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parvuls · 3 years

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fic: need seek no further

Jack shrugs. “Eh. Bittle likes Cabot butter best.”

a disgustingly fluffy, plotless ficlet about how well jack knows bitty and how he perfected the skill of nonverbal communication through the force of sheer will. also, the frogs.

read on ao3

Dex called Bitty one evening in early May, let Bitty shower him with hellos, and then stated, “We won the NCAA championship.” He said it matter-of-factly, like maybe Jack and Bitty hadn’t been there when it happened, like Jack hadn’t watched him cling to Bitty for a full minute after the stands had spilled onto the ice.

“You did,” Bitty replied, raising his eyes to meet Jack’s with confusion wrinkling between his brows. His phone was set on the kitchen island between them, Dex’s voice filling their kitchen through speaker phone while Bitty’s floured hands were busy kneading dough. Jack was keeping him company on another last-minute testing session for his rhubarb pie recipe, even though the last proof of his book had been approved by his editors over two weeks before. Jack was running out of team members to send leftovers to.

“And Whiskey got voted captain,” Dex continued.

Jack watched as Bitty squinted down at his phone. Bitty had spent half an hour on the phone with Whiskey the night of the banquet; he hadn’t disclosed the details of their conversation to Jack, but his face when he’d returned to their room, had sat down next to Jack on the bed and had leaned his forehead on Jack’s bicep for a long while -- Jack had seen that face before. Had known that expression meant pride.

“So we were talking about it just now,” there was the sound of more people whispering furiously in the background, and Jack thought he could maybe hear Chowder’s unsteady voice calling out, hey Bitty!, and only then he began contemplating the solid possibility that Dex may have been a little drunk. “And -- so we won last year, with you, and now we won again, and we wanna keep winning, right? So we gotta make sure to keep doing everything that’s working.”

“Sure, sweetheart,” Bitty said agreeably, faintly amused. It was obvious to Jack from his tone that Bitty, at least, had already realized Dex was a little drunk, but was only too happy to play along.

“‘Swawesome,” Dex said fervently, like Bitty had agreed to something very important. “So you see why Whiskey’s gotta learn to make a pie.”

That stopped Bitty in his tracks. Jack blinked, watched Bitty’s long fingers halt their motions in the dough, the pressure of his fingerprints leaving crescent grooves behind. “William Joseph, that doesn’t make a lick of sense,” he said, and narrowed his eyes at the screen of his phone like Dex could feel their weight on him through the line. But then he seemed to think it over again, and the pitch of his voice rose as he demanded, “Wait, are you sayin’ Whiskey’s willing to learn how to bake?”

“He says he’ll do it for the win,” Dex said, and Bitty gaped at the phone, then gaped at Jack, and with his cheeks pink and his eyes wide he exclaimed, “Of course I’ll do it!”, like there’d ever been any other option to consider.

Jack kept it to himself, but he had no doubt in his mind that there hadn’t been.

Dex, Chowder and Nursey wait for them at the doorway of the Haus, broad shoulders wedged together in the narrow doorframe.

Bitty had said before they left home, “You don’t have to come, sweetpea,” and Jack had said, simply, “I want to,” and had meant it. It was only in the summer months that Jack had the privilege to see his friends whenever he wished to, and now that the Falconers were out of the playoffs -- well, Jack was feeling a little more withdrawn lately, even quieter than usual, but this felt like something he genuinely wanted to do with the time on his hands. There was also the fact that soon the frogs would graduate, and with them gone Jack would be too far removed to visit the Haus comfortably, even if Bitty still could.

Right now Jack could, and he wanted to, so Bitty and he got in Bitty’s car and drove the forty-five minutes down to Samwell, Bitty’s phone hooked through the aux and his hands tapping on the wheel to the beat. He was nervous, although Jack wasn’t sure exactly why -- only knew it was obvious in Bitty’s restless hands and the frequency he switched songs midway through. Jack reached out and placed his hand on Bitty’s thigh, squeezed, and let Bitty burn his nervous energy whatever way he deemed best.

“We did all the shopping!” Chowder announces as Jack and Bitty walk up the porch steps, and then immediately bounces forward and wraps Bitty in a hug. His long limbs envelope Bitty within them, and soon Jack’s dragged into their circle, too, feels Nursey’s arms fold around his shoulders and Dex’s tentative hand patting him on the back. It doesn’t overwhelm him like it could’ve, maybe, a year or two ago -- it just feels nice, familiar, welcoming. A display of affection he readily returns.

When the huddle breaks, the five of them shuffle through the door and head straight into the kitchen. It looks about the same as it has since Bitty took over it five years ago -- no longer just a room with a fridge full of beers and a broken down table, but a real kitchen, with Suzanne’s hand-sewn curtains and clear countertops and the oven that Jack is still irrationally fond of. Although it seems like it’s been revamped in the months since Jack has last seen it; the cupboards’ hinges are no longer busted, and there are actual shelves stacked along the walls. Jack assumes the likely suspect is Samwell Men’s Hockey current captain, and has to curb a revealing smile that would surely draw questions. It’s another unspoken team tradition, Jack thinks, recalling freshman Will Poindexter: no one leaves it entirely unchanged.

“Y’all are joining us for some baking lessons?” Bitty asks Nursey and Chowder, hand almost unconsciously drifting over the edge of the counters. He looks good there, really, looks right. He’s not the same as he was when he graduated and certainly not the same as when he first claimed this kitchen, but to Jack, Bitty would always look right in the sun streaming through the Haus’ dusty windows, puttering between pots and pans.

“Nah, C and I will get out of your hair for that, but Whiskey isn’t back yet so we’ve got some time. And anyway --” Nursey glances sideways at Dex and Chowder, fails at stifling a smile, “uh, the waffles heard you were coming today, Bits.”

“Going by their reaction, they’ve definitely missed you,” Dex says, arms crossed over his chest, his face serious but a single upwards quirk to the corner of his mouth. It could be a chirp at the waffles, maybe, but Jack is almost certain that it’s sincere nonetheless.

Bitty turns to the shopping bags spread across the counter and starts picking them apart, taking out the ingredients for inspection before setting them down with that same nervous energy, the one that rarely ever follows Bitty into his domain in the kitchen. Jack watches him smile at Dex, honest but jittery, and realizes what he should’ve already known -- how very important it is to Bitty that this goes perfectly.

“Oh, bless them, I’ve missed them too! I’ll tell them hello so we can get started right after,” Bitty says, setting down a bag of brown sugar and taking out a packet of butter from the bag. He looks -- momentarily disappointed, and Jack frowns, searches Bitty’s face. It’s probably only visible to Jack, who recognizes the subtle shift in Bitty’s jaw and the fleeting movement of his eyebrows, but still. He follows Bitty’s eyes down to his hands and to the butter in them, and surveys it for a moment, deep in thought.

“You’ve got two seconds to prepare yourself, bro,” Nursey warns, and then Bully, Hops and Louis descend loudly into the kitchen, flock around Bitty like ducklings. Bitty’s always had that effect on hockey players, on people, even before he got the C. It’s with intense fondness that Jack thinks it, knows the feeling intimately as someone who’s lucky enough to experience that affect every day. He can’t blame them for the way they beam down at Bitty, fight for his attention, laugh when he laughs at the rising volume of their clashing, simultaneous stories.

It’s a good opportunity if nothing else, though, so Jack shoulders his way between Bully and Louis, brushes two fingers over Bitty’s elbow to get his attention. When Bitty turns his head, Jack takes advantage of his height to lean in and say into Bitty’s ear, “Hey, bud, I’m stepping out for a moment.”

Bitty smiles at him, reaches up to stroke a hand down Jack’s cheek just warmly enough to be soothing, just quickly enough to be appropriate. “Yeah, of course. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Jack says, and thinks, it will be. He pauses, looks down threateningly at the waffles, and leans in to kiss Bitty's temple swiftly, before someone he can’t intimidate as easily as these sophomores could try fining him for it. The space he leaves between Bully and Louis closes as soon as he leaves their side, Bitty disappearing from sight behind their tall forms, but the sound of his cheerful laughter rings after Jack as he walks out of the kitchen and exits through the front door.

When Jack comes back he has to open the door one-handed, the other one busy clutching the handles of a grocery bag. His cap is pulled down low, a protective measure from the crowd that swarmed the Stop and Shop on Pemberton, so it takes a few steps into the Haus’ hallway for him to notice Whiskey hovering in the kitchen doorway, apparently stopped right on his way out of it.

“Jack,” Whiskey looks surprised -- or maybe still mildly star-struck, Jack has always had trouble telling with his face. “You’re here. I haven’t seen you.”

“Got some stuff from the shop,” Jack raises the bag by way of explanation, adjusts his hat, and after a brief moment of stillness hunches his shoulders to bypass Whiskey into the kitchen.

Whiskey bends his neck to peer down into the bag as Jack passes. He looks somewhat horrified at what he finds, as much as Whiskey ever betrays his emotions -- a slight frown, a barely noticeable widening of his eyes. “We need more groceries for this thing?”

Jack shrugs, noncommittal. They don’t, really, but. “Eh. Bittle likes Cabot butter best.”

The frogs and waffles have moved to the den while Jack was out -- he can hear them now, Bully’s low voice and Chowder’s quick speech and Hops’ rolling laughter -- but Bitty must’ve heard Jack come in, because he appears next to Whiskey in the kitchen doorway. His gaze darts between the two of them before it lands on the bag hanging from Jack’s fingers, and Jack reaches in to pull out one stick of butter, holding it out so Bitty can see the brand. Bitty’s eyes light up when he realizes, go round and bright, and he declares, “Sweetpea, you shouldn’t have!”, in the tone that means he’s beyond pleased that Jack did.

“That's more butter,” Whiskey says, staring at Bitty and then at the butter already stacked on the counter from the frogs’ shopping trip, clearly bewildered.

Jack twists his body, turns his back to them to find an empty spot somewhere on the counter. “Cabot has a half percent more fat, and Bittle likes his crust flaky,” he explains absently while emptying the contents of the bag onto the spot he chose. It’s important to Bitty that this goes perfectly, and while Jack can’t control Whiskey's abilities in the kitchen, wouldn’t be able to fix baking mishaps if those occur, this is something he can do. Make sure Bitty has the best conditions to work in, grant him a little peace of mind.

When he turns back around Whiskey is gone, and it’s only Bitty standing behind him, his eyes twinkling and his lips parted slightly.

“What?” Jack asks, confused.

There’s a long stretch of silence while Bitty just looks at him. Jack’s rarely comfortable with intense scrutiny from others, but Bitty -- Bitty’s gaze is soft, and he looks at Jack like he’s something good, something to admire. It’s a look he gives Jack often, usually accompanied by the gentlest of kisses, the warmest of hugs, the kindest of words. Sometimes Jack’s mind is slow to catch up, too stubborn to be convinced of his own worthiness, but this is the look Bitty gets when his emotions are broadcasted so loudly that even Jack’s mind has to pipe down and listen.

Bitty takes a few steps closer, grabs Jack’s palm between both his hands. “Marry me?” he asks breathily, with a smile curling at his lips.

Warmth flutters in Jack’s stomach at the words, and an answering smile grows on his own lips. The ring glints on Bitty’s finger whenever he moves his hands, is glinting now, where his fingers are curled around Jack’s in the sunny kitchen. It’s been a distraction many times in the past year, but each time Jack sees it he’s reminded of what Bitty and he have promised to each other. The future that is still to come.

There’s no one in the kitchen but them, and the Haus residents sound busy enough in the other room that no one would notice if Jack stole a lone moment. “Sorry, I can’t,” Jack deadpans, grabs Bitty by his hips and gathers him into his arms. His fingers slide over the soft fabric of Bitty’s clothes and find the gap between his top and his shorts, dipping inside to rub against Bitty’s warm skin. “It’s a tempting offer, but I’m already engaged.”

“Leave him, then,” Bitty says without missing a beat. He tilts his head up to nudge Jack’s cheek with his nose, wraps his strong arms around Jack’s neck. His face is so close to Jack’s that Jack can count his pale eyelashes, can see the splotches of fading pink on his skin. He’s been spending a lot of time editing his cookbook on their balcony since springtime has arrived, and his body tans nicely but the bridge of his nose has been reddened and peeling for a while. “Run away with me.”

Jack can’t help the temptation, kisses Bitty’s right cheek and then his left one. “Sorry, bud.”

“Why ever not,” Bitty sighs, most dramatically, and uses his grip on Jack’s neck to lean his upper body backwards. “A man who knows his butters? You better believe I’m willing to fight for you, mister.”

It’s the sincerity in his voice that has heat prickling across Jack’s skin, raw pleasure squirming in his chest. It’s a futile battle, though, a battle Jack realized was lost when he dropped Bitty off at this very Haus after their very first summer together, longingly watched him skip up the stairs and thought, oh, I wanna marry him. “I can’t,” he tells Bitty quietly, pulls him closer so the words stay trapped between them, rough and intimate like a secret. “I love my fiancé too much.”

“Oh,” and Bitty flushes at this, red blossoming on the apples of his cheeks like he’s flattered -- like the ring around his finger hasn’t been there for a year, like Jack hasn’t taken to kissing it before kissing Bitty goodbye on nights he leaves for games; like Jack loving him too much to ever consider anyone else is still a novelty, a compliment, after all this time. “Well. Lucky him.”

Lucky me, Jack thinks, and bows his head to fit his mouth to Bitty’s in for a lingering sweet kiss.

#omgcp #omgcheckplease #zimbits #zimbits fic #you'd think one would want to capitalize one's frogs and waffles. but bitty's lack of capitalization on twitter claims otherwise #and who am i to argue #pavfics

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hatsuneniko · 7 years

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Niko rambles about the nba playoffs

Okay so, every NBA playoff series has officially played a game now, and I’m apparently unable to keep my opinions to myself on this, so I wrote up a big ol’ thing about it. I realize this is tumblr so I’ll spare y’all and put it under the cut, but if for some reason you wanted to listen to me ramble about sports, slam that read more button. I actually used punctuation and capitalization on this post so you know it’s a rare occasion.

Indiana Pacers (7) L @ W Cleveland Cavaliers (2)

[108-109]

Okay, so the big thing in this series is that Lebron James is the best human being at playing basketball and that everyone else in this series isn’t Lebron James, and therefore, are not the best human beings at playing basketball. Despite that, Cleveland only won this by a point after C.J. Miles missed a shot at the buzzer. This is mostly because Paul George can sometimes look like he’s as good as Lebron if you kinda squint your eyes (especially when they wear the hickory throwbacks that could pass for Cavalier colors). Also, Lance Stephenson is playing on the Pacers again and he’s the only person fool enough to think to drive down the lane at James. Somehow that still works for him though and he was pretty visibly the second best player on the court for Indiana in this game. The second best player for Cleveland was probably Kyrie Irving but it’s largely irrelevant because if that’s the second best performance Cleveland can get from a player they have a very realistic shot of not making the finals. Play defense someone, anyone.

Anyway the big post-game narrative thing from this was Paul George saying that he was annoyed that C.J. Miles took the last shot, because that’s gotta be him taking that shot. He is the superstar of the team after all, and if anyone should cost the Pacers the game it’s him. I mean, you could argue that he did exactly that when he passed to Miles, ignoring Lance Stephenson standing completely alone beneath the basket with less than ten seconds in the game, but I digress. In the future, I’d expect George (who has missed all 15 of his game-winner attempts in his career) to be getting those shots in the future, and I do expect those shots to show up in this series if Cleveland can’t get above average play from anyone besides King James.

Milwaukee Bucks (6) W @ L Toronto Raptors (3)

[97-83]

Okay so there were a lot of kind of quirky, weird stats and narratives going into this game. The Bucks had been dreadful in Toronto recently, losing something like 11 straight games up North, but that streak ran headfirst into Toronto’s bizarre ineptitude in the opening games of playoff series. The Raptors have only won a single Game 1 in franchise history, and they’ve never done it as the home team. For what it’s worth, the Raps pretty much always lay an egg in the first game of a series so it’s hard to necessarily read too much into what happened in this game. Which is good, because if you were to do that, you would not like the Raptors chances in this series. First off, Kyle Lowry played pretty miserably, which is understandable since he’s been working back from an injury, but still a problem. Secondly, the Raptors just had no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo when he got the ball in transition, which happened a lot because the Raptors could not direct passes around the long-limbed Milwaukee defenders.

I sort of figured going into this series that the Raptors would be forced to tweak their offense a little bit, since Giannis, Khris Middleton, Malcom Brogdon, and Matthew Dellavedova meant the Bucks had enough pesky perimeter defenders to make things hard on the Raptors guards. What I didn’t anticipate was that the Raptors would have zero answer for Greg Monroe, who had one of the better two-way performances I’ve ever seen out of the big man in his first career playoff game (Monroe had previously held the active streak for most regular season games without a playoff appearance, so good for him). On top of that, Thon Maker, who’s largely just played as a figurehead starter at the beginning of halves actually had several nice defensive plays. I don’t know if banking on a skinny 19 year-old rookie to sustain that over a series is realistic, but if he can develop that it will look like another shrewd draft pick by the Bucks.

Memphis Grizzlies (7) L @ San Antonio Spurs (2) W

[82 - 111]

This was actually a close game for about a half, with Marc Gasol actually setting the Grizzlies’ franchise record in the playoffs for points scored in a half. He then proceeded to score in single digits the rest of the way as the Spurs pulled ahead. I like both of these teams and admire the way they both have just sort of stuck their styles despite the league trying to move in certain directions. The problem for Memphis is that the Spurs have Kawhi Leonard, who’s the best defender and scorer in this series by a kind of alarming margin.

There really isn’t a whole lot to discuss from this game that isn’t kind of clear from looking at the score. The Spurs are a better team, a fact that only became clearer once both teams pulled their starters once the outcome was no longer in doubt. The bottom of the Spurs bench seemed to have zero difficulty with the bottom of the Grizzlies depth chart, scoring, blocking, and dunking with relative ease. It still wouldn’t shock me if the Grizzlies won a game at home during this anyway because they do that every season.

Utah Jazz (5) W @ Los Angeles Clippers (4) W

[97-95]

I’m a Clippers fan so this one wasn’t very fun for me. Rudy Gobert went down with a knee injury about 10 seconds into this game after he bonked kneecaps with Luc Mbah a Moute. Despite that, the Jazz pulled out the win when Joe Johnson scored a tough shot as time expired. Joe was big for the Jazz for the whole of this game, as he got a lot of minutes, both filling in for Gobert and because his floor-stretching helped take Blake Griffin away from crashing the boards. Even so, early on the Clippers were dominating the glass, pulling down offensive rebounds and drawing fouls inside like crazy, and Blake rolled up a monster first half. But, it’s Blake Griffin, so he scored two points in the 4th quarter (hitting zero field goals in the quarter). Chris Paul went off in this one, because Chris Paul is a very good player, especially in the playoffs, despite his reputation in the postseason. In fact, down the stretch he was pretty much the only thing that looked good for the Clippers, with the exception of Marreese Speights playing decently.

The Clippers missed Austin Rivers in this one, as J.J. Reddick struggled mightily against Joe Ingles’ pesky defense, causing the LA shooting guard to have a borderline meltdown with back-to-back turnovers sandwiching a couple of horrible defensive lapses in the 2nd quarter. Doc bolstered the bench unit by leaving Blake and Mbah a Moute out for long stretches but when Griffin grows passive, they could really use someone like Rivers to drive to the rim, and perhaps shake them out of their weird habit of firing up contested jumpers and refusing to move towards the basket.

Anyway, as for the Jazz, Joe was the star as Gordon Hayward was frequently bottled up by Luc Mbah a Moute. The Clippers would often switch Luc and Chris Paul onto Hayward in pick and roll situations which clearly left the Jazz forward frustrated as he wasn’t able to get past either man. Of course, they still ran this switch when Paul sat in favor of Raymond Felton, at which point it immediately stopped working. Did I mention the Clippers missed Austin Rivers? Down the stretch of this one, Doc Rivers was turning to Raymond Felton in his “defensive” lineups, which is one of those things that pretty much everyone in the world can see is a problem. I realize Wesley Johnson, Alan Anderson, and the rest of the depth guys have sort of lost Rivers’ faith this season but surely one of them can defend wings better than Raymond Felton.

Atlanta Hawks (5) L @ Washington Wizards (4) W

[107-114]

I’m probably gonna keep this one short because I’m not actually sure how much I can take from this game that I really believe about the teams. I do think the Wizards are probably the better team, so the results do seem to support that, but given the bizarre way the Hawks have worked all season, they could win the series after going down 3-0 and I wouldn’t really be that shocked. Paul Millsap noted after this one that the Wizards were playing a much more physical game than the Hawks. This is true, but it also makes no sense based on the way these teams are composed. With the exception of the guards, I think the Hawks own a physicality advantage at virtually every position, especially with Millsap and Dwight Howard inside. So naturally Marcin Gortat, obliterated Millsap on a dunk.

I don’t really have enough faith in either team to expect them to be entirely consistent through this series. Washington is good, but Atlanta has a knack for inexplicably winning games, and I still expect at least one game of Tim Hardaway Jr. going off and at least a few classic Dwight Howard shenanigans. If nothing else, I’d think someone in Atlanta would remember that Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefalosha (when healthy) can really bother people on the perimeter with physical play. And maybe the Hawks can stop letting a 33 year-old Gortat put them on posters?

Portland Trailblazers (8) L @ Golden State Warriors (1) W

[109-121]

I’ve realized the NBA is a lot more entertaining when I pretend the Warriors don’t exist. I’m hoping Jusuf Nurkic gets healthy in time to play in this series (not sure if he will) because it will get a couple of Draymond Green’s inevitable flagrant fouls out of the way early when he unsurprisingly kicks another big white dude in the balls. Next.

Chicago Bulls (8) W @ Boston Celtics (1) L

[106-102]

On one hand I am really glad the Bulls won, even though I think they’re actually a fairly bad team because it’s incredibly fitting that they would preserve their TNT Broadcast winning streak. With that said, I do feel for Isaiah Thomas, who lost his sister in a single-driver accident the night before the game and was visibly emotional during it. The crowd’s response to him hitting a 3-pointer early in the game was a genuine, touching moment and it’s a bit of a bummer that it’s going to be overshadowed by the fact that the Celtics lost this game.

It’s not necessarily surprising that Chicago plays Boston well (although their regular season matchup where the Bulls literally forgot how to score a basketball means there’s at least some surprise here). The Celtics are a bad rebounding team and one of the only things Chicago does well is crash the glass. Robin Lopez and Bobby Portis played well in this one, meaning that Chicago’s mess of a front office actually managed to win a trade where they sent Derrick Rose away to get back Robin Lopez. Thank heaven for small victories.

Anyway, Jimmy Butler is better than any other player in this game and the Celtics are likely regretting the fact that they didn’t manage to acquire him back at the trade deadline. For what it’s worth, the Bulls did get quite a few contributions from other players, including Rajon Rondo. I like that because Rajon Rondo playing well emboldens Rajon Rondo to do some really weird shit, which is usually fun. I think Chicago could genuinely have a chance to win this series, but there’s also a pretty good chance they play Dwayne Wade major minutes because of his name, a move that makes them a lot worse and requires Jimmy Butler to make up for even more mistakes. Free this poor man.

Oklahoma City Thunder (6) L @ Houston Rockets (3) W

[87-118]

This was the MVP matchup that everyone got really excited for until it actually happened and we all remembered that Houston is a much better basketball team. This game was still weird though, as the typically inept shooting of Oklahoma City was replaced instead by a remarkably hot start from 3-point land, while the Houston Rockets airballed 3-pointers and had to stay in the game by crashing the glass and generating points in the paint. In short, the tow teams somehow swapped styles. The only problem was that apparently Nene and Clint Capela are completely unstoppable. I’m not really sure that can possibly be true, especially given that Oklahoma City actually has a decent frontcourt and plays above-average rebounders at all five positions. James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the MVP candidates in question got off to slow starts, but eventually started scoring, and as has been the case for most of the season, James Harden did a much better job, with Russ’s usage rate capsizing his efficiency as he chucked up ill-advised shots and turned the ball over 9 times amid Patrick Beverly’s terrorizing defense.

Speaking of Patrick Beverly, the Rockets guard was arguably the most impressive player in the whole game (at least until James Harden did this) as he outplayed Russell Westbrook on defense while making big play after big play on offense. He also ran into Steven Adams so hard that he had to check out of the game for a little while (after hitting a few three pointers and setting the crowd into a frenzy). The spotlight was always going to be on Harden and Westbrook, but I think there’s going to be a few more #2 jerseys in the crowd by the time this series ends.

As for the star performers, James Harden never really got going from deep, but managed to drive to the basket with so much ease that it looked like OKC just forgot that was a thing people do in basketball. Russell Westbrook probably has the MVP award locked up after his nutty stats this year, and he arguably has been more important in the sense that the team asks him to do about 99% of the entire team’s workload, but James Harden’s played better this year, and did so once again in this one. I do wonder exactly what would happen if you removed James Harden from the Rockets, because I have a sneaking suspicion they’d be just as bad as the Thunder sans-Russ. I realize their on/off court numbers don’t back that up but I have a feeling a lot of that stems from the ways the two teams deploy their bench, as Billy Donovan uses the Thunder reserves to try to bide time while Westbrook sits whereas Mike D’Antoni uses the Rockets bench players to do their best to replicate the production they lose when Harden sits.

Anyway, going forward in this series, I would think Donovan should consider turning to Domantas Sabonis at some point, as the rookie big’s willingness to shoot 3′s might at least drag one of Houston’s big men away from the rim, enabling someone on the Thunder to rebound, because if Houston keeps beating them on the glass like this I’m not sure we’re even going to get a full seven games out of this highly-anticipated series.

#nba #sports #sportball #long post

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rising-lights · 5 years

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8, 19, 24, and 39

okay people, story time! (because we all know I can’t shut up on a good day)

(8-Have you ever met a player?)

The short answer is yes. The first time was an accident. I was at the Verizon Center (I know it’s not called that anymore but I’m old, whatever) and it was a Caps/Habs game. Of course it so happened to be the game that coincided with this contest that had happened up in Canada where it was like win a chance to go to DC and watch a game with a former Canadien!

As it stands, that former Canadien was a) the favorite of a friend and b) the one who came down to DC for that game. So there I am standing in line because my dad wanted funnel cake and I look up and there’s Guy Carbonneau standing there chatting with some stray Habs fans in French (which is probably why I realized it was him tbh). And I’m like, holy shit what.

Awkward me is awkward and had chosen a Caps jersey that night instead of a Habs one but I went to talk to him anyway and he was awesome about it and took a pic with me so like I’ll prob always love him for that if nothing else because I’m still not sure how I found the nerve to do that. I almost fell down the stairs going back to my seat.

(My dad forgave the lack of funnel cake when I told him what happened. I went and got him one at the next intermission though.)

The second part of this is shorter: the Caps basically had tabbed my dad to come to a game for military appreciation night (see also: Kit is an Army brat) Anyway, we met Rod Langway that night and I spent the entire time silently flipping out because a) hockey and b) hall of fame player with his number retired by the Caps so yeah I’m a giant dork. I couldn’t talk; my dad spent the time talking to Langway about hockey rules and that was that. Still awesome, though.

Aaand last but certainly not least the first time I met Shane Doan was also an accident but kind of on purpose and I pretty much owe @penaltybox14 my entire life for that one because it was like ‘yo Kit you know this thing is happening right?’ and I’m like “wtf you don’t even go here but also nope now it’s my turn to pull last minute shit on everyone”.

(As an aside, I met awesome people at that signing too, y’all know who you are ;D)

The second time was entirely on purpose; I skipped work to go to a Coyotes icebreaker that he did which everyone in my life laughs at because I’d been joking for months that Shane is the only one I would’ve skipped work for and then that actually happened. That said, our forever captain is a sweetheart and our current one isn’t lying when he says there’s nobody who will say anything bad about him tbh.

(19-A player you’ve never really understood the appeal of)

I...well. Can I be a dick and say Patrik Laine? But that’s mostly because I’m forever salty about his comments about he should’ve been taken first in the 2016 draft. Like I realize I am biased because Auston Matthews is basically our desert child in the city but like...dude. Come on. I realize that people think he’s a great player to watch and I’m not saying he’s bad at hockey or anything, I’ve just been put off by him ever since that happened, idk y’all.

My sort of not-dick answer (I think anyway) is Connor McDavid which probably comes off as a cliche answer but...idk. I mean, I don’t hate him but I don’t necessarily like him, either? I feel like he got hyped up way too much and yeah he’s great at hockey but like...it’s sort of like when a new song comes out and then you hear it ALL THE TIME because it gets overplayed so you get sick of it? I’m not sure I”m explaining that right.

(My I’m a sometimes bitter but always salty Caps fan answer is Sidney Crosby but honestly I wouldn’t feel that way if he was on any of my teams so we’ll just leave that there.)

(24-do you think shootouts have a place in the game?)

...well, okay. Because like, there’s no shootouts in the playoffs, it just rolls into sudden death overtime for as long as it takes someone to win. And while I see how that’s obviously not going to work in regular season, it’s like...there has to be some way to determine which team walks away with the two points. If a five minute overtime doesn’t do it, then what? Another five minutes, and then another until someone finally scores? You might as well go the playoff route and make it an actual 20-minute period at that point (but I feel like it should still be 5-on-5 if that happened idk).

So as much as I hate shootouts and wish it didn’t come to that, yeah, I think they have a place. The playoff game format doesn’t make sense (at least to me) in regular season. There’s no point in running guys into the ground like that before they even make the post season (actually there’s no point running them into the ground anyway but that’s a whole other rant). I understand that shootouts might well take that long depending on who’s scoring and who’s not, but I feel like a) it’s faster because it’s one person at a time as opposed to six different guys on the ice trying to score and b) as noted, there’s gotta be a way to determine who actually wins the game.

But y’know, that’s just me, y’all’s mileage may vary.

(39-Have you ever been to an All-Star or Winter Classic game)

Sadly, no. The ASG is supposed to be in St. Louis next year and I have family there so I have vague thoughts of making attempts at being there. I’m forever salty about it not having yet come to Arizona because we were supposed to have one but then the ‘06 Olympics happened and there wasn’t an ASG that year so we’re still waiting.

As for the Winter Classic, that’s also a no but I have decided the league needs to have one here in Arizona between us and the Jets and there needs to be an alumni game that includes original!Jets and former Atlanta Thrashers. (Sometimes I think I’m funny and I’m actually not, but there we have it.)

Anyway, hi anon. *waves*.

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junker-town · 7 years

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2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 40-31: Some of these young guys will be awesome, but which ones?

Save for two choices, there aren’t a lot of proven NBA options on this section of the list of the 101 best players in 2021.

You’re always going out on a limb when asked to predict the 101 best NBA players in four years. A lot changes in four years. Just look at our (mostly off) predictions four years ago for the 100 best players today.

Picking out which young players emerge in the future and which don’t amount to a lot of guesswork. Consider this the section of the list where our panel of 10 puts some serious faith in their abilities to evaluate young talent.

Eight of the 10 picks in this section of the list are currently 23 years of age or younger. Some of us will look very smart. Others ... not so much.

40. Otto Porter

Age in 2021: 27 (8 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: Good NBA contracts aren’t payouts for past performance. They are investments in future success. Otto Porter signed a max offer sheet from the Nets this summer, which the Wizards happily matched. He also was close to receiving a similar offer from the Kings.

Maybe those were bad offers.

But maybe Porter is just going to keep on developing into one of the most versatile and impactful players on one of the NBA’s best teams. With improvements at both ends of the floor through his four seasons, the 6’8 swingman averaged career highs in three-point shooting percentage (43.4), total rebounds (6.4), assists (1.5), steals (1.5), and points per game (13.4) last season.

Those numbers won’t set the world on fire four years from now. But this kid is still just a kid. He’ll be 27 in 2021, and one of the best 40 players in the league.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: Porter has improved every year he has been in the league, and those are the type of players I’ll always bet on. Top 40? Sure, maybe. We’ll get at least one currently productive wing who bursts out Paul George-style in the next few years, and I’m rooting for it to be Porter.

MIKE PRADA: Bold, but I love it. I definitely would rather have Porter and his upward trajectory than several players picked in this range.

TOM ZILLER: I think this is a solid pick. He’s already a top-100 player, defense matters, and the Wizards should be solid if the band stays together.

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39. Zach LaVine

Age in 2021: 26 (7 seasons)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: That ACL injury really sucked for LaVine, whose superhuman athleticism was the linchpin of an improving offensive repertoire. Still, I’m confident he’ll bounce back from his injury and, at worst, be a marksman from three and an above-average athlete. In Chicago, he’ll get enough touches. He just needs to rehab.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: I took someone with an ACL history way higher (stay tuned) but LaVine’s production is really tied up in his athleticism, so this is a dice roll.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I didn’t love LaVine pre-injury, and think this is way too high for him considering the injury.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I’m a strong believer that a player’s environment and on-court situation play a large role in their success. The guy got traded to Chicago. This feels a bit too high.

RICKY O’DONNELL: Love watching LaVine play, but he needs to improve as a playmaker or defender to justify this.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Prove the haters wrong, Zach.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Zach, please stay healthy. The league needs you. I need you.

BULLSBLOGGER, BLOG A BULL: Well, if the Bulls were internally worried about not building around Jimmy Butler because he was merely a top-15 player instead of top-5, great work by them now potentially having a single top-100 player in four years. Better hit on these lottery years I guess.

(Spoiler alert: no other Bulls made this list).

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38. Gary Harris

Age in 2021: 26 (6 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Harris and Nikola Jokic are going to grow up together in Denver and it’ll be a beautiful thing. Harris was a top-10 three-point shooter last year and is only improving. Plus, he’ll only be 26 in 2021! His growth between his first two years and his third gives me hope.

Everyone else’s reactions

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: This feels like one of those picks you make when there are five seconds left on the clock and you don’t know who to pick, but you see a name you recognize as one widely considered promising. Gonna pass.

MIKE PRADA: Love this dude, but No. 38 is borderline All-Star level, and I’m not sure he’ll ever be that good. I’m surprised there was this large a discrepancy between Harris and Jamal Murray (No. 63).

That said, I really love this dude’s game and look forward to him getting more attention now that the Nuggets are gonna be must-see TV.

TOM ZILLER: He’s a good shooter, but he’s not going to be the second-best Nugget in four years, is he?

TIM CATO: I could see Harris getting this good. I’m not saying it’s likely, but I could see it.

MATT ELLENTUCK: We picked Gary Harris ahead of Harrison Barnes, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Kevin Love and Eric Bledsoe. Oh man.

MIKE PRADA: Harris is already better than all of those players except Love (and maybe Bledsoe), and he’s still quite young. Y’all gotta watch more Nuggets games.

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37. Skal Labissiere

Age in 2021: 25 (5 seasons)

TIM CATO: This pick’s meaning is twofold. First, what’s the point of this exercise if there isn’t a really dumb pick for NBA Reddit to laugh at? I am always looking out for the people of the internet. This was for you.

That said, I truly believe Labissiere has top-40 player potential four years from now. Why not? In a league that has become obsessed with unicorns, Labissiere has all those same tools. He’s an athletic 6’11 with scoring touch, and his jumper is silk. It’s a matter of time until it stretches out to the three-point line, something that will complement his icy post turnarounds beautifully. There’s much Labissiere must improve on, but give me his potential over picking another 32-year-old who may or may not hold up.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: I have no emotion toward Labissiere’s current pro team, but as a recovering Francophile, I support all Haitians in the NBA. Skal is very exciting. Good pick, Cato. I support you.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Skal looked great for the post-Boogie-era Kings. This is a really good pick.

AKIS YEROCOSTAS, SACTOWN ROYALTY: Skal looks like a diamond in the rough of a very bad 2016 NBA draft. In 2021, he could be a two-way force for the Kings if he continues to develop well.

MIKE PRADA: I was all set to go way out on a limb and take Skal somewhere in the 50s based on a few decent games against tired and/or tanking teams ... and then Tim did it 15 picks higher than even that. This will look either brilliant or extremely foolish.

TIM CATO: “This will look either brilliant or extremely foolish” is the future title of my autobiography.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Can I write the prologue?

MATT ELLENTUCK: See my last Gary Harris reaction. This is such a weird pick. I’m not reading that book even if you’re right about Skal, Tim.

TIM CATO: At least I didn’t pick (redacted) fourth overall.

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36. De’Aaron Fox

Age in 2021: 23 (4 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: I swear this kid can teleport. From watching him play in a high school tournament in Raleigh, to playing in Kentucky, and now making it to the league. De’Aaron Fox will use his teleportation powers to terrorize teams in transition and beyond. I know people are willing to bet against his jump shot for the time being. Hopefully, he gets that down so I can look back at this time capsule, drink a beer, and smile.

Everyone else’s reactions

AKIS YEROCOSTAS, SACTOWN ROYALTY: Given that De'Aaron Fox will be just 23 years old in 2021 with his best years ahead of him, I think most Kings fans would be ecstatic if he was already in the top 50 of NBA players. The speedster evokes John Wall, and if he can get anywhere close to that, the Kings are in good shape.

MATT ELLENTUCK: De’Aaron Fox might’ve been my favorite college player to watch last year, but this feels WAY too high for him. He’ll be 23 years old. I think he needs more time before he’s a borderline All-Star.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: De’Aaron is fast as a Fox and will learn to control that speed in four years. Finally, a good pick by Kofie.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Finally? Kristian, I hope the Knicks miss the playoffs by one game every season for the rest of their existence.

CHRIS GREENBERG: These teleportation powers you note make him sound like a likelier member of the X-Men in 2021 than a top 40 NBA player.

MIKE PRADA: Two Kings in the top 37? That’s not what I expected when we started this exercise.

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35. Michael Porter Jr.

Age in 2021: 23 (3 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: Kinda surprised a textbook elite unicorn for a new generation who’s been near the top of the 2018 high school class throughout fell this far. Y’all are too scared to pick high schoolers.

Porter would be the perfect new franchise player for the Nets because ... oh yeah, never mind. Whoops.

Everyone else’s reaction

TOM ZILLER: We’re not too scared to pick high schoolers. Some of us have picked high schoolers in the past and been burned! (In 2011, I wrote that Shabazz Muhammad would be a top-100 player in 2015. Welp.) You have also picked high schoolers in the top 100 — hell, the top 20! — and been burned. The difference between us is you keep walking back into the fire. Bad Prada!

RICKY O’DONNELL: Porter might be considered a center by 2021 the way the league is going.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Pass on all high schoolers on this list.

KOFIE YEBOAH: No LaMelo Ball for you Kristian?

34. Josh Jackson

Age in 2021: 24 (4 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: I still think Josh Jackson should have been in strong consideration as the top pick in this past draft, and I definitely would’ve taken him ahead of Jayson Tatum.

I’ve watched Jackson’s game since high school and have consistently been impressed by his basketball smarts and unreal athleticism. That knowledge, coupled with his dominant final few months at Kansas, sold me on Jackson as an impact player from the jump. His shooting is a real concern, but it’s obvious what his role will be as a playmaker and do-it-all small forward.

Everyone else’s reaction

TOM ZILLER: Stay tuned to find out if the entire first round of the 2017 NBA Draft gets picked in this exercise! Dibs on Tony Bradley. (The thing is: KUZMA got picked so you can’t even tell if I’m joking.)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: The Suns better be good in 2021 if Josh Jackson’s a top-35 player, AND we haven’t gotten to Devin Booker yet.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I stand by this pick almost as hard as I do my Covington one. Jackson will be a STAR.

DAVE KING, BRIGHT SIDE OF THE SUN: Jackson profiles as a difference maker in the same vein as Draymond Green today and Tayshaun Prince back in the day. He’ll do all the winning things that allow scorers like Booker to score.

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33. Draymond Green

Age in 2021: 31 (9 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: Draymond might be the best defensive player in the league. He’s also incredible with the ball in his hands, as evident by him finishing top-10 in the league in assists each of the last two seasons. He’s never been super fast and he certainly has never had great size. Somehow, he still is the most impactful center in the league. I don’t expect that to completely change by the time he’s 31 years old.

Everyone else’s reactions

GREG THOMAS, GOLDEN STATE OF MIND: Draymond doesn’t just excel based on pure athleticism, he excels on his innate basketball IQ. This enables Green to read defenses better and play more efficiently. He has helped lead the NBA into this small ball stretch-5 era and he will continue to evolve as a high IQ player. Draymond is a mainstay at the top and will be the force to reckon with for years to come. He will continue to outsmart and outhustle players that are more physically gifted than him.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Dray Dray is the most versatile defender we’ve ever seen, right? I’m curious how much of that versatility takes a hit as he ages.

TIM CATO: This is another one of those, “Either he’s higher, or he’s lower, and this is an average of the two,” picks. Green could blow up, fall off the map, and be out of the NBA by 2021. That’s conceivable. It’s just as likely he’ll remain the same defensive savant while maybe even improving his offensive game a little bit. When we’re talking about Draymond, a slow decline just doesn’t seem likely. It’ll be sharp and sudden, like a kick to Steven Adams’ nether regions.

TOM ZILLER: I don’t understand why we consider Green a boom-bust player. He doesn’t rely on athleticism — more his motor, brain, and intensity. Doesn’t that age well? I think Green will be fine into his mid-30s.

CHRIS GREENBERG: I’m torn on this one. Is Dray really succeeding without athleticism? That would suggest he’ll be fine for years, thanks to his basketball IQ and skills. Or is he leveraging every last bit of his relatively meager athleticism to maximize his basketball IQ and skills? In that case, losing even a single step could see his impact drop off a cliff.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Draymond is a top-10 or so player right now. His talent would translate to any team. I still don’t think we respect him nearly enough. He will still be GREAT in four years, so I’m offended by Tim’s reaction.

TIM CATO: My reaction was more a testament to his off-court (or even on-court) volatility than any decline in his game. But also, come on — he clearly relies heavily on athleticism, just not in the prototypical areas we think of it like 40-yard dashes and leaping abilities. His lateral movement declining would be a huge blow to the player he is.

KOFIE YEBOAH: I think four more years of Draytness is pretty reasonable. Anything after that, I can’t see.

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32. C.J. McCollum

Age in 2021: 29 (8 seasons)

ZITO MADU: The second and more chilled half of the Blazers buddy-cop duo has a similar career trajectory. McCollum can shoot and score. Last year he finished just outside the 50-40-90 club (48 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from the 3-point line, and 91.2 percent from the free throw line) while averaging 23 points per game. He’s only 25. His future is bright.

Everyone else’s reactions

DAVE DECKARD, BLAZERS EDGE: McCollum may turn out to be the most underrated player on this list: phenomenal offense, great attitude, could end up in the conversation with the league's best guards.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Better than Bradley Beal. (Can the league make 1-on-1 contests during the All-Star break? McCollum vs. Beal is the first game I want to see. Then JaVale McGee vs. Marvin Bagley.)

MIKE PRADA: This is a good pick.

One question: Will C.J. have his own team by now? He’ll have just finished his four-year deal, and while he gets along well with Damian Lillard off the court, you wonder if one or both will get wandering eyes, or if Portland will break the duo up itself in an attempt to become a more balanced team.

I hope they stay together because it’s fun watching their tag-team act, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re on different teams by 2021.

TOM ZILLER: My only concern for McCollum is that Portland’s defense is going to continue to be a sore spot and it eventually means the end of the backcourt duo. I’m not sure he has the same level of success with a lesser point guard.

MIKE PRADA: I actually disagree with that. I think he’ll be better individually away from Lillard because he’s good enough to be the lead dog in a backcourt. His team will probably be worse, though.

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31. Jabari Parker

Age in 2021: 26 (7 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: Parker is a silk-smooth scorer already, despite always getting injured. I have high hopes, still. Between picking Brogdon No. 71 and Jabari, I may also be overcompensating for the choice I made at No. 1 overall. Stay tuned.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: Taking a dude with a twice-torn ACL in the top 35? That’s bold, Ziller. I wish Parker the best, but I’m afraid he’ll never be the same.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: A twice-torn ACL, man. I can’t get jiggy with this pick.

MIKE PRADA: Also think it’s an open question whether he’s even a positive value-add player if healthy. I love watching him play, but it’s telling that the Bucks fared better without him three years ago and survived just fine when Khris Middleton returned this season.

RICKY O’DONNELL: The NBA will be a better place if Jabari can stay healthy.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Agree with Ricky, and rooting for Ziller to be right. And, heck, Shaun Livingston has taught us not to count anyone out.

KYLE CARR, BREW HOOP: If Jabari can recover from his second ACL tear and show that same explosiveness he had this past season, I think he can easily be a 20+ points-per-game guy. His defense will be in question, but minimal improvements will do him wonders.

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INTRO | FULL LIST | TOP 100 OF 2017 | HOW WE DID IN 2013 | SNUBS | 101-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 | THE CASES FOR NO. 1

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