2019-20 Raptors and General NBA Thread

[jayswin]

Plus these are basically a lazy play on Drake's jersey from a few years ago. Obvious with one glance.

[octothorp]

Have I ever told you guys my NBA jersey idea?

So you're probably familiar with the idea of a 'Championship Belt' in sports. It's the idea that the team that last won the championship (the Lakers, currently), starts the season with an imaginary Championship Belt, and whoever defeats them first is the current holder of the belt, and then whoever beats that team hold it, etc. Totally non-official, just something that gets tracked on online fan communities.

I think the NBA should lean into that and link it to jerseys. Have each team design and manufacture a top-secret 'Belt Jersey', which they can only reveal, wear, and sell online during the time that they hold the Belt. And they're allowed to do pretty-much whatever they want with it, design-wise.

I think it would be a really fun addition to the regular season, even for people who don't normally care about jerseys. A random team wearing a weird jersey for three weeks straight because they picked up the belt and then went on a hot streak? That's way more memorable than the sort of routine hot streaks that most teams get at some point in the season, and it creates more league-wide interest which is something that the league suffers from a lack of during the regular season.

[Harry Lime]

That's interesting. Say the Lakers lose the 'belt' to an Eastern team, then the local media can track the path to the Lakers having a shot at regaining the belt farther down the road. They could have to wait weeks or longer, and then some random game becomes a big deal in the middle of the season.

It would make even more sense right now, because if hockey and basketball have to go the route of mini-series (three game sets) with each team (a great idea anyway), the winner of a three game set wins the belt, making it easier for a champion to retain, instead of losing it in a freak game.

[devo22]

Pistons are signing LiAngelo Ball.

the limelights of New Orleans, Charlotte and Detroit ... just like LaVar drew it up

[KootenayFlamesFan]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1334300248743813125

[Strange Brew]

See you Russ. Honestly I enjoyed watching him play this year, the guy is amazingly athletic and frantic and made for great entertainment. But time to try something else. When healthy Wall is an elite talent so let’s see.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1334519365820174337

[devo22]

bit of a weird one. Don't really see the fit for Westbrook next to Beal, that might just be the next backcourt that gets frustrated because they have to share the ball with each other. Walls health is a huge question mark (and that might be an understatement) and given that he has always relied on speed, it'll be interesting to see how the Achilles injury has affected his game. Also speaks volumes about Westbrooks trade value that all they got back is a player with a longterm injury and a terrible contract (and a 1st in a few years, but oh well).

don't know, just feels a bit lose/lose to me. Maybe they'll thrive in their new environments, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if this helped neither team.

[devo22]

Raps know what they're doing

https://twitter.com/user/status/1336906006945820673

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Have I ever told you guys my NBA jersey idea?

So you're probably familiar with the idea of a 'Championship Belt' in sports. It's the idea that the team that last won the championship (the Lakers, currently), starts the season with an imaginary Championship Belt, and whoever defeats them first is the current holder of the belt, and then whoever beats that team hold it, etc. Totally non-official, just something that gets tracked on online fan communities.

I think the NBA should lean into that and link it to jerseys. Have each team design and manufacture a top-secret 'Belt Jersey', which they can only reveal, wear, and sell online during the time that they hold the Belt. And they're allowed to do pretty-much whatever they want with it, design-wise.

I think it would be a really fun addition to the regular season, even for people who don't normally care about jerseys. A random team wearing a weird jersey for three weeks straight because they picked up the belt and then went on a hot streak? That's way more memorable than the sort of routine hot streaks that most teams get at some point in the season, and it creates more league-wide interest which is something that the league suffers from a lack of during the regular season.

This is an absolutely fantastic idea. Works for any sport but I really like it for the NBA because top teams can really rack up the wins. The idea is cooler the longer a team holds it.

If this is your original idea you need to protect that IP somehow. Cuz it’s good.

[devo22]

Giannis has re-signed in Milwaukee.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1338912697656741889

[bluejays]

Well, there’s a kick in the gonads. I’m sure there are a few contingencies in place with Masai and Company, knowing this was a possibility, but looking at this off seasons moves I think they were really planning for the possibility of him coming here.

[Senator Clay Davis]

They shouldn't have much trouble nuking this roster for a rebuild. They have a lot of guys who can generate quality assets in return. Time to try and accumulate 20 first round picks so we can tell the Thunder and Pelicans to #### off.

[The Big Chill]

Damn, that sucks. Not sure if that Bucks team will be good enough to win it all.

[Da_Chief]

Well that sucks but it might be a blessing in disguise, I think this may keep Masai with the Raptors. He likes a challenge and if he got the Greek then the Raptors likely would've won again in next 2-3 years. This way he might stick around to get another ring before he moves on to bigger things.

There are a lot of assets but I don't see them tearing up this thing. Kyle,FVV, OG, Pascal will keep them competitive.

Lets see if they can snag Oladipo out of Indy or someone similar. Maybe Gobert out of Utah, after his covid screwup. Beal? Get the Toronto kid SGA.

[edslunch]

Now we need to wait and see if the Clippers implode.

[octothorp]

As much as I would have loved Giannis coming to Toronto, staying with Milwaukee is the (distant) next best thing. I would have hated seeing him go to another contender like Miami or Dallas. Don't mind seeing a small market team keep their stars and succeed.

Could see a Lowry trade mid-season, if there's a contender who's looking for leadership (and assuming Raptors aren't a contender themselves).

Great thing about the Raptors' roster is that it's pretty flexible and so if there's an opportunity to get good player at any position, Raptors could easily adjust the roster around him.

[bluejays]

Some rumors out that the Raps and Celtics are the leading contenders in acquiring James Harden. The centrepiece on the Raps going back would be Siakam. I absolutely wouldn't oppose dealing Siakam after that mentally weak playoff last season, which said a lot to me, but I absolutely can't stand Harden's selfish play. The rumor of the Raps getting him is puzzling considering how they set up their culture to be team first. Harden would want out after a year or so anyway, with even less value when he pulls his antics again. I hope it's not true.

[The Big Chill]

It also says Jaylen Brown would be the piece to move from Boston. I can’t see either team giving that up for Harden. That sounds more like an ask from Houston then an offer. I’d rather have Brown or Siakam then Harden.

[JTech780]

If you want to sell merchandise or sell tickets then you trade for James Harden, if you want to win you stay far away from James Harden. IMO you have a far better chance of winning with Siakam than you do with Harden.