2014 NBA draft/off-season thread

I wish people would understand the whole "mentoring" thing.

I'll copy what I've previously said about the mentoring issue with regard to Manning and Luck. It also applies to LeBron and [insert young player here].

People who say Manning would never mentor Luck (or anyone else) are missing the point.

See, here's the deal about mentoring. The old guy/star/starter doesn't have to like it. He can be an absolute ass to the new kid and treat him like something he stepped in. He doesn't have to work at it or take him aside and show him techniques or point out that the Mike backer shading ever so slightly to one side means a blitz (or whatever).

But the new kid will be in every quarterback meeting with the old guy. He'll hear everything the coaches tell him and most of the things the old QB tells the coaches. He'll watch him practice every day, watch film with him during the week and go over the game plan with him before every game. The kid will see where the old guy goes with the ball when certain situations come up, and will find out why when they go over it in the Monday meeting. The QB coach will make sure he tells the new kid as many of the old guy's tricks and tips and reads as he knows.

Don't you think the kid will get something out of all that? Maybe a lot? Even if the old guy completely blows off the new kid, he'll still be mentoring him.


The only difference in basketball is that the older guy can shut the young guy out by not passing to him, etc. I don't think LeBron would have done that.

 

I was thinking about an interesting debate. Even though Popovich hasn't retired yet - has he had a better coaching career than Red Auerbach?

 

Slow day at the chemistry/genentics/exercise office?

 

Isn't this a sports/news section? Why don't you stay on-topic? If you don't have anything important to say then go spam somewhere else.

Thanks!

 

Was that necessary?

 

It's definitely worth a discussion. Five in an era of 30 teams is probably harder than nine in an era of nine or 10 teams.

 

Work is slow since Biogenesis went tits up.

 

The "mentoring" cliche storyline so overflogged in sports is still bullshit.

If it held validity, there would be a noticeable tendency in almost all sports for great players at the same position to follow in the footsteps of superstar teammates.

Instead it's quite rare, rare enough for exceptions to be remarked upon.

 

There's a big difference between mentoring a teammate and mentoring the guy who was brought in to replace you.

As far as this trade is concerned, this is going to be one of the rare instances where a team gets decent return on trading a superstar. Usually in the NBA, the team getting the superstar just rips off the other team by giving mediocre players and draft picks that wind up being worthless. The Garnett trade to Boston and the Anthony trade to NY jump to mind.

 

TO THE MODERATORS: If you feel the need to move this to the "D.C. Cabs" Thread, let me know, please. THanks. I post this with the hope the thread will not get locked (And hoping no D-B).....

CBS' Phil Simms & NBC's Tony Dungy say they purposely will not use the word "Redskins" this season. The original thread was locked. Fox's Troy Aikman said he will continue to use it (Good!!).

I personally wish the P-C crowd would get a grip. That is the team name. Get over it.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/phil-simms-tony-dungy-will-not-use-term-redskins-referring-washington-franchise-on-air-081914

I understand there are people who are GENUINELY offended, and I understand that, but they should have been complaining sooner (in some cases), but for years it was this nickname and no one said a word. But now, the world does this idiotic P-c business and suddenly, it's wrong. Then there's the patent issue (also a wrong decision).

Then we also have newspapers who suddenly go high and mighty and won't use the nickname after YEARS --no, make that DECADES of doing so. Get over yourselves. The high and mighty act doesn't work with me.

I know I have caused some of you to get very angry with this rant, but that wasn't my intention. I just want my opinion about this kind of thing heard and understood (if not appreciated). OK, Gang.....carry on!

 

Which has what to do with the NBA off-season?

 

I think the Bucks did quite well in the Kareem trade in 1975. They acquired Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, Elmore Smith and Dave Meyers.

Winters and Bridgeman have their numbers hanging in the rafters, Smith was an excellent defender who was eventually traded for a first-round pick (Ernie Grunfeld), and Meyers was a heck of a player before missing a full season with a back injury and then retiring young to devote more time to his family and the Jehovah's Witnesses.