As we approach 25 games into the regular season, we have a better idea where most teams stand with a good sampling size of games. Teams like Phoenix, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Miami are playing for next year. Then you have teams like Sacramento, Washington, and Orlando who are under pressure to make the playoffs. These teams are prime candidates to make a trade before the deadline or some heads will roll in their respective front offices. Join me as we dive into storylines that are driving week seven’s games and possible trade rumors swirling around.
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Klay Thompson scoring 60 points in three-quarters:
On Monday vs the Indiana Pacers, Klay Thompson had the flamethrower going and totally eviscerated a Pacers team who needs to attend basketball camps on how to play defense. Klay had a ridiculous eight three-pointers, shooting 63% from the field including 10/11 from the free throw line. We don’t appreciate how good of a shooter Klay is due to Stephen Curry widely regarded as the best shooter all-time. Is there a chance we’re witnessing the two best three-point shooters 0f all-time on the same team playing at the same time?? That’s up for debate and to be taken seriously. What’s separating the Warriors from most of the league is the elite passing ability. Just too many possessions you will see 5-6 passes until a player is so wide open the defense is gassed and needs a timeout. This will only continue and they keep destroying the league one game at a time.
The Cleveland Cavaliers coasting through the East:
With a record of 17-5, it’s business as usual in Cleveland as they continue to beat up on the Eastern Conference. The game vs the Knicks on Wednesday was a sign the Cavs will take care of business and be so bored during the game that they are trying to make a water bottle standup. On Saturday vs Charlotte Lebron James became the first forward in NBA history to score over 27,000 points grab 7,000 rebounds and dish out 7,000 assists, another accomplishment to further his case as the second best player all-time. Even dealing with a shooting slump from JR Smith the Cavs are just too good to have anything bother them to prevent them from getting to 60 wins heading into the playoffs.
Another season about nobody talking about the Spurs:
It’s as common as death and taxes, The San Antonio Spurs are off to a 19-5 start to the season. Heading into Friday the Spurs were sporting a 13-0 road record before losing to the Chicago Bulls. The job Head Coach Gregg Popovich is doing with no Tim Duncan, an aging Tony Parker, and an almost retired Manu Ginobili is nothing short of remarkable. Sure, he has MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge as a one-two punch. Popovich is forced to play young players Jonathan Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon big time minutes but everyone must contribute. The backbone of this team is the trio of veterans Paul Gasol, Patty Mills and Danny Green. These players make this team go and will be pivotal to the success and how far into the playoffs the Spurs reach this season.
CBA Deadline and trade rumors:
On Saturday Carmelo Anthony came out and said it doesn’t look good about both sides coming to a deal before a December 15th deadline before the current deal expires June 30, 2017. This is typical for both sides to dig in and hold out to get what they want before the deal expires. The big thing holding everything back is licensing about products and players names. Currently, the league has control of that and the players get millions of dollars in return. It looks like the players want control of that similar to the NFL.
December 15th is also a big day in the league, where teams who signed free agents in the offseason are eligible to trade them. It will be a race to the trade deadline in February which teams make a deal or who stands pat. The Sixers are expected to have Nerlens Noel make his season debut Sunday and this will be key how he looks and audition him to be traded. The rumor of Allen Crabbe from Portland for Noel is a is a win-win for both sides and can solidify things for the Sixers backcourt and provide much-needed defense for the Blazers at the center position. Let’s call the league now and get this deal done.
The biggest name to watch for will be if the Kings finally deal Cousins and get him out-of-town. This will be very interesting to see how this plays out due to Cousins contract expiring after next season. The Kings could get maximum value in return for Cousins and start a rebuild that is needed. Could Dallas, Boston, Denver or even a team like Phoenix muster up enough assets to acquire a game-changing a player like Cousins? Stay tuned for the ever-changing trading landscape and what GM’s are willing to do to get into the stacked 2017 draft class or squeak into the playoffs.