#And the lack of change too! Some teams had the exact same lineup
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rookontheice · 6 days ago
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Hit stats per team!
(I included an average this time)
Boston Fleet:
Megan Keller: 45
Jessica Digirolamo: 35
Emily Brown: 34
Shay Maloney: 33
Daniela Pejsova and Emma Greco: 25
Average: 17.96 (1st)
Minnesota Frost:
Britta Curl-Salemme: 25
Brooke McQuigge and Klara Hymlarova: 22
Mellissa Channell-Watkins: 18
Kelly Pannek: 17
Denisa Křížová: 16
Average:10.57 (5th)
Montréal Victoire:
Marie-Philip Poulin: 27
Kati Tabin: 26
Anna Wilgren and Cayla Barnes: 20
Laura Stacey: 18
Erin Ambrose and Amanda Boulier: 16
Average: 10.04 (6th)
New York Sirens: 
Abby Roque: 48
Micah Zandee-Hart and Sarah Fillier: 30
Jade Downie-Landry: 26
Ella Shelton: 25
Noora Tulus: 21
Average: 15.46 (2nd)
Ottawa Charge: 
Emily Clark: 35
Aneta Tejralová: 27
Tereza Vanišová: 23
Gabbie Hughes: 21
Jocelyne Larocque and Mannon McMahon: 19
Average: 12.31 (4th)
Toronto Sceptres: 
Renata Fast: 54 (league leader)
Emma Maltais: 44
Blayre Turnbull and Allie Munroe: 40
Daryl Watts: 26
Megan Carter: 21
Average: 14.56 (3rd)
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threepyramidlife · 5 years ago
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3 Great Reasons Why You Should Dance
DANCE FOR FUN
Most of us have items in existence we all wish to really do. A number of those matters we adore others. Dancing is a thing which a lot of us, even once we all age, overlook to make enough opportunity and energy to enjoy. However, dance is just one of the basic pleasures in existence which could remind us to grin, to perform with, to twist until we become confused, and also most of all enjoy the ease of obtaining pleasure with no stress of the job, family members, or even financing becoming from the manner.
It charges hardly any in all domiciles to merely change off the tv, draw on the colors and dancing. You may dance to your mate, your own lifelong associate, and your young ones. You don't need to think about anybody seeing of course whenever they truly are viewing you really should simply take shame which they're paying their time fretting about that which it is you're doing in the place of dance all around and enjoying life to its fullest.
Native American Americans possess the ideal idea the moment it regards to dance. Enable the defeat function as a guidebook and only dancing. They chased being a method of worship, to say entry with their own gods, to exalt their gods, even to produce their happiness, as well within an external manifestation of despair. They chased for really like a plus so they chased for warfare. Dancing for these has been natural as walking will be for a number of people and major ways of expressing themselves perhaps not as human men and women but additionally as a portion of the more complicated and unified team.
When you haven't ever enjoyed for pleasure, it is the right time for you to take a look at the assorted varieties of dancing and also determine exactly what appeals for you personally as a manner of dancing. You'll find several kinds of dancing and several diverse types of audio to get many a variety of fashions.
Line-dancing
Line dance can be a fashion of dance where dancers lineup and dancing by producing exactly precisely the exact same dance actions at an identical moment. It's spanned not merely the state but has been fast making its way across the globe is a superb way to obtain dance pleasure. It is additionally an extraordinary means to interact and meet new men and women. Even though line dance has been chiefly restricted by state music at first it's made its way in different forms of audio too. Most pubs, dancing halls, and nightclubs can offer you line dance courses on gradual small business nights to be able to inspire additional organization. Line dance can also be enjoyed by both women and men.
Sq Dance
This fashion of dancing features a quite long history, and it has undergone a fantastic level of development in the last few years. Although it had been reserved for hoe reverses and these kinds of square foot dance is fast learning to be a spare time activity for lots of across America plus also an excellent means to devote a day and get to understand the others that share that pastime. This fashion of dance is most useful enjoyed by partners and certainly will be this kind of amazing pleasure should you allow down your hair a while engaging.
Stomach Dance
Stomach dance is enjoyed by most people nevertheless it really is most often related to ladies. If you don't add the admiration which goes exclusively with seeing instead of engaging and at this event the adult men might actually reevaluate the girls. Belly dance is really a rather unique and sensual type of dancing that's nearly always a viewer thriller. It can take several years to master the tummy dance moves and several analyze this manner of dancing their lives. however, it's an excellent physical exercise that's plenty of exciting.
Searching for pleasure isn't just the optimal/optimally purpose to dancing by way, however, it's much too usually the reason that people dancing. People today dancing such as a contest, like practice, also for a number of different reasons however, maybe not nearly often enough do we make the motions exclusively for your joy to do this. If I were able to make 1 proposal to everyone reading this will be that. Proceed and dance to the absolute delight of dance.
DANCE TO YOUR HEALTH
We being an entire global are somewhat more knowledgeable than ever before of the value of health and health and fitness to the general wellness. While we all remain attentive to the demand for bodily activity much too a lot of folks find a lot of motives to add physical activity to our everyday lives and patterns. You'll find several reasons which we indulged in this specific work. For time would be your defining variable while some are going to easily acknowledge they have zero appreciation at all for anyone tasks that can come into mind if the practice is thought.
No matter your basis behind incorporating exercising and physical exercise to your ordinary program, have you ever believed dance for the wellness? Additionally, there are all sorts of excellent motives to dancing nevertheless I will think about not many which would be a lot better compared to dance to the interest of one's wellness insurance and physical wellness. The most fantastic news the moment it regards dance is the fact that generally, it will not feel like you're becoming exercising along with the burning off of energy does not bite not quite just as much once you are having pleasure burning off them.
Dance has progressed a distinguished bargain and though the real history of dancing is still quite a commendable and long heritage. But an individual could incorporate a fairly manly historical past for many people who've not thought dance previously.
Advantages of Dance
As well as burning off calories, a fantastic matter for novices anyplace, dance additionally helps fortify your bones and muscles. It might offer a very low impact or higher effect work out depending on your fantasies and also the audio you decide on, it could be fun and also texture as though pleasure as opposed to a more chore-this way you might be much more inclined to truly do it than other physical exercise apps, also it may benefit tone all of the elements your own body as opposed to emphasizing one definite area due to the fact that much exercises perform.
Dance additionally gives a superb chance to interact and meet up with others in the event that you choose classes although at the procedure letting you get a far better feeling of equilibrium and elegance (individuals such as those who've no feeling of elegance can substantially gain using that independently ). Dancing, and also bodily exercise can assist you to ward off off possible ailments which in many cases are related to unwanted fat and a lack of physical exercise. Much while few as 30 moments of dancing 4 times per week could cause deep consequences as soon as it regards your overall wellness and wellbeing.
A lot more significantly however than some of the advantages of dance cited preceding dance is interesting. It follows you may enjoy daily life only a bit, giggle a minor, and also unwittingly operate tiny conditioning in your own life without emotion like you're putting up with for your interest to do this. Therefore many men and women get hardly any physical exercise only because they usually do not view physical exercise like pleasure.
If you're questioning what kind of dancing is best for you personally, you'll find many that to select. Square dance is an excellent pleasure for partners since are ballroom and swing dance. Line dance, contra sq dance, clogging, and faucet dance may be an amazing pleasure in bigger classes or being a player at a course. In the event, you'd like something somewhat sexier to your own dancing attempts you always have the option to decide to try Salsa dance, Flamenco dance, or even stomach dance.
If you stay in or just around a somewhat sizable community it's rather probable you may discover teachers or classes to get private courses for every one of these kinds of dancing very readily. You really do desire to make certain anybody you choose courses from is aware of the things they have been carrying out. You may even check on the community newspaper for square-foot classes or pubs or nightclubs offering line dance courses on specified nighttime during this week.
No matter whether you've been dance all of your own life or are at a status newcomer the moment it regards dancing, then this really can be a huge means to create conditioning in your own life and bettering your own wellbeing feeling like you're working to this or even having an awareness of anxiety in the extremely ideal.
THE WEDDING DANCE
In any other case, you could constantly wing it. Choose a tune you like, a dancing you prefer and also have some fun with no worrying about making it right. You're starting your life together like a couple of and that wants the strain of dance flawless, appropriate? It's also every daily life and this really is 1 thing which many to couple brides genuinely comprehend when becoming trapped at the strain of producing the ideal wedding in just a budget.
The one very thing to not forget when organizing your marriage along with your wedding ceremony in which you and your better half be is definitely the absolute most essential folks who are in the procedure. Usually, do not permit your self to truly feel pressured to something which you never desire to be able to support the others. Make your big and also your own wedding dance absolutely your own personal in the event that you're uninterested in or more comfortable with the thought of getting courses from another person. Your partner will soon be happy that you simply did everything that was suitable for you personally when everything is done and said.
Round the planet couples observe their own marriages using a marriage dance of some type. Most religions, even together with the exclusion of these that frown upon dance, possess some type of wedding ceremony dancing that's part with the joyous function or also the party with this function. That really is far greater than just an easy dance. It's the dancing that'll start your own life as husband and husband. Because of this alone, a lot of couples commit a good deal of time and attempt choosing an ideal tune to signify their love to get them each. The moment made the decision, here can be actually the song which would be usually to be performed with his or her wedding dancing.
Ballroom dance courses may frequently suffice for both marriage dancing courses as well as in a number of scenarios that are far less costly in the event that you may simply take them in a neighborhood community center as opposed to taking classes that are private. Group courses are always cheaper and certainly will be quite a terrific method for you personally and your upcoming wife or husband to learn how to dance with each other at a time to get the huge night along with also your wedding dancing.
Many couples, in fact, enjoy wedding dancing courses so as to make certain nothing goes wrong throughout their marriage ceremony dancing. Many teachers frequently recommend which you employ the sneakers you are going to undoubtedly be wearing to get the wedding along with being a skirt that's extremely like a bridal clothe themselves as a way to really have a fair sense of how you are going to be dance onto your own wedding afternoon. It's astonishing how a lot a gap that the elevation of one's shoes and also the amount of one's skirt or instruct may make when it regards to dance. These lessons are quite critical for partners who truly wish the mythic marriage practical experience though maybe not fundamentally functional for partners which are working by the ending in these funding limitations.
If budgets won't actually allow with this particular sanity to make your wedding ceremony dancing somewhat more straightforward to take care of it's possible to always choose to obtain an educational video or DVD. It'd be an amazing pleasure to clinic your own wedding dancing together until the huge nighttime also it's a remarkable approach to get some fun along with a couple of after the huge nighttime. You may discover video clips and DVDs that instruct all modes of dancing steps you could discover desirable.
Your marriage ceremony dancing is just one of those couple's reminiscences of the wedding ceremony you will possess forever. The majority of one's big will proceed by such a blur of confronts that there is going to soon be couple minutes that stick out over the remainder of the Your marriage ceremony dance however, could be your 1 time on your wedding ceremony dinner which you and your better half really are currently independently within your audience. All eyes could be you but that will be the time together no one else at the space should thing as of the time. This will be the reason why which the majority of folks will recall their marriage dancing after they will have forgotten additional facts in their marriage day.
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altobrandy31-blog · 6 years ago
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Podcast: Scariest Cubs moments and the haunting of the championship window
It could be a winter of change for the Cubs, and not just on the roster.
This team may also change how it deploys the players on the roster — namely with a more set, consistent lineup in 2019.
It's something Theo Epstein addressed in his 2018 "eugoogly" presser, indicating some of the players expressed a desire for less shakeup in the daily lineup during the course of their exit interviews. Upon hearing that, a large portion of the Cubs fanbase jumped up, stood on their chairs and shouted "HEARD THAT!"
But does a set lineup even make sense in today's version of baseball?
In 2018, Joe Maddon wrote out 152 different lineups in 163 games (and that's not even factoring in the pitcher's spot). That's a bump up from 2017 (143 different lineups) and 2016 (130 lineups in the regular season of the championship year). 
How does that relate to the top contenders around the league?
The last four World Series teams (2017 Astros, 2018 Red Sox and the 2017-18 Dodgers) averaged 145 different lineups per regular season. All 2018 MLB playoff teams (excluding Cubs) averaged 129.1 separate lineups throughout the regular season. 
The Dodgers tallied 155 different lineups in 2018 and 147 in 2017 and they made it to the World Series both seasons. The Astros posted 144 new lineups each of the last two regular seasons while the Red Sox were at 134 lineups and the Brewers and Yankees sat at 137 lineups in 2018.
Point being: Everybody is mixing and matching nowadays. We're in a world of extreme platooning, bullpening and shifting. That means a lot of different lineups.
And it's not just a few teams doing it. The top contenders are all changing things up in terms of their lineup on a daily basis. Why would the Cubs be any different?
That being said, the Cubs were still high in 2018, even compared to the rest of that field (only the Dodgers were higher in terms of lineup tinkering). But how much of that would've changed had Kris Bryant started more than 99 games?
Maddon's most consistent lineup in 2018 (utilized 5 times) featured Bryant:
1. Albert Almora Jr. 2. Javy Baez 3. Kris Bryant 4. Anthony Rizzo 5. Willson Contreras 6. Kyle Schwarber 7. Addison Russell 8. Jason Heyward 9. Pitcher
But that lineup was never used after May 30, when Bryant's shoulder injury became an issue.
There are plenty of other factors that contributed to the lineup tinkering throughout the 2018 season, including Baez's ascension, playing time for Ben Zobrist and Ian Happ, the emergence of Heyward in the order, the addition of Daniel Murphy to the lineup late in the year and then the downturn of a slew of guys in the second half (Almora, Contreras, Russell, Happ). 
It was easier for Maddon to write out a lineup in 2017 when the heart of the order was the same (Bryant-Rizzo-Contreras) for much of the season and even simpler yet in 2016 with a stable leadoff hitter (Dexter Fowler). 
The 2018 Cubs roster was built like this by design — to have players like Zobrist and Happ rotate in and out based off necessity, playing different positions and capable of hitting anywhere in the lineup. 
The main reason they even won 95 games and still held a share of first place after 162 regular season games was due to that incredible depth built to withstand injuries and only one off-day in the final 5-6 weeks of the season. So knocking the Cubs' lack of lineup stability is also knocking the exact depth that gave them one of the best records in the game.
"The fact that we have more than eight everyday-caliber players to throw out there and we have depth, first of all, it's a huge part of what's helped us win 95 games this year, what's helped us average 97 games the last four years — more than anyone in baseball," Epstein said. "Because when you lose Addison Russell, Javy Baez slides over [to shortstop] and Zobrist slides to second base. And when you lose Kris Bryant and David Bote's there to fill in and player after player.
"The alternative to that is overexposing a reserve or forcing a Triple-A or Four-A type player into that role and that hurts the team and that hurts your ultimate goal. That said, there is a price to pay sometimes with players not knowing they're in the lineup every day and not having that confidence where they can just go out and play and develop at their own pace, that they're sometimes wondering if they have to get that hit today to be in the lineup tomorrow. That's something that you wrestle with, so it's a cost-benefit analysis. 
"Honestly, I think the right thing for the organization overall is to have too many good players instead of not enough or instead of eight guys for eight spots and then the second you suffer one or two injuries, your whole season's down the tubes. But I think it's fair to ask ourselves — can we handle it better? Do we need to communicate more? Do we need to spread the playing time around a little bit differently? Do we need to consider lineup issues differently? Is there a way we can get everyone on the same page with it more? So players don't have any questions or doubts so we get the benefit of certainty while still having a surplus. ... Looking at our team, it's the depth of really quality players we have that's kept us afloat at many times."
For years, Maddon's policy has been to let players know the day before what the lineup will be for the next game so they can prepare physically and mentally. He's always been focused on trying to develop the young position players while also trying to win on a consistent basis.
That doesn't mean Maddon or the Cubs can't learn from how 2018 played out and handle it better in the future, as Epstein admitted. 
But it still comes down to the roster. Who on this team should play every single day and hit in a consistent spot in the batting order? Bryant, Rizzo and Baez are the only three that come to mind at the moment.
Zobrist will be 38 in 2019, Contreras needs time to rest as a catcher, Schwarber struggles against left-handed pitchers and Almora simply hasn't hit well enough in his career to warrant everyday playing time despite his stellar defense in center field. 
The case for a stable lineup makes plenty of sense, especially with young players. But with the current roster construction and no discernible leadoff hitter, it's much harder to execute.
Before the Cubs can climb into the Cleveland Indians territory (they utilized only 105 different lineups in 2018 and just 101 in their World Series season of 2016), Epstein and Co. need to alter the roster, though that's exactly what may be happening this winter...
Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/podcast-scariest-cubs-moments-haunting-championship-window-bryant-heyward-schwarber-harper
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biofunmy · 5 years ago
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The Rebooted Carmelo Anthony: Same as He Ever Was
NEW ORLEANS — Carmelo Anthony came to shoot on Tuesday night for the Portland Trail Blazers. And then he shot some more, often from midrange. There was some Good Melo, like when he bullied a defender and hit one of his patented pull-up jumpers from just outside the foul line. There was lots of Not So Good Melo: bricked, inefficient shots combined with turnovers and fouls. But whatever it was, this was the quintessential Anthony experience. As the catchphrase associated with him might put it: Anthony stayed Melo.
“I’m here now. That’s what’s important,” Anthony told reporters after the game. “Portland pulled the trigger and no matter what happens, I will always appreciate that.”
While the Trail Blazers waited until just before the game to announce that he would be starting, Anthony said that the team’s brass offered the starting job up front when they called at the end of last week. Right when Anthony’s long career appeared to be over, Portland offered a lifeline: a one-year, veteran minimum contract that only becomes guaranteed if he stays on the roster past Jan. 7.
“That was a miscommunication about my past couple seasons about what my role would be and what they were expecting from me,” Anthony said, seemingly referring to his two most recent teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, the latter of which cut him after 10 games. “That was a big point, me talking to those guys. Let’s be transparent. It’s not nothing that I won’t be able to do, but just let me know up front.”
It was clear after Anthony’s first performance that he is a work in progress. He shot 4 of 14 for 10 points, along with five fouls, five turnovers and several lapses on defense. Asked whether Anthony would remain in the starting lineup, Coach Terry Stotts said before the game, “I don’t see why not,” and added that it had not been necessary to have an extended discussion with Anthony about what his role was.
It’s easy to chalk up Anthony’s first performance to rust, but he didn’t actually look rusty. He was able to get to his spots — often posting up or in the midrange. He just couldn’t convert very often. His stat line from Tuesday wasn’t too dissimilar from what he was doing for Houston a year ago, and Anthony acknowledged he had some adjusting to do.
“Within a year, the game has changed. The physicality of the game has changed,” Anthony said.
What is clear is that Anthony is not going to fade into the background the way veterans like Vince Carter, Ray Allen and Andre Iguodala have done in their later years.
In Carter’s prime in particular, he was faced with many of the same criticisms as Anthony. But by picking his spots and accepting a bench role with zero complaint, Carter has extended his career well into his 40s.
But that’s not Anthony.
He’s not one to be tentative on the floor. Good or bad, Anthony’s presence is to be felt. On Tuesday, his 14 shots were the second most on the team, despite his playing only 24 minutes with minimal familiarity with his teammates and the offense. He had zero assists in Portland’s 115-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. (Part of his high usage was because Damian Lillard was out with back spasms.)
This means that Portland, in a season already teetering on the brink with a 5-10 record, needs to be careful about this gamble. Anthony has nothing to lose. He’s 35 years old without the same athleticism he had a decade ago — and plays a style of basketball more suited for that decade. How much string does Stotts give Anthony if he doesn’t adjust quickly? And what if, despite Anthony’s protestations to the contrary, the ability to adjust is just not there? But as of right now, Stotts is all in.
“I would anticipate that he’s going to play the way he’s played his entire career,” Stotts said after the game. Given what we’ve seen in recent years from Anthony and how basketball has changed, is this a good thing?
In some ways, Anthony, a no-doubt-about-it Hall of Famer, is a perfect fit for this year’s version of the Trail Blazers. He made his living in his prime as a prolific scorer who thrived in isolations — meaning players opting to go one-on-one against man defenses — at a time when this type of game was in vogue.
Portland is second in the N.B.A. this year in isolations, according to the N.B.A.’s tracking numbers, behind only the Houston Rockets. This kind of attack puts less emphasis on ball movement, cuts to the basket and set plays. It has resulted in a league-average offense for the Blazers. Maybe Anthony is the antidote to this, but last year, Portland wasn’t even in the top-10 in isolations and had one of the best offensive teams in the N.B.A.
It’s clear that Portland needs something. Coming off a Western Conference finals run last year, the Blazers are mired in a rut. They will hopefully get back Jusuf Nurkic at some point this season, a bruising center who, in the midst of a career year, fractured his leg last March. But the franchise still looks significantly different from last season: The team traded away role players like Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless. Seth Curry and Al-Farouq Aminu left as free agents. None of the players that left Portland are lighting up the stats sheets on their new teams — but culturally, they fit in with what Stotts was trying to do.
In their place is Hassan Whiteside, an excellent rebounder and shot blocker with limited offensive capability. He has been the frequent target of critics who have said for years that his effort is lacking and that his statistics are empty. Other players, like Anthony Tolliver and Mario Hezonja, are also new additions trying to help take the load off Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
So maybe Anthony is the answer. The Blazers certainly need another playmaker, and Anthony is willing to make plays. Sometimes that’s enough to juice an offense. But it is worth considering whether any inefficient shot that Anthony takes is one that might be better taken by someone else — perhaps a better shooter like Tolliver, who did not see the court against the Pelicans.
On Tuesday afternoon, Anthony offered some insight as to why he chose the jersey number “00” instead of his typical No. 7. He posted an image to Instagram — one side of it was his face with a hoodie on (Anthony’s sweatshirt wearing has become ubiquitous enough that it’s part of his image). Opposite that was a list of lines apparently relating to his new number. They included: “A number greater than any assignable quantity or countable number,” “Without end” and “Process that never stops.” There were other, more abstract lines like, “The mysticism of our past and the possibility for an eternal future give the infinity symbol a sense of awe and wonder,” followed by “Infinite Nature of (God)7.”
But one line stood out more clearly than any other: “The chance to have a new and great beginning with the past left behind where it belongs.”
Anthony, and several of his friends from around the league, are thrilled he’s back. As they should be: Talents like Anthony are rare, and it’s a treat to see them when we can. It’s just a question of whether this will lead to wins for Portland.
After the game, Anthony discussed his “low point” since the Rockets exiled him to a Basketball No Man’s Land in November 2018. Teams weren’t calling. His Hall of Fame legacy was at stake.
“There was a time where I actually thought that I was about to let go a love of my life,” Anthony said. He talked about being at peace with whatever became of his career, but that he had to first “get over that hump mentally and emotionally.”
But he got past that point. The exact moment?
“The call, 72 hours ago,” Anthony said with a smile.
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bulbsanta06-blog · 6 years ago
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Does a consistent, stable lineup even make sense for the Cubs in 2019?
It could be a winter of change for the Cubs, and not just on the roster.
This team may also change how it deploys the players on the roster — namely with a more set, consistent lineup in 2019.
It's something Theo Epstein addressed in his 2018 "eugoogly" presser, indicating some of the players expressed a desire for less shakeup in the daily lineup during the course of their exit interviews. Upon hearing that, a large portion of the Cubs fanbase jumped up, stood on their chairs and shouted "HEARD THAT!"
But does a set lineup even make sense in today's version of baseball?
In 2018, Joe Maddon wrote out 152 different lineups in 163 games (and that's not even factoring in the pitcher's spot). That's a bump up from 2017 (143 different lineups) and 2016 (130 lineups in the regular season of the championship year). 
How does that relate to the top contenders around the league?
The last four World Series teams (2017 Astros, 2018 Red Sox and the 2017-18 Dodgers) averaged 145 different lineups per regular season. All 2018 MLB playoff teams (excluding Cubs) averaged 129.1 separate lineups throughout the regular season. 
The Dodgers tallied 155 different lineups in 2018 and 147 in 2017 and they made it to the World Series both seasons. The Astros posted 144 new lineups each of the last two regular seasons while the Red Sox were at 134 lineups and the Brewers and Yankees sat at 137 lineups in 2018.
Point being: Everybody is mixing and matching nowadays. We're in a world of extreme platooning, bullpening and shifting. That means a lot of different lineups.
And it's not just a few teams doing it. The top contenders are all changing things up in terms of their lineup on a daily basis. Why would the Cubs be any different?
That being said, the Cubs were still high in 2018, even compared to the rest of that field (only the Dodgers were higher in terms of lineup tinkering). But how much of that would've changed had Kris Bryant started more than 99 games?
Maddon's most consistent lineup in 2018 (utilized 5 times) featured Bryant:
1. Albert Almora Jr. 2. Javy Baez 3. Kris Bryant 4. Anthony Rizzo 5. Willson Contreras 6. Kyle Schwarber 7. Addison Russell 8. Jason Heyward 9. Pitcher
But that lineup was never used after May 30, when Bryant's shoulder injury became an issue.
There are plenty of other factors that contributed to the lineup tinkering throughout the 2018 season, including Baez's ascension, playing time for Ben Zobrist and Ian Happ, the emergence of Heyward in the order, the addition of Daniel Murphy to the lineup late in the year and then the downturn of a slew of guys in the second half (Almora, Contreras, Russell, Happ). 
It was easier for Maddon to write out a lineup in 2017 when the heart of the order was the same (Bryant-Rizzo-Contreras) for much of the season and even simpler yet in 2016 with a stable leadoff hitter (Dexter Fowler). 
The 2018 Cubs roster was built like this by design — to have players like Zobrist and Happ rotate in and out based off necessity, playing different positions and capable of hitting anywhere in the lineup. 
The main reason they even won 95 games and still held a share of first place after 162 regular season games was due to that incredible depth built to withstand injuries and only one off-day in the final 5-6 weeks of the season. So knocking the Cubs' lack of lineup stability is also knocking the exact depth that gave them one of the best records in the game.
"The fact that we have more than eight everyday-caliber players to throw out there and we have depth, first of all, it's a huge part of what's helped us win 95 games this year, what's helped us average 97 games the last four years — more than anyone in baseball," Epstein said. "Because when you lose Addison Russell, Javy Baez slides over [to shortstop] and Zobrist slides to second base. And when you lose Kris Bryant and David Bote's there to fill in and player after player.
"The alternative to that is overexposing a reserve or forcing a Triple-A or Four-A type player into that role and that hurts the team and that hurts your ultimate goal. That said, there is a price to pay sometimes with players not knowing they're in the lineup every day and not having that confidence where they can just go out and play and develop at their own pace, that they're sometimes wondering if they have to get that hit today to be in the lineup tomorrow. That's something that you wrestle with, so it's a cost-benefit analysis. 
"Honestly, I think the right thing for the organization overall is to have too many good players instead of not enough or instead of eight guys for eight spots and then the second you suffer one or two injuries, your whole season's down the tubes. But I think it's fair to ask ourselves — can we handle it better? Do we need to communicate more? Do we need to spread the playing time around a little bit differently? Do we need to consider lineup issues differently? Is there a way we can get everyone on the same page with it more? So players don't have any questions or doubts so we get the benefit of certainty while still having a surplus. ... Looking at our team, it's the depth of really quality players we have that's kept us afloat at many times."
For years, Maddon's policy has been to let players know the day before what the lineup will be for the next game so they can prepare physically and mentally. He's always been focused on trying to develop the young position players while also trying to win on a consistent basis.
That doesn't mean Maddon or the Cubs can't learn from how 2018 played out and handle it better in the future, as Epstein admitted. 
But it still comes down to the roster. Who on this team should play every single day and hit in a consistent spot in the batting order? Bryant, Rizzo and Baez are the only three that come to mind at the moment.
Zobrist will be 38 in 2019, Contreras needs time to rest as a catcher, Schwarber struggles against left-handed pitchers and Almora simply hasn't hit well enough in his career to warrant everyday playing time despite his stellar defense in center field. 
The case for a stable lineup makes plenty of sense, especially with young players. But with the current roster construction and no discernible leadoff hitter, it's much harder to execute.
Before the Cubs can climb into the Cleveland Indians territory (they utilized only 105 different lineups in 2018 and just 101 in their World Series season of 2016), Epstein and Co. need to alter the roster, though that's exactly what may be happening this winter...
Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/does-consistent-stable-lineup-even-make-sense-cubs-2019-maddon-bryant-epstein-dodgers-world-series
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flauntpage · 7 years ago
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The Outlet Pass: Lonzo's Curse, Kerr's Adjustment, Westbrook's Defense
1. Philly’s Turnover Problem is...Getting Worse?
The Philadelphia 76ers have dropped eight of their last 10 games and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. The easiest explanation for their slide—beyond Joel Embiid’s bad back—is turnovers.
Philly has committed a turnover on 19.3 percent of their possessions since an inexcusable home loss (on two day’s rest) against the Los Angeles Lakers back on December 7th. The gap between them and the second sloppiest team in the league over that stretch matches the gap between the 29th and 13th-ranked teams! Philly obviously ranks in last for turnover rate over the entire season, averaging almost two turnovers per game more than the 29th-ranked Lakers.
Of Philly’s seven leaders in usage percentage, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric are the only two who rank above the 50th percentile at their respective position in turnover percentage, per Cleaning the Glass. Guards who’re supposed to protect the ball (like T.J. McConnell and Jerryd Bayless) are unnaturally loose with it.
This team is young, with key players who've only shared the court for a few months. Their struggle is understandable. It's also not new. The Sixers have enjoyed the NBA’s wobbliest offense for four of the last five years, and have preached ball movement and pace since Brett Brown became their head coach. For the second season in a row they rank first in passes per game and are currently second in both potential and secondary assists, per NBA.com.
They force passes into the post, turn down what the defense is offering, and play with a predictable exuberance. They sometimes respond to transition opportunities like a puppy that just heard you coo its name while holding a leash.
Some of their mistakes are thanks to an excessive unselfishness. They drive and kick and drive and kick and belabor sequences in search of a perfect opportunity instead of striking while the iron is hot. If the defense botches a switch and surrenders a long two, take the open shot!
Sometimes they go too early and lack patience. Sometimes Ben Simmons’s man (who usually boasts an expansive wingspan) leaves him idle on the perimeter and clogs up lanes that would otherwise exist if he were willing to shoot.
On the play above, Saric has Joel Embiid wide open as a trailing big but sees Jonas Valanciunas drifting towards the perimeter and likes the thought of attacking Kyle Lowry on a mismatch more than passing the ball. But instead of simplifying the play and feeding Embiid for a three, Saric puts it on the floor and drives straight into a mosh pit.
Philadelphia’s long-term upside obviously remains sky high. Their shot frequency is intelligent, but their intentions don't yet align with their execution. This was a known issue Philly's coaching staff and front office wanted to correct heading into the season. They don't need to treat the ball like it's a Faberge egg, but cutting out just half of their unforced errors could, alone, elevate their offense to a league-average level.
2. The San Antonio Spurs Remain Clairvoyant
Apart from a couple extended injuries to critical players and some iffy shooting from the outside (both long twos and above-the-break), the Spurs are basically still the Spurs. They’re mixing and matching, turning the regular season into Gregg Popovich’s public laboratory, where new faces are getting extended time with veteran vanguards, rest is a priority, and low-usage pieces are given an opportunity to bloom at a moment's notice.
One of San Antonio’s better lineups, a unit Popovich will likely trot out in the last few minutes of a tight playoff game (Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, and LaMarcus Aldridge) has yet to play a minute this season. Leonard has played 12 possessions at power forward but San Antonio has generally embraced smaller groups this year, with Aldridge spending a majority of his time at center.
No team can stabilize an adjustment period like San Antonio. And through all their change lies an unparalleled unspoken chemistry every other roster—except the Golden State Warriors—wishes it had. This play from a recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers is a good example that contains actual telepathy.
Patty Mills sets a cross screen to free Pau Gasol up on the left block, then flex cuts off Rudy Gay’s pindown for a potential three. When the Clippers switch to take away Mills, Gay throws his arm up and dives down the lane to drag a help defender (in this case Milos Teodosic) off Manu Ginobili in the weakside corner.
Nothing about it is remarkable until you notice when the ball leaves Parker’s fingers. He flings it across the court before Gay starts to roll, as Teodosic is still leaning towards Ginobili. It’s a pass that can’t be made without intuitive basketball bravery. And it's freaking awesome.
If the Spurs are on television, watch them. I guarantee you'll have a good time.
3. CJ McCollum’s “Sneaky Athleticism”
The adjective “sneaky-athletic” is 99.9 percent reserved for non-black players who are actually incredibly athletic. This year alone I’ve heard announcers use the phrase to describe Sam Dekker and Pat Connaughton, a pair of phenomenal athletes. Gordon Hayward still heard the label as recently as last season even though he’s always been a freak.
But guess what? Black players can be sneaky athletes too! And, as first-class Portland Trail Blazers color commentator Lamar Hurd has pointed out multiple times throughout this season, C.J. McCollum is a good example. Known for below-the-rim craftiness, an eagle-eye shot, and handle that’s clever enough to teleport him wherever he wants to go, the 26-year-old still gets up when he wants to.
That said, McCollum isn’t Steve Francis. Only five percent of his 572 shots have been dunks this season, which is a career low. His most recent one blessed this Earth when he went between his legs to cross up Josh Hart and drop a two-handed yam on Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma. A solid “I don’t always drink beer” NBA moment. But that's why it's called "sneaky" athleticism!
4. Spencer Dinwiddie Might Be Pretty Good
Spencer Dinwiddie’s job in Brooklyn was muted heading into this season. A point guard on a non-guaranteed contract—embedded within a backcourt-stacked roster that just sacrificed cap space and a first-round pick for a fresh franchise player at the same position—it wasn’t realistic to assume Dinwiddie would have the ball in his hands as often as he should, could, or desired.
Even with enough size and length (he’s 6’6” with a 6’8” wingspan) to guard a couple positions, and an improving shot that justified minutes in a reserve role, the Nets had two lead ball handlers—D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin—who would serve as their primary scorers and facilitators, leaving Dinwiddie out in the cold. But with both out for most of the season, the 24-year-old has grabbed hold of a system any floor general would love to run.
So far, so good.
Heading into this week, Brooklyn’s point differential was 14.1 points per 100 possessions better with Dinwiddie on the floor (they performed like a 52-win team with him at point guard, per Cleaning the Glass) and he ranks 15th in Real Plus-Minus, ahead of Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
Injuries create opportunity—a chance for those in waiting to step up and shine in larger roles with greater responsibilities, theoretically beside (and against) superior talent. Dinwiddie is doing that with confidence—every so often he’ll launch a side-step three from a few feet behind the line, a la Kyrie Irving—and artistry.
He keeps his head up in the open floor and does a nice job feeding shooters as soon as they spring open. He's a no-frills playmaker who takes care of the ball and rarely attempts to do more than what's necessary to complete a play.
It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts when Russell returns and he shifts off the ball. Dinwiddie entered the league without an outside shot and now has one that defenses need to respect. He's also proven capable of stewarding a solid pick-and-roll attack without any of the nonsensical mistakes habitually made by Russell. His size allows him to defend both backcourt positions (his length really bothered John Wall when Brooklyn punked the Wizards last week) and he deserves as much playing time as anyone on the team.
5. Oladipo is Still Learning His Own Power
This is kinda funny. The Pacers fall into a switch they like then take their time to try and attack it. As Darren Collison backpedals to size up John Collins, Cory Joseph motions for Victor Oladipo to drop towards the baseline and drag Malcolm Delaney away from his help position. We refer to Delaney's reaction as a response to Oladipo's gravity, but this isn't gravity. It’s a magnetic vice grip.
Marco Belinelli wisely helps off Joseph and helps deter a drive to the cup, but go back and watch how closely Delaney shadows Oladipo. He's step for step! In the moment beforehand Indiana's new franchise player is almost like a teenage superhero who just levitated in his bedroom for the first time.
The adjustment to life as a legitimate offensive superstar is not an overnight process; Oladipo is still learning how he can sometimes have an even greater impact off the ball than with it in his hands. The biggest surprise in the NBA is still absorbing new information about himself, and it's a wonderful thing to see.
6. Russell Westbrook’s Conflicting Defense
I’ve watched nearly half of Oklahoma City’s games this year and still don’t know if Russell Westbrook is having a good season on the defensive end. That’s partly because the reigning MVP is an impulsive gambler who’s addicted to the thrill that attaches itself to that exact moment a steal feels attainable. He's constantly chasing that high.
On some nights this creates turnovers that galvanize the Thunder and momentarily make everyone in the organization feel invincible. On others, these attempted steals have a crippling effect that limit how good the team can be.
Oklahoma City’s defense is very good with Westbrook on the floor and slightly worse when he sits. (Worth noting: the Thunder can’t get stops when Westbrook doesn’t have Andre Roberson by his side.) Continuing on a five-year trend, the percentage of OKC’s steals that lead to transition plays shoots through the roof when he’s in the game—currently at a career-best 17.2 percent.
It’s a style of play that makes Westbrook the overwhelming force he is. The man plays with an uncontrollable rage and force that, quite honestly, can’t be honed for 48 minutes in a disciplined environment or system. He runs and jumps and smashes, and so much of that is born from reckless defensive play.
OKC is 12-3 in December, currently riding a six-game winning streak that includes victories over the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets. More often than not during this stretch, Westbrook has been a game-changing hell spawn on both ends. Only Paul George, Thaddeus Young, and Robert Covington average more deflections per game, and nobody recovers more loose balls.
Among all players who’ve defended at least 80 pick-and-rolls this year, Westbrook has contributed to a higher percentage of possessions that result in turnovers than anyone else, according to Synergy Sports. But sometimes his obsession with the basketball gets the best of him. Nobody—no-buh-dee—loves that thing more than him.
That’s always complicated his approach. Westbrook will cut corners or even fall into a trance, when the ball is so close that he can basically smell its full-grain leather skin (gross). Look at this play from Wednesday night’s win against Toronto.
With his eyes locked onto a DeMar DeRozan-Jakob Poeltl pick-and-roll, Westbrook loses track of Kyle Lowry, then isn’t sure if he should switch onto Serge Ibaka. He was literally hypnotized. But the Thunder will take it, so long as he continues to wreak havoc as often as he does, creating momentum-turning events with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old on Christmas morning.
More importantly, Westbrook’s irresponsible intensity assuages the stress from Oklahoma City’s inconsistent half-court offense. He bestows easy baskets for himself and others; it works in this specific environment—more so than a solid, bend-don’t-break approach probably would.
7. Wayne Ellington is The Hand Off King
Avery Bradley is the only player who’s ended more total possessions off a hand off than Wayne Ellington this season. According to Synergy Sports, last year the increasingly lethal play type accounted for 16.7 percent of his offensive possessions. Right now that number is at 27.9 percent and he ranks in the 89th percentile.
In the half-court, racing around screens, looping through the paint and around the baseline, from one end of the floor to the other, he’s a nuclear-powered wind-up doll. It’s particularly diabolical (and an aesthetic joy) whenever Miami deploys action that allows Ellington to sprint off a screen and directly into a dribble hand off.
Miami is its best self when Ellington is on the floor and its worst self when he sits, per NBA.com. He’s shooting 44 percent from deep when a defender is within four feet (“tight” and “very tight” coverage), and playing with Kelly Olynyk (a big who possesses passing/perimeter skills) instead of Hassan Whiteside and Willie Reed—as he did last season—has regularly afforded him the extra beat he needs to get a shot off. An incredible 86 percent of all his shots are threes.
Ellington just turned 30 but he’s hitting free agency this summer, at the exact right time. Assuming Miami can’t afford that next deal, whichever team pays him should do their best to utilize Ellington’s strengths and continue to keep the fat out of his game.
8. Maxi Kleber is the NBA’s Most Underrated Rookie
Maxi Kleber’s skill-set is noiseless, but every now and then he makes a compelling play that shifts the game's momentum in Dallas' favor; it’s hard not to appreciate all the smart ways he helps out.
The 25-year-old German rookie takes charges, blocks shots, knocks down open threes, and sprints the floor. He can rise for a lob, impede a downhill-charging guard’s progress in the paint without fouling, and never needs the ball to positively impact his team.
So much of Kleber’s role is thankless—sometimes he’ll venture off his man to block a shot he has no chance at, leaving his man free to gobble up the rebound—but he's a reliable starter on what might be the best bad team this league's seen in years.
9. Lonzo’s Subtle Genius Can Be His Own Worst Enemy
This fair and nuanced assessment of “What Lonzo Ball Can Be” vs. “What Lonzo Ball Can Do” by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz should remind everyone who reads it how difficult it is to gauge Ball’s unique all-around impact while shooting percentages and scoring prowess are, sadly, the end-all, be-all way to explore a prospect’s potential.
Ball moves like a bold splash of spontaneity. He plays hard and everything he does is with purpose (watch his defensive intensity running back on defense whenever he misses a shot). It’s still hard to know if his game is retrograde or cutting edge, but two sequences from L.A.’s close loss against the Trail Blazers summoned a pair of examples that detail Ball’s brilliance and how it can sometimes hold him back. (This is random, but I don’t think there’s another point guard alive who I’d rather play pickup basketball with.)
At first glance this initial play looks like a regular lob to Julius Randle, but let’s quickly unpack why it’s so effective, and how it easily could've gone wrong.
Ball notices that Evan Turner has anticipated the pass and rotated off Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the weakside corner to break it up. He’s already in the paint when Randle crosses the free-throw line. So instead of throwing it up towards the hoop and simply hoping his teammate can beat Turner to it, Ball’s pass never climbs higher than the rim. It’s tossed low and short, in an area where only Randle can catch it without limiting his ability to make something happen after doing so.
It’s an understated split-second adjustment to not only avoid a turnover, but create something positive while knowing the defense is aware of what he wants to do. It's almost like Ball has a basketball-specific, light-speed-quick Google Maps installed in his brain. He sees an initial path, then course corrects several times midway through in a way that can't be taught.
Four Trail Blazers are in the paint when Lonzo lets go of the ball. It’s the type of pass a player might wish he made watching it over again the next day in a film session. The game is already starting to move in slow motion for Ball, a pass-first savant whose assist-to-usage ratio ranks in the 78th percentile among point guards, per Cleaning the Glass.
The next play is another pass to Randle. Unlike the first it’s not structured in half-court offense and instead arrives in the comfortable confines of chaos, where Ball is at his best.
It’s a tie game with about 80 seconds left. After a scramble in transition—created by one of Ball’s patented throwaheads—Josh Hart finds his fellow rookie wide open on the wing. Instead of launching the open three, Ball can’t help himself and hits Randle, who’s even more open in the dunker’s spot. Randle is hacked and only makes one of the subsequent free throws.
This sequence would’ve probably ended in an assisted dunk had Randle expected the ball, but he takes too long to gather himself and gifts Zach Collins and Shabazz Napier enough time to recover back and commit the foul. On the other hand, Ball had a wide open shot.
In L.A.’s last five games, he’s 15-for-34 from behind the three-point line (44.1 percent). The free-throw line remains a concern—as does his ability to finish around the rim—but that normalize a bit as the season goes on and he continues to grow. He isn’t normally passive in these situations and shouldn’t be deemed benevolent to the point of self-harm. Ball isn’t afraid to pull the trigger, either.
The pass was smart and should’ve/could’ve led to an exclamatory finish. But a wide open three with Portland’s best rebounder racing out to contest the shot might've been slightly more appropriate.
Ball is already excellent at planting his teammates in positions to succeed, but for him and his team to be the absolute best they can be, he'll eventually need to seek out his own openings even more than he already is.
10. Steve Kerr’s Christmas Day Adjustment Was Masterful
This rivalry will never get old to me. Even though it was the 73rd time they’ve played each other since 2015, NBA basketball soars to a higher level of strategic peculiarities whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors compete. This time around, the core characters were fundamentally the same, but slight changes around the margin affected how these two great teams did battle.
The Warriors started rookie Jordan Bell over incumbent center Zaza Pachulia on Christmas Day because he provides a bit more defensive mobility against a Cleveland team that plays Kevin Love (instead of Tristan Thompson) at the five.
This made sense, but immediately played into Tyronn Lue’s strategy on the other end. With no Steph Curry, Cleveland ramped up its already-aggressive pick-and-roll defense with a single-minded focus to squeeze the ball from Kevin Durant’s hands every chance they could. From the start, this is what it looked like: Bell sets a high screen for KD and Love stays high to double him. Bell then rolls into space and misses an ugly bankshot.
In the second half, Steve Kerr made a fantastic adjustment. Knowing Cleveland would trap, he had Durant and Bell start on the right side of the floor. (Draymond Green opens the clip seen below by instructing Bell to direct Durant towards the sideline with his screen, so that Love can’t quickly recover to the middle of the floor.)
The Cavs fall for it. Love once again doubles the ball, but this time Draymond is at the top of the key instead of in the paint, as he was before. When Durant hits Bell, the rookie immediately flings it to Green then takes off for the hoop, momentarily freezing LeBron James in the paint and forcing him to either stop the ball or stick with the roller. It’s a beautifully choreographed action that ends with Golden State’s most satisfying two points of the day.
11. Tyus Jones is Minnesota’s Ideal (Temporary) Caretaker
Jeff Teague left Minnesota’s overtime win against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night after a body fell into his knee at a gruesome angle. An MRI was scheduled for Thursday morning and as I write this it feels more likely than not that the Timberwolves will be without their starting point guard for the foreseeable future.
In that case, in Teague’s place will be Tyus Jones, a third-year guard who’s quietly one of the best defenders at his position, takes care of the ball, and is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc. The surface-level ripple effect of Teague’s injury is that Minnesota will need to replace a dangerous pick-and-roll presence who can get into the paint at will. But having a low-usage hawk in his place will only provide Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns with even more touches and opportunities.
So far, that’s been a good thing. In 180 possessions this year, Minnesota’s starting five with Jones instead of Teague has outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. A huge reason why is they don’t turn the ball over. Fewer options can sometimes be a good thing. It simplifies how they want attack and less risk is involved.
But Jones really makes his mark ripping the ball from the other team. As someone who’s sat near the top of the NBA’s leaderboard in steal rate his entire career, the 21-year-old’s thievery is instant and swift, and more often than not he accumulates them without having to gamble or lunge out of position.
He’s recorded at least three steals in six games this year—including a seven-steal performance against the Phoenix Suns. Three of which came in under 15 minutes of playing time.
Minnesota’s transition offense off steals has been elite the past two seasons whenever he’s on the floor, and when Jones digs down into the post, he sprints out to the perimeter after a pass is made. Few guards are willing to close out on shooters as quickly as Jones. If he’s suddenly playing 34 minutes per game, there’s a good chance that winning habit will wane, but he’s a smart player who (hot take coming through!) might complement his star teammates even better than Teague.
The suffering will be felt further down the depth chart. Aaron Brooks turns 33 in a couple weeks and hasn’t had a meaningful/positive NBA role in three years. Teague’s injury could open the door for Butler or Wiggins to assume more playmaking responsibility. (It remains to be seen whether that’s a good thing given how many minutes they’re already playing, though.)
If Teague’s knee is torn, the Timberwolves should still be able to make the playoffs because Jones is an ideal shepherd. But their health-related margin for error is officially at zero.
The Outlet Pass: Lonzo's Curse, Kerr's Adjustment, Westbrook's Defense published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago
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The Outlet Pass: Lonzo’s Curse, Kerr’s Adjustment, Westbrook’s Defense
1. Philly’s Turnover Problem is…Getting Worse?
The Philadelphia 76ers have dropped eight of their last 10 games and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. The easiest explanation for their slide—beyond Joel Embiid’s bad back—is turnovers.
Philly has committed a turnover on 19.3 percent of their possessions since an inexcusable home loss (on two day’s rest) against the Los Angeles Lakers back on December 7th. The gap between them and the second sloppiest team in the league over that stretch matches the gap between the 29th and 13th-ranked teams! Philly obviously ranks in last for turnover rate over the entire season, averaging almost two turnovers per game more than the 29th-ranked Lakers.
Of Philly’s seven leaders in usage percentage, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric are the only two who rank above the 50th percentile at their respective position in turnover percentage, per Cleaning the Glass. Guards who’re supposed to protect the ball (like T.J. McConnell and Jerryd Bayless) are unnaturally loose with it.
This team is young, with key players who’ve only shared the court for a few months. Their struggle is understandable. It’s also not new. The Sixers have enjoyed the NBA’s wobbliest offense for four of the last five years, and have preached ball movement and pace since Brett Brown became their head coach. For the second season in a row they rank first in passes per game and are currently second in both potential and secondary assists, per NBA.com.
They force passes into the post, turn down what the defense is offering, and play with a predictable exuberance. They sometimes respond to transition opportunities like a puppy that just heard you coo its name while holding a leash.
Some of their mistakes are thanks to an excessive unselfishness. They drive and kick and drive and kick and belabor sequences in search of a perfect opportunity instead of striking while the iron is hot. If the defense botches a switch and surrenders a long two, take the open shot!
Sometimes they go too early and lack patience. Sometimes Ben Simmons’s man (who usually boasts an expansive wingspan) leaves him idle on the perimeter and clogs up lanes that would otherwise exist if he were willing to shoot.
On the play above, Saric has Joel Embiid wide open as a trailing big but sees Jonas Valanciunas drifting towards the perimeter and likes the thought of attacking Kyle Lowry on a mismatch more than passing the ball. But instead of simplifying the play and feeding Embiid for a three, Saric puts it on the floor and drives straight into a mosh pit.
Philadelphia’s long-term upside obviously remains sky high. Their shot frequency is intelligent, but their intentions don’t yet align with their execution. This was a known issue Philly’s coaching staff and front office wanted to correct heading into the season. They don’t need to treat the ball like it’s a Faberge egg, but cutting out just half of their unforced errors could, alone, elevate their offense to a league-average level.
2. The San Antonio Spurs Remain Clairvoyant
Apart from a couple extended injuries to critical players and some iffy shooting from the outside (both long twos and above-the-break), the Spurs are basically still the Spurs. They’re mixing and matching, turning the regular season into Gregg Popovich’s public laboratory, where new faces are getting extended time with veteran vanguards, rest is a priority, and low-usage pieces are given an opportunity to bloom at a moment’s notice.
One of San Antonio’s better lineups, a unit Popovich will likely trot out in the last few minutes of a tight playoff game (Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, and LaMarcus Aldridge) has yet to play a minute this season. Leonard has played 12 possessions at power forward but San Antonio has generally embraced smaller groups this year, with Aldridge spending a majority of his time at center.
No team can stabilize an adjustment period like San Antonio. And through all their change lies an unparalleled unspoken chemistry every other roster—except the Golden State Warriors—wishes it had. This play from a recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers is a good example that contains actual telepathy.
Patty Mills sets a cross screen to free Pau Gasol up on the left block, then flex cuts off Rudy Gay’s pindown for a potential three. When the Clippers switch to take away Mills, Gay throws his arm up and dives down the lane to drag a help defender (in this case Milos Teodosic) off Manu Ginobili in the weakside corner.
Nothing about it is remarkable until you notice when the ball leaves Parker’s fingers. He flings it across the court before Gay starts to roll, as Teodosic is still leaning towards Ginobili. It’s a pass that can’t be made without intuitive basketball bravery. And it’s freaking awesome.
If the Spurs are on television, watch them. I guarantee you’ll have a good time.
3. CJ McCollum’s “Sneaky Athleticism”
The adjective “sneaky-athletic” is 99.9 percent reserved for non-black players who are actually incredibly athletic. This year alone I’ve heard announcers use the phrase to describe Sam Dekker and Pat Connaughton, a pair of phenomenal athletes. Gordon Hayward still heard the label as recently as last season even though he’s always been a freak.
But guess what? Black players can be sneaky athletes too! And, as first-class Portland Trail Blazers color commentator Lamar Hurd has pointed out multiple times throughout this season, C.J. McCollum is a good example. Known for below-the-rim craftiness, an eagle-eye shot, and handle that’s clever enough to teleport him wherever he wants to go, the 26-year-old still gets up when he wants to.
That said, McCollum isn’t Steve Francis. Only five percent of his 572 shots have been dunks this season, which is a career low. His most recent one blessed this Earth when he went between his legs to cross up Josh Hart and drop a two-handed yam on Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma. A solid “I don’t always drink beer” NBA moment. But that’s why it’s called “sneaky” athleticism!
4. Spencer Dinwiddie Might Be Pretty Good
Spencer Dinwiddie’s job in Brooklyn was muted heading into this season. A point guard on a non-guaranteed contract—embedded within a backcourt-stacked roster that just sacrificed cap space and a first-round pick for a fresh franchise player at the same position—it wasn’t realistic to assume Dinwiddie would have the ball in his hands as often as he should, could, or desired.
Even with enough size and length (he’s 6’6” with a 6’8” wingspan) to guard a couple positions, and an improving shot that justified minutes in a reserve role, the Nets had two lead ball handlers—D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin—who would serve as their primary scorers and facilitators, leaving Dinwiddie out in the cold. But with both out for most of the season, the 24-year-old has grabbed hold of a system any floor general would love to run.
So far, so good.
Heading into this week, Brooklyn’s point differential was 14.1 points per 100 possessions better with Dinwiddie on the floor (they performed like a 52-win team with him at point guard, per Cleaning the Glass) and he ranks 15th in Real Plus-Minus, ahead of Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
Injuries create opportunity—a chance for those in waiting to step up and shine in larger roles with greater responsibilities, theoretically beside (and against) superior talent. Dinwiddie is doing that with confidence—every so often he’ll launch a side-step three from a few feet behind the line, a la Kyrie Irving—and artistry.
He keeps his head up in the open floor and does a nice job feeding shooters as soon as they spring open. He’s a no-frills playmaker who takes care of the ball and rarely attempts to do more than what’s necessary to complete a play.
It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts when Russell returns and he shifts off the ball. Dinwiddie entered the league without an outside shot and now has one that defenses need to respect. He’s also proven capable of stewarding a solid pick-and-roll attack without any of the nonsensical mistakes habitually made by Russell. His size allows him to defend both backcourt positions (his length really bothered John Wall when Brooklyn punked the Wizards last week) and he deserves as much playing time as anyone on the team.
5. Oladipo is Still Learning His Own Power
This is kinda funny. The Pacers fall into a switch they like then take their time to try and attack it. As Darren Collison backpedals to size up John Collins, Cory Joseph motions for Victor Oladipo to drop towards the baseline and drag Malcolm Delaney away from his help position. We refer to Delaney’s reaction as a response to Oladipo’s gravity, but this isn’t gravity. It’s a magnetic vice grip.
Marco Belinelli wisely helps off Joseph and helps deter a drive to the cup, but go back and watch how closely Delaney shadows Oladipo. He’s step for step! In the moment beforehand Indiana’s new franchise player is almost like a teenage superhero who just levitated in his bedroom for the first time.
The adjustment to life as a legitimate offensive superstar is not an overnight process; Oladipo is still learning how he can sometimes have an even greater impact off the ball than with it in his hands. The biggest surprise in the NBA is still absorbing new information about himself, and it’s a wonderful thing to see.
6. Russell Westbrook’s Conflicting Defense
I’ve watched nearly half of Oklahoma City’s games this year and still don’t know if Russell Westbrook is having a good season on the defensive end. That’s partly because the reigning MVP is an impulsive gambler who’s addicted to the thrill that attaches itself to that exact moment a steal feels attainable. He’s constantly chasing that high.
On some nights this creates turnovers that galvanize the Thunder and momentarily make everyone in the organization feel invincible. On others, these attempted steals have a crippling effect that limit how good the team can be.
Oklahoma City’s defense is very good with Westbrook on the floor and slightly worse when he sits. (Worth noting: the Thunder can’t get stops when Westbrook doesn’t have Andre Roberson by his side.) Continuing on a five-year trend, the percentage of OKC’s steals that lead to transition plays shoots through the roof when he’s in the game—currently at a career-best 17.2 percent.
It’s a style of play that makes Westbrook the overwhelming force he is. The man plays with an uncontrollable rage and force that, quite honestly, can’t be honed for 48 minutes in a disciplined environment or system. He runs and jumps and smashes, and so much of that is born from reckless defensive play.
OKC is 12-3 in December, currently riding a six-game winning streak that includes victories over the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets. More often than not during this stretch, Westbrook has been a game-changing hell spawn on both ends. Only Paul George, Thaddeus Young, and Robert Covington average more deflections per game, and nobody recovers more loose balls.
Among all players who’ve defended at least 80 pick-and-rolls this year, Westbrook has contributed to a higher percentage of possessions that result in turnovers than anyone else, according to Synergy Sports. But sometimes his obsession with the basketball gets the best of him. Nobody—no-buh-dee—loves that thing more than him.
That’s always complicated his approach. Westbrook will cut corners or even fall into a trance, when the ball is so close that he can basically smell its full-grain leather skin (gross). Look at this play from Wednesday night’s win against Toronto.
With his eyes locked onto a DeMar DeRozan-Jakob Poeltl pick-and-roll, Westbrook loses track of Kyle Lowry, then isn’t sure if he should switch onto Serge Ibaka. He was literally hypnotized. But the Thunder will take it, so long as he continues to wreak havoc as often as he does, creating momentum-turning events with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old on Christmas morning.
More importantly, Westbrook’s irresponsible intensity assuages the stress from Oklahoma City’s inconsistent half-court offense. He bestows easy baskets for himself and others; it works in this specific environment—more so than a solid, bend-don’t-break approach probably would.
7. Wayne Ellington is The Hand Off King
Avery Bradley is the only player who’s ended more total possessions off a hand off than Wayne Ellington this season. According to Synergy Sports, last year the increasingly lethal play type accounted for 16.7 percent of his offensive possessions. Right now that number is at 27.9 percent and he ranks in the 89th percentile.
In the half-court, racing around screens, looping through the paint and around the baseline, from one end of the floor to the other, he’s a nuclear-powered wind-up doll. It’s particularly diabolical (and an aesthetic joy) whenever Miami deploys action that allows Ellington to sprint off a screen and directly into a dribble hand off.
Miami is its best self when Ellington is on the floor and its worst self when he sits, per NBA.com. He’s shooting 44 percent from deep when a defender is within four feet (“tight” and “very tight” coverage), and playing with Kelly Olynyk (a big who possesses passing/perimeter skills) instead of Hassan Whiteside and Willie Reed—as he did last season—has regularly afforded him the extra beat he needs to get a shot off. An incredible 86 percent of all his shots are threes.
Ellington just turned 30 but he’s hitting free agency this summer, at the exact right time. Assuming Miami can’t afford that next deal, whichever team pays him should do their best to utilize Ellington’s strengths and continue to keep the fat out of his game.
8. Maxi Kleber is the NBA’s Most Underrated Rookie
Maxi Kleber’s skill-set is noiseless, but every now and then he makes a compelling play that shifts the game’s momentum in Dallas’ favor; it’s hard not to appreciate all the smart ways he helps out.
The 25-year-old German rookie takes charges, blocks shots, knocks down open threes, and sprints the floor. He can rise for a lob, impede a downhill-charging guard’s progress in the paint without fouling, and never needs the ball to positively impact his team.
So much of Kleber’s role is thankless—sometimes he’ll venture off his man to block a shot he has no chance at, leaving his man free to gobble up the rebound—but he’s a reliable starter on what might be the best bad team this league’s seen in years.
9. Lonzo’s Subtle Genius Can Be His Own Worst Enemy
This fair and nuanced assessment of “What Lonzo Ball Can Be” vs. “What Lonzo Ball Can Do” by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz should remind everyone who reads it how difficult it is to gauge Ball’s unique all-around impact while shooting percentages and scoring prowess are, sadly, the end-all, be-all way to explore a prospect’s potential.
Ball moves like a bold splash of spontaneity. He plays hard and everything he does is with purpose (watch his defensive intensity running back on defense whenever he misses a shot). It’s still hard to know if his game is retrograde or cutting edge, but two sequences from L.A.’s close loss against the Trail Blazers summoned a pair of examples that detail Ball’s brilliance and how it can sometimes hold him back. (This is random, but I don’t think there’s another point guard alive who I’d rather play pickup basketball with.)
At first glance this initial play looks like a regular lob to Julius Randle, but let’s quickly unpack why it’s so effective, and how it easily could’ve gone wrong.
Ball notices that Evan Turner has anticipated the pass and rotated off Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the weakside corner to break it up. He’s already in the paint when Randle crosses the free-throw line. So instead of throwing it up towards the hoop and simply hoping his teammate can beat Turner to it, Ball’s pass never climbs higher than the rim. It’s tossed low and short, in an area where only Randle can catch it without limiting his ability to make something happen after doing so.
It’s an understated split-second adjustment to not only avoid a turnover, but create something positive while knowing the defense is aware of what he wants to do. It’s almost like Ball has a basketball-specific, light-speed-quick Google Maps installed in his brain. He sees an initial path, then course corrects several times midway through in a way that can’t be taught.
Four Trail Blazers are in the paint when Lonzo lets go of the ball. It’s the type of pass a player might wish he made watching it over again the next day in a film session. The game is already starting to move in slow motion for Ball, a pass-first savant whose assist-to-usage ratio ranks in the 78th percentile among point guards, per Cleaning the Glass.
The next play is another pass to Randle. Unlike the first it’s not structured in half-court offense and instead arrives in the comfortable confines of chaos, where Ball is at his best.
It’s a tie game with about 80 seconds left. After a scramble in transition—created by one of Ball’s patented throwaheads—Josh Hart finds his fellow rookie wide open on the wing. Instead of launching the open three, Ball can’t help himself and hits Randle, who’s even more open in the dunker’s spot. Randle is hacked and only makes one of the subsequent free throws.
This sequence would’ve probably ended in an assisted dunk had Randle expected the ball, but he takes too long to gather himself and gifts Zach Collins and Shabazz Napier enough time to recover back and commit the foul. On the other hand, Ball had a wide open shot.
In L.A.’s last five games, he’s 15-for-34 from behind the three-point line (44.1 percent). The free-throw line remains a concern—as does his ability to finish around the rim—but that normalize a bit as the season goes on and he continues to grow. He isn’t normally passive in these situations and shouldn’t be deemed benevolent to the point of self-harm. Ball isn’t afraid to pull the trigger, either.
The pass was smart and should’ve/could’ve led to an exclamatory finish. But a wide open three with Portland’s best rebounder racing out to contest the shot might’ve been slightly more appropriate.
Ball is already excellent at planting his teammates in positions to succeed, but for him and his team to be the absolute best they can be, he’ll eventually need to seek out his own openings even more than he already is.
10. Steve Kerr’s Christmas Day Adjustment Was Masterful
This rivalry will never get old to me. Even though it was the 73rd time they’ve played each other since 2015, NBA basketball soars to a higher level of strategic peculiarities whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors compete. This time around, the core characters were fundamentally the same, but slight changes around the margin affected how these two great teams did battle.
The Warriors started rookie Jordan Bell over incumbent center Zaza Pachulia on Christmas Day because he provides a bit more defensive mobility against a Cleveland team that plays Kevin Love (instead of Tristan Thompson) at the five.
This made sense, but immediately played into Tyronn Lue’s strategy on the other end. With no Steph Curry, Cleveland ramped up its already-aggressive pick-and-roll defense with a single-minded focus to squeeze the ball from Kevin Durant’s hands every chance they could. From the start, this is what it looked like: Bell sets a high screen for KD and Love stays high to double him. Bell then rolls into space and misses an ugly bankshot.
In the second half, Steve Kerr made a fantastic adjustment. Knowing Cleveland would trap, he had Durant and Bell start on the right side of the floor. (Draymond Green opens the clip seen below by instructing Bell to direct Durant towards the sideline with his screen, so that Love can’t quickly recover to the middle of the floor.)
The Cavs fall for it. Love once again doubles the ball, but this time Draymond is at the top of the key instead of in the paint, as he was before. When Durant hits Bell, the rookie immediately flings it to Green then takes off for the hoop, momentarily freezing LeBron James in the paint and forcing him to either stop the ball or stick with the roller. It’s a beautifully choreographed action that ends with Golden State’s most satisfying two points of the day.
11. Tyus Jones is Minnesota’s Ideal (Temporary) Caretaker
Jeff Teague left Minnesota’s overtime win against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night after a body fell into his knee at a gruesome angle. An MRI was scheduled for Thursday morning and as I write this it feels more likely than not that the Timberwolves will be without their starting point guard for the foreseeable future.
In that case, in Teague’s place will be Tyus Jones, a third-year guard who’s quietly one of the best defenders at his position, takes care of the ball, and is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc. The surface-level ripple effect of Teague’s injury is that Minnesota will need to replace a dangerous pick-and-roll presence who can get into the paint at will. But having a low-usage hawk in his place will only provide Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns with even more touches and opportunities.
So far, that’s been a good thing. In 180 possessions this year, Minnesota’s starting five with Jones instead of Teague has outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. A huge reason why is they don’t turn the ball over. Fewer options can sometimes be a good thing. It simplifies how they want attack and less risk is involved.
But Jones really makes his mark ripping the ball from the other team. As someone who’s sat near the top of the NBA’s leaderboard in steal rate his entire career, the 21-year-old’s thievery is instant and swift, and more often than not he accumulates them without having to gamble or lunge out of position.
He’s recorded at least three steals in six games this year��including a seven-steal performance against the Phoenix Suns. Three of which came in under 15 minutes of playing time.
Minnesota’s transition offense off steals has been elite the past two seasons whenever he’s on the floor, and when Jones digs down into the post, he sprints out to the perimeter after a pass is made. Few guards are willing to close out on shooters as quickly as Jones. If he’s suddenly playing 34 minutes per game, there’s a good chance that winning habit will wane, but he’s a smart player who (hot take coming through!) might complement his star teammates even better than Teague.
The suffering will be felt further down the depth chart. Aaron Brooks turns 33 in a couple weeks and hasn’t had a meaningful/positive NBA role in three years. Teague’s injury could open the door for Butler or Wiggins to assume more playmaking responsibility. (It remains to be seen whether that’s a good thing given how many minutes they’re already playing, though.)
If Teague’s knee is torn, the Timberwolves should still be able to make the playoffs because Jones is an ideal shepherd. But their health-related margin for error is officially at zero.
The Outlet Pass: Lonzo’s Curse, Kerr’s Adjustment, Westbrook’s Defense syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6
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jesusvasser · 7 years ago
Text
Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals
If you don’t already know what you’re looking for, picking out a new watch can be an overwhelming process. Just in time for the 2017 holiday season, here are 12 of our favorites, covering a wide range of brands and prices.
Todd Snyder + Timex Blackjack $138
This striking time-only watch is the latest collaboration between NYC menswear designer Todd Snyder and Timex. The two brands worked together previously on a handful of designs such as the simple Military Watch and the red and white Mod Watch, but this is probably our favorite out of the bunch. Inspired by “speed dials and roulette wheels, the Blackjack evokes the noir glamour of fast cars, hot tires, and midcentury Monaco casinos.” The stealthy PVD case is stark against the white, blue, and red dial, especially with the wickedly cool pseudo-spiral motif created by the concentric rings and blue inserts. Just like the fan-favorite Timex Weekender, a basic quartz movement keeps the Blackjack affordable, while the standard NATO-style nylon strap means this works perfectly with jeans and a T-shirt.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph $5,000 (est)
With the exception of the Rolex Daytona, it’s difficult to think of a particular watch so indelibly linked to an automotive event more than Chopard’s Mille Miglia special editions. Each year, Chopard teams up with the Mille Miglia to offer a special edition watch to participants, and it usually ends up as one of the coolest bits of memorabilia available from the storied race. For those who can’t swing the exorbitant cost of participation, Chopard will offer “civilian” variants at a later date. At this year’s Baselworld, the brand unveiled a new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph inspired by past editions. Chopard managed to successfully incorporate its trademark tire-tread strap. It’s not quite as cool as a spot on the starting grid, but there are worse ways to daydream.
Perrelet Turbine Sung Kang $6,000 (est)
The Perrelet Turbine is one of the most intriguing watches available without a five-figure price tag. Inspired by early automatic movements developed by Abraham-Louis Perrelet in the 18th century, the Turbine family features a free-spinning bladed rotor above the fixed dial. It’s not functional—a traditional semi-circle rotor around back winds the mainspring—but it brings a sense of occasion to the simple act of checking the time. This is the Sung Kang special edition, named for the actor who rose to stardom as Han Lue in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise. The watch wears a number of automotive themes, including a stylistic tachometer on the fixed dial and a staggered 12-hour scale, designed for easier viewing when your hand is on the steering wheel.
Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph $1,400 (base price)
Want a vintage-styled chronograph but can’t spring for the $6,700 Zenith (right)? Be sure to check out Tissot’s new Heritage 1948 Chronograph. This white-dialed Tissot is a throwback to a chronograph pulled from the brand’s archives, packing plenty of historical design into an attractive 40-mm steel case. Underneath the traditional three-register dial spins a trusty ETA 2894-2 modular chronograph movement, a reliable workhorse that is found in everything from Chopards to TAG Heuers. The Heritage 1948 Chronograph is unabashedly old school, from the sculptural bombé lugs to the thin leaf-style hands. The watch arrives on a leather strap, but if you want to stay true to the vintage design, spring for the optional Milanese mesh bracelet. If you’re looking for pinpoint accuracy, the same design can be had with a COSC-certified variant of the ETA, capped at 8,888 units.
  Breitling Superocean Heritage II $4,080 (base price)
Breitling has quite a history when it comes to nautical and aeronautical endeavors, and the clean Superocean Heritage II is one of the best. This is one of Breitling’s classically inspired pieces, pulling cues from the original Superocean of the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike other heritage designs that ape the original watch, the Superocean wears influences from watches of yore rather than acting as a simple reissue of an old design. Underneath the steel case (available in either 42 or 46 mm) beats a Tudor-supplied movement, a new feature for 2017. It’s a tool watch but not one we’d be embarrassed to wear with a suit and tie. The Superocean comes in blue, black, a delicious bronze tone, or two-tone black with contrasting color.
Zenith Chronomaster Heritage 146 $6,700 (est)
Far too many modern chronographs have fallen into the trap of big, brash, and bold, eschewing simple, clean design for huge indices, oversized blocky cases, and extraordinarily busy dials. We’re pleased to see Zenith offer an effortlessly handsome chronograph in the form of the Chronomaster Heritage, especially with such a simple, unadorned design. Underneath the classically proportioned case, Zenith slotted in its famous El Primero movement, a high-beat 36,000 VpH unit that has provided the bedrock for the brand since the 1960s. This is one of the most versatile watches in this group. The Chronomaster looks just as sharp under the cuff of a suit as it does perched on the thin steering wheel of a Jaguar XK120.
Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer $8,450 (est)
The enduring Speedmaster is forever linked to its time on the lunar surface, but the chronograph began life in 1957 marketed toward drivers and race technicians. Ever since it cemented itself on the wrist of Apollo astronauts in the 1960s, the Speedmaster spawned an incredible amount of variants with different colors, complications, and designs. This orange-on-black Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer was unveiled during last year’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show with a new name for 2017. This model is the new crown jewel of the Racing subfamily, packing some serious horological heat under the 44.25-mm case. This two-register chrono is home to Omega’s 9900 series movement, deemed accurate and exact enough to wear the Master Chronometer certification from the Swiss Federal Institute of Meteorology. If you’re not a fan of the colors, it’s offered in different liveries in steel and gold cases.
Bulova Moon Watch $550 (base price)
If you want to grab a watch inspired by one worn on the moon, the $5,000-odd entry cost for Omega’s Speedmaster can be a bit steep. Thankfully, Bulova also found its way to the moon in the early 1970s, and it recently released the chronograph following the original, real-deal moon-landing example’s sale earlier last year. Visually, it’s a close copy of the original with only minor variations. The biggest change is the addition of a high-beat quartz movement, a feature Bulova is known for. Some enthusiasts might decry the lack of a mechanical heart, but consider this: The reissue is accurate to just a few seconds every year, making the new watch far more accurate than any of the ones—Omegas included—that landed on Earth’s satellite.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona $27,500 (base price)
In terms of evolution, Rolex likes to operate on timetables more geologic than seasonal. So, when arguably the world’s most famous watchmaker unveiled new Daytona variants at this year’s Baselworld, it was a surprise, to put it mildly. This is a followup to the wildly popular Daytona debut last year that included a new black Cerachrom ceramic bezel but adds in a new bracelet and case metal choice. In addition to steel, the ceramic bezel can be ordered on white, yellow, or rose gold, each wearing contrasting black subdials. What’s most surprising is that buyers are able to purchase a Rolex Daytona from the Bienne factory with Rolex’s Oysterflex bracelet, which is made of rubber. Prices for the new variants begin at $27,500 and climb from there.
Autodromo Group B Evoluzione $1,100
Creating an automotive-themed watch is easy; doing it well and tastefully is not. In that sense, Autodromo is the best in the business, seamlessly weaving cues from all eras of vintage cars and racers into its varied product lineup. Of all the unique designs in its stable, the wild Group B is a lightning strike of color and individuality, especially in the case of the Evoluzione. Pulling inspiration from the short-lived rally class of the same name, the Autodromo Group B Evoluzione builds on the already vibrant Group B and adds a specialized case composed of aerospace-grade aluminum. It’s powered by the same Miyota 9015 automatic movement that powers the regular watch, so it’s as rugged and reliable as it is striking to look at. If you like it as much as we do, get your order in soon. Production is limited to just 200 units per color.
TAG Heuer Autavia 02 $5,150 (base price)
In an unprecedented move, TAG Heuer opened the virtual doors to its design studio and asked fans to vote on the final design of a reissued Autavia. The online voting was done bracket style with head-to-head eliminations. After the digital dust settled, the Autavia ref. 2446 made famous by wrist time on racer Jochen Rindt took the laurels. This is more homage than full-bore reissue, considering the Autavia 02 features a fair bit of aesthetic differences from the older 2446. Most notably, it wears larger with a 42-mm case and thick, wide bezel. This is forgiven when you notice the incredibly cool classic “Heuer” script at 12 o’clock and take a peek under the hood at the beautiful and state-of-the-art Calibre 02 chronograph movement, a powerhouse that has been in development for quite a while.
BRM V12-44-MR-01/02 Martini Edition $8,500 (est)
We get it. You’re fed up with boring, bland vintage-inspired watches. You want something big, bold, and colorful. For those who prefer an uncorked big-block Top Fuel dragster to a buzzy Formula 1 car, BRM offers a large lineup of watches with effortlessly expressive designs. It’s hard to pick just one, but we’re going with the Martini Edition chronograph, the newest edition to the BRM family. Even from a distance, you won’t mistake the V12-44-MR-01/02 for anything else, thanks to liberal use of the blue, white, and red color scheme, with either a white or blue dial as the base. Inside the large steel 44-mm case ticks a trusty ETA Valjoux 7753 movement, so service and replacement parts won’t be too difficult. The Martini Edition is limited to just 150 of each color.
 The post Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago
Text
Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals
If you don’t already know what you’re looking for, picking out a new watch can be an overwhelming process. Just in time for the 2017 holiday season, here are 12 of our favorites, covering a wide range of brands and prices.
Todd Snyder + Timex Blackjack $138
This striking time-only watch is the latest collaboration between NYC menswear designer Todd Snyder and Timex. The two brands worked together previously on a handful of designs such as the simple Military Watch and the red and white Mod Watch, but this is probably our favorite out of the bunch. Inspired by “speed dials and roulette wheels, the Blackjack evokes the noir glamour of fast cars, hot tires, and midcentury Monaco casinos.” The stealthy PVD case is stark against the white, blue, and red dial, especially with the wickedly cool pseudo-spiral motif created by the concentric rings and blue inserts. Just like the fan-favorite Timex Weekender, a basic quartz movement keeps the Blackjack affordable, while the standard NATO-style nylon strap means this works perfectly with jeans and a T-shirt.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph $5,000 (est)
With the exception of the Rolex Daytona, it’s difficult to think of a particular watch so indelibly linked to an automotive event more than Chopard’s Mille Miglia special editions. Each year, Chopard teams up with the Mille Miglia to offer a special edition watch to participants, and it usually ends up as one of the coolest bits of memorabilia available from the storied race. For those who can’t swing the exorbitant cost of participation, Chopard will offer “civilian” variants at a later date. At this year’s Baselworld, the brand unveiled a new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph inspired by past editions. Chopard managed to successfully incorporate its trademark tire-tread strap. It’s not quite as cool as a spot on the starting grid, but there are worse ways to daydream.
Perrelet Turbine Sung Kang $6,000 (est)
The Perrelet Turbine is one of the most intriguing watches available without a five-figure price tag. Inspired by early automatic movements developed by Abraham-Louis Perrelet in the 18th century, the Turbine family features a free-spinning bladed rotor above the fixed dial. It’s not functional—a traditional semi-circle rotor around back winds the mainspring—but it brings a sense of occasion to the simple act of checking the time. This is the Sung Kang special edition, named for the actor who rose to stardom as Han Lue in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise. The watch wears a number of automotive themes, including a stylistic tachometer on the fixed dial and a staggered 12-hour scale, designed for easier viewing when your hand is on the steering wheel.
Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph $1,400 (base price)
Want a vintage-styled chronograph but can’t spring for the $6,700 Zenith (right)? Be sure to check out Tissot’s new Heritage 1948 Chronograph. This white-dialed Tissot is a throwback to a chronograph pulled from the brand’s archives, packing plenty of historical design into an attractive 40-mm steel case. Underneath the traditional three-register dial spins a trusty ETA 2894-2 modular chronograph movement, a reliable workhorse that is found in everything from Chopards to TAG Heuers. The Heritage 1948 Chronograph is unabashedly old school, from the sculptural bombé lugs to the thin leaf-style hands. The watch arrives on a leather strap, but if you want to stay true to the vintage design, spring for the optional Milanese mesh bracelet. If you’re looking for pinpoint accuracy, the same design can be had with a COSC-certified variant of the ETA, capped at 8,888 units.
  Breitling Superocean Heritage II $4,080 (base price)
Breitling has quite a history when it comes to nautical and aeronautical endeavors, and the clean Superocean Heritage II is one of the best. This is one of Breitling’s classically inspired pieces, pulling cues from the original Superocean of the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike other heritage designs that ape the original watch, the Superocean wears influences from watches of yore rather than acting as a simple reissue of an old design. Underneath the steel case (available in either 42 or 46 mm) beats a Tudor-supplied movement, a new feature for 2017. It’s a tool watch but not one we’d be embarrassed to wear with a suit and tie. The Superocean comes in blue, black, a delicious bronze tone, or two-tone black with contrasting color.
Zenith Chronomaster Heritage 146 $6,700 (est)
Far too many modern chronographs have fallen into the trap of big, brash, and bold, eschewing simple, clean design for huge indices, oversized blocky cases, and extraordinarily busy dials. We’re pleased to see Zenith offer an effortlessly handsome chronograph in the form of the Chronomaster Heritage, especially with such a simple, unadorned design. Underneath the classically proportioned case, Zenith slotted in its famous El Primero movement, a high-beat 36,000 VpH unit that has provided the bedrock for the brand since the 1960s. This is one of the most versatile watches in this group. The Chronomaster looks just as sharp under the cuff of a suit as it does perched on the thin steering wheel of a Jaguar XK120.
Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer $8,450 (est)
The enduring Speedmaster is forever linked to its time on the lunar surface, but the chronograph began life in 1957 marketed toward drivers and race technicians. Ever since it cemented itself on the wrist of Apollo astronauts in the 1960s, the Speedmaster spawned an incredible amount of variants with different colors, complications, and designs. This orange-on-black Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer was unveiled during last year’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show with a new name for 2017. This model is the new crown jewel of the Racing subfamily, packing some serious horological heat under the 44.25-mm case. This two-register chrono is home to Omega’s 9900 series movement, deemed accurate and exact enough to wear the Master Chronometer certification from the Swiss Federal Institute of Meteorology. If you’re not a fan of the colors, it’s offered in different liveries in steel and gold cases.
Bulova Moon Watch $550 (base price)
If you want to grab a watch inspired by one worn on the moon, the $5,000-odd entry cost for Omega’s Speedmaster can be a bit steep. Thankfully, Bulova also found its way to the moon in the early 1970s, and it recently released the chronograph following the original, real-deal moon-landing example’s sale earlier last year. Visually, it’s a close copy of the original with only minor variations. The biggest change is the addition of a high-beat quartz movement, a feature Bulova is known for. Some enthusiasts might decry the lack of a mechanical heart, but consider this: The reissue is accurate to just a few seconds every year, making the new watch far more accurate than any of the ones—Omegas included—that landed on Earth’s satellite.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona $27,500 (base price)
In terms of evolution, Rolex likes to operate on timetables more geologic than seasonal. So, when arguably the world’s most famous watchmaker unveiled new Daytona variants at this year’s Baselworld, it was a surprise, to put it mildly. This is a followup to the wildly popular Daytona debut last year that included a new black Cerachrom ceramic bezel but adds in a new bracelet and case metal choice. In addition to steel, the ceramic bezel can be ordered on white, yellow, or rose gold, each wearing contrasting black subdials. What’s most surprising is that buyers are able to purchase a Rolex Daytona from the Bienne factory with Rolex’s Oysterflex bracelet, which is made of rubber. Prices for the new variants begin at $27,500 and climb from there.
Autodromo Group B Evoluzione $1,100
Creating an automotive-themed watch is easy; doing it well and tastefully is not. In that sense, Autodromo is the best in the business, seamlessly weaving cues from all eras of vintage cars and racers into its varied product lineup. Of all the unique designs in its stable, the wild Group B is a lightning strike of color and individuality, especially in the case of the Evoluzione. Pulling inspiration from the short-lived rally class of the same name, the Autodromo Group B Evoluzione builds on the already vibrant Group B and adds a specialized case composed of aerospace-grade aluminum. It’s powered by the same Miyota 9015 automatic movement that powers the regular watch, so it’s as rugged and reliable as it is striking to look at. If you like it as much as we do, get your order in soon. Production is limited to just 200 units per color.
TAG Heuer Autavia 02 $5,150 (base price)
In an unprecedented move, TAG Heuer opened the virtual doors to its design studio and asked fans to vote on the final design of a reissued Autavia. The online voting was done bracket style with head-to-head eliminations. After the digital dust settled, the Autavia ref. 2446 made famous by wrist time on racer Jochen Rindt took the laurels. This is more homage than full-bore reissue, considering the Autavia 02 features a fair bit of aesthetic differences from the older 2446. Most notably, it wears larger with a 42-mm case and thick, wide bezel. This is forgiven when you notice the incredibly cool classic “Heuer” script at 12 o’clock and take a peek under the hood at the beautiful and state-of-the-art Calibre 02 chronograph movement, a powerhouse that has been in development for quite a while.
BRM V12-44-MR-01/02 Martini Edition $8,500 (est)
We get it. You’re fed up with boring, bland vintage-inspired watches. You want something big, bold, and colorful. For those who prefer an uncorked big-block Top Fuel dragster to a buzzy Formula 1 car, BRM offers a large lineup of watches with effortlessly expressive designs. It’s hard to pick just one, but we’re going with the Martini Edition chronograph, the newest edition to the BRM family. Even from a distance, you won’t mistake the V12-44-MR-01/02 for anything else, thanks to liberal use of the blue, white, and red color scheme, with either a white or blue dial as the base. Inside the large steel 44-mm case ticks a trusty ETA Valjoux 7753 movement, so service and replacement parts won’t be too difficult. The Martini Edition is limited to just 150 of each color.
 The post Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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jonathanbelloblog · 7 years ago
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Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals
If you don’t already know what you’re looking for, picking out a new watch can be an overwhelming process. Just in time for the 2017 holiday season, here are 12 of our favorites, covering a wide range of brands and prices.
Todd Snyder + Timex Blackjack $138
This striking time-only watch is the latest collaboration between NYC menswear designer Todd Snyder and Timex. The two brands worked together previously on a handful of designs such as the simple Military Watch and the red and white Mod Watch, but this is probably our favorite out of the bunch. Inspired by “speed dials and roulette wheels, the Blackjack evokes the noir glamour of fast cars, hot tires, and midcentury Monaco casinos.” The stealthy PVD case is stark against the white, blue, and red dial, especially with the wickedly cool pseudo-spiral motif created by the concentric rings and blue inserts. Just like the fan-favorite Timex Weekender, a basic quartz movement keeps the Blackjack affordable, while the standard NATO-style nylon strap means this works perfectly with jeans and a T-shirt.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph $5,000 (est)
With the exception of the Rolex Daytona, it’s difficult to think of a particular watch so indelibly linked to an automotive event more than Chopard’s Mille Miglia special editions. Each year, Chopard teams up with the Mille Miglia to offer a special edition watch to participants, and it usually ends up as one of the coolest bits of memorabilia available from the storied race. For those who can’t swing the exorbitant cost of participation, Chopard will offer “civilian” variants at a later date. At this year’s Baselworld, the brand unveiled a new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph inspired by past editions. Chopard managed to successfully incorporate its trademark tire-tread strap. It’s not quite as cool as a spot on the starting grid, but there are worse ways to daydream.
Perrelet Turbine Sung Kang $6,000 (est)
The Perrelet Turbine is one of the most intriguing watches available without a five-figure price tag. Inspired by early automatic movements developed by Abraham-Louis Perrelet in the 18th century, the Turbine family features a free-spinning bladed rotor above the fixed dial. It’s not functional—a traditional semi-circle rotor around back winds the mainspring—but it brings a sense of occasion to the simple act of checking the time. This is the Sung Kang special edition, named for the actor who rose to stardom as Han Lue in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise. The watch wears a number of automotive themes, including a stylistic tachometer on the fixed dial and a staggered 12-hour scale, designed for easier viewing when your hand is on the steering wheel.
Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph $1,400 (base price)
Want a vintage-styled chronograph but can’t spring for the $6,700 Zenith (right)? Be sure to check out Tissot’s new Heritage 1948 Chronograph. This white-dialed Tissot is a throwback to a chronograph pulled from the brand’s archives, packing plenty of historical design into an attractive 40-mm steel case. Underneath the traditional three-register dial spins a trusty ETA 2894-2 modular chronograph movement, a reliable workhorse that is found in everything from Chopards to TAG Heuers. The Heritage 1948 Chronograph is unabashedly old school, from the sculptural bombé lugs to the thin leaf-style hands. The watch arrives on a leather strap, but if you want to stay true to the vintage design, spring for the optional Milanese mesh bracelet. If you’re looking for pinpoint accuracy, the same design can be had with a COSC-certified variant of the ETA, capped at 8,888 units.
  Breitling Superocean Heritage II $4,080 (base price)
Breitling has quite a history when it comes to nautical and aeronautical endeavors, and the clean Superocean Heritage II is one of the best. This is one of Breitling’s classically inspired pieces, pulling cues from the original Superocean of the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike other heritage designs that ape the original watch, the Superocean wears influences from watches of yore rather than acting as a simple reissue of an old design. Underneath the steel case (available in either 42 or 46 mm) beats a Tudor-supplied movement, a new feature for 2017. It’s a tool watch but not one we’d be embarrassed to wear with a suit and tie. The Superocean comes in blue, black, a delicious bronze tone, or two-tone black with contrasting color.
Zenith Chronomaster Heritage 146 $6,700 (est)
Far too many modern chronographs have fallen into the trap of big, brash, and bold, eschewing simple, clean design for huge indices, oversized blocky cases, and extraordinarily busy dials. We’re pleased to see Zenith offer an effortlessly handsome chronograph in the form of the Chronomaster Heritage, especially with such a simple, unadorned design. Underneath the classically proportioned case, Zenith slotted in its famous El Primero movement, a high-beat 36,000 VpH unit that has provided the bedrock for the brand since the 1960s. This is one of the most versatile watches in this group. The Chronomaster looks just as sharp under the cuff of a suit as it does perched on the thin steering wheel of a Jaguar XK120.
Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer $8,450 (est)
The enduring Speedmaster is forever linked to its time on the lunar surface, but the chronograph began life in 1957 marketed toward drivers and race technicians. Ever since it cemented itself on the wrist of Apollo astronauts in the 1960s, the Speedmaster spawned an incredible amount of variants with different colors, complications, and designs. This orange-on-black Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer was unveiled during last year’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show with a new name for 2017. This model is the new crown jewel of the Racing subfamily, packing some serious horological heat under the 44.25-mm case. This two-register chrono is home to Omega’s 9900 series movement, deemed accurate and exact enough to wear the Master Chronometer certification from the Swiss Federal Institute of Meteorology. If you’re not a fan of the colors, it’s offered in different liveries in steel and gold cases.
Bulova Moon Watch $550 (base price)
If you want to grab a watch inspired by one worn on the moon, the $5,000-odd entry cost for Omega’s Speedmaster can be a bit steep. Thankfully, Bulova also found its way to the moon in the early 1970s, and it recently released the chronograph following the original, real-deal moon-landing example’s sale earlier last year. Visually, it’s a close copy of the original with only minor variations. The biggest change is the addition of a high-beat quartz movement, a feature Bulova is known for. Some enthusiasts might decry the lack of a mechanical heart, but consider this: The reissue is accurate to just a few seconds every year, making the new watch far more accurate than any of the ones—Omegas included—that landed on Earth’s satellite.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona $27,500 (base price)
In terms of evolution, Rolex likes to operate on timetables more geologic than seasonal. So, when arguably the world’s most famous watchmaker unveiled new Daytona variants at this year’s Baselworld, it was a surprise, to put it mildly. This is a followup to the wildly popular Daytona debut last year that included a new black Cerachrom ceramic bezel but adds in a new bracelet and case metal choice. In addition to steel, the ceramic bezel can be ordered on white, yellow, or rose gold, each wearing contrasting black subdials. What’s most surprising is that buyers are able to purchase a Rolex Daytona from the Bienne factory with Rolex’s Oysterflex bracelet, which is made of rubber. Prices for the new variants begin at $27,500 and climb from there.
Autodromo Group B Evoluzione $1,100
Creating an automotive-themed watch is easy; doing it well and tastefully is not. In that sense, Autodromo is the best in the business, seamlessly weaving cues from all eras of vintage cars and racers into its varied product lineup. Of all the unique designs in its stable, the wild Group B is a lightning strike of color and individuality, especially in the case of the Evoluzione. Pulling inspiration from the short-lived rally class of the same name, the Autodromo Group B Evoluzione builds on the already vibrant Group B and adds a specialized case composed of aerospace-grade aluminum. It’s powered by the same Miyota 9015 automatic movement that powers the regular watch, so it’s as rugged and reliable as it is striking to look at. If you like it as much as we do, get your order in soon. Production is limited to just 200 units per color.
TAG Heuer Autavia 02 $5,150 (base price)
In an unprecedented move, TAG Heuer opened the virtual doors to its design studio and asked fans to vote on the final design of a reissued Autavia. The online voting was done bracket style with head-to-head eliminations. After the digital dust settled, the Autavia ref. 2446 made famous by wrist time on racer Jochen Rindt took the laurels. This is more homage than full-bore reissue, considering the Autavia 02 features a fair bit of aesthetic differences from the older 2446. Most notably, it wears larger with a 42-mm case and thick, wide bezel. This is forgiven when you notice the incredibly cool classic “Heuer” script at 12 o’clock and take a peek under the hood at the beautiful and state-of-the-art Calibre 02 chronograph movement, a powerhouse that has been in development for quite a while.
BRM V12-44-MR-01/02 Martini Edition $8,500 (est)
We get it. You’re fed up with boring, bland vintage-inspired watches. You want something big, bold, and colorful. For those who prefer an uncorked big-block Top Fuel dragster to a buzzy Formula 1 car, BRM offers a large lineup of watches with effortlessly expressive designs. It’s hard to pick just one, but we’re going with the Martini Edition chronograph, the newest edition to the BRM family. Even from a distance, you won’t mistake the V12-44-MR-01/02 for anything else, thanks to liberal use of the blue, white, and red color scheme, with either a white or blue dial as the base. Inside the large steel 44-mm case ticks a trusty ETA Valjoux 7753 movement, so service and replacement parts won’t be too difficult. The Martini Edition is limited to just 150 of each color.
 The post Great Watches for Car Guys and Gals appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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junker-town · 7 years ago
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Red Bulls vs. Fire really is about Jesse Marsch vs. Dax McCarty
It’s not about revenge, it’s about the philosophy of how to run a soccer club.
No soccer game can ever be distilled into a single matchup, but some offseason drama and a long, winding MLS campaign has led to a playoff showdown that almost feels scripted: Dax McCarty vs. Jesse Marsch.
When the Chicago Fire host the New York Red Bulls in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1), McCarty will be at the heart of midfield for the home side, facing off against the team he spent the best years of his career with. Marsch, the coach who engaged in a power struggle with his now former boss to get McCarty traded, will be watching his team execute a gameplan designed to harass McCarty for 90 minutes.
McCarty can prove his old coach wrong. Marsch’s new starters can prove their manager right. And we get a perfect platform to debate one of soccer’s great problems: Should a team operate based on system first, talent second, or talent first, system second?
How we got here
In 2015, New York Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis fired popular and successful head coach Mike Petke — who won the club its first trophy and also played for the Red Bulls — and replaced him with Marsch. "It was a very difficult decision, especially given Mike’s service to the club as a player and as well as a coach," Curtis said about the decision. "At the end of the day, it is my decision and I own it ... This decision wasn’t about getting rid of Mike, it was more about bringing in Jesse Marsch.” Curtis went on to cite Marsch’s openness to new analytics and ideas about youth development as reasons he was hired.
Curtis was so confident about his decision that he attended a town hall meeting for Red Bulls fans that he knew would be filled with anger. He took all the heat as they pelted him with angry questions and told him to “shut the f—k up.”
Ultimately, Curtis was vindicated. The Red Bulls won Supporters’ Shield in 2015, then finished on top of the Eastern Conference again in 2016, with Marsch garnering praise for getting his team to perform consistently above its talent level.
But this offseason, Curtis and Marsch had disagreements about player personnel. One of those disagreements was about McCarty, the team’s captain and a consistent high-level performer over six seasons — Curtis wanted to keep him, while Marsch was ready to move on. Ultimately, Curtis was let go and McCarty was traded. The Red Bulls didn’t get any players or picks in return. Just Allocation Money.
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
That money hasn’t been used to improve the squad. The only players Red Bulls have brought in since trading McCarty have been internal promotions, loanees and bit-part players. Allocation Money rolls over from season to season, but so far, the Red Bulls traded McCarty for nothing.
Style at the expense of safety
McCarty wasn’t jettisoned because Marsch doesn’t rate him as a player. He was sent packing because he’s not a perfect fit for Marsch’s playing style. And while Marsch will change formations based on opponent and the personnel he has available, he’s an ideologue when it comes to his underlying philosophy — he called it "transition football times 100” in an interview with Matt Pentz for an article at ESPN FC. Marsch also talked in that interview about his commitment to finding the right players for his tactics.
"As a football coach, I'm very style-based. I believe firmly that it's important to evaluate what kind of players we're putting into our team. We can't play the way that we play without the right kind of players and personalities ... We don't have room for people that don't want to play the way that we play."
McCarty is far from a perfect fit for a team that wants to play up-tempo at all costs. If McCarty has one great skill, it’s figuring out how to mitigate risk. He’s smart enough to pick an early long pass when the moment is perfect, but McCarty is arguably the best defensive midfielder in MLS at retaining the ball and slowing play down.
This does not describe McCarty’s former backup Sean Davis or Red Bulls youth product Tyler Adams, who have both bought in completely to Marsch’s philosophy. McCarty was traded because Marsch thought those two were ready to take his place. So far, results have been mixed.
Adams, just 18, is unquestionably one of the brightest talents in the USMNT player pool. But he’s played more wingback than central midfield in the back half of the season, thanks to injuries and a formation change. Davis has adapted well to Marsch’s switch to an unorthodox 3-3-3-1 setup, but had a poor first half of the season. The Red Bulls seriously could have used a player like McCarthy in August and September, when they went eight straight games without winning, culminating in three consecutive matches in which Marsch’s team conceded three goals.
Wait, 3-3-3-1?
Yep. The Red Bulls haven’t used the same personnel two games in a row, so it’s impossible to guess their exact preferred lineup, but it looks something like this.
Marsch took a winding road to get here. After winter rumors that he would become the new manager of sister club Red Bull Salzburg, Marsch committed to staying for at least one more year, and to using the 4-2-2-2 formation that Salzburg and RB Leipzig used to much success. It went poorly — New York Red Bulls simply didn’t have the personnel for it.
Marsch made a slight adjustment, changing to a 4-2-3-1 formation that suited his players better, but still used the same high tempo principles. Results were fine, but injuries put Marsch in a bad spot. Center backs Gideon Baah and Aurelien Collin, along with winger Mike Grella, suffered season-ending injuries.
Counter-intuitively, Marsch’s solution was to play more center backs instead of fewer. His fullbacks learned how to play as the outside defenders in a back three — roles usually reserved for athletic central defenders — and he crowded the middle with attacking midfielders who press high up the pitch. The growing pains were severe, but Red Bulls closed out their season with seven points from their last three matches, with the lone draw being a decent 0-0 result away to Atlanta United, the second-best attacking team by goals scored in MLS.
Marsch for USMNT?
If you’re just a real MLS head and haven’t been paying attention to the international game, the United States men’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup. It was a big deal. Bruce Arena got fired and everything. Now, U.S. Soccer is on the lookout for a coach who can turn things around, preferably one with some ideas about how to create a youth-to-senior pipeline and play a more progressive brand of soccer. Marsch might be their guy.
He’s a popular choice among media and analysts in the event USSF wants to hire someone who has experience with American soccer. For example: Ted Knutson, Matt Doyle, Grant Wahl and just about everyone else he works with at SI. Marsch is widely praised for having a strong philosophy and sticking to it, something he openly criticized Jurgen Klinsmann’s teams for lacking in 2015.
"I think that the tricky part with entering a new cycle is trying to look at new players, but also still maintain the identity that you want to be. I appreciate that they’ve looked at a lot of new players, but I’m not sure what the identity is of what they’re trying to build there. That would be my main question mark. It looks to me too much like a bunch of guys kind of thrown on the field ... No matter when you bring in new personnel, there still needs to be an identity to what the team is, and that’s not easy. I know, because you get guys coming from all these different areas and you have a few days to put the team together, but somehow there’s got to be a consistent message and way to play no matter who’s involved."
A strong MLS Cup Playoff run would only strengthen the calls for Marsch to get an interview. But Wednesday night’s game against Chicago could also serve to remind us of his weaknesses as a coach. Marsch got rid of McCarty, one of his best players, and was OK with getting nothing in return. The USMNT does not have enough talent for a coach to be able to disregard its top players simply because they aren’t perfect system fits.
The Red Bulls’ loss is the Fire’s gain
Last season, the Chicago Fire were utterly hopeless. Their 31 points and minus-16 goal differential were both the worst in the league. But from the first game McCarty started in the center of the park this March, they looked like a different team — confident, competent, and organized.
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
McCarty is far from the only reason for Chicago’s turnaround this season, but his influence can’t be discounted. Juninho didn’t play in that opener against Columbus Crew, golden boot winner Nemanja Nikolic didn’t score or assist, and Bastian Schweinsteiger hadn’t been signed yet.
“He’s great to have him in your back, behind you so he covers a lot and he also understands the game very well,” Schweinsteiger said of McCarty after the German star arrived and the two started playing together. “He knows exactly where to pass the ball, when to turn and when to keep the ball, so you can really see that he’s experienced.”
Juninho and Schweinsteiger were both injured late in the season, leaving McCarty to partner with 23-year-old second-year player Drew Conner and 18-year-old rookie Djordje Mihailovic in the center of the park over the last six games. He’s held the midfield together, as Chicago went 3-2-1 over that stretch, doing well enough to clinch a home playoff game without McCarty’s midfield mates.
And that brings us to Wednesday
Dax McCarty does not like the Dax vs. Red Bulls revenge narrative.
“It’s just another game, honestly,” John Wilkinson reported McCarty as saying on Tuesday. “I’ve already played them twice this year. The whole, like, revenge storyline and narrative, it’s just tired; it’s a lazy narrative for me because we’ve already played them twice.”
This is true. And in those two games, Chicago has failed to win. McCarty was on the pitch for a 2-1 Red Bulls win in New Jersey this April, and for a 1-1 draw in Chicago this September. It also makes sense that McCarty wants to win a playoff game more than he wants to stick it to Marsch.
But McCarty would be naive to think that the playoff game between the Fire and Red Bulls is an irrelevant to the narrative about his career — or Marsch’s. McCarty was not traded for business reasons. He was not a cap casualty. He wasn’t even moved to make room for another player. Marsch just didn’t prefer McCarty’s style of play, so much so that he was willing to fight his boss over getting rid of him.
McCarthy’s exit from the Red Bulls gets at the heart of one of soccer’s great philosophical questions: Is it better to build a system around your most talented players, or to have a preferred system that dictates your other decisions? Wednesday’s match won’t give us a definitive answer, but it’s rare that we get to see such a perfect case study in action.
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flauntpage · 7 years ago
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The Outlet Pass: Lonzo's Curse, Kerr's Adjustment, Westbrook's Defense
1. Philly’s Turnover Problem is...Getting Worse?
The Philadelphia 76ers have dropped eight of their last 10 games and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. The easiest explanation for their slide—beyond Joel Embiid’s bad back—is turnovers.
Philly has committed a turnover on 19.3 percent of their possessions since an inexcusable home loss (on two day’s rest) against the Los Angeles Lakers back on December 7th. The gap between them and the second sloppiest team in the league over that stretch matches the gap between the 29th and 13th-ranked teams! Philly obviously ranks in last for turnover rate over the entire season, averaging almost two turnovers per game more than the 29th-ranked Lakers.
Of Philly’s seven leaders in usage percentage, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric are the only two who rank above the 50th percentile at their respective position in turnover percentage, per Cleaning the Glass. Guards who’re supposed to protect the ball (like T.J. McConnell and Jerryd Bayless) are unnaturally loose with it.
This team is young, with key players who've only shared the court for a few months. Their struggle is understandable. It's also not new. The Sixers have enjoyed the NBA’s wobbliest offense for four of the last five years, and have preached ball movement and pace since Brett Brown became their head coach. For the second season in a row they rank first in passes per game and are currently second in both potential and secondary assists, per NBA.com.
They force passes into the post, turn down what the defense is offering, and play with a predictable exuberance. They sometimes respond to transition opportunities like a puppy that just heard you coo its name while holding a leash.
Some of their mistakes are thanks to an excessive unselfishness. They drive and kick and drive and kick and belabor sequences in search of a perfect opportunity instead of striking while the iron is hot. If the defense botches a switch and surrenders a long two, take the open shot!
Sometimes they go too early and lack patience. Sometimes Ben Simmons’s man (who usually boasts an expansive wingspan) leaves him idle on the perimeter and clogs up lanes that would otherwise exist if he were willing to shoot.
On the play above, Saric has Joel Embiid wide open as a trailing big but sees Jonas Valanciunas drifting towards the perimeter and likes the thought of attacking Kyle Lowry on a mismatch more than passing the ball. But instead of simplifying the play and feeding Embiid for a three, Saric puts it on the floor and drives straight into a mosh pit.
Philadelphia’s long-term upside obviously remains sky high. Their shot frequency is intelligent, but their intentions don't yet align with their execution. This was a known issue Philly's coaching staff and front office wanted to correct heading into the season. They don't need to treat the ball like it's a Faberge egg, but cutting out just half of their unforced errors could, alone, elevate their offense to a league-average level.
2. The San Antonio Spurs Remain Clairvoyant
Apart from a couple extended injuries to critical players and some iffy shooting from the outside (both long twos and above-the-break), the Spurs are basically still the Spurs. They’re mixing and matching, turning the regular season into Gregg Popovich’s public laboratory, where new faces are getting extended time with veteran vanguards, rest is a priority, and low-usage pieces are given an opportunity to bloom at a moment's notice.
One of San Antonio’s better lineups, a unit Popovich will likely trot out in the last few minutes of a tight playoff game (Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, and LaMarcus Aldridge) has yet to play a minute this season. Leonard has played 12 possessions at power forward but San Antonio has generally embraced smaller groups this year, with Aldridge spending a majority of his time at center.
No team can stabilize an adjustment period like San Antonio. And through all their change lies an unparalleled unspoken chemistry every other roster—except the Golden State Warriors—wishes it had. This play from a recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers is a good example that contains actual telepathy.
Patty Mills sets a cross screen to free Pau Gasol up on the left block, then flex cuts off Rudy Gay’s pindown for a potential three. When the Clippers switch to take away Mills, Gay throws his arm up and dives down the lane to drag a help defender (in this case Milos Teodosic) off Manu Ginobili in the weakside corner.
Nothing about it is remarkable until you notice when the ball leaves Parker’s fingers. He flings it across the court before Gay starts to roll, as Teodosic is still leaning towards Ginobili. It’s a pass that can’t be made without intuitive basketball bravery. And it's freaking awesome.
If the Spurs are on television, watch them. I guarantee you'll have a good time.
3. CJ McCollum’s “Sneaky Athleticism”
The adjective “sneaky-athletic” is 99.9 percent reserved for non-black players who are actually incredibly athletic. This year alone I’ve heard announcers use the phrase to describe Sam Dekker and Pat Connaughton, a pair of phenomenal athletes. Gordon Hayward still heard the label as recently as last season even though he’s always been a freak.
But guess what? Black players can be sneaky athletes too! And, as first-class Portland Trail Blazers color commentator Lamar Hurd has pointed out multiple times throughout this season, C.J. McCollum is a good example. Known for below-the-rim craftiness, an eagle-eye shot, and handle that’s clever enough to teleport him wherever he wants to go, the 26-year-old still gets up when he wants to.
That said, McCollum isn’t Steve Francis. Only five percent of his 572 shots have been dunks this season, which is a career low. His most recent one blessed this Earth when he went between his legs to cross up Josh Hart and drop a two-handed yam on Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma. A solid “I don’t always drink beer” NBA moment. But that's why it's called "sneaky" athleticism!
4. Spencer Dinwiddie Might Be Pretty Good
Spencer Dinwiddie’s job in Brooklyn was muted heading into this season. A point guard on a non-guaranteed contract—embedded within a backcourt-stacked roster that just sacrificed cap space and a first-round pick for a fresh franchise player at the same position—it wasn’t realistic to assume Dinwiddie would have the ball in his hands as often as he should, could, or desired.
Even with enough size and length (he’s 6’6” with a 6’8” wingspan) to guard a couple positions, and an improving shot that justified minutes in a reserve role, the Nets had two lead ball handlers—D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin—who would serve as their primary scorers and facilitators, leaving Dinwiddie out in the cold. But with both out for most of the season, the 24-year-old has grabbed hold of a system any floor general would love to run.
So far, so good.
Heading into this week, Brooklyn’s point differential was 14.1 points per 100 possessions better with Dinwiddie on the floor (they performed like a 52-win team with him at point guard, per Cleaning the Glass) and he ranks 15th in Real Plus-Minus, ahead of Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
Injuries create opportunity—a chance for those in waiting to step up and shine in larger roles with greater responsibilities, theoretically beside (and against) superior talent. Dinwiddie is doing that with confidence—every so often he’ll launch a side-step three from a few feet behind the line, a la Kyrie Irving—and artistry.
He keeps his head up in the open floor and does a nice job feeding shooters as soon as they spring open. He's a no-frills playmaker who takes care of the ball and rarely attempts to do more than what's necessary to complete a play.
It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts when Russell returns and he shifts off the ball. Dinwiddie entered the league without an outside shot and now has one that defenses need to respect. He's also proven capable of stewarding a solid pick-and-roll attack without any of the nonsensical mistakes habitually made by Russell. His size allows him to defend both backcourt positions (his length really bothered John Wall when Brooklyn punked the Wizards last week) and he deserves as much playing time as anyone on the team.
5. Oladipo is Still Learning His Own Power
This is kinda funny. The Pacers fall into a switch they like then take their time to try and attack it. As Darren Collison backpedals to size up John Collins, Cory Joseph motions for Victor Oladipo to drop towards the baseline and drag Malcolm Delaney away from his help position. We refer to Delaney's reaction as a response to Oladipo's gravity, but this isn't gravity. It’s a magnetic vice grip.
Marco Belinelli wisely helps off Joseph and helps deter a drive to the cup, but go back and watch how closely Delaney shadows Oladipo. He's step for step! In the moment beforehand Indiana's new franchise player is almost like a teenage superhero who just levitated in his bedroom for the first time.
The adjustment to life as a legitimate offensive superstar is not an overnight process; Oladipo is still learning how he can sometimes have an even greater impact off the ball than with it in his hands. The biggest surprise in the NBA is still absorbing new information about himself, and it's a wonderful thing to see.
6. Russell Westbrook’s Conflicting Defense
I’ve watched nearly half of Oklahoma City’s games this year and still don’t know if Russell Westbrook is having a good season on the defensive end. That’s partly because the reigning MVP is an impulsive gambler who’s addicted to the thrill that attaches itself to that exact moment a steal feels attainable. He's constantly chasing that high.
On some nights this creates turnovers that galvanize the Thunder and momentarily make everyone in the organization feel invincible. On others, these attempted steals have a crippling effect that limit how good the team can be.
Oklahoma City’s defense is very good with Westbrook on the floor and slightly worse when he sits. (Worth noting: the Thunder can’t get stops when Westbrook doesn’t have Andre Roberson by his side.) Continuing on a five-year trend, the percentage of OKC’s steals that lead to transition plays shoots through the roof when he’s in the game—currently at a career-best 17.2 percent.
It’s a style of play that makes Westbrook the overwhelming force he is. The man plays with an uncontrollable rage and force that, quite honestly, can’t be honed for 48 minutes in a disciplined environment or system. He runs and jumps and smashes, and so much of that is born from reckless defensive play.
OKC is 12-3 in December, currently riding a six-game winning streak that includes victories over the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets. More often than not during this stretch, Westbrook has been a game-changing hell spawn on both ends. Only Paul George, Thaddeus Young, and Robert Covington average more deflections per game, and nobody recovers more loose balls.
Among all players who’ve defended at least 80 pick-and-rolls this year, Westbrook has contributed to a higher percentage of possessions that result in turnovers than anyone else, according to Synergy Sports. But sometimes his obsession with the basketball gets the best of him. Nobody—no-buh-dee—loves that thing more than him.
That’s always complicated his approach. Westbrook will cut corners or even fall into a trance, when the ball is so close that he can basically smell its full-grain leather skin (gross). Look at this play from Wednesday night’s win against Toronto.
With his eyes locked onto a DeMar DeRozan-Jakob Poeltl pick-and-roll, Westbrook loses track of Kyle Lowry, then isn’t sure if he should switch onto Serge Ibaka. He was literally hypnotized. But the Thunder will take it, so long as he continues to wreak havoc as often as he does, creating momentum-turning events with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old on Christmas morning.
More importantly, Westbrook’s irresponsible intensity assuages the stress from Oklahoma City’s inconsistent half-court offense. He bestows easy baskets for himself and others; it works in this specific environment—more so than a solid, bend-don’t-break approach probably would.
7. Wayne Ellington is The Hand Off King
Avery Bradley is the only player who’s ended more total possessions off a hand off than Wayne Ellington this season. According to Synergy Sports, last year the increasingly lethal play type accounted for 16.7 percent of his offensive possessions. Right now that number is at 27.9 percent and he ranks in the 89th percentile.
In the half-court, racing around screens, looping through the paint and around the baseline, from one end of the floor to the other, he’s a nuclear-powered wind-up doll. It’s particularly diabolical (and an aesthetic joy) whenever Miami deploys action that allows Ellington to sprint off a screen and directly into a dribble hand off.
Miami is its best self when Ellington is on the floor and its worst self when he sits, per NBA.com. He’s shooting 44 percent from deep when a defender is within four feet (“tight” and “very tight” coverage), and playing with Kelly Olynyk (a big who possesses passing/perimeter skills) instead of Hassan Whiteside and Willie Reed—as he did last season—has regularly afforded him the extra beat he needs to get a shot off. An incredible 86 percent of all his shots are threes.
Ellington just turned 30 but he’s hitting free agency this summer, at the exact right time. Assuming Miami can’t afford that next deal, whichever team pays him should do their best to utilize Ellington’s strengths and continue to keep the fat out of his game.
8. Maxi Kleber is the NBA’s Most Underrated Rookie
Maxi Kleber’s skill-set is noiseless, but every now and then he makes a compelling play that shifts the game's momentum in Dallas' favor; it’s hard not to appreciate all the smart ways he helps out.
The 25-year-old German rookie takes charges, blocks shots, knocks down open threes, and sprints the floor. He can rise for a lob, impede a downhill-charging guard’s progress in the paint without fouling, and never needs the ball to positively impact his team.
So much of Kleber’s role is thankless—sometimes he’ll venture off his man to block a shot he has no chance at, leaving his man free to gobble up the rebound—but he's a reliable starter on what might be the best bad team this league's seen in years.
9. Lonzo’s Subtle Genius Can Be His Own Worst Enemy
This fair and nuanced assessment of “What Lonzo Ball Can Be” vs. “What Lonzo Ball Can Do” by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz should remind everyone who reads it how difficult it is to gauge Ball’s unique all-around impact while shooting percentages and scoring prowess are, sadly, the end-all, be-all way to explore a prospect’s potential.
Ball moves like a bold splash of spontaneity. He plays hard and everything he does is with purpose (watch his defensive intensity running back on defense whenever he misses a shot). It’s still hard to know if his game is retrograde or cutting edge, but two sequences from L.A.’s close loss against the Trail Blazers summoned a pair of examples that detail Ball’s brilliance and how it can sometimes hold him back. (This is random, but I don’t think there’s another point guard alive who I’d rather play pickup basketball with.)
At first glance this initial play looks like a regular lob to Julius Randle, but let’s quickly unpack why it’s so effective, and how it easily could've gone wrong.
Ball notices that Evan Turner has anticipated the pass and rotated off Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the weakside corner to break it up. He’s already in the paint when Randle crosses the free-throw line. So instead of throwing it up towards the hoop and simply hoping his teammate can beat Turner to it, Ball’s pass never climbs higher than the rim. It’s tossed low and short, in an area where only Randle can catch it without limiting his ability to make something happen after doing so.
It’s an understated split-second adjustment to not only avoid a turnover, but create something positive while knowing the defense is aware of what he wants to do. It's almost like Ball has a basketball-specific, light-speed-quick Google Maps installed in his brain. He sees an initial path, then course corrects several times midway through in a way that can't be taught.
Four Trail Blazers are in the paint when Lonzo lets go of the ball. It’s the type of pass a player might wish he made watching it over again the next day in a film session. The game is already starting to move in slow motion for Ball, a pass-first savant whose assist-to-usage ratio ranks in the 78th percentile among point guards, per Cleaning the Glass.
The next play is another pass to Randle. Unlike the first it’s not structured in half-court offense and instead arrives in the comfortable confines of chaos, where Ball is at his best.
It’s a tie game with about 80 seconds left. After a scramble in transition—created by one of Ball’s patented throwaheads—Josh Hart finds his fellow rookie wide open on the wing. Instead of launching the open three, Ball can’t help himself and hits Randle, who’s even more open in the dunker’s spot. Randle is hacked and only makes one of the subsequent free throws.
This sequence would’ve probably ended in an assisted dunk had Randle expected the ball, but he takes too long to gather himself and gifts Zach Collins and Shabazz Napier enough time to recover back and commit the foul. On the other hand, Ball had a wide open shot.
In L.A.’s last five games, he’s 15-for-34 from behind the three-point line (44.1 percent). The free-throw line remains a concern—as does his ability to finish around the rim—but that normalize a bit as the season goes on and he continues to grow. He isn’t normally passive in these situations and shouldn’t be deemed benevolent to the point of self-harm. Ball isn’t afraid to pull the trigger, either.
The pass was smart and should’ve/could’ve led to an exclamatory finish. But a wide open three with Portland’s best rebounder racing out to contest the shot might've been slightly more appropriate.
Ball is already excellent at planting his teammates in positions to succeed, but for him and his team to be the absolute best they can be, he'll eventually need to seek out his own openings even more than he already is.
10. Steve Kerr’s Christmas Day Adjustment Was Masterful
This rivalry will never get old to me. Even though it was the 73rd time they’ve played each other since 2015, NBA basketball soars to a higher level of strategic peculiarities whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors compete. This time around, the core characters were fundamentally the same, but slight changes around the margin affected how these two great teams did battle.
The Warriors started rookie Jordan Bell over incumbent center Zaza Pachulia on Christmas Day because he provides a bit more defensive mobility against a Cleveland team that plays Kevin Love (instead of Tristan Thompson) at the five.
This made sense, but immediately played into Tyronn Lue’s strategy on the other end. With no Steph Curry, Cleveland ramped up its already-aggressive pick-and-roll defense with a single-minded focus to squeeze the ball from Kevin Durant’s hands every chance they could. From the start, this is what it looked like: Bell sets a high screen for KD and Love stays high to double him. Bell then rolls into space and misses an ugly bankshot.
In the second half, Steve Kerr made a fantastic adjustment. Knowing Cleveland would trap, he had Durant and Bell start on the right side of the floor. (Draymond Green opens the clip seen below by instructing Bell to direct Durant towards the sideline with his screen, so that Love can’t quickly recover to the middle of the floor.)
The Cavs fall for it. Love once again doubles the ball, but this time Draymond is at the top of the key instead of in the paint, as he was before. When Durant hits Bell, the rookie immediately flings it to Green then takes off for the hoop, momentarily freezing LeBron James in the paint and forcing him to either stop the ball or stick with the roller. It’s a beautifully choreographed action that ends with Golden State’s most satisfying two points of the day.
11. Tyus Jones is Minnesota’s Ideal (Temporary) Caretaker
Jeff Teague left Minnesota’s overtime win against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night after a body fell into his knee at a gruesome angle. An MRI was scheduled for Thursday morning and as I write this it feels more likely than not that the Timberwolves will be without their starting point guard for the foreseeable future.
In that case, in Teague’s place will be Tyus Jones, a third-year guard who’s quietly one of the best defenders at his position, takes care of the ball, and is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc. The surface-level ripple effect of Teague’s injury is that Minnesota will need to replace a dangerous pick-and-roll presence who can get into the paint at will. But having a low-usage hawk in his place will only provide Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns with even more touches and opportunities.
So far, that’s been a good thing. In 180 possessions this year, Minnesota’s starting five with Jones instead of Teague has outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. A huge reason why is they don’t turn the ball over. Fewer options can sometimes be a good thing. It simplifies how they want attack and less risk is involved.
But Jones really makes his mark ripping the ball from the other team. As someone who’s sat near the top of the NBA’s leaderboard in steal rate his entire career, the 21-year-old’s thievery is instant and swift, and more often than not he accumulates them without having to gamble or lunge out of position.
He’s recorded at least three steals in six games this year—including a seven-steal performance against the Phoenix Suns. Three of which came in under 15 minutes of playing time.
Minnesota’s transition offense off steals has been elite the past two seasons whenever he’s on the floor, and when Jones digs down into the post, he sprints out to the perimeter after a pass is made. Few guards are willing to close out on shooters as quickly as Jones. If he’s suddenly playing 34 minutes per game, there’s a good chance that winning habit will wane, but he’s a smart player who (hot take coming through!) might complement his star teammates even better than Teague.
The suffering will be felt further down the depth chart. Aaron Brooks turns 33 in a couple weeks and hasn’t had a meaningful/positive NBA role in three years. Teague’s injury could open the door for Butler or Wiggins to assume more playmaking responsibility. (It remains to be seen whether that’s a good thing given how many minutes they’re already playing, though.)
If Teague’s knee is torn, the Timberwolves should still be able to make the playoffs because Jones is an ideal shepherd. But their health-related margin for error is officially at zero.
The Outlet Pass: Lonzo's Curse, Kerr's Adjustment, Westbrook's Defense published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
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junker-town · 8 years ago
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NWSL Week 5 preview and fixtures: North Carolina still looks good, and everyone else has problems
Five weeks into the season, the Courage are the only team that looks like they know what they’re doing.
It makes sense that there are bad teams in NWSL. Even in a relatively small league, and one that initially preached parity and instilled and installed it with the way the top tier players were allocated in the early days, there’s always been a gap between the big teams at the top and everyone else. Some teams gel better than others, or are coached better than others, or get bit by injuries or any one of 1,000 other things that could go wrong — or right — in a season.
As the league has grown though, every team has become more autonomous, left to build whatever it is they're going to build. And big picture, that’s a positive. All the kids don’t get the same exact lunch, and I’m always going to be jealous of your Lunchable and Capri Sun because all my mom sent me with was an apple and a tiny juice box that is, for some ungodly reason, grape.
That’s kind of how professional sports are supposed to work, though. If you’re a team like Portland you’re always going to be able to attract whoever you want, the Chicagos and Sky Blues will have to focus more on building from within, and the Bostons and Houstons of the world are just going to keep having to pretend they like grape juice. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes you save up enough of your emergency payphone quarters to buy a styrofoam soup cup of tater tots in the cafeteria.
Still, as we move away from the forced parity that we saw in the early days, you’d sort-of expect, or at least hope, that everyone would have at least started to figure it out by now. There’s always going to be teams like the 2014 Reign or, apparently, this year’s Courage, that run away with the thing, at least initially, but how is it that everyone else this year seems so far behind?
As we approach the quarter mark of the season, it’s getting harder and harder to chalk up the struggles of seemingly everyone that’s not North Carolina to things like it still being early or slow starts or so-and-so hasn’t arrived.
Orlando, at the bottom of the table as the league’s only winless team, got a pretty good replacement for Alex Morgan in Marta, but bringing in one Brazilian does not a team make. The Pride might be very good once Morgan returns from France, sure, but it’s also hard to see how. Morgan makes a good running mate for Marta, but her presence doesn’t fix the fact that Orlando’s midfield has been mostly ineffective. Marta might be the league’s most talented striker, but she’s not going to score much without any kind of quality service behind her. And even if that improves as the season goes on, that’s only half the Pride’s problem. Orlando, with the worst goal differential is the league, is also kind of a mess defensively. Ali Krieger, as an outside back that's very good going forward, could probably at least partially help with both of these problems, but she's instead ended up in the center of the Pride’s back line a few times this season. And the rest of Orlando’s defense has struggled with any kind of cohesion for long stretches — they’ve allowed more shots on target than any other team except for Washington. The Pride managed a 1-1 draw with FC Kansas City last weekend, and though the point is certainly a positive, that they had the lead for only 11 minutes before conceding the tying goal, and that they only really needed to hold onto that lead for 17 minutes to win the game, is not great.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Thanks to that draw against the Pride, FC Kansas City managed to stay two points ahead of the the Pride and not in last place for another week, but that’s little consolation for the Blues. FCKC isn’t a bad team defensively; the three goals they’ve allowed is on pace with some to the league’s top teams. Where Kansas City has fallen behind is in the offense department. The Blues looked strong and with Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux both finally back, like they could have one of the best attacking tandems in the league. That though, was short-lived. A-Rod’s season-ending ACL injury exposed the Blue’s attack as something pretty one-note, and it’s one they’ve apparently already forgotten how to play. Left virtually alone to carry the scoring load, Leroux’s been all but disappeared by a midfield that lacks any kind of cohesion with either the defense or the forward line. Kansas City has scored only three goals this season, and two of them came on opening weekend.
The Blues though, are not alone in the one-win club. Sky Blue, Washington and Seattle have all also only won once, which probably should be mathematically impossible but somehow isn’t. Both Sky Blue and Washington have struggled defensively, and if not for goalkeepers Kailen Sheridan and Stephanie Labbe, both would probably be in even worse shape. Without Christie Pearce, Sky’s Blue’s been a disaster defensively and things aren’t much better for Washington, where Labbe’s had to turn in huge performances every week to even keep things close. Just how disorganized are both of these teams defensively? When they played each other last weekend, the two combined for seven goals. Literally combined, like Francisca Ordega set up Erin Simon for one of the goals and they are on opposite teams.
It’s a similar story from Seattle, where Hayley Kopmeyer has played a big part in keeping things from getting really bad at least once this season. The Reign is the league’s highest scoring team, with eight goals on the season, but considering five of them came in one game, it’s maybe not as impressive as it initially looks.
You’d think here, as we get into the top five teams, is where there would be some big jump. The bottom of the table may redefining disorganized on a weekly basis, but certainly the top half of the table must have its act together, no? Turns out, no. Beyond the fact that it’s just confusing to look at, with both Boston and Houston up there, none of these supposed top teams have really looked consistently good, either.
Boston is certainly improved, but the Breakers are definitely also still working some things out. Last weekend, Boston couldn’t figure out how to adjust its game to the high pressure one North Carolina was playing, and without the ability to play through with Rose Lavelle and Natasha Dowie, the Breakers mostly reverted to a previous season’s version of themselves. And Houston is apparently using the same plumber as everyone else, because the Dash is also starting to leak goals. The Dash is the only team in the top four with a negative goal differential, and at minus-three it’s worse than anyone in the league that’s not Orlando.
Chicago is perhaps the most confusing, mostly because the Red Stars were good last year and haven’t made very many changes. Chicago isn’t horrible defensively — they've allowed just three goals so far this season, and two of them came on opening day. The Red Stars problem is maybe a little in the offense department, where they’ve only scored three goals and two of them came last weekend, because Chicago is a team that either gets shut out, or gets the shutout. Mostly though, it’s that there’s been a complete lack of consistency in what The Red Stars look like when they take the field. Julie Ertz, who is a very good defender, has been shuffled further and further up the field with each passing week, at a rate which will put her somewhere in the opposing team’s midfield line by mid-June. And Ertz isn’t the only one involved in this game of musical chairs. Through four games, Rory Dames has used four different lineups and formations, with players like Sofia Huerta and Stephanie McCaffrey also shuffled in and out of the XI.
Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images
Even Portland hasn't been immune to whatever it is that’s going on. With seven points, the Thorns are in second heading into this weekend, but the road there hasn’t been particularly smooth. Portland’s struggled against quick attacking teams — they couldn’t solve North Carolina in week two, and the Thorns needed an 82nd minute goal last weekend to salvage a draw with Seattle. The Thorns looked a step slow defensively in that game, and Adrianna Franch has had some shaky moments this season.
The only team that’s looked fully formed so far this season is also the only one that’s been perfect through four games, and that’s the Courage. North Carolina isn’t without some flaws, but they do look miles ahead of everyone is the cohesiveness department. Probably, it will come for some of the others with time. Boston looks much improved, Portland has more than enough pieces to make it work, Houston’s still got one of the best goal scorers in the league, Sky Blue will get Pearce back sometime soon. The question right now though is whether anyone will be able to do it anytime soon. North Carolina’s already put five points between themselves and second place Portland, and the Courage will face an Orlando team they already beat 3-1 on Saturday.
With everyone else still struggling to find consistency, and with the season still early, it’s not too late for some of these other teams to correct the problems and start to turn things around. And since everyone’s in pretty much the same boat and they're all playing each other this weekend, now could be the time it starts to happen for someone. Then the question becomes whether any of the teams can do something no one has yet this season — build off that momentum. Or all the games could just end in draws.
All times Eastern
Saturday
Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue FC, 4 p.m., BBVA Compass Stadium (Lifetime)
Seattle Reign FC vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m., Memorial Stadium (go90)
FC Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns FC, 4 p.m., Children’s Mercy Victory Field (go90)
Sunday
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage, 5 p.m., Orlando City Stadium (go90)
Chicago Red Stars vs. Boston Breakers, 6 p.m., Toyota Park (go90)
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