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friendofhayley · 3 years

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I’m back after my hiatus from fanfiction, to give y’all the best multifandom recs of the fics I read this month. Shoutout to all content creators who helped us live to see the close of this year. This fic includes 15 fics for Sterek, Larry, Winteriron, and Geraskier. The starred ones put me through heaven and hell *chef’s kiss*.

Sterek (Teen Wolf)

1. Six Letter Word for Romance by @troubleiwant | domestic kink - omg there’s only one bed - soft Derek - oblivious idiots in love - 6k

Stiles definitely starts off thinking it’s fucking hilarious that Derek-sourwolf-Hale does crosswords and cares about scuffs on his furniture.

But at a certain point, and he can’t pinpoint exactly when, “fully functional adult couple” somehow becomes a massive fetish of his. Derek in sweats and bare feet, nudging his glasses up his nose while he does the Sunday crossword? Unff. Derek filling out forms to get some renovations on his property approved? Oh God, yes. Derek putting away groceries and bitching that the corner store was out of the right type of Greek yogurt? Take me now, Stiles thinks, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth.

This can’t be normal.

2. *Dirty Little Secret* by @isthatbloodonhisshirt | Cora & Stiles bffs - no one can resist the Stilinski charm - celebrity Derek - human au - 91k

“Holy shit, this is a date!” he blurted out, turning back to Derek wide-eyed. “This is a date! You intended for this to be a date, this was supposed to be a date!” He figured if he said it enough times, maybe he would believe it, but so far, no dice.

Derek was scowling again—seriously, did he want wrinkles?—but he just reached into one of the bags and pulled out a burger, checking what was written on the foil in sharpie before handing it over to Stiles.

“Of course it’s a date, what did you think this was?”

3. Can You Feel A Whole New Part of Your World? by @isthatbloodonhisshirt | i genuinely don’t look at authors names i just click i am sorry for spamming you but you write too good - neighbors Sterek - emotionally mature Stiles - the ideal fluffy world you’d want to live in - 53k

Can you hear me singing in the shower?” Stiles blurted out, because he had to know, now. If one of his neighbours had slid that note under his door, then it meant Parrish as another neighbour could hear him, too! He had to know if this was all a huge joke and one person had walked by and overheard him and decided to fuck with him.

Parrish gave him a weird look at the question, but answered anyway, making Stiles’ plans to leave the country speed up in his mind.

“Of course I can. You’re actually not bad. Though you have been singing a lot of Frozen lately, getting kind of tired of the soundtrack.”

4. Theory of Overprotective Canines by @petals42 | derek can turn into wolf - oblivious Stiles - future fic - mutual pining - 11k

Stiles is totally looking forward to living alone in his super cool apartment off-campus. He is. He is also very excited to bike to school every day, ready to set up an awesome game room, and definitely over his crush on Derek Hale. Completely over it.

Or at least he is until Derek decides he's moving in with him. And then turns out to be the perfect roommate. And then starts attending all his classes. As a wolf.

This is not going according to plan.

Larry (One Direction)

5. **The Changer and the Changed** by @homosociallyyours | literally the best fic of all time i want to live in there - girl direction - NYC ‘70s au - trans Zayn - the girls are so lovely - 59k

It’s the spring of 1977 and Harry Styles has just moved to New York City after graduating college. She knows she’s a lesbian. She just needs to figure out how to meet other lesbians.

Louis Tomlinson works at a popular women’s bookstore in the Lower East Side, Womon’s Direction, where she spends her days reading feminist literature, writing poetry, exchanging friendly barbs with her boss Niall, and dreaming of finding someone to love.

When Harry and Louis meet, their connection is instantaneous. Slowly but surely, Louis welcomes Harry into her community of women. Stonewall veteran and old school butch Niall; Liam, a land dyke who’s moved to the city for love; and Zayn, a lesbian musician who’s been ostracized by a vocal part of women’s community for being trans, welcome Harry with open arms, ready to help her find her place in New York City’s bustling lesbian scene.

6. others i’ve seen might never be mean (but they would never do) by @cherrylouvol6 | aaaaaaaa it’s lesbian When Harry Met Sally !!! - rom com - girl direction - coming out and first times - really great sex - 20k

Louis sighs.

“Do you remember what I said to you the first time we met?”

“That I’m naive and neurotic and would be hard pressed to ever find someone who could put up with me?” Harry snaps.

7. some things fade (some never do) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed | aaaaaa this story took me apart and back together again just like Louis and Harry - urban fantasy au - second chances - exes to friends to lovers - hurt/comfort - 25k

Matching tattoos. He’d never thought he’d be the type for tattoos to begin with, let alone matching or magical ones, but once Harry had put the idea in his mind it had never quite managed to disappear. And it had made sense. With their relationship a long distance one, this was simply another way of feeling close to one another. Of knowing where the other was, how they felt. It had made so much sense.

Back then.

8. we can take the long way home by @eleadore | i usually don’t rec my porn but there’s so much feels in this one - canon-divergent - kink discovery - friends to lovers - this was written in 2015 as a future fic but it felt like it was taking place now so good job - 27k

“Fertile,” Louis says, and then laughs because it sounds stupid to say out loud. He hasn’t ever really thought of himself in those terms. Baby-making terms. It’s just one of those things his body can do, like exercise, or go without tea. Doesn’t mean he will.

Winteriron (MCU)

9. **Dig No Graves** by @missaphelion | Tony finds out about his parents right after winter soldier au - Tony Stark has a heart - Bucky heals with bots and lots of sugar - slow burn - 142k

"I'm here to kill you, Terminator," Tony said slowly, "does that compute?"

The soldier looked up at him with wide blue eyes and no expression. "Okay."

Tony froze. "Okay," he echoed. "I tell you I came here to kill you and your response is 'okay'?"

10. A Rifling Matter by Penndragon27 | Winter Soldier has such a big crush on Tony’s weapons, he escapes Hydra au - identity porn - pining Bucky - fluff and angst - Winter Soldier is a fanboy and it’s cute - 37k

All the Asset knows is fighting, killing.

He also knows a good weapon when he sees one and Stark Industries... they make some great weapons.

11. *Winter is Coming (aka Fifty First Avengers Dates)* by @tisfan & @everyworldneedslove | enemies to friends to lovers to 50 first dates - pining Bucky - Tony gets amnesia - no Steve bashing but he’s a little bit of an ass - mental health issues - 109k

Bucky Barnes is still mostly The Asset, and he's pretty sure Hydra is going to come back for him soon, so in the meantime he's just going to keep an eye on the Avengers for them. But then Clint spotted him hiding in the shadows, so Tony came out and dragged Bucky back to the Tower, threw him in the shower, and fed him cheeseburgers.

Now The Asset is having anomalous feelings. In his pants.

Geraskier (The Witcher)

12. *no reason to run* by @yoursummerfrost | different meeting au - only one bed but camping - cursed Jaskier - soft Geralt!!!! - poly negotiations - 61k

"You'll change your mind one day," says the innkeep. "The road can't love you back."

What a strange way to flatten something so beautiful, Jaskier thinks. What a small way to love.

13. *He Fell into a Faerie Ring* by @geraltnoises | Jaskier gets bardnapped after the fight au - non-human Jaskier - soft Geralt - Jaskier encourages people to be kind and becomes a god - emotionally mature Geralt - 57k

Traders are a gossiping sort. If there was a scandal within the noble houses of Posada, you’d hear about it in Cretegor by the end of the week. So, the quick spread of a rumor about a little village in the Kestrel Mountain range was not at all surprising. What was surprising was the story that the traders wove. They said that Luibhtorrach, a sad, ghost of a farming town, had miraculously become a hub for trade, as if overnight. Their lands unbelievably fertile and brimming with crop. Even stranger, each and every one of Luibhtorrach’s people professed that their good fortune was the work of a mysterious beast they’d claimed as their personal deity. Most recent news foretold of their plans to throw a midsummer festival celebrating this newfound god. In preparation, silken blue banners were erected in every corner of the town, each bearing the symbol of their new patron: A delicate dandelion wrapping around a golden sun.

14. Barking Up the Wrong Tree by KHansen | 5+1 things - I’m worried about Geralt’s skills - non-human Jaskier - monsterfucker Geralt - crack treated seriously - 11k

Geralt is 100% certain that Jaskier is a vampire.

He's 100% proven wrong.

15. Bardic Idyll by Lisztful | fake relationship - Geralt is soft and oblivious - pining - fluff and angst - Jaskier you can’t show your emotions mainly through song! - 13k

Jaskier is certain he can win the Continent's annual bardic competition, but he needs to be accompanied by a dashing romantic companion in order to enter. Enter Geralt, who is definitely, for sure, only interested in the free food, and not at all in staring lovingly into Jaskier's eyes.

#monthly fic rec #fic rec #sterek fic rec #larry fic rec #winteriron #geraskier #larrie hijinks #witcher #mcu

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sometimesrosy · 7 years

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I had what many may consider a stupid thought, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. Am I the only one kind of regretting the fact that we'll never have arrogant-but-softhearted Bellamy and headstrong-but-wounded Clarke from the dropship days in sarcastic, banter-filled love with heavy innuendo and physical attraction? They're in flat-out I'll-die-for-you-you're-my-life-partner kind of love now, which is beautiful...But I still think the show missed an opportunity to build up there 1/2

I mean, the romantic relationship potential could have gotten a few more scenes in Season 1. Just a little more flirting or something would’ve been nice. We probably won’t see them spar or argue ever again like they used to. Bellamy can forgive her in the span of a day for holding a gun on him. They’re in so deep, and it’s warm and real and so adult and thorough now, which is awesome. I’m all about it. Bring on the Bellarke! Yet I can’t help but feel a little sad/cheated that we missed the 2/2

3/3 lighter, teasing, flirtatious, sexier build-up? And I know there was the issue of Finn in S1 and the “story is long.” I’m well-informed that it’s a long and winding road with many arcs and at least 5 seasons. I get the concept of a slow burn. But it could have been cool to see a near-romantic miss in S1 - the 108 tree scene doesn’t count - they’d just killed someone. I’m not expecting a deep analysis or anything. Just fan-girling I suppose. But I can’t be the only one thinking this.

Well, I mean, that’s the thing about telling stories. You’ve got to make the choices. The things you choose to focus on are what gives you the story you are eventually going to tell, and if you focus on the wrong things, you weaken your story. You have to pick. If they did the light flirtation that you wanted in season 1, that would have made the story a different thing. It would have made their relationship a different thing. Having that possibility there from the beginning would have brought the physicality to bear much sooner. They would have been more sure about where they stood with each other. They would have pushed their relationship. It would have actually been MORE about romance and flirtation and knowing the possibility was there.

And the thing is, they didn’t want it to be. And they wanted their characters to separate and go on their personal journeys, whether that was about love and forgiveness or morality and authority. To have the beginning of a relationship with Bellamy and Clarke, even just flirting, would have made what happened in season 3 worse. Because it would have been something that was already on the edge of canon. It would have made the whole season more about dating, and less about the deeper connection that lay under their attraction. Putting aside the attraction completely, meant the focus was on the soul connection.

And when something is about physical attraction, there’s always the question… is it just lust? is it just about needing someone? is it just sex? is it just comfort? is there a power game? is it just what they’re supposed to be doing? is it a means to an end? is it real? Which, to be honest, were questions with every relationship Bellamy and Clarke had since the beginning of the show. Think back. Every single one. From Satisfied Girl to Finn to Roma to Niylah to Raven to Lxa to Bree. All their sexual relationships have questions over them. Whether they were real love (which three of them were) or not.

Season 1 had them flirting with the possibility of making it a light and flirty thing, like you said. We saw Bellamy with the girls, one of whom looked very much like Clarke (not a coincidence, particularly since she came back twice, both times when he could have taken it physical with Clarke and he turned away from her.) It was an option. We saw Bellamy NOT pursue it, consciously, with Clarke. It says something. It says she was already more important than that to him. We saw Clarke reach out to Finn for comfort, and offer him the same. But it was a mess of conflicting intentions and needs and complicated connections. It lead to nothing good, except bringing them Raven. Would she have reached out to Bellamy if disaster hadn’t struck? Quite likely. And it would have been an entirely different story than the one they told.

I do think they played with a platonic love relationship in season 2, a kind of courtly knight/princess thing, what with the Gustus parallel and Bellamy being sent into the mountain on her order. But it turns out the princess was not feeling so platonic (my interpretation) and while from Bellamy’s side, it might have looked like that knightly ideal, and he even accepted that, I don’t think that was the way Clarke saw it, particularly with the comparison between Bellamy and Finn, and later, about not being ready to start something with anyone. The only two options, honestly, being Lxa or Bellamy.

Season 3 had the love between Clarke and Bellamy grow while they were separated. The intensity of their feelings for each other deepened to the point that they independently sacrificed their lives for the other’s. The pain and hurt caused by Clarke’s abandonment and Bellamy’s rejection did not make their feelings go away though. The love between Bellamy and Clarke was tested and confirmed, before it ever became physical. It is real. It is true. It’s respectful. It’s mutual. It is serious. It is important. That period of testing was an important story to tell, I think. Many romantic relationships do NOT make it through that kind of test, or even smaller tests. Romance can be pretty flighty, to be honest. Not all romance can stand having a rival for affections, or being on opposite sides of a political divide, or distance, or hurting each other (which is part of the package when you become vulnerable to another person.) Season 3 showed that the relationship between Clarke and Bellamy could not only withstand these challenges, but actually grow deeper despite/because of them.

So what was the purpose of season 4, which has offered the audience so much hope and frustration? Well. Season 4 to me has been about building tension, in both the Bellarke romance and the plight of humanity. They start full of possibility, but bit by bit, each option is knocked out until they are being forced into their only option. It has become downright claustrophobic, leading to the second culling and the locking of the doors of the bunker. But we still have Bellarke running around, working on their last chance. For survival. For admission of feelings. Because those feelings have also been pushed to the breaking point, and they too have been denied, again and again, pushed aside, given obstacles, from Clarke’s admission of love for L to Bellamy turning aside from Clarke’s cheek on his hand, to his steering away from love, to her staying on science island, from his refusing to agree to her bunker plan, to her holding a gun on him, to Bree, to Niylah. These are the things they saw of the other. They each showed the other that they were not interested. And YET, the AUDIENCE saw Bellamy telling Jaha she centered him, saw her selling 50 of her people for his life, saw the way they looked at each other when the other couldn’t see, saw how much Bree looked like Clarke, saw how Clarke couldn’t leave Bellamy outside of the bunker. It wasn’t until Bellamy realized that Clarke just sacrificed humanity for his sake that I think one of them saw how much the other loved them.

Season 4 was about upping the intensity of their feelings for each other, while putting obstacles in the way until it seems impossible and unreachable and now time is up and it still hasn’t happened.

TENSION

They’re not giving us a sweet love story. They’re giving us a love story so vital and important and desperate that it feels inevitable– and impossible.

They’re giving us a passionate love story that is about true souls meeting and being held apart. They’re keeping us on the edge of love admission and consummation. We think, they couldn’t possibly hold it off any longer, and they do.

They’ve absolutely been working us from the very beginning. The intention for romantic bellarke was hinted at from the pilot. But they held it off from becoming admitted outright, took OUT a scene that would have been canon intention from Day Trip. ON PURPOSE. Because it would have taken them over the edge that they intended to ride. If the show had ended with season 3, they could very well have finished the series with Clarke and Bellamy finally admitting their feelings. But they got two more seasons, so they pushed those romantic 3B-4A feelings, until the very edge of making them canon, on both Clarke’s side and Bellamy’s, and then pulled it back again. None of this would have been possible if they had given us more in season 1. Or it wouldn’t have felt as apocalyptic. And guess, what? They want this story to be apocalyptic.

#the 100 #bellarke #bellarke development #romantic tension #story telling #narrative arc #narrative choices

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Meet Your 2019 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics

For our 2017-18 NBA Season Preview, we're doing deep dives on five teams who can beat the Warriors in the next five years—and the players who can push them over the top.

BOSTON – Well, if you somehow weren't already captivated by the 2019 NBA Finals, then surely that changed last night. Tales of the dramatic Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will echo through basketball ages. Every angle of that final play dissected for eternity.

Five seconds left. Celtics up 110-108. The Warriors take it out on the sideline with a chance to win, when Kyrie Irving slips chasing Steph Curry around a screen, leaving the Golden State sharpshooter wide open for a corner three.

Amidst the commotion, second year Celtics forward Jayson Tatum notices Irving on the ground, cheats off Kevin Durant and jumps out to deny Klay Thompson an easy inbound pass to Curry. In turn, with Tatum off balance and out of position, Thompson snaps a quick bounce pass to Durant—and now Tatum's stuck.

Frozen.

He knows the slightest hesitation will allow Durant to launch an uncontested shot. On the contrary, if Tatum closes out, Durant skips an easy pass to Steph for that wide-open corner three.

So now here's Jayson Tatum, with everything on the line, barely a second to pick his poison and—

Back here in reality, October 2017, Jayson Tatum's life is nowhere as dramatic or exciting as that fictitious and futuristic basketball universe. Since the Celtics selected him with the third pick in last summer's draft, in between lighting up the Summer League, Tatum kept a pretty low profile. He moved to Boston. His mom moved with him. He also got a puppy—a little boxer named Creed. For the most part, Tatum focused on basketball. Playing in the NBA at 19 is complicated enough as it is.

Of course it helps to have a friend—or another beyond Creed—and Tatum found one in second year Celtics forward Jaylen Brown. From their short-lived stint as "7-11" (a nickname that came out of their summer league numbers) to a field trip to the Weeknd concert, the bromance between Boston's two young bucks is already legend among Celtics fans. But surprisingly enough, it was only recently that Tatum and Brown really hit it off.

"We didn't have that connection right away," said Brown, who turns 21 later this month, as he and Tatum huddled after a recent practice. "It wasn't until we got in here for training camp and started seeing each other every day. Just to see his focus level, and his intensity, and how much better he wants to get every day. I have to respect that."

Jayson Tatum is the key to Boston's next championship. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Brown and Tatum are certainly peers, and the respect is always mutual, but there's also an upperclassmen vibe to their relationship. Brown is only 17 months older but he's spent most of those 17 months on this Celtics roster, living this NBA life, racking up nearly 1400 NBA minutes. Thanks to those 17 months, Jaylen Brown can tell you what it's like to guard LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thanks to those 17 months, Jaylen Brown has recently been through most of what Tatum is about to go through. Brown was right there. And now he wants to be there for Tatum.

"It's real casual," Tatum said. "But he'll reach out. Ask me if I want to play video games. Maybe get something to eat. He's been trying to get me to play FIFA."

Understandably, Tatum isn't into playing a game he's never played before, especially against a friend who plays all the time. On one hand, maybe the two could spend some time playing as a team, just until Tatum gets the hang of it. On the other hand—

"That's corny," Brown said laughing. "I don't want to be on his team. I want to beat him."

The two compete at everything.

"We do shooting contests every day after practice," Brown said. "And just so you know, I'm up."

"Oh man stop it!" Tatum jumped in, laughing but still fired up.

"Man, there it is," Brown said. "Always competing. That's what I admire most."

On most teams, a pair of top 3 picks like Tatum and Brown would be in the spotlight, on the cover of tickets and media guides. The promising young faces of a franchise, playing 30+ minutes a night for 50-loss teams, and searching for relevancy with a starting spot in the Rising Stars Challenge.

Players like Tatum and Brown would have a team built around them—not on top of them—but then again, there's nothing typical about how this Boston Celtics team came together. The Celtics sure loaded up on talent this summer. Kyrie Irving. Gordon Hayward. Even guys like Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes to go along with Al Horford and Marcus Smart and even Terry Rozier. No matter how you cut it, the Celtics are an exceedingly good team playing in a very subpar conference. And that matters.

Their biggest competition, the Cavs, seem to be treading water. They've reached a stage similar to those last years with the Big 3 in Boston, when LeBron was already knocking down the door, and the Celtics were scrambling, chasing shadows of old friends like Shaq, Rasheed Wallace, and Jermaine O'Neal. Even today, the Cavs face more questions than answers. Can Kevin Love stay healthy? Will Isaiah Thomas ever be healthy? Can Ty Lue figure this out? Can Dan Gilbert not screw this up? How much longer can LeBron carry the load—and for how long will he even be there to carry it.

By next year, Cleveland could very well find itself in another No-LeBron Abyss. And if that happens, and the Eastern Conference adjusts, who will stand between the Celtics and the Finals? Will the Bucks be ready to challenge? Have the Wizards and Raptors already peaked? Are the 76ers the next Oklahoma City Thunder with Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook—or the next 2000s Clippers with Lamar Odom, Darius Miles, Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and Michael Olowokandi?

Jaylen Brown throwing it down. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

This is the NBA, so who knows? Predictions might be at their most accurate after a dose of LSD. But the hardest part of winning the Finals is getting there—and it's not far-fetched to believe Boston can do that. They can get there this season. They can certainly do it next season.

Whether they'll win once they reach the Finals is another story. The Warriors don't appear ready to relinquish their throne. They already have Kevin Durant on a bargain deal. He's getting Otto Porter money. Klay Thompson said he's willing to take a hometown discount too. That's a scary thought. As it stands now, the old Golden State guard looks pretty damn superior to even the new look Celtics.

But that doesn't make it impossible. It would help if Boston could land home court advantage, and maybe they can given the state of each conference, but even then, Boston's home court advantage against the Warriors would feel as significant as last year's against the Cavs. It's a really tough match up. The Warriors are a historically dominant team. But for the sake of argument and optimism, if it's possible for the Celtics to steal Banner 18 out from under the Warriors dynasty, what would be the difference? What will it take?

There's no mystery on that.

"Our biggest challenge might be expediting the learning curve for the guys that are 19-to-21," Brad Stevens told reporters over the weekend. "Because some of those guys have to play for us. We're in a position where a lot of the teams that have the guys that we've got are playing older guys off the bench. And we're not, right? So ultimately we've got to make sure that those guys have their learning curve expedited as quickly as possible."

If there's a difference, it's going to be Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, or better yet Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"They're extremely talented," said All Star teammate Gordon Hayward. "We're going to need them this year. Whether that's if they are starting, whether that's if they're coming off the bench, whether that's them finishing the game, all those minutes are huge for us. We're going to need them to play well."

It hasn't been all smooth sailing, and it won't be moving forward, but there's reason to believe Brown and Tatum are ready to develop ahead of schedule.

An all-world athlete who gained 10 pounds this summer while simultaneously improving his quickness, Jaylen Brown is on track to start on a contender at 20 years old. With Avery Bradley in Detroit, and Jae Crowder in Cleveland, Brad Stevens has repeatedly stressed that Brown has an opportunity to be a real difference maker on defense.

"Nobody will be harder on him on that end than I will," Stevens said. "Because ultimately, I think a huge, huge part of our team is what he does defensively for us."

Brown also received a vote in the most recent NBA.com GM survey as a candidate for Breakout Player of the Year.

And then there's Jayson Tatum, and make no mistake: He was the Celtics guy this summer. They'd have taken him at No. 1 if they couldn't get him at No. 3, and to this point he's lived up to the hype. Al Horford called Tatum "the most ready rookie he's ever seen." Kyrie Irving called Tatum a "bad dude." Paul Pierce said 19-year-old Tatum reminded him of 26-year-old Paul Pierce. It took Brad Stevens all of one preseason game before he was curious to see Tatum in the starting line-up. Tatum might not relinquish that spot for another decade.

On that level, maybe it's not so outlandish to close our eyes and imagine 20-year-old Jayson Tatum, only 20 months from now, taking on Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

"I'd probably jab at KD," Tatum says. He's back in that last second hypothetical, caught between a wide-open Durant and a wide-open Steph Curry. "The ball is the most important thing, so that's where I'm going."

"I might just do something crazy," Brown says. "You know just to throw them off. Do something they've never seen on the court before, like a tumble and roll. Or maybe cartwheel?"

Both guys are laughing now. They can afford to do that. For now, that hypothetical is just that. It's still fantasy. Reality is creeping up on Boston's two young No. 3 picks, but no matter how crazy or surreal this life becomes, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can look forward to working through it together.

As long as Tatum never needs an emergency puppy-sitter for Creed.

"Nah, nah," says a smiling Brown. "That's where our relationship line is drawn."

Meet Your 2019 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years

Text

Meet Your 2019 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics

For our 2017-18 NBA Season Preview, we’re doing deep dives on five teams who can beat the Warriors in the next five years—and the players who can push them over the top.

BOSTON – Well, if you somehow weren’t already captivated by the 2019 NBA Finals, then surely that changed last night. Tales of the dramatic Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will echo through basketball ages. Every angle of that final play dissected for eternity.

Frozen.

He knows the slightest hesitation will allow Durant to launch an uncontested shot. On the contrary, if Tatum closes out, Durant skips an easy pass to Steph for that wide-open corner three.

So now here’s Jayson Tatum, with everything on the line, barely a second to pick his poison and—

Back here in reality, October 2017, Jayson Tatum’s life is nowhere as dramatic or exciting as that fictitious and futuristic basketball universe. Since the Celtics selected him with the third pick in last summer’s draft, in between lighting up the Summer League, Tatum kept a pretty low profile. He moved to Boston. His mom moved with him. He also got a puppy—a little boxer named Creed. For the most part, Tatum focused on basketball. Playing in the NBA at 19 is complicated enough as it is.

Of course it helps to have a friend—or another beyond Creed—and Tatum found one in second year Celtics forward Jaylen Brown. From their short-lived stint as “7-11” (a nickname that came out of their summer league numbers) to a field trip to the Weeknd concert, the bromance between Boston’s two young bucks is already legend among Celtics fans. But surprisingly enough, it was only recently that Tatum and Brown really hit it off.

“We didn’t have that connection right away,” said Brown, who turns 21 later this month, as he and Tatum huddled after a recent practice. “It wasn’t until we got in here for training camp and started seeing each other every day. Just to see his focus level, and his intensity, and how much better he wants to get every day. I have to respect that.”

Jayson Tatum is the key to Boston’s next championship. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Brown and Tatum are certainly peers, and the respect is always mutual, but there’s also an upperclassmen vibe to their relationship. Brown is only 17 months older but he’s spent most of those 17 months on this Celtics roster, living this NBA life, racking up nearly 1400 NBA minutes. Thanks to those 17 months, Jaylen Brown can tell you what it’s like to guard LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thanks to those 17 months, Jaylen Brown has recently been through most of what Tatum is about to go through. Brown was right there. And now he wants to be there for Tatum.

“It’s real casual,” Tatum said. “But he’ll reach out. Ask me if I want to play video games. Maybe get something to eat. He’s been trying to get me to play FIFA.”

Understandably, Tatum isn’t into playing a game he’s never played before, especially against a friend who plays all the time. On one hand, maybe the two could spend some time playing as a team, just until Tatum gets the hang of it. On the other hand—

“That’s corny,” Brown said laughing. “I don’t want to be on his team. I want to beat him.”

The two compete at everything.

“We do shooting contests every day after practice,” Brown said. “And just so you know, I’m up.”

“Oh man stop it!” Tatum jumped in, laughing but still fired up.

“Man, there it is,” Brown said. “Always competing. That’s what I admire most.”

Players like Tatum and Brown would have a team built around them—not on top of them—but then again, there’s nothing typical about how this Boston Celtics team came together. The Celtics sure loaded up on talent this summer. Kyrie Irving. Gordon Hayward. Even guys like Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes to go along with Al Horford and Marcus Smart and even Terry Rozier. No matter how you cut it, the Celtics are an exceedingly good team playing in a very subpar conference. And that matters.

Their biggest competition, the Cavs, seem to be treading water. They’ve reached a stage similar to those last years with the Big 3 in Boston, when LeBron was already knocking down the door, and the Celtics were scrambling, chasing shadows of old friends like Shaq, Rasheed Wallace, and Jermaine O’Neal. Even today, the Cavs face more questions than answers. Can Kevin Love stay healthy? Will Isaiah Thomas ever be healthy? Can Ty Lue figure this out? Can Dan Gilbert not screw this up? How much longer can LeBron carry the load—and for how long will he even be there to carry it.

Jaylen Brown throwing it down. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

This is the NBA, so who knows? Predictions might be at their most accurate after a dose of LSD. But the hardest part of winning the Finals is getting there—and it’s not far-fetched to believe Boston can do that. They can get there this season. They can certainly do it next season.

Whether they’ll win once they reach the Finals is another story. The Warriors don’t appear ready to relinquish their throne. They already have Kevin Durant on a bargain deal. He’s getting Otto Porter money. Klay Thompson said he’s willing to take a hometown discount too. That’s a scary thought. As it stands now, the old Golden State guard looks pretty damn superior to even the new look Celtics.

But that doesn’t make it impossible. It would help if Boston could land home court advantage, and maybe they can given the state of each conference, but even then, Boston’s home court advantage against the Warriors would feel as significant as last year’s against the Cavs. It’s a really tough match up. The Warriors are a historically dominant team. But for the sake of argument and optimism, if it’s possible for the Celtics to steal Banner 18 out from under the Warriors dynasty, what would be the difference? What will it take?

There’s no mystery on that.

“Our biggest challenge might be expediting the learning curve for the guys that are 19-to-21,” Brad Stevens told reporters over the weekend. “Because some of those guys have to play for us. We’re in a position where a lot of the teams that have the guys that we’ve got are playing older guys off the bench. And we’re not, right? So ultimately we’ve got to make sure that those guys have their learning curve expedited as quickly as possible.”

If there’s a difference, it’s going to be Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, or better yet Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

“They’re extremely talented,” said All Star teammate Gordon Hayward. “We’re going to need them this year. Whether that’s if they are starting, whether that’s if they’re coming off the bench, whether that’s them finishing the game, all those minutes are huge for us. We’re going to need them to play well.”

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, and it won’t be moving forward, but there’s reason to believe Brown and Tatum are ready to develop ahead of schedule.

“Nobody will be harder on him on that end than I will,” Stevens said. “Because ultimately, I think a huge, huge part of our team is what he does defensively for us.”

Brown also received a vote in the most recent NBA.com GM survey as a candidate for Breakout Player of the Year.

And then there’s Jayson Tatum, and make no mistake: He was the Celtics guy this summer. They’d have taken him at No. 1 if they couldn’t get him at No. 3, and to this point he’s lived up to the hype. Al Horford called Tatum “the most ready rookie he’s ever seen.” Kyrie Irving called Tatum a “bad dude.” Paul Pierce said 19-year-old Tatum reminded him of 26-year-old Paul Pierce. It took Brad Stevens all of one preseason game before he was curious to see Tatum in the starting line-up. Tatum might not relinquish that spot for another decade.

On that level, maybe it’s not so outlandish to close our eyes and imagine 20-year-old Jayson Tatum, only 20 months from now, taking on Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

“I’d probably jab at KD,” Tatum says. He’s back in that last second hypothetical, caught between a wide-open Durant and a wide-open Steph Curry. “The ball is the most important thing, so that’s where I’m going.”

“I might just do something crazy,” Brown says. “You know just to throw them off. Do something they’ve never seen on the court before, like a tumble and roll. Or maybe cartwheel?”

Both guys are laughing now. They can afford to do that. For now, that hypothetical is just that. It’s still fantasy. Reality is creeping up on Boston’s two young No. 3 picks, but no matter how crazy or surreal this life becomes, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can look forward to working through it together.

As long as Tatum never needs an emergency puppy-sitter for Creed.

“Nah, nah,” says a smiling Brown. “That’s where our relationship line is drawn.”

Meet Your 2019 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Meet Your 2019 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics

For our 2017 NBA Season Preview, we're doing deep dives on five teams who can beat the Warriors in the next five years—and the players who can push them over the top.