I just got home, havent read any headlines anywhere. I have to preemptively ask...What the Eff happened to Bragg!?!?
Lulufulu
3094 posts
@jaybate-1.0 Geez, I just woke up, eating breakfast b4 work. Saw this thread and realized I dont have time to read it. I believe it will take at least a solid week to get through, especially as I am running from the blue meanies on wheels for being part of Anonymous.
@wrwlumpy This team is so not even close to what the 2012 team was. After seeing WVU kick our butts, I dont have a good feeling about this game at all.
@Crimsonorblue22 Imo, KU is massively overrated. At this point, they should be lucky to land at a 3 or 4 seed.
@jaybate-1.0 I actually saw Devonte get handed some pills to swallow by one of the trainers. Presumably they were electrolyte tabs cuz he was chugging Gatorade at the same time. SO, I think DG's cramps have returned.
I was watching the game on ESPN streaming live and it was this wierd camera angle, positioned right above both hoops. each time out one camera would pan over to the KU bench and or the WVU bench. But mostly to KU's bench. Thats when I saw one of the trainers hand DG some pills to swallow and him chugging like 2 bottles of gatorade.
@jaybate-1.0 Even if they were all healthy enough they still arent defending to near the level we are used to. This team is not a final four team. Heck, this team isnt even a sweet 16 team. We could get bounced on the first game and it wouldnt surprise me at all. It would sting really bad but at this point I wouldnt be surprised.
I was just thinking on my way home about this 7 compared to 2012's 7. Its not even close. the 2012 team would BURY this team.
Im just calling it right now. We wont make it to the sweet 16 this year. Not if our guys can figure out how to defend again.
How did they lose it to begin with!? All of them except Josh were around last season when they were great!
We may not even win the conference. Well, actually I still like our chances. But my hope beyond that is dwindling very rapidly. The worst Defense under Coach Self so far! No way does that get us past the first round. No way.
@drgnslayr I was kind of hoping to see all 5 guards out there at one point...just for a couple possessions.
@Crimsonorblue22 Yah, thats the other thing that pisst me off last night. The second half foul calling was horrendous!!
I mean clearly that is a foul on WVU. No FTs for Frank and he gets 4 fouls!? BS
@DCHawker Nice post.
Last nights game was awful the second half. Our defense stunk. Landen, 10 boards, not bad, Bragg...1 board!? Really??
Im not making excuses here but i suspect Lando isnt himself again. Sick or hurt, either one or both.
KU actually went to zone Defense in the second half. I forget how long they played it. Fat lot of good it did.
All our current defects aside, I still like KU's chances to come out on pretty good ground after the next few weeks.
I trust Bill Self. Period.
Frank got at least 3 phantom fouls. The second half foul calling was sooooo lop sided, its not even funny!!
I dont even know what to say.
@wissox dammit, I didnt mean to edit youre post dude!
@wissox JoJo is fine. He's walking around, jumping even, after Covington nails that trey to seal the game. He's fine
Here's my thoughts, for what its worth.
Trae Young or no, Devonte's tenure as a Jayhawk depends on how far KU goes in the "March Carney" KU gets upset before the sweet 16, He'll be back.
@BeddieKU23 Frank's tougher than Sherron. He'll be fine.
@drgnslayr yeah, i like our chances. its still gonna be a tough game.
@mayjay no big deal, I just didnt know what that was for.
@jaybate-1.0 Body armor available for people that Snowboard. Pretty fancy stuff too. Movable, conforms to the body. Would not hamper athletic ability at all.
@mayjay What the crap is this for?
@wissox Yeaaaah, we all know Gottlieb likes to eat terds for breakfast.
<a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/1/19/14321216/joel-embiid-defensive-player-of-the-year-candidate-rudy-gobert-brett-brown-nerlens-noel
[Joel's All Star starter bid falls short](http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/1/19/14331098/nba-all-star-game-2017-starters-joel-embiid-jimmy-butler-lebron-james-steph-curry-russell-westbroo ↗k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel playing like defensive player of the year ↗
Everyone must think me lame for posting news about Joel seemingly adnauseum. BUT, I love this guy!! Look how many all star votes he got, as a rookie!
In the last 40 years, who has done that AND had the stats and capabilities on the court to back it up?
Maybe small time guys like no big deal, like Jordan, Shaq, Duncan. I dont know, I didnt look up the answer.
But for real, JoJo an All Star as a ROOKIE! We all know that if he was truly playing 36 minutes per game that this wouldnt even be a discussion right now. He would be the best player in the league, right now.
Not the best Center, the best player.
I submit to everyone right now that Joel is the best since Wilt. There is ample evidence to show that.
Of course, I know, He isnt playing the back end game of two in a rows. He isnt playing more than 28 minutes per game. The most important thing for his long term future is to make absolutely sure that his foot holds up. I mean it would be tragically tragic beyond words if he should injure himself permanently. Tragic for him, tragic for us KU fans, tragic for 76ers fans and tragic for the entire game itself.
(Tangent) I wonder how many KU fans voted Joel as an All Star that dont even pay attention to NBA ball.
I also wonder how many 76ers fans voted him an All Star.
I also think about how many 76ers fans out there became KU fans just because of Joel and vice versa.
I plug myself into the latter group for sure!!
OK, back to primary topic. If Joel stays healthy, which I think he will, I absolutely think he should at least make a secondary spot on the All Star roster this year. NOBODY is doing what Joel is doing right now. Noone. Well, no rookie or second year anyways. i mean the only guys that are equaling Joel's production on both ends of the court are Super Stars with multiple years in the League!
We all knew, watching Joel at KU that he was special, that he was a once in a generation talent. He is a freeking sponge you guys! I read these articles talking about his transcendent court awareness and his offensive and defensive capabilities and my jaw drops. I gape even further when I see him do those things in a replay or a Gif embedded into an article.
Joel isnt an athlete, he's an artist!!
@JayHawkFanToo I think that was the point @jaybate-1.0 was trying to make. Cole, not much used, came off the bench
@jaybate-1.0 Would Bill Self have the cojones to use both Mitch and Coleby for a spell in March? he might need to. I fully agree with your point about Cole in 08
@BShark oh yah, most definitely. KU would beat Indiana given a replay
@HawkChamp Noone saw that coming! HUGE victory for Lon and OU!
We are barely half way through the conference season and only KU is undefeated. I expect that to change next week with our brutal stretch of @WVU , @UK, and home vs Baylor. BUT, during the past 14 years, KU has won the conference in this exact same way. KU maintains dominance at home, steals half or so of the wins on the road, and lets the rest of the conference beat up on each other.
Its waaaaay to early to call game set match, but I would say our chances are very high at this point.
@BeddieKU23 He has a real shot right now. But due to the circumstances he wont make the first team. He could absolutely land a spot on the roster though.
Seasons w/ 25+ pts, 11+ rebs, 3+ blks per 36:
Prime Kareem
Prime Ewing
Prime David Robinson
Rookie Joel Embiid
@Crimsonorblue22 Im very happy about that. Mari deserves to have his dad back. Im glad Barack did that. I hope he had KU in the back of his mind during that process.
@jayballer54 I like Rahgers! Hes a KU fan. Id love to see him get a ring. I havent watched a football game in years but Id like to see that.
@drgnslayr HAHAHAHAHAHA!
@Fightsongwriter Come on! The 2012 team only had 6 guys! Six! plus Justin Wesley...
@jaybate-1.0 said:
Still, what makes most sense is to amp a little for ISU in Ames in order to steal a W early on the road against a top half team; that is Self’s MO in the past.
Which he did very specifically by saying Vick and Bragg were gonna win the game for KU.
Excellent tactics.
Personally Im not worried about the conference season. KU will, at very least, share it with WVU or Baylor, or both. Im fine with that.
What I am worried about is KU's defense. Ranked #30 per kenpom the last time I checked. That is not final four material. Sweet 16, yah sure. But if they dont lock down their defense by late March, well, lets just say Id have a bad feeling about this Chewie.
Best Interior Defender: Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid's NBA debut after a two-year absence due to a fractured navicular bone in his right foot, which required multiple surgeries, has saved us from the most uninspiring rookie of the year race in recent memory.
With his playing time limited in deference to health, Embiid has packed remarkable production into 25 minutes per game. Per 36 minutes, he's averaging 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. Of all the rookies in NBA history, only another Philadelphia center, Wilt Chamberlain, scored more prolifically per minute, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
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Perhaps more impressive than Embiid's volume is that he has managed to score with above-average efficiency (.572 true shooting percentage) while finishing a remarkable 36.1 percent of the 76ers' plays with a shot, trip to the free throw line or turnover. Before Embiid, Ben Gordon (31.9 percent) and Cedric Ceballos (31.3 percent in 11.6 minutes per game) were the lone rookies with a usage rate north of 30 percent. Neither reached league average in true shooting percentage.
Beyond Embiid's offensive contributions, he also has the top defensive rating in ESPN's real plus-minus (plus-1.4 RPM per 100 possessions) among rookies. With Embiid on the court, Philadelphia has allowed just 101.1 points per 100 possessions, which would lead the league, according to NBA.com/Stats.
Does Connor Teahan have a brother?
@DoubleDD And! And, Joel will draw high level talent to him.
@DoubleDD Take Bill Russel and Wilt for example. Do people now think that Bill was better than Wilt? Maybe, but only cuz he had more titles. Both guys were THE man. I think people will look back on Joel the same way regardless of where he plays
@KUSTEVE Frank is a "bad man"! He is this years Buddy Hield story. Unranked unknown to potential POY.
If Isaiah Thomas can play pro ball for the Celts, then Frank can be a pro too
@Crimsonorblue22 Hell yah!!
@jaybate-1.0 I havent got keen enough eyes for the game to tell if a player is injured or not. The only thing thats a major "tell" to me is shooting percentages. trey and Free throw especially. If they trend down and stay down.
@jaybate-1.0 Are you referring to Devonte? Im assuming thats who it is.
@Crimsonorblue22 as do I! But Im not 7'2" or a pro basketball player having a pre All Star season.
I love Joel's ambition. He is wickedly entertaining too! The stuff he says on Twitter is Fried Gold I tell you!
Personally I think Coach Self is sticking with his 7 man crew for the duration. We might see Coleby and Lightfoot every now and again. But, this team has a short bench, similar to the 2012 team. Im betting Coach wants to maximize his production from those guys, get them as much time as he can, give them a fighting chance to be peaking in March. Which is what we want, right? I dunno. Its just a guess.
@approxinfinity Yeah, I read that story. Good stuff! While its laughable to think the 76ers could make the play offs after such historically bad basketball the past how many seasons? I think JOel has great great reason to aim so high and get the team to do the same thing. Of course, I am biased, but he is the best Center in the league, right now. I mean, imagine when Joel starts playing full time minutes! He would flirt with triple double averages.
@ralster Couldnt have said it better myself.
@BeddieKU23 If Mario Chalmers can do it, DG can too. He's got that fire in him. Just needs to bring it every night
@rocketdog I thought he totally baited that. Might have pinched him in the belly too. Refs didnt catch it! Just saw Livingstons reaction to it and T'd him up. So funny!
@Crimsonorblue22 Geezuz Fracking Christmas! there was zero contact there to cause Tripper to lose his balance. That was on purpose
Nah, I dont think Fran was listing those schools in order. First guy said is KU the best place, Fran said yeah, then named off his schools, not in any particular order...at least thats my interpretation.
That said, Fran is declining in popularity in my eyes any how
@wissox back on topic... For everyone's information our own Joel Embiid is currently in 4th place for the eastern conference front court. He trails only Lebron, Giannis, and Kevin Love.
Keep the votes rolling in you guys! We could have our very first rookie NBA All Star!
Is that accurate?
slightly off topic. If Isaiah Thomas at 5'9" can be a really good NBA guard for the Celtics, then Frank Mason can do the very same thing. Hell, Sherron had his chance, he just effed it up cuz he was out of shape.
@dylans Joel so deserves an NBA All star spot this season.
@dylans thats cool as $h&^