Coach of the Year Awards

Dwane Casey was just voted NBA Coach of the Year. No offense to Mr. Casey but he can't carry Brad Stevens jock when it comes to coaching. This award is a joke. But then again all these "Coach of the Year" awards seem to be.

This year's voting immediately reminded me that Red Auerbach (the best coach in NBA history) only won one NBA Coach of the Year award. And that was for the season the Celtics won their eight of nine consecutive championships.

It also reminded me Bill Belichick, despite being the consensus best coach in the league for the past 15 years, has only won 3 NFL Coach of the Year awards. His teams during those 3-years went a combined 44-4 so I guess they kind of had to give him the award those seasons.

Just to emphasize how much of a joke the NBA Coach of the Year is - not only did Brad Stevens not win - he did not receive any votes! Doc Rivers received a vote! (I agree with those who suggest that Doc voted for himself.)

Coach of the Year awards are crap!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- True

- 20 real-world uses for blockchain technology

- I've come to the conclusion that Doc Rivers really isn't a good NBA coach

- Pedro's the best!

- Interesting - coal power plant in Australia being reopened for blockchain mining

- Interesting (if true)

- Defeating diseases with energy. They mighty mitochondria!

State of the Celtics

The news that Isaiah Thomas is about to start a rehabilitation with the Cavs G-League team got me thinking about the NBA and in particular all things Boston Celtics.

I'm still amazed that Danny Ainge turned the assets from the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo trades into Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. And don't forget that he also turned Doc Rivers as coach into Brad Stevens as coach. There's not a single NBA team that would rather have Rivers over Stevens as coach at this point. Not one single NBA team.

Rivers didn't want to stick around in Boston because he didn't want to go through a rebuilding process. Since leaving the Celtics - Rivers has been 18-22 in the playoffs with the Clippers. Meanwhile in that same span the "rebuilding" Celtics have been 11-17 but poised to greatly improve on that playoff record this season and in the years to come.

Whatever the Celtics do in the playoffs this season is pure gravy. Fans are really interested in what can be accomplished next season with the addition of Gordon Haywood for a full season and another first round pick (or two) plus the probable absence of LeBron James from the Eastern Conference.

Speaking of draft picks - currently Brooklyn (11-18) has a better record than the Lakers (10-18). Hope that continues and somehow LA falls to between 2nd and 5th in the draft.

Good luck with the rehab IT4! Boston fans are pulling for you!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Clay Buchholz is the only regular starting pitcher on the Red Sox with an ERA under 5.00 (and his is 4.58)... Explaining TV to a kid 20-years from now...  I read a headline that said "ISIS Could Buy Nuke" but my mind read it as "ISIS Could Buy Nike". I'm not sure which would be more impressive... This photo is real? I always just assumed it was some sort of photoshop... If I were to run a scam it would be as a pet fish medium. How could anyone prove you weren't actually communicating with a beloved dead goldfish?... Interesting - how far did Sam and Frodo walk?... Do you think there are any NBA GM's out there who would rather have Doc Rivers over Brad Stevens at this point? I mean besides the Clippers GM (who is also Doc Rivers)... Roger Goodell will have to answer this question in court... If you think about it most Popeye cartoons boil down to Brutus trying to rape Olive Oyl and Popeye trying to stop him... I always get a kick out of this animation...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

After the reported trade between the Celtics and Nets - Boston went from a 33-1 bet to win the NBA championship to a 75-1 longshot. Meanwhile the Nets went from 40-1 to 10-1...  Big Bang Theory meets Firefly... If I were an MLB player - my "walk up" music would be God Bless America just to see if people would stand when I came up to hit... Cool - David Simon's original pitch for The Wire... MMA Jesus would be a good name for a Christian rock band... Heh heh - it's funny because it's true... Bill Simmons should give his Chippers season tickets to Jeffrey Ross whenever he's in town just so he can heckle Doc Rivers...  Interesting interview with Neil Gaiman...

Boston Celtics

With the trade of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets - the Boston Celtics are officially rebuilding. Much has been made of the Celtics now having 9 first round picks in the next 5 years but little has been made of the core of young players Boston has in place. Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass. Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger and now first round pick Kelly Olynyk - that could be an entertaining core of players to watch. Maybe even more entertaining than watching minutes being rationed for KG and Pierce while trying to make one last playoff run.

Being the optimist I can't help but think that if there is a sign and trade agreement in place between the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith then the 2014 Boston team is playoff caliber. And if somehow cap space is available to sign unrestricted free agent Al Jefferson - then suddenly this team has a real shot to contend. ESPN's Marc Stein earlier reported that the Utah Jazz might just let Jefferson walk. I would take that team over the Nets roster - wouldn't you?

A few additional Celtics thoughts:

- People keep saying that Paul Pierce deserved to retire as a Boston Celtic. Who is to say that Danny Ainge didn't offer Pierce the choice and Pierce preferred to take one last shot at another ring?

- People also keep saying that the Celtics may be planning on tanking in 2014 to get a shot at the lottery. maybe its a better chance that the Nets implode in the next year or so and the lottery pick comes from Brooklyn. Remember the Celtics have the option to take the 2017 pick if they want.

- An interesting Vegas bet would be who will have more wins next season - Doc Rivers with the Clippers without Kevin Garnett or rookie coach Jason Kidd in Brooklyn with KG.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm happy for Doc Rivers and the Celtics. It was a good move for both sides. It will be interesting to see what happens with Kevin Garnett now. With a move to the Clippers probably  blocked by the league how funny would it be if KG ended up sharing an arena with Doc by getting traded to the Lakers?... 26 songs about Superman. I would have put the Crash Test Dummies song at number one... Interesting to note that according to @SportsTaxMan the trade to Clipppers may actually cost Doc Rivers close to a million dollars because of differences in state taxes... Things I should know by now but do not; why is a $10 bill called a "sawbuck"?... The Dark Knight Rises was not a good movie and I think less and less of it every time I see it pop up on HBO... I think that whole smoke a cigarette after sex thing was something the tobacco industry made up with Hollywood's help. People I know don't crave a cigarette after sex. Hard core smokers want a cigarette every 15 minutes whether it is after sex or not. Occasional smokers have stress as more of a trigger to smoking desire and sex is a stress reliever... Belgian Waffles Benedict. I want - right now!... Things you learn on the Internet: According to Mental Floss - "Curly [of the Three Stooges] ad-libbed his first 'woo, woo, woo!' He used it when he forgot is lines."...

Whither Doc Rivers?

I've been meaning to comment on the trade talks between the Boston Celtics and the LA Clippers but honestly I've been busy and was also under the assumption that the deal would be done by now. There are some aspects of this potential transaction that I don't think are getting proper attention and on which I'd like to offer my two cents.

Doc Rivers never won anything as a player. That's not a knock against him - just the facts. He never came close to winning a ring as a player and until Danny Ainge remade the Celtics roster by trading for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett - he was never was close as a coach either. But once you've won a ring (and come so close to another) - who's to say that you don't naturally get greedy for a second champagne shower? Same goes for Kevin Garnett - he was in the wastelands in Minnesota until a trade opened championship opportunities for him. Both Doc and KG just finished watching Ray Allen win his second ring - who could blame them if they were jealous?

As an aside - the only man with multiple rings in this scenario (Danny Ainge with 3) - is also the coolest actor in this poker game. That is worthy of note.

Speaking of the Heat winning the championship - perhaps one of the reasons this deal (Doc Rivers and KG for DeAndre Jordan plus one or two first round draft picks) isn't done is because David Stern didn't want any NBA news detracting away from the finals. Now that the finals are done - can a deal possibly be announced soon?

Last season KG averaged 14.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG in just under 30 minutes per game. He is one of the greatest players in NBA history and does not shrink from the big moments. Current Laker Dwight Howard averaged 17.1 and 12.4 last season in 35 minutes per game but I'd argue that Howard does shrink in the limelight. Would Kobe Bryant be happier with his championship chances with an equally motivated KG in the front court? Just how happy is Kobe with Mike D'Antoni? The Lakers could easily trade Howard to the Houston Rockets and use part of that haul (plus a first round pick) to send to Boston for Doc and KG.  Maybe a birdie should be whispering in Kobe's ear right about now. Maybe they already are.

Nobody in Boston is enthusiastic about DeAndre Jordan. He's basically a more polished Fab Melo - who coincidentally was drafted by the Celtics with a Clippers first round pick acquired in the Kendrick Perkins trade. Maybe Danny Ainge should table discussions with the Clippers to file tampering charges. What right did the Clippers have in talking to or about Doc and KG who are both under contract? I'd be asking for a first rounder in compensation. Let that sink in to the Clippers that they might lose a first rounder and get nothing in return. Compound that with Chris Paul getting frustrated with having to wait like the petulant spoiled brat that he seems to be and we'll see how willing Clippers management is to continue to play chicken with that second first round pick.

At this point I think the trade with the Clippers might be the least appealing of three scenarios. The first being the trade with the Clips; the second being a trade with the Lakers and the third and maybe most appealing of all is getting a first round pick from the Clippers for tampering and then holding onto Doc Rivers' rights while he goes and does TV for a season. The rights for Doc will be worth a first rounder now or at some point in the future. Why not wait? In this last scenario the Celtics get two first round picks and won't have to pretend to be happy to have high-priced DeAndre Jordan clogging up the middle. Kevin Garnett can return or retire or be traded - whatever he wants.

Anyways - my two cents on whither Doc Rivers.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the wake of the Secret Service hooker scandal - shouldn't some reporter ask President Obama if he favors legalizing prostitution? If I was willing to pay good money for that question does that make me a "John"?... 100 years ago Leonardo DiCaprio drown for your sins, he rose and now reads your dreams for your deepest secrets. Move over Flying Spaghetti Monster - I'm thinking of founding the Church of DiCaprio... Quid pro quo literally means "something for something". Prostitution is a quid pro quo arrangement. You give money you get sex. According to Patrick Kennedy - the Obama White House operates on the same principles as hookers... If the season ended today - Derek Lowe would probably get some votes for the AL Cy Young Award. Think about that for a minute... I may have business cards printed up - Chris Lynch, President, Americans for Bacon. Seriously - I may set up as a lobbyist... Last week's Mad Men recut as a horror movie trailer... If Ian Kennedy was still with the Yankees - would he be the team ace?... Is there any doubt that Doc Rivers should be the NBA Coach of the Year?... Johnny Cash with a kitten. Awwwwww....

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Interesting read: "How Many Stephen Colberts Are There?" Long but amusing look at Colbert today and where he came from 

Bob Ryan takes a look at Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers. For the record - I loved Ainge as a player but I thought Doc was just slightly better.

Girl with great balance doing yoga - impressive in many ways

Was Ron Jaworski The Puppetmaster Behind Penn State's Odd Coaching Hire?

Louis C.K.’s lesson for marketers: Honesty is the best strategy

Bill Simmons Live Blog

Here are 5 things I think I think about Bill Simmons Game 4 live blog.

1. Simmons makes fun of how "pedestrian" Doc Rivers pre-game and half-time talks are. Two thoughts on this - A: most of a coach's work is done in practice and in the film room and Doc has a reputation for being very prepared and B: if Bill Belichick said the exact same words you can bet your bottom dollar that Simmons would have had a very, very different reaction.

2. This must have hurt him to write:

For all my bitching about Doc Rivers over the years, I have to hand it to him -- he played the right guys at the right time and helped facilitate one of the great moments in Boston Celtics history. The man deserves all the credit in the world. He outcoached the Zen Master. It happened. His focus was on winning, and they won.

That last sentence was a crack on Doc's halftime speech. Even when trying to praise Rivers - Simmons tries to bury him.

3. Simmons has his list of the 10 most dramatic Celtics wins of his lifetime. The Bird stole the ball pass to DJ for the lay-up game vs Detroit is 3rd on the list. The thing is - you can't argue with the top 2 choices. Celtics fans have been blessed.

4. Here's an image that I won't be able to get out of my head:

By the way, wouldn't Lakers games be more fun if Gasol dressed like a bullfighter for the pregame intros, then waved a red cape for the other starters as they ran by him?

5. I agree with this:

The Kobe-MJ thing ... done. Over. Jordan never would have let that happen in the Finals. Ever. Under any circumstances. Nobody is ever allowed to bring this up again.

I wonder how Kobe is at baseball though.

Doc Rivers and Bill Simmons

Doc Rivers has led the Celtics to the best record in basketball, to the biggest single season turnaround in basketball history, the the NBA finals and to victory in the first game of the NBA Championship. Yet Bill Simmons still can't help but take shots at Doc Rivers at every opportunity.

Simmons was the most vocal critic of Doc Rivers last year. Now I think Simmons' ego won't allow him to admit he was wrong about Doc. Simmons really believes that he knows more about basketball than anyone else and its that belief that won't allow him to give Doc Rivers any credit.

It reminds me of how Stephen King was critical of Terry Francona calling him Francoma. Of course King is smart enough to realize and admit to his misjudgment of Francona. Simmons isn't smart enough to realize he was and is similarly wrong about Doc Rivers.