2023-24 NBA (Playoffs!) Thread: Message board poster furiously types out one more horrible post before thread closes (8 Viewers)

[Moe.]

Kevin Love will make it. The non-NBA stuff is really strong for him. Final Four, World Championship, and an Olympic gold medal

 

[the moops]

Derozan is way too low on that list. Guy is going to be a top 20 in points by the time his career is finished. He is currently at #44 and everyone above him is either already in the HOF or is currently playing and will be in (Lebron, Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Curry, CP3)

 

[Jayrod]

After further review, looking at Paul George's resume, it is pretty close to Lillard & Butler actually. I think his % is a little high, but PG13 is probably getting in.

I agree with @Moe. that Love is getting in as well.

Lowry and DeRozan fall under the Hall-of-very-good category and do not belong, IMO.

 

[Moe.]

Philly should just fire Morey, problem solved

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Morey has coddled him for years and years. Once that superstar shine is off, the cliff is steep and no one will want anything to do with you.

 

[bushdocda]

Nice normal Sixer off-season. How about that sweet team valuation, amirite?
#thisisfine

 

[thecatch]

Opting in and demanding a trade is new territory, right? In the NFL, once the Franchise player signs the 1-year tag, they don't hold out. If he doesn't report to camp, they will need to fine and suspend him like they did Simmons -- and there is no injury or mental health thing this time for NBAPA to rely on.

We are entering new territory on this one. If there were verbal promises and considerations made that aren't documented in a contract, who knows what that means.

They would mean nothing unless the parties had committed to some sort of illegal agreement under the CBA in which case the team might get punished.

 

[need2know]

Just want Harden off the team. Hes a loser. Get whatever you can and move on. If I ran the team I would figure out where he really didn't want to go and send him there by the end of the day.

 

[msudaisy26]

Hoop Central
@TheHoopCentral

REPORT: “(James Harden) no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans of taking part in training camp.”

Then he should not have opted into his contract.

Why? He took a team friendly pay cut last season. He should by any means necessary maintin any leverage he has in getting the team to square things up.

Signing a contract with intent to breach could be problematic. This isn’t a holdout at the end of a now non-market deal.

It's not like he isn't a known quantity. They knew what they were getting into when they extended him. They should have just gave him market value and nixed the player option if they didn't want the drama.

Daryl does not care about the drama. That sucks for a lot of other people on the ground, but I'm sure that Daryl is not worried about it. He looks at like what's the point of trading him for very little. There's no chance that it increases their championship equity. On the other hand, there is a slight slight chance that by waiting, he could increase the Sixers' championship equity. Same playbook as Ben Simmons.

That Ben Simmons thing didn't really workout that well.

Harden with his many faults is still better than Ben Simmons

It wasn't just Harden for Simmons, and they had other teams interested and could have gotten a better return than Harden if Morey didn't make ridiculous offers.

what return could they have gotten?

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

If Morey would have been reasonable he probably could have closed one of those deals and got a player or two or a picks, instead he had to settle for Harden and send out picks and players to get him in this mess.

Any of those deals would have been better because the 76ers would have had more flexibility in trading picks, more picks for ammo for a trade and not having a player holding you hostage with a 37ish million dollar cap hit that doesn't want to play for them and only wants to go to one place.

 

[Yo Mama]

Opting in and demanding a trade is new territory, right? In the NFL, once the Franchise player signs the 1-year tag, they don't hold out. If he doesn't report to camp, they will need to fine and suspend him like they did Simmons -- and there is no injury or mental health thing this time for NBAPA to rely on.

We are entering new territory on this one. If there were verbal promises and considerations made that aren't documented in a contract, who knows what that means.

They would mean nothing unless the parties had committed to some sort of illegal agreement under the CBA in which case the team might get punished.

This is where I think Harden’s only leverage comes from. If he comes out and claims there was an illegal deal in place, an investigation gets opened and the team can get punished.

 

[the moops]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Nice normal Sixer off-season. How about that sweet team valuation, amirite?
#thisisfine

#3BILLION

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Nice normal Sixer off-season. How about that sweet team valuation, amirite?
#thisisfine

#3BILLION

Hopefully the owner still cares about the Sixers and isn't distracted by his new NFL team in DC.

 

[need2know]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

agree. i dont believe a lot of those supposed simmons deals that were out there. he was such damaged goods. i remember being fairly happy at the time with the harden deal.
obv hate it right now though.

 

[bushdocda]

Harden not wearing one of those more flattering tee shirts while making his staged remarks about Morey.

No sources on this but he might be working out with Windhorst this off-season.

 

[the moops]

While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins.

Yes he did carry them to two wins. However, once up 3-2 he manged to put up 13 points in game 6, and then 9 points in game 7

 

[NewlyRetired]

John Ewing

@johnewing

@sixers odds to win NBA Championship at @BetMGM

+1600: Before Harden calls Morey a liar
+1600: After Harden calls Morey a liar

 

[mr. furley]

James Harden is already in prime physical form to tank every minute he is forced to play with the Sixers. He's been hitting up the buffet at the strip club a little too often.

where can i gamble on how many weeks in to the season before Embiid punches him in the face?

 

[Long Ball Larry]

While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins.

Yes he did carry them to two wins. However, once up 3-2 he manged to put up 13 points in game 6, and then 9 points in game 7

you don't say.

Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against.

 

[Deamon]

https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1691039343186456576?s=46&t=DrEX1lDDzDeyL_NUWRzeZA

James Harden: “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

 

[Major]

Thankful for Udoka being in Houston. If it wasn't for him putting his foot down, Fertitta would have signed Harden to a Max contract and f'd up the Rockets future for another 5-10 years.

 

[Desert_Power]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

I agree with the bold. These type of rumors that come out about trades are tough to evaluate given the variety of parties/agendas that could be leaking details.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Harden has now requested a trade from the Sixers, and in the event Harden is not traded and then refuses to report to camp, different rules would apply to him because he is in the final year of his contract, league sources told ESPN.

A separate clause in the CBA -- which existed in prior versions of the agreement -- holds that any player who "withholds playing services for more than 30 days after the start of the last season covered by his contract" could be deemed to have violated his contract and prohibited from entering free agency or signing with "any other professional basketball team unless and until the team with which the player last played expressly agrees otherwise."

The rule allows incumbent teams to block any player deemed in violation from entering free agency and signing elsewhere -- including with professional teams outside the NBA, league sources confirmed to ESPN.

 

[FatMax]

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

From the Kings side, thank God that didn't happen. Fox and Sabonis anchor a playoff team. Fox and Simmons would anchor (yet another) lottery team.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Harden has now requested a trade from the Sixers, and in the event Harden is not traded and then refuses to report to camp, different rules would apply to him because he is in the final year of his contract, league sources told ESPN.

A separate clause in the CBA -- which existed in prior versions of the agreement -- holds that any player who "withholds playing services for more than 30 days after the start of the last season covered by his contract" could be deemed to have violated his contract and prohibited from entering free agency or signing with "any other professional basketball team unless and until the team with which the player last played expressly agrees otherwise."

The rule allows incumbent teams to block any player deemed in violation from entering free agency and signing elsewhere -- including with professional teams outside the NBA, league sources confirmed to ESPN.

Allowing this to drag on for another year is about as bad as it could get. Playing hardball won’t get them anywhere.

 

[Capella]

It’s time we as a nation come together and have a serious discussion about how overrated Darryl Morey is. I don’t think one of his teams have ever even made a final. And he’s run two big market teams as well.

 

[FatMax]

It’s time we as a nation come together and have a serious discussion about how overrated Darryl Morey is. I don’t think one of his teams have ever even made a final. And he’s run two big market teams as well.

He's also a liar. Don't forget.

 

[msudaisy26]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

I agree with the bold. These type of rumors that come out about trades are tough to evaluate given the variety of parties/agendas that could be leaking details.

This is where I disagree. When things are leaked they might not be 100 percent accurate, but they are close.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Morey had a ridiculous price for Simmons and if he would have been realistic with Simmons he would have gotten a much better return than Harden and this debacle. What exactly would that return have been? We could argue that for years and none of us will ever know.

 

[Anarchy99]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

I agree with the bold. These type of rumors that come out about trades are tough to evaluate given the variety of parties/agendas that could be leaking details.

This is where I disagree. When things are leaked they might not be 100 percent accurate, but they are close.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Morey had a ridiculous price for Simmons and if he would have been realistic with Simmons he would have gotten a much better return than Harden and this debacle. What exactly would that return have been? We could argue that for years and none of us will ever know.

I thought the 76ers got more than I expected for Simmons. The deal was Harden and Paul Millsap (a 4-time all-star) for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two firsts. At that point, Simmons was considered toxic, so getting a former MVP and 3-time scoring champion and a multi-time all-star seemed like a good haul for an albatross contract attached to a player that no one wanted. Just curious, what possible trade do you think might have been available that trumped that one?

 

[thecatch]

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

From the Kings side, thank God that didn't happen. Fox and Sabonis anchor a playoff team. Fox and Simmons would anchor (yet another) lottery team.

I’m a little skeptical that was a real offer, based on my perception of McNair’s competence, but I guess you can’t rule anything out when Vivek runs the team.

 

[the moops]

4 time all star Paul Millsap!

 

[Anarchy99]

4 time all star Paul Millsap!

The point was, they got a former MVP that had led the league in scoring and was All NBA two years before and a guy that up until that season had still been a role player playing 20-25 minutes a game. I get it. Millsap was more salary filler than anything, old, and past his prime. Take him out of it . . . who would have PHI been able to get back for Simmons better than Harden?

 

[FatMax]

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

From the Kings side, thank God that didn't happen. Fox and Sabonis anchor a playoff team. Fox and Simmons would anchor (yet another) lottery team.

I’m a little skeptical that was a real offer, based on my perception of McNair’s competence, but I guess you can’t rule anything out when Vivek runs the team.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were real. This was pre-Mike Brown, and pre-Sabonis (obviously). It would have been a desperation move for a perennial 30-win team, but not unprecedented, even in Sacramento. Remember when Petrie traded Richmond for Weber? His history up to that point was a PIA malcontent. It was a risk/reward play that ended up working.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Simmons would have worked at all, but I think it could have happened.

 

[caustic]

Even with the Harden standoff now, the Simmons trade was a phenomenal piece of business for Philly. They traded two years and counting of dead, max-level money for a top 25 player. Morey seems to have handled the subsequent contract negotiations poorly, but I can't fault him for that trade whatsoever.

 

[Major]

It’s time we as a nation come together and have a serious discussion about how overrated Darryl Morey is. I don’t think one of his teams have ever even made a final. And he’s run two big market teams as well.

Early on in his GM tenure with Houston I thought he was great. Made something out of nothing and found a lot of undervalued players to make Houston competitive when they should've been lottery bound. Not sure if that was better long term but it kept them relevant. The trade for Harden w/ OKC really put him on the map but after that he seemed to rest on his laurels and bend the knee to Harden. The trades for CP3 and Westbrook were bad. I also think a lot of the teams caught up with his analytics so his value added was minimal. As for his time in Philly, he's been average at best. Definitely overrated at this point.

 

[the moops]

Even with the Harden standoff now, the Simmons trade was a phenomenal piece of business for Philly. They traded two years and counting of dead, max-level money for a top 25 player. Morey seems to have handled the subsequent contract negotiations poorly, but I can't fault him for that trade whatsoever.

It was a good move. But Millsap was garbage and just salary, and PHI had to give two first round picks.

 

[caustic]

Even with the Harden standoff now, the Simmons trade was a phenomenal piece of business for Philly. They traded two years and counting of dead, max-level money for a top 25 player. Morey seems to have handled the subsequent contract negotiations poorly, but I can't fault him for that trade whatsoever.

It was a good move. But Millsap was garbage and just salary, and PHI had to give two first round picks.

Oh I agree, Millsap doesn't move the needle whatsoever. With the benefit of hindsight, two future 1sts probably would've been a fair price to simply dump Simmons with zero return - so getting Harden back was excellent.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Declining skills in a non-Morey world gonna be a reality check for Harden. Morey has protected Harden to no end throughout his whole career.

Harden can still be a very good asset as a facilitator. But he's not going to get the leash he once did when he was a superstar. And why he better enjoy this $30-some million this season. He's now forced his way out of 3 separate franchises in the course of about 3 years and turns 34 in a few days.

 

[Insein]

Nice normal Sixer off-season. How about that sweet team valuation, amirite?
#thisisfine

It's all so tiresome

 

[bushdocda]

It’s a rarely seen lose-lose-lose scenario…
Harden loses in the playoffs.
Morey loses the asset.
I lose my mind.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Declining skills in a non-Morey world gonna be a reality check for Harden. Morey has protected Harden to no end throughout his whole career.

Harden can still be a very good asset as a facilitator. But he's not going to get the leash he once did when he was a superstar. And why he better enjoy this $30-some million this season. He's now forced his way out of 3 separate franchises in the course of about 3 years and turns 34 in a few days.

I mean, I figured 76ers would slightly over pay him for a year too long. But what was Harden promised or asking for that this all fell apart?

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Let's fire it up:

Lowry + filler
Some combo of Norm Powell + Batum + Mann plus obviously the RoCo (!!!) reunion a given

I just don't see a trade market for him looking around the league. Who wants to deal with a declining former superstar, that's forced his way out in 3 different spots in 3 years, and will want a new contract (potentially bitching about it during the season) for a season?

Given I don't see them getting anything at all in return, I think Morey firing may be the most likely.

 

[msudaisy26]

I can't even remember all the teams that were interested in Simmons that year. You had the Warriors, Kings, Blazers and more interested in Simmons and then Morey's ridiculous offers ended negotiations. He was asking for 2 or 3 players and 2 or 3 picks.

Haliburton was offered. That would have been a good get

I agree that if it is really true that Halliburton was offered, that would have been a better move, at least for the long-term.

It is hard to know what was actually offered and I think it is in the realm of possibility that the offers were pretty crappy considering the situation with Simmons. While Harden was far from a sure thing, it's also important to remember that the Sixers were actually up 3-2 in the 2nd round against the team that is probably the worst matchup for them in the Eastern Conference. And Harden carried them to 2 of those wins. Obviously he has his problems and if you want to say that it was predictable that he would fold when the stakes were the highest, it's hard to argue against. But I'm still not convinced that there was a move out there that would have been any better for last year. Even Halliburton, though clearly that would have been a better move overall.

I agree with the bold. These type of rumors that come out about trades are tough to evaluate given the variety of parties/agendas that could be leaking details.

This is where I disagree. When things are leaked they might not be 100 percent accurate, but they are close.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Morey had a ridiculous price for Simmons and if he would have been realistic with Simmons he would have gotten a much better return than Harden and this debacle. What exactly would that return have been? We could argue that for years and none of us will ever know.

I thought the 76ers got more than I expected for Simmons. The deal was Harden and Paul Millsap (a 4-time all-star) for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two firsts. At that point, Simmons was considered toxic, so getting a former MVP and 3-time scoring champion and a multi-time all-star seemed like a good haul for an albatross contract attached to a player that no one wanted. Just curious, what possible trade do you think might have been available that trumped that one?

The Kings and Haliburton for one. It went toxic because it took so long. That trade should have happened in July or August, but Morey demanded superstar return for Simmons and let this go into the regular season and the value kept dropping. Teams can find out a lot a situation in 6 months.

Everyone is using hindsight with Simmons. Now he is horrible, maybe the worst contract in sports. At the time he was an all star that got the yips and was scared to shoot. Teams wanted to take a chance to fix him, but Morey wanted teams to pay for the player he thought he could be, not the player he was.

If Morey would have been reasonable Harden wouldn't be a 76er and they would be in a much better situation than they are now.

Edit: not sure why you brought up Millsap and being an all star. He was washed and salary filler.

 

[Anarchy99]

Edit: not sure why you brought up Millsap and being an all star. He was washed and salary filler.

Yeah, I got my timelines messed up. I thought Milsap was younger than he was and still quasi-productive. He was a throw in to balance the salaries. I remembered him being an All Star . . . lost track of the years after that.

 

[msudaisy26]

I believe Morey is overrated as a GM and botched the Simmons deal badly, but I like what he is doing with Harden. He seen Harden is still a decent, but no where near a max player and he refuses to budge.

Harden was going to decline his option, but then he realized he didn't have the market to demand a max deal and tried to make the 76ers give him a max deal or trade him to someone that would next year for peanuts.

Harden is a declining asset and thinks he is still prime and deserves max money and will try to force his way out of any situation he doesn't like.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

It’s time we as a nation come together and have a serious discussion about how overrated Darryl Morey is. I don’t think one of his teams have ever even made a final. And he’s run two big market teams as well.

I think he is good at value, CBA, salary cap and analytics, but it does not seem like he has a great idea about how to build teams from a basketball perspective (or at least has basically 1 concept and cannot think much differently).

 

[modogg]

I believe Morey is overrated as a GM and botched the Simmons deal badly, but I like what he is doing with Harden. He seen Harden is still a decent, but no where near a max player and he refuses to budge.

Harden was going to decline his option, but then he realized he didn't have the market to demand a max deal and tried to make the 76ers give him a max deal or trade him to someone that would next year for peanuts.

Harden is a declining asset and thinks he is still prime and deserves max money and will try to force his way out of any situation he doesn't like.

have to disagree. Some super off-season reporting here, Harden is just hitting his stride....

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10085977-james-hardens-agent-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-76ers-pg-wins-mvp-amid-diet-training

for tldr, Harden's agent has said "he wouldn't be surprised if he was the MVP next year". Can't even believe the guy who wrote this article has a job

 

[scoobus]

Embiid should take the season off and get really fat too, I'd be entertained.

 

[trader jake]

I believe Morey is overrated as a GM and botched the Simmons deal badly, but I like what he is doing with Harden. He seen Harden is still a decent, but no where near a max player and he refuses to budge.

Harden was going to decline his option, but then he realized he didn't have the market to demand a max deal and tried to make the 76ers give him a max deal or trade him to someone that would next year for peanuts.

Harden is a declining asset and thinks he is still prime and deserves max money and will try to force his way out of any situation he doesn't like.

have to disagree. Some super off-season reporting here, Harden is just hitting his stride....

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10085977-james-hardens-agent-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-76ers-pg-wins-mvp-amid-diet-training

for tldr, Harden's agent has said "he wouldn't be surprised if he was the MVP next year". Can't even believe the guy who wrote this article has a job

You hang out with pigs, don't be surprised when you're covered in mud. Wait, that's not right.

You trade for James Harden, don't be surprised when you're covered in stripper glitter and called a liar. That's what my grandpa used to say.