SB Nation User Blog: indeedproceed

Sources: Marion to Dallas in 3 team swap

indeedproceed — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:50:01 -0000

Sources: Marion to Dallas in 3 team swap

Proposed is Shawn Marion to Dallas in sign+trade involving Mavs Raps and Grizz. Stackhouse to Memphis, Antoine Wright and Devean George to Toronto

HOLLINGER! Shaking Fist

indeedproceed — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:58:34 -0000

John Hollinger just came out with a new reason for Celtic nation to hate on him. I know, I know.

"But IP, he's a slave to a system! He's just telling you what the system tells him!"

"But IP, its just numbers! Its not like he pretends they mean much!"

No more! No more will I dismiss Hollinger as a numbers guy and nothing else. It has come to this.

John Hollinger recently released a ranking of all thirty NBA franchises. We are not number 1. To quote Daffy Duck, This. Meansth. War.

Hollinger's case relies on numbers, sure. Lakers have more playoff wins. They have more series won. They've made the playoffs more. They have 9 more overall wins. Those numbers matter.

They have 3 less championships though. And on top of that, they're 2-9 in playoff series record against the supposedly inferior Boston Celtics. They have less franchise All-Stars. They've relocated. There aren't even any Lakes in Los Angles.

This is one in a long line of John Hollinger arbitrarily underestimating the Boston Celtics.

The most glaring case of bias isn't in his numbers. Its in his "intangibles" section, but we'll get to that.

My biggest problem in the actual numbers is with playoff wins.

Why count playoff wins at all? Nobody cares if you lost a series 3-4 two weeks after its over. The only thing that should count should be playoff series won. That matters. If you make it to the Eastern Conference finals that should count. Why should playoff wins matter when you're A) Also counting playoff series won, and B) Also counting total wins per franchise. Why count this twice?

The reason why is because LA beats Boston if you count them twice.

Then, if that's not enough, Hollinger assigned a completely arbitrary "intangibles" value for every team. Boston's intangibles: 50. LA's Intangibles: 150. Are you kidding me.

Why does Hollinger do this? Because LA loses 100 points for relocation.How does he justify it? Celebrities in the stands for LA, better stars on the court.

Excuse me? WE have 3 more all-stars, and talk about franchise guys...Larry, Bill Russell, Hondo...the list is just as long or longer than LA's. And who gives a rat's crap about celebrities in the stands.

The way Hollinger describes intangibles: Intangibles matter too, and I created a separate category for special circumstances. For instance, the Blazers of the early part of this decade were perfectly respectable in terms of wins and losses, but few were eager to admit rooting for that team because of all the scoundrels littering the roster. This is the one part that's completely subjective, but for several teams I subtracted or added 50 to 150 points based on playing styles, player behavior, superstars and other major factors.

Also he says: Intangibles matter: Fans want to like and admire the team they're cheering.

So LA's players are more admirable than Boston's, huh? Yeah cuz Bill Russell isn't the equivelent of a basketball Dalai Lama or something. Larry Bird didn't galvanize a nation. Red isn't a virtual national treasure.

Hollinger's numbers as is:

4880, Los Angeles

4735, Boston

Hollinger's numbers, counting only Playoff Series, not Playoff Wins.

Boston: 4117

Los Angeles: 4094

Ugh. Whatever Hollinger. Keep that 'no bias' schtick if you want, but I'm not buyin it anymore. Your PER is well below average.

EDIT: I got my answers, although this is far from over (actually its pretty over).

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/26924

IndeedProceed: (Celticsblog.com) John, I have two major problems with your franchise ranking.

1) The Lakers have a 150 intangibles rating, the Celtics just a 50?

2) If you count playoff series wins, and overall wins, doesn't counting playoff wins seem redundant? Playoff wins count 3 times in your system..once in overall, once in playoff wins, and once in series wins. What does it look like without it?

John Hollinger: To clarify, playoff wins don't also count as a regular season-win, so they're not being double counted there. The reason I count individual playoff wins is because a 4-3 series loss is different from a 4-0 series loss -- the 4-3 could have produced a lot of excitement, the 4-0 only shame and anguish. By the way, if you remove the intangibles LA still beats out Boston pretty comfortably.

Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen has had surgery on his right ankle and leg. The team says he's...

indeedproceed — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:06:02 -0000

Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen has had surgery on his right ankle and leg.

The team says he's expected to recover from the surgery, performed Wednesday, in time for training camp this fall.

Allen averaged 7.8 points last season, when he missed 34 of the last 47 regular-season games with the ankle injury.

ESPN NEWS-Tony Allen has Surgery

Defending the Cavaliers and the Alleged "King James"

indeedproceed — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:05:48 -0000

Okay, let me preface all this by saying:

I think the notion that Lebron stalked off the court against the Magic and was a no show at the press conference because he's "just so unbelievably competitive" is just ridiculous. Not funny, not inspiring. It was childish, it was classless and it's clear Lebron is not quite ready to unify the hordes of NBA fans in an organized uprising against our NFL overlords.

But put a little bit of this in perspective.

Quote from: Yahoo! Sports

All season, the Cavaliers acted too entitled, too arrogant for a team that’s won nothing. They ran out demanding that Mo Williams(notes) be made an All-Star, when the truth bore itself out in the playoffs: Cleveland has one All-Star. Nevertheless, Williams still embarrassed the Cavs with foolish proclamations and guarantees his middling talent couldn’t deliver.

“If you believe in karma with that nonsense,” one Western Conference executive said, “then Cleveland got what was coming to them.”

Oh yeah? Well they won 66 games this regular season. They cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs 8-0.

They finished the season 76-10, with the Magic responsible for six of those losses. The Cleveland Cavaliers did NOT get beaten by hubris. They got beaten by a team that upon reflection, clearly had their number, when almost no other NBA team did. That's not something to be ashamed of, even Napoleon had a Waterloo.

The notion that the Cleveland Cavaliers had too much swagger or were too cocky isn't outlandish, but its also not really legitimate. Lebron James made a mistake in a season where he seemed to effortlessly carry 40+ years of Cleveland misery on his freakishly strong shoulders. This kid is the most special athlete I've ever seen, and he's going to continue to redefine what being a superstar is. Sure leaving the court without saying good game is a tradition I've been doing and seeing in every single sport (and I played rugby. Try shaking a guy's hand when he purposefully stepped on your head then laughed at you) I've ever played, and I think to deny that excellent tradition is just stupid. But it happened once and was a mistake.

However, to flatly state that nobody will tell him he made a mistake, or to kind of intimate that Cleveland or Lebron "got what was coming to them" because of some kind of arrogance or lack of respect they gave the rest of the nba is equally ridiculous. You know who got what was coming to them? Every team besides the Lakers and the Magic. They got what they deserved because they weren't good enough to win.

Yes that includes us but we didn't have KG. Its best not to talk about it.

Old School video from youtube user steveshabing

indeedproceed — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:53:53 -0000

Old School video from youtube user steveshabing

Rajon Rondo's Crib. Posted by Redbull, Seen via BDL, via Dime Magazine

indeedproceed — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:49:48 -0000

Rajon Rondo's Crib. Posted by Redbull, Seen via BDL, via Dime Magazine

Growing up "Big Baby"-ESPN VIDEO

indeedproceed — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:23:14 -0000

Growing up "Big Baby"-ESPN VIDEO

"I just want some creativity, that's all I want,'' Redick said Saturday. "I haven't heard creative...

indeedproceed — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:41:07 -0000

"I just want some creativity, that's all I want,'' Redick said Saturday. "I haven't heard creative things since college. Like really, I don't know if it's the alcohol consumption at NBA games, but there's nothing remotely creative or funny ever said to me. It's boring. I'm so conditioned to it now.''

JJ Redick Challenges Boston Fans in SI Interview

KG Addias ad via SLAM, by way of BDL. Try not to cry on your keyboard. I did.

indeedproceed — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:32:51 -0000

KG Addias ad via SLAM, by way of BDL. Try not to cry on your keyboard. I did.

You know what guys? I do not care.

indeedproceed — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:52:40 -0000

It is a great feeling the day after the C's win a big one. If they go to LA and take down the Lakers by such a big margin even Jack Nicholson leaves in the third quarter its a good feeling. And while its a good feeling that night, its a better feeling the next morning. Its a lot like after you take a big test in high school or college and you just know you nailed it. That feels good, but it feels WAY better when you get that test back and there is a big fat 4-point-Zero of gratification on it.

Thats how I feel the next day after a big Celtics win. I read everything. I mean I read EVERYTHING. I will click on Ball Don't Lie's banner every 3 mins until Kelly Dwyer's fantastic "Behind the Box Score" feature comes out. I will read every single mother-luvin word with a smug sense of superiority and satisfaction reserved only for the best (or longtime die hard fans of the best).

Not this year. Something has changed. I first noticed it in November, after the blowout loss to Indiana. Then we dropped another to Denver. The nay sayers did what they do, some clamored for James Posey, some for Danny's head. Whatever. Standard over-reaction.

Then we won a whole bunch. Life was good. Quiet. It was good TV time. 19 games of wins. Just fantastic. But I didn't really care, because i knew it didn't matter. I'd read those articles the next day like I have for the past few years, and I wouldn't care. "Just the champs being champs" is what they'd say. Well, whatever. None of it matters anyways, not til the playoffs. Then the Lakers happened.

We were beaten, fair and square. I mean excuses were easy to come by, and for the most part, easily accepted. And that's how its been since. We're 27-17 since Christmas. That's a .613 winning %. If we'd played at that level the entire season, we'd still be third in the East by a considerable margin, which is where we are right now anyways. So what, right?

Well here is my point. I do not care. I don't care that we're watching Kevin Garnett's mins, and he's been out a bunch. I don't care that Tony Allen is injured, or that Brian Scalabrine might be done for the year, or that Stephon Marbury is rusty, or Mikki Moore has to embrace the system, or that Leon Powe needs to rest, I just don't care!

I also don't care that you lost. It means literally NOTHING at this point. Stop justifying it with excuses. Ya lost, we're here now, and ya lost. We can't get home court, our guys are hurt, I know, I understand, stop telling me. I don't care to hear it anymore.

Nine games left undecided before the playoffs. If we go 0-9, I would not be any more angry sad depressed or upset than I am now. If we go 9-0 I will not be any more happy, elated, excited or pumped up than I am now. We're not gonna set any records, we don't put up regular season conference banners, so let me tell you I do not care. Bring on the playoffs already, because Im sick of hearing excuses. All I've heard and read since Christmas has been excuses.

What I want to see, is this team play the best it can possibly play, when it counts, and win. It starts counting in 9 games. Until then, I don't care.

SB Nation User Blog: indeedproceed

Sources: Marion to Dallas in 3 team swap

Sources: Marion to Dallas in 3 team swap

HOLLINGER! *Shaking Fist*

Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen has had surgery on his right ankle and leg. The team says he's...

Defending the Cavaliers and the Alleged "King James"

Old School video from youtube user steveshabing

Rajon Rondo's Crib. Posted by Redbull, Seen via BDL, via Dime Magazine

Growing up "Big Baby"-ESPN VIDEO

"I just want some creativity, that's all I want,'' Redick said Saturday. "I haven't heard creative...

KG Addias ad via SLAM, by way of BDL. Try not to cry on your keyboard. I did.

You know what guys? I do not care.

HOLLINGER! Shaking Fist