12-07-2025, 07:03 PM
(12-07-2025, 06:22 PM)JamesConway912 Wrote: This was fun while it lasted. I think it’s clear now that they will attempt to go for the 8th seed/playin spot rather than trying to get a shot at a top 5 pick.
I posted something Stein wrote recently that I think is pertinent to this. You don't have to be bottom five to get a top five pick. The flattened lottery odds give teams in the 6-11 slots a decent chance of moving up (and the 1-5 teams a decent chance of getting bumped). Dallas will have to win at a top four pace to get to 8th from here on out. Maybe it happens, or maybe we just need to show what a stud AD is and how much he means to winning. We've got a couple of months before we "know" anything. Whether AD is traded by then or not will be telling.
Even if he is traded, I suspect they will try to keep playing close games and win enough games to keep fans interested in their play-in possibilities. We've seen this movie before. A little bit of well placed losing the last week or so hasn't been that hard for Kidd to manufacture.
I'm watching Atlanta now. I think they will deal KP for someone. Giannis would be priority one and having control of Milwaukee's 2027 pick would help. If they can't get that done, maybe they turn to AD. BTW, if we are looking for a Klutch connection for AD's next team, Atlanta certainly has one. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are both Klutch guys.