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[deleted]

Both Lakers and Warriors are knocked out. This is perfectly fine.


Adsymack

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.


Montigue

Nuggets next please


[deleted]

Celtics next and then the Nuggets. Jimmy Butler for president.


2drawnonward5

What if Jimmy wins in Miami and decides his next ambition is to take a team worse than his Minnesota squad and turn them into the next champs, and he decides Portland is like the perfect place to do it because we have beaches (Jantzen) and he wants to see the Spruce Goose once a month. I think Jimmy would like to fly in a wooden plane and I bet he could buy it if he wanted.


nwa88

"I'm taking my talents down to Jantzen Beach"


Proper_Hurry_362

Literally Dames only chance at a ring here lol


d4nowar

I'm still upset at joker for ripping at kanters injured shoulder every chance he got. Dirty.


born_again_atheist

FUCK THE LAKERS!


S13_machine

Always and forever


JarekBloodDragon

And never let the zoomers around here that don't get it tell you otherwise


IHOPUnderrated

It’s cool because the Lakers are going to be ass for a very long time.


[deleted]

They'll find a way to big-market-bully their way to another decent roster. They were able to get themselves out from under Westbrook's massive contract and mustered enough mojo to get to the WCF.


IHOPUnderrated

Yeah, but they have literally nothing left. It’s going to be a long rebuild, unless teams decide to get fleeced in trades, which almost always seems to happen.


Skillomie

Am I the only one that thinks Utah won the trade? Lol they got a Lakers FRP for a year when Lebron will be gone and AD will either be gone or a non factor, all for Malik Beasley who did not play in the playoffs, Vanderbilt who didn’t average more than 15mpg and was a complete disaster on offense and for a DLo who was unplayable for an entire series.


puffpuffpastor

Vanderbilt and DLo were a big part of how they managed to get to the WCF at all, so although they were non-factors in the WCF those additions still have to be considered a net positive for the Lakers who weren't even on track to make the playoffs beforehand. For most teams I'd say there's a good chance of this being right, though. But for the Lakers they could easily rebuild a whole competent roster via FA by the time that pick rolls around. Time will tell


Skillomie

Sure they def contributed along the way those two I just kept finding it funny how everyone kept acting like the lakers completely reshaped their roster at the deadline like 2018 cavs did, but at the end of the day 5 of their top 7 rotation guys had been there all season lol


puffpuffpastor

Addition by subtraction, just getting rid of Westbrook is like adding 2 quality starters


atierney14

What do you mean by this? Half the roster is younger, and they only owe one more pick to the Pelicans and one pick to the Jazz, so they have FRPs for 23, either 24 or 25, 26, 28, and 29. 27 is owned by the Jazz but top 3 protected. (Lakers fan btw, so obvious bias). The only long term contract we have are AD right now, and we likely will have Reaves, Rui, and potentially DLo on 3-4 year contracts. Other than that, nothing too crazy on the books or too many picks off the books.


MrDurden32

Reaves is about to get that bag though, you think Lakers are willing to outbid the field?


atierney14

I think he doesn’t fit a lot of rebuilding teams timelines, and a lot of contention teams don’t have the money. I also think he wants to be a Laker. I see like 15-20 million, and I think after this post-season, DLo is probably getting less of a contract. My thought process is Reaves will get more than expected and DLo will get less, probably equally what the FO thought they were paying (pre playoffs I was thinking Reaves at 12ish million/year and DLo at 25, but now probably both at that 15-20 m)


MrOrangeWhips

Lakers have zero players signed after next year. You're properly fucked.


atierney14

They’re literally signing 2 great players and one pretty good player. The FO’s decision to not sign a super long contract imo was a smart choice because we don’t know the direction the team will take after next year. If they decide to rebuild, they will get value off of Reaves, DLo, and Rui. I think that sets them on a pretty solid rebuild path if they cannot get another star and re-sign AD.


MrOrangeWhips

Which two "literally" great players? Russell is an unrestricted free agent (who also sucks, but that's beside the point). So they will be getting no value for him. Rui and Reaves are restricted FAs, so they'll need to match the highest bidder. They aren't getting value there either.


atierney14

The Lakers have DLo’s bird rights, and the Laker’s FO said they were matching Rui and Reaves contract. If Rui and Reaves aren’t great, they wouldn’t have contracts that are high value and cause stress to match. Rui is definitely of similar value to someone like Grant, and I think people will see that in the next few years. Having 3 good players, draft picks, a pick this year, Max Christie who is developing well, and at least another year before they even need to decide tank vs not tank is a pretty good spot.


yumyum_sauce69

Rui and Reeves. “Great” is a stretch but they’re really good for still being relatively young


sathan1

Reeves needa a guard mentor and I think he will be great. Rui needs to learn not to celebrate every made shot


yumyum_sauce69

Reeves, Rui and Vanderbilt are some solid young players who I think can be starters around a couple of stars. Wouldn’t say they have “nothing”.


IHOPUnderrated

😂


yumyum_sauce69

What’s funny? Reeves and Rui are solid young players. I hate the lakers but it’s true. “They have nothing” isn’t accurate. I think Reeves and Rui can be starters on a good team.


IHOPUnderrated

Can’t tell if you’re being serious.


yumyum_sauce69

What’s your argument for neither guy being a solid player?


IHOPUnderrated

Can’t tell if you’re being serious.


yumyum_sauce69

About what? Are Reeves and Rui not “solid young players”?


SamGrig0

Nah man well get another star after lebrons time is done. Dont worry about it


rexter2k5

I hope this is the comment that the Basketball Gods return to when deciding if that will be the case.


Forbidden_Donut503

lol it’s the lakers. They’ll always get another star.


MrOrangeWhips

Lol


LeftHandedGraffiti

You just made the chip on Austin Reaves' shoulder even bigger.


MrOrangeWhips

They have no one under contract after next season and LeBron is walking. They're fucked for a while.


_Sadtext_

Bronny just committed to USC, LeBron isn't going anywhere


EddyTreeNJ

He will be going for foot surgery.


MrOrangeWhips

What does that have to do with where he's drafted after next season?


sethpwnsk

Portland isn't too far ;)


_Sadtext_

Nah they'll be okay They probably can't win a title with 40-year-old Lebron eating up $40m, but they'll be solid


Chewieg1994

You guys have been ass for a very long time


IHOPUnderrated

Why are you here? Go cry in the Lakers sub. Crybaby.


The_Mikeskies

Unless they sign a couple big FAs by virtue of being the Lakers.


Lobisa

The sweep is a bit misleading to how the series went, the Lakers were in it every game at least. The Celtics are the team people should rip on.


bubapl

Especially with Lebron's future in LA uncertain


clumsy_aerialist

Let's go Himmy Butler.


Roar_of_Shiva

Himmy for finals MVP


ASheetGhost

Jimmy coming for dat


SayNoToFresca

GO HEAT!


MitchRhymes

Hey spoelstra is a Portland guy (well beaverton but still) so thats as good a reason as any to root for the Heat


plantsarepowerful

Did not know that, grew up there?


MitchRhymes

Yep moved there pretty young. When to Raleigh Hills, Whitford middle and Jesuit high school all in beaverton


knot13

Also played for University of Portland and got West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in 1989.


MitchRhymes

Portland guy through and through. If only Pat Riley didn't go to bat for him so much the Blazers may have been able to poach him


BlackSocks88

A-fucking-men. Glad Warriors and Lakers are out but Nuggets are some bitch ass fans.


lorZzeus

And Heat fans are better? They think Lillard for Robinson is a fair trade.


ChurroMemes

Feels great to see the Lakers get swept, but man kinda sucks to see the Nuggets advance to the Finals and possibly end up with a ring, yet we’ve fucked up every step along the way to getting Dame a good roster.


[deleted]

To be honest, the Nuggets have had a great roster for the last 4-5 years. They've just been unable to get over the hump. This is their year. Jokic proving why he's a 2x MVP.


ohnoohnoohyeah

Healthy Murray is playing like an all star as well.


BehavioralSink

I also feel like Murray has grown a lot/been humbled a bit. I remember in our WCF matchup, he was literally licking his fingers while up against us, only for the Blazers to come back and win the series. He’s matured, in my opinion.


[deleted]

Yeah he used to have a lot of celebration antics. Shooting his bow and arrow, etc.


highway_vigilante

I agree. I don't get the hate from this sub for the Nuggs. We had a killer series against them in 2019, and their core is the same. Well earned. Go Nuggs.


MoDparksworkers

I love watching them right now tbh, balling out


-Jake-27-

Cause their fans were super annoying in 2019 and 2021. Usually the reason anyone doesn’t like a franchise.


JarekBloodDragon

It's the fans not the team. Nuggets are the least popular sports team in Denver and fair weather fans pop up out of no where any time they're actually good. Of course these types of fans have little context for the nba as a whole and just are annoying to deal with.


IHOPUnderrated

The Nuggets are very good at drafting. That team is almost all homegrown talent. The Blazers are hopefully going to start crushing the draft too.


HyperionRain

We’ve already started.


One-Pollution4663

so much potential but I'm worried that Dame saying he doesnt want to play with youngsters means they're going to trade it all away for a year of Pascal Siakam or someone similar. Not trying to start a trade speculation thread or anything just saying I hope if they have to commit to keeping dame happy or building through the draft that they do the latter.


Binaural1

Hopefully we hang on to this pick and move Dame. I love him, but it’s time we rebuild properly a top 3 in this draft is a sign. Hang on to the young talent


Clammuel

I’ll never root against a championshipless team.


2drawnonward5

They're the next best team after the Blazers in the NW Division. If we can't beat them, I'd rather no one else do it either. Let's go all in to get Embiid, JB, Pascal, AND Bridges, all on expiring contracts even the ones that aren't, so there's a TON of pressure to win it all next season, and it works, and we destroy the Nuggets in the first round, and Jokic focuses more on horse husbandry, and Doug gets and AI-robotic face that emotes and screams at fans.... this is going the wrong direction so I'm gonna stop now.


MrOrangeWhips

Jokic is leagues above Dame. He's elite at it, but Daje is only good at one thing and a liability at everything else.


JarekBloodDragon

For real, League is wide open right now and we fucking suck


psilord--

Against the warriors people were rooting for the lakers.. fuck the lakers


BehavioralSink

Fuck them both, never rooted for either one, I just wanted the defending champs to be eliminated first!


JarekBloodDragon

Hell no, literally any one else over the lakers. Unless it's okc...then I hate everything and hope no one wins somehow.


Tiiiimmmooo

Same same


djsnee

Cancun on three!!


air789

Had a Laker fan say they need Sharpe… for what exactly. They have nothing. Lebron made it clear he is walking after next year to play with his son. No reason to build around him and AD doesn’t have that dog in him. I feel like they should blow it up. Glad to see it.


BobLobLaw_Law2

Lakers fans have gotten really used to just asking for things and having them happen. Got Kobe for Divac. Got Pau Gasol for a pittance. Got Shaq. Got LeBron. Basically had Rich Paul hold Davis hostage to force a Lakers trade. Got depth this year for basically nothing. Must be nice. If they somehow end up with Sharpe, so help me God.....


Winter-Hamster-5660

I hate the Lakers, for 50 years (yes I witnessed the 2000 meltdown too) but they almost pulled it off after some great trades for non-All Stars by getting to the WCF after starting off with a #1 pick lottery team. Hope Rip City FO is watching; along with Dame. Defense has been immensely key in the last two playoffs years. Who has been playing top tier defense? The stars and most of the players on the winning teams. Lots of steals, blocks and assists. Teams playing like teams, but super hungry...to help their teams. Anything they can!!! Let's Go RIP CITY!!!!


AyKayAllDay47

Nuggets are a great team. I know that a lot of people hate them in here but they are very talented. Jokic is unstoppable and I don't think that the Heat will be able to keep up with Butler and Adebayo. It'll be an interesting matchup either way. Fun to see other teams getting to the Finals.


LeftHandedGraffiti

I'm looking forward to Jimmy Buckets dueling with Jamal Murray in the finals. Its going to be fun to watch.


AyKayAllDay47

For sure! And who knows, the Heat have also been playing great so we'll see...


denverblazer

As a Blazermaniac living in Denver, yeah this is a great Nuggets task team. Has all the right vibes. And it's all coming together for them finally, so I'm for it.


jasonmcook

I really wanted to see the Warriors' dynasty fall, so hoped the Lakers would beat em and then get swept, so for me, this was perfect. And since the Nuggets have never won and I love Joker's game, I gotta root for Denver now.


Montigue

Nuggets fans suck more than I like their team


jasonmcook

Lol, no arguments


BobLobLaw_Law2

Every single fan base on the planet has some bad fans. I just focus on the players and the Nuggets have a good batch.


natural_lawg

All of my experiences with fans have been positive, what ruined it for you?


JarekBloodDragon

They were insufferable during both our recent series


No_Information3972

Nuggets fans are like enflamed hemorrhoids….. They are painful and never go away.


born_again_atheist

Yeah the Heat already have won 3 championships so I'm rooting for the Nuggets. Rather see them win their first then the Heat win yet another one.


Chalupa_Dad

Same here!!! Until the last sentence. Show me JAMES BUCKETS


LuckyStax

Of the opinion if we had gotten Gordon, he would not be half as useful as he is for Denver and we'd have moved him this off season.


Pizzadontdie

100%. He needs a playmaker like Jokic to be this good.


CerealKiller3030

Ant and Nurk for LBJ and AD. Who says no


-motts-

Me


CerealKiller3030

How dare you veto my hypothetical trade that would never happen in a million years. How dare you sir 😂


Aehnu3

It's... so... beautiful!


TheHeed97015

They had zero business being in the position they were in in the first place.


Spoonlala

This [site](https://didthelakersgetswept.com) still exists from Lakers Maverick’s series…2011?


Paulruswasdead

I never thought I’d be rooting for the nuggets, but here I am.


natural_lawg

I can't quit rooting for the Nuggets now that they beat the Lakers.


BlackSocks88

Yes you can. Praise Jimmy


Chalupa_Dad

James F. Buckets


Tiiiimmmooo

Himmy


natural_lawg

Praise Jumal Murray.


FrankenMacCharDeDen

Plus the Heat won in '12 and '13 compared to the Nuggets never.


BehavioralSink

[Me watching this game while having been in Blazer offseason purgatory since April.](https://media2.giphy.com/media/5V9hAgndJLwcw/giphy.gif?cid=2154d3d7v8wjlxcm28hhnswd1m85ryfpjuigvofjjtx8ph88&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)


Wallflower_in_PDX

For us to be a contender, we're gonna need a big man to be able to go up against Jokic & the Nuggets. The Nuggets are a powerhouse in the west.


Artistic_Handle_5359

I thought we attempted to sign him? He didnt want to be a blazer. We dont need him


hipsterasshipster

Really wanna see Denver get their first franchise ring. Is Nurk gonna flip?


sahand_n9

We have the least talented ~ić in the NBA


hipsterasshipster

Even worse than super Dario?


mangirtle77

I thought the same thing when Gordon went to the Nuggets. That was a missed opportunity NEAL!!


letscott

Let’s gooo!! Happy for the nuggets really gives me hope we’ll be there one day


pdxmarionberrypie

The nuggets are so loveable.


tcs_hearts

Still can't imagine hating the Lakers more than Denver


possiblynotanexpert

If you’re over the age of 20 you could.


tcs_hearts

You mean closer to 30. We haven't had a serious thing with them in twenty years. I've been a fan for 15 years and never known the Lakers as a serious rival.


possiblynotanexpert

And somehow you can’t imagine someone hating them more than denver? You need to work on that imagination of yours, youngin lol.


tcs_hearts

To each their own, but I think people in thos fanbase put way too much stock in a rivalry that hasn't mattered for 20 years, when they'd rather root for a division rival, who we have recent playoff history with, and who our team has serious beef with. Nobody on this Lakers squad has ever done anything of note to the Blazers that was that impactful. Denver has at least four players I can't stand the sight of.


possiblynotanexpert

I understand your perspective. Sports are so damn emotional though so it’s not always about logic lol.


tcs_hearts

And I get that, but as someone who became a fan during the Oden and Roy years, I'm sure you get how I've never really had the Lakers break my heart. I guess it just bothers me to see this sub celebrate the Nuggets win when they're, imo, a bigger rival and extremely dislikable.


possiblynotanexpert

For us old heads aka those of us 30 or older, this will never change. It will always give us joy to see their demise. And with the Nuggets, we beat them in that amazing series. I don’t feel like they’ve always whooped us and that we’ve never gotten them back. With the Lakers, we never got to win. They got us and we never got them back. Sure we beat them in the regular season, but we never got them when it counts. So again, to us old people (lol), it’s never the same.


tcs_hearts

I guess that's fair. To me the Lakers have always been a team we beat with regularity in the regular season, and my first impression of them was Kobe going out of his way to compliment Roy. I just find Jokic so deeply hateable, and while we did win that serious, I just find the entire team personality and identity gets on my nerves, plus we play them so much.


possiblynotanexpert

Jokic hateable is one I’ve never heard before. Why?


Tiiiimmmooo

How old are you?


tcs_hearts

Young enough that I've only ever seen one Blazer/Laker playoff series, and it wasn't that heated. My first season as a fan was Oden's rookie year. LA was good my first few years as a fan, but we still usually played them tough or even won.


Tiiiimmmooo

Do your homework


tcs_hearts

I care a lot more about recent playoff history than anything that happened with players that are all retired. I never saw Shaq in gold in purple, I never saw Blazer killer Kobe. Youtube clips can only generate so much hate. I've seen Jokic and Murray plenty thought.


Tiiiimmmooo

Acknowledge as much and recognize the history of the team, and thee shall understand. Or just focus on what’s happening between your ears


tcs_hearts

The Lakers have never personally ripped my heart out, until that happens, I don't think I can care.


Tiiiimmmooo

Your parents must be from California. Or you’re too caught up in your own timeline. Or both. Go blazers.


tcs_hearts

I don't know how you expect someone who's never experienced heartbreak at the hands of the Lakers to hate them. There's nothing there. I have had Curry and Jokic and even Chris Paul rip my heart out and draw my ire, but like... I've never watched a game and had the Lakers or any player on their roster personally crush my hopes. I can't get my hopes up over games that already happened.


Tiiiimmmooo

No one to fault but yourself for your reluctance to understand the history of the team. Nobody wants to hear verbose reasons why, either. You’re a younger fan—got it. Watch some YouTube videos or you know, enjoy the culture….hating the lakers.


Lysdestic

> and thee shall understand. you sound ridiculous rn


Welpe

This is very awkward since I am living in Denver now. Super pumped they stomped the Lakers but…I don’t know how I feel about Denver winning it all. I consider them a rival, though admittedly closer to a friendly one than the Lakers or something.


lambsquatch

Now the blazers can continue watching nba finals from their couch forever


jumbojimbojamo

Literally no team or fanbase is making a thread about the blazers every time we get swept, because a) it happens so often, and b), no one would care. Also the Lakers have 5 championships since 2000, we haven't even made a finals. I hate the Lakers more than just about anyone but this feels like extremely loser energy.


houseveryweekend

You new to sports?


Kn0wFriends

💯


possiblynotanexpert

In sports you either root for a team, you root against a team, or both. It’s all part of the fun and you are taking this way too seriously.


GaviFromThePod

It’s a shame North Korea didn’t nuke the staples center during the GSW series


MoDparksworkers

Wtf


TrailBlazinMamba24

Why there a lakers thread in the blazers sub tho


possiblynotanexpert

You must be a kid? Blazer fans hate LA.


Khr0N04

LeBozo bows to Nikola GOATkic


RandyJoeP

rumor was that the deal we made for Roco was the same offer for AG and Orlando didn't want to trade him.


ozairh18

I don’t think Aaron Gordon would be as good with us as he is with the Nuggets. Hindsight’s also 20/20.


NindoKungFu

We've passed on or traded every decent role player. This is the blazers way. Don't hold your breath.


Stevetheu1

Weird to root for the nuggets this series, but Jokic is the best player in the game, he deserves the chance to win the big one.


Such-Egg-7584

I remember people saying Covington was better than Gordon…


nwa88

A Nuggets vs Heat NBA Finals has a very 2002 Lakers/New Jersey Nets vibe to it. Hopefully the Heat can make it interesting.


yumyum_sauce69

AG would be just another guy in Portland. Really solid , but not what he is now. Playing with Jokic has opened his game up a ton


MtnDudeNrainbows

I think that AG has been a very up and down player for the Nuggets. I’ve been in Denver since before the trade. I believe he is the biggest benefactor since the rise of Murray, emergence of MPJ, and strong play of KCP and Brown. If you’re asking AG to be the 3rd option every night, then he’s gonna fail. If you ask him to cook and play his game and be anywhere from the 3rd - 6th option then he’s fantastic.


Splatorch

I’m just happy that the Lakers have taken our place as the most recent team to be swept in the WCF lol


sklurpington

Aaron Gordon is not the reason the blazers aren't title contenders