(01-18-2022, 10:16 AM)Tyler Wrote: [ -> ]https://twitter.com/theathleticnba/statu...35904?s=21
What a mess. Lebron is great, obviously. But things are going to get ugly when the eventual drop in play happens for him. He is not a guy who will age gracefully when he is not a top 10 player any longer imo. He will probably handle it better than Jordan, but it still won't look pretty. It is LAL, so they typically find a way to rebuild on the run, but things could get really ugly there in the next year or 2.
Chicagojk
What a mess. Lebron is great, obviously. But things are going to get ugly when the eventual drop in play happens for him. He is not a guy who will age gracefully when he is not a top 10 player any longer imo. He will probably handle it better than Jordan, but it still won't look pretty. It is LAL, so they typically find a way to rebuild on the run, but things could get really ugly there in the next year or 2.
(01-17-2022, 11:21 PM)Tyler Wrote: [ -> ]Unbelievably, it went way beyond that statement.
https://twitter.com/michaelsobolik/statu...1656897540
Remember his words the next time you look at how the Chinese market ridiculously skews the All-Star vote towards Warriors players. He's clearly in bed with the Chinese government, and he doesn't care because it makes him rich.
Having friends that were missionaries in that part of the world to the Uyghur people, and then got out right before it started careening down the hill, what they are doing to them is horrible. One friend talked about getting a phone call from the wife of a Uyghur friend who worked with him at the feed store where he worked. CCP army had broken into their house in the middle of the night, taken her husband away with no explanation. She wanted my friend to do what he could to help. Since he was an American, she thought he might be able to do something.
I don't think the man ever returned home before they left the area because it was getting too dangerous. The fact that this person would say that, shows that the NBA is nothing more than a virtue signaling quagmire of greed and self-importance at the top, adn all this "social justice" stuff that they have worked so hard to brand themselves as is not because they love people, it's because they have been told by their marketing specialists that this is an opportunity to make money and when it gets down to it, that's what they love and that's the root of all kinds of evil, I'm told.
@"TXBamanut", no doubt the NBA's core value is profit, but there were other things going on regarding social justice here in the U.S. that I think motivated the NBA to take a stance, rather than just profit; the primary of which, is that the players wanted the NBA to be involved in the justice concerns of people of color. The NBA is at least somewhat of a partnership. I think it's great that the players were heard.
If you want to take some higher profile players to task for being interested in justice for their own folks, but not for folks in China (and the disinterest be based on profit), then I understand your point. But I think you overstate your point when you say that the NBA was involved in the racial reckoning of the last two years just for profit. That's my take.
(01-18-2022, 02:57 PM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]@"TXBamanut", no doubt the NBA's core value is profit, but there were other things going on regarding social justice here in the U.S. that I think motivated the NBA to take a stance, rather than just profit; the primary of which, is that the players wanted the NBA to be involved in the justice concerns of people of color. The NBA is at least somewhat of a partnership. I think it's great that the players were heard.
If you want to take some higher profile players to task for being interested in justice for their own folks, but not for folks in China (and the disinterest be based on profit), then I understand your point. But I think you overstate your point when you say that the NBA was involved in the racial reckoning of the last two years just for profit. That's my take.
I think the bolded makes his point relevant even if it could have been more nuanced. You're both right.
(01-18-2022, 02:57 PM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]@"TXBamanut", no doubt the NBA's core value is profit, but there were other things going on regarding social justice here in the U.S. that I think motivated the NBA to take a stance, rather than just profit; the primary of which, is that the players wanted the NBA to be involved in the justice concerns of people of color. The NBA is at least somewhat of a partnership. I think it's great that the players were heard.
If you want to take some higher profile players to task for being interested in justice for their own folks, but not for folks in China (and the disinterest be based on profit), then I understand your point. But I think you overstate your point when you say that the NBA was involved in the racial reckoning of the last two years just for profit. That's my take.
Personally, it just makes the good that the league and players did for social justice issues in the States ring a tad hollow. Those causes still need to be championed but everyone happily ignoring genocide is ridiculous, especially when everyone involved is directly profiting from the slave labor.
And I'll fully admit my hypocrisy. Some of my boycotts of companies for terrible business practices I boycotted in my youth have stuck (Walmart) and others have fallen by the wayside (Nike).
Further, it is one thing to ignore it and it's another to thing to flat out say you don't care like the GSW dude.
I'll continue to hope more athletes stand up with Kanter. I think he gets better than most why our country is great and where it needs improvement. You can promote social justice here and promote human rights elsewhere.
(01-18-2022, 07:06 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]Personally, it just makes the good that the league and players did for social justice issues in the States ring a tad hollow.
Liked your post. I just don't lump all involved into the bucket.
I believe they are taking care of their own (from the owners/administration side) really because it's good pr, good business and all that.... If it was about people, they don't do business with China. That dude in the video said it all... Consumers don't care about Uyghurs, meaning they don't care enough to make a stink, hurt their pr and make them lose money.
(01-18-2022, 07:13 PM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Liked your post. I just don't lump all involved into the bucket.
It is certainly a generalization on my part and there are more people in the league like Kanter out there.
In a way, it reminds me of all the support JJ Watt got for Houston relief and then the modest support JJ got for Puerto Rico.
All of us are hypocritical. Let us start with that baseline. Else none of us are allowed to complain about any injustice because you look just below the surface into anyone’s lives and you will find examples to minimize anything they are saying and instead make them out to be the villains.
The China thing against LeBron was also used politically by the Republican Party. Yet they and their supporters stayed quiet to the news that Ivanka had many patents fast tracked by China and that our ex President also had assets in China. They stayed quiet to President Trump keeping quiet about Prince Salman murdering a US citizen while continuing to visit him and keep making deals.
My intent is not to say that Trump was a monster. Rather to point out that everyone has pet causes that they care about and others where they make certain compromises. Forget China. How many NBA players have come out against random anti Asian violence that these days are predominantly committed by Blacks? Some have voiced their dismay but it has been nowhere as vociferous and constant as it should be. These are our fellow US citizens being victimized and even people who mock the NBA stars about their stance on China rarely speak about this.
My biggest problem with Bron was not that he stayed silent about China but that he attacked Morey as ignorant. You want to keep silent. Fine. I get it. As I said all humans have some level of hypocrisy. At least let someone else express his viewpoints on that. Viewpoints that you know in your heart are correct. Bron more than anyone else should know how it feels when someone else asks one to shut up because they are uncomfortable with a given person’s opinion.
(01-19-2022, 09:45 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]I think Fox will prove to be one of the more disappointing players of this era, so I would say no, they are not crazy.
Now THAT is a hot take. What makes you think that?
Remember he has been chained to the dysfunctional Kings his entire career.
Okay. I am going crazy right now. Has no one else seen the ending of the Nets-Wizards game. Not sure how the league will handle this but I am pretty sure that I will be disappointed. This should be an instant suspension/ban for a long time. Obviously also a heavy fine.
Involved refs should get a break as well. Bad decisions and missed calls are one thing. This is something completly different.
(01-19-2022, 10:12 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: [ -> ]Now THAT is a hot take. What makes you think that?
He honestly reminds me a ton of Westbrook, only not quite as good.
Super lethal with the ball in transition, no doubt. Scary good. That's not typically a skill that makes much of dent deeper in the season and playoffs against good teams with consistent defensive principles, but it's a great thing and I don't want to take it lightly.
In the half court, when he has the ball, gets a step and is headed downhill, that's a threat. Check.
To me, like Westbrook, he doesn't seem to have the first clue how to make himself a threat off-ball. He can't really shoot, he's not great at relocation and he's generally a non-factor without the ball. And like Westbrook, I think it's going to become increasingly obvious as time goes by that he'll never be able to address this part of his game (he sure hasn't so far, and it has been a while).
The lack of shooting doesn't just limit him as an off-ball player, either. It's a pick and roll league, and he is just not a pick and roll guard. No pull up game (I honestly think Brunson has a better game for the NBA).
And, again, like Westbrook, he will eventually reach a point in his career when no more teams are interested in
giving him the ball and building the offense around him. What then? How will his contract look then? About as attractive as Westbrook's does now, imo.
(01-19-2022, 11:30 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Okay. I am going crazy right now. Has no one else seen the ending of the Nets-Wizards game. Not sure how the league will handle this but I am pretty sure that I will be disappointed. This should be an instant suspension/ban for a long time. Obviously also a heavy fine.
Involved refs should get a break as well. Bad decisions and missed calls are one thing. This is something completly different.
I didn't see it live but watched the replays a few times. I'm wondering if there's any chance it was an instinct reaction, like maybe the ball looked like it was coming towards him because he misjudged the angle?
Not sure if that's the case or not, just seems like a really dumb move on his part if it was truly intentional (but the world does have dumb people...)
In any case can't believe the refs missed that, and agree that it'll be really interesting to see how the league addresses it .
I just watched the Kings vs Pistons to look at Fox with the lens you painted.
Some thoughts that I had from the game was I don't know if Fox is passive off ball because he takes himself out the play voluntarily like WB or if he's there by design. It seems as if he's supposed to be out there by design. Many of the actions the Kings ran were 1 action sets that basically were a spread PnR with at least 2 guys standing in the corner after the lead ball handler hands off to the 2nd ball handler.
The Kings are a mess though. They play so uninspired. I think Fox is a perfect 3rd guy and an ok number 2. He's overexposed in SAC town surrounded by guys turning the ball over every 3rd play.
I can see his over reliance on his down hill attacks and I have no clue how he'd look next to a guy like Luka or Lebron. Would he shine? Or shrink like WB? Its too early for me to say.
I will say this though. Davion Mitchell is a damn winner. Would love him on the Mavs.