20. LA Clippers (to Boston via Memphis)
21. Oklahoma City
22. Boston
23. Utah
24. Philadelphia4
25. Portland
26. Houston (to Cleveland)
27. Denver (to Brooklyn)
28. Golden State
29. Toronto (to San Antonio)
30. Milwaukee


1 - This pick may be conveyed to Boston.
2 - This pick may be conveyed to Atlanta.
3 - This pick will be conveyed to Boston via Philadelphia or to Philadelphia.
4 - This pick may be conveyed to Boston.



2019 SECOND ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER

31. New York (to Brooklyn via Philadelphia)
32./33. Phoenix
32./33. Cleveland (to Philadelphia via Orlando via New York)
34. Chicago (to Philadelphia via the Los Angeles Lakers)
35. Atlanta
36. Washington (to Charlotte via Orlando via Denver via Atlanta)
37./38./39. Dallas
37./38./39. Memphis (to Chicago)
37./38./39. New Orleans
40. Minnesota (to Sacramento via Portland via Cleveland)
41. Los Angeles Lakers (to Atlanta via Cleveland via Indiana)
42./43./44. Sacramento (to Philadelphia via Brooklyn via Milwaukee)
42./43./44. Miami (to Minnesota via Charlotte)
42./43./44. Charlotte (to Atlanta)
45. Detroit
46. Brooklyn (to Orlando via Memphis via Charlotte)
47. Orlando (to Sacramento via New York)
48. LA Clippers
49. San Antonio
50. Indiana
51. Boston
52. Oklahoma City (to Charlotte)
53. Utah
54. Philadelphia
55. Houston (to New York)
56. Portland (to the LA Clippers via Detroit via Orlando)
57. Denver (to New Orleans via Milwaukee)
58. Golden State
59. Toronto
60. Milwaukee (to Sacramento)

Note: Teams that finished the regular season with identical records will select in the second round in inverse order of the order in which they select in the first round. With respect to ties between lottery teams: Since the order of selection in the first round for these sets of teams may change based on the results of the NBA Draft Lottery, the order of selection in the second round cannot be determined until after the NBA Draft Lottery is conducted on May 14.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
upset in the making at Philadelphia who is losing late in the 4th to the Nets 105-94

Did I mention that the Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell to the Nets to make room for Lonzo. What another Magic mistake that was
 

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