Carmelo Zone: Players who score an astronomical amount of points, but
don’t improve the performance of the team, because they don’t or can’t
do anything else, especially on defense. They are empty calorie players, and their
game lacks fiber and protein.

There are several players throughout the history of basketball who fall
under this category.

Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Adrian Dantley, World B Free, Dominique Wilkins,
etc. You see where I’m going here. Those are some serious scorers and some
are even top 75, but all were shit on defense and didn’t really make their teams
better.

I’m starting to believe Derozan fits in this category. In Toronto, the raptors constantly
came up short in the POs, and the Spurs went backwards after he was traded to
the team. He is an outstanding scorer, but he is a rag doll on defense, and I’m
not seeing any leadership skills from him.

Our big three are Carmelo Zone players... Lavine, Vucch, and Derozan are elite offensive players, but other than scoring points, they are seriously empty in
other aspects of the game. It’s very, very frustrating to watch. And I know
it’s frustrating for Billy to watch. Three allStar players should not be immensely
paper thin on defense.

Don’t let that score fool you, the Suns doo-doo’d all over us....and no one fears us.

ALL HAIL THE KING of LOSING: LEBRON
Bulls | Bears | White Sox | Yankees | Notre Dame | Illinois | Chelsea | Real Madrid

---------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't understand it without an explanation

you can't understand it with an explanation

lol

Iverson: “How in the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing? Reporter: “So they can be used to playing with you.” Iverson: “They should be used to playing with me. Those are my teammates.

Dude didn’t even want to practice with his teammates.

And he had zero leadership skills.

ALL HAIL THE KING of LOSING: LEBRON
Bulls | Bears | White Sox | Yankees | Notre Dame | Illinois | Chelsea | Real Madrid

AI was a #1 overall pick
= Team was trash
Took a group of others to the finals 5 years later
That is literally improving the team.

---------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't understand it without an explanation

you can't understand it with an explanation

melo I sorta agree, it’s funny how he’s in better shape now than he was for most of his prime

Dude came into every season doughy as hell (except the years the Olympics took place ). and would play himself into shape by February


Still one of my favorite players though

>lol
>
>Iverson: “How in the hell can I make my teammates better by
>practicing? Reporter: “So they can be used to playing with
>you.” Iverson: “They should be used to playing with me.
>Those are my teammates.
>
>Dude didn’t even want to practice with his teammates.
>
>And he had zero leadership skills.

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

Funny, in November and December when DeRozan was an MVP candidate,
nobody was talking about "empty calorie scoring".

The Bulls lose their best two defenders and (as expected) play .500 ball in January/February, and all of a sudden the sky is falling.

Once healthy, the Bulls are a very competitive team.

https://digife.com

There shouldn’t be such a huge drop-off defensively when there are
three allStar players in the starting lineup. We are giving up close
to 130 points a night no matter who we play.

The team has been exposed. The Bulls only want to go point for point, and not
look to get stops.

1 All star Center
2 All star guards

Ball and Caruso cover up the defensive deficiencies of our top 3 players,
and they possess better leadership skills.

Derozan just wants to midrange all game long and not do the tough
work on the other end, same as Lavine and Vuuch

Even in our victories we give up 115-120.

This shit is bad, bro.

Suns were up by 26 at one point and took their foot off the pedal....

ALL HAIL THE KING of LOSING: LEBRON
Bulls | Bears | White Sox | Yankees | Notre Dame | Illinois | Chelsea | Real Madrid

Wonder who said that.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

But, yeah, there is a huge focking drop off

ALL HAIL THE KING of LOSING: LEBRON
Bulls | Bears | White Sox | Yankees | Notre Dame | Illinois | Chelsea | Real Madrid

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

watching him try to console bron and ad almost brought tears to my eyes.

this shit is really sad.

To people like US, a record is a piece of history. A moment in time.
Most people don't get it.

Except because of Russ there’s no moves that can be made until Brons contract is up anyway.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Oh wait, that was Giannis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

No defensive resistance whatsoever.

-->

..We've all seen what happens when any team decides they're not gonna be a doormat on defense.

Protect the paint, rotate on the perimeter, secure rebounds. All of that leads to a much better flow in traffic and space to run. I'm not worried about shooting (its not just Westbrook). The Lakers are inconsistent from the perimeter and horrible at the line. Even when they find a rhythm and shots start falling, they're so far behind that every effort is wasted just trying to make a respectable game of it.

This isn't Laker basketball. This isn't on one player, its on the entire roster. It starts with Bron. Whomever wants to put on that jersey and claim to be the leader better bring that smoke and demand it from everyone, every night. This nice shit needs to end. I respect Vogel for trying to allow them to "play into a better rhythm," but its time to light a fire on the defensive end. Fuck it, let Howard be the bad guy (since he loves playing that role). Use those fucking fouls.

Fuck a trade. No one wants to join a team with no identity.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

>..We've all seen what happens when any team decides they're
>not gonna be a doormat on defense.
>
>Protect the paint, rotate on the perimeter, secure rebounds.
>All of that leads to a much better flow in traffic and space
>to run. I'm not worried about shooting (its not just
>Westbrook). The Lakers are inconsistent from the perimeter and
>horrible at the line. Even when they find a rhythm and shots
>start falling, they're so far behind that every effort is
>wasted just trying to make a respectable game of it.
>
>This isn't Laker basketball. This isn't on one player, its on
>the entire roster. It starts with Bron. Whomever wants to put
>on that jersey and claim to be the leader better bring that
>smoke and demand it from everyone, every night. This nice shit
>needs to end. I respect Vogel for trying to allow them to
>"play into a better rhythm," but its time to light a fire on
>the defensive end. Fuck it, let Howard be the bad guy (since
>he loves playing that role). Use those fucking fouls.
>
>Fuck a trade. No one wants to join a team with no identity.

I feel like part of it is roster construction some of which falls on Pelinka.

At the start of the season I thought we were weak at the forward spots and with Carmelo out we're forced to rely on 40y/o Ariza and Stanley Johnson who we signed out of the G league.

Vogel for whatever reason has fell in love with these 3 guard lineups which may be good on offense but get killed defensively and on the boards.

And our guards aren't that good, Russ is Russ, Monk has been solid, THT is a disaster that nobody talks about because everyone is focused on Russ.

Our centers are suddenly unplayable. Its just a weird state of affairs.

I try to be optimistic and still say if we get to the playoffs with a healthy Bron and AD I like our chances against anyone but we'll see.

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

>..We've all seen what happens when any team decides they're
>not gonna be a doormat on defense.
>
>Protect the paint, rotate on the perimeter, secure rebounds.
>All of that leads to a much better flow in traffic and space
>to run. I'm not worried about shooting (its not just
>Westbrook). The Lakers are inconsistent from the perimeter and
>horrible at the line. Even when they find a rhythm and shots
>start falling, they're so far behind that every effort is
>wasted just trying to make a respectable game of it.
>
>This isn't Laker basketball. This isn't on one player, its on
>the entire roster. It starts with Bron. Whomever wants to put
>on that jersey and claim to be the leader better bring that
>smoke and demand it from everyone, every night. This nice shit
>needs to end. I respect Vogel for trying to allow them to
>"play into a better rhythm," but its time to light a fire on
>the defensive end. Fuck it, let Howard be the bad guy (since
>he loves playing that role). Use those fucking fouls.
>
>Fuck a trade. No one wants to join a team with no identity.
>
>
>*skatin' the rings of saturn*
>
>
>..and miles to go before i sleep...



Part of the defensive issue is they can't really defend on the perimeter. That leads to an inability to protect the paint and forces rotations which all players clearly aren't equally vested in doing consistently. It has to be a total team effort. It can't be about guys simply being out there to get their numbers while playing matador, look like I'm trying style defense.

Stanley Johnson has been a good pickup. Even Reaves tries on D. There's something to be said about young legs being on the court even if they're not all world defenders. I guess we can pick up more youth in the 2030 draft by the time this disaster is over.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

but yeah, my bulls can score with the best of them but missing caruso, lonzo and jones jr leaves us with little perimeter/point of attack defense. we can't stop anyone. beating a good team is almost impossible now.

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

Of course - that one GOT worse with the Kobe injury, but this has just been so dismal. That said, if you told me in 2018 that Lebron would come, we would win a title, and also struggle for a few of those years - I'd take it in a heartbeat.

I'm definitely worried about the post-Bron era though. It's looking pretty bleak.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

The farther away we get from it, the less significant it feels (not talking about the memory of it, I mean Lebron & Co. basically won a blitzed 2.5 month-long tournament that year)

If for no other reason (and there are other reasons) other than it happening the year Kobe died.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

Bigger asterisk than ‘99

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

They won it all for Kobe as emotions were high after his tragic passing. Every team dealt with the same adversity. It was sort of a LOST island 'chip with unforeseen obstacles that everyone had to hurdle. Many cited it as one of the most difficult environments to win in. Multiple players have said that playing in the bubble was one of the biggest challenges they've faced in their career.

Any franchise would want to have that banner in their rafters. If there's an asterisk next to it - it's for high degree of difficulty.

-->

lol @ trying to spin the bubble like it was difficult.

both dame and anthony davis admitted that playing in the bubble was way easier than a normal season.

no crowd, no travel, shortened season (fresh legs), playing in the same location, defense lagging offense, practicing regularly, etc.

the first season in the modern stat tracking era that 3 pt shooting percentage went *up* in the postseason.

team offensive ratings were off the chart. like miami had a 115 off rating. that would have been guaranteed top 1 or 2 in the regular season (jazz are #1 with 115 right now). it was 7th in the bubble lol.

niggas like tj warren, brook lopez, michael porter jr looked all world in the bubble.

tj warren was the 1st 50+ pt game in the bubble. he had only scored 40 pts once in 2017.

rondo looked like kyle korver from 3 in the bubble lol.

cmon fam.

that shit was a glorified prep invitational tournament. stop tryna hype it up to save brons lakers legacy.

But it doesn't track with the reality on the ground at the time.

Kevin Durant when asked about the bubble:

“I think it will be respected for sure. Probably more respected. It’s tough for the boys in there. They’ve been away from everybody for that long. To be the last one standing? That’s going to be tough,” Durant said.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/09/07/nba-players-grapple-with-mental-health-inside-nba-bubble/5742849002/

"It’s like a trigger. I couldn’t imagine having to go out and perform and being away from your family in a bubble and going through those different traumas," Keyon Dooling, the NBA players union’s wellness counselor, told USA TODAY Sports. "It’s a lot to navigate. I think our guys have done a fantastic job with focusing on basketball, while giving enough focus to the realities that we experience on a daily basis. So I’m extremely proud of our guys for just being so resilient, vulnerable and tough with trying to make change in a positive way."

"The bubble got the best me", said Paul George. "I underestimated mental health," he said. "I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Us being locked in here, I just wasn’t there. I just checked out."

"I know exactly what Paul is going through," Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green said. "You have nothing to do but look at your phone and social media all day. All they are doing is bullying you. They are trying to get you to play well. So he was going through a rough stretch. I’m sure doors were closing in on him, and it was getting dark for him."

Silver recalls why so many NBA players sought psychologists in the bubble:

https://www.sportscasting.com/adam-silver-reveals-why-many-nba-players-requested-psychologists-in-the-bubble/

----

So you can try and minimize it all you want - but that bubble environment was a whole different animal - particularly from a mental health perspective. If you can't respect that 'chip then I don't know what to tell you.


-->

if it was so difficult then why did teams almost across the entire board play better and offensive production was so bonkers?

you got quotes from known headcases who complain about the conditions they play under every single year.

i got quotes too!

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1333967599877632003
-----
Dame says NBA games were "way easier" in the bubble.

(via @Dame_Lillard, @fatjoe)
-----

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1347304154750922759
-----
Jayson Tatum talks about certain players that balled out in the bubble

"I ain’t gon' say no names, but they were some people on the other teams...I’m like 'Hold on, they don’t normally play like that.'" 😂😂😂

(🎥 @NewEraCap | h/t @AhnFireDigital)
-----

https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/anthony_davis_shares_why_playing_in_nba_bubble_is_easier/s1_127_32985674
-----
“Some guys like the bubble because you don’t have the pressure from opposing fans, or even (home) fans,” Davis said after his Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 1 win in the NBA Finals. “Fans boo you if you’re not playing well, especially if you’re on the road, it can get to you. You have a little bit more ease here in the bubble not having to worry about any of that."
-----

i mean...if *anthony davis* is saying it was easier in there...

fam...the suns went *undefeated* in the bubble...after going .400 in the normal regular season lol.

once again...simple logic...common sense...if the bubble was so adverse and difficult to play in...then why was it so much easier for everyone to play better and drag offensive stats up to an unprecedented level?

give me a serious explanation please. thanks.

If your argument is that guys were making more shots in the bubble - then that applied to everyone. Nobody has any distinct advantage there.

Just the fact alone that you're wholly dismissing the mental and psychological challenges that players were going through at the time (not just because of playing/living in a bubble away from fam - but also in the aftermath of the Blake shooting and the height of the tension post George Floyd) - shows that you're not approaching this in good faith.

Lol @ referring to Adam Silver as a "known head case" though - that's a standout quote of the year.

-->

>Just the fact alone that you're wholly dismissing the mental
>and psychological challenges that players were going through

What psychological challenges? They were relaxed as ever and their games reflected it .

Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray went nuclear ☢️ lol all because they had zero wear and tear of travel 🧳 and “the grind”

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

>What psychological challenges? They were relaxed as ever and
>their games reflected it .

I already cited the sources. I'm simply reporting what Dooling & Silver have said about it - and what multiple players have said: that from a mental perspective, it was a significant challenge and a war of attrition. Not everyone was up for that.

>Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray went nuclear ☢️ lol all
>because they had zero wear and tear of travel 🧳 and “the
>grind”

That was the case for every single player; every single team. The playing field was leveled. But clearly not everyone went nuclear. The Clippers imploded - as did the Bucks. It was an environment nobody could prepare for.

If you want to write it off - enjoy. But that 'chip is historic.


-->

fax..

big fax... lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Seems like that was everyone's easiest path to the chip

Which means everyone else failed to get the "easy" one.

Correct?

eventually people accept the truth even if it take time for them to come around..


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

..top to bottom, these niggas soft.

They have no identity. No one's afraid to face them. They have size, speed, length, but can't play defense collectively.

• Where are the rebounds and blocks from Howard? On the bench.
• What happened to Bradley's defensive reputation?
• who are they waiting for?

This team said they needed time to find their rhythm. How much more time, mayne? © Terrence Howard

They might have issues with shooting, hell even the Warriors had issues with scoring. They still managed to keep pace, leveraging games with consistent defense.

This roster needs a savage mentality. Mamba would clown these fools.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

But they are who they are. It's not getting better after tomorrow.

Bron/AD are still an amazing duo. But I'm kinda just like...well, that's gonna be over soon, and if we're just clearing any and all assets right today? It's gonna be a LONG, LONG stretch post Lebron.

Hell, Kobe's achilles was 2013. We had all our picks, which allowed us to end up getting AD in 2019. That 6 years is gonna look pretty compared to the post Lebron era.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

..Bron clearly thinks he can win with this team, so go out and do it.

If the current flow/offense isn't working, change it up. Shots not falling? Go to the cup. Stop chasing the perimeter.

No one in the org is concerned about life after Bron. This is the fucking Lakers. Legacy in this organization means that championships are expected and earned. If Bron wants that jersey hanging in the rafters, he better step it up now.



*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

No Finals MVP for the Lakers isn't. 2020 earned him a spot - whether or not you think it should be there is sorta beside the point. He will be. There's no chance the Buss family doesn't have a top 3 player of all time up there.

The current team isn't working, and Bron clearly knows that. He and AD fucked up by pushing for this Westbrook trade (if they did that, anyhow). No way out of it now. I can't really fault Bron/AD's play, I can fault the roster construction. AD has been killing it since coming back - it's not on him.

Anyway.

This is all for nothing. This is another lost year. They just can't ignore the fact that Lebron is not long for this team - he's done the year after next and that's if we're lucky.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

>• Where are the rebounds and blocks from Howard? On the
>bench.

whenever dwight is in the game...he brings an attitude and toughness to the team.

plus hes flat out more useful than bum ass deandre jordan.

it makes no sense that vogel barely plays him. especially when hes giving minutes to dj instead.

..you're absolutely right about the attitude he brings (even if he can be corny about it).

He grabs rebounds, blocks shots, and knocks down FTs. He can run with anyone on the floor.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

This dude is literally out here playing his heart out in year 19 - what else you want from this dude? He already delivered a 'chip and is playing MVP level basketball for the past two seasons.

You seem to put everything on Klutch/LeBron - nothing on the Lakers organization.

Remember when they could've traded THT as a feature to the Lowry trade? That's Bron's fault too? Who ultimately signed off on all these moves?

Russ move has been a disaster - but that's far from the only front office blunder the Lakers have botched.

-->

..and that starts with Bron.

Sure, he continues playing at an elite level. He can score anytime he wants. That's great, but they're losing games because they're lethargic on defense. No one on this team is playing consistent defense. Davis has shown he can grab boards and block shots when motivated. That should be every night. A team with AD and Howard should have 50 rebs a game, easy.

*Granted, I give Bron credit for taking responsibility (he owns his mistakes on the court, esp in coverage), but that's not enough when you're known for making players better. That's clearly not enough as a Laker.

With Bron, AD, and Howard they have the ability to punish teams on both ends of the court. Make them put Howard on the line, its a bucket either way. There's no excuse for playing poor defense with those 3 on the roster.

This roster doesn't seem to understand that Showtime wasn't just about running the break and looking cool. The Lakers made you earn every bucket. Teams throw up shots and expect to get offensive rebounds against the Lakeshow 'cause they barely crash the boards and wait for the ball to come to them. Those 2nd & 3rd attempts add up in the 3rd qtr. They're not shooting well enough as a team to keep pace from the perimeter, so they need to get stops. What happened to holding teams to 100 pts or less? All that size and nothing to show for it.

I never said it was all on him, but he's clearly the leader of the team, so lead by example and let niggas know this bullshit defensive effort stops now. He did all that bullshit posturing during that game against Memphis where he was upset about the chirping coming from them. Even had the audacity to show them that he can get to the cup anytime he wants.

Cool story, bro, but guess what? THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK. And they continue to not give a fuck and kept talking shit, kept scoring, kept winning. Perhaps he should save some of that tough talk for his own teammates? They can clearly use some motivation.

I asked whether Pelinka or Klutch was responsible for this roster, noting Bron's obvious influence. THT ain't it, mayne. © Terrence Howard.

Reaves gives the most consistent effort on defense. Think about that.

Again, I'm not saying its all on Bron, but his play don't mean shit if the Lakers get blown out in the 3rd qtr of every game.

EVERY GAME.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

But ultimately - Rob Pelinka is there making millions for a reason. He's the guy who is tasked to put together the roster - the responsibility falls on the front office, not the players. Sure, Bron and AD have influence - but the best execs in the league know that it's their job to put rosters together - because ultimately the success or failure of those rosters will fall on them - and that's the way it should be/has to be.

-->

lazy, unmotivated, uncommitted. i can deal w/ whatever the record will be but only Melo, Malik and Reaves really give it 100% every single night and have positive energy. nobody else is digging deep enough

<--- Big Baller World Order

>That said, if you told me in 2018
>that Lebron would come, we would win a title, and also
>struggle for a few of those years - I'd take it in a
>heartbeat.

this year is looking like a wash, its not on one person, multiple peole are at fault, Bron, Vogel, Pelinka, the same guys that made it happen for the championship in 2020 so it is what it is.

Us Lakers fans are spoiled and expect to compete for a title every year but that's just not realistic.

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

>Our big three are Carmelo Zone players... Lavine, Vucch, and
>Derozan are elite offensive players, but other than scoring
>points, they are seriously empty in
>other aspects of the game. It’s very, very frustrating to
>watch. And I know
>it’s frustrating for Billy to watch.

I guess they're not drawing similarities to Jordan/Pippen anymore either.

___________________

Mar-A-Lago delenda est

and leading the MVP race.

Right now?

He is out there looking like Smush Parker.

Performances fluctuate.

ALL HAIL THE KING of LOSING: LEBRON
Bulls | Bears | White Sox | Yankees | Notre Dame | Illinois | Chelsea | Real Madrid

Had a solid debut against San Antonio. It's early, but I can really see him working out in this offense just because of his (offensive) ability to get people off Darius Garland's ass. Already had a nice set up for Jarrett Allen, just like the good ol' Nets days. The way he was used tonight kind of makes me think of how Lamar Stevens (aka Diet Okoro) is used, but Caris has way more advanced offense than either he or Okoro. Darius Garland called him "The Missing Piece".

Speaking of Okoro, his shooting motion has gotten way better. hit a couple of key 3s tonight.

Rondo might be on the last ride but I greatly prefer what he gives as far as setting other players up. A lot of Rondo/Garland and Rondo/LeVert, sometimes Rondo/Garland/LeVert with Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen tonight.

Darius Garland played again tonight. Had 27pts/6ast/5rebs in 30 minutes of play. Man, the offense is SO different when he's in there.

Garland was also on a podcast(?) hosted by Braymond. You know, I almost don't dislike that jabroni when he's not in a Warriors uniform. He will almost certainly be the "Charles Barkley" of the future. Bray had nothing but good things to say about DG. The hoopers love this guy.

Cedi was good again tonight, but dude is streaky...


Kevin Pangos, the $15 guy on the roster is off to Russia for 2 years. I bet Koby Altman was like, "if you don't gitcho ass outta here, you about to be traded". Might have played his last game as a Cavalier tonight. I think Dylan Windler is about to be on that block. Possibly paired with that Sexton exception or the McGee exception to make the final move before the deadline (if Cavs opt for it).

Sexton? I don't think he will, but it looks like he might get Ron Harper'd...if LeVert really takes off. Personally, I would just like to have him for "just in case" purposes, and for an offensive option that's more consistent. If the Cavs decide to cut beat early, it's going to have to be a sign and trade. I think he either gets QO or a "prove it" contract in the offseason. The question then will be, will Sexton be more geared for "hero ball" or "winning ball". I never saw him as a Tank Commander, even at his worst. My hope is that he at least takes on the "KCP" role.

Above all, the Cavs could probably use a legit wing that guards 2/3/4 (and maybe 5) that can shoot -- the unicorn every team seems to want. And possibly a backup center. Doesn't have to be a budget Jarrett Allen but someone sort of like JaVale McGee was for the Cavs.

I think if Rajon decides to hang it up, he might come hang around with the Cavs in some capacity afterward. He has frequently been the voice speaking to the press about the progress of the team. It's surreal, for a guy who is essentially an emergency rental on the roster sheet to take this much to a team.

If I haven't mentioned it before, one of the Cavs assistant coaches is a former Philadelphia Eagle WR, J.J. Outlaw.

Truly The People's Team of Basketball.

Yes, I'm mad. Let's move on.

Jays | Cavs | Eagles | Sabres | Tarheels

PSN: Dr_Claw_77 | XBL: Dr Claw 077 | FB: drclaw077 | T: @drclaw77 | http://thepeoplesvault.wordpress.com

*that "not bad"-Paul Rudd gif*

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

Blazers 28 points off of Lakers 21 turnovers... ball game..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Ways you can overcome poor shooting:

• go to the basket
• control rebounds (both ends of the court)
• tenacious defense

When you follow those simple guidelines, you give yourself a chance to win any game, against any opponent.

With at least one elite player capable of creating their own shot, you remain a threat and extremely competitive.

The Lakers have two elite players and a bunch of excuses for everyone else.

Westbrook might be struggling, but he's not alone. He shows up every game, ready to play. Who else can claim that? He's taken the criticism in stride. He's from LA. This fool put up 20/20/21 against the same Lakers roster that eventually won a championship. That man has never quit on a team. Its not his fault that they can't find a collective rhythm. He doesn't set the pace, that's Bron & AD.

They've been lost the entire 1st half of the season. Chasing their own mistakes every 3rd qtr. Can't knock down FTs. Talent will never be enough. What happened to the team who's leader saw the pandemic as an opportunity to build and bond?

You must practice to win in this league, to develop chemistry. You play like you practice. This team doesn't practice hard and it shows.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

The Russ move was clearly horrible and probably kneecapped the franchise but there was a time it felt like any players would work around these two.

Nope.

Honestly it just gives me a lot more appreciation for the front offices who build around two complementary stars.

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17x NBA Champions