Tag: Paul George

1.5.21 Hoop Tales: We’ve Been Expecting You, Mr. (Kyle) Anderson Edition

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Memphis Grizzlies 2019-2020 Player Previews: Kyle Anderson - Grizzly Bear Blues

Monday: 1-2 (-1.15 units)

Season: 12-17 (-6.81 units)

Recap: The Sixers look great and continue to be a strong 1st quarter spread play. The Bucks scored 125 points and it felt like Giannis scored all of them instead of DiVincenzo. Fox finished 5 points shy of his over and the Kings getting blown out early did us no favors.


First Pick: Kyle Anderson O13.5 pts vs LAK (-118)

Fact #1: Anderson is averaging 18.6 PPG over his last five contests, including 18+ in four of those outings.

Fact #2: In the first game of this series, he totaled 18 on a season-high 19 shots, despite going 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Fact #3: The Lakers allow an average of 26 PPG to the small forward position.


Second Pick: Kyrie Irving O27.5 pts vs UTA (-132)

Fact #1: Durant (health and safety protocols) is out tonight, missing his second game of the young season.

Fact #2: There’s an average of 17.5 shots per game up for grabs this evening.

Fact #3: In his first 10 games in BK last season without Durant, Irving averaged 28 PPG and I would expect a similar full-game effort tonight.

That 2nd pick was TLC until I saw he wasn’t starting tonight.


Third Pick: Nikola Jokić U24.5 pts vs MIN (-120)

Fact #1: Joker is leading the league in assists per game at 12.8, which shows he’s focused more on doing more in the offense than just scoring.

Fact #2: Joker has scored 25+ against the Kings twice this season and is 0-4 at that number against everyone else, including a 19-point triple-double effort in the first game of this 2-game series.


Fourth Pick: Clippers -2.5 1st quarter spread vs SAS (-118)

Fifth and Sixth Picks: Paul George O3.5 Made 3Pters (-134) and O24.5 points (-110) vs SAS

PG has been ruled out tonight with an ankle injury, so I’m not playing Clippers -3 1dt quarter spread anymore.

1.1.21 Hoop Tales: So Many Games (10), It feels like a Holiday Buffet Edition

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Do the Cavaliers Hit a Midseason Wall? | Inside the NBA | NBA on TNT - YouTube
With so many tasty matchups on the slate, I felt compelled to sample a lot of the action.

Thursday: 1-2 (-1.17 units)

Season: 5-9 (-4.75 units)

Recap: JaVale McGee was unleashed to the tune of 1-for-9 shooting in the first quarter — that’s all you need to know about how Cavs +2.5 1st quarter went. Darius Garland came through on his point total, while I underestimated how not ready the Thunder are with their current roster.


First Pick: Hawks Team Total O119.5 vs BKN (-117)

Fact #1: The first meeting on Wednesday saw these two teams combine for 286, which went well over the closing O/U of 240.5.

Fact #2: The Hawks have eclipsed 120 points in every game following their season-opening total of 117.

Fact #3: Even with Brooklyn adjustments to the slip screens, the pace of this game should be very Big 12 football-like again.


Second Pick: Kevin Durant O27.5 points vs ATL (-110)

Fact #1: Durant has reached 28+ points three of his four games this season, including 33 against the Hawks on Wednesday.


Third Pick: Celtics -5 1st Half spread vs DET

Fact #1: Boston is 5-0 ATS in the first half this season, while Detroit is 2-2

Fact #2: Although it’s not in-his-prime Blake Griffin, he’s still a solid contributor, but he be out tonight as he continues to go through concussion protocol.


Fourth Pick: Clippers -1.5 1st Half spread vs UTA (-117)

Fact #1: The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in the first half this season compared to the Jazz who are 2-2

Fact #2: The lone loss ATS in the first half was that drubbing at the hands of the Mavs when Kawhi didn’t play

Fact #3: The Jazz played last night — granted at home — while the Clippers were resting in Utah. If PG13 and The Claw are playing, the Clippers should wear them down early.


Fifth Pick: Gordon Hayward O.18.5 points vs MEM (+101)

Fact #1: If you believe in trends like I do, then you’ll appreciate that Hayward’s point totals have been the following through four games: 28 — 12 — 28 — 11… which should the trend continue, indicates a good game on the horizon.

Fact #2: But let’s support that “outlandish claim” with supporting evidence: The Grizzlies are allowing a league-high 32.8 points per contest to the small forward position early on this season, including a 42-point thrashing at the hands Jaylen Brown just the other day.


Sixth and Seventh Picks: Donte DiVincenzo O11.5 points (-110) and O1.5 Made 3Pters (-134) vs CHI

Fact #1: DiVincenzo has hit at least three 3’s in four of five games and the fifth game featured two makes.

Fact #2: He has also scored 13+ points in four of five contests with the outlier game being a 10-point effort in Milwaukee’s uncharacteristic blowout at the hands of the Knicks (same game with only two made 3s.

Fact #3: The Bulls are allowing an average of 26 points per game to the 2-guard position early on this season.

Team USA Better Assemble the Next Dream Team After This Disaster at the FIBA World Cup

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ESPN – The U.S. will leave the World Cup with its worst finish in a major international tournament, assured of finishing no better than seventh after falling to Serbia 94-89 in a consolation playoff game Thursday night.

The previous worst finish for a U.S. men’s team in 45 tournament appearances was sixth at the 2002 world championships. The Americans — the top-ranked team in the world — will be either seventh or eighth in China, depending on the outcome of their consolation finale Saturday.

Just a couple of days after getting bounced by France in the FIBA World Cup (Team USA’s first loss in 13 years, snapping a 58 game winning streak), they were officially embarrassed today, losing to Serbia in the consolation game. So no gold medal, no bronze medal, now not even a 5th place finish for the most disappointing Team USA in my lifetime.

I understand its just FIBA, I really shouldn’t care. Maybe I care more because half the team is made up of Celtics and it reflects poorly on my hometown team’s chances this season. Sure. Or maybe its just embarrassing for the US to send a team of kids and scrubs to represent the country before getting their teeth kicked in. This ain’t the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team.

This team was in trouble from the second that Turkey game ended last week and we all knew it.

I also get that its become more and more popular for NBA stars today to obsess over their bodies and to manage their workload. The NBA season is long and LeBron can’t lead Team USA every single year, but where was James Harden or Anthony Davis? Steph Curry? Kawhi Leonard? Russell Westbrook? Kyrie Irving? Paul George? Klay Thompson?

Even guys like Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and Damian Lillard could’ve carried this team to gold. So its a tough spot to be in because the US is expected to win gold every single year, but we invented the damn game and have more than 90% of the best players in the world. I don’t think being the best is asking all that much.

USA Basketball better look at this as more than just a down year; its am embarrassment to the sport. I have enough embarrassment to go around from the US Mens Soccer Team, but at least they’re just not very good. The basketball team can and should dominate. So bring me the next Dream Team. Bring me an outrageous collection of talent and just run other teams out of the gym. Its time for the USA to re-establish its dominance on the hardwood.

Steve Ballmer May Rename the LA Clippers. Here’s My Choice AND Custom Jersey Design

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LA Times – Ballmer would not rule out changing the logo — and the colors, and perhaps even the nickname itself — when the Clippers move into the new arena. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to really step our identity up another level,” he said.

Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Los Angeles?

Women, weed and weather.

Okay whats the second thing? The grizzly bear flag of course.

I’m from Boston and as much as I love the sports teams, the charmfully parochial attitude, and the 8 month long winters, I never pass up a chance to visit California. (Huntington Beach is where The 300s west coast office will be based in 2025)  I’ve also always had a fondness for the California grizzly bear flag because if for no other reason it is a sharp look. You could throw these on a uniform tomorrow and Uni Watch would cum themselves. Actually, hang on a sec….

Without further ado, I introduce the California Monarchs and the below jersey that was custom designed by The 300s.

Monarch was apparently the name of the grizzly bear that was the inspiration for the original Cali flag. Needless to say, I want royalties and commissions when you steal this design for your new LA empire, Mr. Ballmer. If nothing else I might just make this a summer league jersey for my mens league team.

And that my friends concludes this episode of how to kill time at the office on a Monday.

I Know What the NBA All Star Game is Missing

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I’ve had a few days to process the NBA All-Star Game now and I’m honestly amazed I made it through 75% of the game. Damn, that shit is boring. Nobody plays defense, people jog back and forth, and just chuck 3s. Every now and then there’s a nice dunk or alleyoop and Chuck or Kenny Smith says something stupid (pull!), but that’s about all the entertainment there is. There’s honestly less than 5 plays worth seeing, and you can catch those highlights online. To save you some time, here are the only two dunks worth seeing:

Luckily, I know how to fix the game. Make the ASG a real live game of NBA Jam. Limit the number of players on the court to two per side, subbing out every two minutes, make everyone wear flame retardant gloves, and any time someone makes 2 shots in a row light the ball on fire and have at it….

But seriously, it’s time to update the ASG. Adding the draft last year was a good start, but they need to go further. And I think they can do that by taking a cue from NBA Jam. Obviously I don’t mean the part about fire, but remember how every now and then a star would appear on the floor with a number and it would be worth that many points? That’s what I mean. 

Here’s how I would do it: you have 3-4 marked circles on each end of the court, and they randomly light up with a number inside. Each time that number is different. I’d maybe only do it on 15-20% of possessions, but I think that would be enough to add some excitement and keep the players on their toes. 

The game is already an arcade game as it is, why not take it a step further? 500 points in a game would be hilarious. It wouldn’t need to be every time down the court, but if they did it infrequently enough that players would all of a sudden kick the ball out to a spot from way behind the arc, that could add some excitement to the game. It would also force the game to be close, and maybe you do actually see people trying to play defense on those shots. It’s already a chuck-fest, why not make those shots worth more points? Plus, this would open up the floor for even more dunks. Not only that, but there have been murmurs of the NBA considering a 4 point shot, and although I think that would be moronic, it would give them a grounds to test it out. Yo Adam Silver, let’s get it done!

The 300s Podcast: We’re Going Green and Breaking Down the Celtics Offseason

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Friend of the podcast Mattes joins us on this episode as we break down the Celtics offseason thus far, we go around the rest of the NBA, a 60 Second Review of Uncle Drew, and Mattes rips into LaVar Ball. Listen on iTunes, Google Play, and The 300s Podcast is also NOW ON SPOTIFYYYYY

  • What Have You Liked/Disliked About the Celtics Offseason So Far?
  • What is the Future in Boston for Marcus Smart, Kyrie Irving, and Kawhi Leonard?
  • Mattes’ 60 Second Review of Uncle Drew!
  • Should LeBron Be Charged With Insider Trading?
  • Paul George Resigning With OKC is a Win for Small Towns Everywhere
  • What’s Going on With Old Friend Isaiah Thomas?

Carmelo Anthony Traded to OKC; How Does This Affect the Celtics?

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Something I wanted to touch on as it does directly affect the Boston Celtics was Carmelo Anthony getting traded to the Thunder over the weekend. Now obviously Melo’s trade value has plummeted over the years, especially with the $54 Million he’s due to make over the next two years, but it was still a pretty measly return for the Knicks. I guess they just wanted to close that chapter and move on and rebuild (AROUND DOUGIE MCBUCKETS!)

But hats off to Sam Presti. This guy has been getting roasted for years, rightfully so, for blowing up the Thunder and trading away “bench players” like James Harden who has only grown into a Top 5 player in the league. So getting Carmelo Anthony and Paul George this offseason for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, a 2018 second-round pick, Victor Oladipo, and Domantas Sabonis is the definition of pulling a rabbit out of your ass.

Now how does this affect the Celtics? Well its always good to see an elite scorer not land with your biggest rival in Cleveland, which is where a lot of rumors had Melo going. Problem is GM LeBron has gutted this team of assets so the Cavs don’t really have much to offer anyone aside from that brand new Brooklyn pick, which was obviously never gonna happen. But, Melo on the Cavs was a scary thought. Say what you want about the guy, but if he’s the second or third option and can just hang out in the corner waiting for his shot, thats lethal. So him going to OKC helps Boston avoid an even larger uphill battle against the Cavs.

Remember when LeBron said Super Teams weren’t a thing? Welp, What is dead may never die. There are now like 4-5 teams (read: Golden State) that have a real shot at winning the title, which is bad for the league, but great for NBA2K because OKC just became a must play team.

Also, hopefully Carmelo, Paul George and Russell Westbrook don’t murder each other when they’re all gunning for the last shot. Hopefully it works out because I NEED Russell to win a title in OKC soon just to see him essentially host the Haters Ball in his victory speech. I don’t think Kevin Durant would ever recover from the things Russ might say in that speech. Need to see it.

PS – While Carmelo on the Knicks was basically a dumpster fire for the better part of six years, let us never forget that trade spawned one of the best sports commercials of all-time. I’m not even a Knicks fan and that commercial still gives me goosebumps.

Episode 008 of The 300s Podcast (VIDEO)

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Aaaand we’re back. Episode 008 of The 300s Podcast is hot off the presses and we’re diving into the Celtics offseason, grading Danny Ainge’s recent moves and the Paul George situation. We also debut The 300s Ballpark Reviews with the Miami Marlins, how Aaron Judge has put the fear of god into Red Sox fans, the dominance of Chris Sale and we ask what is wrong with David Price? LETS GET IT.

Paul George Now Says He May Not Sign With Lakers Next Year

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Yahoo – “I grew up a Lakers and a Clippers fan,” George says. “I idolized Kobe. There will always be a tie here, a connection here. People saying I want to come here, who doesn’t want to play for their hometown? That’s a dream come true, if you’re a kid growing up on the outskirts of L.A., to be the man in your city. But it’s definitely been overstated. For me, it’s all about winning. I want to be in a good system, a good team. I want a shot to win it. I’m not a stats guy. I’m playing this game to win and build a legacy of winning. I’ve yet to do that. I’m searching for it. If we get a killer season in Oklahoma, we make the conference finals or upset the Warriors or do something crazy, I’d be dumb to want to leave that.” “It’s too early for L.A.,” he says. “It would have to be a situation where the ball gets rolling and guys are hopping on. This guy commits, that guy commits. ‘Oh s—, now there’s a team forming.’ It has to be like that.”
“I’m in OKC, so hopefully me and Russ do a good enough job and make it to the conference finals and love the situation, why not recruit someone to come build it with us? I’m open in this whole process.”

Live look at every Celtics fan who didn’t want to trade for Paul George without an extension first.

Now I’m sure Paul George is just being smart by not burning his bridges in OKC before he even gets there. Just letting the fans know that if all goes well then who knows, maybe he does stay. So maybe he’s just playing politics here.

But if he’s not…Then this make Danny Ainge look like an asshole. If the Thunder have a good season and George decides to stay because the Lakers are, ya know, still a dumpster fire of a team, then that is a disaster.

Now I wasn’t exactly clamoring for Danny to give up the farm for a guy on a 1-year rental, but man people will have a field day roasting Ainge for that one. I can understand Paul George wanting to go play for his hometown team, but if they’re still a lottery team and if LeBron stays in Cleveland, then why would he want to go there? Go play for your hometown team just to get waxed and not even make the playoffs? Fuck that. Get out of Indy, link up with a new team that actually has a shot of winning and stay there and try and build there. You can always live in LA the other half of the year when you’re not playing basketball. So I guess we’ll see, but if PG13 doesn’t sign with LA next year then the Celtics will have missed a huge opportunity.

The Celtics Free Agency Plans are Crashing and Burning and Free Agency Hasn’t Even Started Yet

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I swear to christ, Celtics fans need their own personal J. Walter Weatherman. Blake Griffin re-signs with the Clippers, Paul George gets traded to the Thunder, and now the Celtics free agency plans are spiraling out of control.

We are now BANKING on Gordon Hayward signing with the Celtics or we are all fucked. I forgot my own rule to never get excited about rumored #WycFireworks until the pen was put to paper. This could all have been avoided if Danny Ainge had only left a note.