The markets and NBA teams are both driven by fear and greed.
Four teams have been competing to be the best in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers are likely to be the teams that define this season because they are greedy to get ahead and afraid to fall behind.
It’s great to win. But what keeps GMs up at night is seeing their window close, and their team fall back to the pack of mediocrity or worse.
One general manager in the Eastern Conference told NBA Online Betting PH, “If you have a chance to win now, try to win now.” “You have no idea what will happen in two or three years.” People and players need more patience and attention spans. The tax and cap are harsh and make it harder to stay together. All of that is shorter.
“You end up by nature with shorter windows,” he stated. “So you need to make the most of it. Case in point: If you’re Philadelphia, you must get something good in exchange for James Harden. Now Daryl Morey has to win.”
Part of that is that the break has changed the plot. When Damian Lillard moved to Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday was sent to Boston, those teams were far ahead of Miami and Philadelphia. However, Miami and Philadelphia may now be on the wrong path.
Since LeBron James left the East five years ago, the Big Four teams have been fighting over who is the most powerful.
The Miami media’s crazy anger over the Heat not getting Lillard is the best example of how jealous people are of what the Bucks and Celtics did. And the real worry in both Philadelphia and Miami is that falling too far behind can have significant effects.
One person in the NBA’s front office told NBA Online Betting PH, “I think it’s over for Philadelphia.” “That fear should be there.” I don’t believe in Miami either. I believe they are now cooked. But I don’t think they’re afraid of that because I don’t believe they’re being honest about who they are.
Miami disagrees with that opinion, even though they missed out on Lillard and saw players like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent leave after a magical run to the NBA Finals.
On the other hand, the Heat feel like they’re always underrated and that they are in a great situation to switch from the long regular season to the short, intense postseason. As you can see, they got into the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and beat the No. 1 Bucks and No. 2 Celtics on their way to the Finals.
Josh Richardson was added, Duncan Robinson will be leaned on more, and the Heat like Jaime Jaquez, who they picked in the first draft round. Their names aren’t hot, but Vincent and Strus aren’t desirable.
The Heat will also say that they have been to and won two of the last four conference championships. This is a better record since LeBron left Los Angeles than Boston (three conference finals in five years, winning one) and Milwaukee (three of the last five, making it to the finals three times, but winning it when they came out of the East in 2021).
The Philadelphia 76ers are also in this mix, even though they have yet to make it to the conference playoffs in that time. The Sixers organization is worried. Does Joel Embiid want to stay happy? Does Nick Nurse have the time and resources to lead Philadelphia to a deep playoff run? Will Harden pan out, or will Philly be able to find a buyer willing to pay that much?
The Celtics and Bucks have locked up their spots at the top of the East’s standings. Many people think they could fall out of that group if Miami or Philadelphia have bad seasons.
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Sources tell NBA Online Betting P.H. that the Heat have yet to talk about trading for Harden seriously and that they don’t think he will come to Miami. It’s possible, but it could be moreliar.
As other people have said, the Los Angeles Clippers are the only known possible buyer who might be ready to pay the high price that Morey of the Sixers says will be needed.
Sources say that Philly and L.A. still need to be closer to a deal.
Harden steps in. He has planned to make things so bad for the Sixers that they must move him quickly, no matter what. But a different general manager said that Morey can also play that game: “You’re talking about two of the grand masters of being uncomfortable.” “And Joe Cronin was in a different world than Daryl.” Now is the time for him to win. Now, he needs something in return that prevails.”
Which team are you rooting for? Who gets the East?
A different G.M. said, “They’re both threats.” They both got better and worse at other times. Yes, they’re much better at taking the ball. On defense, though, they stepped back. First, we need to see how it goes.
A front-office worker who was scouting said, “I think Boston has the edge right now.” Milwaukee’s party was rained out by getting Jrue. “They didn’t have much time to enjoy that moment.”
A long-time player: “I like Milwaukee.” They have a significant edge, especially when it comes to size. It might be necessary for Boston to lose Robert Williams. Ultimately, they might make a move, but I like the Bucks for now.
Vegas: It’s pretty much even.
This author says, “Give me the Bucks as the slight favorites.”
What I think about the Wild West, Dallas’s season, and LeBron
Remember the Western Conference. One team executive said that at least nine teams in that conference hope to make the playoffs this season. Someone has to miss out. “At first glance, Dallas, Sacramento, or Minnesota are fighting to stay out of the playoffs. That’s before you take into account injuries or surprises.” That doesn’t even consider Oklahoma City, Portland, or New Orleans.
Another person said, “I think it’s more likely that they miss the playoffs than make it to the conference finals.” They make the playoffs but lose in the first round of games.
How many guys in this league make a team a contender just by being on the field? Not a lot. Some people no longer like LeBron James either. “Joker is number one, Steph is number two, and Giannis is number three.” Then there is a space. Four Lukas. Five K.D. Then, another gap and Embiid was on top of it.
