Quote from: RealMalatesta on Today at 08:33:22 PM

Still a shock to me that we are seeing Utah playing the way they can. I honestly expected them to be the type of team that would start 2-20 and then finish the season with like 20-62 type of results, or 24-58 whatever, like not more than 30 wins at all. By the looks of it they are on the path to do that. Is this good? Or is this actually bad for them?

We cannot know because we think it is possible that they should be losing a lot more and that would be better for them because of draft picks. If they keep winning, they won't have a high draft pick chance and that is not actually that great, it was not really possible for them to get better in the long run this way.

Do not worry about draft picks for UTAH. They acquired a lot of draft picks by trading Gobert and Mitchell. That is one of the best moves Utah has done in trading their stars. I do not think they are contending for the #1 draft pick this 2023 because they are performing really well. Their GM is very intelligent, and I am sure they will put their 3 first-round picks for 2023 to good use. Forcing your team to lose more just to compete for Victor Wembanyama is foolish. They are performing very well so just let them be. It is good foundation for future success. Imagine a rebuilding team able to enter the playoffs. Even spurs with Popovich is not expecting too much right now. Utah winning right now is a good sign of success.

Quote from: blockman on Today at 08:55:56 PM

I think of it as something not that good at all. When they've been playing well at the beginning and then get to have some curb in the midst of it. Anyway, they are still playing well and what's not good is for the teams that are at the bottom, they'll surely be removed when the playoffs will come. What was that round again like the wild card before the playoffs? IIRC, there's that type of round and it's before the actual elimination of the teams, I've forgotten what it's called with the format.

They are not at the bottom though. They are currently sitting at #6 and were in the top 1 before they suffer some injuries. I do not think that is a team that will lose in the first round if all the pieces are healthy. I do not expect them to go all the way to the WCF or NBA Finals because, after all, they are rebuilding. But getting to the playoffs is a good experience for their young players. It is a good foundation for future endeavours and when their team is complete, it will serve them well.

Quote from: terrific on Today at 09:08:36 PM

I've been hearing the prospect about this kid, Wenbanyama. Where he's possibly going to be when he's going to enter the NBA? There's the picking/draft round but there's also the other ways of acquiring him by most teams through possible exclusive contract or buying his contract to the current league he's in.
Is he really that like a future or just an overhyped? I don't wish him to end up but I don't also want people to expect a lot just as mostly thought of Oden.

We will see that in the future when he is already playing. NBA is tough, so even if you are good in high school or college, it will still be very hard to maintain the same performance in NBA. It will depend on the team that will acquire him, and how they will develop him and prepare him for NBA. He is tall and has a good handle, but he is very thin right now. If he competes as a center in today's NBA, he will survive shooting outside but will be murdered inside the paint when defending the likes of Giannis or Embiid. I hope the Spurs get him because we know that they develop their young players really well. If the Lakers gets him, his talent will be wasted because the Lakers have a very poor performance in developing players or waiting long enough for a player to reach his potential.