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sunflowerhotline · 4 years

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ASTRO OBSERVATIONS PT.3

🦩Neptune in 1st and 5th people can often suffer from conditions like body dysmorphia due to an innate inability to see themselves as they truly are. keep in mind that this is not always the case but it is certainly very common with this aspect.

🦩In synastry, jupiter, uranus and/or venus in the 1st house is indicative of the planet person loving the house person’s body. jupiter likes and appreciates the ascendant’s body and usually goes out of their way to make the house person feel good about themselves, inside and out. uranus tends to be wholly accepting of the house person’s body which is usually a very welcomed feeling for the house person. venus usually sees the house person as their physical ideal.

🦩Aquarius MC natives usually do something first, then people follow. they’re trendsetters.

EX: Matisse Thybulle (20° Aquarius MC) is the NBA player who started “NBA Bubble Vlogs” and then many other players started doing the same thing.

🦩The house that the 8th house ruler falls in indicates your soulmate.

EX: 8th house ruler (Saturn) in 11th could indicate that your soulmate is one of your [older//male] friends.

🦩2nd house ruler in the 2nd house indicates spending money on or investing in things that bring you comfort. this is also a position indicative of emotional eating and emotional shopping.

🦩people with 8th house suns and 11th house suns tend to be very difficult people to truly get to know.

8th house suns are more outwardly mysterious so it’s less surprising when one realises they don’t know much about them.

11th house suns are seemingly more open and are very friendly. they relate to people in a way that gives others the impression that they know everything about them when they really don’t.

🦩mercury in 12th house people have others talk over them on a regular basis. they’ll be in the middle of a sentence and someone just cuts them off and starts talking about something else or they just get ignored completely.

🦩a lot of people with 10th and 11th house stelliums are actually introverts. they can be social butterflies when they’re ready and they do love interacting with others and meeting new people but social interaction can actually be draining for these people. these are the people who are the life of the party when they go to an event but then disappear and go into hibernation for 3 months after.

🦩moon square saturn in synastry is a lot more common than people even realise. many, many, many married couples have this aspect together! it may be a more difficult aspect to have but the people who have this aspect in their synastry usually believe that they’re gonna be together forever (and they usually are) so eventually they decide to work out their problems. i’ve noticed that couples with this aspect get closer to each other after experiencing any kind of hardship or tragedy; their bond is strengthened through overcoming things together. it’s not easy but it is an indicator of undying devotion.

🦩pisces and sagittarius placements get along way better than cookbook astrology gives them credit for. they seem to really compliment each other. pisces usually softens sagittarius up and sagittarius usually appreciates the pisces kindness. they accept each other’s differences really well and allow each other to be who they are. they give each other the freedom they both require.

🦩someone’s ascendant conjunct your midheaven (mc) may indicate that you look up to them. in a sense, they’re everything you’ve ever wanted to be…or they at least come off that way

🦩people with hard mercury-saturn aspects have deep and (kinda) monotone voices. they have a tendency to talk slowly; they take their time with their words. when explaining something they also have a tendency to say “uh//hmm//umm” or “do you know what i mean?”. they’re voices are also pretty recognisable

EX: Harry Styles (Aquarius Mercury @ 29° conjunct Pisces Saturn @ 0°) has a distinct, deep speaking voice. In interviews, he is known to speak slowly as if he’s really thinking about what he is saying or is about to say. he is also a frequent user of “ahm” in his sentences.

🦩virgo placements are really good at folding.

🦩MANY MANY MANY MANY musicians have neptune in 3rd. it bestows a sort of mesmerising musical talent to the natives who are blessed enough to have this placement. they have great voices and may also be gifted with instruments.

EX: Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Madonna, Kurt Cobain, Britney Spears, Harry Styles (again lol), John Mayer, Jaden Smith, Dua Lipa, Marvin Gaye, Louis Armstrong, Halsey etc.

🦩neptune in 10th natives can have a “can’t-do-wrong” reputation. people can see them as angels on earth even when that may not be the case. these people could also do some kind of humanitarian work for a living or be involved with many causes. many people with this placement complain about being seen in a way that isn’t who they truly are. neptune in the house of public perception tends to allow others to project whatever they want onto the native; they can be very misunderstood by people around them.

EX: Diana, Princess of Wales, Oprah Winfrey, Jesus Christ, Bernie Sanders, Walt Disney, Aaliyah, Gigi Hadid.

🦩women with their moon in a house ruled by a masculine planet (1st, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th) could have many male friends but have trouble maintaining some friendships with men because the male friend may develop romantic feelings for her. it happens A LOT.

the opposite goes for men. men with their moons in feminine houses (2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th) could have many female friends but one or a few of them may develop feelings for him. these are more private houses so she/they may never confess their feelings

🦩people with 10th house venus often attract and go for older partners and im not talking about people who are like 20 years older (ik that can happen but it’s a rare case) but people who are like right outside their age group so maybe 5-6 years older.

these people can also experience getting “hit on” by older people while they are very young.

🦩air mars gets a reputation for being lethargic, overly polite, non-physical and low energy but air martians just need an outlet to put their energy into. lots of athletes have air mars

EX: Kobe Bryant (Libra Mars), Kyrie Irving (Aquarius Mars), Bam Adebayo (Libra Mars), Tiger Woods (Gemini Mars), Tom Brady (Gemini Mars), Lance Armstrong (Aquarius Mars), Lou Gehrig (Libra Mars), Floyd Mayweather (Aquarius Mars), Marcus Smart (Aquarius Mars)

🦩lots of basketball players also have venus-mars aspects

EX: Kawhi Leonard ( conjunction in Leo), Kobe Bryant (conjunction in Libra), Jayson Tatum (sextile - capricorn/pisces), Vince Carter (sextile - pisces/capricorn), Steph Curry (trine - taurus/capricorn), Zion Williamson (conjunction in Cancer), Lonzo Ball (conjunction in Sagittarius), Magic Johnson (conjunction in Virgo)

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sunnypogue · 4 years

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GIRL CLIPPERS LOST LMFAO board man and george paul blew a 3-1 lead im crying. no more kawhi over steph because of the three one lead. everyone saying raptors need kawhi: nah bitch kawhi needs the raptors. he and lowry led their teams to the exact same spot, round two game 7 in the playoffs except raptors made it to game 7 after being down 2-1 and clippers blew 3-1. babe max kellermen deadass said he would shut up about kawhi forever if they lost lmfaooo. no more kawhi over lebron debate either

I saw!!! I cannot believe they gave up Everything for PG and were bounced by the nuggets. truly misplaced my faith in kawhi lol

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cherrysnax · 5 years

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Joy, Honey Havens?? They looked really cool on ur phillyverse oc lineup!!!

ahhh this got rlly long but im on mobile so i cant rlly do anything about it 😔

Honey Havens/Hani Halabi/Hex

joy

1. What makes them happy? Honey is one of my relatively happier characters as of late.. because she‘s just baby; so a lot of things make them happy. But especially he really loves getting new comic books (specifically when they’re about Philadelphia‘s own Flock, or eventually about some of the superheroes close to them). Using his magic to mundane things fills him with a giddy feeling as well. Being the human alarm clock, since he doesn’t sleep, and seeing all the grumpy looks on his teammates faces. Her team makes her happy, obviously; they’re like a little messed up family. Headscarves with flowers also make them happy and when people offer to help him decorate his hijab, he’s on cloud nine. He also loves food! If you offer him Five Guys,, he trusts u with his life.

2. Who makes them happy? There’s a lot of special people in Honey‘s life, his team, the other mutants and magic users at his school, but four specific people that make them the happiest. The first and most important is her older foster sister Kawhi, who‘s been with him ever since he was 10.

They have each other‘s backs on everything and honestly, if Honey had never met Kawhi... they‘d be a very different person. Then there‘s retro; who at the time was under disguise. Retro was the first person outside of Honey‘s foster family to want to talk to him, with actual good intentions! Honey sees retro as a cool older sister figure, and was elated when Retro decided to stick with him, Kawhi and the rest of their family full time! Then there‘s Honey‘s boss and teacher Nyla- the first person who really understands Honey‘s powers and helps him on his journey to a powerful mutant who may be Honey‘s only hope to knowing the extent of his magical abilities.

The last person who makes Honey happy is the second soul living inside of him, even if they usually are the cause of his problems ;;. It takes a while for him to understand their presence, even longer for the two to get along, but it’s clear that they’ve been protecting Honey since she was just a baby. The two would do anything for each other.

3. Are there any songs that bring them joy? The song “Everything Stays“ reminds them of their sister, so they associate it with being happy, even of the song is a bit sad.

4. Are they happy often? Honey is content often, but true happiness is hard to come by, even for them. They pretend to be, though. It’s easier that way.

5. What brings them the most joy in the world? One would think that it‘d be being a vigilante or getting better at magic, but honestly? It‘s just being around their family after a good patrol and everyone is still high on adrenaline and alive. That‘s when everything just feels... right.

ask me about my ocs

#phillyverse #oc #phillyverse: oc: honey havens #if i get anymore of these ill jist #make a doc #long post #text #wall of text

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dingbest123 · 3 years

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There's still no skill difference.

Sizeups are not hard to use and do not demand a lot of skill. Dribbling has a lot more to do with only spamming a combo it must also do with NBA 2K21 MT Coins a change of pace aswell. A match with sizeups that automatically set the pace of a move is going to be a lot easier to use as opposed to a sport in which you're needed to create your own speed and use that for your advantage. The sport should separate the Kyries in the Klay Thompsons in relation to dribbling and 2k20 is a step in the right direction in regards to making players place their own pace with their moves.

The dribbling is much more realistic. You can not moonwalk or do glitchy moves now and that's making people mad, even though they're often the same people that were complaining about ut. I think the precise opposite. The moves go together more smoothly this year. Show me a combo and I'll believe it. As I said, demo was out for a day using brand-new controls and default packages. I bet it's going to be better. It is not possible for combos to be greater compared to 16 or 17 (the 2 best 2k games) when 1 I'm talking about it being simpler than 20, and two there has been no opportunity to find shit yet.

Plus you attempt doing smooth combos using Paul George and kawhi Leonard at 19 or 20. They are probably trying to make it harder for individuals to spam combos. I am not digging the shot at all my shots are actually just off I am not the best player but at least with 2k20 I could handle to make 3 pointers with this it is either too short or an airball hopefully that changes from the actual match but idk?

The game is legit garbage. . Sorry to state:-LRB- bourght it last year in hopes of patches but after playing the demo for a couple of hours. . Im not gonna buy 2k21 for sure. Reasons:Ignore no modifications in the circulation of the match - Still the slow, robotic feeling in motion and shooting.Testet such as a 99 overall"Shot Creator" with maxed out shooting and 80's layup and dunks. Even if hitting damm close to ideal release on all open shots. . He still missed 90% of them. A 99 OVERALL RATED PLAYER??? Crap. Dont even get me started on the broad open lay-ups misses.

You get drafted it is all gravy. Glad I do not need to see my player act like a clown at every interview no matter what exactly.

That's the stage lol, he's become such a marketable player. Why do you believe he is about a cover of a game that symbolizes the league so fast... even though the choice after him was obviously better this season? It is all company my guy, even the trailer. These guys will do anything and everything that makes them money, and I get it tbh. Just remember it's people making these games. . .go play deus ex the original,devs alswys have used games to Cheap NBA 2K21 MT hide conspiracy or opinions associated stuff,nice find. You can walk around in nba2k? Can it be like GTA now? Since when? They included a small"open world" concept into the game, and it's only if you literally pick that mode. They have something called"the neighborhood" I believe where you choose your created character into a miniature open world multiplayer area and can buy shoes or clothes or play games from other people's characters.

#nba2k21

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secretcycle · 4 years

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storetshirtonline-blog · 5 years

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Kawhi Leonard Shot Basketball New Balance T Shirt

Im wondering Kawhi Leonard Shot Basketball New Balance T Shirt . How those environmentalist move around? I need this . Do they just walk? Ride bike? I think I know! They ride their big gas clunker to move around that spits pollution into the air that we breathe on. The fires have everything to do with our management of said forest, if we’d allow fires to happen more often we’d cut down on the massive undergrowth that we have now. When used properly fire can be beneficial rather than damaging. It’s natures natural cycle. I need this ! Read Graham Hancock’s books Fingerprints of the Gods and Magicians of the Gods for more info on massive asteroid impacts. Massive forest fires were an issue and problem until we started logging and managing our forests. It is the reason we had thriving economies, a great way of life and people from across the country wanted to live to hear. Kawhi Leonard Shot Basketball New Balance T Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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junker-town · 5 years

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WNBA nearly did All-Star weekend right. But they made the stars fly economy

The WNBA nearly did All-Star weekend right. Then 6’8 Brittney Griner was given a middle seat in coach.

Welcome to The W Is It, a weekly column about all the stuff that freakin’ rules in the WNBA. Have any tips of topics to cover? Find me @mellentuck on Twitter.

When Brittney Griner landed at McCarron International Airport in Las Vegas on the Thursday before the All-Star Game, she was greeted by a limo ready to take her to an upgraded suite at the Delano Hotel. As she walked through the doors of her new room, she witnessed something not seen at any of her previous five All-Star appearances: a room with a common room and supersized bathroom.

It’s here where the Phoenix Mercury center changed before going to a luxurious players-only dinner down the Vegas strip at the Bellagio. There were no ball-signings or media appearances to make. Just the best in the world enjoying a night together.

“It was fun,” Griner told SB Nation of the weekend. “Not that the other ones weren’t fun ... the one in Phoenix [in 2014] was fun. But it just felt like a real All-Star.”

At least it felt that way once the players arrived. The 22 All-Stars still had to fly coach to the event, which meant a middle seat for the 6’8 Griner. She had to pay her own money to upgrade and get the necessary extra leg room.

“If they would’ve listened to [Aces general manager and head coach] Bill Laimbeer on how to get us there, our travel there, to make us really feel like All-Stars, then it would’ve been great,” Griner said. “Like first-class seats, or at least exit row.”

Indeed, Las Vegas’ inaugural All-Star flashed the grandeur the stars of the league’s biggest celebratory weekend has long craved. At the same time, Griner’s flight difficulties showed the league still has a ways to go to improve the All-Star experience for those stars.

Upon arrival, everything was pristine. The biggest draw of the weekend featured a beach party performance the night before the game, with rapper Snoop Dogg and hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea performing at the Mandalay Bay casino and hotel. (Las Vegas Aces star Liz Cambage was set to open the night as a DJ, but technical difficulties scratched that segment.)

The next day, the All-Star Game player introductions were done between sets of Cirque Du Soleil stunts. For the first time ever, the game even had a halftime act, with singer Teyana Taylor owning the stage for the duration of the intermission.

Taylor was able to perform because, for the first time since 2006, the Three-Point Shootout and Skills Competition were not only paired together, but given their own night. For the past three years, the Three-Point shootout was played at halftime of the actual game, and there was no skills contest. Moving the events to Friday night gave the players a second day of spotlight on ESPN and opened the weekend to other events.

Taylor’s performance was a memorable one for the All Stars. In lieu of a halftime speech in the locker room, the players surrounded the stage to enjoy quasi-personal show. First-time All-Stars Diamond DeShield of the Chicago Sky and Odyssey Sims of the Minnesota Lynx took the mic to belt out Taylor lyrics in front of the crowd.

SING IT, @diamonddoesit1 pic.twitter.com/afZVZ3Lffk

— Chicago Sky (@wnbachicagosky) July 27, 2019

Griner also noticed all the other players from around the league in attendance to enjoy the weekend with them. With so much to enjoy around the game, it was hard for them to pass up, even if the alternative was a much-needed vacation. Luminaries included Sky forwards Gabby Williams and Stefanie Dolson, Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird and recent World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe, and NBA All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.

“I’d definitely call it my favorite weekend,” Griner said. “They made a lot of improvements. The aura around everything was great. I think it should be there again.”

But there’s still a ways for the league to go, through no fault of its host. One complaint was the All-Star Game’s early tip time at 12:30 p.m. PT the afternoon following the Snoop Dogg and Iggy Azalea concert. “Come on,” Griner said. “We’re all adults here. Maybe push the game back a little later.”

And then, there were the flights. All-Star Weekend is funded through a partnership between the WNBA and the host franchise, according to the league. Usually, the host franchise is responsible for travel arrangements.

Knowing that, Laimbeer, the coach and general manager of the Aces — and himself a 6’11 former NBA player — proposed setting $20,000 of his organization’s share aside to pay for first-class flights for the 22 All-Stars. But the league rejected the proposal, forcing Griner and her companions to squeeze into coach seats.

“I made a complaint at the board of governors meeting about that specific issue,” Laimbeer told The Associated Press. “They are our best assets, they are our All-Stars; treat them with respect. I apologized to them that I couldn’t get that done.”

Difficult travel accommodations have become a key point of emphasis for the league’s players and coaches. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which expires on Oct. 31, requires all players to fly commercially, which has contributed to frequent in-season delays, cancellations and uncomfortable trips across the country. Last season, 24 hours worth of plane troubles caused Laimbeer’s Aces to forfeit a late-season game with playoff implications. This season, new L.A. Sparks head coach Derek Fisher posted a picture of his team carrying their own bags through an airport terminal.

View this post on Instagram

So after a hard fought win on national television @la_sparks are right back to reality that these women are not being treated like the best athletes in the world!! #facts #hastochange #comeonnow

A post shared by Derek Fisher (@dereklfisher) on Jun 8, 2019 at 5:53pm PDT

“So after a hard fought win on national television [the L.A. Sparks] are right back to reality that these women are not being treated like the best athletes in the world!!”

Still, the league played police for All-Star in the name of fairness and parity. The fear was that Laimbeer’s first-class ticket offer would be seen as a recruiting tactic to lure top players to join Vegas’ superteam in the future. After all, Vegas acquired Cambage, last year’s league-leading scorer, when she requested a trade from a smaller-market Dallas Wings. MGM owns the Aces, and few, if any, other teams can and will match the pockets of the international powerhouse. The league OK’d the upgraded suites, but drew the line at airfare.

The league’s logic mirrors the decision to force Mystics guard Kristi Toliver to get paid a mere $10,000 for what is typically a six-figure role as an NBA assistant coach during the winter. The Wizards and Mystics are both owned by Monumental Sports, so the WNBA wanted to prevent them from using the carrot of a six-figure salary with the same organization to circumvent the salary cap and retain Tolliver as a player.

Yet this anti-tampering fear from the league is wildly misplaced. For one, the WNBA’s current CBA features the core designation, a provision similar to the NFL’s franchise tag that can be used to keep a player for up to four years. This is already one of the most team-friendly perks in all of sports, so what threat would a comped first-class flight really pose to a small-market team?

More fundamentally, the All-Stars deserve better. This isn’t the same as NBA teams offering perks outside the CBA to lure free agents like Kawhi Leonard that make tens of millions of dollars a season. These are the WNBA’s most talented athletes, who already play year-round because a maximum salary — a maximum salary — is worth just $117,500. Their bodies are pushed to limit over and over again, and their health should be the primary concern.

Consider that the All Star showcase was already missing six of the league’s biggest stars due to injury. Reigning MVP Breanna Stewart tore her Achilles in the Euroleague title game (Dynamo Kursk), while teammate and legendary point guard Sue Bird has missed the entire season to arthroscopic knee surgery. Former MVPs Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi have only played 10 games combined due to nagging ailments, and thus missed the weekend. A’ja Wilson, the league’s second-most popular player by fan vote, has been in a walking boot due to a high-ankle sprain in late July. Finally, Maya Moore, arguably the league’s most recognizable face, is taking the year off to focus on “family” and “ministry dreams.”

Vegas’ All-Star set the pace for what the W should bring every year, and players are eager to come back. But it wasn’t perfect just yet.

Now for some fun stuff.

Speaking of ... Candace Parker is BACK!

A hamstring injury has cost Parker all but nine games this season, and she’s looked shaky for most of those. Until this week.

Check out the highlights from @Candace_Parker's season-high performance ⬇️ #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/7YbIwm31P0

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 4, 2019

CP3 was named Player of the Week after a pair of wins showed her score 16 and then 21 points. She looked like her former All-Star self, throwing behind-the-head passes in a win over the Storm. Let’s goooooo!

now candace is throwing THIS pass l.a. is getting rude af and im ready for it pic.twitter.com/vPGgXjxh9N

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) August 4, 2019

Courtney Williams is a PROBLEM

The Sun quietly have the WNBA’s best record, despite being forced to trade top big Chimey Ogwumike to the Sparks before the season. Though forward Jonquel Jones takes a lot of the spotlight, Williams is an assassin. In a win over the Liberty, she scored 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting and also added seven rebounds, six assists and THIS BLOCK.

She’s 5’8.

courtney williams is 5'8 pic.twitter.com/L3wFJztoAc

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) August 4, 2019

Marina Mabrey is disrespectful as hell for this lmao

The L.A. Sparks guard:

Blocked the hell out of Seattle’s Jewell Loyd

Chucked the ball at her to try and gain possession

Dapped up her teammate Tierra Ruffin-Pratt after doing it

Legend.

marina mabrey lmfaaaaoo this is the most disrespectful shit ive ever seen pic.twitter.com/Z6KUDB9lbX

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) August 4, 2019

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jrueships · 3 years

Note

Do you think Russ/kd are back together or still beefing a little?

And who are your otps ?

I think irl their beef isn't as big as the media likes to portray it, russ just gets very competitive on the court and things happen, but overall they're OK with each other!

For my headcanons, I like to write them kinda tense with each other or in that early spot where their arguing was at its highest for extra ✨ pizazz ✨. Or where everything is OK and russ moved on because he's a king LMFAO

For my Otps, I'm pretty much ok with everything really! I lean more toward the slightly more underrated ships rather than the big ones, tbh! And I'm also a BIG fan of platonic best friends! Like bradley beal and russ! I like to think russ is like the cool wine aunt and beal is the fun uncle of their group who care for their team but also roasts them when necessary. And I really like the idea of Russ being a strong single king who got over KD and now he is free to post thirst pics for all to water over LMAO

BUT some of my most liked otps are:

💙 Pg/kawhi (I really like kawhi (even tho originally I was on the fence about him because of the whole demar trade and then he left but ITS ALL GOOD NOW I've created the SOLUTION narrative in my head) because he's just very simple yet complex? I think pg needs that stability but some fun to bounce off of. Also their different fashion senses?? And their personalities kinda clash and I'm a sucker for opposites attracting because they managed to find similarities or things that they love in each other's differing personalities that others kinda hate)

💙 kyle/demar (THEY WERE MY FIRST OTP... I loved kyle lowry and then I found out people shipped him with demar and I was IN!! They're just so lovely.. they can either be written with some ANGST or as very cute long distant husbands now!)

💙 russ/kd (or russ with anyone tbh!!!! But russ/kd can have the ANGST the YEARNING the BETRAYAL or the softness where they've both made up and are now cute boyfriends!! It's like John wall n brad, I think their relationship suffers less when they're on different teams)

💙 Blake griffin/Chris Paul (malewife x girlboss ships make me insane. Plus CP3 needs a boyfriend he does too much)

💙damian/cj (damian is very pretty and cj and him have a CUTE relationship)

💙 bradley/John (angst.. time skips... hate ***)

💙 bradley/Joel (LISTEN.. IT'S MY NEW SEED IM WORKING ON PLANTING INTO YOUR HEADS. RIVALS TO LOVERS IS VERY GOOD. IT HAS HEIGHT DIFFERENCE AND QUARRELING PERSONALITIES THAT THEY CAN FIGURE OUT ISNT ALL THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL!! IT'S C U T E)

💙 donovan/anyone (he's just that cute that he makes anything work)

💙 Marcus smart/anyone (I've been debating Jimmy or giannis tbh but I don't even know why LMFAO. He just has a good personality and I want him to bounce it off with SOMEONE at least)

💙 jimmy/Bam (two handsome kings)

💙 lou williams/pat bev (OKOKOKAYOKAY LISTEN- LISTEN... PAT BEV TALKS NONSENSE AND LOU HAS TO TRANSLATE IT INTO ACTUAL CALM ENGLISH AND HE HAS TO SMOOTH ALL OF PAT'S CHAOS OVER... LISTEN IT'S C U T E ..... altho lou deserves someone better LMFAO)

Any other ship I either forgot or I like but I'm not obsessed with! Like steph/klay or 2jay! I read about them and I'm like awww how cute but then I only end up focusing on whatever stupid shit draymond or Marcus smart is doing LMFAO I'm weak for the funny men. I also like kd/Kyrie because they both get dogged out by the media for their takes LMFAO so they can relate and help each other thru the haters. I just don't really follow kyrie or kd so I don't know a whole lot about them to really obsess over em

#ted talks #ted talks LONG #ted asks #thank u sm for asking!!!!!! i love these kinda asks!!!!!!

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koolwebsites · 6 years

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Free pizza and beer for life? Brewery makes recruiting pitch to Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard looks on against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at AT&T Center.(Photo: Soobum Im, USAT)

With Kawhi Leonard’s future in San Antonio uncertain after a bizarre season in which he played in just nine games due to a quadriceps injury, a local brewery is doing everything in its power to get the two-time Defensive Player of the Year to stay…

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leehaws · 5 years

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Donovan Mitchell (Finally) Looks Like an All-Star

The below has been excerpted from this week’s Outlet Pass, to get caught up on everything else you need to know in the NBA this week read the rest of the column here.

Donovan Mitchell wasn’t bad until a couple weeks ago, but he didn’t pick up where he left off, either. Instead, at 22, he was an inefficient primary option on a team that was struggling to reach the high yet reasonable expectations that entirely depended on Mitchell making a natural step forward.

In December, his True Shooting percentage was 47.3, and the Utah Jazz were never better on offense than when he sat. (Between November 1 and the new year, he only made 27.3 percent of his threes while jacking up 6.6 per game. Bad!) But—cross your fingers Jazz fans—that slump appears to be over, as Mitchell has recently looked like an awesome albeit unsustainable slaughterhouse. He just won his first Player of the Week award (with Ricky Rubio out of the lineup), and has been unguardable at all three levels. Over his last ten games, Mitchell is averaging 26 points, five assists, and four boards on 45.6/41.4/84.3 shooting splits.

Mitchell still struggles to finish at the rim, in part because he’s one of the boldest and most inventive 22-year-olds you’ll ever see. He’s also unconventional, someone who likes to slow down as he nears the basket or hop off the wrong foot in an attempt to offset a shot-blocker’s timing. But given his strength, insane athleticism (let us never forget that he won the Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie, wearing a Vince Carter Raptors jersey), and ability to change speeds whenever he wants, these feel like habits he’ll eventually overcome. Most of his misses are the result of him feeling a real burden to score. They’re attempted against well-positioned defenders that have help, and shouldn’t be tried in the first place.

For every time he makes you feel like someone slipped LSD in your morning coffee…

…Mitchell belches out something like this:

But that’s all fine. Whenever he high-steps into the paint with the ball extended out and over his head, good things usually happen. And numbers aside, how many players can inject adrenaline straight into your veins with more force than Mitchell at his apex? He’s a sonic boom. The one-handed tomahawk he recently unleashed on JaVale McGee’s forehead was spine-tinglingly R-rated; the basketball equivalent to that time Bart almost killed his father and exploded his house.

It was also a prideful declaration: My sophomore slump just evaporated. Also: I’m an All-Star. Mitchell won’t make 44 percent of his pull-up threes the rest of the year (as he recently has been), but that shot’s potential centripetal force can have a real impact on a defense.

Right now, defenders still duck under screens and dare him to pull the trigger. They’d rather see that than a lob to Rudy Gobert or Derrick Favors, or for Mitchell to pirouette into the paint and then kick out to Joe Ingles, Kyle Korver, or Jae Crowder for an open three. But the equation changes if he keeps making them at a high rate. And the tighter defenses play him, the better chance he has to blow by and wreak havoc at the rim.

Over the last 10 games, no player is averaging more shots from drives than Mitchell. And as a general rule of thumb, anyone whose launch pad sits between the free-throw line and dotted circle is awesome:

When conducting a pick-and-roll, Mitchell combines Kemba Walker’s slipperiness with the swift strength of a boxer. He loves rejecting his screen with a filthy crossover, skiing downhill, then changing speeds on a big man who suddenly wishes he could crawl into a hole and wait for the storm to pass.

Utah’s offense has not been good this year with Mitchell running point, and going back to last season they were less efficient when Rubio didn’t play and Mitchell did. But—even though he’s fine operating off the ball, punching off a pin-down or blowing by a hard closeout that was created by his teammate’s slash-and-kick—sometimes it still feels like Rubio is a pair of training wheels stuck to the franchise player. Zero disrespect to someone who consistently makes his team better, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if Utah didn’t feel much pressure to re-sign Rubio this summer. Accentuating Mitchell as their dynamic primary playmaker, with Gobert at the five and a slew of two-way snipers up and down the roster feels like a pretty good plan.

(To counter my own point, a steady diet of high pick-and-rolls is a polite request for inefficiency in today’s NBA, and even though Mitchell is unstoppable executing them in crunch time, he’ll need to attack in myriad ways over the next few years to reach his true offensive ceiling.)

In the meantime, Mitchell’s All-Star case is far from bulletproof. His slow start will be really hard to overcome—both statistically and in the mind of most voters—and the Western Conference remains a boneyard for guards. (Separating yourself from the pack isn’t easy. Look for yourself.) But he’s trending in the right direction, has the 12th-highest usage rate in the league (sandwiched between Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard), and recency bias may become his best friend if the Jazz take advantage of their home-heavy schedule while he delivers 30-point shockwaves every night. Embers from that special player who bum rushed the league a year ago are really starting to glow; when Mitchell is on there’s really nothing like it.

Donovan Mitchell (Finally) Looks Like an All-Star syndicated from https://justinbetreviews.wordpress.com/

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cleopatrarps · 6 years

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NBA notebook: Spurs coach, Leonard meet to discuss

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and forward Kawhi Leonard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, are trying to schedule a meeting as soon as this week to smooth over differences after a rocky 2017-18 campaign, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Mar 19, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) talks with head coach Gregg Popovich during the second half against the Sacramento Kings at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Per the report, they plan is to discuss “any issues or concerns Leonard may have, and hopefully come to a decision” about a possible five-year, $219 million supermax extension that the two-time first-team All-NBA player is eligible to sign this offseason. The report adds that Leonard is still rehabbing his quad injury but is “96, 97 percent” healthy and expects to be ready for training camp in September.

The Express-News reported in late May that the team hoped to mend fences with its star and agree on the extension, which Leonard, who turns 27 later this month, becomes eligible to sign on July 1, sometime this offseason. Leonard played in just nine games, during which he averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds.

—If Kevin Love had his choice, he would play the rest of his NBA career alongside superstar LeBron James. They’re still teammates on the Cavaliers — but that could change soon if James decides to leave Cleveland in free agency, which begins July 1.

“Obviously, I’d love to play with LeBron the rest of my career, but that will be a choice that he makes,” Love told WKYC TV in Cleveland. Love has spent the last four seasons with James in Cleveland, winning a championship with James in 2016.

James has a player option to remain with the Cavaliers for the 2018-19 season worth more than $35 million, according to contract website Spotrac, but is widely expected to test free agency, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, among the teams reported to have the heaviest interest.

—Kevin Durant has won back-to-back NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards and a regular-season MVP, and has nine All-Star appearances. On Monday, Durant, who turns 30 in September, told ESPN that he is thinking ahead toward retirement. “Thirty-five, that’s just a number in my mind.”

Durant, who has worn the No. 35 all throughout his career with Texas, Oklahoma City and now Golden State, averaged 28.8 points during the Warriors’ four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, which ended Friday.

Durant scored a career playoff-high 43 points in Game 3. Over two seasons with Golden State, Durant has averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Durant is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason but has already said he plans to remain with the Warriors. He could sign a max five-year deal in July.

—Reigning NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey agreed to a five-year deal to become coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Casey, who was fired by the Toronto Raptors after a second-round playoff loss to the Cavaliers last month, was selected from a coaching pool that also included Michigan head coach John Beilein, former Milwaukee Bucks coach and NBA great Jason Kidd, Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard — a former Fab Five star at Michigan — and TNT analyst Kenny Smith.

The Pistons will reportedly pay Casey $7 million per season and relented on control of the assistant coaching staff, giving Casey autonomy to hire his own lieutenants, ESPN reported. Adrian Wojnarowski reported Casey had decided not to take the job but with assurances ownership would be patient during a roster rebuild and freedom to select his own coaching staff, Casey got on board.

—Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball is healthy and back on the court after taking about a month off to treat and rest his left knee, on which he received platelet-rich plasma therapy, he told ESPN.

Ball, 20, who played in only 52 games in his rookie season, missed the final eight games with what the team described as a left knee contusion. Ball averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in just over 34 minutes per game.

“I just got back (on the court),” Ball told ESPN at a Big Baller Brand Junior Basketball Association event in Ontario, Calif. “But I have been lifting weights. Nothing stopped me from doing that. I just got back on the court though, but everything is feeling good.”

—The Indiana Pacers’ Thaddeus Young is considering whether he wants to return for 2018-19 for $13.7 million or decline his player option to become an unrestricted free agent, according to Wojnarowski.

The 29-year-old Young, an 11-year veteran, could try to negotiate a new contract with the Pacers or join a formidable list of NBA talent that will be unrestricted free agents or who also hold player options, among them James, Durant, Paul George, Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins.

Young, a 6-foot-8 power forward, averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals a game in 32.2 minutes last season. He, guard Victor Oladipo and center Myles Turner led the rising Pacers, who forced the Cavaliers to a seventh game in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in April.

—As the deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the NBA draft drew near, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported international star Luka Doncic will remain in the field.

Doncic, 19, has been one of the most talked-about names in the lead-up to the draft, with some speculating he could be taken No. 1 overall, and more recent chatter shifting to teams reportedly interested in trading into the top three to take the Slovenian pro.

The reigning Euroleague MVP, Doncic is with his Real Madrid team in the Liga ACB (Spain) finals against Baskonia. The best-of-five series tips off Wednesday. If the series goes five games, the deciding game will be played June 22, one day after the NBA draft, which will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

—Kostas Antetokounmpo, a 6-10 forward from Greece and younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, is staying in this year’s NBA draft, according to an ESPN report, which said he also has canceled remaining private workouts he had scheduled with teams, with no clear explanation.

Kostas Antetokounmpo, 20, averaged just over 15 minutes a game and 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in his only collegiate season for the Dayton Flyers.

His cancellation of workouts has fueled speculation about whether a team has already promised to take him, or whether Antetokounmpo wants to go undrafted so the Bucks could sign him as a free agent.

—Field Level Media

The post NBA notebook: Spurs coach, Leonard meet to discuss appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JzCERH via News of World

#Daily World News #Daily Entertainment #Daily Sports #Today News #World The News

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dani-qrt · 6 years

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NBA notebook: Spurs coach, Leonard meet to discuss

Durant scored a career playoff-high 43 points in Game 3. Over two seasons with Golden State, Durant has averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Durant is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason but has already said he plans to remain with the Warriors. He could sign a max five-year deal in July.

—Reigning NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey agreed to a five-year deal to become coach of the Detroit Pistons.

—As the deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the NBA draft drew near, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported international star Luka Doncic will remain in the field.

Kostas Antetokounmpo, 20, averaged just over 15 minutes a game and 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in his only collegiate season for the Dayton Flyers.

His cancellation of workouts has fueled speculation about whether a team has already promised to take him, or whether Antetokounmpo wants to go undrafted so the Bucks could sign him as a free agent.

—Field Level Media

The post NBA notebook: Spurs coach, Leonard meet to discuss appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JzCERH via Online News

#World News #Today News #Daily News #Breaking News #News Headline #Entertainment News #Sports news #Sci-Tech

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zeroviraluniverse-blog · 6 years

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San Antonio Spurs find 'silver lining' amid playoff struggle

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/san-antonio-spurs-find-silver-lining-amid-playoff-struggle/

San Antonio Spurs find 'silver lining' amid playoff struggle

SAN ANTONIO — Quiet concern brews in the business and ticket offices of the San Antonio Spurs over the prospect of losing the revenue they’d come to expect like clockwork from advancing to 20 consecutive postseasons.

But for Spurs basketball operations, the vibe remains unchanged despite the danger of missing late-April hoops for the first time since 1997.

Twenty-four starting lineups, 185 total games missed — including 61 by star forward Kawhi Leonard — yet not one player, coach or member of personnel has lost focus in the face of current circumstances.

That has allowed the Spurs to run off a three-game winning streak for the first time since late December as they prepare to host the Golden State Warriors Monday night.

“It’s been a frustrating season,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “But the challenges have pulled a lot of people closer. You have to do different things to try to stay afloat. It’s been rewarding, as counterintuitive as that sounds.”

Still, the payoff might manifest itself in the form of a 21st straight trip to the playoffs, which would extend the longest active streak of postseason appearances across all four U.S. major professional sports leagues.

Mounting losses and uncertainty about who will be on the court next to you on a given night — not to mention not knowing when Leonard will return from a mysterious quad ailment — could understandably fracture or at least stress relationships in a locker room; especially in an organization with such a long track record of success.

play

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LaMarcus Aldridge goes off for 39 points and 10 rebounds in San Antonio’s 117-101 victory at home against Minnesota.

After all, the Spurs have held a losing record for just 48 days over a span of nearly 21 years. Adversity, however, seems to be serving as a galvanizing force in San Antonio.

“You’ve got to think: You can find the silver lining in anything,” veteran guard Danny Green said. “These young guys have gotten a great opportunity to show what they can do, and I think this will be great for them moving forward for their careers and for us as a team also to build some character, some depth, some trust and experience with these younger guys.

“We’re hoping when it all comes together that this will be good for us.”

When the Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 24, eight players scored in double-digits (Patty Mills, Bryn Forbes, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Davis Bertans, Dejounte Murray, Joffrey Lauvergne and Green), marking the third time they’ve had eight players score at least 10 points in one game. San Antonio remains the only team in the NBA to accomplish such a feat this season on multiple occasions.

In fact, the Spurs have had a total of 15 players lead the team in scoring this season (outright or tied), which qualifies as the most in the NBA, according ESPN Stats & Information. Even the reserves jump into the act, having outscored or matched the production of opponents’ benches in all but 19 games this season.

“The challenges have pulled a lot of people closer. You have to do different things to try to stay afloat. It’s been rewarding, as counterintuitive as that sounds.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

That’s part of what makes this season so rewarding for Popovich.

“I think everything we do, no matter what our walk of life, you can find things that are rewarding,” Popovich said. “Some things are disappointing. Some things are challenging. Some things are exciting. But it’s rewarding to see guys react to the minutes that they’re getting; some of these young guys that haven’t played much.

“The way they reach out to each other and stay good teammates while the lineups have constantly changed, they’ve shown a lot of empathy and patience with each other in that regard. And I think that has allowed them to keep their heads up. Even though we’ve lost some games down the stretch in fourth quarters, they’ve maintained their ability to enjoy playing with each other. So that’s been rewarding to see that. Because a lot of squads, no matter the sport, may just cash it in in a way, and these guys haven’t done that at all.”

They simply won’t allow it, even though some might disagree with Popovich’s assertion that this season has been rewarding.

“I respect all that, but I want to win,” forward Kyle Anderson said. “That’s what’s most important to me. We’re getting better, we’re learning, and this can only make us tougher in the long run. But I’d rather win those games.”

Team dinners, whether after wins or losses, have long been franchise staples for the Spurs and have been considered to be vital in establishing the selfless culture in San Antonio. And in a diverse locker room that includes players from France, Spain, Latvia, Australia and Argentina, Popovich believes it’s important for the Spurs to get to know one another off the court for them to be more empathetic about the experiences of others, which in turn makes them more accountable on the court.

Danny Green knows the Spurs’ current struggles could be the building blocks of something great: “You’ve got to think: You can find the silver lining in anything.” Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Green explained that over the course of a difficult season such as this one, it’s more important than ever for the players to communicate often and spend even more time together. He pointed out the need “to grow even closer in times like these” because adversity makes teams vulnerable to fracturing.

So the Spurs have held more “group get-togethers” than in previous years, Green said, and the functions vary. Popovich arranged a private screening of Ava DuVernay’s “13th” documentary during a January trip to Los Angeles. During the same trip, Manu Ginobili and teammates Brandon Paul, Mills and Lauvergne toured Elon Musk’s SpaceX headquarters.

From the coaching staff’s perspective, Popovich said “all of us are just more engaged off the court, showing film; showing what’s good transition defense, what’s poor transition defense. For us there’s been a lot more time spent talking to guys before and after practices, at halftime, showing people examples because they don’t have those examples. It’s an opportunity you actually get to coach a little bit more in a sense. It’s fun to teach. These guys, you think, well, they’re grown, [and] they are who they are. But they’re still players who need parameters. They want discipline. They want to get better. So, it’s our job to keep teaching them. As the year goes along, you realize different things.”

For a newcomer such as Rudy Gay, it’s important to place what’s transpiring into the proper perspective. Since Gay’s rookie season in the NBA, the Spurs have played in 153 playoff contests, while he’s appeared in seven.

This time last season, Gay couldn’t even walk after tearing his left Achilles.

“To be honest with you, I take it for what it’s worth,” Gay said. “It’s been a tough season for me, and a tough season for the team. But I put everything in perspective. I’m just happy to be able to play. But I can understand what Pop is saying because we have come together. I’ve felt we have gotten closer as a group, and everybody for the most part is on the same page. Injuries, and us not having everybody, and not being able to play at our full potential, that’s tough on us.

“But we’ve hung together. We’ve never strayed from our goal, which is to win.”

#Antonio #find #lining #playoff #San #Silver #Spurs #Struggle #Sports #Sports News

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Rudy Gay is Turning Into San Antonio's Secret Weapon

The San Antonio Spurs entered free agency hoping to make a splash. Their respect around the league speaks for itself, and any competitive player who prioritizes winning and basketball over money and everything else should view them as an attractive destination.

But instead of adding an obviously helpful name like Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry, San Antonio instead re-signed most of its own free agents (notably Pau Gasol) and decided to roll the dice with a two-year, $17 million deal for Rudy Gay, a mostly-inefficient ball-stopper whose most recent appearance on an NBA court was in January, the moment he tore his left Achilles tendon.

Nobody was particularly impressed. A 61-win team that aspires to dethrone the Golden State Warriors needs more than a 31-year-old who will never make an All-Star team, once personified the exact type of player analytically-savvy organizations (like the Spurs) frowned upon, and whose former teams all seemed to gel and prosper after he was traded away.

Nearly two weeks into the 2017-18 season, it's beginning to look like this might have been the wrong reaction. Even before he declined his player option in Sacramento, Gay was veering towards a more contemporary shot chart, and instead of reaching back and trying to capture what made him an effective (albeit polarizing) NBA player in his prime, the Spurs have streamlined his game in a way few other teams could.

The embers of his supernova athleticism rarely glow nowadays (especially in the open floor), and Gay, understandably, is still feeling his way into a system that treats him more as a cog than a main attraction. He's yet to capitalize off San Antonio's swing-swing ball movement, struggling against closeouts that often go nowhere and only making three threes so far despite a majority of his 11 attempts coming without a hand in his face.

Those shots will eventually fall, and Gay should attack with more conviction as the season goes along and concern over his career-altering injury recedes from memory. But until then, how San Antonio is using Gay has been brilliant. Whether he's at the four in lineups alongside LaMarcus Aldridge, at the three with Gasol and another big slotted in the frontcourt, or even at the five (where he successfully moonlighted against the Miami Heat during the second half of a Spurs win), Gay's intermediary skills have already blended beautifully with San Antonio's general philosophy.

A mid-range specialist all his life, Gay has slowly begun to get with the times. The Spurs aren't reversing this process or turning him into Danny Green, just surgically removing the absolute worst looks and putting him in a better position to succeed against defenses that aren't suited to deal with multiple technically skilled options sharing the floor.

Even though the percentage of his two-point shots taken at the rim hasn't budged from where it was the past two seasons, according to Cleaning the Glass the percentage of long twos (from about the free-throw line to the arc) has plummeted down from about 20 percent to only six percent.

Photo by Soobum Im - USA TODAY Sports

They're encouraging him to take his time on the block, attack mismatches, and lean on his strength and guile to muscle into worthwhile shot attempts. Gay's athleticism isn't where it once was, but his balance is right there. Even against bigger defenders who he used to blow by, Gay can still get a good look with a crafty post game, pretty footwork, and a shoulder that knows how to dig into an opponent's chest without drawing a foul.

We're only six games in, but Gay's PER, True Shooting, and free-throw rate are all career highs, in part because he's gouging opposing teams from the inside out. Threes are wonderful, and Gay is enough of a threat to space the floor when spotted up anywhere on the weakside, but turning him into a catch-and-shoot weapon wouldn't squeeze out all he has to offer.

Long a potent scorer with his back to the basket, the Spurs have folded Gay's post-ups into their game plan in ways that don't halt their machine's steady churn. His movement is fluid from the catch, whether he rips through towards the baseline or backs down into a soft jump hook. He's a smart, self-aware player; those types usually do well in San Antonio.

More important than his results from the first couple weeks are how Gay can help lift San Antonio in games that really matter. Based on what we've seen, it appears Gregg Popovich might be grooming him for a potential postseason showdown against the Golden State Warriors. Wings who can score in isolation or, more importantly, on the block, are especially valuable against a switch-happy defense that craves an uptempo game.

To have success, San Antonio can slow things down and exploit three dangerous one-on-one scorers (Gay, Aldridge, and Kawhi Leonard) who bend help defenses in their direction whenever they put the ball on the floor. If they can stay big with those three out there, all the better. If not, Gay's size and length make him a solid two-way piece should the Spurs realize they need to switch everything on and off the ball.

He's not the third member of a Big 3 or superstar many Spurs fans dreamed about four months ago, but sometimes winning basketball—even in this superteam era—is more about context and style. Gay adds a dimension San Antonio didn't have last season, and how they've harnessed him so far is a promising sign for their championship chances.

Rudy Gay is Turning Into San Antonio's Secret Weapon published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years

Text

Rudy Gay is Turning Into San Antonio’s Secret Weapon

Nearly two weeks into the 2017-18 season, it’s beginning to look like this might have been the wrong reaction. Even before he declined his player option in Sacramento, Gay was veering towards a more contemporary shot chart, and instead of reaching back and trying to capture what made him an effective (albeit polarizing) NBA player in his prime, the Spurs have streamlined his game in a way few other teams could.

The embers of his supernova athleticism rarely glow nowadays (especially in the open floor), and Gay, understandably, is still feeling his way into a system that treats him more as a cog than a main attraction. He’s yet to capitalize off San Antonio’s swing-swing ball movement, struggling against closeouts that often go nowhere and only making three threes so far despite a majority of his 11 attempts coming without a hand in his face.

Those shots will eventually fall, and Gay should attack with more conviction as the season goes along and concern over his career-altering injury recedes from memory. But until then, how San Antonio is using Gay has been brilliant. Whether he’s at the four in lineups alongside LaMarcus Aldridge, at the three with Gasol and another big slotted in the frontcourt, or even at the five (where he successfully moonlighted against the Miami Heat during the second half of a Spurs win), Gay’s intermediary skills have already blended beautifully with San Antonio’s general philosophy.

A mid-range specialist all his life, Gay has slowly begun to get with the times. The Spurs aren’t reversing this process or turning him into Danny Green, just surgically removing the absolute worst looks and putting him in a better position to succeed against defenses that aren’t suited to deal with multiple technically skilled options sharing the floor.

Even though the percentage of his two-point shots taken at the rim hasn’t budged from where it was the past two seasons, according to Cleaning the Glass the percentage of long twos (from about the free-throw line to the arc) has plummeted down from about 20 percent to only six percent.

Photo by Soobum Im – USA TODAY Sports

They’re encouraging him to take his time on the block, attack mismatches, and lean on his strength and guile to muscle into worthwhile shot attempts. Gay’s athleticism isn’t where it once was, but his balance is right there. Even against bigger defenders who he used to blow by, Gay can still get a good look with a crafty post game, pretty footwork, and a shoulder that knows how to dig into an opponent’s chest without drawing a foul.

We’re only six games in, but Gay’s PER, True Shooting, and free-throw rate are all career highs, in part because he’s gouging opposing teams from the inside out. Threes are wonderful, and Gay is enough of a threat to space the floor when spotted up anywhere on the weakside, but turning him into a catch-and-shoot weapon wouldn’t squeeze out all he has to offer.

Long a potent scorer with his back to the basket, the Spurs have folded Gay’s post-ups into their game plan in ways that don’t halt their machine’s steady churn. His movement is fluid from the catch, whether he rips through towards the baseline or backs down into a soft jump hook. He’s a smart, self-aware player; those types usually do well in San Antonio.

More important than his results from the first couple weeks are how Gay can help lift San Antonio in games that really matter. Based on what we’ve seen, it appears Gregg Popovich might be grooming him for a potential postseason showdown against the Golden State Warriors. Wings who can score in isolation or, more importantly, on the block, are especially valuable against a switch-happy defense that craves an uptempo game.

To have success, San Antonio can slow things down and exploit three dangerous one-on-one scorers (Gay, Aldridge, and Kawhi Leonard) who bend help defenses in their direction whenever they put the ball on the floor. If they can stay big with those three out there, all the better. If not, Gay’s size and length make him a solid two-way piece should the Spurs realize they need to switch everything on and off the ball.

He’s not the third member of a Big 3 or superstar many Spurs fans dreamed about four months ago, but sometimes winning basketball—even in this superteam era—is more about context and style. Gay adds a dimension San Antonio didn’t have last season, and how they’ve harnessed him so far is a promising sign for their championship chances.

Rudy Gay is Turning Into San Antonio’s Secret Weapon syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

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