The Grip - Wed, 11.8.17

Giannis's new running mate

November 08, 2017

11.8.17

J.S.: SO, Yuli Gurriel is clearly not a good person, but otherwise, congrats to the city of Houston. More importantly, a sad adieu to Doc Halladay.

S.E.: That man threw a no-hitter in the playoffs!

J.S.: How does the cliche go? Right, great pitcher, better person. 

S.E.: It applies here. Look at this unearthed tweet. I think it says a lot about who he was. Rest In Perfect Game Heaven.

 Bledsoe to the Bucks is a step in the right direction  

In no particular order, here is a quick rundown of what a handful of the best players in the league had around them, talent wise, before Tuesday began:

LeBron James -- Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas, Tristan Thompson, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade.

Kevin Durant -- Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson.

Steph Curry -- Covered.

James Harden -- Chris Paul.

Russell Westbrook -- Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Steven Adams.

Karl Anthony-Towns -- Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins.

Kawhi Leonard -- LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker.

Giannis Antetokounmpo -- Khris Middleton?

On Tuesday morning, the Bucks flipped Greg Monroe’s expiring contract and some protected picks for a star point guard.

Eric Bledsoe immediately becomes Milwaukee’s second best player and scorer; someone who can take the pressure off Giannis and run the point. This is a good move for the right now and a great move for the future, because the moment a superstar lands in a small market, the clock is ticking.

The Bucks’ brass surely understands it must begin putting fellow stars about their stud right away, and Bledsoe is a great start, especially at a contract around $15 million for the next two years.With Jabari Parker scheduled to come back in early 2018, this is a team that could make real noise in the playoffs if everything falls into place.

November is for the motivated youngster

*picture credit: SI

Last week, Ben Simmons - who is currently putting up 18 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game - told reporters he should be doing better and that he “needs to pick it up.”

We learned that Giannis Antetokounmpo still likes to go straight from the stadium to the practice gym and re-enact the game he just lost, running through the exact plays that ended in a missed shot.

Mr. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging a hair under 30 points per game and just hit a career high 40 points in a comeback win over the Phoenix Suns. His 300 points through 10 games is the most in Knicks history. 

Jayson Tatum is a three-point revelation; Karl Anthony-Towns is 22 and throwing up a 22 and 11 every night; Devin Booker just became the fourth youngest to 3,000 points; and Markelle Fultz is…...practicing left-handed jump shots?

OK, we can’t deduct points for young players affected by the Hinkie Curse.

The future's still bright.

  • The Knicks beat the Hornets last night, thanks in part to a few clutch baskets down the stretch by The Unicorn. New York is 6-4 and ok-that’s-enough-they-still-aren’t-good. Oh and Porzingis pads his stats.

  • LAKERS PICK WATCH: Through 10 games, the Lakers are 5-5 with a tilt today against the red-hot Celtics.

  • NETS PICK WATCH: Through 10 games, the Nets are 4-6. Don’t be fooled: The Nets suck.

  • LeBron sent out another cryptic Instagram post and oh-my-god-please-make-it-stop.

  • ANDRE DRUMMOND FREE-THROW WATCH: Through 10 games, Drummond is shooting 75 percent from the line and the Pistons are 7-3.

  • You need to see this Lance Stephenson gif: 

  • James Harden scored 56 points the other night on 25 shots.

  • ICYMI: The Wizards, who have not won 50 games in an NBA season since the Jimmy Carter era, went on ESPN last Friday and said they were the best team in the Eastern Conference, despite being torched by Kelly Olynyk in a Game 7 last year. LeBron responded with 57 points. Then last night they rebounded with - oh wait they lost to the 1-10 Mavericks. Boy, are the Wizards pathetic.

  • Remember Anthony Bennett? Yeah, neither do we. Anyways he was some guy who conned the league out of millions then probably went back to Canada. Check out this book excerpt about him, with this little nugget: “The issue with Anthony was, and we had no way of knowing it at the time, the kid had no desire to overcome adversity whatsoever. As soon as it was hard, he was out.” [Tap Here]

  • New York Times writer Marc Stein dissects the potential impact of Giannis Antetokounmpo on NBA history. [Tap Here]

  • "The NBA has now struck two partnerships to broadcast games in virtual reality. Are fans willing to watch them?" [Tap Here]

Dikembe Mutombo Blocks 31 Shots in 5-Game Series (1994 Playoffs)

Dikembe Mutombo blocked 31 shots in 5 playoff games.

#throwbackeveryday

November 8th, 1994: Dikembe Mutombo blocked 11 shots in a 115-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. He would go on to have 336 blocks on the season, emphatically capped with 8 blocks in the decisive Game 5 of the playoffs against the first seeded Supersonics.

*picture credit: NBA