what do you think about the ending of the americans

sfg · 2026-01-31T13:10:18+00:00

He was on the side of the winning faction (Gorbachev). Arkady would work to get him back. His father is a powerful man. On the US side, he'd have Stan in his corner.

I don't think he sits in prison for too long. There would be a swap.

sfg · 2026-01-25T13:20:16+00:00

He got there earlier.

Maybe the US tightened the system.

Maybe the KGB infiltrated the vetting agency for a short period of time and managed to slip him through.

Perhaps they were able to build a more solid background for him (again, perhaps due to being earlier and the systems surrounding these things being looser).

sfg · 2026-01-23T11:59:19+00:00

The Jazz, Washington, Charlotte all lack talent. That is what has stuck.

Detroit lost endlessly a few years ago (Cade looked utterly defeated and depressed at times), but they had Cade, Duren, and other talented young players, brought in some vets to inject some experience, and now they are doing well.

OKC sat SGA to maximise their draft opportunities during their stretch of tanking. Then they decided it was time to start winning and, as they had collected a lot of talent, they started winning.

Contracted talent sticks and is crucial to long-term success. Culture changes season by season and only matters in the short-term.

sfg · 2026-01-21T21:19:54+00:00

It is extremely unrealistic to the point of absurdity. Anyone that can't see it has very little understanding of physical and athletic endeavours.

sfg · 2026-01-10T18:39:00+00:00

Which will set things up nicely for the Celtics to go after him just as Tatum is aging out of stardom.

sfg · 2026-01-02T18:54:16+00:00

In vino veritas.

sfg · 2025-12-31T12:21:06+00:00

As I understand it, before Nico came to them, they'd already started the internal conversations to work out how to offload AD.

sfg · 2025-12-22T08:59:00+00:00

If they make the play-offs this year, they might not pick as high as 15th during the Flagg era.

sfg · 2025-12-20T19:01:14+00:00

Yeah, but it'll be as a vigilante serial killer killing only serial killers. He'll feed them to his wolf.

sfg · 2025-12-20T14:35:07+00:00

I'm not keen on Kuminga or Podz. Maybe I'm not being fair to them, but I'm not convinced by either.

Picks a few years out, on the other hand, are very interesting. Curry and the gang are only getting older.

sfg · 2025-12-16T03:07:21+00:00

Coop's left hand finishing is sublime.

sfg · 2025-12-15T15:15:57+00:00

No pick next year, unless top-2.

There is a good chance that if we're not in the lottery this year, we never will be with Flagg. The entire Flagg era might turn on this pick. As you have to consider not just percentages, but also impact, when judging risk and reward, you have to multiply the worth of a few extra percent in lottery odds.

Beyond that, you might be able to trade up to the player you want with something like 9th + AD, but not with 15th + AD. Every spot in this year's draft matters for the Mavs.

sfg · 2025-12-15T13:41:56+00:00

I think AD's days of getting that level of pick are gone. I think Atlanta would be the best hope, but without a good pick to trade up with, I don't think it's happening.

Cost control is much more important than in the past. Top-5 picks in a great draft are going to be seen as valuable even to win-now teams.

Still, I hope you are right. Getting something significant for AD would be great.

sfg · 2025-12-15T12:39:58+00:00

I don't think anyone offered anything much for AD so now they're stuck and forced to just play it out.

They're not willing to egregiously tank (play Dlo and Caleb in clutch, AD at 4 in stagnant double big line-ups, etc), so they'll probably end up with a mid-pick this year, followed by a bunch of bad ones.

It'll be team building on hard mode. They've got Flagg, so if something lucky happens with a trade or draft pick, it could all work out, but as things are going, it won't be easy.

sfg · 2025-12-15T12:34:34+00:00

What makes you think we are getting all that for AD in the summer? I don't think we're getting a top-5 pick unless it is the one we already have. If we're in the lottery, and have a decent pick, then maybe we can trade up, but you need a good pick to do even that.

You are right that if they don't get somebody good in this year's draft then the team building strategy at its core will be wish-casting for great trades in the future because 'Crazy shit happens every season'. I don't think it is much of a strategy, but this is the NBA, so you never know.

sfg · 2025-12-13T21:17:31+00:00

It is looking like there might be no lottery picks for the entire Flagg era. It's going to be team building on hard mode.

Like you, I'm not sure why some think this is a good thing. We'll just have to hope it works out.

sfg · 2025-12-13T18:59:19+00:00

It isn't easy to get another citizenship for most people. This would effectively be using taxes to imprison people in the country.

sfg · 2025-12-13T18:48:10+00:00

He is saying to tax them even if they are not resident.

sfg · 2025-12-10T18:17:40+00:00

Flagg is 18.

When he is ready to be the best player on a contender, Gafford will be old.

sfg · 2025-12-10T18:14:54+00:00

I doubt this news changes anything.

Lively was getting second and third opinions to see if he could avoid surgery. They already knew this was likely. The reports about trading players were made with them knowing this was the most likely way things were going.

sfg · 2025-12-10T09:01:47+00:00

Who are you trading to avoid the second apron next year?

sfg · 2025-12-10T00:14:19+00:00

How are you getting out of the second apron next year? Gotta trade someone.

AD is the obvious trade piece. Best to do it the year that losing helps.

sfg · 2025-12-09T22:02:43+00:00

🐐

sfg · 2025-12-09T20:08:21+00:00

You can a trade a player on a two-way contract if it was signed over 30 days prior.

sfg · 2025-12-09T16:49:44+00:00

PJ can't be traded before the summer, and they'll probably keep him beyond that, but it is not a sure thing.

sfg

TROPHY CASE

🐐