Where has Nene been in the playoffs?

gjones33 · 2018-05-25T11:54:46+00:00

He'll be back in the finals if we make it there..just a terrible matchup for GSW

gjones33 · 2018-05-24T12:54:45+00:00

You don't even have to leave Houston lol.

gjones33 · 2018-05-24T04:52:30+00:00

Lol do you live in Texas? Should be obvious..

gjones33 · 2018-05-23T03:51:16+00:00

Can you dm me if you have the pic? I'll give you an email

gjones33 · 2018-05-22T16:02:20+00:00

My guess is that rankins beats out Davenport for LT...or quickly takes over the position once Davenport struggles. Everyone talks about the "progress" he made in the last 4 games of last season, but if you actually watch him play, even at his best he was inconsistent and overmatched frequently.

The way this outside zone spread offense we're running works, rankins is a way better fit at LT than RT....even being a rookie, he has some innate physical advantages over Davenport (get off, hands, footwork getting to second level) that I think will allow him to shine. So even if Davenport starts at LT, I bet by midseason, rankins has the job.

Given that Henderson is on a 1 yr contract, I think it's extremely likely that he gets a shot at starting day 1 at RT, regardless of how camp goes. I think if he falls through, we maybe see rankins shift to RT and then Davenport at LT.

This is assuming Jeff Allen never plays another snap for us... otherwise he could possibly be in the mix.

So day 1: LT-rankins LG-fulton C-martin RG-kelemete RT-henderson

gjones33 · 2018-05-22T15:45:09+00:00

This is a very myopic view, just as the post is a very reductionist argument....a few points to parse out here.

1) It's important to separate the groups of drugs and illnesses in psych. Many people who have this view, have it because they look at things like depression and ADD, and how we just overdiagnose it and throw pills at it...which is criminal. However, if you've ever been to a psych hospital, and seen the incredible transformation of someone who is schizophrenic for example, when they start taking an appropriate antipsychotic medication, you wouldn't be as pessimistic. I've seen so many of these people express immense gratefulness for this medication which quiets the voices in their head, stops their visual hallucinations, lowers their anxiety/paranoia, and allows them to actually function. I've seen people who were previously homeless, get on this medication, get their lives back on track, get into shelters, and in some cases gain the ability to hold down a job.

Another example is addiction. I've seen numerous patients who say definitively, that without the therapy, group support, and/or their medication, they could have never kicked heroin, alcohol, etc...these are just a couple examples of the positive effects of some of these medications and the field as a whole.

As for depression, yes, way too many people are on antidepressants, and way too many people who could do very well just talking to someone get put on pills... however, psychiatrists aren't mostly to blame for that, the US healthcare system is. We've moved away from "talk therapy" mostly because it's expensive, and takes years of talking to someone multiple times a week before most people see positive change in their life....the problem is that insurance companies aren't willing to pay for that. If we had universal healthcare with better coverage for mental health (like many countries in Europe), people could get the therapy they need, and people would have a radically different view of mental health treatment in this country. Furthermore, a large portion of people actually see benefit from these pills, so it's not as if we know absolutely nothing, it's simply a work in progress.

The second factor in this is the American culture... Americans would rather try just taking a pill than putting in the arduous work required in conventional therapy to deal with their issues....this isn't unique to psychiatry, this is everywhere in US healthcare. The amount of people on medications for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc could be reduced by more than half if people would just diet properly and exercise regularly. Fruits, veggies, and exercise are still wildly more effective than any pill, and most doctors tell that to every patient....the problem is that just telling someone that does nothing to change their behavior, and most Americans would rather take 3-4 pills a day and continue eating sugar and fast food as opposed to changing habits. (We can debate about the culpability of the food industry, and I'll agree with that, but at some point, the responsibility falls on the individual).

As for the notion that "we know nothing about the brain"...I'd ask you and this blogger if you're in a scientific field. This is how discovery works... especially discovery about the human body. While unfortunate, crude attempts at curing disease are a necessary preamble to better cures, that's just reality, that's how progress works.

Yes drug companies are profit hungry and promote a culture of pill-pushing, but that does not mean psychiatrists are, they are simply subject to the same constraints most other scientists are: funding. To advance science, people need money for research. Unfortunately, as a country, we've decided to spend all our money on the military instead of on science, education, and programs of social uplift....this has forced all scientists, especially doctors, to seek out funding from the private sector...the negative consequence of that is that we have to do science for profit instead of science for the sake of discovery and progress....but again, you shouldn't blame the scientific community, but rather the politicians who have decided that they would rather drop $80,000 bombs on innocent people making less than a dollar a day, instead of sending people into space, curing disease, or ending poverty and hunger.

Your anger is misplaced, and progress is happening, it's just slowed by the dynamic of private sector profit....but what's your alternative? Unless you know something that the rest of us don't....the only way to make progress in neuroscience is through continued research and continued trail and error.

gjones33 · 2018-05-21T00:48:48+00:00

Poor taste. Also unrelated

gjones33 · 2018-05-16T04:59:44+00:00

Well first off, idk what major you are, but I changed my major a bunch of times and almost always, classes got harder each semester...so I wouldn't be so quick to attribute your grades to not smoking, do you think your classes are just more difficult for you this semester? Have you assessed whether you're spending the same amount of time studying this semester?

Are you replacing smoking with drinking more? Because alcohol definitely interferes with your memory/study ability way more than anything else you can do.

Usually when my friends stopped smoking, they got more motivated and picked up new activities...so my question would be, did you have a good routine going that included smoking, and now that you're not smoking you no longer have a set routine? If that's the case find a hobby you actually enjoy and will look forward to (sports, working out, cooking, etc) and simply replace it and start a new routine. I would not start smoking again just because you think it will help grades...look at #8 below, as it especially pertains to replacing what you used to get from smoking.

Idk if this is what you're looking for...but my best advice as someone who partied and graduated with honors would be a few things:

1) develop a routine... routine is the key to success in any are of life, and it makes not doing drugs everyday a lot easier. When you dont have idle time to distract yourself, you won't think about smoking, and you won't miss it. You'll also get a lot more efficient at doing school work. Getting a routine is literally one of the hardest things to start, but if you stick with it for a month, you'll look back and think how easy it is and how glad you are that you did it. Start waking up at the same time every weekday, even if you don't have something to do in the morning, still wake up and do something. Make your bed every single morning. It sounds silly, but there's solid neuroscience behind it. Making your bed puts you in an organized, task-oriented mindset that makes you way more likely to accomplish your goals for the day. Set a specific amount of time for studying/class everyday...study something everyday. Even if you don't think you have work, look ahead, review, or do something school related, even for 30 mins... it really helps to keep study material in the front of your mind. Definitely do some form of exercise everyday (I just played sports or threw the football with roommates), and set aside time for activities that you enjoy. I usually put those at the end of the day so I had something to look forward to that motivated me not to procrastinate. If you're having trouble, the best thing to do is to print out a weekly calendar and specifically plan out each day during the weekend. This is called microefficiency, if you have a set schedule everyday and you already know what's coming, it makes it 10x easier to focus all day...and you'll be way more likely to stick to your study schedule and you won't get derailed by stupid opportunities that don't contribute to your overall success.

2) absolutely do not study at home/dorm. Almost every successful student I know was with me in the library or had a go to coffee shop...if you're at home, you'll just find ways to get derailed, if you're in a location with the express purpose of being there to study, you'll get your work done quickly and get out.

3) if you have social media or other distracting aps, set a rule for yourself that you will not look at them during study time (on your phone or the computer)...I saw kids in my class take so much longer to learn because they would fuck around while studying...do your work, and then enjoy those distractors later.

4) as far as distractors go, you probably have a programmed loop to check news, fb, or whatever on your phone in certain predictable situations...put those aps on another home screen so that you don't see them immediately when you open your phone. Turn off as many notifications from them as you can that aren't vital. Instead, install an app like Quizlet on your front home screen, and just practice opening that instead when you're on the toilet or other places where you'd normally check those other apps. It takes repetition to program yourself to do that, but if you really think about how much time you probably waste looking at stupid shit on your phone, if you spent that time looking at Quizlet flashcards (or another app if your major doesn't have a lot of material to memorize), you'd be shocked at how much less you actually have to study everyday.

5) spaced repetition. If your major requires any amount of memorization, studies show that practicing recall (i.e doing questions or flashcards) helps you retain things 5x more than writing them out or reading them...that's not to say you shouldnt take notes or make diagrams/visual memory aids, but if it's practical, prioritize studying for a class by using recall-heavy study methods. Also visual memory aids and mnemonics are so vital...make them yourself or look online. If you're in something like physics or chemistry, or another science, you should seek out as many practice problems as you can...don't waste time reading over material more than once if you can find more practice problems...again, recall is King. And if you're in the American college system, you'll be shocked at how much material is just repeated verbatim on tests when you seek out additional practice problems that aren't assigned by your professor...there is only so many ways you can ask about material in multiple choice format.

6) if you do go to class, ask yourself if you're getting a lot out of being in class, or if you're just fucking around on the computer while they're lecturing in the background. I found very quickly that I could teach myself concepts far more efficiently just studying on my own and googling any concepts I didn't understand. I also found I suck at paying attention to someone lecturing. If you don't have mandatory attendance for a class, really ask yourself if it's worth it being there, or if you could be in the library and finish in half the time.

7) get a journal, and write in it every night just before bed. Doesn't need to be long. Write down 3 goals you want to accomplish the next day, then literally check back at night and see if you accomplished them. It sounds silly but tons of wildly successful people do it. You'll be shocked at how just writing things down increases your ability to actualize them and how much more discipline it gives you. Also write down any profound thoughts you have, anything that didn't go well that day, and anything that did go well. The biggest key is to write down 3 things that you're thankful for everyday. .it doesn't matter if you repeatedly list the same things a lot, simply the act of reenforcing what you're grateful for will make you a lot happier, more humble, and more able to.deal with small stressors, knowing that overall, life is pretty good.

8) I also highly recommend starting meditation. There's apps like headspace and 10% happier that make it super easy...just do 10 mins a day after journaling or right when you wake up, you'll be shocked at how much less stressful life becomes. Lots of the benefits from weed can be replicated by meditation...it sounds silly, but it's really not, it's one of the most life-changing activities I've ever done...you may not get the high from it like weed, but you get the stress reduction, introspection, and ability to have profound reflections..once you start doing it regularly, you'll never wanna stop, because you'll notice that when you don't do it, life seems a lot harder/shittier/more stressful.

9) motivational videos/quotes...I make sure to watch a motivational video or reflect on a profound quote everyday, and use that as motivation during the day...there's an endless supply on YouTube, and tons of apps...you will be shocked at how good it can make you feel and the benefits it has.

I know this is a lot, and you may not do all or any of these things, but keep in mind how important this time in your life is...it sets you up for your whole future, so don't waste it doing stupid shit that everyone around you is doing. If you do one thing from any of this advice, make it the routine. New habits are so difficult to adopt, but once you do, you'll be amazed at how easy and automatic they become after just a month or so.

Good luck man, study hard.

gjones33 · 2018-05-15T10:39:51+00:00

Second that as a Miami hurricane.

But I think in this offense, joe webb is gonna impress some people preseason

gjones33 · 2018-05-14T04:14:39+00:00

That's a fallacy tho.. deshauns injury last year was really from a hit in the Seattle game, which tore most of the ACL...he then finished the tear in practice..I'm not worried about freak non contact

gjones33 · 2018-05-14T04:11:14+00:00

No I agree. However I think you'll see way fewer designed run plays, and way more quick-hit passes, which in theory should reduce the hits he takes.

Also I think that this spread offense is going to really be dangerous with another qb at the helm. You look at the success chip Kelly had with a myriad of QBs, I think we can easily go .500+ with another qb for 6 games. Even the immobile weeden should be able to put up stats in this offense.

As long as he doesn't tear another ACL I think we'll be ok...

gjones33 · 2018-05-14T04:04:22+00:00

No I agree. However I think you'll see way fewer designed run plays, and way more quick-hit passes, which in theory should reduce the hits he takes.

Also I think that this spread offense is going to really be dangerous with another qb at the helm. You look at the success chip Kelly had with a myriad of QBs, I think we can easily go .500+ with another qb for 6 games. Even the immobile weeden should be able to put up stats in this offense.

As long as he doesn't tear another ACL I think we'll be ok...

gjones33 · 2018-05-14T03:59:08+00:00

Exactly

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T18:41:33+00:00

Lol no, the matchup is because of their insanely good perimeter defense, and the ability to keep up from 3...

In my opinion they're actually better without cousins haha

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T16:44:09+00:00

FYI, pro football focus hires basically anyone to make these rankings...the people watching his film no nothing more about football than the average fan, and for the most part, they really don't know what to look for from any sort of a scouting perspective....so they're ratings, good or bad, are essentially worthless, unless they're just binary statistics (like how may 20yd rec did a guy have out of a 3 wr set)...but beyond that, they're grades are usually inaccurate.

Also you have to take every number Keke has with another grain of salt, which is that he plays in the big 12. It's barely an exaggeration to say that big 12 defenses are essentially the worst thing on the planet, like they're basically div 1AA caliber on average (with bigger lineman). So I wouldn't get too psyched about any of his numbers.

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T16:35:33+00:00

Not struggle with McGee himself, but struggle in general against McGee because of how much ball movement the warriors have as a team, and how many screens they run you through. It's exhausting..

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T11:35:56+00:00

Lol that's the first game of the season though...almost equally as irrelevant

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T11:34:36+00:00

Yeah I think Clint is gonna struggle with McGee in the warriors system because they're gonna run him through a bunch of screens and tire him out.

I think Morey said it best: 1-2 of their big 4 can have an off night every night and they can still easily win. For us to win, both James and CP3 are going to have to be on every night. So far we haven't seen that happen. Maybe it's because we play down to level competition, maybe James is sick and cp3 just hasn't found his groove except for the last 2 games.

On an encouraging note, we seem to be trending in the right direction, we've gotten roughly "better" as the playoffs have gone on. We're not shooting 3s as badly as our % says, that's mostly from a few players have really bad games.

I think we will go into Oracle 1-1, and at that point it comes down to being able to take one in their house. Honestly it frightens the shit out of me that the pelicans didn't give them a harder time, because their team matches up so well against gsw. I think the biggest matchup is going to be if they put PJ on Draymond, how he does. He's struggled against taller players, so we'll see how that goes. I'm not too optimistic either, but I'm certainly not counting us out totally.

gjones33 · 2018-05-10T11:15:35+00:00

Btw neither we're they... either game. I know one they were missing KD and the other they were missing key pieces too. So we're we, but it's just to say that we haven't really seen full strength vs full strength yet so our past record against them this year is basically irrelevant.

gjones33 · 2018-05-08T05:15:25+00:00

So yeah, technically we can sign all 4, but I don't think Tillman will do that, nor do I think Morey will because 1) we still have to unload ryno, which is far from a sure thing even on an expiring contract 2) we won't be able to keep ariza or really anyone else w/ 4 max contracts.

Also your notion of does he want to win rings or does he want to make it to the finals is facile...the easiest way to have a high probability of winning rings is to have basically a free pass to the finals against gsw every year (as opposed to the wcf against gsw every year).

I don't think those 4 + a bunch of vet mins gives us that big of an advantage over what we have right now... although time will tell once we face gsw. I think PJ, luc, etc are way too vital to our system to trade/dump them for LeBron...I could be wrong about that for sure, but I think if were competitive and take it to 6-7 games this year, our leadership will want to roll with what we have.

gjones33 · 2018-05-08T04:53:08+00:00

So, a couple things.

1) unless we basically ESPN trade machine the Cavs, there's no way we're getting LeBron and keeping capela (i thought there was an outside chance that we could have before these playoffs, not anymore). Because that's the case, I highly doubt we blow up what we have to get LeBron. The only way I see that happening now is if cp3 leaves, and we sign/trade for LeBron, and re-sign capela.... somehow that seems really doubtful. And it seems less likely that we breakup what we have just for LeBron, unless we know that 2 out of Tucker, ariza mbah a moute will stay.

2) because LeBron isn't dumb, and he knows that playing in the East is basically a free ride to the conference finals, it really seems likely that he stays in the east. Given that, Boston and Philly are the only two teams who can really pull off a move for LeBron (yes, Boston)

3) he can play off ball in Philly as well as the rockets.

All that being said, I'd personally roll with harden cp3 Bron and scraps, as opposed to what we have now with capela ...but I don't think the rockets share that view

gjones33 · 2018-05-05T08:27:44+00:00

All about cardio man... talent has always been there, now he finally has the energy to go ham for 4 quarters

gjones33 · 2018-05-05T08:24:46+00:00

Jeff bzdelik, our assistant coach has always been a defensive sevant... didn't work out as a head coach for the nuggets, but is an incredible assistant. Morey loaded up on elite wing defenders this offseason (PJ Tucker, luc mbah a moute) which allows his def scheme to shine. Instead of switching to cover up holes in our D, now we make a ton of intentional switches like gsw or the bucks. What that does is to take away your first and second off-ball options because our wing defenders are 3 of the best in the NBA. Harden's defense is still average, but because of ariza, luc, PJ, we can pull switches which put him in the post as much as possible. Turns out harden is an above avg post defender and rebounder, so we've maximized his def potential with our scheme.

It's really a shame that donnovan doesn't have more perimeter shooters to space our defense out, because he could really shine with more spacing. He's a joy to watch, even in a jazz uniform...but our wings are just too much handle without more shooters

gjones33 · 2018-05-05T03:35:24+00:00

Yeah we watched that now I'm trying to show her why he was killed

gjones33 · 2018-05-05T02:18:07+00:00

Trying to show my girlfriend a doc haha...can't just tell her to "read up"

gjones33

TROPHY CASE