this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023
1 points (100.0% liked)
NBA - Main
12 readers
1 users here now
Game analysis, highlights and everything else that is happening in the NBA.
founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Of all the young cores, OKC is the only one I’m confident is on a championship trajectory. They check off all the boxes - franchise player, young two-way supporting cast, good coach, ample draft capital.
Pacers and Hawks have defensive issues, Orlando has spacing issues, pelicans have health issues. Spurs have their superstar but they’ll need a few years to grow.
Cavs, kings, wolves, grizzlies - not confident that they have a championship ceiling with their current cores. Dallas is trending upwards but has work to do. These teams are all exciting but the unfortunate reality is that most of them will top out as decent playoff teams.
I couldn’t imagine looking at OKC’s core, then the wolves core, and thinking the wolves core of Ant, Jaden, KAT and Naz isn’t capable of winning championships but OKC who hasn’t even made it past the play in are? Care to elaborate on that logic?
The difference is the draft picks. The wolves team is more or less what it’ll be moving forward. (Maybe a little unfair, they have a couple trades they could make). The thunder may not even have their best player yet. They could trade a dragons hoard of picks for a superstar in the next couple years. So right now? Yeah I’d take they wolves in a 7 game series but the thunder have the potential to boat race the league in the next few years.
Doesn’t work like that. Only so much salary to go around. Wolves traded all those picks but unless the new owners are willing to shell out a ton in luxury tax they’ll have to go. The new CBA prevents what you’re saying.
OKC can do the same thing but let’s not pretend whoever they get with those picks and their current core can stay together. Chet and SGA will demand super maxes
It restricts things like signing mle for teams who are over the luxury tax, but it doesn't restrict drafting, which is where the thunders picks come in. Teams over the tax can also make trades as long as they take less salary in then what they send out. So the thunders could still do a sign and trade for example.