Pistons on a back to back and travelled overnight to Brooklyn. Even terrible teams win this game.I'm Worried about the nets
Pistons on a back to back and travelled overnight to Brooklyn. Even terrible teams win this game.I'm Worried about the nets
It beats his earlier strategy of trading away Harden and replacing his minutes with a fully cooked Derek Fisher and Reggie Jackson.I like that Sam Presti's whole strategy seems to be to get tall guys with long arms.
It beats his earlier strategy of trading away Harden and replacing his minutes with a fully cooked Derek Fisher and Reggie Jackson.
He is fine as a rotation guy and its not even Presti's fault. Bennett hamstrung that team by not taking advantage of (paying for) that core and the team had an over matched Brooks coaching. No wonder Durant bailed.That's true but I do like Reggie Jackson
He was there but OKC ran an iso-heavy, hero offense. What a difference playing with unselfish players makes.Where was this KD in the wcf?
This. 100% this. I was watching this game and thinking how awesome it would be to have Durant doing his stuff on a team that hadn't just won 73 games.What this game did is remind me that Durant going to GS made the league dramatically less interesting.
The EC will be even less interesting. Cavs have literally no threat barring a Cousins to Boston trade or something.What this game did is remind me that Durant going to GS made the league dramatically less interesting.
Realistically it went from there being four teams that could win the championship to three--and god forbid something like Kawhi getting hurt happens.This. 100% this. I was watching this game and thinking how awesome it would be to have Durant doing his stuff on a team that hadn't just won 73 games.
Just wait until Anthony Davis gets traded to the Cavaliers.The EC will be even less interesting. Cavs have literally no threat barring a Cousins to Boston trade or something.
Brooks was low-key one of the league's worst coaches.He is fine as a rotation guy and its not even Presti's fault. Bennett hamstrung that team by not taking advantage of (paying for) that core and the team had an over matched Brooks coaching. No wonder Durant bailed.
Meanwhile he clearly came ready to play tonight.
In other news, watch the Bucks. Greek Freak and Jabari each had 27 points in a win over the Pacers.
That play=why I love the NBA.Holy shit. Larry Nance Jr. just completely posterized David West
Maybe the best one of the year. I can't wait to see the menes. Nance used West's face for leverage.Brooks was low-key one of the league's worst coaches.
That play=why I love the NBA.
Lakers running the Dubs off the court by the way. I don't think LAL are all that terrible this year.
Lou Williams (!) looking like a really great add. I can't even believe he is only 30 years old.Brooks was low-key one of the league's worst coaches.
That play=why I love the NBA.
Lakers running the Dubs off the court by the way. I don't think LAL are all that terrible this year.
Who am I to call you out Klay?
Agreed. I would add that that Walton's institutional knowledge of both squads makes the Lakers a more formidable opponent than other teams. I really like D'Angelo Russell's game, Lou Williams is a great sixth man and Nance Jr. continues to impress in a traditional big sort of way. I agree that the Lakers are likely going to outperform expectations this season with their three plus bigs and army of two guards.They didn't just lose Bogut, they lost Ezeli as well; and for most of last season Ezeli did a good job filling in as a rim protector when Bogut was out/limited.
The Warriors might have problems, but last night didn't teach me that much. This is a very un-analytical assessment but some nights it just isn't your night, and last night everything was coming up Lakers. The Warriors (Curry in particular) missed a bunch of open shots and the Lakers managed to get what I felt was a disproportionate of loose balls. I think the Warriors did give up defensively in the second half, but I find it hard to take anything away from that game other then that the Lakers are going to be a little bit better than people expected.
Late to this but it's interesting to me because I remember having a conversation with my brother thirty-something years ago or so regarding really really good NBA players who seemed totally overlooked by the media. Mychal Thompson (pre-Lakers) was at the top of the list. (I recall that Greg Ballard was another.)Edit: And I'll add that Zach Lowe's addressed this point directly on his podcast, and the coaching staff in Golden State doesn't have even the slightest concern that Thompson will be frustrated by a reduced usage rate. Lowe even stated that of all of the stars in the league, Thompson's the least concerned about his legacy and public perception.
and turnovers. Although Russell Westbrook may have a chance at leading the league in all 3 too.Harden had his fourth 30 point/15 assist game of the season last night. There were only 3 of those last year.
He has a very legitimate chance of leading the league in both scoring and assists.
Pop is just a quality human being. It's not hard to see how he could easily become a father figure for so many players.Pop had a word or two as well: http://deadspin.com/gregg-popovich-blasts-donald-trumps-election-in-lengthy-1788886905
Steve Kerr on the election“I didn’t vote for (George W.) Bush, but he was a good, honorable man with whom I had political differences, so I didn’t vote for him. But for our country to be where we are now, who took a guy who — I don’t care what anyone says, I’m sure they have other reasons and maybe good reasons for voting for Donald Trump — but I don’t think anybody can deny this guy is openly and brazenly racist and misogynistic and ethnic-centric, and say, ‘That’s OK with us, we’re going to vote for him anyway.’
“We have just thrown a good part of our population under the bus, and I have problems with thinking that this is where we are as a country. It’s tough on (the team), we noticed it coming in. Everybody was a little quiet, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe the game the other night.’ And so we talked about that, but then Aron Baynes said, ‘I don’t think that’s why everybody’s quiet. It’s last night.’
[...]
“We just elected an openly, brazen misogynist leader and we should keep our mouths shut and realize that we need to be learning maybe from the rest of the world, because we don’t got anything to teach anybody.
“It’s embarrassing. I have been ashamed of a lot of things that have happened in this country, but I can’t say I’ve ever been ashamed of our country until today. Until today. We all have to find our way to move forward, but that was — and I’m not even trying to make a political statement. To me, that’s beyond politics.
“You don’t get to come out and talk about people like that, and then lead our country and have millions of Americans embrace you. I’m having a hard time being with people. I’m going to walk into this arena tonight and realize that — especially in this state — most of these people voted for the guy. Like, (expletive), I don’t have any respect for that. I don’t.
Quite different than what we got from NFL coaches who make their living off of black labor.“It’s tough when you want there to be some respect and dignity and there hasn’t been any and then you walk into a room with your daughter and your wife, who’ve basically been insulted by his comments, and they’re distraught,” Kerr said. “And you walk in and you see the faces of your players, most of them who have been insulted directly as minorities, it’s sort of shocking. It really is. We talked about it as a team this morning. I don’t know what else to say.”
I always loved this player. He's still only 21 and seen his scoring avg go from 16 to 21 to now over 26 per game. He has finally gone from having great potential as a 3-point shooter with good mechanics, quick release, etc to someone capable of being a 40%+ shooter from out there.A new career high 47 for Andrew Wiggins tonight. The Baby Wolves are as advertised; not very good but really fun to watch because you just kind of get excited when some of their guys do good stuff. Reminds me of the Thunder with Durant/Westbrook/Harden when they were only winning 30 games but you just KNEW these guys were going to be good.
If you look at the playoffs game-by-game you'll see that Love wasn't a difference maker in ANY of their wins so I'd have to say yes they do win last year without Love. He was an afterthought in the finals against Golden State often times being relinquished to the bench in favor of better matchups and in his two big games against Toronto the Cavs won each by 30+ points.Does Cleveland win it all last year without Love? Hard to say definitively, but Love didn't do much in the playoff run. Gotta think they would like a shot at a do-over. At least they got (at least) one championship out of it though.
Ummm, you are clearly forgetting something:If you look at the playoffs game-by-game you'll see that Love wasn't a difference maker in ANY of their wins so I'd have to say yes they do win last year without Love. He was an afterthought in the finals against Golden State often times being relinquished to the bench in favor of better matchups and in his two big games against Toronto the Cavs won each by 30+ points.
Cowards. Didn't want to risk it on Celtics night a few days before.Spurs retiring Duncan jersey on Dec 18 v Pelicans
Different also from Phil Jackson's riff, channeling Pat Riley, about Lebron's "posse".Stan Van Gundy on Trump
http://deadspin.com/stan-van-gundy-on-trumps-victory-we-have-just-thrown-1788776765
Steve Kerr on the election
Quite different than what we got from NFL coaches who make their living off of black labor.
You are obviously forgetting that the most important play in the series for the Cavs involved Kevin Love. . . . (see below).If you look at the playoffs game-by-game you'll see that Love wasn't a difference maker in ANY of their wins so I'd have to say yes they do win last year without Love. He was an afterthought in the finals against Golden State often times being relinquished to the bench in favor of better matchups and in his two big games against Toronto the Cavs won each by 30+ points.
In my clipps defense, you don't break your fall by pulling a guy's neck down with youI want to like the Clippers but they are one cheeky team. Getting spanked by Memphis at home tonight and letting frustration get the best of them.