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- The Grip - MON 3.11.19
The Grip - MON 3.11.19
We hear you, Steve Kerr
Monday, March 11th, 2019
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Written while listening to J Dilla's Detroit Madness
The Warriors seem happy…
Draymond Green appears to be on the backside of his prime. He’s averaging seven points and seven rebounds, his lowest in both categories since 2013-14, and his 3-point percentage (25.6) has fallen off a cliff.He shoots like he’s wearing a backpack and he almost made Kevin Durant quit basketball earlier this season, scared straight style.And, last night, after the Warriors lost to the damn Suns, 115-111, he appears to have temporarily broken his coach, who has a long history of thinking Draymond Green is a bit much.Click here, watch the video on a loop, and try and tell us Steve Kerr didn’t say “I’m so fucking tired of Draymond’s shit,” or, perhaps “schtick,” during a late-game timeout.Now, how many times has Kerr said this since taking over in 2014 — 20? 30? 100 times?Either way, it’s funny and brow-raising to see it straight from the distraught coach’s mouth.Kevin Durant might be gone after this year, but Green is still owed $18.5 million by Golden State next season.So, who’s going to leave the Warriors first? Kerr or Green? There’s gotta be a prop bet for that.
Here come the...Pistons?
After a Feb. 2 loss for Detroit, in which it gave up a 25-point lead to the L.A. Clippers, the Pistons slipped to 22-29, 2.5 games out of the eighth seed in the East. Things were getting dark.But since, they’ve won the 12 of 14 games, now owning a 34-31 record and the sixth seed in the East.Normally mediocre from deep, they’re the best 3-point shooting team percentage-wise, at 41.4 percent, since Feb. 1.Luke Kennard has been among the pleasant surprises. Since Feb. 6, he’s playing a career-high 28.5 minutes per game, hitting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3, scoring 15.5 points per game.As for two key starters since Feb 2:Andre Drummond: 20.8 points per game | 16.2 rebounds per gameReggie Jackson: 19 points | 47 percent from 3-point rangeIt’s been a nice month-plus in Detroit.In any context, how often do you hear that?
Dunk of the Year frontrunner
Derrick Jones Jr.’s athletic finish at the rim during Saturday night’s 125-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Lakers updates
L.A. has now lost five games in a row and is 7.5 games out of the playoffs with 16 games left.
LeBron James is on a “minutes restriction” and might sit out back-to-backs.
Lonzo Ball is likely out for the year. By season’s end, he’ll have played only 99 of a possible 164 games.
Brandon Ingram, also out for the season, has the same medical condition Chris Bosh had and will be on blood thinners for the next few months.
Jeff Van Gundy, on the national broadcast on Saturday night, suggested the Lakers shouldn’t rule out trading LeBron.
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With Lonzo and Brandon Ingram shut down, the Lakers wave the white flag]
Quick Hits
Mobile trash pile James Dolan kicked a fan out of MSG after the fan told him to sell the team.
Joel Embiid returned from injury yesterday and dropped 33 in a win over Indiana.
Isaiah Thomas will be back in Boston next Monday. Here’s a good story on his return with good quotes from him.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the first team to win 50 games this season and are projected to be a 63-win team.
Derrick Rose is still humming along. He hit the dagger in Saturday night’s 135-130 win against the Wizards.
The latest San Antonio bat victim: Eric Bledsoe.
This Gus Williams call was art in verbal motion.
Rasheed Wallace just accepted a head coaching job at a high school in Durham, N.C.
Murray State guard and future lottery pick Ja Morant are going to the NCAA tournament. If you haven’t caught this guy, you should try and watch him in the first round.
Concrete Reads
The NBA’s age of anxiety [The New Yorker]
Welcome to the cruel reality of college basketball's Hell Week [Yahoo Sports]
Meet Dre Ball, Lonzo’s drama-free cousin, a freshman at Pepperdine [The Ringer]
Dan Jenkins was more than a sportswriter. He was a sportswriterly state of being. [The Ringer]
UMBC one year later: 'It wasn't just our moment' [Yahoo Sports]
Podcast Pick
If you haven’t heard Bill Simmons’ revealing talk with Adam Silver at the Sloan Conference, it’s worth your time.