NBA Playoffs

[sealybobo]

Yeah, them too. I am not a big NBA fan right now. I am trying to get something to watch when the NFL is not playing. I am not a baseball fan, so hoping the NBS will catch my fancy.

I only care about college football or basketball when it's a good match up or during March Madness. National Championship time. I don't even care about Bowl games. Well, I guess I watch and root for MSU and Michigan when they are in bowl games.

So for me it's all about NBA playoffs and NFL regular season is great because there is only 18 weeks? Your team only plays 17 games. And even if the Lion's suck I still enjoy Green Bay, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Kansas City, Rams, etc..... How can you not love the NFL? Only right wing snowflakes are still crying about the knee thing.

Curry is fun to root for. Booker and Paul for the Suns. Yianni is great. Embiid and Harden. Miami Heat team is good. Ja Morant. You're missing good stuff.

 

[sealybobo]

76ers are not dead! Great series!

After listening to the talking heads who never get it right, they think Golden State is in trouble. They may get past Memphis but they didn't beat them in a close out gave with Ja Morant out?

So now the Suns look like they will win the west, if they get past Dallas. Both good series.

The Heat will beat Philly. We see Harden is old. And Embiid is soft. I can understand not winning the MVP allowing to lose when your team is down 3 to 1 but not 3 to 2. That was his time to show he is the MVP. And who cares about that? The Lakers were without Kareem. Riley told Magic he lost rookie of the year to Bird 65 votes to 3. That lit a fire under Magics ass and he beat the 76rs in Philly game 6. He played Center too. Embiid showed he is no MVP.

I'm back to thinking the Bucks are going to win it all again. They just keep on playing their game. I don't think Miami is better than Boston so.....

And maybe Khris Middleton will be back to play against the Heat. Or even better. If they can beat the Heat without him and he comes back to play against the Suns in the finals. Yianni will need the help.

 

[sealybobo]

Question. Where will Durant go to win another championship? And will Lebron win another championship before he retires?

Durant should go play with Embiid. That would be a dynamic duo.

 

[JimH52]

Question. Where will Durant go to win another championship? And will Lebron win another championship before he retires?

Durant should go play with Embiid. That would be a dynamic duo.

I am not sure about Durant, but I really think Lebron is finished. He cannot win the championship by himself and he needs to understand that the GM and the coach should build and run the team, not him. I think his meddling is the reason the Lakers failed this year. JMHO of course.

 

[JimH52]

As expected. Harden has one good game and then he slipped back into his mediocre play.

 

[sealybobo]

I am not sure about Durant, but I really think Lebron is finished. He cannot win the championship by himself and he needs to understand that the GM and the coach should build and run the team, not him. I think his meddling is the reason the Lakers failed this year. JMHO of course.

Lebron might win another championship but he will have to do what he always does. Leave his team and go join another team that is close but just needs one guy like him to put them over the top. Philly? Nets? Memphis? Toronto? Detroit? Cleveland? He could go anywhere and I don't think he's a premadona like Harden or Westbrook. Lebron will play within the system. I don't blame Lebron. Unibrow was out too much and Westbrook really stunk it up. If Westbrook was the same guy that one year where he led the league in scoring and Anthony Davis was healthy, they would have been great.

Also hard to blame Durant for Kyrie except for I think he was the one to insist on the Nets getting Kyrie. So he might have fucked himself on that one. And I always thought him and Harden didn't get along even way back when they played together on the Oklahoma Thunder?

Boston v Milwaukee is going to be interesting. I still won't count Boston out. All they have to do is win tonight and who knows what happens in game 7. So Boston doesn't have to worry about being down 3-2. They just have to win tonight. Then worry about game 7. I suspect they are too young to win this year. Like a lot of great teams, they have to lose in the playoffs first and it has to hurt. Then use that pain next year to come back and whip everyone's ass. They were talking about yesterday how Boston in all it's history has never suffered a loss in the playoffs like they did 2 days ago. They always won those games. They never fell apart like that with a 12 point lead and so little time on the clock.

I really hope Yianni beats them and wins another championship this year. One more then I'll be okay with seeing his team get knocked out of the playoffs next year. I just think 1 more will give him the respect he deserves but doesn't get yet. He's the best basketball player on the planet right now. I want him to go down as an all time great. I don't think he even needs another championship for that but it won't hurt. I wonder how many rings Yianni will have before he retires. Or if he will go to another team before he retires. I like it when guys stay with 1 team their entire career but if the Bucks fall apart in a year or two it's hard to get a guy who wants to win to stay with a losing team.

 

[sealybobo]

As expected. Harden has one good game and then he slipped back into his mediocre play.

Remember when he first played for Philly? Him and Embiid did so well together. Then it wasn't working so well. He slipped back into his mediocre play.

He's too old to lead a team to victory. To be one of the big 2. Unless the role players do their jobs. And I saw Harden pass to guys and almost every time those guys missed their shots. And I remember a stretch of time early in the game where Embiid missed like 2 layups and 3 shots.

 

[sealybobo]

go Warriors, Hornets, Clippers, Blazers, Mavs & Jazz!

Steph or Linsanity or Griffin or Meyers Leonard or Gordon Hayward or Westbrook or Chandler Parsons or Dragic or Gerald Green will be the MVP!

Warriors vs Mavs. Should be good. I’ll go with Dallas

Chris Paul needs to retire.

Miami vs Boston. I’ll go with Boston.

Boston beats Dallas.

 

[JimH52]

Warriors vs Mavs. Should be good. I’ll go with Dallas

Chris Paul needs to retire.

Miami vs Boston. I’ll go with Boston.

Boston beats Dallas.

Personally, I would like to see the Celtics and the Warriors in the final. But I am not big in any particular teams. Still trying to grow interest in the game. Yes, Paul needs to retire as does Harden. But they won't. The money is too good to resist.

 

[sealybobo]

Personally, I would like to see the Celtics and the Warriors in the final. But I am not big in any particular teams. Still trying to grow interest in the game. Yes, Paul needs to retire as does Harden. But they won't. The money is too good to resist.

I'll bet Chris Paul will retire. And Harden is close. None of these guys stay too much longer past their prime. It's hard when you are done you are done. When you are burned out. And to me it seems like the younger guys are better than them now. Chris Paul is an old midget. Harden isn't in shape enough to be one of the Big 2 or 3 on a team.

So maybe Harden plays a smaller role. Same with Chris Paul. But that also means less money

James Harden has played less than half of a regular season's worth of basketball for the 76ers. His regular season averages in Philadelphia of 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game certainly weren't bad. He was at roughly the same level in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, too.

But those statistics are a long way off from his MVP days. Could it already be over?

Harden is eligible to make up to $275 million over the next five years if he re-signs with the Sixers. That would push his salary past $60 million for his age 37 season, which would almost surely be a massive overpay.

Simply put, the Sixers have a huge decision to make this summer.

Harden ultimately controls all of the cards in the first stage of negotiations. He has a $47.4 million player option that he must pick up before July 1. If he does not, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.

Harden will very likely pick that option up, as it allows him to make the most amount of money. He could exercise it and then extend his contract with the Sixers for four additional years at the max to get to that five-year, $275 million offer.

He could also extend for any other number that he and the Sixers agree to below the max.

"Probably next year, he'll be close to worth $47 million. The year after he'll be overpaid. The year after he'll be overpaid by more, and then Year 4 will be a disaster."

He's not a top-five player, but he is still firmly in the top 20 and did show excellent chemistry with Joel Embiid in pick-and-rolls. He isn't going to find a better team to play on, and the Sixers don't have any good avenues of adding a player better than him if he walks. This is the deal with the (Sun) Devil that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made.

That dream scenario of bringing Harden back at a non-max salary does have some legs to stand on. Sam Amick of The Athletic indicated on "The Athletic NBA Show" that Harden might be amenable to the idea.

"When the Sixers got him, their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl," Amick said.

Ultimately, I would try to bring Harden back at a more reasonable number than his max. Chris Paul might prove instructive in this scenario. He re-signed with the Suns last summer for four years and $120 million. Paul was three years older than Harden will be when he signed that deal, so Harden's number should be a little higher than the $30 million annual value that Paul got. Something like $200 million over five years would be much more palatable than the $275 million max.

What should 76ers do with James Harden? Evaluating contract options, age concerns and Philadelphia's best path forward | Sporting News

What options are available to the Sixers and James Harden in his upcoming contract negotiations?

www.sportingnews.com

 

[JimH52]

I'll bet Chris Paul will retire. And Harden is close. None of these guys stay too much longer past their prime. It's hard when you are done you are done. When you are burned out. And to me it seems like the younger guys are better than them now. Chris Paul is an old midget. Harden isn't in shape enough to be one of the Big 2 or 3 on a team.

So maybe Harden plays a smaller role. Same with Chris Paul. But that also means less money

James Harden has played less than half of a regular season's worth of basketball for the 76ers. His regular season averages in Philadelphia of 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game certainly weren't bad. He was at roughly the same level in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, too.

But those statistics are a long way off from his MVP days. Could it already be over?

Harden is eligible to make up to $275 million over the next five years if he re-signs with the Sixers. That would push his salary past $60 million for his age 37 season, which would almost surely be a massive overpay.

Simply put, the Sixers have a huge decision to make this summer.

Harden ultimately controls all of the cards in the first stage of negotiations. He has a $47.4 million player option that he must pick up before July 1. If he does not, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.

Harden will very likely pick that option up, as it allows him to make the most amount of money. He could exercise it and then extend his contract with the Sixers for four additional years at the max to get to that five-year, $275 million offer.

He could also extend for any other number that he and the Sixers agree to below the max.

"Probably next year, he'll be close to worth $47 million. The year after he'll be overpaid. The year after he'll be overpaid by more, and then Year 4 will be a disaster."

He's not a top-five player, but he is still firmly in the top 20 and did show excellent chemistry with Joel Embiid in pick-and-rolls. He isn't going to find a better team to play on, and the Sixers don't have any good avenues of adding a player better than him if he walks. This is the deal with the (Sun) Devil that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made.

That dream scenario of bringing Harden back at a non-max salary does have some legs to stand on. Sam Amick of The Athletic indicated on "The Athletic NBA Show" that Harden might be amenable to the idea.

"When the Sixers got him, their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl," Amick said.

Ultimately, I would try to bring Harden back at a more reasonable number than his max. Chris Paul might prove instructive in this scenario. He re-signed with the Suns last summer for four years and $120 million. Paul was three years older than Harden will be when he signed that deal, so Harden's number should be a little higher than the $30 million annual value that Paul got. Something like $200 million over five years would be much more palatable than the $275 million max.

What should 76ers do with James Harden? Evaluating contract options, age concerns and Philadelphia's best path forward | Sporting News

What options are available to the Sixers and James Harden in his upcoming contract negotiations?

www.sportingnews.com

I just heard some talking heads on. ESPN say Harden will get the "Super Max" contract...that he deserves it. I guess if an owner wants to throw away money...he will.

 

[Fiero425]

I just heard some talking heads on. ESPN say Harden will get the "Super Max" contract...that he deserves it. I guess if an owner wants to throw away money...he will.

I'm about done with some sports! Giving all this money to players who don't "bring it," give attitude, & make trade demands; I'm about DONE! Harden doesn't deserve anything but his arse to be kicked!

 

[JimH52]

I'm about done with some sports! Giving all this money to players who don't "bring it," give attitude, & make trade demands; I'm about DONE! Harden doesn't deserve anything but his arse to be kicked!

The rich privileged athletes who want to get paid but don't want to put in the effort need to be told they are nothing but leaches on our society. Harden is at the top of the list.

 

[sealybobo]

I just heard some talking heads on. ESPN say Harden will get the "Super Max" contract...that he deserves it. I guess if an owner wants to throw away money...he will.

Boy, it seems pretty obvious to you and me he's not worth a long term contract. IMO, if i were the owners, I'd give offers like this.

I'll pay you $10 million for next year

OR

I'll pay you $24 million for 3 years. In other words you'll make more per year if you just take a year contract. If you want a long term contract, It's going to be a deal for me too. And there will be a clause that if you suck I can pay you half and fire you. Maybe even give bonus' if you make it to the finals or at least the conference finals.

 

[sealybobo]

The rich privileged athletes who want to get paid but don't want to put in the effort need to be told they are nothing but leaches on our society. Harden is at the top of the list.

Wait hold on a second. Don't hate the employees for getting what they are worth. If the owners are willing to pay then they are worth every penny.

Or would you be happier if the owner could cut every employees pay in half and keep that money for themselves? I bet a lot of Republicans would be happy if the owners could do that. They would argue that James Harden makes $44 million a year and $22 million should be plenty.

But don't ask to talk about how much the owners make. That's out of bounds for any Republican. They'll never call the owners privileged or say they are leaches on our society, even though they probably don't pay any taxes.

 

[sealybobo]

The rich privileged athletes who want to get paid but don't want to put in the effort need to be told they are nothing but leaches on our society. Harden is at the top of the list.

Do you know the owners of any major American sports team is in a club of men who have guaranteed it so they will all make money. The worst team will make money every year and the best team will just make more money that year. But they all make a profit, even after paying all their athletes.

You wonder how can the Detroit Tigers be profitable. The stadium is empty. No one is watching those day games on TV. Seems like a loser business. But NOPE. They are killing it.
And what if Idaho decided they wanted to make up a football team? No one wants Baker Mayfield. What if Idaho picked him up. And put Tim Tebo as the backup QB. Then recruited a bunch of guys who the other teams cut but they still have a couple good years left in them. Why can't a state like Idaho decide they want to join the NFL

Also, don't forget football players get hurt. That's worth a lot of money. I think they should be the highest paid athletes. And a lot of guys only last a couple-5 years in the NFL

Aaron Donald Buys $17.1 Million Hidden Hills Mansion After Selling Calabasas Crib

Aaron Donald just bought an awesome $17 million Hidden Hills compound after selling his crib in Calabasas ... a pretty good indication AD isn't playing football anywhere besides Los Angeles!

www.tmz.com

I'm happy for any employee who can buy a 17 million dollar home.

 

[JimH52]

Do you know the owners of any major American sports team is in a club of men who have guaranteed it so they will all make money. The worst team will make money every year and the best team will just make more money that year. But they all make a profit, even after paying all their athletes.

You wonder how can the Detroit Tigers be profitable. The stadium is empty. No one is watching those day games on TV. Seems like a loser business. But NOPE. They are killing it.
And what if Idaho decided they wanted to make up a football team? No one wants Baker Mayfield. What if Idaho picked him up. And put Tim Tebo as the backup QB. Then recruited a bunch of guys who the other teams cut but they still have a couple good years left in them. Why can't a state like Idaho decide they want to join the NFL

Also, don't forget football players get hurt. That's worth a lot of money. I think they should be the highest paid athletes. And a lot of guys only last a couple-5 years in the NFL

Aaron Donald Buys $17.1 Million Hidden Hills Mansion After Selling Calabasas Crib

Aaron Donald just bought an awesome $17 million Hidden Hills compound after selling his crib in Calabasas ... a pretty good indication AD isn't playing football anywhere besides Los Angeles!

www.tmz.com

I'm happy for any employee who can buy a 17 million dollar home.

I think you described the USFL in the early part of your writing.

 

[sealybobo]

I think you described the USFL in the early part of your writing.

Is that shit making money?

I yell at my dad every time he brings them up. I ask him if they're paying him to talk to me about it. And then I caught him telling my brother about it. I said AHA! You are a fan. LOL. I love pushing his buttons.

 

[22lcidw]

I just heard some talking heads on. ESPN say Harden will get the "Super Max" contract...that he deserves it. I guess if an owner wants to throw away money...he will.

The 76ers would be fools to resign him. The league cut " the process" a few years ago with it 80% complete and a succession of GM's enabled by Adam Silver has given this team its 2nd round and out status. The NBA sucks for competition. Philly fans do not appreciate athletes doing their jobs half assed.

 

[sealybobo]

The 76ers would be fools to resign him. The league cut " the process" a few years ago with it 80% complete and a succession of GM's enabled by Adam Silver has given this team its 2nd round and out status. The NBA sucks for competition. Philly fans do not appreciate athletes doing their jobs half assed.

They were saying Harden is still a top 10 player. Maybe not worth what they are going to pay him but they don't have an alternative.

I hope they make a good deal where Harden can go to a team that can use him. Who would that be? They have to be a contender who doesn't have a Harden type.

According to The Athletic, the Rockets have "made it clear" to Harden that they would be open to a reunion.

To connect the dots, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta alluded to the team making a "big move" by the 2023-24 season, the next time the Rockets do not hold control of their first round pick. That 2024 first round pick is only protected 1-4, otherwise it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the infamous Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul trade.

Adding Harden to the squad a year from now to join the backcourt with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. isn't the cleanest fit, but bringing back the second-best player in franchise history isn't easy to turn down, even if he is in his mid-30s.

As a team in rebuild mode, the Rockets are looking to take the top picks they have now and draft top tier talent and use the picks towards the middle of the decade to acquire a star player.

If the Rockets found a way to trade Harden for a boatload of picks only to sign him back two years later would be considered one of the biggest robberies in NBA history.

Who would be the one getting robbed? LOL



This guy says pay him the super max. 22 9 and 8. 22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds? Not a super max player.

This idiot is saying pay him for what he once was, not what he will give you in the future. He says if Philly won't pay him someone else will. So do you want to lose him? Stephen A Smith says no one else will pay him that much.

Anyone who pays him after his playoff performance is an idiot. I just hope it's not the Pistons.