Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

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Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 24 Oct 2013 06:28

Season tips in just a few days, and for the first time since 2008 I have cable at home. I plan on watching a ton of games this year.

Who are you excited to watch? Plotlines? Predictions? Here's the place to talk about it all.

Stoked for the new season!
Last edited by C-Fan on 27 Nov 2013 06:59, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 28 Oct 2013 06:46

Season starts tomorrow! Definitely tuning in for the Heat-Bulls game. It'll be great to watch Rose back, especially against the defending champs.

3 teams I'm excited to watch this year:

:arrow: Derrick Rose back, hopefully at 100%. The Bulls are so well coached, and their defensive system is so solid, they were actually a decent team without Rose. But their offense was stagnant often without him. If Rose is really back at 100%, and the rest of the team plays D the way they did last year, I think the Bulls could upset the Heat. Based on what we saw in preseason, it also looks like Rose added a 3 point shot to his repertoire, which would be borderline unfair. In any case, the Bulls will be fun to watch.

:arrow: The Warriors were the feel good story of the playoffs last year. While they lost Jarrett Jack in the offseason, they also did get Andre Iguodala. If Bogut comes back at 80% health or better, their defense will be much improved over last year. As long as they have Steph Curry bombing 3s, their offense will be fine. I don't see the Warriors winning the west (though that'd be awesome), but I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the Western Finals. I'm going to try and watch every Warriors game that's on TV, provided Curry is playing.

:arrow: The Rockets now have 2 of the 10-12 best players in the NBA on their roster. And they can still move Omer Asik if they want to, which they can probably get a lot for. But yeah, Dwight Howard and James Harden on the same team should be fun to watch. I feel Dwight was never really healthy last season, and this season he has a lot to prove. But if he can develop a good pick and roll chemistry with Harden, the Rockets could take the West. I'm excited to see games where both those guys put up 30 points.

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Re: 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 31 Oct 2013 08:25

A few eye-popping results so far in the season:

:arrow: Dwight got 26 rebounds in his first game as a rocket. This is promising.
:arrow: Michael Carter Williams, the 76ers rookie PG, had this statline in his first NBA game: 22 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists (second-most in a debut), nine steals (most ever in a debut), four 3s, and one turnover. All this in a win over the defending champion Heat. Wow.
:arrow: Lakers beat the Clippers on opening night, Sixers beat the Heat yesterday, and the Cavs beat the new look Nets. Some crazy upsets already.

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 01 Nov 2013 11:15

Stayed up late to watch the Clips-Warriors game yesterday. Not disappointed by the duel between Chris Paul and Steph Curry, two of my fav players to watch:

:arrow: Paul finished with 42 points, 15 assists, and 6 steals. 8O
:arrow: Curry had 9 triples, finishing with 38 points and a 4p play.

Definitely not disappointed by the season so far.

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 07 Nov 2013 08:11

The season is young still, with most teams having only played 4-5 games. So about 6% into the regular season. That said, here are some initial thoughts/impressions:

:arrow: The Knicks are in trouble. They're at 1-3, and their defensive lynchpin just got injured. Tyson Chandler is supposed to miss between 20-25 games, and he's basically the only person on the team who plays any defense. The Knicks have almost no backup big men, and almost no flexibility in terms of tradable assets. Even if the Knicks made it through the season 100% healthy, I still would have them finishing behind Indiana, Miami, and likely Chicago and Brooklyn. With this injury? I think they're looking at a 6th seed in the playoffs at best, and an outside shot at missing the playoffs altogether. Wow. That's why you invest in backup players at every position guys... Anyway, the only silver lining I see for this situation, is the Knicks bringing on Jason Collins. He's big, he plays defense, and he's affordable. Plus, it'd be huge for the league and great for the Knicks from a PR standpoint to bring on the first openly gay, active athlete in one of the 4 major sports.

:arrow: Indiana is 5-0. They look to already be in mid-season form. Last year, their only real problem was a lack of any good bench players. This year, it looks like they've solved that. It also looks like Paul George and Lance Stephenson improved over the summer, and we're talking about a team that was 1 win from the Finals. Indiana is going to finish either 1st or 2nd in the East, and will be in the East Finals again. The season is young, but I feel confident with this prediction.

:arrow: Sixers started 3-0, then dropped 2. I still think they're a lottery team. They'll run, because they have no other options, and they may sneak up on a couple teams, but I don't see them making the playoffs. I like the team's long term plan though. Next year they'll get Nerlens Noel, their own lottery pick (which should be high if they tank), and I think 2 other teams' picks as well, in the deepest draft in 20 years. Plus, they have a ton of cap space, so they can lure some big names to the team. They'll have a couple young players with potential (Michael Carter Williams, Nerlens Noel), a bunch of picks, and loads of cap space. I could see a major franchise turnaround in the near future for this team, starting as early as next season.

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 15 Nov 2013 07:25

Great game yesterday between the Warriors and OKC Thunder. Westbrook gives the Thunder a 1 pt lead with 2.5 seconds remaining, by hitting a crazy 3. Then the Warriors win it on a buzzer beater by Iguodala. Just awesome.

So most teams have now played between 8-9 games, which means the regular season is 1/10 over. That means its still too early to draw any meaningful conclusions, but enough of a sample that some teams should start worrying. Some random observations/thoughts so far:

:arrow: If the playoffs started today, the following Eastern teams wouldn't be in: New York, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Washington, Detroit. Before the season started, I would have bet that most of these teams would be in the playoffs in the weak East, and at least 3 of those 5 for sure. They can all still turn things around, but this is a really bad start for all these teams, especially since they were looking at low playoff seeds to begin with.

:arrow: Western equivalent of the above bullet: Memphis (!), Houston, Denver, New Orleans, roughly in that order.

:arrow: The Suns have the same record as the Heat, through 8 games (5-3). WTF?

:arrow: Omer Asik has asked for a trade from the Rockets. He put up gaudy numbers last year, and he's a solid big man. Not as good as last year's numbers, but still very good. If they can get one solid piece in return for him, I see an appearance in the Western Finals for the Rockets. Especially since Terrence Jones is taking the PF spot over so comfortably.

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Re: 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 25 Nov 2013 12:27

C-Fan wrote: 3 teams I'm excited to watch this year:

:arrow: Derrick Rose back, hopefully at 100%. The Bulls are so well coached, and their defensive system is so solid, they were actually a decent team without Rose. But their offense was stagnant often without him. If Rose is really back at 100%, and the rest of the team plays D the way they did last year, I think the Bulls could upset the Heat. Based on what we saw in preseason, it also looks like Rose added a 3 point shot to his repertoire, which would be borderline unfair. In any case, the Bulls will be fun to watch.
.
Well, so much for that. Last week Rose injured his other knee, and will be out for the rest of the year. 2 years in a row without Rose. Yikes. Before the season started, I had the Bulls as one of 3 teams that could win the East (Heat and Pacers rounding out the list). Now, it seems inevitable that the East finals will be the Pacers and Heat.

I haven't been following the NBA too closely this past couple weeks, mostly cause of travel and other inconveniences. Sounds like the only real stories are how bad the Eastern conference is, and Rose's injury. Hopefully I can tune into a game or two this week.

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 26 Nov 2013 00:44

I actually watched a game the other day.

Chicago Bulls vs. L.A. Clippers
Without Derrick Rose it was definitely gonna be a game between the offensive power of the Clipppers and the defense of the Bulls.
Bulls played like a wounded animal having already fought for it's life, taking it's last breath.
Luol Deng was their best player. Too bad they probably have to get rid of him for next season. Hardworking good guy.
Clippers had an easy night. Can't really say much based on this game about them.
Jared Dudley started off like thunder and lightning - I like that little fatass.
Blake Griffin still need to get more passionate and play harder - especially in defense
Chris Paul is one of the best players in the NBA

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 26 Nov 2013 08:09

Asmus wrote: Luol Deng was their best player. Too bad they probably have to get rid of him for next season. Hardworking good guy.
Blake Griffin still need to get more passionate and play harder - especially in defense
Chris Paul is one of the best players in the NBA
Agree on all of these. Feel so bad for the Bulls...such bad injury luck with Rose. I think their championship window has shut, which means I'd trade Deng and Boozer if possible. I think they could contend again in 2 years if they can get something decent in return for those two pieces, got Rose back healthy, and kept Noah and Butler. But yeah, most Chicago fans probably thought they'd get a championship sometime between 2011-2014, and now that doesn't look like it'll happen.

In other news, the Lakers extended Kobe for 2 years at $24M a year. So he'll continue to be the highest paid player in the NBA for the next two years. Why? No idea. Guy can't play defense anymore, he's coming off an injury that usually ends careers, and the Lakers have no shot at a championship. I get wanting to have him retire a Laker. I get that. But there was no reason to pay him that much, especially when it makes it impossible for the Lakers to surround him with good pieces or find a franchise replacement.

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 27 Nov 2013 00:35

My guess would be that Kobe Bryant is still the player in the NBA selling the most shirts and so on.
So from a franchise point of view I understand it.

I think this entire franchise thing is killing a lot of the joy I have in watching NBA.
82 games a season is not healthy or make any sense as a competition format.

Fucking capitalists ;)

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Re: Ken talks to himself about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 27 Nov 2013 06:58

Yeah, one of my favorite NBA writers has written extensively on how the season is too long. Ideally, having fewer than 82 games would be the best solution. But that will never happen, since it'd mean less revenue. An alternative this writer has proposed, is shortening the actual games themselves. If you could shave off even 8 minutes from a game (quarters are only 2 mins shorter), that'd add up over the course of a season.

As for Kobe, I still think it was a mistake for the Lakers. Yes, he's the most popular current Laker, and an all-time great Laker. But was anybody else bidding on him? He's 35 and injured, and the number of teams that could make an offer anywhere near the $48.5 M the Lakers gave him is incredibly small. Note that I said "could." The number of teams that would actually consider making him an offer in that neighborhood is much smaller, maybe 2-3 teams total. Keeping a popular player on your team makes economic sense, but winning a championship makes even more economic sense. Had Kobe taken a pay cut and gone for like, $10M a year, the Lakers would have had the cap flexibility to sign 2 max level free agents to help him win a championship. Now, they can't even really sign one (unless they waive Gasol). Since I hate the Lakers and Kobe, I'm actually kinda happy about this contract, since it means the Lakers will be in bad shape for at least the next 5 years. :)

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Re: 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 02 Dec 2013 11:37

C-Fan wrote:
C-Fan wrote: Sounds like the only real stories are how bad the Eastern conference is...
And the story continues! Seriously, I can't ever remember a season when the Eastern Conference was this bad. Actually, that's a statement that needs qualification. There were some years in the early 2000s, when you knew that the strongest teams in the East would have no chance in the Finals against any Western team that made it through. Sure enough, that was true for a bunch of years, when the Western Finals were "the real finals." This season is a bit different, in that both the Pacers and the Heat are both strong enough to challenge any team in the West. So in that sense, the East is better than in some years I can remember.

The story kicks in when you look at all the teams in the East that are not the Pacers or Heat. As of today (December 2, 2013), there are only two teams in the East with winning records. After them, the Hawks are at 9-9. So a 0.500 team is in 3rd place in the East. After 3rd place, literally every other team in the East has a losing record! That's insane. By comparison, lets look out West. There are four teams in the west with 0.500 records, and none of them would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. There's also one team with a winning record (Phoenix) who wouldn't make the playoff cut. In other words, there are 5 teams in the West that are out of the playoffs, that have equal or better records than the 3rd best team in the East!

On a related note, the other story that sticks out to me are the Knicks. Last year, the Knicks had a strong offense and mediocre defense, and entered the playoffs with the #2 seed. This season they lost a couple vets, and their best defender was injured. Even with that factored in, I figured they would still end up somewhere in the 5-7 range of the playoffs. Instead, their record stands at 3-13, tied for worst in the East (which we just established is the crappier conference). Did not see that coming at all.

EDIT: Holy crap, I just realized the Knicks don't have a pick in next year's draft. So if they do spectacularly bad (which seems likely at this point), that means their pick will go to the Nuggets, going back to the Carmelo Anthony trade! Wow. The Nuggets were already thought to have won the Carmelo trade given all the assets they got, but if they also pick up a lottery selection in one of the best drafts in the last decade, that'd be even worse of a blunder for the Knicks in signing Carmelo.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 08 Dec 2013 11:30

Just watched Knicks - Celtics

Some thoughts:
- I don't like Celtics but I do like young coaches and players
- Bargnani is probably the worst player in the world.
- I don't understand why Woodson didn't sub the entire starting line-up after the first 10 minutes
Couldn't possibly have gone worse and he would show the crowd that he was willing to do something
- Gerald Wallace's headband game is bad crazy in the same way Kanye is.
- Good call that Stoudemire would overmatch Faverani.
- Jeff Green got superstar qualities
- I miss Linsanity. Is the documentary worth watching?
- How can you win 2 games in a row with 30+ and then be behind 30+ after first half on your home court?
- After this game Melo's courtship to Rondo looks like a bit of a joke
- I like Metta World Peace. He is my kinda crazy.
- Holy fuck Knicks were bad

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 10 Dec 2013 07:54

Asmus wrote: - I don't like Celtics but I do like young coaches and players
The Celtics new young coach has a lot of promise. I don't follow college basketball, but this guy took teams to the final four (title game in one year) in consecutive years, and these were teams with inferior talent. I think he'll be a very good coach, especially for a young team like the Cs.
Asmus wrote:- Bargnani is probably the worst player in the world.
For somebody his height, it's amazing he's such a bad rebounder. He's got such a unique skill set...7 footer with 3 point range. Other than Dirk and Durant, who fits that? Unfortunately Bargs has never approached those two. Its possible he's never been in the right system either.

Asmus wrote: - I don't understand why Woodson didn't sub the entire starting line-up after the first 10 minutes Couldn't possibly have gone worse and he would show the crowd that he was willing to do something
Woodson doesn't answer to the crowd. He answers to Knicks owner James Dolan...who is in love with Carmelo. The Knicks do lots of weird and detrimental things to appease Carmelo. Woodson knows this. He's probably getting fired soon anyway, but he knows his best chance of sticking around is playing the players the Knicks have invested the most in. Even if it doesn't work.
Asmus wrote:- Jeff Green got superstar qualities
I find Green incredibly frustrating. He'll have one or two games in a row where he looks like he's breaking through, followed by a string of single digit games. One of the hallmarks of being a superstar is being consistent. If Jeff Green were a footbagger, I bet he'd be able to make a sick video that'd impress the community. But then he'd turn up at a tournament, and do badly in circle comp. People would be like: "yeah, Green hit nemesis x2 in that video, but he can't put together more than 2 good turns in Circle."
Asmus wrote:- How can you win 2 games in a row with 30+ and then be behind 30+ after first half on your home court?
I don't know without looking at the schedule, but wasn't one of the games they won against the Nets? Getting a 30 point win against the Nets or Jazz this season doesn't really count in my book.
Asmus wrote:- After this game Melo's courtship to Rondo looks like a bit of a joke
Melo and the Knicks are going to have a hard time courting anybody. The Knicks have traded all their draft picks for like the next 2-3 years, they're capped out salary wise, and their worst contract is almost impossible to move (Amare, since it's uninsured). The Knicks were in good shape when Donnie Walsh was the GM. He spent like 2 years to clear the books in an attempt to get LeBron or Wade in 2010. When they didn't get either, the Knicks went ahead and made their 2 franchise killing moves: signing Amare to max money ($100M uninsured), followed by trading most of their starters to get Carmelo a year early (had they waited til Melo was a free agent a few months later, they wouldn't have sacrificed so much to get him). Knicks aren't winning a championship for the next 5 years minimum. Just bad management.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 11 Dec 2013 01:51

Thanks for the info Ken. I am still learning here.
Asmus wrote:- Bargnani is probably the worst player in the world.

For somebody his height, it's amazing he's such a bad rebounder. He's got such a unique skill set...7 footer with 3 point range. Other than Dirk and Durant, who fits that? Unfortunately Bargs has never approached those two. Its possible he's never been in the right system either.
It's not a skill set. It's just a skill. At times he looks like he just learned how to run maybe even walk. I remember in Denmark we had a player who wasn't tiltless at all but could do Fairy Ducking Butterfly. He reminds me of that.


Amare played a really good game. If I had a team I would like to have him on it (not for that prize though).
Ken - I would like to see you do a starting line-up and second line-up of your dream team with only currently active players and respecting the salary cap. Could you do that?

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 12 Dec 2013 08:50

Good analogy with the tiltless player who could hit fairy ducking down. So weird how people can develop a skill, while neglecting other foundational skills
Asmus wrote: Ken - I would like to see you do a starting line-up and second line-up of your dream team with only currently active players and respecting the salary cap. Could you do that?
Ooh, sounds like a fun challenge. Of course, I can kind of cheat by picking all of the best players who are still on rookie contracts. Cause the way the system is set up, people on rookie contracts can't earn above a certain amount, so any good players in the first 3-4 years of their career are always going to be steals. That said, I'll take a crack at this later today. I know for sure Anthony Davis will be on this list, but other than him I don't know.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 12 Dec 2013 13:26

Thanks for this challenge Asmus. It was a lot of fun to tackle.

Before I go through my list, here are a few key points I considered as I constructed my dream team:

1. Salary cap- As per Asmus' request, the total money spent on my team had to be below the salary cap. I only did this for the current year. In reality, several of the players I selected are due to get pay raises in the next couple seasons as their rookie deals expire, and in every case they should be getting significant raises. But for this season (and maybe next), my team's salary total had to be under the cap.
2. Winning- My other requirement for the team, is that it had to be built to win. So I wasn't building an all-star team where everybody demands the ball, and needs the ball to be effective. This team is meant to have some players whose primary role is to complement the others. I also sought to match up players whose games would have some chemistry together.
3. Flexibility- On a related note, I also gave players extra points if they have the flexibility to play multiple positions or execute multiple roles on the team. If somebody gets injured, it's a nice luxury to be able to have another player slide into their position.
4. Defense- Defense is half of the game. If I have to choose between a stellar offensive player with weak D, or the opposite, I chose the player with better defense. I tried to pick players who are at least average on defense, and even in those cases they'd only make the team because they are exceptional at other skills.

All that said, here is my perfect team for 2013-2014 season:

PG- Damian Lillard, Michael Carter Williams
SG- Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala
SF-Chandler Parsons, Jimmy Butler
PF-LeBron, Kawhi Leonard
C- Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond

What should stand out, is that almost everybody on my team is on a rookie scale contract. Only one player has a max contract (LeBron), and the only other person earning over rookie scale is Andre Iguodala. Both of my centers can also play power forward. Both of my power forwards can play small forward. Butler and Iggy can play SG or SF, while Parsons can play SF or PF. Really only Klay Thompson is limited to one position. So right there, I have flexibility in terms of positions. The salary stuff also matters, since all those rookie contracts also give me financial flexibility in case anybody gets hurt. I can trade whoever gets hurt for a vet, since I'm well below the cap, and also other teams would kill to get any of these players with these contracts.

My overall strategy here is pretty simple. Use my only max contract on the best player in the game, then surround him with versatile young athletes with overlapping skill sets, and strong defenders at most positions. Lillard, Thompson, and Parsons would stretch defenses with their shooting, while my centers would be charged primarily with rebounding. Other than the centers and Kawhi, everybody is a decent ball handler and passer, so the ball should move well. And defensively, any team built with Iguodala, Lebron, and Davis should shut down the opposition.

I could go into greater detail, but I think this covers it pretty well.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 14 Dec 2013 08:12

I still think the rookies is a bit cheating. But other than that it is a damn good team.

I would probably put in Duncan instead of Igoudala and Kawhi instead of Parsons.
To give the team more height and strength and to make the defense better so you don't have to use LeBron too hard there.
It would also give the team some needed experience.

I wish I knew enough to make my own list hehe.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by Asmus » 08 Jan 2014 00:35

KEN SOMOLINOS! You need to write more in here. I am confused and can't follow all the news.
You need to update me you glazed donut face.

Image

I am also trying to figure out what team is my favorite.
When I first got into NBA as a young kid I liked Magic and Raptors.
But I am starting to feel more like a Knicks kinda guy.

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Re: Ken and Asmus talk about the 2014 NBA Season

Post by C-Fan » 08 Jan 2014 07:32

Knicks are a tough team to root for these days. Which sucks, because they have a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic fan base, who really deserve a better owner. But yeah, they're just a mess right now.

If you're looking to pick a new team to root for, I'd choose one which isn't great now, but has potential in the near future. For example, the Pelicans and Suns aren't great right now, but they have bright futures due to some rising stars in their system combined with good future salary/draft pick outlook. A team like the Knicks on the other hand have all their money tied up in bad contracts for the next few years, and no draft picks to work with. And almost all their players are old or have no upside.

The biggest recent news of course was the Bynum for Deng swap. A few thoughts for the 4 main parties involved:

1. Bulls: This was a GREAT move on the part of the Bulls. Ever since Rose went down, they were in trouble. The East is incredibly weak, but they still didn't project to make it into the playoffs. By trading Deng for Bynum, and then cutting Bynum, they managed to save a HUGE amount of money. They won't have to pay the luxury tax, which resets the clock on the repeater tax, which helps the franchise in the next few years. By losing Deng, the Bulls also virtually guarantee a high lottery pick for themselves. So if they return next year with Rose, Noah, Butler, and a high lottery pick...that's a really strong core. They'll be in even better shape if they amnesty Boozer this season. Beyond the huge money savings and positioning themselves better for next year's stellar draft, they also got a couple lottery picks in future drafts, including the right to swap picks with the Cavs in 2015. These are very valuable trade assets, which the Bulls can use in future trades.

2. Cavs: Not great, but not bad. The Cavs knew they were taking a risk on Bynum last summer, and they protected themselves a bit with how they structured his contract. By getting rid of Bynum and his contract and getting back a useful player like Deng, they didn't do badly. They should make the playoffs now, which apparently matters a lot to their owner. They also now have the ability to re-sign Deng and offer him more money than the rest of the suitors on the market, which is a big advantage. But re-signing him won't be cheap (Deng turned down a $10M/year 3 year contract from the Bulls), and they have to give Kyrie a max extension next summer too. Can they even make it to the Eastern finals with a core of Kyrie/Deng/Waiters? I don't think so. If they had used their #1 pick on a better player than Anthony Bennet, maybe. But I just don't see the Cavs contending any time soon.

3. Deng: We'll see how this plays out. In the short term, this season he'll likely be in the playoffs with the Cavs, as opposed to being in the lottery with the Bulls. But had the trade not happened, Deng would likely be in a better situation next season with the Bulls (Rose/Noah/medium lottery pick/great coach) versus next season with the Cavs (Kyrie/Waiters/no lottery pick/shitty coach).

4. Bynum: How far a fall from grace. 2 titles with the Lakers, followed by 1 season in Philly where he didn't play a single minute, followed by half a season with the Cavs where he looked bad. Now that the Bulls have waived him, will any team take a chance on him? Mark my words: yes. He's 7 feet tall, and while his offense and defense have regressed badly since his Laker days, there are still playoff competitors who need size. Personally, I'd never risk taking him. But some team will.

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