timschochet's thread - Ranking hemorrhoids (1 Viewer)

[SoBeDad]

Just want to note this for later.... LeBron averaged 36-13-9 and they gave the mvp award to the player who HELD him to those numbers. I wonder what they think he would have averaged with just a regular player guarding him.

AI played well but remember they took him out in the 4th Q of game 5 due to poor FT shooting. He gets some credit for turning the series around, but Curry started shoot well at the end of game 3 and Green was great the last 3 games, averaging 16/9/7. Without Lebron, the Cavs would've lost every game by 20+ points.

 

[tommyGunZ]

You know that Love said he expects to be with Cleveland next year, don't you?

I don't think anybody really expects that to happen.

Well then, I don't think anybody is really paying attention.The only real question is whether he signs an extension with Cleveland this summer or just opts into the final year of his contract.

Really? No chance KLove fits out?

 

[Daywalker]

Joe Montana lost a lot of NFC title games. Divisional games. Jordan got stoned a ton before the Bulls broke through.

James is the best post-Jordan player alive. There's not even really any room for debate. He's been held back quite a bit by some bad team-building around him, he's dragged some serious corpse-wagons into June.

Rerun Shaq's career on all of Lebrons' teams. In the East? Shaq's got a lot more then two rings.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Joe Montana lost a lot of NFC title games. Divisional games. Jordan got stoned a ton before the Bulls broke through.

James is the best post-Jordan player alive. There's not even really any room for debate. He's been held back quite a bit by some bad team-building around him, he's dragged some serious corpse-wagons into June.

The MVP thing is purely a semantics argument. I get both sides. Purely in terms of value, James won it going away. Obviously. But some guys won't vote for a guy from the losing team. And honestly, that's gotta be a little awkward to accept. I don't think it's the worst thing that for a lot of writers it's a de facto "best player from the winning team" award.

Not the worst thing for the players, either. "Hey LeBron, we need you to come out and accept the MVP trophy while Golden State celebrates winning the title on your home court". As you said, that's putting a player in an awkward position. And wow, would that ever stoke the fires of the #HotSportsTakes brigade: "How valuable is this so-called MVP if his team lost?" We gotta make that crew work a little harder.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Just want to note this for later.... LeBron averaged 36-13-9 and they gave the mvp award to the player who HELD him to those numbers. I wonder what they think he would have averaged with just a regular player guarding him.

AI played well but remember they took him out in the 4th Q of game 5 due to poor FT shooting. He gets some credit for turning the series around, but Curry started shoot well at the end of game 3 and Green was great the last 3 games, averaging 16/9/7. Without Lebron, the Cavs would've lost every game by 20+ points.

I was a surprised Finals MVP went to Iguodala. I thought it was Curry's award for sure.

I can't remember such a stark on-court/off-court contrast for one player with the stakes so high. CLE had a few possessions with LeBron on the bench where they wouldn't have gotten a shot off against a 45-second shot clock.

 

[Jack White]

How much is lebrons legacy tarnished by 4 title losses?

Not tarnished at all for me.

Not everyone can be Jordan and run the table.

Don't forget Magic lost in the Finals four times, and LeBron is probably not done winning titles.

 

[Jack White]

Joe Montana lost a lot of NFC title games. Divisional games. Jordan got stoned a ton before the Bulls broke through.

James is the best post-Jordan player alive. There's not even really any room for debate. He's been held back quite a bit by some bad team-building around him, he's dragged some serious corpse-wagons into June.

The MVP thing is purely a semantics argument. I get both sides. Purely in terms of value, James won it going away. Obviously. But some guys won't vote for a guy from the losing team. And honestly, that's gotta be a little awkward to accept. I don't think it's the worst thing that for a lot of writers it's a de facto "best player from the winning team" award.

Not the worst thing for the players, either. "Hey LeBron, we need you to come out and accept the MVP trophy while Golden State celebrates winning the title on your home court". As you said, that's putting a player in an awkward position. And wow, would that ever stoke the fires of the #HotSportsTakes brigade: "How valuable is this so-called MVP if his team lost?" We gotta make that crew work a little harder.

It's not a HotSportsTake . . . it's just the way it is.

I understand the argument for LeBron, but I don't find it persuasive.

 

[pizzatyme]

How much is lebrons legacy tarnished by 4 title losses?

Not tarnished at all for me.

Not everyone can be Jordan and run the table.

Don't forget Magic lost in the Finals four times, and LeBron is probably not done winning titles.

Nor is he done losing them.

 

[Capella]

The Clippers took their already terrible logo and jersey and found a way to make them look much, much, much worse.

 

[Capella]

@ArashMarkazi: The new Clippers uniforms. http://t.co/xGMFtDJpPX

 

[Capella]

https://twitter.com/philhecken/status/611366132092698624

 

[Long Ball Larry]

If you had bet me 5 years ago that Iguodala would ever win an NBA Finals MVP, you would now probably own my house and be entitled to all of my future earnings.

 

[JMon348]

Very good article on Grantland about the top 3 guys in the draft.

 

[Capella]

https://twitter.com/cybr_hazard/status/611397268793622528

I keep feeling like this is a joke.

 

[Bobcat10]

How much is lebrons legacy tarnished by 4 title losses?

Not at all. The '07 Cavs and '15 Cavs had no business even being in the finals, and them even getting there is a credit to LBJ's greatness.

Can't seem to wrap my head around that one.

It was just said wrong. The East was so bad this year that the team with LeBron was going to the finals. The team LeBron had in the finals had no business being up 2 - 1 before the depth of the Warriors just wore them down.

If Kerr had the "stick with my guys and rotation" approach like many coaches do (play Bogut, ya know, the things that got them those important 67 wins), do you think they still close out the Cavs in 6 or 7?

 

[Bobcat10]

If the Clips get rid of those sleeved jerseys I think I might be for these awful changes.

 

[Jack White]

If the Clips get rid of those sleeved jerseys I think I might be for these awful changes.

I don't mind the sleeves; very few guys who play basketball wear tank tops when they play.

But that new LAC monogram . . . brutal.

 

[MattFancy]

Worst jersey redesign in sport history. These look like someone made these in Clip Art or something

 

[Capella]

Worst jersey redesign in sport history. These look like someone made these in Clip Art or something

The Cliparts name is circulating through Twitter right now.

They look like the 10 dollar knock off tshirt that isn't approved by the NBA that you get at the hood store.

 

[MattFancy]

Worst jersey redesign in sport history. These look like someone made these in Clip Art or something

The Cliparts name is circulating through Twitter right now.

They look like the 10 dollar knock off tshirt that isn't approved by the NBA that you get at the hood store.

I actually think the knockoffs look better than this

 

[SayWhat?]

If the Clips get rid of those sleeved jerseys I think I might be for these awful changes.

I don't mind the sleeves; very few guys who play basketball wear tank tops when they play.

Say what? If you're talking fat guys at the Y, then sure. Other than that, I don't get the "very few guts who play basketball wear tank tops when they play" comment. TONS of people, from the first levels of organized basketball, to rec leagues, to playgrounds, etc, play hoops without sleeves.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

https://twitter.com/cybr_hazard/status/611397268793622528

I keep feeling like this is a joke.

Should've sold the team to Steve Jobs instead.

 

[Captain Quinoa]

https://twitter.com/cybr_hazard/status/611397268793622528

I keep feeling like this is a joke.

Precedent https://twitter.com/Salt_429/status/611553956452564992

 

[msudaisy26]

How much is lebrons legacy tarnished by 4 title losses?

Not at all. The '07 Cavs and '15 Cavs had no business even being in the finals, and them even getting there is a credit to LBJ's greatness.

Can't seem to wrap my head around that one.

It was just said wrong. The East was so bad this year that the team with LeBron was going to the finals. The team LeBron had in the finals had no business being up 2 - 1 before the depth of the Warriors just wore them down.

If Kerr had the "stick with my guys and rotation" approach like many coaches do (play Bogut, ya know, the things that got them those important 67 wins), do you think they still close out the Cavs in 6 or 7?

I personally think they would have, but we can't prove it. I really thought Golden State was in good shape despite losing game 3. I could tell the Cavs were wearing out when Golden State made that big comeback in the 4th.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

If Kerr had the "stick with my guys and rotation" approach like many coaches do (play Bogut, ya know, the things that got them those important 67 wins), do you think they still close out the Cavs in 6 or 7?

I personally think they would have, but we can't prove it. I really thought Golden State was in good shape despite losing game 3. I could tell the Cavs were wearing out when Golden State made that big comeback in the 4th.

Then again, they made that comeback with David Lee on the floor and Bogut on the bench.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Very good article on Grantland about the top 3 guys in the draft.

I really enjoy articles like these where we can get candid, anonymous opinions from scouts and coaches. Some good takes on other top players in the discussion, too - one of the scouts spent almost as much time talking about Willie Cauley-Stein during his Towns report. Also enjoyed their takes on the college game v pro game: how Russell won't have to put up with those bull#### offensive fouls college refs call, the difference between playing a bad college team and a bad pro team ("Sacramento blows, but if you don't show up Cousins and Rudy Gay will still whip your ###"), stuff like that.

They all seemed to like Towns defensively a bit more that I did watching him play. But that's probably their advanced eyes being able to project his play at the next level, where I would get caught up in how much better WCS was at running the defense.

They all loved Russell and believe he has skills we didn't see because his team was so bad - out Russell around more talent and he's even better.

I liked what they said about Okafor's sophisticated approach to double-teams. A lot of guys can pop the ball back out when the double team comes (Dwight Howard), but Okafor can move around within a double-team, still survey the floor, and throw a pass to the other side (like Hakeem and Shaq could at the height of their powers) to really punish the defense for sending an extra man at him.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

 

[tommyboy]

So in hindsight, this golden state team is one of the best all time. That's today's take.

I'd have to agree, feel bad for Mark Jackson

 

[Sammy3469]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

That's the thing I don't quite get since I'm 99.9% sure that's not coming from Duke or K (re: Bilas isn't afraid to use his access to ding Duke guys as he sees fit, but has never done that with respect to Okafor's love of basketball). Maybe it has to do with the fact that he's such a quick learner (there are stories where the Duke staff would show him Duncan moves on tape and he'd pick them up and execute them in the next game) and it comes off as aloof?

I do think he's sort of this low post savant where things have come too easily so he's never really had to work at anything.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

So in hindsight, this golden state team is one of the best all time. That's today's take.

I'd have to agree, feel bad for Mark Jackson

GSW was 67-15. That's some elite company. The best Bird-era Celtics team, the best Jordan/Pippen/Grant Bulls team, and the first Shaq/Kobe title team won 67 games. Only five teams in NBA history have won more than 67.They won 67 games in what is perceived to be a loaded conference. GSW finished first in the Est by several games, and part of the postseason narrative was that CLE's quality was unknown because they only had to play weak East teams in the playoffs while GSW had to survive the West.

They were the highest scoring team in the league, and their defense adjusted for pace was one of the best in the league, too. There's evidence to suggest GSW was both the best offensive AND defensive team this season - that doesn't happen often.

They won the title and didn't need a Game 7 to do it. In the Finals, they won two road games to avoid a Game 7. That's impressive.

Part of their legacy is yet to be seen. Their style of play was unconventional for a title team, but they way they did it might make other teams adopt more of the GSW philosophy. We've yet to see if they are an anomaly or an innovator, and won't know that answer for a while.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

So in hindsight, this golden state team is one of the best all time. That's today's take.

I'd have to agree, feel bad for Mark Jackson

GSW was 67-15. That's some elite company. The best Bird-era Celtics team, the best Jordan/Pippen/Grant Bulls team, and the first Shaq/Kobe title team won 67 games. Only five teams in NBA history have won more than 67.They won 67 games in what is perceived to be a loaded conference. GSW finished first in the Est by several games, and part of the postseason narrative was that CLE's quality was unknown because they only had to play weak East teams in the playoffs while GSW had to survive the West.

They were the highest scoring team in the league, and their defense adjusted for pace was one of the best in the league, too. There's evidence to suggest GSW was both the best offensive AND defensive team this season - that doesn't happen often.

They won the title and didn't need a Game 7 to do it. In the Finals, they won two road games to avoid a Game 7. That's impressive.

Part of their legacy is yet to be seen. Their style of play was unconventional for a title team, but they way they did it might make other teams adopt more of the GSW philosophy. We've yet to see if they are an anomaly or an innovator, and won't know that answer for a while.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

I liked the cautionary tale they told about Jared Sullinger to illustrate how total and complete the commitment must be to excel. Sullinger worked his ### off during practice but it didn't matter because he wouldn't also commit to get his diet and conditioning right. In contrast, Marc Gasol ended up exceeding everyone's expectations by a mile because he finally committed to losing weight and improving his stamina. It took him years to figure out why he was crushing guys during practice but not getting it done over a full season's worth of games.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

I liked the cautionary tale they told about Jared Sullinger to illustrate how total and complete the commitment must be to excel. Sullinger worked his ### off during practice but it didn't matter because he wouldn't also commit to get his diet and conditioning right. In contrast, Marc Gasol ended up exceeding everyone's expectations by a mile because he finally committed to losing weight and improving his stamina. It took him years to figure out why he was crushing guys during practice but not getting it done over a full season's worth of games.

I remember from that leaked Pats scouting report of Manziel, they severely dinged him because he'd have to be dragged to off-season workouts, video sessions, etc. It makes a lot of sense.

I would have a really bad work ethic if I had pro basketball skills.

 

[CoolHandLukeB]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

 

[Spartans Rule]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

Scout 2 is awesome. He needs to have his own column or TV show or something.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Yeah, great piece from Grantland. I'm sold on Okafor at 2, but if there really is a question about his passion for the game, I'm fine with Russell at 2.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

Griffin and Blatt completely dismissed this during their press conference that just ended. Doesn't mean that it isn't true of course.

Griffin also said he expects Love and LBJ to both opt out, but that he also expects them both to be back next season.

 

[Max Power]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

ouch. I have to agree though... Blatt is done.

Thibs and James might be a solid pairing.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

ouch. I have to agree though... Blatt is done.

Thibs and James might be a solid pairing.

Blatt is going to be the coach next year.

 

[Donkey Derp]

What exactly do people think Blatt could have done differently? I thought he had a solid game plan games 1-3 and took two from the best team in the league. If you don't have the players, there is only so much you can do.

 

[Short Corner]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

ouch. I have to agree though... Blatt is done.

Thibs and James might be a solid pairing.

Thibs is a horrible pairing with LeBron.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

Griffin and Blatt completely dismissed this during their press conference that just ended. Doesn't mean that it isn't true of course.

Griffin also said he expects Love and LBJ to both opt out, but that he also expects them both to be back next season.

Yeah, it was a weird and obviously agenda-driven read. How do you "essentially call timeouts and make substitutions" ? You either do or you don't. "Openly barking" at decisions he didn't like? Probably just voicing his disagreement with them, which seems normal, just in a more animated way because it's the Finals and he's agitated. "Shaking his head vociferously in protest?" Same thing.

This ESPN column made him out to be some sort of basketball savant for doing basically the same thing with Spoelstra:

It's a midgame timeout during a 2013-14 regular-season game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, long before James decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the national television broadcast means it's longer than usual.

Erik Spoelstra is sitting in front of his Heat players on the bench as he traces a play on his dry-erase board with a fading blue marker. The players -- Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Udonis Haslem -- are draped in towels, holding cups of water, waiting for Spoelstra to present his play. James is quiet, holding clippers, working on cleaning up the nails on his left hand.

Only he's not.

"No," James says to Spoelstra, reaching his hand out and touching the board on Spoelstra's lap, pointing to something. "He has to be here, like this." James traces his finger along the surface. He has been in this situation before against the Pacers. The Heat have tried this play. He has an instant alteration in mind. James is animated now, having forgotten his nails, as he presents his case for why this way will work.

Spoelstra grabs his eraser.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I'd have to agree, feel bad for Mark Jackson

Why? Odds are the Warriors don't get over the hump this year if he had remained there as coach. Their defense under Kerr was much better.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

Stuff like that is so good. You're not going to get Chad Ford saying "apples and ####### berries" in any of his columns or Euro-reach-arounds. Interesting that they mentioned Okafor's lack of a deep love for the game too.

Scout 2 is awesome. He needs to have his own column or TV show or something.

Yeah, that whole Okafor rant is golden:

Scout 2: Gifted, gifted, gifted low-post center. Knows who he is. He likes playing down there, and is really good at it. Elite hands. He absolutely knows his way around the basket. You can’t speed him up, which is a great attribute to have.It’s very easy when you get a post feed and you get doubled and you just throw it back to where it came. People just relocate. When you inside-pivot and all that weakside help starts crowding you, and you can throw it opposite for an open shooter? That’s how you punish a defense. And he’s pretty good at that.

He needs to become a better shooter and free throw shooter. He either will or he won’t.

His biggest issue is his ability to defend pick-and-rolls. They are going to expose him at every opportunity. The guards are just going to find him. No matter who he guards, they are going to put him in pick-and-roll. Our game is all about mismatches and exposing players’ weaknesses.

Some of this will come with getting into better shape. His will and his pride — they are going to have to come into play. His willingness to and ability to play, I don’t doubt any of that. He’s going to have some growing pains. He just likes hanging around the basket. Our game is not like that.

I thought he was one of the worst defensive players I’ve scouted. I’ve seen him in practice, Nike Hoop Summit, and watched him all year. You can put on any Duke game, and if the commentator had a brain — like [Jay] Bilas — they would talk about it. Like … holy ####. Look at some of the games they lost. The Miami game at home — they exposed this guy, play after play. I always say this about college players: What was Mike [Krzyzewski] going to do? Of course he is going to play. You aren’t going to take him off the floor. Who are you going to play? [Marshall] Plumlee? So he is going to stay in the game, regardless of his inability to guard. He’s going one, two, or three. Those teams that are drafting him? They aren’t going to win anyway. The consequences are diminished.

Conditioning is huge for him. I’ve never seen him in good shape. It got better as the season went on at Duke, but I don’t think he was ever where he could run in transition seven, eight, nine times, both ways, where he was block-to-block. You will read: “Oh, he’s in great shape now. His trainer has done an unbelievable job with him. He’s done this, this, and this, and he’s eating apples and ####### berries every day and he hasn’t had a piece of pizza in forever … ” My point is, that’s the narrative.

He’s a really good player, but our league, it’s just different and people don’t get it. It’s 82 games, elite ####### players, and elite athletes, and travel.

My point about Okafor is that all that #### you can get away with at Duke, playing Georgia Tech who ####### blows, and BC — they stink — you can get away with it. When it’s nut-cracking time he revs it up, and I get all of that. There are very few nights off in our league. Sacramento blows, but if you don’t show up to play them, [DeMarcus] Cousins and Rudy Gay will ####### beat your ###.

At Duke, those teams just can’t do that. And he’ll learn all that, because he’s a really good kid. Really talented player. So I don’t think he wants to be embarrassed. But in time I’m not sure he’s a 38-minute player.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

At the public library now using the computer, because Marc Stein just torched my #######ed laptop. I'm considering filing a suit.

 

[trader jake]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

ouch. I have to agree though... Blatt is done. Thibs and James might be a solid pairing.

Thibs is a horrible pairing with LeBron.

Agreed. At this stage if LeBron's career, he needs a head coach that understands the next five year window, not 40 minutes in a midDecember game.

 

[msudaisy26]

If Kerr had the "stick with my guys and rotation" approach like many coaches do (play Bogut, ya know, the things that got them those important 67 wins), do you think they still close out the Cavs in 6 or 7?

I personally think they would have, but we can't prove it. I really thought Golden State was in good shape despite losing game 3. I could tell the Cavs were wearing out when Golden State made that big comeback in the 4th.

Then again, they made that comeback with David Lee on the floor and Bogut on the bench.

He was, but it still looked like the Cavs were coasting in that game in the 4th and trying to save some energy for the next game. I am probably reading into it too much, but I honestly think they still would have won.

 

[Captain Quinoa]

Marc Stein wrote an article about LeBron-Blatt relationship

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

Griffin and Blatt completely dismissed this during their press conference that just ended. Doesn't mean that it isn't true of course.

Griffin also said he expects Love and LBJ to both opt out, but that he also expects them both to be back next season.

Yeah, it was a weird and obviously agenda-driven read. How do you "essentially call timeouts and make substitutions" ? You either do or you don't. "Openly barking" at decisions he didn't like? Probably just voicing his disagreement with them, which seems normal, just in a more animated way because it's the Finals and he's agitated. "Shaking his head vociferously in protest?" Same thing.

I'm guessing "essentially call timeouts and make substitutions" means motioning for a timeout or to be taken out of the game when he was dinged or exhausted since he had to play like 57 minutes per game. I don't think he was looking at the bench going "Ok let's get JR in for Delly and Mozzy for Tristan. Chop, chop."

I'm sure Bron wasn't frustrated thinking about what could have been while killing himself trying to keep games close either.

[SIZE=12.222222328186035px]That article isn't a hot take. It's a Towering Steinferno.[/SIZE]

 

[sports_fan]

Mark Jackson will coach the Cavs next year

 

[Britney Spears]

Not feeling the Porzingas love. Where was this guy even 2 weeks ago? Around 10-15? One work out makes him top 3?Yea I'm highly skeptical. The NBA has people in Europe now monitoring these guys. Why the last second Mamula type jump up?

Trying to figure it out, too. He pulled out of last year's draft when it looked like he wasn't going to be a first rounder, so he's been on scouts' radar for over a year.DX has had him in the top 10 all season, and bumped him up to 1.03 after seeing him in some pre-draft workouts in Vegas. Still, the weaknesses they list for him (frail, no back-to-basket game, can't score in traffic) don't seem consistent with a 7-footer worth taking that high.

Maybe he started shooting it like Durant.