2013-14 - Around the League Thread

[MHSL82]

Dwight Howard's Florida driver's license suspended for outstanding red-light ticket - ESPN

 

[MHSL82]

By the way, I will start a new Around the League Thread when the first pre-season game starts in October.

I will also pick a team other than the Jazz to follow. I had the Houston Rockets in 2012 (Jeremy Lin), Phoenix Suns in 2013 (Hornacek), and 2014? Any suggestions? I could go with the Lakers (Lin) or Knicks (Jackson and I-Used-My-Daughter's-Illness-to-Move-Farther-Away-From-Her-Treatment-Fisher). No, not following the Pelicans.

 

[MHSL82]

They say this every year; I'll believe it when I see it. I mean, two in a row is rare, so if not winning it twice in a row is "slippage" fine. But if they are talking about not being the favorites or top three come playoff time, I disagree.

They are already ready to make a difficult transition from Duncan and Pops. A drop off once Pops leaves, but they have it set, unless they decide to tank again. Which then, they are set for longer.

San Antonio Spurs overrated in NBA Future Power Rankings - NBA - ESPN

BTW: I don't have Insider anymore after they couldn't help me with my free Insider with ESPN magazine. I just read the title.

 

[nuraman00]

No, not following the Pelicans.

Why did you dismiss them as a possibility?

 

[MHSL82]

Why did you dismiss them as a possibility?

Their name and the semi-annual suggestion by the media that they take our Jazz name, though that has died down ever since the Hornets name went back to Charlotte. (Utah is the bees state, even have a minor league team named after them.)

 

[nuraman00]

I was wondering why the OP was blank.

It turns out the embedded image doesn't exist on the server anymore.

 

[nuraman00]

Their name and the semi-annual suggestion by the media that they take our Jazz name, though that has died down ever since the Hornets name went back to Charlotte. (Utah is the bees state, even have a minor league team named after them.)

Clintonite33 took his kids to the Salt Lake Bees games a few years ago.

He still might be doing that this year.

 

[MHSL82]

Kobe comment on Williams playoffs performance vs Miami

"In a feature with Sports Illustrated over the summer, Bryant referenced Deron Williams's 0-9 game against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the worst shooting performance of Williams's career. Bryant said Williams, who dealt with ankle injuries all of last season, "psyched himself out". "‘I would go 0-30 before I would go 0-9," Bryant said. "0-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game, because Deron Williams can get more shots in the game. The only reason is because you've just now lost confidence in yourself.’"

Williams response"

"I'm a point guard," Williams said about adopting Bryant's mentality. "If I'm 0-for-fucking-9, I'm not shooting 20 more shots. Not going to happen. I'm a point guard. I'm going to find somebody else. Kobe Bryant, that's what he's supposed to do. He's got that mentality. That works for him, I got my mentality, it works for me."

 

[nuraman00]

Kobe comment on Williams playoffs performance vs Miami

"In a feature with Sports Illustrated over the summer, Bryant referenced Deron Williams's 0-9 game against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the worst shooting performance of Williams's career. Bryant said Williams, who dealt with ankle injuries all of last season, "psyched himself out". "‘I would go 0-30 before I would go 0-9," Bryant said. "0-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game, because Deron Williams can get more shots in the game. The only reason is because you've just now lost confidence in yourself.’"

Williams response"

"I'm a point guard," Williams said about adopting Bryant's mentality. "If I'm 0-for-fucking-9, I'm not shooting 20 more shots. Not going to happen. I'm a point guard. I'm going to find somebody else. Kobe Bryant, that's what he's supposed to do. He's got that mentality. That works for him, I got my mentality, it works for me."

I like the specific use of profanity.

Smart, thoughtful response too.

Thanks for posting this, I hadn't seen it before.

 

[MHSL82]

Did LeBron James Have His Hairline Fixed? | Bleacher Report

 

[MHSL82]

What was a Popovich fined for that one time for resting his players? I mean, since then it seems it's been openly done by other teams with no outrage, including the Spurs. What is the distinction? Either fine all times or none.

Cleveland Cavaliers open to regularly resting LeBron James during season - ESPN

 

[nuraman00]

What was a Popovich fined for that one time for resting his players? I mean, since then it seems it's been openly done by other teams with no outrage, including the Spurs. What is the distinction? Either fine all times or none.

Cleveland Cavaliers open to regularly resting LeBron James during season - ESPN

NBA fines San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for sitting players - ESPN

 

[MHSL82]

What was a Popovich fined for that one time for resting his players? I mean, since then it seems it's been openly done by other teams with no outrage, including the Spurs. What is the distinction? Either fine all times or none.

Cleveland Cavaliers open to regularly resting LeBron James during season - ESPN

NBA fines San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for sitting players - ESPN

"The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case," Stern said in a statement. "The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."

....

The league's statement said the Spurs were in violation of league policy reviewed with the board of governors in April 2010 against resting players in a manner "contrary to the best interests of the NBA."

...

The Cleveland Cavaliers rested a healthy James for four straight games at the end of the 2009-10 regular season. Owners discussed the issue later that week at a meeting in New York, and Stern reported that there was "no conclusion reached, other than a number of teams thought it should be at the sole discretion of the team, the coach, the general manager, and I think it's fair to say I agree with that, unless that discretion is abused."

...

He was both praised and ripped for the way he navigated the lockout schedule last season, twice surrendering 11-game winning streaks by playing without his Big Three. Even those who didn't like it conceded that a coach who had won four championships with what's long been considered the NBA's model organization probably knew what he was doing, and more defense came Thursday night.

...

"If the NBA punishes the Spurs for sitting players, it opens up a huge can of worms," he wrote on Twitter. "This is a serious legal challenge for the league."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't think the penalty would keep teams from resting players.

"I don't like it," he said. "It's a tough one. You've got to coach your team to win in the long run and you have to do whatever you need to do. If that's sitting players, you sit players."

...

The league has an expectation that fans paying hundreds of dollars should get what they paid for. On Friday, the Phoenix Suns announced a "satisfaction guaranteed night" next Thursday against Dallas, offering fans a rebate if they didn't enjoy their experience in what the team called a first-of-its-kind promotion in the league.

But nobody buying a ticket can be assured of seeing his/her favorite players. The Heat occasionally sat their superstars late last season for what the organization termed a "maintenance program," and a late-season matchup against the Celtics included the following DNPs: James, Wade, Bosh and Boston's Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

...

With Stern reaching in now, does he reach that far? Or are there be a separate set of guidelines depending on the calendar?

The league wouldn't clear that up, not commenting beyond its statement. The Spurs were unavailable Friday after the long trip.

They were resting.

 

[MHSL82]

It sounds like how many players and when they sit and notice to the other team are the factors. It's 24 hours? What if you are playing back-to-back? Can you notify in the middle of the game to give as few hours notice to the other team? It sounded like all the rules were to injured players and notification as soon as you know. Do you fake report injuries? How soon do you know a player in healthy but not playing? What if he would play if Dallas wins an earlier in the day game but a Dallas loss clinched their seed?

 

[MHSL82]

Jeremy Lin Has Become Not Only Kobe Bryant's Teammate, but His Pupil | Bleacher Report

 

[MHSL82]

Paul George Shows Mobility in 1-on-1 Game with His Dog | Bleacher Report

 

[nuraman00]

Blake Griffin -- ALLEGEDLY BITCH-SLAPPED CLUBGOER ... Cops Investigating | TMZ.com