Will the NFL quit giving No-Trade Clauses out (Not a Watson thread)

[SizzleBuzz]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Honestly, if I'm a player I'm ALWAYS going to hit the open market before resigning with my current team, even if resigning with my current team is ultimately my goal.

Whiny Aaron didn't do so...

[SCO96]

10 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Parity is necessary for my interest. If you go into a season with only a small handful of teams having a legit chance what's the point?

This is exactly how I feel about NCAA football. Every season you know Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, ND (although that could change with the Kelly departure) and one or two others will be in the top 8; four of those teams will make the playoff. Those teams may still dominate an expanded playoff, but the season would be much more exciting if a few more teams were given a shot at competing for the NCAA title.

[LinvilleGorge]

2 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

This is exactly how I feel about NCAA football. Every season you know Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, ND (although that could change with the Kelly departure) and one or two others will be in the top 8; four of those teams will make the playoff. Those teams may still dominate an expanded playoff, but the season would be much more exciting if a few more teams were given a shot at competing for the NCAA title.

I think 8 is the perfect number. It doesn't matter how many teams you have, you'll have people screaming about getting snubbed. Hell, you have people screaming about getting snubbed out of a 68 team field in the basketball tournament. I'm sorry, if you're on the bubble of a 68 team field you have zero shot anyway. Shut up.

[Toker Smurf]

It's a bargaining chip. The teams don't have to give it.

[SCO96]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I think 8 is the perfect number

Agreed. That amounts to one more week of games (1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5). Then, you're down to the final 4, and then the final 2.

[Mage]

10 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I don't blame the players for utilizing their leverage but I will say that the "super team" era that it spawned in the NBA pretty quickly led to me just tuning the NBA out. I was an avid NBA fan growing up and I bet I haven't watched a full NBA game in at least a decade

 

Honestly the NBA is pretty damn amazing right now, and I say this as someone who didn't care as much for it 5 years ago.  But you should get back into it.  So many amazing young players and really super teams aren't that much of a thing.  Suns/Bucks was the finals last year and this year there's a bunch of teams I could see making the finals.

I don't want to say super teams aren't really a thing anymore... but they haven't been lately.  I mean you had the Nets with KD/Irivng/Harden and look how that worked out.  The best team in the NBA very well might be the Suns and they built their team through the draft outside of Chris Paul, who isn't even playing right now.  You got the Bucks who drafted Giannis and made smart signings to build around him.  Bulls did sign Lonzo and DeMar, but neither of those are super-team level talents (although DeRozan has been insane this year) and Lavine was already on the team.  Lot of other really strong, fun teams to watch too like the Grizz, Mavs, Celtics, Cavs, and Jazz... all homegrown teams with budding young stars. Hell then you have the Pelicans if Zion can get healthy, Zion/Ingram/McCollum would be filthy.  And Nuggets, another homegrown team, has a top-3 player in the NBA (Jokic) and Jamal Murray will return someday.  

If Kawhi and PG get healthy for the postseason, then the Clippers are nasty too... but to be fair they might fit under your Super Team criteria, but they are still very beatable.  Even if not, they have incredible depth.

Basically I don't think there has been a better time to get back into the NBA.  This isn't like 5 years ago where you could pencil in a Cavs/Warriors finals, or when you just knew the Heat would make it to the finals.  There's a bunch of parity currently.  Hell even now with the Sixers with Embiid and Harden, I don't think they are invincible.  Their reliance on free-throw shooting is going to bite them in the ass in the playoffs.  I think the Heat or Bucks could beat them.  Nets/Sixers would be interesting depending on Kyrie. 

Honestly the Panthers are still my favorite sports team but I actually think the NBA is more entertaining currently than the NFL.  And that is something I never thought I would say.  I still love the NFL though, maybe if the Panthers didn't suck I could enjoy it more.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Mage

[LinvilleGorge]

8 minutes ago, Mage said:

Honestly the NBA is pretty damn amazing right now, and I say this as someone who didn't care as much for it 5 years ago.  But you should get back into it.  So many amazing young players and really super teams aren't that much of a thing.  Suns/Bucks was the finals last year and this year there's a bunch of teams I could see making the finals.

I don't want to say super teams aren't really a thing anymore... but they haven't been lately.  I mean you had the Nets with KD/Irivng/Harden and look how that worked out.  The best team in the NBA very well might be the Suns and they built their team through the draft outside of Chris Paul, who isn't even playing right now.  You got the Bucks who drafted Giannis and made smart signings to build around him.  Bulls did sign Lonzo and DeMar, but neither of those are super-team level talents (although DeRozan has been insane this year) and Lavine was already on the team.  Lot of other really strong, fun teams to watch too like the Grizz, Mavs, Celtics, Cavs, and Jazz... all homegrown teams with budding young stars. Hell then you have the Pelicans if Zion can get healthy, Zion/Ingram/McCollum would be filthy.  And Nuggets, another homegrown team, has a top-3 player in the NBA (Jokic) and Jamal Murray will return someday.  

If Kawhi and PG get healthy for the postseason, then the Clippers are nasty too... but to be fair they might fit under your Super Team criteria, but they are still very beatable.  Even if not, they have incredible depth.

Basically I don't think there has been a better time to get back into the NBA.  This isn't like 5 years ago where you could pencil in a Cavs/Warriors finals, or when you just knew the Heat would make it to the finals.  There's a bunch of parity currently.  Hell even now with the Sixers with Embiid and Harden, I don't think they are invincible.  Their reliance on free-throw shooting is going to bite them in the ass in the playoffs.  I think the Heat or Bucks could beat them.  Nets/Sixers would be interesting depending on Kyrie. 

Honestly the Panthers are still my favorite sports team but I actually think the NBA is more entertaining currently than the NFL.  And that is something I never thought I would say.  I still love the NFL though, maybe if the Panthers didn't suck I could enjoy it more.

Nah. I'm souring on basketball overall. The game has just been ruined by soccerization IMO with the comical flopping everywhere. Minimal defense. Just jacking threes.

Basketball was hands down my favorite sport growing up, both in terms of playing and watching and now if the Heels aren't playing I'm not watching and I used to be religious about watching UNC. I probably miss a third of the games these days and half of those I honestly just forgot to watch. 

[Mage]

4 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Nah. I'm souring on basketball overall. The game has just been ruined by soccerization IMO with the comical flopping everywhere. Minimal defense. Just jacking threes.

Fair enough.  I can't speak on college basketball because that has never been a huge interest of mine, but I think the NBA has gotten somewhat better in this regard.  Free throws are at an all-time low (although Harden/Embiid are going to get a ton of calls in Philly) and the new rule implemented last offseason has done a fantastic job at limiting how frequently guys can foul-bait on jump-shots like Harden and others would constantly do.  The 3-ball is still a big part of the game, but there's plenty of teams and players who have beautiful mid-range and inside games. DeRozan has been All-NBA caliber this season and his game is almost all mid-range offensively.  Arguably the top 2 MVP candidates are centers in Jokic and Embiid.  Durant is also someone who can shoot the 3-ball efficiently but his bread-and-butter is mid-range and overall just being a sniper. 

Obviously though if you simply don't enjoy basketball anymore I won't be changing your mind lol but I do think this is the best the league has been in a very long time.  Lot of different styles and lot of different way championship contenders have been built, I find it to be the perfect mixture.