2021-22 NBA Thread

[BBTV]

8 hours ago, Lights Out said:

 

One of the best parts of the Clippers the last couple seasons is not having to listen to Glenn's dopey excuses/deflections after he chokes again.  This just gave me a PTSD flashback.

 

"It's a make or miss league" was another one of his favorites. I feel bad for Sixers fans that The Process culminated in that guy coaching your team.

 

He really is the worst.  He goes after reporters, he goes after fans (tells the fans that they should "celebrate" Ben Simons and that they don't understand basketball) deflects blame for everything and just generally doesn't seem like he gives a damn.  I'd assume the Boston media is similar to Phila, and he's getting eaten alive here.  I'm surprised he not only survived, but thrived in Boston.

[Lights Out]

2 hours ago, BBTV said:

(tells the fans that they should "celebrate" Ben Simons and that they don't understand basketball)

It could be worse. When he was here, he tried to blow smoke up everyone's asses that Austin Rivers was an "elite lockdown defender" after we had just spent the entire game watching him get torched. It later came out that Glenn royally pissed off the rest of the team by doing this and it was one of the last straws in Lob City's locker room issues.

 

I wouldn't say he "thrived" in Boston, FWIW. It was clearly the best era of his coaching career, but he was still thisclose to being fired until the Celtics were gifted one of the most stacked teams in recent memory, which he then predictably underachieved with. There's a strong argument to be made that 2008 was the least impressive ring in NBA history when you compare the amount of talent on that Celtics roster, the quality of competition they were facing, and the results. And that was the only thing they ever won in Doc's nine seasons there. The Boston media cares more about the Red Sox and Patriots, so he was shielded from the level of scrutiny he deserved.

[dont care]

6 hours ago, BBTV said:

 

He really is the worst.  He goes after reporters, he goes after fans (tells the fans that they should "celebrate" Ben Simons and that they don't understand basketball) deflects blame for everything and just generally doesn't seem like he gives a damn.  I'd assume the Boston media is similar to Phila, and he's getting eaten alive here.  I'm surprised he not only survived, but thrived in Boston.

Well he was getting eatten alive until the big 3 came along and won him a championship

[DoctorWhom]

Big 3 Celtics should have at least won 2, maybe 3 championships. 

They probably repeat in 09 in KG doesn't get hurt, and made it to Game 7 of The Finals in 2010. 

 

2011 & 2012 They just ran into Lebron's super team in Miami. 

 

I wouldn't put it on all on Rivers though. 

 

[Digby]

14 hours ago, BBTV said:

I'm surprised he not only survived, but thrived in Boston.

 

Would broadly agree with all of the above; the Boston Sports Media Industrial Complex didn't care a whole lot about the Celtics in the early 00s but to the extent they did, everybody hated Doc before the trades. I remember Bill Simmons actually being the biggest "fire Doc" voice. But obviously he was handed piles of garbage from the wreckage of the post-Pitino years so I never thought that was especially fair, anyway.

 

(I actually liked it better that way, the recent years of the worst of Boston Sports culture paying attention to the Celtics has been awful! But the "trade Tatum and fire the new coach" crowd has quieted down lately.)

 

I think different coaches thrive in different settings and fail in others... Doc was a great coach for the Big Three. He kept all those volatile egos pretty well managed, did great with the media and fans. And I remember his out of timeout playbook being pretty strong. Still beloved in Boston. But that team was also the last gasps of success for an earlier, pre-LeBron era of NBA basketball. Not many coaches have been successful from then to now, outside of maybe Popovich. Even Phil Jackson looked ridiculous on this side of 2010.

[who do you think]

20 hours ago, BBTV said:

I'd assume the Boston media is similar to Phila, and he's getting eaten alive here.  I'm surprised he not only survived, but thrived in Boston.

 

Rivers had the Boston media licking the hair off his nuts. They always went to bat for him in their writing, although fan discontent was pretty high by his second year. I don't know what his secret was. Keep in mind that when he first got hired the team consisted of Pierce, a not-there-yet Perkins, and 12 Walgreens cashiers, so it wasn't exactly a hot-seat win-now type of situation. Had they choked in 2008 he probably would have gotten appropriately skewered and possibly fired.

 

10 hours ago, DoctorWhom said:

Big 3 Celtics should have at least won 2, maybe 3 championships. 

They probably repeat in 09 in KG doesn't get hurt, and made it to Game 7 of The Finals in 2010. 

 

2011 & 2012 They just ran into Lebron's super team in Miami. 

 

I wouldn't put it on all on Rivers though. 

 

The KG injury cut the dynasty short. 2009 was obviously a write-off without him, but even when he came back he was noticeably less tough down low and on the boards. Ainge f***ed up by not having any rebounding depth on the 2010 roster (should have signed Ben Wallace instead of Sheed), that's what cost us against the Lakers. After that the team was past its sell-by date.

[Digby]

Lakers fire Frank Vogel via a leak to Woj, before Vogel even left the arena. Total circus-show of a franchise. 

[Indigo]

2 hours ago, Digby said:

Lakers fire Frank Vogel via a leak to Woj, before Vogel even left the arena. Total circus-show of a franchise. 

While we’re getting rid of people, fire Rob Pelinka. Any smart GM would’ve gone through with the trades for Hield or DeRozen. LeBron and AD would be happy if they won, no matter who they won with. 
 

But to fire someone who only had so much  control over what he was given, before he left the arena is disrespectful. We They’re becoming the Knicks.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

11 minutes ago, LA Fakers+ LA Snippers said:

While we’re getting rid of people, fire Rob Pelinka. Any smart GM would’ve gone through with the trades for Hield or DeRozen. LeBron and AD would be happy if they won, no matter who they won with. 
 

But to fire someone who only had so much  control over what he was given, before he left the arena is disrespectful. We They’re becoming the Knicks.

 

I think they need to drop Kurt Rambis.

 

But also, everyone needs to chill. They won the title in 2020 and they were injuries away from repeating last year.

 

The 2021 off-season was a dramatic overreaction and Westbrook was a bad, bad move. I also think a lot of people own that decision.

[Digby]

What decent coach is going to be chomping at the bit to put themselves in this situation that's clearly toxic for coaches? Pelinka and Rambis both want to run things and have a puppet coach. They're lucky to be the Lakers, to have LBJ and presumably a high salary budget.

 

Relatedly, the Kings aren't bringing Gentry back, maybe the 15th coach will be the charm.

[LMU]

Everything with the Laker organization has been a product of Buss Family (biological and honorary) nepotism.  What's made things worse now is that after Jeanne had her brothers whacked and after Magic abandoned ship that she's created such an inner circle around the operation that the decision makers are immune to consequences.  So, when you have Jeanne, Pelinka (Kobe's living proxy), and the two Rambi at the helm, with Pelinka deferring to LeBron/Rich Paul, the head coach is the only person left who can be a ceremonial scapegoat.  The Athletic had a piece today that absolutely shredded the team for its treatment of Vogel and pointed out that going forward there's no way that any known name would agree to join that train wreck unless they actually decide to pay market value for the position and until they give the coach more team management control (the article pointed out that the Lakers would constantly have Rambis and Pelinka sitting in on film sessions and voicing opinions that should be in the coach's hands).

[DG_ThenNowForever]

3 minutes ago, Digby said:

What decent coach is going to be chomping at the bit to put themselves in this situation that's clearly toxic for coaches? Pelinka and Rambis both want to run things and have a puppet coach. They're lucky to be the Lakers, to have LBJ and presumably a high salary budget.

 

Relatedly, the Kings aren't bringing Gentry back, maybe the 15th coach will be the charm.

 

It's too bad they lowballed Lue in 2020, because he was perfect for LeBron.

 

But at the same time, Vogel's adjustments won them that 2020 title. When you win a title, everyone gets to be right.

 

Maybe Vogel got high on his own supply this season, because he seemed to refuse to manage his lineups in ways that made any sense at all.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, LMU said:

Everything with the Laker organization has been a product of Buss Family (biological and honorary) nepotism.  What's made things worse now is that after Jeanne had her brothers whacked and after Magic abandoned ship that she's created such an inner circle around the operation that the decision makers are immune to consequences.  So, when you have Jeanne, Pelinka (Kobe's living proxy), and the two Rambi at the helm, with Pelinka deferring to LeBron/Rich Paul, the head coach is the only person left who can be a ceremonial scapegoat.  The Athletic had a piece today that absolutely shredded the team for its treatment of Vogel and pointed out that going forward there's no way that any known name would agree to join that train wreck unless they actually decide to pay market value for the position and until they give the coach more team management control (the article pointed out that the Lakers would constantly have Rambis and Pelinka sitting in on film sessions and voicing opinions that should be in the coach's hands).

 

Interesting.

 

Even still, that 2020 will always validate a lot of dumb decision making. And it will validate it again when they sign Cory Booker or Ja Morant or whoever else in 5 years.

[who do you think]

> Ja Morant is going to sign with the Lakers because of their COVID summer league ring from 2020

 

555comeonnow

[Dynasty]

Laker fan mentality: Thinking that everything will be okay because they'll totally get whoever they want in the next few years.... Because everyone wants to be in LA, right?

[DoctorWhom]

Congrats to the Timberwolves for officially making the dance and upsetting the Clippers!

No one certainly had them making it this far. 

 

As for the Clippers, remember when people thought they were the next super team when Kawhi Leonard joined them? Then their big brother Lakers proceeded to win another championship. while they continued to be a disappointment?  

 

Cavs made it surprisingly close against the Nets, if they were healthy they may have upset them. Would have been hilarious since the Bucks intentionally lost to those same Cavs just to avoid the possibility of facing the Nets. 

 

I would say a Celtics- Nets seemed inevitable, but does anyone even remember that playoff series last year? It was so forgettable. 

I'd give Celtics the edge this time, much better defense & their offense has been clicking too, Ben Simmons is the wildcard in how much he will help or hurt the Nets.  

[DG_ThenNowForever]

14 minutes ago, Dynasty said:

Laker fan mentality: Thinking that everything will be okay because they'll totally get whoever they want in the next few years.... Because everyone wants to be in LA, right?

 

Do you watch basketball?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

While we're at it, predictions:

 

West:

Phoenix

Memphis

Denver

Utah

 

Phoenix

Denver

 

Phoenix

 

East:

Miami

Brooklyn

Milwaukee

Philadelphia

 

Philadelphia

Milwaukee

 

Milwaukee

 

Finals:

Phoenix over Milwaukee

 

[spartacat_12]

[Digby]

10 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

Do you watch basketball?

 

Yes, we all watched the Lakers rattle off several .300 seasons in a row, and then somehow manage only a 50/50 playoff qualification rate with LeBron Friggin James on their team.