Hardwood and round holes 2K18

[Keyrock]

14 in a row for the Celtics.  It's early in the year, so it's not necessarily a preview of what we will see in the playoffs, but it;s impressive nonetheless.  The gruesome Gordon Hayward injury could wind up being a blessing in disguise if he manages to come back this year.  Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum have had to play a lot more minutes because of this and they have impressed, especially Jaylen Brown.  I really like what I see from him.  Imagine if Hayward comes back in March, just in time to shake the rust off and gel with the team for the playoffs.  The Celtics could be a really scary team to play come April and May.

 

If nothing else, Brad Stevens is a terrific coach.  He may be the best coach not named Gregg Popovich right now.

[Volourn]

Celts at edoing great. Though, I don't know why people are trying to annoit Irving as MVP as it is very arguable he isn't even the MVP of the team.  Theya re 2-0 basically without him.  He is just one of many cogs. He hasn't even shot as well as he can. Actually, I know why. It is so the anti Lebrons can rub it in Lebron's face even though it is clear that James is a way more valuable player than Irving. LMAO

[Guard Dog]

The heady optimism of the first week of the season has given way to the cold realities of a team both too old or too young in Memphis. Last night they suffered their second savage beating at the hands of the Rockets in as many weeks.  

[Leferd]

Fizdale fired. TAKE THAT FOR DATA!

[Guard Dog]

Fizdale fired. TAKE THAT FOR DATA!

Guard Dog: Well, at least Wallace can't screw this team up any more than he has.

Chris Wallace: Oh yeah? Watch this!

 

Marc Gasol is 6 of 17 the other night. Utterly ineffective. And he has been for a while now. The team is buried in a seven game losing streak, Conley is hurt, Chandler Parsons has never NOT been hurt (when was the last time he had half the minutes in a game on the floor?) and the only two guys who seem to hustle are a no name rookie (Dillon Brooks) and a middle of the road power forward (Jamichael Green). They absolutely croak in the 2nd half, Gasol rants to the media and now Fizdale gets fired? Last year this team out performed expectations. They have been a team in decline for a while now. Bad drafts, bad free agent picks (Parsons) and bad upper management. Only two things have kept the Grizz relevant, Conley and decent coaching. Conley is out, has been for 8 games and the Grizz lost seven of those because the "veteran" leadership of Gasol & Parsons is MIA.

 

Ah screw it. 93 days until Spring Training.

[Volourn]

If a team loses 8 games in arow, the coach  can be deemed 'ineffective' as well. Also, if the coach had given an actual explaination to benching Gasol  he might have gotten away with it. Or if the benching actually made the team better which it doesn't. Sucks for the coach but that's life.

 

 

That said, I'm dissapointed that some people (not you) are trying to make this a racial issue because a (white) player complained about a (black) coach benching him then the coach promptly got fired. Race has nothing to do with it. Sometimes, when it comes down to star player vs coach, the coach sometimes lsoes. Normally the coach wins. But just ask the ex CLE coach who got fired after his team went to the Finals. L0L nobody even hinted at  there being a 'racial' reason despite it being a (black) player supposedly getting a (white) coach fired. That said, I don't blame Gasol for the firing. Just  a management that is shellshocked and made a panic move.

[Guard Dog]

Yeah the Memphis newspaper is making a very big deal about the racist angle right now. I think it's literally made up from thin air. And I doubt Gasol wanted Fizdale fired. Gasol is playing like crap and did not suffer his justified benching gladly and shot his mouth off to the press. It was Wallace and the front office Clown College who fired Fizdale. Hardly their first act of self sabotage. Yes the team is playing badly but there are reasons for that, none of which are Fizdale's fault. But he's the one to be served up for sacrifice. He's hardly the first coach that has happened to.

 

But for the Grizz I predict this will be the beginning of a total death spiral.

[Leferd]

Fizdale will likely find another HC job next year. He didn't deserve it, but the Grizzlies just aren't a good basketball team. Conley is the ninth best lead guard and Gasol is starting to decline.

 

It's probably Doc's turn next.

[Hurlshort]

Warriors lost the the Kings, so it is probably time to fire Steve Kerr.

[Leferd]

Burning my Popovich/Kerr 2020 t-shirt.

[ShadySands]

Jokic is doing pretty good for us. Just wish we had a better squad to support him

[Guard Dog]

11 in a row now.....

 

[ShadySands]

Turkish Prosecutors Seek 4-Year Enes Kanter Prison Term for Insulting President

 

Kanter later told Ian Begley of ESPN he isn't worried about the sentence, adding: "That's it? For all of the trash I've been talking?"

 

In May, Kanter was detained at a Romanian airport and told that his Turkish passport was canceled.

 

Kanter, who is a supporter of Erdogan opponent Fethullah Gulen, said the detainment and passport cancellation had to do with his political views.

 

Turkish leaders believe Gulen was behind a failed 2016 military coup.

 

In June, Kanter said his father, Mehmet, was arrested by Turkish authorities due to the Knicks center's views.

[Volourn]

 L0L Turkey L0L

[Leferd]

Enes Kanter vs. Joel Embiid was kinda fun.

[Guard Dog]

There has never been a time when there were no "big personalities" in the NBA. No marketable superstars. There certainly are several now but perhaps not as many as 20 years ago in the era of Magic, Bird, Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar. But the NBA seems to be waxing where the NFL is waning. Does anyone thing the NBA is in a new "golden age"?

 

http://www.realclearlife.com/sports/nba-ratings-soar-nfl-flounders/

[ShadySands]

Football is my first love but I've always thought the NBA was just easier to consume with its generally faster gameplay and shorter games and broader international appeal

[Leferd]

 

The Harden Schadenfreude is strong in my family.

[Leferd]

https://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/29/lakers-air-grievances-in-team-meeting-as-frustration-mounts/

 

EL SEGUNDO – The Lakers held a team meeting Thursday, where players were free to air their grievances about the state of the team, including “the business of the organization,” said Brandon Ingram.

 

“Hopefully we think about what we said to each other,” Ingram said. “What we said to the coaches and that the coaches have listened to what we said. Hopefully we can take it into practice, into games and just get better.”

 

Last week veteran center Andrew Bogut said he would be “lying to say that there are guys that are not frustrated on this team.”

 

Plans to chase two maximum-level free agents next summer have made certain players uneasy about their futures with the team; Julius Randle has watched his minutes plummet; and the Lakers (11-22) are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and have lost seven of their last eight games.

 

Well, at least the Lakers are getting into the true spirit of Festivus with their airing of grievances.

[ShadySands]

LeBron and who is the second one?

[Leferd]

Paul George. Whatever the case, they'll have massive salary cap space.

[Keyrock]

 

The Harden Schadenfreude is strong in my family.

That was amazing and hilarious, and I like Harden.

[Keyrock]

One thing's for sure, Danny Ainge hit a home run when he lured Brad Stevens away from Butler 4 years ago.  The NBA is a player-driven league, but a good coach still makes a difference and Brad Stevens is one of the best, if not THE best coaches in the league right now.  He is good at every single facet of coaching: Training, managing egos, preparation and game planning, conditioning, making adjustements during the game, choosing the right lineup, and play calling.  His teams have exceeded expectations every year he he's been coach.  You keep this man under contract as long as you possibly can, if you're the Celtics.

Edited December 30, 2017 by Keyrock

[Volourn]

Yet they'll never win a championship while he is coach. EPIC FAIL.

[Keyrock]

Yet they'll never win a championship while he is coach. EPIC FAIL.

That remains to be seen.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯