(07-25-2025, 03:05 PM)mvossman Wrote: Just about every champion has a top 5 offensive creator.  The only recent exception is Boston, who had an insane amount of talent/creation in the starting lineup (Tatum, Brown, Jrue, White).  

Every champion has had a top 10 defense.

(07-25-2025, 03:05 PM)mvossman Wrote: My guess is in the unlikely event that both AD and Lively are healthy in the playoffs, you will see one of them as single big 90% of the time.

(07-25-2025, 03:52 PM)michaeltex Wrote: Posted this back in April:

For discussion purposes, here are the last to NBA Champions plus this year's #1 seed.


Season               Team             Def. Rank           Off. Rank

24-25                   OKC                   1                      T-1            (current #1 seed, Best championship odds)
23-24                   BOS                   2                       4
22-23                   DEN                   15                     6
21-22                   GSW                  2                       2
20-21                   MKE                   9                       9
19-20                   LAL                    3                       4                (COVID season)
18-19                   TOR                   5                       9
17-18                   GSW                  11                      1
16-17                   GSW                   2                       1
15-16                   CLE                    10                      4
14-15                   GSW                   1                       1

Unscientifically, the Defensive rank for NBA champions is 5.9, while the offensive rank is 4.1 Maybe some skewing due to 4 GSW teams showing up, but (except for 17-18) they were high in both categories.

There are also other factors that contribute to winning a championship but are hard to quantify. For example, injuries, even if the player is still able to play is there a diminished performance? How officials call games. How long the series go. Is there a bad matchup that tilts the results. Does a team play way over (or under) seasonal averages.

Just looking at the data it feels like you have to have at least a decent defense, but you damn well need to have a good offense. I might even theorize that a top offense can improve the defense by putting so much scoring pressure the opponent can't keep up and makes key mistakes. (think last year's finals)

One area the above does NOT show is the effect of injuries, acute or negging. Would IND/OKC be a different story if Haliburton isn't hurt? Would 23-24 be different if Luka was not playing on one leg, maybe the outcome doesn't change, but it would have been more interesting. 

(07-25-2025, 12:52 PM)mvossman Wrote: I have read a lot on here that size is coming back and that is where the NBA is heading.  But it still looks to me like space is what wins in the playoffs, not size.  Its not just the Warriors, we just watched two teams in the finals play with more space than size.  Same with the prior champion.  Size is great, but I don't think trading space for size is a winning formula.  I guess we will see.

(07-25-2025, 06:21 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I have more faith in their health than you do (though I concede it requires literal "faith"), but I agree with the rest of this statement 100%.

(07-27-2025, 02:12 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: @esidery
The best available unrestricted free agents:

Gary Payton II
Ben Simmons
Russell Westbrook
Trey Lyles
Malcolm Brogdon
Chris Boucher
Thomas Bryant
Amir Coffey
Cody Martin
Precious Achiuwa
Dalano Banton
Cam Payne
Delon Wright
Markelle Fultz
Alec Burks
Torrey Craig
Landry Shamet

(07-27-2025, 02:15 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Pretty uninspiring list truthfully. The doldrums of Free Agency is upon us.

(07-27-2025, 02:15 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Pretty uninspiring list truthfully. The doldrums of Free Agency is upon us.

Surprised Westbrook has not found a spot yet. I figured Denver would've been motivated to bring him back at least. I also thought MIL had some interest?

Speaking of MIL has basically S/W Lillard, Signed Turner, and kept with the status quo. Basically the same exact team with Lillard+Lopez+Middleton out. Kuzma+Turner in. 



Is Gary Payton II done for? He was/is one of the better defensive guards. Simmons being a FA isn't that surprising but also a sad state of affairs seeing how bad his career has gone down.

(07-31-2025, 01:02 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: @TheDunkCentral

The Golden State Warriors have shown no interest in DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter in a potential Jonathan Kuminga trade with the Kings, per @sam_amick


"My understanding is the Warriors weren't interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple weeks ago, the Kings weren't willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range (AAV)."

(07-31-2025, 04:53 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
BREAKING: New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the franchise, agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. The new deal includes a player option for 2029-30 and a trade kicker.

(07-31-2025, 07:09 PM)omahen Wrote: So best remaining 2026 FA is gone. NY is now just 16 mil under the second apron next season with only 9 players under contract (if Yabusele picks his option next season). They still have Mitchell Robinson to resign next season. If they do, rest of guys can all be vet min and they will still be over the second apron.