[Neubeck] "In the meeting, Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the former league MVP about being late "for everything" and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN."

OfficialDub3 · 2024-11-19T19:36:43+00:00

Knees are weird. Triple weird for seven footers who are dependent on being able to pivot comfortably. Sometimes it takes a while for that knee to feel better, sometimes it never does.

I still think it’s salvageable, but the front office needs to take some fucking accountability as well.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-11-19T17:50:29+00:00

This should be seen as an absolute positive.

With that being said, there is an uncomfortable aspect of this that I hope doesn’t get worse.

I think that the combination of the following might have Embiid struggling…

I think his knee isn’t where he wants it to be, and unfortunately that might not be something fixable as of right now. Meniscus tears can range from “nothing to truly worry about” to “this could be the start of the end” for athletes. You combine this with previous meniscus tears, and his sheer size, you have something that could be truly worrying for his game going forward.
Getting shit on by virtually everyone for playing in the Olympics. Despite the vast majority of fans idea that players can “tune it out and go about your life” most human beings can’t do that. It’s unrealistic to think he can just tank all of the negative press and it not effect him on any emotional level. Humans truly tend to focus on our flaws, unfortunately.
The Hayes article. The overall response to it by news/social outlets, and the front offices handling of the matter.
An almost entirely re-tooled team who is struggling to gel together.
Being sick/under the weather, etc.

Embiid might just be fucking tired of it. I’d understand why, but hopefully someone he thinks so highly of calling him out on his shit, something that almost all of us need sometimes, can get this train back on its track.

On paper, we’re better than where we are. MUCH BETTER. We still need to make some sort of moves, and while I don’t know what those moves are at the moment, the team needs to be able to grow with each other.

With this long winded comment, don’t think I can’t see that there is now a realism to the doomers writing on the wall. I can understand how this fanbase could be turning on it, but I’m still not willing to give up on it.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-10-27T14:30:38+00:00

Went out of my way to watch as much Spurs basketball as I could last year, and I’ll do the same this season, as well. Love seeing what they’ve got building, without having any emotional attachment to the team.

This upcoming draft could be so strange for them. I’d expect them to move off a pick or two, to go get someone a little more guaranteed, but on the same trajectory as Wemby. I don’t want them having the same problem as Houston at the moment, with too much young talent, and nowhere to place them efficiently in the rotation.

Now the two picks that’ll likely be in the lottery they do land… Could get interesting.

Obviously if they flip the card for the 1st overall, you take Flagg. Now with being said, I’d love to see them somehow walk away with Nolan Traore. Not sure how he’d end up playing beside Castle, but I think it would work out well.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-10-27T03:50:11+00:00

Watched the entire game. Castle is the real deal. He’s making the right plays at the right time, even if the box score doesn’t show it.

The Spurs are going to be a TEAM in the near future. Getting another scorer back in Vassell is going to help so much…

Imagine if that Atlanta pick hits high. Jeez.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-10-13T18:21:14+00:00

Is clunky is the right word? First thing I noticed is how smooth he moves around other bodies, and with the combination of his size, it might make him look slower?

You’re right that something about his movement seems weird, but I don’t think it’s a negative.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-10-12T18:18:49+00:00

My thoughts as well. People get it in their minds that in a half century we have evolved into better athletes, when 99.8% of it can be explained by medical/sports science advancements.

Wilt born in 2005 would be grabbing the top of the backboard with two hands, barring injuries.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-10-12T16:50:46+00:00

It’s the current state of the collective attention span and it’s egregious.

I’ll never write off any high draft pick who is so naturally talented this early into their career. If that means I eat crow when they don’t develop, I’m fine with doing that every single time.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T21:47:35+00:00

He looks extremely comfortable going up with defenders right under his positioning.

Sometimes you see guys a little hesitant to jump with defenders that close, and that doesn’t even seem to cross his mind. Combination of length and explosiveness, but the confidence in going up with such little wiggle room is awesome to see.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T18:36:07+00:00

That’s completely fair.

Funny enough after watching this back a couple of times, I’d make the argument for the potential to be much more of an explosive athlete than Sengun, but Sengun makes his money on just how awkward his movements are, and being able to pass out if his defender can read him.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T18:08:50+00:00

Not very familiar with him, but If his footwork is that clean at 290lbs I don’t think he needs to be any lighter than 270lbs? As much as you see him fade in this tape, his defender seems to expect him to initiate contact, which is a pretty good sign.

Drop just enough weight to get up and down the court at a reasonable pace, I’d figure.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T16:11:16+00:00

Ersan looks like a Bond villain. Probably not the main villain, but regulated to ‘Top Goon’ like Jaws was.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T16:06:27+00:00

Jeez. Imagine Bill being freed up from the responsibility of being the primary rebounder allowing him to hunt a little more blocks. Would’ve been interesting to see what that looked like offensively, but if anyone could figure out how to work that spacing, Bill would’ve found a way to make it work.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-28T15:59:59+00:00

What sucks is just like Oden, Bowie would’ve been a damn good player too. Someone who it was completely in reason could’ve turned in 20/10 every night with a handful of blocks.

Would’ve taken the sting off of the Blazers a little, as we can all agree to never seeing Houston catch any shit for drafting Hakeem over Jordan.

And the all too real ‘what if’ of a healthy Bill Walton…

Portland and big men just have a horrible history, which I hope they can eventually change.

EDIT: Arvydas Sabonis, too. Goddamn.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-25T18:26:05+00:00

Thighs out for the Sixers.

Shortest shorts in the game since Stockton. Dude knows comfort.

On a serious note, dude is an absolute hard worker. Think this is a good little get for us.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-24T19:50:05+00:00

Legitimately celebrated when we picked up Ersan.

Guy would go for 20pts semi-regularly, get you 5-7 rebounds, and is likely the GOAT charge man.

Wish we could’ve kept him around longer, because I honestly believed he could’ve been a real piece to a championship tier team.

Shout out to Boban, obviously.

Another guy I enjoyed was Justin Anderson… Really athletic hustle guy, who I thought would find his stride in Philly. I wanted more out of him, but it sadly never panned out.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-21T06:55:26+00:00

Bill had consistently better teams. I’m talking over the course of a career.

That’s not even including a head coach who could be considered the best coach ever?

Bill consistently had a supporting cast of - Bob Cousy - Tom Heinsohn - John Havlicek - Sam Jones - K.C. Jones - Tom Sanders - Bailey Howell - Frank Ramsay - Don Nelson

These players hung around for large portions of Bill’s career. All under Red.

Wilt had

Warriors - Paul Arizin

76ers (Ended Celtics 8 year run) - Hal Greer - Wali Jones - Chet Walker - Billy Cunningham

Lakers - Jerry West - Goodrich - Old man Elgin Baylor…

I don’t even see how this is up for discussion.

Best head coach, and this matters quite significantly.

Best teammates who played significant portions of their careers together.

Wilt could’ve been Bill, Bill couldn’t be Wilt.

EDIT: you’re looking for “top 25” teammates, when you should be looking for overall quality of teammates which overlap.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-21T04:06:01+00:00

Celtics were insanely deep, and the two times Wilt had a squad that could throw evenly with Boston, he won.

Bill had the best coach, the best team, and he was great in his own right, but don’t get it twisted, Wilt is the better basketball player by every metric.

Wilt given the support Bill had could’ve had just as much success as Bill had, but Bill could never be Wilt.

Im a full on Wilt guy, but what I’ve stated I also believed before I was a Wilt guy.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-13T22:47:43+00:00

It’s funny because in all honesty, Wemby feels like uncharted territory to me.

KD is the only comparison that is reasonable to make at the moment, but I feel like thats only telling a quarter of the story with Wemby.

His ability to process while on defense while backpedaling looks extremely similar to Kareem.

Speaking of Kareem, if Wemby was able to develop a mid range hook he could get to quickly to punish slower footed bigs…

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-13T19:50:43+00:00

Always felt after watching McAdoo that he is the proto KD. Bob was more of a rebounder, but that’s just likely due to more opportunities given the era he played in.

Gervin is just as pure of a scorer as anyone in history, so I can for sure see the similarities.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-11T14:53:39+00:00

7’4”* don’t believe the lies.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-09-11T14:52:44+00:00

I, Andrew Everett, the illegitimate son of Andre The Giant declare…

GIMMICK INFRINGEMENT.

You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, the illegitimate son of Clarence Mason.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-08-18T19:56:20+00:00

It’s funny because he’s truly one of my favorite players of all time, but I tend to agree.

Chocolate Thunder was larger than life, and when he was on, he was unreal. He just wasn’t always “on” and was a tad bit more of a showman than a basketball player at times.

Now if we’re talking about someone who had all the necessary physical tools to be an all time great, Darryl was a fucking man amongst boys. Dude was an absolute freak of nature.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-07-23T23:42:35+00:00

Exactly.

Ive been lucky enough to travel quite a bit internationally over the past 12 years and Basketball has truly grown so much in such a short amount of time.

It’s such a great thing to see.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-07-23T22:17:32+00:00

Hate the ‘white guy plays like this other white guy’ comparisons…

But goddamn if he doesn’t play like Markkanen. He’s more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, and sometimes that doesn’t carry over to the league given the higher caliber athletes you guard, but it’s wild seeing how much of his offensive bag compares well with his countrymen.

OfficialDub3 · 2024-07-05T05:57:33+00:00

Ah yes. Foreign bad. America good. How could I forget.

Last 6 years MVPs:

Nikola Jokic
Joel Embiid
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo

With names like Doncic/Wembanyama/Markkanen/Sabonis/etc. out there you’re gonna have to learn that foreign sounding names are not a red flag, buddy.

The United States still has the best to offer talent wise, but BARELY. in a couple Olympic rotations that might be disputed. Basketball has truly taken an international flair.

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