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nellie-elizabeth · 4 years

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Grey's Anatomy: Give a Little Bit (16x18)

I knew Andrew was gonna be right... ugh... poor thing.

Cons:

I really cannot get a read on how I'm meant to feel about Teddy right now, but I basically think she's the worst. She's hurting Tom, she cheated on Owen, she seems completely selfish in all of her motivations. She thought Owen might have gotten another woman pregnant before they were even together, and because of that she slept with another man multiple times. Like... how am I supposed to feel sympathy? This whole plot thread is attempting to paint Owen as this super sweet, super good guy who is being hurt by those around him, but let's be real. Owen has the most terminal case of Nice Guy syndrome I've ever seen in my life, and he gets away with being emotionally unfaithful by giving puppy-dog eyes to everyone. I think he's boring and I think he's scummy.

The hospital is having a pro bono surgery day, and things are chaotic and way too busy, so Meredith extends the day, and says they're going to have pro bono surgeries once a month. This is after she finds out that the billionaire dude from last week's episode gave an insane amount of funding to the hospital, and she learns about Koracick's unethical practices to get that money. I agree that the American healthcare system is bonkers, and it's nice to see the show tackle that in a more meaningful way this season. But all of this just seems wacky to me. Can Meredith really make a promise like that? Wouldn't you think that doing something so ostentatious would draw attention to the hospital and make it more likely that Koracick's crime would be discovered?

Okay, so, the DeLuca situation is that he suspects a woman of human trafficking who comes in to the ER. He's been acting erratic, though, so people don't believe him until it escalates. Turns out, as we see when the woman and her victim leave, DeLuca was right, and they got away. I don't mind the idea of DeLuca having some issues and also being right, but the problem is in the way he couldn't get a single other person to take him seriously. Even Bailey only did a cursory once-over before deciding that DeLuca was delusional. If any other doctor had raised that concern, everyone would have taken it more seriously. I guess I just wish for a bit more balance on this kind of thing, and I hope Bailey feels like crap for doubting him when the truth comes out.

Pros:

Jackson had this cute little subplot where he goes around trying to find someone to go to a basketball game with him. Vic was supposed to go, but they've broken up. He asks Owen, who turns him down. He asks Jo, who is offended at being a backup choice. He asks Hayes, who says it's not really his thing. Jackson has been pissing me off this season, so I'm always on the lookout to be frustrated by the plot threads he's given. But I like how his loneliness and feelings post-breakup have led to him seeking companionship in this sweet way.

He and Maggie have a totally civil exchange as they talk about Richard and Catherine's divorce, and it turns out Jackson has been trying not to take sides, but of course Richard doesn't know that. With guidance from Maggie, Jackson asks Richard to go to the basketball game, and he gleefully accepts. I thought that was really cute! It's nice to see Maggie and Jackson acting like adults around each other for once, and Richard and Jackson finding ways to stay close is something I didn't know I wanted to see until I had seen it.

So... Levi and Nico have broken up. This has been the way the wind was blowing for a while. There's a part of me that feels frustrated that Nico didn't get a fair shake from the writers. We didn't get much time to actually learn about him as a person, separate from what he meant to Levi. But that said, if we take Nico's behavior at face value, Levi really needed to get out of that relationship. Just the fact that Levi wanted to talk, and Nico said "what now" is enough of a red flag for me on its own. What the hell, Nico. And I think Levi is in this strange position of feeling a special connection to Nico because he helped him realize who he is, and come to terms with his sexuality. And yet honestly, Nico has not treated him well recently. At all. And Levi is learning how to be in a relationship, learning how to ask for what he wants. It's not unreasonable to expect to be at least a consideration in Nico's mind as he contemplates taking a job that will keep him on the road half the time. The fact that Nico doesn't take Levi into account is proof that they're not on the same page.

Jo's struggle this week is about what people should call her. She's not Dr. Karev anymore, and she doesn't like Dr. Wilson either... so for now she'll be Dr. Jo. Obviously I'm going to be frustrated about the Alex thing for a very long time, but if this is what we have to work with, I'm glad Jo is doing alright in the aftermath. She's sleeping on her couch instead of her bed, but at least she's sleeping. She's grumpy about going into work, but at least she goes.

My favorite exchange in the whole episode goes to Jo and Levi, actually. As they both lament the ends of their relationships together, Jo offers to let Levi come stay with her for a while. He replies: "Jo, that time in my mom's basement was a one-time thing, I'm a gay man." Jo lets out a peel of her infectious, joyous laughter, and says: "That's why you're getting the invite, dummy!" I've always loved Jo's laugh, and it was really heartening to see her in a place where she could be cheerful like that. I'm all for Levi and Jo being weird roommates for a bit!

The ongoing saga of Owen/Teddy/Koracick/Amelia/Link drama will never fail to piss me off, but it does appear that one "branch" of the drama is officially over. Last week I hoped that Amelia would tell Owen right away that the baby's not his, so we could knock off at least one cause of stupid angst. And lo and behold - right at the start of the episode, Amelia marches into the room, and tells Owen and Teddy both: "the baby is Link's!" I was so happy about this, even as I continue to be pissed off at Teddy for trying to use the possible paternity of Amelia's baby as an excuse for her infidelity.

Tom Koracick really is a good man. He talks about how he's slept with a lot of women, but he has a code about it, and he's not going to sleep with Teddy if she's married. He basically lets her go, and tells her to go fix things with Owen. See, despite all of this stupid shit with him basically accepting a bribe, I still really like this character and I want him around more. Teddy doesn't deserve him, frankly. Maybe Owen does. Have I mentioned that I'm not a fan of Owen?

While there's something ridiculous about the whole "pro bono days every month" thing, and I wish we could get more into the ramifications, I will say that I love the way the broken healthcare system is being demonstrated, by showing all of these patients that the system has failed. Particularly, a black woman in extreme pain who has been turned away by several doctors, and a veteran who has severe PTSD and has been lashing out and having seizures. Both of these patients are having to advocate way, way too hard to get the help they need, and Meredith responds to this, vowing to do what she can to help. These stories really worked to highlight the situation. They were memorable and they made me want to see success!

I think that's where I'll stop. There are things about this show that will always frustrate me, but there are also always thing to enjoy. That's my mantra when it comes to Grey's Anatomy!

7.5/10

#review #grey's anatomy #grey's anatomy review #greys anatomy #greys anatomy review #grey's abc #greys abc

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cecilspeaks · 5 years

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145 - The Veterans

Fake it till you make it. Mike it till you like it. Book it till you look it. Welcome to Night Vale.

More soldiers of the Blood Space War have returned home to Night Vale. Another craft landed in the corn field of John Peters – you know, the farmer. Beings of astonishing structure emerged alongside four human figures in space suits. The astronauts removed their helmets to reveal they are Night Vale residents James Peters – you know, the brother of Johns Peters – you know, the farmer; twins Drew and Dan Christiansen, and Junior Blay. These veterans of the interstellar conflict were welcomed by the citizens of Night Vale with hugs, a brass band, and delicious unsold baked goods left over from last month’s PTA bake sale to support the Blood Space War.

The returning soldiers thanked the gathering, but warned Night Vale of the Polonian armies of star system Lakaia 9352, who are encroaching at this moment upon our own galaxy. Admiral Junior Blay of the 63rd mountain cavalry said the Polonians are ruthless killers. They are three times the size of humans, with hundreds of sharp teeth up and down their many boneless limbs. They have only one eye, which really messes up their depth perception, (Blay) said, but that eye can also shoot out lasers, so it’s sort of a six of one way, half dozen the other

The crowd did not hear most of what the veterans had to say, as they were mesmerized by the beings of astonishing structure standing atop the landing ramp of their disc-shaped craft. “Oh those?” Sergeant Dan Christiansen said. “They are allies. They’re from the Battlestation Wolfgang. They have no home planet, as it was destroyed millennia ago by the Polonians.” The crowd pointed and shouted “interlopers of astonishing structure” at the beings, but Lieutenant Drew Christiansen said: “Oh, they have no oral or written language. They cannot understand your noises.” Drew then did a kind of b-boy pop and lock dance move and the beings of astonishing structure replied with a balletic prance before entering their ship and departing. They said: “Thanks, but this place is weird.” Drew Christiansen interpreted for the crowd.

Dan and Drew Christiansen were born in Night Vale in 1912. They became tax accountants. They had wives and children. They donated to the old Night Vale Opera House and were avid sports fans. They even started the first ever semi pro sand hockey league. Dan passed away in 1994 of liver cancer, and Drew passed away weeks later of a heart attack. They were survived by their wives, children, and grandchildren. But upon returning to Night Vale this week, these 107-year-old men looked to be in their late 20’s. The Christiansen twins have attempted to reunite with their families, but they were unrecognizable to their grandchildren who are now middle aged. And when Dan and Drew tried to apply for jobs, they were declined on account of an antiquated law that makes it illegal to hire the dead.

Junior Blay, a 50-year-old man, said he was born in 2022 to Oliver and Linda Blay of Old Town Night Vale. The Blay family was contacted about this and said they had not planned to ever have children, so Junior will likely have been an accident or a dramatic change of heart. Blay was wounded in his combat assignment and returned home for treatment. He suffered third degree burns across his abdomen and arms and needs a skin craft, but the Night Vale VA has to wait for approval from the Red Mesa VA to clear his procedure, which could take weeks.

Jim Peters was honorably discharged from service and was heavily decorated with chevrons and medals. But his face sagged with exhaustion and history. His brother John was the first to greet him, but Jim could not match his brother’s tearful enthusiasm. Jim had seen too much, experienced too much, to ever feel normal again.

In light of the physical, financial, and spiritual crush on these men, the City Council announced that it would paint a giant American flag atop City Hall and play John Philip Souza’s famous patriotic march, “Bodak Yellow”, at all hours of the day over a loudspeaker. And the whole town cheered proudly, for they were truly taking care of our vets.

Let’s have a look at sports. The Night Vale High School wheel chair basketball team, captained by junior point guard Janice Palmer, won their semi-final game last night against Cactus Park High School 72-58. Forward Quinn Booman led the team with 20 points and also had 8 rebounds and 10 assists. The Scorpions fell behind by 16 points in the first half, but really found their inspiration at halftime. Coach Jacobite McPhee told his team not to get down on themselves because it’s impossible to make every single shot, you just have to have fun. McPhee then took out an acoustic guitar and sang the following original song.

[Joseph Fink sings] Physics is a science of made up numbers and rules So we can only make joy and pass the ball like fools. To win it leaves our hands of free will it’s true Cause you never ever know what that ball is gonna do. Physics is a science of made up numbers and rules So we can only make joy and pass the ball like fools. Yes we can only make joy and pass the ball like fools.

The team relinquished their illusion of control and dominated the second half offensively. The Scorpions face Pine Cliff this Saturday afternoon in the district tournament final, so let’s all get out there and support our team, really root for the ball to go into the… the hmm hmm, the the, you know the thing that the ball is supposed to go into. And this has been sports.

Senior strategic advisor Jameson Archibald at the Intergalactic Military Headquarters, speaking from an inflatable raft atop an infinity pool filled with Remy Martin Black Pearl Cognac, said he and his top strategists in the Intergalactic Military Headquarters still have no idea what the Blood Space War is about. But they’re glad to learn that the Polonian armies are approaching. “We’ve got all this money piling up for the war and we’re getting bored with hosting Lamborghini demolition derbies,” Archibald said. “The government keeps sending us cash and we’re like OK y’all, but like what are we supposed to do with iiit? And the feds are like, I don’t care start a war or something.” But unfortunately the government allotment for an interstellar war was wiped out on a failed investment in a tech startup that was pitched to them as “the Uber of Netflix of Facebook” by a 7-year-old wearing a suit. So, the Intergalactic Military Headquarters was forced to ask for contributions. Hence, the PTA bake sales. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Secret Police were able to provide several armored combat vehicles, two tons of enriched uranium, and a satellite activated missile launching system, all of which had been donated to the Secret Police by the US army.

Sheriff Sam said they had wanted to keep all that high-tech battle gear, but using a nuclear submarine to stop Night Vale citizens who were fishing without a license, created to what Sheriff Sam referred to as “less than satisfactory optics”. Archibald said he was appreciative of the Secret Police’s charity, but he’d just received word that the Polonian ships are already within the outer limits of our solar system. So not sure there’s much left to do, really. He then took out a roll of 100-dollar bills from his shirt pocket and ate it like a Snickers bar.

An update on the high school basketball tournament. The City Council announced that there will be a parade for the team, win or lose, next Tuesday evening. The parade will feature giant floats in the shapes of famous basketball players, such as Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Little Bow Wow. There will also be a celebrity appearance by Lee Marvin, who will be celebrating his 30th birthday on Tuesday. Aww. Happy birthday, Mr. Marvin!

The City Council expressed civic pride in this talented team of young athletes, and enjoined all of Night Vale to come out in celebration of sportsmanship, regardless of the outcome of the championship game. “Of course,” the single-bodied entity of the City Council said with uncharacteristic mirth, “we think our team will win.” The City Council’s many faces then winked in unison. “Also,” the City Council added, “If you look up in the sky, you’ll see that a large chunk of the moon just exploded and the Earth is surrounded by enemy space crafts, but there’s not much we can do about that, so let’s just cheer on our basketball team.” The City Council then held up their many fists and squealed: “Yay team!” as pieces of the moon began to thunder down around us.

Let’s go now to today’s Weather.

[No Good Day” by Windows to the Sky https://windowstosky.com]

I’ve just received an email from Harrison Kip, archeology professor at Night Vale Community College. Kip told me that while on a dig in 1993, he and his team of researchers found remnants of several spacecraft buried deep in central Nevada. Kip was studying fossilized remains to determine eating habits of early North American habitants, but what he found were several triangular titanium vessels, each roughly the size and shape of a Burger King. He tried to check his notes from that excursion, but those pages had been torn out of his journal. Despite this, he’s positive the ships he can see above our Earth are identical to the ones he found crashed in the desert 25 years ago. Inside those ships were creatures the size of hippos, with long dangling limbs covered in sharp teeth. Kip remembers calling the college to ask for more funding for this research, but before he could do anything, a black van drove up to the dig site and several men wearing business suits that were patterned in desert camouflage got out, they arrested Kip and his assistants, and had them reprogrammed.

Kip said the reprogramming was successful until today, when he heard my news reports about the Polonians, and his memories suddenly returned to him, and now he believes he knows exactly what has happened in the Blood Space War and how we will end it. He’s going to type up his notes while they’re still fresh in his mind, and get them over to me asap. Oh, this is so very exciting! Science saves the day. Once again. Uh huh, here’s a follow up email from Harrison. It says: “Hey Cecil, disregard whatever I said earlier, I don’t even remember what it was. Some guys I didn’t know showed up and put a metal helmet on me, there were a bunch of wires and knobs and lights coming out of it and it felt so peaceful and comfortable, like when you’re eating Belgian waffles with ice cream or binge-watching Terrace House, anyway I don’t remember what I sent you earlier since (--) have been deleted, so whatever it was it couldn’t have been [angrily] that important? Sincerely, Harrison?” No! No, this is terrible. OK, I’m going to forward Harrison’s first email back to him to see if it rejogs his memory. We’ve gotta learn exactly what- Hello? Hello there? Listeners, there are some men entering my studio. They’re wearing business suits made from a desert camouflage patterned fabric! Oh, Gucci, I love it! They’re, they’re putting this crazy hat on me and it has a bunch of lights and wires, hang on Night Vale, listen to this interview I recorded earlier today with John Peters – you know, the farmer. These boys are here trying to get me ready for fashion week, I-I-I think?

John Peters: Jim came home this week and I was real happy, happier than a pig starring in its own TV show about pig detectives solving pig murders. My brother taught me to play football when we was boys. He’d throw the ball and say: “Johnny, move your hands together like salad tongs when the ball gets near you, that’s called ‘catch’.” I tried so hard to catch that ball, but I never could. [chuckles] We had fun. Jim taught me so much and he took care of me, running off the bullies at school, buying me soda pops and candy canes from this man who lived in a trunk of a broken down ’56 Chevy in the alley behind the post office. I’m almost 60 years old and my brother left for the war back when I was 15. And to see him again, boy to see his face after so long, he ain’t changed one bit. He literally is the same age as when he left, 22 years old. But he’s not the same Jim. He don’t wanna throw the football or go looking for discount sodas and candy in weird alleys. No, Jim looks sad. His body’s strong but his mind seems so weak. I saw him crying the other day and told him what our papa always said to us: “Jim, boys don’t cry. Not without talking through their feelings with someone else.” So I put my arm around young Jim. I must have looked like a granddad - me so old, him so young - but our memories of each other were the same age. Jim cried into my shirt and said, “Johnny, I’ve been in that war darn near a hundred years. That’s a lot of space travel, not a lot of fightin’ but when there is fightin’ it’s gruesome.” Jim said he didn’t wanna see no more war, but he said that in his last battle he risked his life to disarm a bomb that would have killed ten of his fellow soldiers, and one of them was the General. “The General has a plan for ceasefire,” Jim said, “the General has a plan for peace. But I think the General needs me, Johnny.” I said, “Jimbo, I need you.” But I knew that I’d been without him for 40 years, while this General was with him for nearly 100. I knew I was lyin’ to Jim and myself. Jim hugged my neck and kissed my cheek. He donned his space suit and walked out into the corn field and disappeared. I think my brother is gonna save us all. Anyway, it’s a sad story, but it’s also happy. Like a goat playing a piano, stories carry lots of different emotions all at once.

Cecil: [sounding high] Alright, listeners, I’m back. I don’t remember what I was talking about, nor where I got this really cool hat. But City Council announced that the space ships that were surrounding our planet are gone. But they were deeply unnerved by the fact that the ships did not retreat, they simply disappeared. The City Council then added that the moon is still broken but honestly, they see this as a crisatunity to buy a new one.

Oh, don’t forget to come to the basketball championship parade on Tuesday.

Stay tuned next for simultaneous panic and relief, As you realize all of your emails are gone.

Good night, Night Vale, Good night.

Today’s proverb: Develop your chi. Really work that chi hard. Get sixpack chi. Totally swole with chi. Roll up those sleeves and welcome people to the chi show.

#welcome to night vale #welcome to night vale transripts #eipsode 145 #the veterans

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junker-town · 3 years

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Giannis Antetokounmpo represents everything great about sports

Giannis’ greatness is the only box he fits in.

Giannis Antetokounmpo always seemed too good to be true. He was the latest international mystery man in the draft when we first learned about him in 2013, a skinny Greek teenager who had seemingly blossomed out to nowhere to become a legitimate first round NBA prospect. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress wrote the first public report on Antetokounmpo while comparing his body to Nicolas Batum and Thabo Sefolosha and his game to how UCLA used Kyle Anderson.

As we learned more about Antetokounmpo, we realized just how incredible his personal story was. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Giannis and his brothers were denied citizenship by the Greek government despite being born in the country. They sold watches and sunglasses in the streets to help their parents make ends meet. Giannis and his older brother Thanasis were playing basketball in a park one day when a coach from Greek basketball academy saw them while riding his bike. He let them join the academy free of charge.

Antetokounmpo was a 6’9 forward with a reported 7’3 wingspan who showed rare comfort handling and passing the ball. He didn’t play against serious competition in the second division of the Greek league, but the outlines for a future MVP were there. The Milwaukee Bucks, with the No. 15 overall pick, took a swing for the fences by drafting him. His story could have ended up like so many other failed international first round picks — Darko Miličić, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, and Jan Veselý just to name a few — but instead Giannis kept growing, both literally and figuratively.

The Bucks were miserable in Antetokounmpo’s rookie year, finishing 15-67 overall. There were some positive signs, though. Antetokounmpo looked comfortable in 77 games after a terrific Summer League run, averaging only 6.8 points but already showing he could compete on an NBA floor. The Bucks also unearthed another pleasant surprise that season: Khris Middleton. The Bucks had acquired Middleton weeks after drafting Antetokounmpo as a throw-in in their Brandon Jennings for Brandon Knight swap with the Pistons. Middleton, a former second round pick, quickly became a starter and ended the year as the team’s third leading scorer by averaging 12.1 points per game.

The Bucks were supposed to acquire their big prize the next year when Antetokounmpo’s rough rookie season landed them the No. 2 overall pick. They had their choice of Duke forward Jabari Parker and injured Kansas center Joel Embiid. The Bucks took Parker, and six weeks into his pro career he tore his ACL. He tore his ACL again two years later, and was off the team by the time his rookie contract expired. This was supposed to be the piece that took Giannis and the Bucks to the next level, but instead it was a bust.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo kept getting better. He averaged 12.7 points his second year and 16.9 points per game his third year as head coach Jason Kidd experimented with using him as a point guard (Giannis played point guard 40 percent of the time in his third season, according to Basketball Reference). The NBA didn’t know exactly what Giannis was supposed to be yet, but it was clear he was on his way to becoming a star.

The biggest factor in Antetokounmpo’s development was how much bigger he got: he had grown at least two inches to 6’11 and was on his way to adding over 40 pounds of muscle. Giannis put in the work to change his body and he was able to carry the extra weight without losing his quickness or explosiveness. He was starting to play with immense force on every possession — not just offensively, but defensively.

Antetokounmpo became a terror in the open court, busting out Eurosteps to unsuspecting defenders as they pleaded for travel calls. Defensively, Giannis’ length and newfound strength added burgeoning rim protecting ability to an already strong perimeter defender. The Bucks snuck into the playoffs three times early in Antetokounmpo’s career, but couldn’t get past the first round.

Everything changed when Mike Budenholzer was hired ahead of the 2018-19 season. Suddenly, the Bucks went from plucky upstarts to the team with the best record in the NBA. Antetokounmpo had gone from an emerging young star to a 24-year-old MVP who now had a case as the best player in the world.

Milwaukee blitzed the league with a 60-22 record in Coach Bud’s first season by unleashing Antetokounmpo to his full potential. He became a defensive anchor near the paint who could erase any mistake on the perimeter by his teammates. Offensively, Antetokounmpo put the pedal to the floor on every possession, charging hard to the basket through contact while still having the touch and poise to finish. Middleton was coming into his own at the same time as a 6’8 forward who had developed into one of the league’s best pure shooters. Brook Lopez was signed to a bargain contract and transformed his game from post scorer to three-point shooter to give Giannis more room on his drives.

Something special was brewing in Milwaukee, but like so many other basketball deities before him, Giannis had to take his lumps in the playoffs first. The Bucks started the 2019 playoffs at 10-1 and took a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 went into double overtime, the Bucks lost, and Antetokounmpo finished with only 12 points in 45 minutes. Toronto would go on to win the next three games to eliminate the Bucks in shocking fashion.

Antetokounmpo won another MVP and led the Bucks to the NBA’s best record again the next year. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and when the NBA came back after a nearly five-month pause, Giannis and the Bucks found themselves in a bubble. The Bucks drew the Miami Heat in round two, an opponent uniquely equipped to matchup with them thanks to a brilliant coach and a long, strong roster. The Bucks lost the first three games, and Antetokounmpo was injured in Game 4 before Miami completed a stunning gentleman’s sweep.

At this point, the shine surrounding Giannis started to wear off. He was a great regular season player who couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. James Harden famously said he had no skill. It didn’t matter what Antetokounmpo accomplished during the regular season this year: he wasn’t winning his third straight MVP after consecutive playoff failures.

Speculation over Giannis’ impending free agency had reached a fever pitch. LeBron James and Kevin Durant both left the small market organizations that drafted them because they didn’t have enough help to win a championship. Antetokounmpo could have said the same thing about the Bucks. Instead, he signed a five-year max extension just before the season. Whether he would eventually win a title or not, he was going to try to do it on his own terms.

As a superteam formed in Brooklyn mid-season, the Bucks became something of an afterthought. They took their foot off the gas in the regular season, experimenting with different defensive strategies and integrating new guard Jrue Holiday at the expense of some regular season wins. After finishing with the league’s best record in consecutive seasons, seven teams ended up winning more games than the Bucks before the playoffs, including two teams in their own conference. Antetokounmpo finished fourth in MVP voting.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the Bucks entered this year’s playoffs without overwhelming expectations. Antetokounmpo’s extension had taken away some of the immediate urgency. Not making it out of the East wouldn’t be seen as a failure anymore, not with three veteran superstars teaming up on the Nets while the 76ers coalesced into conference power.

For once, Giannis and the Bucks had room to breathe. It might have been the best thing that ever happened to them.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Every NBA champion needs good fortune to raise a banner. You can of course say the same about the Bucks.

After avenging their playoff loss to the Heat in the first round with a decisive sweep, the Bucks met the Nets in the second round. In the first minute of the first game, Harden went down with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the first four games of the series. Brooklyn still went up 2-0 on their home floor and seemed to have the Bucks on their way to a second straight second round exit. Then Kyrie Irving got hurt in Game 4 and never returned.

The Bucks forced a Game 7 in Brooklyn. Durant capped an incredible game with a game-tying shot in the final seconds of regulation that would have been the game-winner if his foot wasn’t on the three-point line. The Bucks won in overtime and kept their championship dream alive.

On the other side of the Eastern Conference bracket, the Atlanta Hawks upset the Sixers. The Hawks stole Game 1 of the conference finals in Milwaukee, but the Bucks would take the next two. In Game 4, Antetokounmpo suffered a scary leg injury and immediately exited. After so many injuries to superstars in this postseason, it sure felt like the worst case scenario was on the table. The Hawks won to tie the series with Giannis sidelined, but Middleton and Holiday powered wins in the next two games. The Bucks were in the Finals.

The Phoenix Suns had their own luck on the other side of the bracket. Phoenix knocked out the defending champion Lakers in the first round after Anthony Davis suffered an injury late in the series. They swept a Jamal Murray-less Denver Nuggets team in round two. They beat the Clippers in the conference finals after Kawhi Leonard partially tore his ACL. Both the Suns and Bucks were legitimately great teams, but it’s impossible know if they would have advanced to the Finals against a fully healthy field that wasn’t set against the backdrop of a pandemic.

Antetokounmpo entered the series doubtful to play in Game 1. Hours before tip-off, he was upgraded to questionable. After suffering an injury many believed would bleed into next year, Giannis was in the starting lineup for the first game of the Finals. He didn’t look like he was 100 percent, but he still played 35 minutes and finished +1 in a game the Suns won by 13 points.

Milwaukee’s only chance was for Giannis to fully return to form and assert himself as the best player in the series. That’s exactly what happened.

Giannis’ performance in the Finals was nothing short of remarkable.

He finished with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting in Game 2, but the Suns still won to take a 2-0 lead. As the series came to Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo was even better: he put up 41 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in a decisive Game 3 victory that gave the Bucks’ a puncher’s chance.

In Game 4, Antetokounmpo sealed the win with one of the best blocks you will ever see on an alley-oop meant for Deandre Ayton. In Game 5, he helped deliver an even more incredible play when he slammed home a lob off Holiday’s tremendous steal in the final seconds. The Bucks had won three straight games and now had a chance to end the series on their floor in Game 6 on Tuesday night. Giannis already had two defining plays and a gaudy stat line during these Finals, but he saved his best for last.

It is no exaggeration to say Giannis played one of the great games in NBA history to carry the Bucks in Game 6. On a night when Holiday couldn’t make a basket and Middleton struggled to get open, Antetokounmpo absolutely dominated the game on both offense and defense. With the Bucks trailing by seven points at halftime, Giannis put up 20 points in the third quarter while deterring so many Suns scoring opportunities with his help defense.

He brought home the win in the fourth quarter by overcoming his biggest weakness: free throw shooting. After shooting about 55 percent from the foul line throughout the playoffs, Antetokounmpo somehow made 17-of-19 free throws in the biggest game of his career.

The end result: 50 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, and Milwaukee’s first NBA championship since 1971.

Giannis’ greatness has never fit into a box.

He was drafted as a nominal small forward, but he was always the type of player who never really had a position. While the Bucks used him to initiate offense on the perimeter from the early days of his career, his massive growth spurt after entering the league made him something closer to a big man.

We know what big men look like and we know how they score. Antetokounmpo didn’t conform to those norms. While Hakeem Olajuwon had deft footwork in the post, Giannis mastered his footwork in the open floor. While Shaq unleashed his power after planting himself deep in the paint, Giannis backed up 30-feet away from the hoop to get a running start before unfurling his force. While NBA fans pleaded with Budenholzer to use Giannis as a roll man, the Bucks preferred to put him in space and let him attack.

As it happened, it became easy to see the holes Giannis had in his game. He didn’t have a three-point shot in a league obsessed with three-pointers. He struggled to shoot free throws. His ball handling ability never fully leveled up. Instead, Giannis was said to succeed because he was simply bigger and faster than everyone. That led to jealousy from his peers and confusion from some fans who could only see greatness through the lens of how Michael Jordan and (to a lesser extent) Kobe Bryant accomplished it.

Giannis was said to have ‘no bag’ — the ultimate diss for a hooper. While some saw a lack of crossovers and pull-up jumpers, Antetokounmpo’s skill showed up in different ways. It often felt like his apparent lack of appreciation from other NBA stars was because he wasn’t from America and had no interest in running in the same cliques as they did.

The discussion about Antetokounmpo’s skill level missed several key points. For one, he had become the best defensive player in the world, someone with a length and quickness of prime Kawhi Leonard on the perimeter with the shot blocking ability of Rudy Gobert near the basket. It also discounted how hard this man played. Giannis never took off a single possession on either end of the floor and established himself one of the most competitive athletes on Earth. The questioning of his offensive game was wildly out of place, too. He just averaged 35.2 points per game on 61.1 percent shooting from the field in the NBA Finals, in a series some feared he wouldn’t even play in against a team that was favored to beat his Bucks.

Giannis’ greatness is a testament to his incredible work ethic to go from a skinny teenager to a physical freak. He should be held up on a pedestal for his motor. The fact that he committed long-term to the small market team that drafted him rather than running away to play with other superstars makes this championship even more meaningful.

Antetokounmpo’s awards cabinet is filling up. He’s two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, the winner of the Most Improved Player, a five-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, and a four-time All-Defense selection. Now he can add an NBA championship and a Finals MVP. He’s still only 26 years old.

We are watching one of the greatest athletes of this generation in any sport in the prime of his career. He is an immigrant who found a new home in Milwaukee after not even knowing where it was when he got drafted. He does it all with a humble approach that is devoid of ego. His press conferences were almost as good as his play during the games in the NBA Finals.

Basketball is now a global game, and Giannis is a global icon. He represents the dream of how sports can change anyone’s life. He plays the game the right way, giving all he’s got on every possession. He doesn’t run away from challenges.

A championship was always going to elevate Giannis into the land of legends, and the way he did it will define his career forever. What a story, and what a player. For once, something that always felt too good to be true actually lived up to the hype.

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ecoorganic · 4 years

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'Ted Lasso' and the Journey From Viral Promo to TV Series

Jason Sudeikis reprises his role as a befuddled coach in England, with his viral NBC promos evolving into a full-on TV show. He explains the story of how it happened.

There’s a scene in Ted Lasso, where the title character–Jason Sudeikis’s American football coach who abruptly turns into a Premier League manager–sprints to the assistant referee in the middle of a crucial match after raising his flag for an offside call.

“Come on, now! What do you mean? How’s that offside?” complains Lasso, with his characteristic Kansan drawl as the linesman looks at him with confusion.

“What?” asks the official.

Lasso gets closer. “No, I’m serious. How’s that offside...I don’t understand it yet.”

This lack of complete understanding and across-the-pond confusion is one way to describe the essence of Apple TV+’s latest sitcom, which originated from a 2013 NBC Sports promo. That's where Sudeikis introduced his character as part of the network’s acquisition of the Premier League broadcast rights.

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The idea was simple. Lasso, an intense, wide-eyed college football coach from Kansas City arrives in London and enters the alien world of the Premier League. In the promos, he takes over Tottenham (the following season,

he returns as head coach of youth girls' team St. Catherine Fighting Owls), questioning why players don’t wear more pads and teaching the art of flopping. He has no knowledge of the game or its cultural and historical significance. It was a satiric outlook at two different worlds seen through the eyes of a naïve American, and for NBC, it was a way to both attract a loyal, knowledgeable soccer fan as well as appeal to a new audience.

In the end, it worked, as both promos (2013 and 2014) went viral and gained a tremendous amount of attention. Combined, the videos have generated more than 20 million views on YouTube and helped the network build a strong foundation for its Premier League audience.

It’s been six years since those promos aired, and soccer in the U.S.–without Ted Lasso–has grown tremendously in popularity. So how was the character revived?

“I guess it’s a dozen little things that go right that you’re willing and ready to receive,” Sudeikis told Sports Illustrated. “After doing the second video (in 2014), it really unlocked elements of the character that we found very, very fun to write and portray and view the world through. So, one day in 2015, my partner Olivia (the actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde) came up to me one day and said, ‘You know, you should do Ted Lasso as a show,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know,’ but then after marinating on it, I thought maybe this could happen.”

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In spring of the same year, Sudeikis got together with his creative partners and writers, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt–the three of them started together with Chicago’s well-known improv group The Second City and Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago; Hunt also plays Lasso’s assistant coach and confidante Coach Beard–and powered through for a week to see if they could create a show out of it.

“When you have a germ of an idea, you don’t know if it’s something you say out loud or if it’s a tweet or a letter or a screenplay, who knows," Sudeikis said. "So, we sat down, and we were able to bang out a pilot pretty quick in that week. As well as outlining six to 10 episodes of the first season. And that let us know, ‘O.K., there’s something here.’”

Despite the excitement for the idea, that’s all it was at that moment–an idea without a home. So, life continued, and the three friends left Ted Lasso alone for a few years and diverted their focus to their respective careers.

“But that allowed us to get a little space from it, and low and behold, the showbiz gods looked and smiled down on us and brought Bill to our doorstep,” Sudeikis said.

"Bill" is Bill Lawrence, the experienced television writer, producer and creative force behind award-winning shows such as Scrubs, Cougar Town and Spin City. Lawrence entered the frame in 2017 when he and Sudeikis played pickup basketball a couple of nights a week and one night, the idea of Ted Lasso came up. After a few more chats, he read the script and the concept and was immediately interested.

“I wanted to work with Jason Sudeikis, he just cracks me up. I thought he was awesome on SNL, whenever he shows up in a movie, I’m immediately into it and he seems like that dude you want to hang with,” Lawrence said. “I’d also seen those sketches, the promotional videos for the Premier League back when he did them and I thought they were so funny, and he said, 'What if we made that character three-dimensional and really rounded him out?' Ted Lasso can still be goofy and funny, but we could also have our version.”

And this was critical for Sudeikis. In the commercials, Lasso’s unawareness is funny and often endearing, but for a show, there had be more to him for the audience to not just laugh, but also root for him.

“I think Scrubs is a fantastic show. You can put the 10 best episodes of it up against any show,” Sudeikis said. “Bill writes male characters and relationships so beautifully, his use of music and dealing with heavy duty issues of life and death. And now, two years later, here we are talking about it. It’s actually really gonna happen and I can’t kind of believe it.”

Not only is the show happening (it premieres this Friday), but it also succeeds in its mission. Ted Lasso is warm, it’s funny and–like the main character–it has heart. Unlike the commercials, where Ted’s biggest trait is his buffoonery, the show celebrates his relentless thirst for hope. He is a man with passion, dignity and someone you for whom you cheer. Lasso is the eternal optimist, whose naivety is both a strength and a weakness, and just like J.D from Scrubs, Lasso is vulnerable (in the show, he actually leaves the U.S. to escape from a troubled marriage) and aches for comfort. That’s what he offers his new team in return–an arrogant, underachieving Premier League side controlled by a scorned owner. It’s not Tottenham this time around, but the fictional AFC Richmond.

Lawrence sees Lasso as the perfect example of the inspiring teacher. A sports version of Robin Williams's John Keating from Dead Poets Society, where his personality is a weapon against cynical reporters and resentful fans who naturally express their disgust at the thought of an American with no knowledge of the game taking over their beloved club.

“We all grew up with a favorite teacher or a favorite coach. They put us on a path. These people never force you into doing anything. It’s just good folks,” Lawrence said. “Me and Jason overlap cause we also like doing shows with heart and because it’s such a dumpster-fire time in the world, Jason really wanted to do a show that was hopeful and optimistic, and most sports movies have that. That’s what's at their core. It’s the underdog. We were trying to capture that optimism and hopefulness that comes with those iconic figures from your life, whether it’s a coach, a teacher or a parent.”

If there's a coach in the real Premier League that emits optimism and hopefulness, it's Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, and Sudeikis admits that Lasso's character in the show is partly inspired by him.

“Man. When I heard about him taking his squad to go do karaoke, I was like, ‘hellooooo, story idea…’” said Sudeikis, who also admires Pep Guardiola. “I really love those coaches. I really like the way they handle themselves as leaders of an organization. They are guys who I would follow into a fist fight.”

Sudeikis loves the game but fully admits he still needs to do more before calling himself a hardcore, scholarly fan.

"I love the sport. My joke has been that I have a deep appreciation for it but a shallow understanding. But that’s why I keep company with Brendan and Joe, who know their stuff,” Sudeikis said. “But it’s still all new to me. Every time I go to see a match, I buy a kit for me at the gift shop and a kit for my little boy. I’m ready to be a fair-weather fan for whoever needs it [laughs]. I know people hate for me that, but that’s the truth.”

The showrunners put together a cast with colorful characters who add depth to the multiple plots. There’s the tough-as-nails veteran midfielder Roy Kent (surely inspired by Roy Keane and played by Brett Goldstein), the narcissistic Man City loanee Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), the charismatic duo of Dani Rojas (Mexican star played by Cristo Fernandez) and Nigerian forward Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh). Nick Mohammed (who can be seen in Sky TV/Peacock’s Intelligence) also shines as the quiet kitman. It’s also refreshing to hear NBC’s Arlo White serving as the show’s commentator throughout AFC Richmond’s season.

But if there’s someone aside from Sudeikis's Lasso who steals the show, it’s Keeley Jones, the confident and no-nonsense TV celebrity/model/PR guru played by Juno Temple. She was the only actor who didn’t audition, as Sudeikis, who knew her work, wanted her in the show from the get-go.

“I met Juno with Olivia when they were on Vinyl (Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese’s 2016 HBO show), so I’ve done karaoke with her. I’ve been in a room with her. I knew her,” Sudeikis said. “She’s so fun and dynamic and just pro-female. She’s just a kick-ass that lives with an excitement that’s fun to be around, and that’s a little bit of what the character had.”

In the end, Ted Lasso is exactly what an audience needs right now. It’s a story that makes you laugh and reminds you to smile at adversity. It’s a lesson that’s less about football management and more about unity, and the script works because it takes a hold of our differences and embraces them as one. And it echoes Lasso’s favorite Walt Whitman quote, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Lasso is heroic, not because he commands respect but because he earns it. He is kind, because he doesn’t know any other way. But like us, he is also vulnerable, and that’s why we can relate to his journey.

“He’s more white rabbit than white knight, but he’s actually becoming the change he wants to see in the world, without any agenda,” Sudeikis said. “And these days, that’s unusual, both in real life and on television.”

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years

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Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since the Bruce Pearl’s first season on the Plains, Auburn will go into the year without Bryce Brown playing at the 2. In his four seasons with the Tigers, Brown tallied 378 three-pointers, good for second most all time in the conference. Brown will be a player fans look back on fondly decades from now as one of the guys who helped kickstart the overhaul of Auburn basketball. But the sharpshooter is no longer in Auburn, and is now fighting for a change to make it to the NBA while playing for the Boston Celtics’ G-League team, the Maine Red Claws. So now what?

Auburn’s sixth man from last season, senior Samir Doughty will slide into Brown’s former role this season. Whereas Auburn only had three guards between the point- and shooting-guard positions last season (Jared, J’Von, Bryce), there may be five or six guys getting playing time this year, with Jamal Johnson, Devan Cambridge, and possibly Allen Flanigan backing up Doughty. It’s not impossible that we might see Issac Okoro play at the 2 some as well. I expect Bruce to experiment with different combinations early this year before settling on a rotation down the stretch.

#10 Samir Doughty - Senior, Philadelphia, PA

Samir transferred to Auburn before the 2017-18 season after two seasons at VCU (redshirt in 2015-16, played in 2016-17). Under now LSU coach Will Wade, Doughty was an unpolished scorer but solid all-around contributor at guard, where he averaged 9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 2.1 apg. Honestly, I won’t comment too much on his days with the Commonwealth because I didn’t see him play, and I’m not sure how much it tells about his game now.

When Wade left to go to LSU in 2017, Doughty took the opportunity to transfer to a young but talented Auburn program. While sitting out his transfer year, the Tigers exploded onto the national scene by winning the SEC and making the Tournament for the first time in a decade and a half. While the team was having tons of on-court success, though, I kept hearing about a guard who played tough defense and was an SEC-ready slasher. Doughty helped form the best scout team in the country with Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy sitting out the season, something that I’m sure helped keep the rest of the team sharp and ready to play all season.

Last offseason, Auburn was completely unsure about what the roster was going to be for 2018-19.

“Would Jared, Bryce, Mustapha, or Austin be testing the NBA Draft waters?”

“They’re all coming back!”

“Desean Murray and Davion Mitchell are transferring?”

“Wait, Mustapha isn’t going pro, but he’s transferring??”

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

After all of the drama, Doughty settled in with Malik Dunbar as the guys who would handle things at the 3, Mustapha’s old position. Samir started off the season on fire, posting double digit points in each of the team’s first three games. He would cool off, but he and Malik Dunbar formed an effective 1-2 punch supporting the other stars on the team. Doughty would finish the season posting 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in about 24 minutes per night.

This season, Doughty will be asked to go from complimentary-piece to offensive leader. If the team attempts even a fraction of the threes they took last season, they will have to rely on #10. Doughty had the best percentage from three on the team last year with 43% shooting, although on only about 30% as many attempts as Bryce. If Samir can keep that percentage above 40% on double the attempts, he could become a dominant scorer, particularly with his strong game in the paint.

In looking at the highlights from his best games last year, I noticed the bulk of his threes came from the corner. Excuse me for referencing this game at all, but I felt it deserved mentioning that Samir had one of the best performances on the team against Virginia, including this three when points were hard to come by in the first half.

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Doughty’s defense shouldn’t be forgotten about, either. As good as Bryce was playing on-ball defense last season, Samir rated out better than him in most of the advanced stats categories. In fact, Samir was the top ranked non-big in both defensive win shares and defensive BPM according to Sports Reference. He also contributed decent steal and rebound numbers, which hopefully will continue to lead to fastbreak points like this bucket against Washington’s star last year.

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All-in-all, this team will miss Bryce this season, but luckily we have a veteran who played plenty of minutes in this system last year to ease the transition. Samir will have the opportunity to be the focal point of the offense this year, but he’s shown he can contribute even when he’s not scoring.

#1 Jamal Johnson - Sophomore, Birmingham, AL

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jamal Johnson will likely be Samir’s primary backup, at least to start the season. In fact, Johnson will be in a similar position this season to Samir last year. Johnson, a former 4* who Auburn recruited heavily out of high school, transferred in before last season from Memphis, where he started 26 games as a freshman in 2017-18. Johnson also played high school ball with Austin Wiley at Spain Park, which I’m sure influenced his decision to come to Auburn.

Johnson is a true 3 point volume shooter, and he’ll likely be asked to play that roll for Auburn against teams they feel they can beat behind the arc. At Memphis, just over 70% of his attempts from the field were from three, and he was a 33% shooter. Compare that to Bryce, who shot 37% from 3 with a 77% 3-pt attempt rate as a freshman.

At 6’4”, Johnson can contribute some on defense as well, though I’m not ready to call him a plus defender without seeing him in person. At Memphis, he averaged 7.4 rebounds per 100 possessions, similar to Samir last year and almost double Bryce’s rebound numbers.

It would be a folly to think Johnson won’t be a better player now than he was at Memphis, though. With a redshirt season and full offseason, he knows what Bruce Pearl expects out of a shooter, and he got a front seat to seeing one of the best to ever do it in the SEC last season with Bryce Brown. Johnson is one of the players I’m most excited to see next week, and if he can contribute 10 minutes/game with decent 3P% numbers, he will be a huge boost to this team.

#35 Devan Cambridge - Freshman, Nashville, TN

Devan Cambridge was the last addition to this season’s roster, signing with the Tigers in July. He’s a bit of a raw talent, but he was a well-regarded 3 point shooter in high school. Combined with his 6’6” frame and athleticism, it’s not hard to see why Bruce took a shot on him. After being undersized on the perimeter for the last several years, he should add some good size for the Tigers in the backcourt.

Cambridge received some buzz from teammates in the offseason, but a stress fracture in his foot caused him to miss the preseason and Tipoff at Toomers. Bruce has said he’ll be ready in a few weeks, but I would expect the team to give him as long as he needs to get toally healthy before getting into games.

If you look closely, you might recognize who’s throwing those lobs to Devan.

Other Possibilities

With three guys slated for the 2, I don’t imagine many other guys will get playing time here. That being said, if Samir is needed at point guard or back at the 3, you might see Auburn lean on the depth they’ve accrued at the position. Allen Flanigan, son of assistant coach Wes Flanigan, is listed as a guard on the roster, though he might end up redshirting this season if he’s not needed. You could also see Issac Okoro slide in at the 2 if Auburn wants to go big with Wiley, McLemore, and Purifoy. Overall, I think you’ll see Samir play the majority of the minutes here, but one of the interesting things to watch with this team is seeing which newcomers make their mark.

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trilotechcorp · 7 years

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New Post has been published on PBA-Live

New Post has been published on http://pba-live.com/andre-paras-working-out-with-rain-or-shine-but-insists-hes-not-ready-to-turn-pro/

Andre Paras working out with Rain or Shine, but insists he's not ready to turn pro

EVEN with Raymond Almazan away on duty with Gilas Pilipinas and Jay Washington still recovering from an injury, Rain or Shine’s frontline didn’t look shorthanded at all in its tune-up game against Centro Escolar University on Wednesday morning.

After all, there was this young, athletic cager who filled the void and leapt all over the Northeast Greenhillls gym to clean the boards, helping the Elasto Painters coast to a 99-76 win over the champion college team.

“Taas tumalon ni Andre,” Beau Belga, one of the few big men present, marveled.

But, no, he’s not Rain or Shine’s newest player. Andre Paras insists he’s just working out.

“Wala lang, just trying to get in shape, just get ready, nakiki-practice lang, nothing serious or anything like that,” the 6-foot-4 cager said in a chat with SPIN.ph after the tune-up game. “Just working out with sila coach Jolly and the other coaches.”

ROS assistant coach Jolly Escobar and Paras’ dad – the PBA’s only Rookie-MVP Benjie – happen to be former teammates at Shell and remain close friends.

“I just asked if I could practice,” the younger Paras, who has been training with the team for a week now, said. “They’re very welcoming and they allowed me, and I took the opportunity to learn from mga big men here, at the same time the coaches here.”

After a two-year break that saw him dabble in show biusiness, Paras made a rousing hoops comeback a few months ago as he turned heads in the D-League where he averaged close to a whopping 20 rebounds per game for AMA in the last conference.

Now, the former University of the Philippines slotman and San Beda Team B campaigner is continuing to make the steps toward his hoops dream, although he’s not yet keen on declaring for next year’s draft.

“I’m not applying anytime soon for the draft,” Paras said. “Still just focusing on my studies and just working out and getting better, trying to get in shape, trying to find the perfect timing lang.”

Paras, who turned 22 this month, is enrolled at AMA on a three-year English studies online course.

“I can finish faster kasi online naman siya, so I can take classes everyday. It’s up to me when I want to finish,” he said. “There’s no rush naman graduating, pero I’m on track to getting a diploma, which is important for me, and to learn something.”

And he still has time for acting.

“Sometimes, I still do that for work as well, while waiting and training,” the celebrity cager said. “Nasasabay ko naman, which is good.”

Managing to juggle his responsibilities, Paras is glad to have the chance to work out with the Elasto Painters.

“He’s just working out with us, para ma-experience rin yung feel (of PBA-style play),” ROS coach Caloy Garcia said.

But with only 10 players in attendance on Wednesday, Garcia gave Paras the chance to play in the tune-up game where the amateur standout relished the opportunity to play with pros.

“It’s amazing,” Paras said. “I can see kung ano pa ‘yung kulang ko, like I’m still out of shape, at the same time patience, and pretty much skills, cause these guys are veterans; alam nila ginagawa nila kahit nakapikit ‘yan. They know everything, they’ve mastered everything, kaya nga nasa pros na sila. I know I have a lot to work on.

“And what’s good is wala pa naman ako sa pro level, pero I can see what I can work on para, if ever, when the time comes, ready na ako,” added the brother of teen sensation Kobe.

Paras particularly made the most of the chance to play against Belga in practice and learn from the veteran stretch center by playing together in the scrimmage.

“He’s very solid,” Paras said. “I’ve never played football before, but I think he can play American football. Defenders like kanina sa scrimmage, walang nakakapasok na big man sa kanya. He knows how to defend well, and he’s very fast. He’s quick, he knows when to use his moves, at the same time, he’s a big man who can shoot from the outside.

“I’ve never underestimated him because I have so much respect, kasi you know how people defend na parang tinatamad, but you have to defend Beau really good, kasi once he knows you’re slacking, he’s going to eat you talaga – he’s going to drive, he’s going to shoot. He’s the perfect big man talaga eh, to look up to as well,” he added.

Once he feels he has tools like Belga, then that’s probably the time to apply for the draft.

“It depends on the way I train and the way I get better, kasi if I force things, ako naman yung kawawa,” Paras said. “I’m the one who’s going to suffer in the league. I don’t want to regret anything. I want to make sure everything’s perfect, kumbaga being in shape, being mentally prepared.”

Source: http://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/news/andre-paras-working-out-with-ros-but-insists-hes-not-yet-ready-to-turn-pro#EjssWWwyugTO0uuP.99

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ecoorganic · 4 years

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'Ted Lasso' and the Journey From Viral Promo to TV Series

Jason Sudeikis reprises his role as a befuddled coach in England, with his viral NBC promos evolving into a full-on TV show. He explains the story of how it happened.

“Come on, now! What do you mean? How’s that offside?” complains Lasso, with his characteristic Kansan drawl as the linesman looks at him with confusion.

“What?” asks the official.

Lasso gets closer. “No, I’m serious. How’s that offside...I don’t understand it yet.”

youtube

It’s been six years since those promos aired, and soccer in the U.S.–without Ted Lasso–has grown tremendously in popularity. So how was the character revived?

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“But that allowed us to get a little space from it, and low and behold, the showbiz gods looked and smiled down on us and brought Bill to our doorstep,” Sudeikis said.

If there's a coach in the real Premier League that emits optimism and hopefulness, it's Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, and Sudeikis admits that Lasso's character in the show is partly inspired by him.

Sudeikis loves the game but fully admits he still needs to do more before calling himself a hardcore, scholarly fan.

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junker-town · 7 years

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A Celtics team 5 years in the making

The Celtics finally went for it. Now what?

Take a trip down the rabbit hole of Danny Ainge’s transaction page on Basketball-Reference once more for old time’s sake. Explore that page long enough, and it will reveal a nonlinear method of rebuilding from scratch filled with endless possibilities.

Remember that Keith Bogans’ shell contract begat Abdel Nader and that Tayshaun Prince was briefly a Celtic. Recall the one that haunted Sam Hinkie; Jordan Crawford for Philly’s heavily protected first pick that became a pair of inconsequential seconds.

Pour one out for the time Ainge used a cap exception to secure a late first-rounder that got Isaiah Thomas. Raise one final toast to the time he picked up Jae Crowder in the Rajon Rondo deal.

You should also take a moment to remember all the deals that never happened: a bushelful of picks to move up in the draft to take Justise Winslow, trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler that broke down on various draft nights, and not getting Kevin Durant in free agency.

“It never goes the way everybody wants it to go, you know?” Ainge said with a slight chuckle during training camp.

Take one last look around because those days are suddenly over. What had been an endless series of moves spiraling into nebulous directions has suddenly come into clear focus. The end result is a core featuring Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford with as many as five rookies and nine other new additions to integrate into the lineup.

Even in the hyperdrive reality of the modern NBA when roster turnover is inevitable, the Celtics offseason was extreme. Not that it was completely unexpected.

“I loved our team last year,” Ainge says. “I had a blast. I really enjoyed it. I knew we weren’t a championship team with the Warriors and the Cavs, but I thought the team achieved all they could.”

Ainge pushed back at the suggestion that last year’s group had run its course, but nevertheless he went into the offseason looking to acquire veteran star power. He made a run at George on draft night, then turned his attention to Hayward in free agency. That, in turn, necessitated trading Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris to balance the cap ledger. And that was supposed to be that. Until Kyrie Irving became available.

The blockbuster deal for Irving involving Thomas, Crowder, and the last of the vaunted Brooklyn picks was announced in late August, traditionally the quietest part of the NBA calendar. It was stunning in that teams that compete in the conference finals simply don’t trade key players to one another. It was also stunning in that Ainge had finally traded away his most prized asset to forge a completely new team.

Some of it was opportunity; players like Irving don’t usually become available. Some of it was timing with key contracts coming due. And some of it was uncertainty over Thomas, who is hoping for a late December return with the Cavs from a hip injury. All of it just kind of happened.

The Celtics believe that they are better-positioned for the future with a clearer cap situation. They think they’ll be better in the postseason with two elite playmakers along with Horford, and they think their young players are ready to step into larger roles. In other words, this is really who they are for the foreseeable future.

“There will always be changes and we’ll have to tweak it but yeah, we have no intention of blowing our team up again next summer,” Ainge said. “That’s for sure.”

But who are they? Nobody really knows. Of all the contenders that made wholesale changes in the offseason, none is as opaque as the Celtics. To begin to understand them, we need to start with the question of identity.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

If you compare Irving’s career numbers with Thomas’ from the impartial distance of a spreadsheet, they look remarkably similar. Both are scoring point guards who utilize a high number of possessions and both have issues on the defensive end. They are both certified All-Stars and elite scorers. Beyond the data, though, you’d be hard-pressed to find two more different players.

Irving has always been basketball royalty, a top recruit at Duke who went first in the 2012 draft. He is sleek and skilled, a ball-handling virtuoso and brilliant shooter who slips between cracks and unspools textbook perfect jumpers. He plays with the easy confidence of a can’t-miss prospect who once made the biggest shot of an NBA season.

For all of his gifts on the court, Kyrie has been a cypher off the court for most of his career. He shocked many with his trade request (who would want to leave LeBron James?) and seems perpetually unbothered by the prospect of leading a franchise in pursuit of a championship. Beyond his dabbling with the flat-earth society as a means of challenging social constructs, there is little that we know about Kyrie Irving.

Thomas, on the other hand, plays with the vengeful hellfire of a man scorned. The last pick in the same draft class the year Kyrie went No. 1, the All-Star that coaches wanted to bring off the bench, the little guy who challenges the giants by going right through them, Thomas exists to prove others wrong. You never have to guess what he’s thinking because he’ll tell you right to your face.

He personified the character of the 2016-17 team perfectly. Like Thomas, many of the players had been overlooked and undersized. They played with a snarl and a chip on their shoulders that even their detractors — and there were many — could appreciate their effort.

“Last year our identity was a feisty group of kids that played really hard. But we did rely on Isaiah a ton.”

Pull back from the raw emotion that team engendered to the safer distance of the salary cap sheet, and the trade makes logical sense. Kyrie is younger and under contract for one more season beyond this one, when he has a player option. If you commit to him, you are securing the prime years of his career.

And yet, by trading Thomas and Crowder, as well as Bradley, you are also exchanging your hard-earned persona for a blank slate.

“Last year our identity was a feisty group of kids that played really hard,” Ainge says. “But we did rely on Isaiah a ton.”

That but is the biggest reason for all the change. When Thomas was out of the lineup, the Celtics struggled to score. While Thomas performed magnificently in the postseason, those team-wide offensive shortcomings were magnified, especially by the Cavaliers, who blew them out in five games while Thomas was sidelined by his hip injury.

That weakness was first addressed by signing Hayward, a seven-year pro coming off his best season right in the prime of his career. He gives the Celtics offense flexibility the team hasn’t enjoyed since Paul Pierce was still roaming the Garden floor. Together with Horford, who is a skilled playmaking big man, the Celtics now have multiple options where before they were limited.

There was still the dicey matter of Thomas’ hip, and that’s where it gets complicated.

Could they have gone into this season without one of their most important offensive players for at least the first few months? That question stopped being rhetorical the moment Irving became available.

Irving’s arguably the best one-on-one player in the game and has proved capable of taking over playoff games all by himself. Ainge refers to him as a “born basketball player,” and adds that, “Kyrie has proven that on the biggest stages against the best players in the world he’s one of the elite players.”

To make the deal, Ainge had to not only part with two of his core players, he also had to throw in the highly valued and much-discussed Brooklyn pick. Ainge caused a few ripples among the hardcore faithful when he suggested that he had a responsibility to Horford and Hayward to put the Brooklyn pick on the table in trade talks for Irving.

“Here we are asking those guys to come in with an opportunity to win and they did,” Ainge says. “They chose us over other teams because they believed that we’d do what it took to win. So it’s hard to recruit free agents and not do all you can to win. I did feel like there was some responsibility to those guys.”

Viewed from that perspective, Ainge’s methods come into an even sharper focus. Horford doesn’t sign without a stable environment already in place. Hayward might still be in Utah if he didn’t think the Celtics were a viable contender. And Irving may not have been so anxious to join a team without those two already on the roster.

As much as cap space and tradeable assets, this is how contenders are built and maintained in the modern NBA. Loyalty at the top of the NBA food chain is as much between players as it is between teams, and Ainge has tried to turn the Celtics into a destination for stars to consider.

What he’s looking for now is continuity, which sets up an interesting experiment this season. How do you get a team with 11 new players to perform as one?

The Celtics don’t have a captain, which isn’t that surprising. They haven’t had one since Rajon Rondo was traded. If there is a central figure in the locker room, it’s probably Horford. He’s not a forceful personality the way Kevin Garnett was a culture change unto himself. Horford, rather, is a stabilizer.

“I want to help our guys in any way I can to make them better,” Horford says. “Just be a good example for them and making sure I’m challenge them on the court and we’re growing as a group. Everybody wants to label one guy as a leader, but I feel like we have many leaders on this team. That’s the way to do it. When you have a locker room with only one leader, you should worry.”

Horford pointed to Irving’s championship experience and Hayward’s professional example. He cited Marcus Smart’s vocal contributions. He noted Jaylen Brown’s precocious development and veteran big man Aron Baynes, who provides toughness and savvy.

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That’s a good start, but chemistry is not easily sourced, nor is it easily gained. It’s one thing to assemble the pieces of the puzzle, and it’s quite another to execute on the court. Through the course of their one season together, Horford and Thomas were able to develop a dynamic that fueled their offensive possessions. Now he needs to do it again with Irving and Hayward.

The frantic pace of player movement has accelerated this team’s learning curve, and all three understand that it largely falls on them to rewire the team’s approach. No one is under the impression that it will take place overnight, least of all Brad Stevens who is tasked with organizing a structure around which all the new pieces can become whole.

“It’s like a brand new job,” he says.

Stevens has simplified some of his concepts and impressed upon his coaching staff the need to remain flexible and malleable to adjustments when needed. He’s been impressed by how quickly his team has picked up its defense, which requires trust and communication. For Stevens, this is not about X’s and O’s. It’s about creating a framework for his team to find itself.

“All that stuff happens when you’re focused on winning,” he says. “All the other stuff about spending time together, we’re eating meals together, and we’re going to be around each other for a long time. That’s not just what it’s about. Do I know what the guy next to me does well, and can I put him in position to do that? Everyone’s intent is already good.”

What is it that makes Brad Stevens so darn good? His after-timeout plays are so nifty that my colleague Tom Ziller has dubbed him the Michael Jordan of the Whiteboard. His offenses are heavy on player motion and rely on crisp, unselfish passes out of their actions. His defenses cover up weaknesses and utilize strengths. When you look at a Brad Stevens team, you see a well-coached team. All that is true, but it still doesn’t get into the heart of the matter.

“Brad’s one of the greatest coaches because he allows you to go out there and play and be you,” Marcus Smart says. “He doesn’t try to make you anything else but you, and he allows that. He puts you in the right places to have success.”

Few players need to be themselves more than Smart, who is blessed with a competitive streak that mandates playing time. He will guard anyone. He will go after loose balls and tough rebounds and play with an edge to the point of recklessness. There will always be a place for someone like that, but he has been defined in the minds of many by his weaknesses.

Smart’s primary issue is his shot. He’s a 29 percent three-point shooter for his career and unless that improves, teams will continue to exploit that hole in his game. When he was struggling last March, Stevens told Smart that he had confidence he would make them when the game was on the line. Smart hit 39 percent of his threes during the postseason.

“The bottom line is he needs to know that we think that too,” Stevens says. “I believe in Marcus. He’s a winning basketball player.”

His other weakness was his weight. Smart was carrying around 240 pounds during the playoffs, and his conditioning was becoming an issue. In the offseason he shed 20 pounds thanks primarily to an overhauled diet...and thus was born Skinny Marcus.

“It’s what you eat,” Smart told me while munching a post-practice banana. “It defeats the purpose to go be in the gym for two, three hours and go home and eat a burger.”

Skinny Marcus has been the talk of training camp, draining threes in the first preseason game and becoming a vocal leader for a defense that relies on switching as much as any team in the league. He wants to become a more complete offensive player, getting into the paint to create for his teammates and earning trips to the free-throw line. Stevens approves, of course, but he’s not taking any credit for it either.

“You can lead people in certain directions as much as you want, but ultimately it’s got to be their decision,” Stevens says. “That’s why I respect Marcus so much. He made that call.”

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Much of Stevens’ approach is culled from the book Mindset by Carole Dweck that advocates fostering an environment focused on learning and improving. Mindset has gained extensive currency in education settings and has naturally filtered down to coaches who have shed the rigid old paradigms of the past.

There may not be a more perfect example of this philosophy on the Celtics than Brown, the second-year forward who surprised many with his season-long contributions.

“I just want to be the best version of myself,” Brown says, echoing many of Mindset’s themes. “That’s going to help the team. I just tried to push myself this summer and get uncomfortable. Working on things I’m not as good at, grind on those things, make myself uncomfortable so that I’m comfortable when I get into a situation in a game. Without being uncomfortable, you won’t grow.”

The defining moment of Brown’s rookie season came in the first round of the playoffs after the Celtics had inexplicably lost the first two games of the series at home. Stevens needed to shake up the lineup, and he went with veteran swingman Gerald Green over Brown. Green got hot in Game 3 and salvaged the season, but it was Brown’s willingness to keep himself ready that made the biggest impression.

“That would have debilitated most 19-year-olds,” Stevens says. “They would have been done for the season. But Jaylen was antsy to help against Washington.”

Brown returned to the rotation against the Wizards and stayed there throughout the playoffs. He took on LeBron in the conference finals and expressed zero fear. It wasn’t always pretty, but he competed. Over the summer, he put himself through a 28-day workout fast where he didn’t eat or drink water from sunup to sundown. He’s also incorporated meditation into his routine.

“You have to train your mind like you have to train your body,” Brown says. “Anything you can do to get as uncomfortable as you can, try to persevere through as much pain as you can to work yourself as hard as you can mentally. That will push your mental strength.”

When Brown came into the league, there were unsourced whispers that he was too independent of a thinker. Stevens literally scoffed when I brought this up.

“One of the things I really appreciate about Jaylen is he’s got a curious mind,” he said. “He wants to learn. He wants to grow. Setbacks don’t define him. He’s not afraid to make mistakes.”

The Celtics will rely heavily on Smart and Brown this season, along with third-year man Terry Rozier and rookie Jayson Tatum. Beyond them, the deeper ends of the rotation are a curious collection of rookies and veteran journeymen. Some of the rookies are old, like Daniel Theis, the 25-year-old German who turned pro at the beginning of the decade. Some of the veterans haven’t played much in the league, like Shane Larkin, who earned his stripes in Europe.

Whatever issues the Celtics will have this season, the expectation is that Brad will fix it. That the perception runs counter to everything he values is beyond his control, which means that he doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about it.

“I think we have a chance to improve as much as everybody from where you start and where you end, and we need to focus on that,” Stevens says. “In March, we should look much different than we do right now.”

And then what? And then we will finally see this grand design for what it is and what it can be. It took five years to manifest itself. A few months of the season shouldn’t be too much to ask before we have any idea if it will work.

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