The OtherArena

[JAG]

Between signing Dwight and Logo being MAGA, it’s been an ugly end to the summer.

But let’s start this season!

Jagdip

[jdw]

Logo going MAGA was fucking brutal.

[Steve Yohe]

Yeah...… but what is MAGA?--Yohe

[jdw]

"Make America Great Again"







Fucking brutal.

[Steve Yohe]

West was from West Virginia. He probably is a Republican, but he has been smart enough to keep it to himself. If he isn't, he's used to hanging around with them.

In one of the first NBA games ever played with a black referee, he got kicked out for using the N work to the ref. After the game, he made a big deal out of being sorry & called it the most embarrassing moment in his career.

I got a phone call from a Republican fund raiser two days ago. I cuss him out for as long as he'd stay on line. I'm crazy about this shit. I sent Liz $40 & everyone is going to be bugging me now. But I would over look anything West did. In Montebello I've never met a Trump supporter.

I walked out of the CAC dinner this year, because a 325 pound guys got on a elevator with me. His fucking t-shirt was right in my face & it had all the white race stuff on it. Trump crap. Made me sick. I got Maria together and drove home. Not going back until Trump is out of office. --- Yohe

[Steve Yohe]

West is old & maybe the award is important to him, and to wait for another real president might mean 5 more years. There are not many people in my life more important to me. I started following sports around 1962 & he has always been there.---Yohe

[corrado]

The injury bug has already started. This time to Kuz:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27709588/lakers-lose-kuzma-indefinitely-due-foot-injury

I think he might be after Bron, the one player they can't afford to lose to injury this year.

[jdw]

Lakers vs Warriors right now. :)

[Steve Yohe]

The parts seem to fit. I feel good about it. The team is loaded.

Howard sure looks small out there. Seems he is a bench player.

FT's will be a weakness again.--- Yohe

[jdw]

They looked perfectly okay.

The Warriors are messed up relative to the team they want to roll out come the regular season - pretty much all of their real bigs are out hurt. So it's not a good team to judge how we'll be.

The concept of Green+Bradley at the guard spots is interesting. I like it if Bradley gets back to his Boston form. That's not impossible to hope for - he played pretty much at that level in Detroit, which was the first half of 2017/2018... that's not that long ago. He played very well in the small sample size with Memphis last year, which is even closer. It's just that poor stretch in between with the Clippers, who were decent teams both seasons. But if it works, it means good 3&D at the two spots, which covers for Lebron's poor defense and likely links up decently with AD rim protecting behind them.

It also lets you spot KCP at either of those positions coming off the bench. KCP appeared to play better off the bench rather than starting last year.

I still wish Rondo wasn't around.

[Steve Yohe]

After three games....what I see that is wrong or will hold them back ….. is that because of Davis & James ….. they are a two point shooting team, in a three point league. There going to have to hit a high % every night to keep up with everyone else. And play well. I thought they were outplaying Charlotte last night, but it was close until the 4th. All Charlotte could do was shoot three's. And it kept them in the game. And they seem like a bad team.

Maybe the Lakers will be able the hit three's later. But I get the feeling we are playing the old system, that makes it very hard to win. The math just keeps coming into my head. The game isn't the same game, I played & grew up watching. I get bored with all the three's. Why should a outside shot be worth more than a lay-up? Getting in position to get close to the basket is a lot harder than just throwing one up. And it's not as fun to watch.

I know this is old stuff ….but it is still the right to bitch about it. When they put in the 3 point shot....the idea was that it was a bad shot, that most guys couldn't hit every often & most wouldn't take during the body of the game. It was put in so that team behind, could have a chance to catch up late in games …. and to keep fans in their seats because there always was a shot at winning. Now it's the most valued shot in the game. Making two's will make you a loser. The mid-range shot is death. Other than making a long shot....it's easy & doesn't take much skill. And with 3's, comes more missed shots, more airballs, and just stuff that looks like bad shots. It's shit to watch. But it's the style you have to play …. because of a "rule".

The hard part was learning to hit 3's …. after you got that down.... you could dump a lot of the rest of your game.

For myself, watching it …. the old system was better. Davis & James are playing the game in the right way, but it will be their downfall. At times, this is a team that will get upset, and somewhere in the playoffs it will catch up to them.

Green is probably the third best guy on the team. He has to play. --- Yohe

[corrado]

Davis had quite the game last night. 40 points, 20 rebounds. They're now 3-1. With the Clippers being their lone defeat.

Things get tough though with the Mavericks on Friday. But Kuzma might return then, to give them more help.

[corrado]

Probably their most impressive win so far this year. Bron with the triple double overcoming Luka's triple double. Green was clutch too.

Once Kuzma gets going, they might be in very good shape this season. Perhaps once the trade deadline hits much later, they can make a deal for someone on a faltering team.

[Steve Yohe]

That game against Dallas was the best game I've seem since Magic & Jabbar. At least for me. It was like the NBA I grew up with. Feeling very good about them. This team fights.

I'm hoping Kobe isn't going to show up in some form.

Howard was out there banging. I'm happy, at this time, for him. James & Davis really seem like a team. Green is a championship player.

So:

Lakers 4 -- 1
Clips 3 -- 2

Yohe

[corrado]

They beat the Spurs tonight. Impressive duo of games against 2 great Texas teams.