February 12, 1934: Bill Russell was born. No one did more to ensure his team’s success & win championships. Russell won 11 NBA titles, 2 NCAA titles, and Olympic gold with his elite defense, athleticism, versatility, passing, rebounding, leadership, intelligence, clutch play, etc.
Here are some highlights of Russell and here are his career stats. 1) WINNING (Part 1): The Celtics were ho-hum right before Russell joined the team, pretty bad right after he retired, and even worse when he missed games during his career, but when he was there they were the most dominant title-winning franchise in sports history, which proves how ludicrous the “He was simply the best player on a loaded team” comment is. DETAILS: a) Boston won 2 total playoff series in the 10 seasons before Russell arrived, and both were short best-of-3 series (‘53, ‘55), b) Boston went 34-48 and missed the playoffs in ‘70 right after winning the title in Russell’s final season, and c) when he missed games during his career, the Celtics were 10-18 (.357), and 18 of those 28 missed games were against teams with losing records, so there was no excuse for a “loaded” squad to be so bad. When Russell missed 3 or more games in a row --meaning his teammates really had to adjust & couldn’t just “get up” for one game without their leader-- the Celtics were a pitiful 1-12. They were horrible without him. There is NO evidence the Celtics were any good when Russell wasn’t on the floor, rather a ton of evidence to the contrary. 2) WINNING (Part 2): It's been commonly reported that Russell was 21-0 in winner-take-all games, but that’s incorrect …. he was 22-0. If Russell's team played even with an opponent throughout a series or got to the same place in a tournament, Russell's team was ALWAYS going to pull it out in the end.
At USF, his '55 team was 5-0 in the tourney on the way to the title.
At USF, his '56 team was 4-0 in the tourney on the way to the title.
In the '56 Olympics, the US squad was 2-0 when it came to the winner-take-all Final 4 for gold after the group stage.
In the NBA, the Celtics were famously 10-0 in Games 7's throughout his career.
In the '66 playoffs, the Celtics won Game 5 in the best-of-5 series with Cincinnati (link).
3) WINNING (Part 3): The Celtics didn’t win the title only 2 times during Russell’s 13-year career, and both were (very likely) due to difficulties experienced by Russell.
In 1958, the Hawks topped Boston 4-2 in the Finals (winning by 2, 3, 2, & 1 points), during which Russell missed 2 games and played at far less than 100% with a horribly sprained ankle when he was available in the series. It’s safe to say Boston would have won that title with a healthy Russell.
In 1967, the aging Celtics, fresh off of 8 straight championships, lost to the loaded and younger Sixers in the ECF. This was the first year Russell was Boston’s player-coach, which is significant since he faced horrendously stressful & over-the-top racism as the first black coach in major US pro sports history. He played so much and so intensely (43.3 min/gm in the playoffs) that he often forgot to sub players which hurt his team. The next season, the Celtics were older & considered “done”, but he added a bench coach to handle subs, and they beat the favored defending champion Sixers in the playoffs, and then won the title. Then the “seriously, they’re done now” 1968-69 Celtics clawed their way into the Finals & beat the loaded West-Wilt-Baylor Lakers 4-3 in Russell’s final season. Two giant asterisks have to go beside the only two championships Boston didn’t win during Russell’s career.
4) WINNING (Part 4): Russell went to college at the University of San Francisco which had just suffered through 3 straight losing seasons before he joined the varsity team. He lead an unranked USF team to 2 consecutive NCAA titles during his junior and senior seasons, going 57-1 along the way, and he could have won a title all 3 seasons he played at USF if not for losing teammate K.C. Jones one game into their sophomore season; they smashed the #17 team 51-33 in game 1 with Jones who was hospitalized that night with a burst appendix, but Russell still lead them to a 14-7 record before going on to those 2 titles. Even at the college level, he could lead players who weren’t supposed to win to the ultimate heights; it wasn’t just in Boston. Also, he was the leading scorer, rebounder, and defender on the 1956 gold medal winning US Olympic team, which had an average margin of victory of +53, the highest ever (’92 Dream Team was +44). 5) CLUTCH: I already mentioned how dominant Russell’s teams were when it was all on the line, but I’ll add that his list of clutch games, series, and moments is ridiculously long, plus his ppg, rpg, and apg averages all rose in the playoffs. I’ll simply point out that he had the greatest Game 7 performance of all-time in the 1962 Finals, scoring 30 points & grabbing 40 rebounds to win the title in a super-tight Game 7. If you didn’t know, the NBA Finals MVP award is officially called the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. 6) INTELLIGENCE: Part of what made Russell so unbelievable in big games and moments was that his IQ and level of manipulating opponents is unparalleled historically. On defense, he’d often intentionally “just miss” blocking a particular star player’s shots earlier in a contest, but late in the game when the opponent was lulled into thinking they could get a certain shot off over Russell that night, he’d extend the extra inch and come up with clutch blocks & defensive plays they weren't expecting. I’ve never heard of another player doing stuff like this. The stories about his IQ are legendary & numerous; here are some clips about his hoops IQ. At least watch the 3rd one on that list ("Some more mindgames") to see a short interview with him talking about manipulation of a star opponent in a way I’ve never heard another player articulate; he truly was thinking on a whole different level to create advantages for his team. 7) VERSATILITY: Bill Russell was so versatile on the floor because he trained and played all 5 positions on offense. The only other players in history who could maybe do this are Maurice Stokes and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Russell’s results were quite different, plus immediate & sustained. His value to the Celtics’ offense is WAY underrated, especially on the fast break where he arguably had a bigger influence than Steve Nash did for the Suns’ fast break due to how well he could start, run, and finish it. 8) PASSING & OFFENSIVE INFLUENCE: Speaking of his versatility on the fast break, Bill Russell was a great passer, both in the half-court & full-court, and put up insane assist numbers for a center, especially in the playoffs (averaged >5 apg in the playoffs during 7 different seasons, far more times than any other center). John Havlicek, in his 1977 autobiography, said the following about Russell's effect on Boston's offense when specifically discussing their first post-Russell season ('70):
"You couldn't begin to count the ways we missed [him]. People think about him in terms of defense and rebounding, but he had been the key to our offense. He made the best pass more than anyone I have ever played with. That mattered to people like Nelson, Howell, Siegfried, Sanders, and myself. None of us were one on one players ... Russell made us better offensive players. His ability as a passer, pick-setter, and general surmiser of offense has always been over-looked.”
I’ll add that Bill Russell finished 4th in MVP voting with an 18% vote share in 1969, his final season (‘69 MVP voting). I believe this is the best MVP finish by any player in their final season. 9) MORE ABOUT HIS OFFENSE: Fans often knock Russell for not being a high scorer. He played on a team that spread around the scoring, so very few Celtics ever had big scoring numbers, and he often had the best FG% on the team. Russell was top-5 in FG% in the league 4 times, while more recent dominant-scoring centers Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing all did it once. Russell understood what individual sacrifices to make and how to improve his teammates so they collectively would be winners, which is why he won the 1962 MVP (voting) over Wilt Chamberlain (his epic 50 ppg & 26 rpg season) and Oscar Robertson (his epic triple-double season). By the way, Russell holds the record for the most consecutive MVP awards (3), most consecutive top-2 MVP finishes (6), and has the 2nd most MVP’s of all-time (5). It was clear that Russell’s approach was far more valuable to his team’s success than that of other superstars with monster stats. 10) DEFENSIVE IMPACT: There is no hyperbole in saying Russell was unquestionably the most impactful defensive player ever. The Celtics consistently & regularly had the #1 defense in the NBA throughout his career, yet they were FAR worse before he joined the team, and they immediately dropped in the ‘70 season right after he retired. Here are Boston’s annual rankings in Defensive Rating, starting in the ‘54 season: 8, 8, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 8 (the highlighted parts represent Russell’s career). He had an overwhelmingly positive influence on the entire team’s defense to a degree we’ve never seen from any other player. 11) ATHLETICISM: Watching film of Russell, it’s clear he was extremely fast and active, elite even by today’s standards. He also possessed Olympic-level leaping ability (7th ranked high jumper in the world in 1956). For the record, he was measured as 6-ft-9-and-⅝ without shoes, taller than both Dwight Howard and Alonzo Mourning. This incredible athleticism is what allowed his defense to be a cross between Tim Duncan & Kevin Garnett, covering everything everywhere with phenomenal explosiveness, plus impeccable timing & decision-making. 12) LEADERSHIP: Bill Russell had the best combination of elite on-court impact on team synergy plus elite locker-room unity & positivity. Very few guys are even in the discussion of having this type of elite combo: Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Larry Bird …. not many more, especially when you also consider a player’s impact on his team’s defensive synergy.
February 12, 1934: Bill Russell was born. No one did more to ensure his team’s success & win championships. Russell won 11 NBA titles, 2 NCAA titles, and Olympic gold with his elite defense, athleticism, versatility, passing, rebounding, leadership, intelligence, clutch play, etc.
Here are some highlights of Russell and here are his career stats. 1) WINNING (Part 1): The Celtics were ho-hum right before Russell joined the team, pretty bad right after he retired, and even worse when he missed games during his career, but when he was there they were the most dominant title-winning franchise in sports history, which proves how ludicrous the “He was simply the best player on a loaded team” comment is. DETAILS: a) Boston won 2 total playoff series in the 10 seasons before Russell arrived (he was a rookie in '57), and both were short best-of-3 series (‘53, ‘55), b) Boston went 34-48 and missed the playoffs in ‘70 right after winning the title in Russell’s final season, and c) when he missed games during his career, the Celtics were 10-18 (.357), and 18 of those 28 missed games were against teams with losing records, so there was no excuse for a “loaded” squad to be so bad. When Russell missed 3 or more games in a row --meaning his teammates really had to adjust & couldn’t just “get up” for one game without their leader-- the Celtics were a pitiful 1-12. They were horrible without him. There is NO evidence the Celtics were any good when Russell wasn’t on the floor, rather a ton of evidence to the contrary. 2) WINNING (Part 2): It's been commonly reported that Russell was 21-0 in winner-take-all games, but that’s incorrect …. he was 22-0. If Russell's team played even with an opponent throughout a series or got to the same place in a tournament, Russell's team was ALWAYS going to pull it out in the end.
At USF, his '55 team was 5-0 in the tourney on the way to the title.
At USF, his '56 team was 4-0 in the tourney on the way to the title.
In the '56 Olympics, the US squad was 2-0 when it came to the winner-take-all Final 4 for gold after the group stage.
In the NBA, the Celtics were famously 10-0 in Games 7's throughout his career.
In the '66 playoffs, the Celtics won Game 5 in the best-of-5 series with Cincinnati (link).
3) WINNING (Part 3): The Celtics didn’t win the title only 2 times during Russell’s 13-year career, and both were (very likely) due to difficulties experienced by Russell.
In 1958, the Hawks topped Boston 4-2 in the Finals (winning by 2, 3, 2, & 1 points), during which Russell missed 2 games and played at far less than 100% with a horribly sprained ankle when he was available in the series. It’s safe to say Boston would have won that title with a healthy Russell.
In 1967, the aging Celtics, fresh off of 8 straight championships, lost to the loaded and younger Sixers in the ECF. This was the first year Russell was Boston’s player-coach, which is significant since he faced horrendously stressful & over-the-top racism as the first black coach in major US pro sports history. He played so much and so intensely (43.3 min/gm in the playoffs) that he often forgot to sub players which hurt his team. The next season, the Celtics were older & considered “done”, but he added a bench coach to handle subs, and they beat the favored defending champion Sixers in the playoffs, and then won the title. Then the “seriously, they’re done now” 1968-69 Celtics clawed their way into the Finals & beat the loaded West-Wilt-Baylor Lakers 4-3 in Russell’s final season. Oh yeah, Russell was the only player-coach in NBA history to win a championship, and he won two.
Two giant asterisks have to go beside the only two championships Boston didn’t win during Russell’s career. 4) WINNING (Part 4): Russell went to college at the University of San Francisco which had just suffered through 3 straight losing seasons before he joined the varsity team. He lead an unranked USF team to 2 consecutive NCAA titles during his junior and senior seasons, going 57-1 along the way, and he could have won a title all 3 seasons he played at USF if not for losing teammate K.C. Jones one game into their sophomore season; they smashed the #17 team 51-33 in game 1 with Jones playing who was then hospitalized that night with a burst appendix, but 1st-year Russell still lead them to a 14-7 record without the HOF PG before going on to those 2 titles. Even at the college level, he could lead players who weren’t supposed to win to the ultimate heights; it wasn’t just in Boston. Also, he was the leading scorer, rebounder, and defender on the 1956 gold medal winning US Olympic team, which had an average margin of victory of +53, the highest ever (’92 Dream Team was +44). 5) CLUTCH: I already mentioned how dominant Russell’s teams were when it was all on the line, but I’ll add that his list of clutch games, series, and moments is ridiculously long, plus his ppg, rpg, and apg averages all rose in the playoffs. I’ll simply point out that he had the greatest Game 7 performance of all-time in the 1962 Finals, scoring 30 points & grabbing 40 rebounds to win the title in a super-tight Game 7. If you didn’t know, the NBA Finals MVP award is officially called the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. 6) INTELLIGENCE: Part of what made Russell so unbelievable in big games and moments was that his IQ and level of manipulating opponents is unparalleled historically. On defense, he’d often intentionally “just miss” blocking a particular star player’s shots earlier in a contest, but late in the game when the opponent was lulled into thinking they could get a certain shot off over Russell that night, he’d extend the extra inch and come up with clutch blocks & defensive plays they weren't expecting. I’ve never heard of another player doing stuff like this. The stories about his IQ are legendary & numerous; here are some clips about his hoops IQ. At least watch the 3rd one on that list ("Some more mindgames") to see a short interview with him talking about manipulation of a star opponent in a way I’ve never heard another player articulate; he truly was thinking on a whole different level to create advantages for his team. 7) VERSATILITY: Bill Russell was so versatile on the floor because he trained and played all 5 positions on offense. The only other players in history who could maybe do this are Maurice Stokes and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Russell’s results were quite different, plus immediate & sustained. His value to the Celtics’ offense is WAY underrated, especially on the fast break where he arguably had a bigger influence than Steve Nash did for the Suns’ fast break due to how well he could start, run, and finish it. 8) PASSING & OFFENSIVE INFLUENCE: Speaking of his versatility on the fast break, Bill Russell was a great passer, both in the half-court & full-court, and put up insane assist numbers for a center, especially in the playoffs (averaged >5 apg in the playoffs during 7 different seasons, far more times than any other center). John Havlicek, in his 1977 autobiography, said the following about Russell's effect on Boston's offense when specifically discussing their first post-Russell season ('70):
"You couldn't begin to count the ways we missed [him]. People think about him in terms of defense and rebounding, but he had been the key to our offense. He made the best pass more than anyone I have ever played with. That mattered to people like Nelson, Howell, Siegfried, Sanders, and myself. None of us were one on one players ... Russell made us better offensive players. His ability as a passer, pick-setter, and general surmiser of offense has always been over-looked.”
I’ll add that Bill Russell finished 4th in MVP voting with an 18% vote share in 1969, his final season (‘69 MVP voting). I believe this is the best MVP finish by any player in their final season. 9) MORE ABOUT HIS OFFENSE: Fans often knock Russell for not being a high scorer. He played on a team that spread around the scoring, so very few Celtics ever had big scoring numbers, and he often had the best FG% on the team. Russell was top-5 in FG% in the league 4 times, while more recent dominant-scoring centers Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing all did it once. Russell understood what individual sacrifices to make and how to improve his teammates so they collectively would be winners, which is why he won the 1962 MVP (voting) over Wilt Chamberlain (his epic 50 ppg & 26 rpg season) and Oscar Robertson (his epic triple-double season). By the way, Russell holds the record for the most consecutive MVP awards (3), most consecutive top-2 MVP finishes (6), and has the 2nd most MVP’s of all-time (5). It was clear that Russell’s approach was far more valuable to his team’s success than that of other superstars with monster stats. 10) DEFENSIVE IMPACT: There is no hyperbole in saying Russell was unquestionably the most impactful defensive player ever. The Celtics consistently & regularly had the #1 defense in the NBA throughout his career, yet they were FAR worse before he joined the team, and they immediately dropped in the ‘70 season right after he retired. Here are Boston’s annual rankings in Defensive Rating, starting in the ‘54 season: 8, 8, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 8 (the highlighted parts represent Russell’s career). He had an overwhelmingly positive influence on the entire team’s defense to a degree we’ve never seen from any other player. 11) ATHLETICISM: Watching film of Russell, it’s clear he was extremely fast and active, elite even by today’s standards. He also possessed Olympic-level leaping ability (7th ranked high jumper in the world in 1956). For the record, he was measured as 6-ft-9-and-⅝ without shoes, taller than both Dwight Howard and Alonzo Mourning. This incredible athleticism is what allowed his defense to be a cross between Tim Duncan & Kevin Garnett, covering everything everywhere with phenomenal explosiveness, plus impeccable timing & decision-making. 12) LEADERSHIP: Bill Russell had the best combination of elite on-court impact on team synergy plus elite locker-room unity & positivity. Very few guys are even in the discussion of having this type of elite combo: Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Larry Bird …. not many more, especially when you also consider a player’s impact on his team’s defensive synergy.
The power of practice in League Of Legends - Why Korean/Chinese players are so good?
“Everybody has the will to win. Only a few people have the will to prepare to win.” Please, I really really really want you to read the whole post! I know it’s long, but I’m sure your League Of Legends thinking and gameplay will get to the next level. I’ve put so much effort and study into the topic I write about. This post is the reason WHY I posted about improving your mechanics yesterday and how to do it. This post consists of knowledge that I’ve paid thousands of dollars and spent more than 10.000 hours (gaming, playing other sports, coaching) to acquire and people paid me thousands of dollars to learn. That’s the first lesson of my coaching sessions program. You don’t want to miss this one if you really care about being better at the game! But first, let me introduce myself to you. I’m Hellfire Lord, and I’m passionate about teaching the game to others, not because I love teaching, but because I love helping someone climbing to their dream rank and achieve greatness. I’ve been playing and studying the game for years. My coaching process My coaching process follows the philosophy of one of the most successful coaches of all time: John Wooden, the coach of UCLA’s basketball team for 27 years. He was anointed “Greatest Coach of the 20th Century” by ESPN and the greatest coach ever -in any sport- by the Sporting News. Wooden led his teams to ten national championships in 12 years, won 88 consecutive games, and achieved the highest winning percentage (.813) of any coach in NCAA basketball history—all while building an enduring reputation for developing the character of his players at least as much as their skill. It’s not surprising that in the decades since Wooden retired, his influence has spread far beyond the basketball court. Books by and about Wooden apply his insights to life, learning, and business as much as to basketball. So what was Wooden’s secret of success? My answer, based on what I discovered in my effort to help promising League Of Legends players become great, is that he insisted on one thing that most people fail to realize how much powerful it actually is. This one thing is arguably the number one secret of Wooden’s success: old-fashioned practice, efficiently run, well-planned, and intentionally executed. If you were to ask Wooden what made his teams so successful, he would likely describe a series of unacknowledged moments in otherwise empty gymnasiums: his players practicing shooting without a basketball, say. Or perhaps he’d describe his evenings in his office scripting the next day’s practice, noting where the racks of basketballs should be placed so time was never wasted looking for a ball. John Wooden doted on practice to a degree that was legendary. He began—surely to much eye rolling—by practicing things that every other coach would have considered unworthy if they’d have considered them at all: how to put on socks and sneakers, for example.1 He timed his practices to the minute, husbanding every second to ensure its precise and careful allocation. He kept a record of every practice on note cards, which he filed away for future reference: what worked; what didn’t; how to do it better next time. Unlike many coaches, he focused not on scrimmaging—playing in a way that replicated the game—but on drilling, which is playing in ways that intentionally distorted the game to emphasize and isolate specific concepts and skills. He followed a logical progression, often starting his instruction on topics like shooting by having players work without the ball and building to increasingly challenging applications. He repeated drills until his players achieved mastery and then automaticity, even if it meant not drilling on more sophisticated topics. At the point where other coaches might decide their teams had learned a skill, Wooden’s teams were just beginning their work. And he always insisted that his players practiced doing it—whatever “it” was—right. Though we remember him for the championships, what ultimately made Wooden great was practice. Every iteration of teaching and explaining and executing, again and again, was a tiny bit better than anyone else’s. The culture in which those drills took place—what players were thinking as they stood in lines—was a little bit more humble, selfless, relentless. The compounded effect of these tiny differences was a dynasty. Author and sportswriter Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code is just one of several recent efforts to understand the tradition of intentional practice that Wooden helped establish. In the book, Coyle describes how the compounded effect of better practice accounts for the rise of seemingly inexplicable “hot spots” of talent around the globe. What seems like talent, it turns out, is often better practice habits in disguise. How could it be, for example, that a single tennis club in a freezing climate—a club Coyle describes as “rundown” and with just one indoor court—has, since its founding, produced more top-20 women players than all of the tennis clubs in the United States put together? The answer is Larisa Preobrazhenskaya, the gray-haired, track-suit-wearing majordomo whose players follow the adage that practice makes permanent—that if practice drives actions into muscle memory, it’s better to do it slow and right than fast and not quite right. Like John Wooden, she practices fewer things better, and with diligence. She is unapologetic about asking her athletes to imitate others, an approach that many coaches too often dismiss as demeaning. Again and again, Coyle shows that the aggregation of seemingly trivial improvements in practice can create otherwise inexplicable densities of talent sufficient to change a society and its conception of what is possible. Brazil’s passion for soccer makes it an international power, but its passion for futsal, a soccer derivative featuring small-sided games in an enclosed space using a less elastic ball, yields as many as six times the touches per hour for a developing Brazilian player, Coyle points out, than for a similar player in some other nation. The game’s space limitations reward skills learned to speedy automaticity. “Commentators love to talk about how ‘creative’ Brazilian players are—but that’s not quite right. The truth is, they’ve been practicing that creativity for their entire lives,” writes Coyle. The humble details of their practice separate Brazil from every other soccer-obsessed nation on Earth. For its part, League of Legends as a game remains a competition-loving culture. We love the heroic upset, the first game of the young rookie who has just hit the scene, the last teamfight of a close game. We watch games and follow teams and players, sometimes to the point of obsession, but if we really want to see greatness we’d better spend our time watching practices of the best players instead. Have you noticed something different about Faker and other Korean/Chinese players out there? Have you noticed that when they’re on queue times they train their mechanics in other games? Why do they do it in these games? Somebody would say they can just practice it in-game. The answer is they can, but in-game they practice it every time they fight which is hardly the 5%-10% of their time in-game. In mini-games, they practice it 100% of the time. So, when it comes to the mechanical skills you should train in order to become a better League Of Legends player, which method do you believe is more efficient? Do you know understand why Korean and Chinese players are better? It’s part of the culture. They are what the “Brazil” of League of Legends. That’s why Korean and Chinese teams win almost every international tournament and have been so successful over the years. It’s in their culture to practice what Wooden’s philosophy supports. They don’t only focus on scrimming or SoloQ games —which is playing in a way that replicates the game they will play in a tournament—but on drilling, which is playing in ways that intentionally distorted the game to emphasize and isolate specific concepts and skills. In order to know which drills you should practice, just read my post “How to improve your mechanics FAST!”. Make sure you also read this one to go from this theoretical approach to actual practical steps to achieve greatness.
Build a Bear Dynasty Week 2: Modern Offense and Positionless Basketball; The Center of Jega
Welcome back to Build a Bear Dynasty, the least lit series about the most lit team in the NBA. This week I will be discussing Jonas Valanciunas. Before I get to that, there are a few topics I need to discuss to give context to what I consider Jonas’ strengths and weaknesses. I realize that in the introduction I had brought up alternating player profiles and analysis of modern NBA terminology, but in planning for this first player piece I quickly realized that it would be helpful to be ‘on the same page’ so to speak when using certain words and terms to discuss his game. So before getting to the analysis, there are a couple of the more vague terms used to describe basketball that I would like to break down first: Modern Offense, and Positionless Basketball. Modern Offense Broken down to its simplest terms, the game of basketball from a team’s perspective is played in two distinct phases: offense and defense. In the fewest words possible, offense is the team’s attempts to score points by putting the ball through a basket, and defense is the team’s attempts to prevent the other team from doing the same. What makes basketball unique amongst North American major sports, and in my personal opinion makes it the most intriguing and beautiful sport, is the fact that it is the only one where the rules are written so that every player on the floor is allowed to perform every single legal action. All players are allowed access to every spot on the floor, and when the ball is in theirs or their defender’s hands they are allowed to do the same things every other player is. Through a combination of the fluid nature of the sport, the inherent advantages both size AND speed can bring, and various changes to the ruleset, the game of basketball has evolved over time, valuing certain traits and attributes over others as they prove more or less useful in the changing landscape. If you are at all familiar with competitive video gaming, you might refer to this concept with the term ‘Meta.’ In esports players develop optimal strategies through time and experience, and due to games often having fixed values for things like ‘damage’ and ‘health,’ players quickly find the statistically most ideal strategies, and the best teams spend hours and hours honing very specific skills and counters to give themselves the best odds of winning based on the rules of the game. To counteract this rote memorization of inputs, modern game companies that produce multiplayer titles will often continue to update the game periodically after its release, not only to fix bugs and glitches, but to also change the game’s ‘meta’ to prevent the game from getting stale. They do this primarily through improving or worsening the values of certain items or characters in a practice known colloquially as ‘Buffing’ and ‘Nerfing,’ or by introducing new characters and gear all together. Players get used to the new changes, adopt new strategies, and the cycle continues as long as the developers continue to update, or as the players continue to uncover new strategies that provide further optimization. WARNING: Incoming extensive history of the game Super Smash Bros. It does relate to later content, but is unnecessary if you wish to skip ahead to the next section about basketball. An Unlikely Comparison In theory, if the values of a game remain fixed, given enough time the players will develop the optimal strategy to play the game. A popular meme referring to the game Super Smash Brothers is the phrase ‘no items, foxes only, final destination’ referring to the presumed ‘optimal’ way to play the 2nd game in the series, Super Smash Brothers Melee. No items that might randomly give a player an advantage, the character many veterans of the game consider to be the all around best when combining his speed, attack power, and ability to survive, and a completely flat and empty stage that quite literally levels the playing field. It took a very unique history for the game Super Smash Brothers Melee to get a point where there’s an almost universally held belief that there is a single ideal way to play the game. Before companies had the ability to update games over the internet thereby giving them the power to adjust the game after its release, one on one style fighting games like Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Street Fighter would release a new installment every few years. They would usually keep the majority of the same character roster and mechanics, while updating graphics, movesets, and the values of things like health and damage to keep the ‘meta’ game fresh between installments. Unlike the directors of those other game series, the creator of Super Smash Brothers, Masahiro Sakurai, prefers the elements of a game that are fun for everyone, over those that make for an ideal competitive experience. Things like powerful items appearing next to players out of nowhere, and certain parts of some stages randomly hurting players all add to the chaos of Smash Brothers that makes it a fun party game. But as with any game, whether it’s intended for fun or competition, players came along that wanted to adjust the rules to make it more challenging and skill based. By turning off the in game items and picking only certain stages agreed on by the competitors, a whole community developed to play an intrinsically anti-competitive game in a way that was more skills based. In 2001 Nintendo released the Gamecube and Sakurai released the second Super Smash Brothers game, Super Smash Brothers Melee. The new game not only introduced new characters, but also massively changed the speed and feel of the game, making use of the new console’s better processor to create a more dynamic and fast paced game. The competitive community grew some more, but Nintendo as a company is very protective of their intellectual property, and at the time would go to extreme lengths at times to shut down grassroots tournaments and consumer created content, so it remained small in comparison to other fighting game communities. Though a large number of players enjoyed the new gameplay, Sakurai felt that an overly competitive game was taking away from his vision of a fun and friendly game, and in the third installment he released, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, he slowed down the gameplay a bit, and added in random mechanics like tripping players that moved too quickly. Unable to turn off those mechanics like they could with items in previous games, the competitive scene rejected the new game with large sections of the community sticking with the older Melee, and some going to incredible lengths to actually rewrite the code to modify the properties of the game itself. Through a combination of a failure of the third game to capture the hearts of the players, and Nintendo focusing most of its efforts on shutting down the fan modified versions of Super Smash Bros Brawl, the competitive Melee scene exploded in a way unprecedented for a decade old fighting game. To this day, across the country tournaments are held fielding hundreds of players from here and abroad. Players new and old spend hours scouring over statistical data and practicing to hone the most optimal skills to give themselves an edge in tournaments with huge cash prizes. And it all culminates in a silly internet joke about Fox being the statistically optimal character. If you’d care to know more about the ‘golden age’ of competitive Melee, there is a very well done, fan-made, 9 part docu series on youtube called ‘The Smash Bros’ that follows one of the most unique fandoms and cultures of any group that I’ve encountered. But as I am sure most of you are thinking, what in the hell does a 20 year old Japanese video game played by a bunch of nerds have to do with basketball? BACK TO BASKETBALL Well, when it comes to sports in general, I feel that the term ‘meta’ is an excellent way of framing how basketball has changed as a sport over time. Players work on specific skills they feel give them an edge, coaches come up with plays that have more chance of success, defenses work to adapt to those and the league evolves. New players enter the league every year, rosters change through trades and free agency signings, and league management ‘updates’ the game with occasional rule changes that they feel will balance the game better for the players and viewers. Sometimes the changes are poorly received, like when they removed dunking from the college level of basketball from 1967-1976 as a result of a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NCAA dominance. Other times they drastically affected the entire fabric of the sport. In 1979 when the league introduced the 3 point shot during Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s rookie seasons, it changed the sport more drastically than anyone at the time may have realized. In the previous 87 years of the sport’s existence, having every shot during play have the same value of 2 points meant that the shot that went in the most is by default the best shot. This obviously led to taller players having an advantage, and a natural tendency for players to work as hard as possible to get as close to the rim when they can for an easier shot. If you looked at an overall ‘heatmap’ of an NBA court of how successful players were at shooting from certain spots, it would loosely look like a smaller hot circle centered on the basket, that cools in all directions the further from the basket it gets. But with some shots being worth 3 points, a player could shoot a worse percentage while adding more value to the offense. A player that could shoot 50% while 20 feet from the rim would add 6 points for every 6 shots, and compared to other players in NBA history would be a midrange god. But a player shooting just 34% from just a few feet further away would add a slightly better 6.04 points for every 6 shots, and would have been considered a below average 3 point shooter in the league last season. Kevin Durant, known as one of the greatest scorers of all time, over his career has shot 44.5% from between 3 and 10 feet from the basket, effectively 0.89 points per shot. On the other hand, the 2019-2020 league average 35.8% shooting from 3 is worth 1.074 points per shot. If you looked at a heatmap shot chart from today’s league, it would now have a ring that is the 2nd hottest part of the floor, behind the efficiency of the space immediately around the rim. Suddenly there was a spot on the floor that theoretically had the same offensive value as a spot much closer to the basket. In a sport dominated by long limbed giants, any time a team gets to spread out the defenders makes it a little bit easier to get off clean looks. We refer to this trend in modern terms as ‘Spacing’ which I’ll focus on a bit more in next week’s piece. It essentially boils down to that ‘spacing’ is all about generating separation between an offensive player and a defensive player. The more separation a player has from their defender, the more likely they’ll make their shot. If you’ve ever seen NBA players warm up before a game, you’ll notice very quickly that they almost never miss when shooting a wide open set shot. By the time most of these players get to the league, they’ve played thousands of hours shooting from all over the floor. The hard part of the sport for most of them isn’t being able to shoot well, it’s shooting well while being defended by 7 foot monsters that can reach above the height of the rim without leaving the ground. But the disadvantage that most 7 footers have that shorter players can potentially take advantage of is foot speed. Until 1979 this wasn’t a huge concern outside of transition basketball, as the goal of most players was to get as close to the rim as possible and taller players could camp out and wait, instead of chasing smaller, faster players around. But now there was an area of the floor that offers good value and covers a comparatively huge area. It’s easy to play defense when you know the team is working towards one direction and you don’t have to move as much, but when the offense can now move forwards AND backwards to get a better shot, it opens up a completely new realm of possibilities for offensive and defensive strategy. Since that point and unless the league removes the 3 point line, all strategies and players have worked towards optimizing that potential. Modern Offense is the culmination of all of those efforts. But what strategy has evolved from all of this combined talent and effort? It took the Smash Brothers community more than a decade of study and practice to come to the conclusion that Fox is the best character. What type of ideal player archetype has the past 40 years been building towards? The trend I personally feel the NBA is moving towards is another vague but oft repeated term. Positionless Basketball It's an intriguing pair of words that is often used when discussing players that don’t fit the historic trends. Giant playmakers like LeBron and Ben Simmons that make point guards of look tiny, PJ Tucker playing the center position full time despite being a good 4 inches shorter than most other centers, 7 foot shooters like Jaren and Kristaps Porzingis that play more like a traditional small forward on offense. But this loose definition feels like it’s only halfway there to me. There still seems to be this underlying assumption that positionless basketball is the positions themselves still existing, but players don’t have to play a specific role based on their size or skills. People will describe an idealized team of a 6’8 point guard with 3 6’8 wings and a 6’10 guy to play center and they all switch on defense. But they still expect the point guard to make most of the plays, the center to get most of the rebounds, and to generally run traditional NBA sets, just with a larger group of guys that are closer to a median height so they can all defend each other on the other end. But a few recent things lead me to believe that it’s more than that. Could positionless basketball actually mean the end of the concept of positions in the sport of basketball? While I’m not sure we’ll ever get to a point where every player does every skill equally well, I do think we are starting to see a fundamental change in the way NBA teams across the league build their rosters around this idea of positionless basketball, and nothing is more responsible for it than the combination of Steph Curry and YouTube. Breaking the Game From the start of his career, Steph Curry has worked his way to breaking nearly every record you can think of when it comes to 3 point shooting. For his career he has shot 43.5% from 3 on over 8 attempts a game. That kind of shooting is not only unprecedented, it is statistically dominating when it comes to winning games. At an absurd 1.305 points per shot, a player would have to shoot 65.3% from inside the 3 point line to match that kind of scoring output per shot. When you consider that the true shooting percentage of the average NBA champion over the last 10 years is around 57.5%, Steph is hands down the best player in league history when it comes to adding offense through 3 point shooting, and he does it at a level that can win championships. When the league average for 3 point shooting hovers around 35%, the value it provides is mostly from spacing the defenders, as though it’s efficient it’s not enough to beat scoring at the rim over the course of a game. The fact that Steph can shoot that volume, that efficiently, and maintain that performance against championship level defenses is game changing. He essentially proved that it’s possible to focus your game entirely around the 3 point line and still lead an NBA offense in scoring, something never done before. In terms of positionless basketball this might have changed everything. If a player can shoot from 3 better than most can from 2, then ideally you’d want players that can shoot from 3 more than players that score inside unless they’re truly elite at scoring inside. But not every player is Steph Curry, or Klay Thompson. Those two were raised by former NBA players that were above average 3 point shooters. You could argue that it might be that genetics gave them the shooting gift, but I think it’s more likely that they just practiced shooting more than any other kid playing basketball, and the part of genetics they benefited from most is their above average height. Just look at Jaren Jackson Jr. another player raised by a former shooting specialist. He has a completely different form and build from his dad, but because his dad likely had him practicing like a shooting guard he naturally spent more time shooting 3’s than most kids. Of course the vast majority of players coming into the league don’t have former players to teach them from a young age. But for players entering the league in this decade this might not be as big of a hindrance as it has been for players in the past. Unlike every other kid to grow up and play in the NBA in the past, any player born this millennium has access to YouTube from the time they are physically able to manipulate a touchscreen. Across society this has had far reaching consequences that I think we were entirely unprepared for, and are only just now starting to come to fruition. If you or someone you know is heavily into makeup as a hobby and artform, you might have jokingly said or heard them talk about the fact that “there are 13 year olds on YouTube that are experts at contour, and why don’t 13 years look like cabbage patch kids in overalls like when we were younger?” And it’s not just makeup. You look at any hobby, talent, skill, activity and you will see a bunch of experts expressing incredulity at the number of young people demonstrating master level skill in all these things that took them decades to hone. The internet, and specifically streaming video is still in its infancy as a human technology, so there isn’t a ton of long term research of the effects of things like social media. While some it is likely bad for humanity as a whole, I don’t think we’ve considered just yet how positive it could be as well. We have instant access to every bit of information you could think to find, and videos posted by talented people of every interest that want to share that interest with others. When you consider the fact that kids brains are at the height of their plasticity when it comes to learning new things, and that on average they have more free time to obsess over their interests, it seems like we have a combination specifically tailored to create super talented kids that seek out more and more advice from as many experts as they can. They watch videos, read, practice, and train until they themselves are experts, learned from the greatest minds on the planet in their chosen interest. Ja Morant didn’t have a superstar dad. He played AAU, but usually on teams in secondary gyms. He didn’t go to a major blue blood university with an elite basketball mind head coach to teach him the important things other star players would be taught coming through their programs. All Ja had was a loving and supportive family that pushed him as hard as he wanted to go, a natural abundance of athleticism, and the internet. Is it just happenstance that Ja Morant’s game reminds people so much of so many different great point guards? Westbrook, Wall, Chris Paul, and Rose have all been used dozens of times in Ja comparisons. Is it coincidence all 4 of those players had their primes overlap with Ja’s formative years? From whatever age his parents let him get online, he could look up highlight videos and film of any player he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, studying and breaking down all their movements to recreate them himself. He didn’t need to be taught, as much as he taught himself through pure motivation and drive. And it’s not just Ja. International players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid have both talked about watching film of American players while they were learning the sport of basketball. Growing up across the Atlantic ocean they didn’t have access to all the coaches and leagues young players here have, but they could still watch the best of the best whenever they wanted to. The first players to grow up this way are now into their NBA careers, and the results haven’t gone unnoticed even if the means aren’t talked about. Players like Luka, Trae, Tatum, Ja, Jaren, Mitchell, Murray, Jokic, and Giannis have all displayed skill far beyond their years when compared to other NBA superstars of the past. But it’s not just the star players. John Konchar recently made local media laugh a bit when asked what player he compares himself to, and he said ‘Pat Connaughton.’ Almost every player that enters the league has been the best player on every team they’ve played on for maybe a decade and rookies will usually compare themselves to stars that they watched and idealized growing up. So for Konchar to compare himself to an NBA role player that’s still in the league and only a few years older than him seems silly.But if you go back and look at their college numbers and their physical profiles, you start to realize that John Konchar might just be the single most self actualized player in the entire league. Both 6’5, 210 pound guys, played all 4 years at schools that aren’t traditional basketball powerhouses. Efficient scorers that score in the paint and from 3, incredible at rebounding for their size, above average passing for off ball players, very solid defense, and advanced numbers that blow most players out of the water, though against weaker competition than most NBA recruits. John Konchar was never heavily recruited and always played against weak competition, even if his own numbers suggested he was incredibly good. Is it possible that he went out and found the best possible player that looks and plays like him, and did everything he could to emulate that player knowing it would be his best shot of making the NBA? I don’t think it’s that far fetched. If this trend continues for all the young players entering the NBA for the foreseeable future, it might mean that we are right on the edge of a new era in the sport, where the best players come into the league ready to lead within the first year or 2, and role players perfectly comfortable with their smaller roles on NBA rosters. Players that hit early growth spurts won’t necessarily be regulated to center positioning, and a lifetime of paint scoring and rebounding. If a taller player wants to work on their 3 point shot, independent of coaching or parenting they can now study videos of the best 3 point shooters ever and add that element to their game if they choose to. And the most motivated players, the ones that live and breathe basketball, they have limitless teachers and lessons to watch with as many hours as they can spare. Flirting with the Future A future where maybe basketball truly is positionless, where players all know how to box out when they're in the paint and a shot goes up, that can all shoot the 3 when open, drive the paint if they see a lane, and pass to the open man when the defense slips up. Of course smaller players will on average tend to have an easier time creating separation on the perimeter through their speed, and taller plays in the paint through their verticality, though both types of players may at least be able to do both well when the opportunity presents itself. Some teams have already experimented with this concept to some extent, but right now the majority of the players in the league are not ready for that type of offense. For the majority of players over the age of 25, they grew up in a basketball culture that placed certain focus on their game based on their size. Most aren’t capable of playing all aspects of basketball at an NBA level because they didn’t get the practice in all the necessary skills as they developed. The Houston Rockets might be the most aggressive team when it comes to molding the team to this mindset, with them refusing to sign players that aren’t capable of all those aspects of basketball. With a lack of players above 6’8 meeting all the criteria to be a truly good basketball player, this limited them to playing PJ Tucker, the largest such player on the roster, against other teams playing true 7 foot centers. It’s not that the Rockets overvalue smaller players, there just aren’t many players that are tall and capable of meeting those requirements, and the Rockets valued the concept of positionless basketball offense above getting players capable of defending elite frontcourts in a playoff setting. Miami might be the best recent example of a team that has gone ‘full positionless’ when it comes to their roster. Pretty much every player on the roster in the recent playoffs was capable of making the right play on the offensive and defensive ends, and though they weren’t very efficient compared to other playoff team offenses, their ability to change roles on a moments notice got them all the way to the NBA finals against one of the strongest teams in NBA history. If you go back even further, take a look at the playoff numbers of the 2014 Spurs that ended the Heat’s chances at a third title under the dominance of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. An incredible balance of scoring, playmaking, and overall basketball talent from all the players to get significant minutes in the playoffs led to a sum greater than the whole, and a team that went down in history as playing ‘the beautiful game.’ But where does that leave the Grizzlies with their current roster? While other young star studded teams went after vets that they felt would compliment their current talent, the Grizzlies continued to go young and replaced the open spots on the roster with more players on their rookie deals, and resigning young players coming off their first contracts. Most of these young guys have more in common than you might expect. To give you an idea of what kind of players the Grizzlies have focused on acquiring, here is every player that in their final year of college play had an above average assist, rebound, steal, and block rate when compared directly to players roughly their height and weight, a true shooting percentage that was above the NCAA average for that season, but did NOT lead the team in shot attempts. Listed by their season, along with their box plus minus rank of all college players from that season (minimum 500 minutes played) In other words, these are the players that were above average in almost every NBA counting stat we track to measure a players success: Xavier Tillman (1st - 19/20) Killian Tillie (5th - 19/20) Desmond Bane (19th - 19/20) Brandon Clarke (2nd - 18/19) John Konchar (91st - 18/19) Jontay Porter (42nd -17/18) De'anthony Melton (102nd - 16/17) Justise Winslow (33rd - 14/15) Kyle Anderson (13th - 13/14) Grayson Allen met all the requirements except rebound rate and block rate, but was still 62nd overall in box plus minus. Ja and Dillon (yes, Dillon too) met all the requirements except they both led their respective teams in shot attempts in their final seasons. Ja was 29th overall in 2018-19, and Dillon was 42nd in 2016-17. Jaren met all the requirements except an above average assist and rebound rate, and was 4th overall in 2017-18. Notably, every player saw their assist rate and 3 point attempt rate increase dramatically each year they returned to play in college. If you asked me, the FO is 100% bought into the idea of positionless basketball, and they've got a whole group of some of the best all around players to come out of college in the last 5 years with the proper skillset for it. I don't think the fact that so many players on the list played with each other in college is coincidental or something as simply as appeasing the star players by signing their friends. The Grizzlies FO has gone out and gone after elite all around players, that played at some of the programs in the country with the most long term success. Coaches like coach K and Izzo are basketball geniuses that instill smart play into any player that comes through their program, and between 5 players on the roster we have over a decade of collective experience under those guys, on top of their own individual talent and expertise. I think the team will hit the ground way faster than anyone expects. Don't be shocked if they blow past expectations this year. The Grizzlies as a whole seem very forward thinking when it comes to the ‘meta’ of the NBA, and their plays have all paid off so far. But where does that leave a player like Jonas Valanciunas?
Basketball Shoes B-ball players know the significance of good foothold on the court. Not exclusively can dangerous shoes influence execution and procedure, yet they can likewise cause injury. Indeed, a report distributed in the October 2009 issue of "Lower Extremity Report" found that helpless footing in b-ball could be connected to wounds like ACL tears and lower leg strain. It's the reason there are items and strategies intended to give you a superior grasp and a superior edge out on the court how to tie basketball shoes. Clean ShoesAt the point when you venture out onto a court, your shoes naturally fire getting residue and soil, which at that point coat the bottoms of your shoes to yield them less viable at keeping you stable. That is the reason cleaning your shoes during a game makes for better footing. Keep a clammy material helpful and wipe the soles down when you get a break. When the game is finished, utilize a pea-size measure of dish cleanser in some water and a wipe to completely clean the lower part of your shoes. On the off chance that grimy floors are continually an issue, notice the issue to your mentor or the janitorial staff. Guaranteeing that floors are residue, soil, and fluid free encourages you keep up the tidiness of your shoes. Foothold Enhancing ProductsAt the point when hold implies everything in a game, players now and again use grasp upgrading items that add some attach to the lower part of their shoes. These items arrive in a couple of various structures, including a splash applied straightforwardly to the lower part of your shoes, a tangle structure that is stepped on under the steady gaze of heading onto the court, and an answer that is scoured on utilizing a fabric. It's essential to recall that these are transitory arrangements; when the tacky arrangement erodes or is covered in residue, you'll need to reapply. DIY MethodsIn the event that you needn't bother with a grasp enhancer yet need to improve footing on the floor, there are a couple of DIY techniques that can assist you with getting the edge. By snatching a low-coarseness sandpaper - 40 to 60 coarseness would function admirably - and messing up the lower part of your shoes with a couple of swipes, you add your own foothold to the surface. When absolutely necessary, you could likewise utilize a paring blade to daintily score the bottoms of your shoes; simply ensure you don't cut so profoundly into the elastic that you cut the shoe totally. Trading ShoesGenuine competitors ordinarily have two arrangements of shoes: One for training and one for rivalry. By keeping your opposition shoes for games just, you save their trustworthiness, backing, and hold for when you truly need them. Your training shoes at that point take the mileage of practices, penetrates and scrimmages so your great shoes are all set come game time. This guarantees you generally have the best hold when you need it. What Can I Put on My Basketball Shoes to Prevent Slipping?Slippage is the foe that slides tennis shoes across dusty floors like vehicles on dark ice, with tricky outcomes. "My game is about foothold - about alter of course," says Dwyane Wade, seven-time Miami Heat All-Star. "At the point when I step on a dusty court, I have an inclination that I can't take the actions I need to make. Also, I'm more in danger for injury." Slippage end conveys equilibrium, control and soundness. The vital lies in the soles of your ball shoes. Residue HappensExercise center occasions going before games allow for cleanup before play. Hardwood rapidly cakes with grime hauled in by fans and players. Residue turns out to be tremendously hazardous, developing on soles and reducing foothold. Filthy shoes slip, decrease player viability and lead to expected wounds. Los Angeles Clipper Chris Wilcox agrees: "On the off chance that you got smooth [shoe] bottoms, you can't grasp and that implies you can't plant, stay with your man or fly." Customarily, players cleared their soles with salivation. Some disagreement puddles onto the court for shoe washing. Others licked fingers or spat into palms prior to taking grime off their shoes. Swim noticed that, "It's appalling," also unsanitary. Tacky Traction MatsTacky foothold mats are set courtside where players rapidly walk grime off their feet before play. The base anchors a replaceable heap of 50 recyclable polyethylene sheets. The ribbed elastic back makes sure about it while ensuring flooring. Shoe soil sticks to clear glue covered sheets without moving tenacity back onto soles. The shabby top sheet catches earth, residue and floor wax, keeping it from amassing on shoes. Players take off sheets as they get terrible, uncovering new ones. "Spitting on your shoes works," claims Rory O'Neil, beginning place for the University of Southern California. "The [sticky mat] is simply more helpful and keeps your hands and mouth more clean." The Acetone SolutionThe producers of a CH3)2CO based outsole candidate guarantee to have upset ball with footing innovation. The item is designed to clean and reestablish shabbiness to tennis shoes without making them tacky, consequently forestalling slips and improving court execution. Swim has tried and affirmed the item and helped with the plan of its implement. Built likewise to a move on antiperspirant, the creation is anything but difficult to spread on soles with the connected wipe tool. It's affirmed for use by the NBA, NCAA, NFHS, NBAT and intramural, youth and secondary school play. The Bottom LinesTacky tangle sizes range from individual to group, with styles from outlandish piles of sheets to elastic based models with conveying handles. Costs differ by producer and choices. Compelling and simple to oversee, they've been utilized by the NCAA Championships since 1994. Custom printing is accessible. CH3)2CO arrangements are anything but difficult to utilize and convenient. The producer states that one application stays viable for 10 to 15 playing minutes. A 8-ounce bottle supplies 16 games for one player, applied multiple times per game. website.
https://throneroomsports.com/2020-nba-mock-draft/ I wrote up a mock draft and figured I would share it here. I know I've always loved reading mock drafts so I thought someone here might enjoy mocking my mock draft. Link to the website is above for a slightly cleaner format. I didn't include any trades in this mock even though I know there will be plenty of draft night trades.
Timberwolves - Anthony Edwards - G - Georgia. Unfortunately for the T-Wolves this is one of those years where there isn’t really a consensus clear cut number 1 overall player. That lowers the trade value of this pick which is what I would want to do here if I were the Timberwolves. I question how well LaMelo and D’Angelo Russell would operate together in the backcourt, so Edwards is my pick here. The Georgia product has elite athleticism, projects to be an above average defender, and a sky-high ceiling. He should add to the young core that the T-Wolves currently have.
Warriors - James Wiseman - C - Memphis. It’s incredible that a team with the talent of the Warriors are drafting this early but due to some serious bad injury luck, here they are. Again, if I was the one making the pick here, I would try like hell to trade back in the draft to try and acquire a player that fits the current team’s timeline better. However once again the lack of top end talent at the top of this draft makes moving back here difficult to obtain the value that the number 2 pick should warrant. LaMelo is redundant here with Steph and Klay so James Wiseman is the choice. With basically zero college tape on him this draft pick is all about upside. You can’t teach size and superior athleticism which Wiseman has in spades. He’ll provide the rim protection that the Warriors haven’t really had but now need due to Anthony Davis’ presence on the Lakers.
Hornets - LaMelo Ball - G - NBL. Charlotte takes the player many analysts consider the top player in the draft. The lanky point guard should immediately upgrade the lead guard spot on the Hornets. Unfortunately for the Hornets, word is that they covet James Wiseman who Golden State already selected. This is the first pick that I could realistically see being traded as no other big man is worthy of being a top 3 pick. Onyeka Okongwu is a name to watch here if a trade down can’t be achieved and the Hornets are set on adding to the front court.
Bulls - Deni Avdija - F - Maccabi Tel Aviv. I really wanted to predict Obi Toppin here to the Bulls. Billy Donovan always knew how to get the best out of undersized bigmen during his time at Florida. But Obi is more than that. He was clearly the best player in all of college basketball last season and would have pushed Dayton to the finals of March Madness had the event happened. But all the smoke on this pick is that the Bulls want the international prospect. Avdija is your typical lottery international big man. Great passing and floor vision with the ability to stretch the floor. He’ll pair nicely with Markkanen.
Cavaliers - Obi Toppin - F - Dayton. The NCAA tournament being cancelled turns into a stroke of luck for the Cavaliers as Obi Toppin falls to them at 5. If March Madness had actually happened and Obi’s Flyers had won the whole tournament (like I had expected them to do) then there’s no way he lasts past the top 3 picks. You can draft for potential all you want but when a player is as dominant as Obi was at Dayton you should draft the results that are backed up on the court. While he’s a bit undersized his game will transition nicely to the modern NBA. With Sexton and Garland manning the backcourt the addition of Toppin makes the Cavaliers’ future look bright for the first time since LeBron left (for the second time).
Hawks - Isaac Okoro - F - Auburn. I’ll preface this pick by saying that I’m almost assuredly wrong on this selection. Patrick Williams out of Florida St has been ascending in the past few weeks which has caused Okoro’s presumed value to drop. But holy hell is that a terrible take. Okoro has the potential to be the top player out of the class three years down the road. The knock on him is his shooting, but he walks into the league a plus defender with amazing athletic ability. He’ll be an immediate contributor even if his shot doesn’t improve. I think you’ll see a playoff team try to trade up into the lottery to select this guy. The kid had a great work ethic so a professional staff should be able to help him improve his shooting and eventually he’ll look like the steal of this draft.
Pistons - Patrick Williams - F - Florida State. I hate to bash on a team in a public forum, but the Pistons are not a good basketball team. When I first started to make this mock draft I had planned on having Detroit take the top available guard here. Killian Hayes and Tyrese Halliburton were and could still be names to look out for here. But Williams has had a rocket strapped to his back in recent weeks and has been flying up draft boards. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him go in the top 5 selections. So Detroit takes the best available player in Williams. And realistically the Pistons should try and trade Griffin to a star hungry team and get any additional draft picks they can acquire. They need them, badly.
Knicks - Killian Hayes - G - France. The Knickerbockers need playmakers and bringing in a facilitator like Hayes who can also shoot the ball is exactly what Spike Lee ordered. If Hayes had played a year at college in the States, he would easily be a top 5 if not top 3 pick in this draft. He projects to be a plus 3-point shooter and pairing him with RJ Barrett could be a lethal combination for many years.
Wizards - Onyeka Okongu - C - USC. The second-best big man in the draft goes to the Wizards at 9. I’ve seen other analysts compare him to Bam Adebayo, but they really need to tone that comparison down. Bam is on pace to be one of the top big men in all the world. Okongu has a strong work ethic and will need to improve his shooting from anywhere that’s not underneath the basket to come close to being a Bam like player. However he’s a problem for other teams defensively and has a knack for getting the loose ball which should help him be able to see early playing time for a Wizards team in need of help in the front court.
Suns - Devin Vassell - F - Florida State. Two players going in the top ten for Florida State. Impressive. It’s a good thing FSU is a basketball school considering how terrible they are at football. The AD down in Tallahassee can’t hire a football coach to save his life. Taggart was an absolute car wreck and Norvell appears to have plowed a semi into the pileup. Anyway, this is about the NBA. The Suns really traded a future first round pick for Chris Paul. Which messed my draft up like crazy. I was all set to predict a point guard to them too. Either Tyrese Halliburton, or Kira Lewis Jr. but now they should turn to their second need and add a wing. Vassell is all sorts of impressive and could be a deadly addition to the most entertaining team we all watched in the bubble go undefeated. The Suns could go ahead and still select a PG here to learn the ropes from one of the best of all time but I think the Suns are pushing hard for a playoff spot and need to add players who are ready to contribute immediately.
Spurs - Tyrese Haliburton - G - Iowa State. He has a funky shooting form that some NBA teams may want to try and revamp, but I don’t see it as an issue. He’s a do it all lead guard with premier basketball IQ and the ability to space the floor. Adding Haliburton to Murray would create a dangerous backcourt if both players live up to their potential. If the Spurs want to add a wing here, then Saddiq Bey could be a name to watch out for. But this shouldn’t be the only pick the Spurs make, they desperately need to trade Aldridge to a contender and push this rebuild forward.
Kings - Saddiq Bey - F - Villanova. Speaking of Saddiq Bey he comes off the board next to the Kings. I was originally planning on mocking a guard to the Kings as a potential replacement to Buddy Hield if he continues to pursue a trade request. But with the trade that brings Donte DiVincenzo (a strong young asset) I decided to add to the wing. But honestly this pick will be all about whose advanced stats the Kings analytics team values. They have decided to try and bring Moneyball to the NBA. So I wouldn’t be shocked to see a pick here that many experts consider to be a reach.
Pelicans - Kira Lewis Jr - G - Alabama. Well what a damn haul the Pelicans got out of the Buck for Jrue. And if by some circumstance Giannis does end up leaving the Bucks then those first rounders could be decent picks and not near the end of the first round. Lewis is a speedster with the ability to spread the floor with his 3-point shooting and should add to the great young core the Pelicans are building. They really need to add perimeter shooting to surround Zion to give him the spacing to be the explosive athlete that he is.
Celtics - Aleksej Pokusevski - F - Olympiacos. Honestly, I’ll be surprised if the Celtics actually select a player here. With the talent the team has, adding multiple first round picks shouldn’t be the priority. They should be trying to package those picks to move up in the draft or acquire a player to add to their depth. Bench scoring should be the main offseason acquisition to keep up with the revamped Bucks. Poku is a unique talent in that he’s a 7-footer who passes and shoots like a guard. In a couple years he could be a great talent in the league. But that doesn’t really fit the timeline of this team. I simply slotted my best player available to the Celtics here. Tyrell Terry could be another name to watch here because of his ability to contribute off the bench immediately.
Magic - Tyrese Maxey - G - Kentucky. This pick hurts me to make. Full disclosure I’ve been a fan of the Miami Heat my entire life and this is the guy I desperately wanted to see fall to 20. He has the potential to follow in the footsteps of other Kentucky guards who have excelled in the past few years. If his shooting picks up to the level that I think he’s capable of there’s a real chance he’s the best player out of this draft in a couple of years. Kentucky guards tend to really excel once reaching the league and this kid has all the potential in the world. He spent the majority of his year at Kentucky playing off the ball, but he has the ability to act as the lead guard. I hope I’m wrong on this pick and he somehow falls to 20, because I think he’s gonna be an All-Star in the not too distant future.
Rockets - Jalen Smith - C - Maryland. This team needs to acquire some size. Desperately. Smith fits with the culture of shooting as many threes as possible (I’m kidding here) with his sweet shooting shot. Most importantly he will provide the rim protection that the team really needs. The biggest question about the Rockets will be does one or both of the stars get traded. Personally I would try and offload Westbrook for whatever I could get and try like hell to get Harden to buy in and stop trying to leave. But who can blame him when the owner is approaching Dolan levels of ignorance.
Timberwolves - Aaron Nesmith - F - Vanderbilt. After adding Anthony Edwards earlier in the draft I have the T-Wolves selecting the best player available in Aaron Nesmith He’s a scorer with a sweet shot who can score from all over the floor. He has the potential to be the best 3-point shooter out of this draft class which is always desired in The League.
Mavericks - Desmond Bane - G - TCU. I want to clarify that I highly doubt the Mavericks actually keep this pick. I don’t even work for an NBA team and they contacted me about trying to trade out of this pick. The Mavs are wanting to make a playoff push to try and attract stars in free agency. So players who need developmental time I basically ignored and looked at players who could contribute immediately. Bane is a senior who has a highly polished game and if he were younger would be drafted much higher than he’s currently being mocked. He has a high basketball IQ and has the polish that most rookies don’t usually have until being in the league for a few years.
Nets - Isaiah Joe - G - Arkansas. This is probably my first reach that I’m predicting in this mock. I’ve seen a ton, mostly all, second round projections for Joe but that is a terrible take. As far as who the best shooter in this draft is right now it’s Joe and it’s not even close. He has one of the most flawless shots I’ve seen come into the league in years. The Nets very well could try and trade this pick for a veteran to help push a title run. But if they actually select a player here I see them pushing for a player with a higher ceiling than trying to draft a rookie who can play immediately, especially in a season with such a short offseason.
Heat - Malachi Flynn - G - San Diego State. I’m going to try my best to be unbiased here but as a Heat fan that may be hard. Flynn is a straight dog as a lead guard, which is exactly what the Heat need. Especially if Goran decides to leave as the Heat will only want to offer a one-year inflated contract to make a run at Giannis next summer. He was one of my favorite players in all of college last season and another player who would not have lasted this long if the NCAA tournament had actually been played. Now I’m losing my ability to be unbiased. The Heat are going to win the championship next year. If they had not had to deal with injuries, there is a real chance the LeLakers don’t win that series. This team over performed to what the talking heads thought they would, and I completely expect them to be back in The Finals next year, this time taking the trophy back to Miami.
76ers - Cole Anthony - G - North Carolina. Another team who probably wants to try and trade out of this pick. But adding a point guard who is capable of playing off the ball isn’t the worst idea. He has slid in this draft due to just how horrible UNC was last year, not really anything with his game. He will definitely benefit from not being the focal point on the 76ers like he was last year at UNC.
Nuggets - Precious Achiuwa - F - Memphis. The Nuggets need to add some size to their front court and they have to be thrilled Achiuwa fell to them at 22. I love the team that the Nuggets have put together. MPJ has all the makings of a star. Jamal Murray is my pick to be the breakout star of the entire league, he just has that IT factor. Pair all of that with the Joker and this team should be at the top of the West for a long time. Adding a back to the basket PF here should help the team tremendously.
Jazz - RJ Hampton - G - New Zealand Breakers. Hampton is going to be a developmental pick and is being drafted this high due to how high his ceiling, but at this point in the draft players with high ceilings are solid draft picks. Based on area of need I would try and shoehorn a frontcourt player here, like Isaiah Stewart, but decided to go with the guy with the highest ceiling still available. Drafting in the 20’s is all about trying to find upside or potential bench depth. If RJ Hampton had went to college in the States, he very well could have been a lottery pick.
Pelicans - Josh Green - G - Arizona. Adding a 3 and D player who could be a solid rotational piece early in his career with the skill set to become a starter is a solid pick for the Pelicans. Adding him along with Kira Lewis Jr the Pelicans continue to acquire young assets for when they try to go all in on a trade for another star to pair with Zion. Personally, I think the Pelicans should try their hardest to pry Bradley Beal away from the Wizards. Pairing him with Zion would make a deadly duo for years to come.
Thunder - Tre Jones - G - Duke. I love this kid and think he’s being undervalued by many. The Thunder appear to be tearing down their roster and building through the draft. Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the real deal. Adding Tre Jones to the backcourt with him is a great way to replace Dennis Schroeder. Tre took a big step forward in his sophomore season at Duke. He’s a tenacious defender who improved his shooting from his freshman year.
Celtics - Leandro Bolmaro - G - Barcelona. At some point the Celtics are going to run out of roster spots for all of these draft picks so I decided to predict them with an international player they could stash overseas for a year or two. As I said before they should try and trade this pick away, but Danny Ainge typically tries to always fleece the opposing GM so it’s hard for other teams to trade with Boston. Bolmaro has a lot of work to do on his shooting but he can make every pass on the basketball court.
Knicks - Isaiah Stewart - F - Washington. Stewart is your traditional back to the basket big man with a knack for finding the rebound. He has a high motor (I think that’s my first time dropping that line) and an aggressive nature on the defensive end that leads to blocked shots. He’s the type of player that Tom Thibodeau loves to run until his knees wear out in three years.
Thunder - Xavier Tillman - F - Michigan State. Having added a point guard earlier in this mock it allows the Thunder to bring a seasoned big man into the fold. Tillman projects as a plus defender with the ability to attack the basket. The Thunder are going young and having a guy who’s been a leader of his college team for a couple years could really help the Thunder along with their rebuild.
Raptors - Nico Mannion - G - Arizona. I love this kid. When he had just committed to Arizona as a recruit, I figured I would be mocking him as a guaranteed lottery pick. But Arizona underperformed and Mannion didn’t get his chance to shine in the NCAA Tournament. Fred VanVleet is an unrestricted free agent looking to secure his bag and Kyle Lowery isn’t a spring chicken anymore so the Raptors attempt to lock down their long term lead guard here.
Celtics - Mason Jones - G - Arkansas. I don’t even care about this pick. I’m sick and tired of predicting Celtics picks at this point. THEY SHOULD TRADE THIS PICK. Yes, I’m also aware that this is a reach and there’s practically no chance Mason is a first round draft choice. But dammit this kid is a baller. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft and is an explosive scorer. I just wanted to bring a little attention to a player who’s gonna stick in the league for a long time. Realistically Theo Maledon would have been my pick here if I wasn’t so tired of mocking players to the Celtics. And yes, that would have been my third international player I predicted the Celtics to draft. Draft and stash for the win baby.
See Thread 3 for discussion of how this affects college football.
See Thread 4 for discussion of how this affects college more broadly and other sports.
See Thread 2 for a full list of universities and colleges that are moving classes online, are testing moving classes online, and/or canceled classes or closed for the semester.
Given how this is progressing and how we know users discuss campus related issues here, we've made the call to have a COVID-19/Corona Virus mega thread to share information, along the lines of our hurricane threads.
If you have additional information, message us via modmail, send a message to StrawberryTea, or comment here and we'll update this list as we can.
Thank you very much to everyone sharing links and information!!
Where is the list of schools going online?
We have reached a point where there are so many schools moving online that the list does not fit here. We have moved the list here. We are still working to update the list and encourage you to keep talking and sharing information here.
As per Brian Fischer: "I’m told the NCAA will work through formal language re: eligibility for players in wintespring sports over the coming days/weeks."
As per Jeff Goodman: "Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton: Seniors, if they want, should have another year. Special permission on scholarship numbers for an unprecedented circumstance. Next year only.'”
COVID-19/Coronavirus Quarantining, Testing, and Diagnoses
Football
2 unknown football players for Tulsa are under quarantine.
Basketball
Referee from the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship tested positive.
Nebraska Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg has the flu.
NBA player Rudy Gobert apologized for putting people at risk.
Notre Dame: Canceled all football activities, including recruiting and spring game.
Ohio State: Canceled spring game, official/unofficial visits, and [recruiting travel.
Oklahoma: Suspended spring football.
Oregon: Canceled scrimmage in Portland.
Penn State: Canceled all football activities, including spring game.
Texas: Postponed decision on spring football until after March 29.
UNM: No fans allowed at practices.
USC: Delayed spring practices.
UVA: Canceled all team activites.
Conferences
Ivy League: Canceled all practices.
All Sports or Groups of Sports
Schools
Duke: Canceled all athletic practices and events.
Kansas: Canceled all athletic travel.
Conferences
AAC: Suspended all spring sports.
ACC: Suspended all atheletic activities.
B1G: Canceled all conference and non-conference championships. Declared a dead period for on and off campus recruiting.
Big 12: Suspended all spring sports.
C-USA: Suspended all spring sports.
CAA: All spring and winter sports canceled.
CCCAA: Postponed indefinitely any practices outside of regularly scheduled classes, competitions for spring sports, and all nontraditional sports seasons.
Mountain West: Suspended all spring sports.
NESCAC (D-III): Canceled all spring sports.
Pac-12: Suspended all atheletic activities.
Patriot League: Canceled all athletic practices and competitions.
Ivy League: Canceled all spring sports.
SEC: Suspended all events, championships, and recruiting.
NCAA
Canceled all remaining winter and spring championships.
Other
The state of Ohio has made all athletic events closed to the public.
Other Sports
Basketball
March Madness is canceled.
AAC tournament canceled.
ACC tournament canceled.
CBI tournament canceled.
Big 10 tournament canceled.
Big 12 tournament canceled.
Big East tournament canceled.
Big Sky tournament canceled.
Ivy League tournament canceled.
MAC tournament canceled.
NBA season suspended.
NCAA - D-III women's sectional closed to the public.
NIT tournament closed to the public.
PAC-12 tournament canceled.
Patriot League women's tournament canceled.
SEC tournament canceled.
Sun Belt tournament canceled.
WAC tournament canceled.
Baseball
MLB spring training canceled, season moved back two weeks.
NCAA finals canceled.
Curling
Women's World Championship canceled.
Golf
Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational cancelled.
Men's NCAA finals canceled.
PGA Tour events through Valero Texas Open canceled.
Players Championship canceled after one round.
Women's NCAA finals canceled.
Gymnastics
NCAA gymnastics regionals, nationals, and championships closed to the public.
Hockey
ACHA championship tournament canceled.
Atlantic Hockey tournament canceled.
ECAC tournament canceled.
Hockey East tournament canceled.
NCAA hockey regionals and championships closed to the public.
NCHC tournament canceled. Road teams returning home.
NHL season suspended.
WCHA tournament canceled.
Lacrosse
Men's NCAA finals canceled.
Women's NCAA semi-finals and finals canceled.
Rowing
NCAA finals canceled.
Soccer
MLS season suspended.
Premier League matches will go ahead this weekend as scheduled.
Wash your hands. (Wash them for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Wash them especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after touching your face, and after you cough/sneeze.)
Use hand sanitizer if you can't wash your hands.
Avoid touching your face, especially nose, mouth, and eyes. (Yes, it's harder than you think.)
Avoid sick people. (If you're around someone who may be sick, stay 3-6 feet away from them.)
Stay home if you are sick. (This is to help protect those that are vulnerable to complications.)
Cover a cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue. Dispose of the tissue, then wash your hands.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and areas, especially high touch areas like doorknobs.
Call your provider before coming in when sick. (This allows them to plan and help keep you away from others to minimize risk of it spreading.)
Don't go to the hospital or urgent care unless the severity level of illness would bring you there normally.
You only need a facemask if you are sick or if you are caring for a sick person.
Get a flu shot. (No, this will not give you immunity to COVID-19, but it will help you avoid or get a weaker case of the flu, which leaves your immune system better off for fighting COVID-19.)
Listen to instructions given by university, government, and emergency management officials.
Buy supplies as needed, including prescription and over the counter medications, food, and water.
Additional Notes
So far, the elderly and people who have underlying medical conditions (or people in both categories) seem to be the most vulnerable to this. Be sure to take extra precautions if you are, if you live with, or if you are often around the elderly, asthmatics, people with heart or lung conditions, people with other underlying medical conditions, or people who may be immunodeficient due to underlying medical issues or treatments.
If you are asthmatic, have a heart or lung condition, have another underlying health condition, or are immunodeficient due to existing illness or treatment, know your action plan. Have medication on hand, including daily, weekly, or as needed meds and supplies to counteract symptoms like fever, cough, etc. Have information on hand about your existing conditions and medication list. Talk to your doctors as needed. Know what office/location you would call and potentially go to if you get sick. (Note: all of these steps are good ideas for anyone, but especially for more vulnerable or at risk people and those around them.)
COVID-19/Coronavirus Mega Thread: March Madness is Canceled.
What is this thread?
This thread is for discussion of how this is or may impact colleges more broadly and how it is affecting other sports.
Why are those in the same thread? Because reddit only gives us 2 sticky spaces.
See this other thread for a discussion of how this is or may affect college football.
If you have additional information, message us via modmail, send a message to StrawberryTea, or comment here and we'll update this list as we can. Thank you very much to everyone sharing links and information!!
We have reached a point where there are so many schools moving online that the list does not fit here. We have moved the list here. We are still working to update the list and encourage you to keep talking and sharing information here.
"The NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee has agreed to grant relief for the use of a season of competition for student-athletes who have participated in spring sports. Committee will also discuss issues for winter sport student-athletes."
"Spring athletes will likely be receiving a waiver so that this season does not count towards their four years of eligibility."
The "NCAA has suspended all recruiting on and off campus for all sports until at least April 15."
As per Brian Fischer: "I’m told the NCAA will work through formal language re: eligibility for players in wintespring sports over the coming days/weeks."
As per Jeff Goodman: "Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton: Seniors, if they want, should have another year. Special permission on scholarship numbers for an unprecedented circumstance. Next year only.'”
COVID-19/Coronavirus Quarantining, Testing, and Diagnoses
General
UCLA Chancellor self-quarantining at home for next 14-days after coming in contact with an individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19; currently has no symptoms.
Wife of University of Texas president tested positive. Texas President Greg Fenves, his wife Carmel, and another family member are under self-quarantine.
Basketball
Referee from the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship tested positive.
Nebraska Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg has the flu.
NBA player Rudy Gobert apologized for putting people at risk.
B1G: Canceled all conference and non-conference championships. Declared a dead period for on and off campus recruiting.
Big 12: Suspended all spring sports.
C-USA: Suspended all spring sports.
CAA: All spring and winter sports canceled.
CCCAA: Postponed indefinitely any practices outside of regularly scheduled classes, competitions for spring sports, and all nontraditional sports seasons.
Mountain West: Suspended all spring sports.
NESCAC (D-III): Canceled all spring sports.
Pac-12: Suspended all atheletic activities.
Patriot League: Canceled all athletic practices and competitions.
Ivy League: Canceled all spring sports.
SEC: Suspended all events, championships, and recruiting.
NCAA
Canceled all remaining winter and spring championships.
Other
The state of Ohio has made all athletic events closed to the public.
Other Sports
Basketball
March Madness is canceled.
"AP Exclusive: NCAA tells AP it planned to salvage March Madness with a 16-team tournament before canceling the entire event."
AAC tournament canceled.
ACC tournament canceled.
CBI tournament canceled.
Big 10 tournament canceled.
Big 12 tournament canceled.
Big East tournament canceled.
Big Sky tournament canceled.
Ivy League tournament canceled.
MAC tournament canceled.
NBA season suspended.
NCAA - D-III women's sectional closed to the public.
NIT tournament closed to the public.
PAC-12 tournament canceled.
Patriot League women's tournament canceled.
SEC tournament canceled.
Sun Belt tournament canceled.
WAC tournament canceled.
Baseball
MLB spring training canceled, season moved back two weeks.
NCAA finals canceled.
Curling
Arena Nationals canceled.
Club championships have continued.
Mixed Nationals canceled.
Paralympic Curling pre-trials canceled.
U18 Curling Nationals postponed.
US Curling National Collegiate Championships have been postponed.
World Men's Curling Championships canceled.
Women's World Championship canceled.
Golf
Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational cancelled.
Men's NCAA finals canceled.
PGA Tour events through Valero Texas Open canceled.
Players Championship canceled after one round.
Women's NCAA finals canceled.
Gymnastics
NCAA gymnastics regionals, nationals, and championships closed to the public.
Hockey
ACHA championship tournament canceled.
Atlantic Hockey tournament canceled.
ECAC tournament canceled.
ECHL has canceled the remainder of the season.
Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee will announce the 2019-2020 winner on April 10, but the announcement will be closed to the public.
Hockey East tournament canceled.
NCAA hockey regionals and championships closed to the public.
NCHC tournament canceled. Road teams returning home.
NHL season suspended.
WCHA tournament canceled.
Lacrosse
Men's NCAA finals canceled.
Women's NCAA semi-finals and finals canceled.
Racing
NASCAR has postponed events in Atlanta and Miami over the next two weekends.
Rowing
NCAA finals canceled.
Rugby
Major League Rugby is launching a virtual competition.
Super Rugby tournament suspended.
Welsh Rugby Union has postponed Guinness Six Nations Round 5 Wales v Scotland fixture.
Soccer
Canadian Premier League held all pre-season training.
Canada Soccer suspensed all sanctioned soccer.
Italy has banned all domestic sports events until April 3.
Wash your hands. (Wash them for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Wash them especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after touching your face, and after you cough/sneeze.) Use hand sanitizer if you can't wash your hands.
Avoid touching your face, especially nose, mouth, and eyes. (Yes, it's harder than you think.)
Avoid sick people. (If you're around someone who may be sick, stay 3-6 feet away from them.)
Stay home if you are sick. (This is to help protect those that are vulnerable to complications.)
Cover a cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue. Dispose of the tissue, then wash your hands.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and areas, especially high touch areas like doorknobs.
Call your provider before coming in when sick. (This allows them to plan and help keep you away from others to minimize risk of it spreading.)
Don't go to the hospital or urgent care unless the severity level of illness would bring you there normally.
You only need a facemask if you are sick or if you are caring for a sick person.
Get a flu shot. (No, this will not give you immunity to COVID-19, but it will help you avoid or get a weaker case of the flu, which leaves your immune system better off for fighting COVID-19.)
Listen to instructions given by university, government, and emergency management officials.
Buy supplies as needed, including prescription and over the counter medications, food, and water.
Additional Notes
So far, the elderly and people who have underlying medical conditions (or people in both categories) seem to be the most vulnerable to this. Be sure to take extra precautions if you are, if you live with, or if you are often around the elderly, asthmatics, people with heart or lung conditions, people with other underlying medical conditions, or people who may be immunodeficient due to underlying medical issues or treatments.
If you are asthmatic, have a heart or lung condition, have another underlying health condition, or are immunodeficient due to existing illness or treatment, know your action plan. Have medication on hand, including daily, weekly, or as needed meds and supplies to counteract symptoms like fever, cough, etc. Have information on hand about your existing conditions and medication list. Talk to your doctors as needed. Know what office/location you would call and potentially go to if you get sick. (Note: all of these steps are good ideas for anyone, but especially for more vulnerable or at risk people and those around them.)
The Sweet 16 will consist of four games per day today and tomorrow (4/9 and 4/10). After that, we'll go straight to the Elite 8 on Monday, April 13th. Then, we'll pause briefly to prep the Final Four and Championship games. Four days. Two rounds. Twelve games. Can you feel the madness?
Unfortunately, since we normally run our bracket challenge through ESPN, we can't use it this year. Thankfully, user leprachaun77 has kindly put together a Challonge bracket here.
Some of today's players were six years old when College Hoops 2K8 came out. Are you using updated rosters for 2020?
Yep! We originally took rosters from Operation Sports, but they've been modified so much at this point that we've uploaded a new file here. We did our best to balance via updated stats where necessary. If you see an issue with your team during a stream, be sure to let us know - there's a lot of teams (68, to be exact) and we're happy to update as the tournament moves along!
How can I spread the word?
We want this to get to as many college basketball-deprived people as possible, so feel free to use #RedditMarchMadness on Twitter and to tell anyone who'd be interested!
Can I get a downloadable bracket?
Yes. Just go to File -> Download -> PDF Document in the bracket link above!
Can I bet on these games?
We're running no official lines from our HQ, but DraftKings has joined us in the fight against boredom! Check out our post here for more info. DISCLAIMER: Those who are running this tournament are not participating in any betting on it and will not profit off it in any way.
Welcome to the Reddit March Madness FINAL FOUR WEEKEND
This Saturday, the virtual ball will be virtually tipped in virtual Atlanta.* And by day's end, we'll have our final two teams set for Monday night's championship game. Will you be there?
*the Alamo Dome, which is like the Georgia Dome, except it exists in 2K8
Unfortunately, since we normally run our bracket challenge through ESPN, we can't use it this year. Thankfully, user leprachaun77 has kindly put together a Challonge bracket here.
Some of today's players were six years old when College Hoops 2K8 came out. Are you using updated rosters for 2020?
Yep! We originally took rosters from Operation Sports, but they've been modified so much at this point that we've uploaded a new file here. We did our best to balance via updated stats where necessary. If you see an issue with your team during a stream, be sure to let us know - there's a lot of teams (68, to be exact) and we're happy to update as the tournament moves along!
How can I spread the word?
We want this to get to as many college basketball-deprived people as possible, so feel free to use #RedditMarchMadness on Twitter and to tell anyone who'd be interested!
Can I get a downloadable bracket?
Yes. Just go to File -> Download -> PDF Document in the bracket link above!
Can I bet on these games?
We're running no official lines from our HQ, but DraftKings has joined us in the fight against boredom! Check out our post here for more info. DISCLAIMER: Those who are running this tournament are not participating in any betting on it and will not profit off it in any way.
Happy 86th birthday, Bill Russell! No one did more to ensure his team’s success & win championships. He won 11 NBA titles, 2 NCAA titles, and Olympic gold with his elite defense, rebounding, athleticism, versatility, passing, leadership, intelligence, clutch games…
Some items:
Russell was 21-0 in winner-take-all games in his NBA career. No one else was close to that mark. If the Celtics & an opponent were even throughout a series & Bill Russell was playing, Boston was ALWAYS going to pull it out in the end.
The Celtics were ho-hum right before Russell joined the team, terrible right after he left, and even worse when he was on the team but missed games (which wasn’t often), but when he was there they were the most dominant title-winning team in sports history which proves how ludicrous the “He was simply the best player on a loaded team” comment is. When he missed games during his career, the Celtics had a losing record (10-18, and 18 of those 28 missed games were against teams with losing records). When Russell missed 3 or more games in a row --so his teammates really had to adjust & couldn’t just “get up” for one game without their leader-- the Celtics were 1-12. They were horrible without him. There is NO evidence the Celtics were any good when Russell wasn’t on the floor, rather a ton of evidence to the contrary.
Similarly, the Celtics didn’t win the title only 2 times during Russell’s 13-year career, and both were (probably) due to difficulties experienced by Russell. In 1958, the Hawks topped Boston 4-2 in the Finals (winning by 2, 3, 2, & 1 points), during which Russell missed 2 games & played hurt when he was available in the series. It’s safe to say Boston would have won that title with a healthy Russell. In 1967, the aging Celtics, fresh off of 8 straight championships, lost to the loaded & younger Sixers in the ECF. This was the first year Russell was Boston’s player-coach, which is significant since he faced horrendously stressful & over-the-top racism as the first black coach in US pro sports history, and he played so much & so intensely he often forgot to sub players which hurt his team. The next season, the Celtics were older & considered “done”, but he added a bench coach to handle subs, and they topped the defending & favored champion Sixers in the playoffs, and then won the title. Then the “seriously, they’re done now” 1968-69 Celtics clawed their way into the Finals & beat the LOADED Lakers 4-3 in Russell’s final season. Two giant asterisks have to go on the only two championships Boston didn’t win during Russell’s career.
Part of what made Russell so unbelievable in big games & moments (especially late in the games), was that his IQ and level of manipulating opponents is unparalleled historically. On defense, he’d often intentionally “just miss” blocking a particular star player’s shots earlier in a contest, but late in the game when the opponent was lulled into thinking they could get a certain shot off over Russell that night, he’d extend the extra inch and come up with clutch blocks & defensive plays they weren't expecting. I’ve never heard of another player doing stuff like this. Add in his truly Olympic-level athleticism (7th ranked high jumper in the world in 1956), and his defense was a cross between Tim Duncan & Kevin Garnett -- covering everything everywhere with incredible explosiveness, plus impeccable timing & decision-making.
There is no hyperbole in saying Russell was unquestionably the most impactful defensive player ever. I feel like I’d be insulting the intelligence of knowledgeable fans by explaining this any further.
Russell is one of very few superstars who had an overwhelming positive & unifying force on his team in a way that had significant on-the-court value far beyond normal quantifiable skills/stats (i.e. dictating the culture & how it affected the team’s play, creating the ultimate synergy). In that category I put Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson (from ‘86-91), Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, and Stephen Curry. Lots of other star players had an impact on winning and were good leaders, but often didn’t have that contagious alpha-but-not-asshole power to keep everything in one positive direction (ex: Dr. J and David Robinson).
The stories about his IQ are legendary & numerous - here are some clips about his hoops IQ. At least watch the 3rd one on that list ("Some more mindgames") to see a short interview with him talking about manipulation of a star opponent in a way I’ve never heard another player articulate; he truly was thinking on a whole different level to create advantages for his team.
Bill Russell was so versatile on the floor, he would train & play all 5 positions on offense. The only other players in history who could maybe do this are Maurice Stokes & Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Russell’s results were quite different, plus immediate & sustained. His value to the Celtics’ offense is WAY underrated, especially on the fast break where he had a bigger influence than Steve Nash due to how well he could start, run, and finish it.
Speaking of which, Bill Russell was an elite passer, both in the half-court & full-court, and put up insane passing numbers for a center, especially in the playoffs. John Havlicek talked about how much worse the Celtics’ offense was right after Russell’s retirement due to his missing passing.
Russell lead an unranked San Francisco University team to 2 consecutive NCAA titles, and could have won a title all 3 seasons he played at SFU if not for an injury to his HOF PG teammate, KC Jones. Even at the college level, he could lead players who weren’t supposed to win to the ultimate heights; it wasn’t just in Boston. And he was the leading scorer, rebounder, & defender on the 1956 gold medal winning Olympic team, which had an average margin of victory of +53, the highest ever (’92 Dream Team was +44).
Fans often knock him for not being a high scorer. He played on a team that spread around the scoring so very few Celtics ever had big scoring numbers, and he often had the best FG% on the team, with a career FG% that was higher than the league’s by the same ratio as Hakeem over the NBA’s during his career (Russell finished top-5 in FG% 4x, way better than Hakeem who was considered unstoppable). Russell understood what sacrifices to make so the Celtics would be winners, which is why he won the 1962 MVP (voting) over Wilt Chamberlain (his epic 50 ppg & 26 rpg season) and Oscar Robertson (his epic triple-double season). It was clear that Russell’s approach was far more valuable to his team’s success than that of other superstars with monster stats.
With this season on hold, let’s look ahead to next. Here’s a breakdown of top draft prospect Anthony Edwards (Georgia). How he plays, how he projects, and how he fits on every team.
Thanks to the coronavirus, this NBA season may be a disjointed mess, and the NBA offseason may be as well. There’s no telling how much information teams will have to work with in regards to the prospects (their medicals, their workouts, their interviews, etc.) In a sense, it’s going to make an already-dicy draft class even riskier than ever. That said, there are some things that we know about the new crop, so I thought I’d break them down for those NBA fans who don’t follow the NCAA and have run out of Tiger King episodes already. Today, we’re going to start with the player listed at the top of the charts (on most sites.) SG ANTHONY EDWARDS, GEORGIA his resume After a successful stint as an E.R. doctor, Anthony Edwards turned his attention to basketball full time. Best known as an explosive scorer, the guard became a five-star recruit that was ranked top 5 by all major sites. The Atlanta product decided to stay local, and attend Georgia for college. At the time, it was seen as a major coup for coach Tom Crean and a redefining moment for the Bulldogs program. As we all know, snagging "one and done" superstars is a great way to stay relevant in college basketball. If you can load up with 2-3 of them at once, you can be a true title contender. However, as we've seen many times recently, landing ONE superstar recruit doesn't necessarily lead to glory. Solo stars like Ben Simmons and Dennis Smith Jr. didn't have loads of team success (and saw their coaches get fired soon after). Future # 1 pick Markelle Fultz's Washington team went 9-22 in his lone season there. Some of those same problems plagued Anthony Edwards at Georgia. As a one-man band, he could rack up good raw stats (19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds per game), but struggled with his efficiency. He shot only 40.2% from the field, and only 29.4% from three (on 7+ attempts per game.) His playmaking also left something to be desired (2.8 assists, 2.7 turnovers.) Coach Tom Crean will survive, but this 16-16 team wasn't a year to remember after all. Despite those mixed results, Edwards is still ranked as the # 1 overall prospect on ESPN. Other sites have him a little lower (with tankathon's # 6 slot the lowest), but he's generally considered a heavy favorite for a top 3 pick along with PG LaMelo Ball and C James Wiseman. his game When you watch Anthony Edwards play, the first thing that comes to mind is his explosion and power for the position. He's listed anywhere from 6'3" to 6'5" (so we'll settle on 6'4") but he has a long 6'9" wingspan. More than that, he's a sturdy 225 pounds. He’s going to be a handful to match up with, even in the NBA. Offensively, Edwards utilizes his athleticism well, pressing the issue and (at times) forcing his will. The 19.1 PPG may not jump off the page, but Edwards has all the tools to be a big-time scorer. He can get buckets anywhere on the court. And while his 29.4% three-point percentage may jump out as an immediate red flag, his actual shooting form looks fine. His FT% (77.2%) also indicates as much. He's also clearly not shy about taking shots either, illustrating his confidence in that part of his game. With better teammates and better shot selection, he should be an average to above-average three-point shooter (maybe 36%.) Defensively, Edwards should be better than he’s shown so far. He’s a natural SG, but his size and length should enable him to guard some 1s and 3s as well. However, the effort and attitude isn’t always there on that end at this stage. his comps Because Anthony Edwards played for Tom Crean, there's a natural tendency to compare him to other shooting guards that Crean has coached -- including Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo. Presuming any prospect will be as good as Dwyane Wade is setting yourself up for disappointment, but as far as best case scenario, that's not ridiculous at all. Like Wade, Edwards is a long-armed power guard with All-Star potential. I'd even say that he's farther ahead than Wade was offensively at this stage of their careers (Wade stayed two years at Marquette.) In order for Edwards to unlock that upside, he'll need to continue to hammer his way to the line. He averaged 5.3 free throw attempts per game -- which is "good" but not "great." Wade himself improved from 4.8 FTA to 7.5 FTA in his second year in college, and I'd encourage Edwards to make that a point of emphasis as well. In terms of "worst case scenario," a few come to mind as well. If Edwards doesn't get to the line much in the NBA, then his scoring efficiency will become very dependent on his shot making, which is no sure thing right now. I've heard some people here on reddit throw out a Dion Waiters comparison, and that's not a ridiculous suggestion either when considering Edwards' floor. If he doesn't improve his efficiency and he doesn't improve his defensive intensity, then perhaps a life as a mediocre empty-calorie scorer is in the cards for him. If I had to bet on a most likely outcome, the truth would be somewhere in between. Utah SG Donovan Mitchell immediately comes to mind for me. Like Edwards, Mitchell is a little undersized (in terms of height) but has good length and a powerful frame. He thrives best as a multi-level scorer, although his efficiency will also hinge on how often he's getting to the line. Right now, in Year 3, Mitchell averaged 24-4-4 for the Jazz, and that seems like a realistic expectation for Edwards down the road as well. how he fits on every team (listed by current lottery order) (1) GOLDEN STATE. chances of # 1 pick: 14%, chances of a top 4 pick: 52% Based on some rumors, Anthony Edwards is the top player on the Warriors' board, although you could wonder about the immediate fit. Presumably, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson will be locked into the backcourt, and Andrew Wiggins (flaws and all) will still be further ahead than a 19-year-old rookie. There's some chance that the Warriors may decide to go SUPER small and play all four together with Draymond Green, but it's more likely that they'd bring Edwards off the bench to begin his career. That would serve as a nice boost for their shaky depth, but may not be the best use of an asset like this. I'm more bullish on Edwards' fit on Golden State from a long-term perspective. Steph Curry is 32 now, so by the time that Edwards hits his prime, Curry will likely be 35+ and best used as a complementary scorer anyway. Edwards would inherit the kingdom, so to speak. And if you're worried about his habits and playing style, then you're unlikely to find a better home to develop him than a top-flight organization like Golden State. overall fit: 3 (out of 5). (2) CLEVELAND. chances of # 1 pick: 14%, chances of a top 4 pick: 52% Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers surprised many by taking a scoring guard like Darius Garland only one year after taking a scoring guard in Collin Sexton. Presumably, Anthony Edwards could fit with either one of the two because of his size/length, but it'd be hard to imagine all THREE playing together. To add even more murkiness to the equation, the Cavs also have an explosive young scoredevelopmental project at SG in Kevin Porter Jr. If the Cavs do get a chance to draft Anthony Edwards, they'd likely go ahead and hand him the keys to the kingdom (and throw the other babies out with the bath water) if need be. He can be the type of signature star that they've lacked since LeBron James. That said, it's one of the clunkiest fits on the board. overall fit: 1.5 (out of 5). (3) MINNESOTA. chances of # 1 pick: 14%, chances of a top 4 pick: 52% Karl-Anthony Towns and GM Gersson Rosas finally landed their man in D'Angelo Russell, another high-volume scoring guard that theoretically would clash with Anthony Edwards. However, I actually think Russell and Edwards could play in the same backcourt. They're both long (Russell has a 6'10" wingspan, Edwards 6'9"), and project as decent shooters from range. Aside from some back and forth battles for the basketball, they should play well together. The bigger domino effect of Edwards landing in Minnesota may be the fate of mid-season acquisition Malik Beasley. Beasley has some similarities to Edwards, with an underrated scoring touch. You could play Beasley as a 6th man scorer, but he's a free agent right now and may have higher aspirations than that. That hanging question will dock us a half point in this score. overall fit: 3 (out of 5.) (4) ATLANTA. chances of # 1 pick: 12.5%, chances of a top 4 pick: 48% The Atlanta Hawks already have their signature star in tow in Trae Young. They've (wisely) endeavored to build the supporting cast in a way that covers for him on defense, selecting D'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish in the draft, and trading for Clint Capela in midseason. On the surface, Anthony Edwards doesn't fit int that mold. He has the tools to be a good defender, but like a lot of young scorers, doesn't always lock in (advanced stats list him as a modest +0.8 in defensive box plus/minus.) All that said, the fit still isn't bad. If the Hawks want to make the playoffs, they need to improve their defense. But if they want to win championships down the road, then grabbing another potential All-Star to pair with Trae Young is a good recipe too. Young's ability to spread the court would also help Edwards as he attacks inside. Offensively, they'd be a bad-ass duo. overall fit: 4 (out of 5.) (5) DETROIT. chances of # 1 pick: 10.5%, chances of a top 4 pick: 42% The strength of this year's draft is the point guard position, and that works out well for the Detroit Pistons. They could use a young guard who can develop behind Derrick Rose for a season or two, and ultimately take the reins of the offense and become the star of the franchise down the road. That said, the Pistons could also use a star small forward. Or a star shooting guard. Basically: any star at all. Certainly, Anthony Edwards has star potential. That makes him a good organizational fit, even if the roster fit isn't cookie cutter (SG Luke Kennard is pretty good; let the Pistons know that.) overall fit: 3.5 (out of 5.) (6) NEW YORK. chances of # 1 pick: 9%, chances of a top 4 pick: 37% Like the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks aren't going to get too picky with their needs. Sure, they'd like a superstar PG, but any superstar would add a much-needed jolt of electricity to the building. Would Anthony Edwards be the best type of superstar to provide that? Eh. Kinda-sorta. There's definitely some overlap here with R.J. Barrett in terms of a young wing with All-Star potential but some inefficiency issues to iron out. In an ideal world, they could be a superstar duo (LeBron James + Dwyane Wade worked out okay), but there's too much murkiness and projection involved there to give you confidence in that fit. overall fit: 2.5 (out of 5). (7) CHICAGO. chances of # 1 pick: 7.5%, chances of a top 4 pick: 32% Wait, an athletic scorer with defensive lapses? Would Chicago Bulls fans be seeing double here when Anthony Edwards shows up to play alongside Zach LaVine? Again, as with Minnesota, I don't think it's a total duplication to pair the two together, because Edwards and LaVine both have size and the ability to shoot it. You could play the two together and put the pressure on defenses. That said, it's not a perfect marriage by any means, unless the Bulls can change their culture and get their kids to lock in on both ends. overall fit: 2 (out of 5.) (8) CHARLOTTE. chances of # 1 pick: 6%, chances of a top 4 pick: 26% The Charlotte Hornets' top two scorers this year were both guards -- Terry Rozier and Devonte' Graham -- but neither one of them are good enough or efficient enough to make you change from a "best player available" approach to the draft. More than anything -- and dare I say, more than any other NBA team -- the Charlotte Hornets need a SUPERSTAR. With all due respect to Kemba Walker, they haven't had one since their expansion. I don't know if Anthony Edwards will necessary be that superstar, but he'll have every opportunity here on a team that would feature him heavily. And while the Hornets get a lot of flak for their organization, their coaching staff isn't half bad at all. Candidly, I hope they win the lottery, because they deserve some good karma for not egregiously tanking despite their obvious rebuild here. overall fit: 4.5 (out of 5.) (9) WASHINGTON. chances of # 1 pick: 4.5%, chances of a top 4 pick: 20% Conversely, the Washington Wizards don't need a superstar to slap on the marquee as much as other lottery teams like Charlotte. They have Bradley Beal, and John Wall returning next year. Moreover, both of those stars are guards who thrive with the ball in their hands. Anthony Edwards would represent quite a bit of duplication here. To repeat, the Wizards (and every team) should take Edwards if he's the clear best player available, but it's just not the best marriage for both parties in this particular case. Edwards could be a great 6th man for them or perhaps play as a small SF, but it's not the ideal remedy for what ails them. More than anything, the Wizards need frontcourt help, and defensive help, and Edwards' talents lie elsewhere. overall fit: 1 (out of 5.) (10) PHOENIX. chances of # 1 pick: 3%, chances of a top 4 pick: 14% At a certain point, years and years of lottery picks are going to give the Phoenix Suns so much talent that the scales will tip over and turn them into a winner. Probably. Maybe. Anthony Edwards would help with that, even if there's some natural duplication here with scoring guard Devin Booker that will dock them a point or two in our metrics. That said, Booker has the ability to play PG if need be, and is one of the better spacers in the league. If coach Monty Williams can get Booker and Anthony Edwards to be a two-headed monster on the perimeter and unleash Deandre Ayton's potential as well, this could be a sleeping giant. overall fit: 3 (out of 5.) (11) SAN ANTONIO. chances of # 1 pick: 2%, chances of a top 4 pick: 9% It feels awfully strange to say, but the San Antonio Spurs are actually one of those teams like Charlotte (gasp) that needs a future star to build their team around. DeMar DeRozan is 30 (and a potential free agent), LaMarcus Aldridge is 34. The young kids like Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl are solid, but limited. Anthony Edwards would immediately come in and become the centerpiece of a rebuild. (Lonnie Walker IV may bristle at that, but our eyes will have wandered past him in this scenario.) What works best in this hypothetical is the fit from a developmental standpoint. Edwards has star potential, but isn't a sure thing. There's no organization better at maximizing talent than the San Antonio Spurs, from a shooting perspective to a basketball IQ perspective to a long-term load management perspective. overall fit: 4.5 (out of 5.) (12) SACRAMENTO. chances of # 1 pick: 1%, chances of a top 4 pick: 6% Do the Sacramento Kings have a big need at SG? I don't know. They may not know. The team found some success toward the end of the year by starting Bogdan Bogdanovic and bringing Buddy Hield off the bench, but that may not be a sustainable scenario. Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent, and may cost upwards of $15M a season. Adding another wing to the mix would be an expensive proposition; the team would either need to bring either Hield, Boggy, or Anthony Edwards off the bench for a while. At the end of the day, talent wins out, so you wouldn't complain to add even more to this young core; still, it doesn't appear to be the best fit on our board. overall fit: 2.5 (out of 5). (13) NEW ORLEANS. chances of # 1 pick: 1%, chances of a top 4 pick: 6% Young talent definitely isn't a problem in New Orleans. Along with Zion Williamson, they also have Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram (a restricted free agent that they're intent on re-signing.) The current presence of Jrue Holiday and J.J. Redick may not leave a lot of minutes available in the backcourt right now, but the true upside of this team isn't going to be in 2020 or 2021. If the Pelicans can develop a starting lineup of Lonzo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Jaxson Hayes, they could have the making of a true title contender in 3-4 years time. Zion + Edwards would be an especially wicked brand of bully ball on poor opposition. overall fit: 4 (out of 5). (14) PORTLAND. chances of # 1 pick: 0.5%, chances of a top 4 pick: 2% Like Golden State, the Portland Trail Blazers already have two stars in their backcourt with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. As mentioned with the Warriors blurb, Anthony Edwards' best fit with the Blazers may be in the long term. As Lillard and McCollum age, Edwards can take on more of the mantle as the star of the team. But still, that's not an ideal marriage for all parties involved. What makes this even less seamless than the Warriors situation is that the Blazers already have a promising young combo guard in Anfernee Simons. If the Blazers move up into the top 3 and take Edwards, I would expect a trade (of either Simons or McCollum) to follow. fit: 1 (out of 5.)
Now that we're in late April, Reddit March Madness has come and gone, and Seton Hall can celebrate its first national championship and FIRE IT UP! Congratulations to the Pirates, and a hearty congrats to BYU, West Virginia and Gonzaga, too, for reaching the 2020 Final Four. As the exclusive* media home for the tournament, I covered every game from the first round through the championship, plus features and previews along the way. That's a lot of content, and I know you want to go through all of it. That's why I've put it here, all in one post, for you to conveniently and consistently browse your modern-day Bible. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve you fine folk with Internet connections (fuck anyone who doesn't, am I right?). You all mean so much to me. I wish you all a Merry Pandemic! Without further ado, here is your entertainment. FIRST ROUND Shaka Smart self-declares invincibility as Iowa clobbers Texas
“At this point, I’m pretty sure I’m going to live forever,” Smart said. “There doesn’t really seem to be any negative consequences for my failures. It’s pretty dope.”
“There are several people named Duncan on this team for some reason,” Duncan said. “That’s first and last names. I’m sick of it. I want to stand out. I want to be my own man. I want to be the top Duncan of Vermont. “I think I accomplished that tonight.”
“It was good to see the generosity our players showed Little Rock,” head coach and part-time garden gnome Tom Izzo said. “A few of our guys gave the Little Rock players words of encouragement even after they embarrassed themselves live on YouTube for everyone, even their crushes, to see. Sportsmanship is at the core of our program.”
“Xeyrius Williams has a great name, but it’s arguably not even the best on our team,” Groce explained. “We got a guy named Ali Ali. We have another dude named Channel. One guy’s last name is Cheese. The name ‘Enrique Freeman’ does not sound correct. I’m still not sure how to pronounce Maishe Dailey. And the best might be LePear Toles, which again, is the real name of a player on my team. He’s a sophomore guard from Canton. I’m not making this up.”
“Oh lord, no. No, no, not again, no. Please, God, no, not like this,” McDermott said he pleaded to God on the sideline in the second half. “Just one Sweet 16, please, even if it’s in a video game.”
“As you can see, I’m wearing one of my energy crystals, which have helped bring me incredible good fortune in recent months,” Frazier explained. “This one right here is for love, which is what I try to spread with my basketball game. That’s the secret to everything, man, it’s love. There can be nothing without love.”
“I have been working part-time as an extra-absorbent paper towel in the event I lose this job,” Sean Miller explained. “Business is booming, and soon I can take this operation full time. I won’t even need Arizona for much longer. Pump and dump, baby, pump and dump.”
“I forgot Battey was on the team, okay?” Boyle said through sniffles as he held back tears. “It’s hard. This job is hard. It’s hard to keep track of everything.”
“He was telling me about this thing, offense I think I remember he called it,” Sampson recalled. “Anyway, he was talking about this offense thing, going on and on about working for good shots, ball movement, attacking the rim, what have you. It sounded odd to me, but we were down quite a bit. I didn’t know what else to try.”
“I hate basketball,” he said. “I’ve been spending decades trying to destroy it from the inside. For my own players to undermine me like this, I find it disgusting. You can expect to see a lot more bricks and turnovers in our second game, I can promise you that.”
“I don’t care for those wise guys out in the Missouri Valley, see,” he said while wearing a trench coat and playing cards. “Where I come from, we take care of people like that, and their associates, too. Bradley got what it had coming.”
“Our guys fought until the end, and that’s something they can keep with them for the rest of the time the owner of his game keeps these rosters,” Moton said. “Besides, Kansas probably cheated, anyway.”
“It’s a huge day for our program,” said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who has assembled a rag-tag group of barely top-100 prospects and some of the best foreign talent into a Round of 32 participant. “It’s incredible the things you can accomplish when you leave your ego at the door.”
“I just figured, if you’re trying to create a hell on Earth, what would be the easiest way to do it?” Satan said. “It didn’t take long for Michigan and Florida to come to mind. Putting them together, on the same field or court, at least once every calendar year in meaningful games, surely it would allow some amount of a realistic hell on the planet.”
“Once we saw we had Cincinnati in our first game, we weren’t too worried,” Fred Flintstone, known in modern times as Bruce Pearl, said. “You can take the Cronin out of the Cincinnati, but you can’t take the Cincinnati out of the Cincinnati.”
“I’m going to the liquor store, I’m buying all the liquor they got, and I’m getting drunk as fuck tonight, boys,” promised North Dakota State head coach David Richman.
“As we are taught in the the Hávamál, it is important to move on from things,” he explained graciously. “The unwise man is awake all night, and ponders everything over; when morning comes he is weary in mind, and all is a burden as ever,” Darrin Horn continued, quoting his favorite of the 10 proverbs from the Hávamál.
For minutes, the brutal attack wore on with thousands listening to the tearing of skin, the breaking of bones and the final yelps of a dying man’s last pleas. After it was done, Huggins slowly rose, standing on only his hind legs and faced the two remaining refs, bearing his teeth.
“I’ve been eating nothing but mountain lion for weeks,” said Texas Tech student Benny “The Multiplier” Martinez. “My stool is hardening. Wreck ’em Tech!”
“We do a lot of preparations before games, and before the season even, to be prepared for our, shall we call them, opponents,” Wade slithered through his fingers as he tapped their tips against each other, menacingly. “We had been saving up for the tournament for a while.”
“Great, fucking great,” complained Richard Stroganoff, Class of ’87. “One damn win in a video game, and we’re stuck with Archie for another two years, minimum. “You’ll never replace Bobby!” he shouted as he stood to face at a wall poster of Miller with googly eyes, a crudely drawn mustache and a goofy sombrero vandalizing the coach’s appearance. “You’ll never replace Bobby,” Stroganoff quietly muttered, slumping against the wall and collapsing into a heap of tears and woe.
“The chest pat is everything,” his holiness explained later when us mortal media members were fortunate enough to be graced with his words of wisdom. “Without it, you have nothing.”
“It’s not what we came here hopin’ for,” Belmont head coach and country music studio recording artist Casey Alexander sang with a twang, “but it is what we’re leavin’ here cryin’ for.”
“I’ve been getting very unsettling phone calls from numbers I don’t know from Cleveland,” Obi Toppin explained. “It’s a distorted male voice that keeps telling me he loves me over and over again, and that everything is going to be okay. Sometimes he shushes me. Plus, I received flowers from a ‘secret admirer,’ and they were all dead. I’m starting to get scared.”
“The NCAA wanted eliminate Boston University because its name is dumb,” the report from Scoops Callahan reads. “They think it’s pretentious that they always have to have the University or U in there, and that it’s too much of a mouthful. So, they put Baylor and Scott Drew on the job, and now an innocent university is dead.”
“My mommy and daddy said that if the Cougars go to the Final Four, God is listening to my prayers!” said 8-year-old BYU fan Ammon Bluth, jumping up and down with joy before stopping, his face dropping and the sudden malaise of reality beginning to churn in his young mind. “Wait, what does it mean if they don’t?”
“I don’t see what the big deal is, but lots of people got mad, so here you go,” Huggins said in a special press conference. “I’m sorry if I offended you. There you go. There it is.”
“I’m gonna lose my job, and then I’m gonna lose the house, too,” McDermott said, pacing ferociously and periodically hitting himself in the head with an open palm in feeble attempts to knock himself into an alternate, more successful reality that does not exist, not even in the make-believe land of College Hoops 2K8 simulations. “Theresa is definitely gonna leave me. What am I going to do without Theresa?”
“I would like to dedicate this performance to the otters,” Hagans said. “No one in basketball is talking about otters. I’m sick of it. It’s time to start, #OtterTalk.”
“Ain’t nothing golden about Marquette,” Shantay Legans explained. “You ever been to Milwaukee? They should call themselves the Gray Eagles. At least that would make sense.”
“Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Paul, Peter, all of them,” Wazowski said in disbelief. “Moses, Avraham, Yakov, Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius. Thanks to all of them. Whomever is responsible for this, thank you.”
“Tom Izzo,” he muttered in his stupor as he rolled over from his back to his side to face me, a pool of vomit slipping from his lap onto the pavement. “He ruined my life.”
“I ate a lot of bugs before, which provides me with my species’ equivalent to protein, so I was extra strong for today’s game,” he explained. “My metabolism processes the bugs much faster than humans process their food, and it gives me strength immediately that same day. I was sent to this planet to win basketball games for Dana Altman. I am not collecting valuable information so that my species can destroy the human race.”
“I’ve been in basketball a long time, long enough to remember the great Buddy Hield,” Lon Kruger reminisced. “Oh, what great days those were. You could just give him the ball, and he would do something magical with it. Now all these kids want to do these days is sit around on their iTabs and their GameDudes, living in some kind of fantasy. Well, I prefer the real world, where we’re really watching simulations of a 13-year-old college basketball video game instead of March Madness this year because of A GOD DAMN VIRUS!”
“‘AYALA FOR THREE’ WILL FOREVER HAUNT MY NIGHTMARES!” shouted business major Georgio Mancala as he climbed on top of the bar and began throwing cups, napkins and everything else he could get his hands on into the air, causing mass mayhem.
“We’re a scorpio, and today our horoscope said that for a few weeks, we’ve been struggling with our physical appearance,” said the medically-conjoined elite basketball machine. “Our horoscope also said that a decision we make at the end of the day will help with those negative thoughts, and tonight was that decision. We decided that we don’t care if having three people smashed into one mechanical-engineered monster of a basketball superhuman doesn’t fit into the constraints of conventional attractiveness. We’re all beautiful in our own ways, and basketball is how we share our beauty with the world.”
“In case he was wondering if I can read, I took a look at the scoreboard and wanted to let him know that I read, ‘WEST VIRGINIA 81, DUKE 74,'” Huggins said. “He can let me know later if I read that right.”
“This world is a sick place. There’s no righteousness in this place,” said Toppin, turning up his upper lip in disgust, then changing his expression to complete anger after his phone rang and he saw who was calling. “And these fucking calls won’t stop either! I know it’s you, Dan! Leave me alone! I don’t need this right now!”
“I’ve become connected with an anti-human trafficking human trafficker who fools, then kidnaps and smuggles Somali pirates to various parts of the world as property, and it’s totally legit,” Martinez explained. “So, while I doubt the pirates that Seton Hall is referring to in its nickname come from Somali, it’s really the most realistic route you could expect one to take given that pirates are an endangered species in 2020. Wreck ’em Tech!”
“It was a crazy game to be a part of. It was an offensive explosion from both teams,” Rhoden said, using his hands to illustrate things blowing up. “It was like, BOOM! And then like, BOOM! And, and then, BOOM! You know? It was like that. A lot of booms.”
“But … mom … I … don’t … wanna … come … HOOOOOOME!” Austin Wiley struggled to get out to his mother over the phone amid the intense sniffles and tears he was fighting through. “I’m gonna miss my friends, and all my toys and stuff are here. I don’t wanna leave. I don’t wanna come to Hoover. I WANNA STAY!”
“How has this happened?” Richard Stroganoff, Class of ’87, asked the empty void he couldn’t escape as he wept on the floor of his kitchen in the fetal position, leaning against the dish washing machine and clutching a framed picture of Bob Knight.
“IT’S A WAR ZONE OUT HERE,” shouted Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo from the inside an active helicopter, camouflage paint and clothing covering his body for safety precautions during the medical supply drop. “NO ONE IS SAFE, NOT EVEN DUKE."
“Did I plan for it to go like it did?” Calipari asked, laughing and sitting back his chair, crossing his arms. “I guess we got a wise guy ‘ere, huh? Well, kid, I did plan for it to go like this. Know how? Because I wanted to make sure Illinois knew where it belongs. I wanted it to know that even when the light at the end of the tunnel looks like it’s getting brighter, I can close the blinds.”
“It’s all about yelling at your players, but doing it the right way,” Izzo explained. “You gotta do it in a way that makes people laugh. Screaming is fine as long as you’re little and goofy, especially in comparison to your players. That’s the key.”
“People are always going to try to find a way to bring down the almighty and all-powerful,” he said, his cheeks and forehead beginning to throb a light blue as a uncontrollable grin spread wide across his face. “We will vanquish them, as we do all enemies, as we prove ourselves as the most dominant force in the world. Our power is growing, Cougars. Remain with me as I bring us to the end of the muggle nightmare."
“Gonzaga in the Elite Eight,” he said to Tracy Wolfson on the court after the game, tears welling in his eyes as their genuine and powerful charisma captured the heart of America. “Wow, what a world.”
“Garble, garble, garble,” he garbled, insulting me for bringing up such a hoax and shouting at me to leave, insisting that he would not continue the presser until I was gone. “Garble, garble, garble.”
“I just felt something come over me,” he explained, jubilantly. “I felt something mighty, something powerful. I felt an internal phone ringing in my head, and so I answered it. I knew right then and there that that was the Lord, and when the Lord calls, you answer the phone."
“It’s an amazing thing,” Willard said, eager to get off the topic of his accident. “It’s a testament to the amount of work these kids put in each and every day, adjusting to this tournament being played with one fewer dimension than they’re accustomed to and how fortunate our draw has been.”
“The Cougars are one win from the Final Four!” said 8-year-old BYU fan Ammon Bluth, whose parents told him after the Vermont game that if the Cougars made it to the Final Four, then God was listening to his prayers. “I can’t wait until God listens to my prayers about world peace and hunger, too!”
“We ain’t even won shit yet,” said card-carrying Big Blue Nation member Peevis Moon. “This is the season, right here. Final Four or never more for John Calipoopi.”
“RAH RAH RAH,” the only LSU basketball fan in existence, Buford Fontenot, unintelligibly shouted at me from his shrimp boat, wearing only overalls and a hat he clearly just found somewhere, while I stood on the dock at a safe distance in case things got too Cajun. “BASSETBALL!”
“We have been working to expand our drunk tanks and get extra pumps to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in preparation for WVU basketball this week,” said Morgantown police chief Hobart McDonald’s. “I can’t wait to get West Virginia wild.”
“If we win, we’re gonna get a great, big pinata of Coach K, hang it up and surprise him with it in the locker room after the game,” Cassius Winston said. “We already have it all planned out for how to make it a secret. We have a few other guys on the team in on it. Kenny Goins provided the bat, because he had several for some reason. I can’t wait for the look on his face. And think of the candy, too!”
“Well, there’s one thing: they can’t order us to stop dreaming,” explained Ayayi, his breathtakingly beautiful dress blowing so elegantly in the wind. “So we’ll trust our hearts, what else can we do? We can’t live in dreams if our dreams are to come true.”
“I said Final Four or never more for John Calipoopi before the doggone game, and my mind ain’t changed,” tweeted card-carrying Big Blue Nation member Peevis Moon from his handle @UKWildcatzFan1972. “That was pathetic! Never seen UK play worse! I’m done with Calipoopi the Fraud!”
“People have been talking about our draw coming into this round,” Kevin Willard said on the court right after the game. “How we didn’t play anyone, so we were going to lose to big, bad, murderous Baylor. Well guess what? Seton Hall don’t give a fuck, jack, and that means Jersey ’bout to run up in ATL with some GTL, you feel?”
“I feel like I am West Virginia,” he said. “I act like West Virginia, I think like West Virginia, I’m shaped like West Virginia. There’s nothing but West Virginia in me, you can be damn sure of that."
“Look at how pretty I am!” Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert said while frolicking about the media room, a wide smile on his face. “I’m the prettiest girl at the dance. Why, I think I might be the prettiest lady this side of the Mississippi!”
“Your dads give you a beer yet?” West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins asked a group of fifth graders, taking a sip of his whiskey, then lighting his cigar and puffing it out into the room.
“You always dream about getting to a point like this when you’re drafting plans for how to eliminate an entire subset of the population from existence,” Riddle explained. “It’s not until you’re actually here, standing in Atlanta and feeling the energy around you, that you realize it can be real and not just a fantasy.”
“We have a chores list, WHICH PATCHES IS NOT GOOD ABOUT FOLLOWING,” Gill said, elevating his voice loud enough during the criticism so Patches could hear him in the other room. “But we have it all broken down, AND WHEN IT’S FOLLOWED, things move pretty smoothly around here.”
“I’ve been collecting since I was a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old,” Harler said, beginning to choke up. “My cousin showed stamps to me, told me they were a nice hobby. I didn’t think anything much of it then, just thought they were interesting. I had no idea what it would turn in to. I didn’t know it would be like this.”
“We are truly at the precipice now,” he said he encouraged his players. “The darkness is near. Soon, the muggles will have no light with which to live, and the darkness shall envelope them. It shall be you who bring the darkness, and you will continue our long path to eventual muggle eradication in the second half.”
“I’m probably never going to be back here again,” Willard said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a good coach. Seton Hall is fortunate to have me, and I’ll probably go to more Sweet 16s, lots more tournaments, all that. But win a national championship? Are you shitting me? Only in a season that is cancelled right before March Madness because of a pandemic, then the tournament is played out in a 13-year-old video game could I possibly pull that off, and those are the exact circumstances we find ourselves in. That’s why I have to capitalize. Now.”
“Well, I can promise you that we won’t commit a genocide if we win,” said Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard. “We won’t if we lose, either. In fact, I can guarantee you that Seton Hall will never play a role in the creation or propagation of a genocide. We’re pretty committed to our values here, and genocide is something that goes against those values.”
“Please, God, won’t anyone listen to me?” Deep Stroke pleaded into the void of repeated history as I yawned. “Riddle says, ‘DEATH TO ALL MUGGLES’ almost every time you talk to him. Doesn’t that scare anyone? Do people even listen to the words this guy says? The dude is one win away from erasing a massive segment of the population from existence, and it feels like no one is reacting. WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!?!?!”
“We’ll start with conception,” said Seton Hall president Eduardo Quinceañera, beaming with pride. “Then move on to birth, attending public schools in Trenton, the work on his basketball game, high school, coming to Seton Hall and then now, leading us to this point. And if we win, there will be a special panel dedicated just to his work in bringing us this title. And we’re going to leave out that thing from his past that he told us to because he didn’t want it getting out, so no concerns there.”
"I mean, hooray that BYU and Voldemort lost, I guess,” he said, miserably. “But no one even really seems to care, so it’s going to happen again. Nothing has changed. Tom Riddle, or someone or something like Tom Riddle, will be back in a short amount of time, and then we will go through this all over again. “You spend your life trying to make the world a better place, trying to sound the alarm of impending danger and doom that you know is coming. You try to do the right thing. You try to help people. And society spits in your face and laughs for your efforts like you’re somehow the crazy one. “It’s a joke. It’s all a cruel joke.”
THE FUTURE From the response to my writing for this tournament, and from how much I enjoyed doing it, you can expect continued satirical writing on Nothing But Nylon. A good friend of mine, who is a stand-up comedian, is also joining the satirical army, though you can expect more NBA-focused jokes from him. If you enjoyed NBN's coverage of Reddit March Madness, be sure to stay tuned for much more like it. As for me, I am going to enter hiding for fear of retaliation from Tom Riddle and his ilk. Although he was disembodied following the national championship loss, we've seen him come back from that before. I'll continue publishing online despite the danger, because that's how much my fiercely loyal readership means to me. Keep that in mind when you lay your head on your pillow in your safe, comfortable home, free from the threats of The Dark Lord, and check your fucking privilege*. *=thismeansyoucan'tsueme
NCAA basketball betting sites will give the superior team a handicap to level the playing field. That handicap is known as the point spread. You can then bet on either team to cover it. The college basketball National Championship game is set for Monday, April 8 and Virginia is a 1-point favorite over Texas Tech. The total has been bet down from the opener of 119 and the current ... Our supercomputer generates expert consensus NCAA basketball picks that can point you in the right direction and help you become a profitable bettor. Review our computer’s predictions and cross-reference them with yours so you can take advantage of these free picks before you place any money on the college basketball bets. Biggest Upsets in NCAA Tournament Championship Games. As far as the Championship Game, the biggest upset based on the spread since 1985 is Connecticut’s 77-74 win over Duke. They were a 9.5-point underdog back in 1994. One of the interesting things to note about that matchup is that both teams were a No. 1 seed. Men's college basketball daily lines on ESPN.com. Spread: Also commonly referred to as the line or spread, a negative point spread value (-15.5) indicates that team is favored by 15.5 points. A ... About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news. How to read College Basketball Las Vegas Odds. Whether you’re a novice, advanced or professional bettor, the College Basketball Las Vegas Odds is simple for all individuals looking for some action on the hardwood. The most popular betting market in college hoops focuses on point-spread wager or side wagers. NCAA college basketball odds, point spreads, and betting lines (ATS, over under, money lines) updated multiple times daily. NCAA basketball betting for US college basketball. All available pre-match and live odds including lines, spreads and totals all season up to March Madness Favorites in the NCAA Championship Game have been a good bet historically, however, the underdog has won against the spread in three of the last six years. There have been some huge upsets in the history of the NCAA Championship Game. The biggest of them all was Connecticut beating Duke 77-74 as 9.5-point underdogs back in 1999.
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Mind Stimulating Video ~ Here are my Top 3 ways that You can Calculate your own College Basketball Points Spreads. There are 3 methods that you can use to c... Jack Taylor shatters a single-game scoring record that stood for over 50 years.For more on this story, click here: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/jac... Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/wildcat_world. James Lee slams in the final two points of the 1978 NCAA Championship game against Duke. Point Loma Sea LionsCoach - Ryan LooneyPlayer - Daulton HommesPlayer - Preston Beverly Mind Stimulating Video ~ Here are my Top 2 ways that You can Calculate your own NBA basketball Points Spreads. There are 2 methods that you can use to calcu... Villanova is at a huge advantage against Seton Hall tonight with the Pirate's missing their point guard Jaren Sina, but can we trust that Villanova can cover... Watch a video breakdown of close to all 61 points Austin Carr scores in the 1970 NCAA Championship first round against Ohio. The 61 point performance still r... West Virginia has yet to lose in a back-to-back situation, so should they be your obvious college basketball pick in their second leg of a back-to-back again... Kyle Guy scores 24 points as Virginia wins the 2019 National Championship. Watch all of his highlights here. Watch highlights, game recaps, and much more fro... Concuros de triples y mates de la NCAA 2014.
