First Take

[kucoach7]

This will be a season long series where Gary and I make a post after every sim discussing something going on in the league. If you ever want to join as a guest and earn a point or two let us know. Yes, I'm setting myself up to be mocked for the rest of sim league time when I give up on it after two sims and people bump the thread for years to come. Without further ado...

[kucoach7]

Look, WigNosy is the greatest GM in the history of the sim league. He is truly a genius and I mean no disrespect to him or the illustrious Hawks organization. We all know Steph Curry can score. We all know Daniel Randle can score. Middleton can get you buckets. This is a very good team, well coached team. BUT! When you look at their competition. You look at the defenses they are going up against. They're sad. They're pathetic! They're deplorable! You got the Blazers, the Mavs, and I might even mention the much acclaimed New Orleans Pelicans with a winning record letting in over 110 points per game on average! The Hawks aren't the best offense of all time! They're playing against the most disgraceful most despicable defenses of all time!

[digiskunk]

Look, WigNosy is the greatest GM in the history of the sim league. He is truly a genius and I mean no disrespect to him or the illustrious Hawks organization. We all know Steph Curry can score. We all know Daniel Randle can score. Middleton can get you buckets. This is a very good team, well coached team. BUT! When you look at their competition. You look at the defenses they are going up against. They're sad. They're pathetic! They're deplorable! You got the Blazers, the Mavs, and I might even mention the much acclaimed New Orleans Pelicans with a winning record letting in over 110 points per game on average! The Hawks aren't the best offense of all time! They're playing against the most disgraceful most despicable defenses of all time!

Mhmm, mhmm. I hear what you're saying kucoach7 but I have to admit that I feel it's a little ridiculous for you to take WigNosy's name and drag it through the dirt like you just did. We're talking about the undisputed king of PBSL, the LeBron James of GMs, and you want to discredit all of his successes because of a few other teams making some improvements? You take a look around the league, especially in that division, and sure, other teams have improved, but they did so because they have to keep up with the Hawks. I don't care if the Hawks have a roster full of prepubescent boy scouts, I'm going to bet on them every single time because Wigs is the undisputed king of PBSL, the LeBron James of PBSL. Wigs went out of his way and got Kenneth Williams, who we all know is going to be the league's next Zach Randolph, and he just made his SUPERTEAM a hell of a lot more SUPER that's for sure.

[kucoach7]

Shameful? Try disgraceful. Try embarrassing. It's embarrassing! The Toronto Raptors have a better record than you? The Utah Jazz are doing better than you? When you got CJ McCollum, one of the league's premier scorers? That's pathetic! But this is what the league is nowadays. The league rewards you for playing RONALD SMALL, who has no business being on a professional basketball court at this point in his career, 30 minutes a game. And Jeremy Lamb ain't doin' them no favors either. That dude's gotta pull his head out and start contributing.

[digiskunk]

Shameful? Try disgraceful. Try embarrassing. It's embarrassing! The Toronto Raptors have a better record than you? The Utah Jazz are doing better than you? When you got CJ McCollum, one of the league's premier scorers? That's pathetic! But this is what the league is nowadays. The league rewards you for playing RONALD SMALL, who has no business being on a professional basketball court at this point in his career, 30 minutes a game. And Jeremy Lamb ain't doin' them no favors either. That dude's gotta pull his head out and start contributing.

Stephen A, when I take a look around this league, I see teams who are built on the backs of young, versatile athletes, not over-the-mill ones such as Derrick Favors, who is exactly who the Raptors have been putting out night after night. Who do they have other than Derrick Favors, Alexey Schved? See, I can't even spell his name correctly, he's that much of a non-factor. It pains me to say this but the Raptors are lost, and unlike the Jazz, they don't really seem to have a gameplan heading forward right now. If I were the RAPTORS, which I must say that I am GLAD that I am not, I would go out and acquire a piece to help make this less embarrassing for everybody involved — ESPECIALLY the kids watching at home, and you know how much I care about the GODDAMN KIDS. But you know, they should acquire a player such as LEBRON JAMES, a player who can capture the imagination just by saying his name; a player who can put up 30-10-10 with aviators and flip-flops on; a player who can single-handedly end the War on Terrorism in the middle-east just by holding a single PRESS CONFERENCE... LEBRON JAMES would be the difference maker in Toronto but I think they're just too short-sighted there to see it. Maybe if they start taking GM advice from people like me and not Drake, they'll start to see some positive changes come about.

[TheSyndicate]

I've really enjoyed this y'all. I highly encourage you to keep it going. At this point you may both claim 5 points. If you keep it going, I'll be awarding additional points based on volume/entertainment value.

[digiskunk]

I've really enjoyed this y'all. I highly encourage you to keep it going. At this point you may both claim 5 points. If you keep it going, I'll be awarding additional points based on volume/entertainment value.

Sweet! Thanks! This is so fun and easy to do. All I have to do is pretend that all of Skip Bayless' thoughts aren't really my own! Haha just kidding

[kucoach7]

First I want to say that I have all the respect in the world for Derrick Rose. He's carried some good teams and some bad teams in his career. Right now he is carrying a decent team and making them great. He is having the best season of his career by far. The Kings have the second best record in the west. What's not to like about this situation?!?! The Kings can win now and later! This is ideal. There will probably be some shuffling is all. The cap situation in the league makes moving a contract like Rose's for young pieces difficult. The Hawks could do it. The Bobcats could do it. The Bucks could do it. Ultimately I don't think any will. Teams like the Kings, Hawks, this is what good teams look like now.

[digiskunk]

First I want to say that I have all the respect in the world for Derrick Rose. He's carried some good teams and some bad teams in his career. Right now he is carrying a decent team and making them great. He is having the best season of his career by far. The Kings have the second best record in the west. What's not to like about this situation?!?! The Kings can win now and later! This is ideal. There will probably be some shuffling is all. The cap situation in the league makes moving a contract like Rose's for young pieces difficult. The Hawks could do it. The Bobcats could do it. The Bucks could do it. Ultimately I don't think any will. Teams like the Kings, Hawks, this is what good teams look like now.

Stephen A, I believe with the utmost sincerity that we're being SPOILED in the PBSL basketball world when we get to watch SUPERSTAR ATHLETES such as DERRICK ROSE perform on a nightly basis. When I look at Derrick Rose, I'm reminded of a young LEBRON JAMES ... he's quick, he's dominant, and when the ball is in his hands, there is a great chance you're going to see something amazing happen because quite like LEBRON JAMES, Rose is a premiere basketball player whose very name evokes fear in the opposition. Even at 29, he's showing no signs of slowing down, unlike the Clippers who seem to have lost some pep in their step. Maybe it's because they look at the Kings, right, they look at the Kings and they see players such as Derrick Rose, Jeffrey Duren, and Reggie Jackson, and they instantly get scared because they know it's tough to compete with that level of intensity and talent. If the Kings continue to win, which I am betting that they will, it will be because of veteran leaders such as Derrick Rose. If the Clippers want to compete in that division they're gonna have to find a way to attract LEBRON JAMES' talents to Los Angeles because he may be the only MAN who can stop DERRICK ROSE at the moment. You can't make this shit up, STEPHEN A!

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, there's something I've been wanting to get off my chest for some time now, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it: The Boston Celtics — they STINK. They're absolutely terrible, absolutely atrocious. We're talking about one of the most legendary — no, one of the most winningest franchises in all of PBSL and NBA history — and you're trying to tell me that they're only capable of producing a 7-31 record? Are you KIDDING ME, Stephen A? I know they don't have a difference maker in LEBRON JAMES but they have a plethora of talent including numerous top draft picks, and you're trying to tell me that they're only capable of producing a measly 7 wins and 31 losses? Red Auerbach would be rolling over in his cold, forgotten grave if he were here right now. He'd be slapping these players upside the head and telling them to "get with the picture" because if they don't make some changes sometime soon, they're destined for a few years of mediocrity — which is something the Boston Celtics can't AFFORD to do to their DECLINING fanbase. But since it's Halloween and I know how you much you love Halloween, Stephen A, I'm going to say this: If the Boston Celtics come knocking on your door tonight, don't open it... They're nothing more than a TRICK, not a TREAT!

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, there's something I've been wanting to get off my chest for some time now, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it: The Boston Celtics — they STINK. They're absolutely terrible, absolutely atrocious. We're talking about one of the most legendary — no, one of the most winningest franchises in all of PBSL and NBA history — and you're trying to tell me that they're only capable of producing a 7-31 record? Are you KIDDING ME, Stephen A? I know they don't have a difference maker in LEBRON JAMES but they have a plethora of talent including numerous top draft picks, and you're trying to tell me that they're only capable of producing a measly 7 wins and 31 losses? Red Auerbach would be rolling over in his cold, forgotten grave if he were here right now. He'd be slapping these players upside the head and telling them to "get with the picture" because if they don't make some changes sometime soon, they're destined for a few years of mediocrity — which is something the Boston Celtics can't AFFORD to do to their DECLINING fanbase. But since it's Halloween and I know how you much you love Halloween, Stephen A, I'm going to say this: If the Boston Celtics come knocking on your door tonight, don't open it... They're nothing more than a TRICK, not a TREAT!

I'm going to be honest with you. I don't care about their record right now. I don't and neither should you. If you have a path to a winning future, a losing present is acceptable. The Celtics roster is replete with promising talent. They have a future superstar in KAT. SUPERSTAR. And DAngelo Russell looks like the real deal too. 7 wins is okay. They have their pick this year. They have 3 first rounders next year. The Celtics have a fabulous future. Forget about the 7 wins. The Wizards have 13 wins and I'd be much more concerned if I was their GM.

[kucoach7]

Disaster!? Try catastrophe! Try nuclear fallout! Try cataclysm! They're going to rebuild and they give up LaVine just to unload Dragic. In return they get Mr. I-can't-run-up-and-down-the-court-two-times-without-passing-out, Feel the Mil-burn. Then they send Hawes away for Aldridge so they can get out of that contract early, which by the way spells even MORE cap disaster for the Grizzlies and the league probably needs to do something about their irresponsible spending. Probably their best move was sending Chandler for Simmons. That was actually a pretty good deal. Overall though I gotta say the whole day was just a dumpster fire.

[digiskunk]

Disaster!? Try catastrophe! Try nuclear fallout! Try cataclysm! They're going to rebuild and they give up LaVine just to unload Dragic. In return they get Mr. I-can't-run-up-and-down-the-court-two-times-without-passing-out, Feel the Mil-burn. Then they send Hawes away for Aldridge so they can get out of that contract early, which by the way spells even MORE cap disaster for the Grizzlies and the league probably needs to do something about their irresponsible spending. Probably their best move was sending Chandler for Simmons. That was actually a pretty good deal. Overall though I gotta say the whole day was just a dumpster fire.

Stephen A, when I get up in the morning and have my first cup of coffee with Kahlua, the VERY FIRST thing that crosses my mind is, "what are the Raptors going to do today?" And you know why? Because much like LEBRON JAMES of the UTAH JAZZ, the Toronto RAPTORS are the GIFT that keeps on GIVING. And truth be told, I have no clue what they were doing last night when they made that deal. Sure they managed to acquire a young stud in Zach LaVine, but it came at the cost of Goran Dragic's immense contract. ... Why they would do this is beyond me. Goran Dragic, much like the Raptors' cap space, will most likely be dead by the time he reaches the end of that contract. The Raptors seem to keep rolling the dice, but every time, it seems to come up snake eyes.

[TheSyndicate]

You may both collect another 5 points toward your media caps. Thanks for the laughs. You probably won't be able to get more points without some Nuggets coverage, though. #notsayingjustsaying.

[LoCo89]

Then they send Hawes away for Aldridge so they can get out of that contract early, which by the way spells even MORE cap disaster for the Grizzlies and the league probably needs to do something about their irresponsible spending.

Um excuse you. That reduced my salary this season. Do your research

[ballsohard]

Then they send Hawes away for Aldridge so they can get out of that contract early, which by the way spells even MORE cap disaster for the Grizzlies and the league probably needs to do something about their irresponsible spending.

Um excuse you. That reduced my salary this season. Do your research

Feels more authentic if they’re being inaccurate

[kucoach7]

Then they send Hawes away for Aldridge so they can get out of that contract early, which by the way spells even MORE cap disaster for the Grizzlies and the league probably needs to do something about their irresponsible spending.

Um excuse you. That reduced my salary this season. Do your research

Feels more authentic if they’re being inaccurate

Balls, very funny. Loco, I was referring to the fact that it adds to your guaranteed salary next year, which has a bigger hit because you'll hit the 4+ repeater (but really I'm just bitter because I have your pick next year and this trade probably makes your team better.

[LoCo89]

Um excuse you. That reduced my salary this season. Do your research

Feels more authentic if they’re being inaccurate

Balls, very funny. Loco, I was referring to the fact that it adds to your guaranteed salary next year, which has a bigger hit because you'll hit the 4+ repeater (but really I'm just bitter because I have your pick next year and this trade probably makes your team better.

What's this "next year" you speak of?

[kucoach7]

What's this "next year" you speak of?

#myopia #hyperbolicdiscounting

[kucoach7]

I know there has been a lot of talk about Kevin Love taking 26 shots in the All-Star game. There has been some murmuring around the league, some grumbling, some discontent, some displeasure. I've got two things to say about this. One, this wasn't about showing off or showing up the other All-stars. This is just what Kevin Love does. Last year his usage was almost 38! The year before it was over 38! The guy just simply isn't accostomed to having competent teammates. Two, he made 21 of those 26 shots so give the guy a break. If anything, this was a plea, an audition, for other teams to make huge offers to get him out of Phoenix and onto a contender.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, I can't believe we even have to have this conversation right now. PBSL basketball fans come to games to see offensive juggernauts take over games; they want to see SUPERSTARS rise up and overcome the ODDS like it's some sort of FAIRYTALE. When I watch Kevin Love, I know that I'm in for a great show. I'm watching a kid who simply dominates every facet of the game; a player who makes his teammates around him better just by kicking ass. Few players have the ability to do that in this league — or at least at that level — so when Kevin Love is on the court I want to watch him jack up as many shots as possible. I want to see him play every minute of the game, because that's what people want to see. I don't care if his usage rate is higher than Lamar Odom's crack usage, I want to see him obliterate the opposition on the basketball court. With that said, they desperately need to find other options on that team. I mean, Kevin Love is CAPABLE of doing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, but SHOULD he? I'd say no. I don't know how you feel about this, Stephen A, but Kevin Love is like a son to me.

[kucoach7]

There's no doubt about it. There's no other way to put it. This year the trade deadline was a sleeper. It was BORING. It was uninspiring. I'm gonna go one step further though. It was a disgrace. The good teams, apparently, think they have it all. They APPARENTLY don't NEED A THING. They are content just to sit back and see how things play out. This would have never have happened in the nineties. With Magic, MJ, SHAWN KEMP! Those guys would have been pushing their owners to WIN. MORE. NOW. The level of competitiveness in the league STINKS. It just STINKS. Outside of Van Memphis, teams are more concerned about beating the tax man than their division rivals.

[digiskunk]

There's no doubt about it. There's no other way to put it. This year the trade deadline was a sleeper. It was BORING. It was uninspiring. I'm gonna go one step further though. It was a disgrace. The good teams, apparently, think they have it all. They APPARENTLY don't NEED A THING. They are content just to sit back and see how things play out. This would have never have happened in the nineties. With Magic, MJ, SHAWN KEMP! Those guys would have been pushing their owners to WIN. MORE. NOW. The level of competitiveness in the league STINKS. It just STINKS. Outside of Van Memphis, teams are more concerned about beating the tax man than their division rivals.

Stephen A, first and foremost I want to say that I'm deeply disturbed by the lack of big name superstars being shipped around this trade deadline, and perhaps more importantly, this season. Aside from LEBRON JAMES moving to the Utah Jazz for pennies on the dollar, I can't remember the last time I was even in the least bit aroused due to a trade rumor — it's been that slow of a season for me. Furthermore, I think teams have become downright lazy when it comes to managing their rosters ... I think that's because a lot of GMs take a look around the league, and they see teams like the PISTONS and KNICKS, and they get scared — they know they can't compete, so rather than take calculated risks, they just take a backseat in the standings. That's been the story this season so far, and I think that's a disgrace. If you want to be respected in this industry, you have to earn it. And while I'm on that note, let me say this: the Pelicans aren't doing their fanbase any favors by trading away the BEST ATHLETE in the world for practically nothing. And the worst part is? The Jazz aren't even making an effort to play him. I can't believe my eyes. You're absolutely right Stephen A, the level of competitiveness in certain divisions in this league absolutely STINKS.

[IamQuailman]

this has been great guys! Thoroughly enjoying this. Yall should do a podcast. TANK WARS: PREPARE FOR BATTLE

[kucoach7]

For pretenders, I got the T-Wolves, the Knicks, and the Hawks. Look, I've been a Knicks fan my whole life. I KNOW they are ALWAYS either losers or PRETENDERS! That's what the Knicks do! The Hawks are too old in the front and back courts. For the first time in years they didn't pull off a heist of a trade so they're pretending. The Wolves, man, I love that that Wiggins Porter combo but that ain't gonna enough when the goin' gets tough.

For contenders, I got the Pistons, Kings, Clipps, and Spurs. Why, you ask? I got four answers for you. Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, Kevin DURANT, and RUSSELL WESTBROOK. If you make the playoffs and have those guys on your team, you're contending.