2025 NBA Season

[Yogee]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

[harizen]

I think he was that good, but Father Time is undefeated. When your game is built on the back of your athleticism, the aging process is never kind to your career as an athlete. Russell is going to suffer the same fate as an older Shawn Kemp. Unwilling to change his game and unable to perform to prior capabilities.

In terms of athleticism, in fairness to Russell Westbrook, he still has it although obviously, not on the same level during his prime.

With how Westbrook's play, specifically pointing to his first season in the Los Angeles Lakers, I can't consider that "Father Time" as one of the hindrances why Westbrook has the worst plays in most Lakers' game.

The dude is always healthy, playing all games in a season as a starter and injuries just rarely happened to him. The problem is his shooting becomes worst and there are no specific and exact reasons to point out why it turned out like that.

[goinmerry]

I would like to see Carmelo come back and play another season.  He's got so many great statistics, I don't mind him sticking around a couple extra years to pad them a bit.  He's still a dangerous 3 point shooter and a big body.

I have noticed that Carmelo Anthony's name is always on the verge of not being signed by a team during every off-season. To be fair with Carmelo, he still has great shooting strokes compared to young players nowadays. His catch-and-shoot and post-and-shoot playing style are now more effective as his main offensive tool. Always have Hot hands in the perimeter if given plenty of time.

Although don't expect that Melo will still show high leaping ability nowadays for an obvious reason. I remember when Lebron sets up a play for him and bounces the ball on the board and might expect Canelo to catch and dunk it but instead, Melo just ignores the play. He says in the interview later on that he appreciated what Lebron did on that play.

[agustina2]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

What an unfortunate thing happened to him. It will now be the start of his playing performance going down on level.

ACL injury really sucks and can fully change the player's performance in a worst whole shape even after a full recovery.

Even with how healthy and strong the player is, injuries like ACL can't really be avoided.

[danherbias07]

I think Coach Ham will keep on pounding WB as an attacker to create spacing and learn a kick out pass.

That's right, it should be the purpose, otherwise that strategy won't work if Westbrook is not gonna pass the ball. Maybe more than 50%, WB will draw attention when he drives the ball, so there are shooters that are going to be open, and I don't know if the Lakers have a consistent 3 point shooters that could play the role.

They don't have any for now. Their salary cap is getting heavier and they might find it difficult to pay for sharpshooters if they keep on adding more defensively like with PatBev.
The only opportunity that I could see is if they trade Westbrook, that's the chance to get 2 shooters, maybe. But they lack offers, no team is willing to give up shooters for WB.

I would like to see Carmelo come back and play another season.  He's got so many great statistics, I don't mind him sticking around a couple extra years to pad them a bit.  He's still a dangerous 3 point shooter and a big body.

I have noticed that Carmelo Anthony's name is always on the verge of not being signed by a team during every off-season. To be fair with Carmelo, he still has great shooting strokes compared to young players nowadays. His catch-and-shoot and post-and-shoot playing style are now more effective as his main offensive tool. Always have Hot hands in the perimeter if given plenty of time.

Although don't expect that Melo will still show high leaping ability nowadays for an obvious reason. I remember when Lebron sets up a play for him and bounces the ball on the board and might expect Canelo to catch and dunk it but instead, Melo just ignores the play. He says in the interview later on that he appreciated what Lebron did on that play.

Sad truth. His weakness on the defensive end has got a lot to do with it. He can shoot, no doubt but so does the team that will target him when they are back on defense. If he fails to be signed now, he should think about making a new career in teaching how to shoot. I bet there will be a lot of parents who will sign their kids in his school or maybe a shooting coach for a team.

[LogitechMouse]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

They still have other free agents right now that might be a good fit for the Celtics.

Melo, Boogie Cousins, maybe Aldridge (he is also a master of perimeter shooting). They can still get these players or pick other ones in the absence of Gallinari. These 3 players that I said played well in their respective teams. Melo had some 20-point games in the Lakers, Cousins had been a big help to the bench of the Nuggets and Aldridge still has his stroke in perimeter shooting (he is shooting 55% last season).

I would like to see Carmelo come back and play another season.  He's got so many great statistics, I don't mind him sticking around a couple extra years to pad them a bit.  He's still a dangerous 3 point shooter and a big body.

I have noticed that Carmelo Anthony's name is always on the verge of not being signed by a team during every off-season. To be fair with Carmelo, he still has great shooting strokes compared to young players nowadays. His catch-and-shoot and post-and-shoot playing style are now more effective as his main offensive tool. Always have Hot hands in the perimeter if given plenty of time.

Although don't expect that Melo will still show high leaping ability nowadays for an obvious reason. I remember when Lebron sets up a play for him and bounces the ball on the board and might expect Canelo to catch and dunk it but instead, Melo just ignores the play. He says in the interview later on that he appreciated what Lebron did on that play.

I don't know why teams aren't trying to sign him where in fact, he got 12.9 PPG & 5.5 RPG last season. That is still a good number knowing that he is coming off the bench.

Unfortunately, like what others are saying, his defense really is a big problem and we've seen players who aren't a priority whenever they aren't that good in defending even though they are doing pretty well offensively. He got 20-point games last season, so I think having him still helps the team offensively. Maybe it's best for Melo to be in a team where they are focusing more on offense like the Warriors.

[Baofeng]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

I agree that it was very unfortunate that Danilo hasn't even play for the Celtics and he got injured in FIBA. And that is why the name of Carmelo Anthony surfaces as potential replacement for him in Celtics. But I don't see any similarities, if there will be Anthony might be worst defender than Gallinari. But let's see, Carmelo can still play and give good numbers per night. Let's see what the Celtics will do to find at least a good replacement for Danilo and if that will be Anthony at least for this year in green uniform.

[mirakal]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

I agree that it was very unfortunate that Danilo hasn't even play for the Celtics and he got injured in FIBA. And that is why the name of Carmelo Anthony surfaces as potential replacement for him in Celtics. But I don't see any similarities, if there will be Anthony might be worst defender than Gallinari. But let's see, Carmelo can still play and give good numbers per night. Let's see what the Celtics will do to find at least a good replacement for Danilo and if that will be Anthony at least for this year in green uniform.

Let's see, we cannot conclude right away, Celtics have depth, they are a great team and they are still a championship contender this season. Melo might be recruited and might give a spark to the team, no one knows but I'm sure the management will do everything to solve this problem.

[Pamadar]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

I agree that it was very unfortunate that Danilo hasn't even play for the Celtics and he got injured in FIBA. And that is why the name of Carmelo Anthony surfaces as potential replacement for him in Celtics. But I don't see any similarities, if there will be Anthony might be worst defender than Gallinari. But let's see, Carmelo can still play and give good numbers per night. Let's see what the Celtics will do to find at least a good replacement for Danilo and if that will be Anthony at least for this year in green uniform.

Let's see, we cannot conclude right away, Celtics have depth, they are a great team and they are still a championship contender this season. Melo might be recruited and might give a spark to the team, no one knows but I'm sure the management will do everything to solve this problem.

I hope to see Melo playing with them. He can blend with the type of game play Celtics have, Brown and Tatum

are players who know how to find an open man and with the good setup for Melo, he still has that offensive threat if given
that open shot, though on the defensive side not sure if he might be a liable unless he will also adjust and add some on his
routine, tougher and quicker young guards might attack him, so it's important to improve on this matter.

[Ziskinberg]

Celtics lost some firepower for next season as Gallinari has been diagnosed a torn ACL on his left knee. That's a nasty injury and he's likely to miss the entire season. He's not on superstar level but decent role player that can fill up the rotation which the Celtics badly needs.

I agree that it was very unfortunate that Danilo hasn't even play for the Celtics and he got injured in FIBA. And that is why the name of Carmelo Anthony surfaces as potential replacement for him in Celtics. But I don't see any similarities, if there will be Anthony might be worst defender than Gallinari. But let's see, Carmelo can still play and give good numbers per night. Let's see what the Celtics will do to find at least a good replacement for Danilo and if that will be Anthony at least for this year in green uniform.

Let's see, we cannot conclude right away, Celtics have depth, they are a great team and they are still a championship contender this season. Melo might be recruited and might give a spark to the team, no one knows but I'm sure the management will do everything to solve this problem.

I hope to see Melo playing with them. He can blend with the type of game play Celtics have, Brown and Tatum

are players who know how to find an open man and with the good setup for Melo, he still has that offensive threat if given
that open shot, though on the defensive side not sure if he might be a liable unless he will also adjust and add some on his
routine, tougher and quicker young guards might attack him, so it's important to improve on this matter.

He can? That has to be seen first, Melo is already old and Celtics loves to run, I don't know if he can blend well because he wasn't too effective on the last team he played with, that's why he is open now for a new team. Melo got the experience, but IIRC, he has not reached the NBA finals yet, so he will be learning from the Celtics then, not him giving advice based on his experience.

[yazher]

He can? That has to be seen first, Melo is already old and Celtics loves to run, I don't know if he can blend well because he wasn't too effective on the last team he played with, that's why he is open now for a new team. Melo got the experience, but IIRC, he has not reached the NBA finals yet, so he will be learning from the Celtics then, not him giving advice based on his experience.

If he ever gets to the team he won't be effective as the other young guns in the team since they can run and make fastbreak points and also can have quick defense because their body is still healthy. I think he will likely be just like Haslem and be one of the advisers to the Celtic players. More or less let's just hope some team still signs him because the other players have been signed outside the NBA when they cannot bring more benefits to the team.

[Japinat]

I think he was that good, but Father Time is undefeated. When your game is built on the back of your athleticism, the aging process is never kind to your career as an athlete. Russell is going to suffer the same fate as an older Shawn Kemp. Unwilling to change his game and unable to perform to prior capabilities.

Honestly, I think Westbrook's poor performance last season wasn't due to aging but because of his unwillingness to somehow adapt his style of play to his new teammates, especially LeBron. So it seems to me Westbrook still has enough athleticism, but he needs to use his strengths differently instead of trying to make triple-doubles every game.

Nah! Aging wasn't the issue on Westbrook because we can still see at times that he is reacting quickly and still agile, the only reason I see is the same as yours, he is not adapting to what the team needs instead he is trying to make a highlight of himself. Westbrook should know by now that he is not the main star of the team anymore and do exactly what he is signed up for if he still want to play longer in the league.

[passwordnow]

But let's see, Carmelo can still play and give good numbers per night. Let's see what the Celtics will do to find at least a good replacement for Danilo and if that will be Anthony at least for this year in green uniform.

I still have faith with Melo, he can still be a good addition to the Celtics if ever they'll take him and becomes official. He may not be at the prime that we have seen but still, he's got what it takes to be a helper to the team.

Honestly, I think Westbrook's poor performance last season wasn't due to aging but because of his unwillingness to somehow adapt his style of play to his new teammates, especially LeBron. So it seems to me Westbrook still has enough athleticism, but he needs to use his strengths differently instead of trying to make triple-doubles every game.

I agree that he's still athletic and can be at his best but there are really the odd days of his stay with the Lakers. Hopefully on his transfer, he's going to be the Westbrook that we used to know.

[arwin100]

I think he was that good, but Father Time is undefeated. When your game is built on the back of your athleticism, the aging process is never kind to your career as an athlete. Russell is going to suffer the same fate as an older Shawn Kemp. Unwilling to change his game and unable to perform to prior capabilities.

Honestly, I think Westbrook's poor performance last season wasn't due to aging but because of his unwillingness to somehow adapt his style of play to his new teammates, especially LeBron. So it seems to me Westbrook still has enough athleticism, but he needs to use his strengths differently instead of trying to make triple-doubles every game.

Nah! Aging wasn't the issue on Westbrook because we can still see at times that he is reacting quickly and still agile, the only reason I see is the same as yours, he is not adapting to what the team needs instead he is trying to make a highlight of himself. Westbrook should know by now that he is not the main star of the team anymore and do exactly what he is signed up for if he still want to play longer in the league.

He's still consistent on numbers of games so I don't think is an issue with him. He's been bashed badly and that totally affect him emotionally that's why we see his performance decline.

But for sure he can adjust next season if the teammates and the coaching staff will believe on his capabilities so that they can release a all star westbrook next season.

[Oasisman]

I think he was that good, but Father Time is undefeated. When your game is built on the back of your athleticism, the aging process is never kind to your career as an athlete. Russell is going to suffer the same fate as an older Shawn Kemp. Unwilling to change his game and unable to perform to prior capabilities.

Honestly, I think Westbrook's poor performance last season wasn't due to aging but because of his unwillingness to somehow adapt his style of play to his new teammates, especially LeBron. So it seems to me Westbrook still has enough athleticism, but he needs to use his strengths differently instead of trying to make triple-doubles every game.

I think that was not the "unwillingness", but it's him having trouble adopting to play with superstars. He used to be a one man show after the OKC days regardless of the outcome he'll end up with a good stats after the game. So, he's clearly lacking killer instincts and winning mindset. He's just basically scoring, grabbing rebounds, and making assist, he's not aiming to win the game.
He really needs a huge adjustments for his skills to somehow blend well with LeBron and AD's style of play.

[Maslate]

He really needs a huge adjustments for his skills to somehow blend well with LeBron and AD's style of play.

Westbrook had enough time to blend with Lebron and AD, but did we see that last season? The answer is no, so WB have another season to finally test if he can really blend, after this if he still fails, I don't know what will happen.

[püsür]

I would like to see Carmelo come back and play another season.  He's got so many great statistics, I don't mind him sticking around a couple extra years to pad them a bit.  He's still a dangerous 3 point shooter and a big body.

I have noticed that Carmelo Anthony's name is always on the verge of not being signed by a team during every off-season. To be fair with Carmelo, he still has great shooting strokes compared to young players nowadays. His catch-and-shoot and post-and-shoot playing style are now more effective as his main offensive tool. Always have Hot hands in the perimeter if given plenty of time.

Although don't expect that Melo will still show high leaping ability nowadays for an obvious reason. I remember when Lebron sets up a play for him and bounces the ball on the board and might expect Canelo to catch and dunk it but instead, Melo just ignores the play. He says in the interview later on that he appreciated what Lebron did on that play.

I don't know why teams aren't trying to sign him where in fact, he got 12.9 PPG & 5.5 RPG last season. That is still a good number knowing that he is coming off the bench.

Unfortunately, like what others are saying, his defense really is a big problem and we've seen players who aren't a priority whenever they aren't that good in defending even though they are doing pretty well offensively. He got 20-point games last season, so I think having him still helps the team offensively. Maybe it's best for Melo to be in a team where they are focusing more on offense like the Warriors.

One of those offensive-minded teams can be Brooklyn Nets. Didn't Durant ask for them to bring Carmelo to Nets? It seems like a good fit to me. Carmelo is still really solid as an offensive player. And yes, defensively he is not good at all anymore. But there is not much Nets would lose. They are depending on heavy offense anyway. And in case of an injury to their big guns, Carmelo will be a good help. I cannot say personally I like Brooklyn Nets but surely I want to see them playing at their best for the sake and beauty of the league. They will be a team to watch if they stay healthy. I can't wait for a strong Nets in the playoffs. But it is very hard for them to achieve a good team status with their off-court problems. But even Irving has said some positive things about his past and it seems like things will be better for Nets this season.

[inthelongrun]

He really needs a huge adjustments for his skills to somehow blend well with LeBron and AD's style of play.

Westbrook had enough time to blend with Lebron and AD, but did we see that last season? The answer is no, so WB have another season to finally test if he can really blend, after this if he still fails, I don't know what will happen.

I really believe that Westbrook can't blend well with Lebron and AD. The guy has a high sense of pride and ego. And his 3-point shooting is always a liability especially when they already have Lebron as their main guy that drives the ball that can create space for the Lakers' supposedly deadly sharpshooters.   

With less than a month before the start of another season, the Lakers need to better their offers in order to unload Westbrook and his huge $47 million salary. Because if they can't unload Russ then what's the point of signing Lebron with a super expensive deal if they are also not willing to build around him?

[stadus]

He really needs a huge adjustments for his skills to somehow blend well with LeBron and AD's style of play.

Westbrook had enough time to blend with Lebron and AD, but did we see that last season? The answer is no, so WB have another season to finally test if he can really blend, after this if he still fails, I don't know what will happen.

But the Lakers still decided to keep him, there's nothing we can do on that but to criticize him and the management if WB is still inconsistent or the same as last season. Under a new coach, we are expecting that he would change the system and improve it, it also means that Wesbrook will improve to see the team improve.

Aside from improvement, Lakers needs to be a championship team as that's what people are expecting on them.

[Ziskinberg]

He really needs a huge adjustments for his skills to somehow blend well with LeBron and AD's style of play.

Westbrook had enough time to blend with Lebron and AD, but did we see that last season? The answer is no, so WB have another season to finally test if he can really blend, after this if he still fails, I don't know what will happen.

I really believe that Westbrook can't blend well with Lebron and AD. The guy has a high sense of pride and ego. And his 3-point shooting is always a liability especially when they already have Lebron as their main guy that drives the ball that can create space for the Lakers' supposedly deadly sharpshooters.   

With less than a month before the start of another season, the Lakers need to better their offers in order to unload Westbrook and his huge $47 million salary. Because if they can't unload Russ then what's the point of signing Lebron with a super expensive deal if they are also not willing to build around him?

You nailed it, I don't understand why the Lakers are still keeping Westbrook after seeing him struggle last season, they don't give up easily, but actually I think they should try to think of trading him because for sure, next season, Lakers might still be a disaster again.

Lebron and AD is enough as long as they are surrounded with role players and deadly shooters, they are good to go.